The Hindu Business Line : Call for poll reforms

The State and Central elections are not usually conducted together. Though the State elections are scheduled in May in five States, the call of former CEC for a debate on poll reforms is welcome. The citizens should be instructed to cast their votes without fail. And disciplinary action should be taken on those who fail in their duty. The election commission should deploy staff to visit areas on election day and encourage the public to vote.

S. Sivasankaran, Salem

Many a time, political parties are hand in glove with the mafia. Money plays an all important role in elections. No gentleman can contest an election. Hence the former CEC calling for poll reforms is unlikely to have an impact.

Subbalakshmi, Madurai

The EC's steps to ensure free and fair election guidelines are good. These could be given legal teeth where required. Certain reforms for disqualification could be misused. So nothing could be better than reforming the electorate to elect the best. `People reform' could bring real `poll reform.' The present trend of `cry for justice' brings hope.

A. Jacob Sahayam, Thiruvananthapuram

Responses to Sticklish Issues dated March 27 on full rupee float

If the rupee gets into full convertible mode then more FDI will flow into India. The most important thing is to sustain growth so that the FIIs remain and continue to invest. There is some negatives also from free float of rupee, more investment will be towards interest rates in banks getting into lower side.

Girish Nayak, e-mail

Are we ready for capital account convertibility? I am afraid not. A couple of droughts or a stagnation in the growth rate in the agricultural sector might turn our economy red.

The industrial growth rate needs to be stabilised. Can we guarantee the flow of foreign exchange from our exports and expatriates? A conflict between US and the muslim world can turn out to be disastrous to our economy and its growth.

Subbalakshmi, Madurai

Responses to Sticklish Issues dated March 13 on villages getting e-linked

It would be a welcome step. Empowering people means greater transparency and communications going to the grassroots.

M. N. Ravi Shankar, Hyderabad

The country should have a robust data base management system that can handle this sort of ambitious plans.

M. Sunanda Ramachandra, Hyderabad

We are on the Third Wave path.

T. V. Jayaprakash, Palakkad

Responses to Sticklish issues dated March 6 on more services under the tax net

Service tax contributes more than 52 per cent of the GDP. Bringing 15 more services under the tax net and enhancement of service tax rate from 10 per cent to 12 per cent and announcement of tentative deadline of April 1, 2010, for Goods and Service tax are steps in the right direction.

Ravi Sharma, e-mail

Though around 85 services have been brought into the tax net, there are many more still to be covered. In the purview of the Government, there is a proposal for service tax for membership of clubs or associations (religious forum, political organisations will be excluded). Why should membership to political organisations be excluded?

R. R. Gnanasekaran, e-mail

As the share of services sector in the country's GDP is increasing, it is not unusual to include more services in the tax net. The services sector provides essential inputs to the manufacturing as well as agricultural sectors. Employment in the services sector covers a large range of occupations. Hence, there is great revenue and export potential from this sector. The Government should also take proactive steps to strengthen the services sector by creating an enabling environment rather than resort merely to tax hikes.

Anil Kumar Angrish, e-mail

A comprehensive service tax regime combined with an efficient VAT can help raise indirect tax revenue.

The taxpayer will not find it difficult as the retention period for service tax is 60 days without involving special account or record or billing of any documents, facilitator of e-tax payments, taxpayers enjoying the benefit of CENVAT credit, and above all requiring only voluntary compliance.

In certain special cases, exemptions have been provided and others withdrawn.

T. S. Sundareswaran, New Delhi

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