Budget merger

This refers to the report, ‘No Railway budget from next fiscal’ (August 15). The proposal to merge the Rail Budget with the Union Budget needs to be seen as part of the reform process. Many components of economic reforms have hit road blocks, including structural reforms in the financial sector, some emanating from the weakness of alliances in power at the Centre and in the States. Once the two budgets are merged and major taxes are aggregated through the mechanism of GST, the Centre’s responsibility to plan resources and ensure distributive justice across geographical regions and various sectors of the economy rises.

Among other things, it will have to ensure that windfalls are used for investment purposes and not for freebies. Cross-subsidisation by using surpluses of revenue-generating sectors for the benefit of the social sector and for long-term investment in infrastructure will have to continue. Provision must be made for expected and unexpected heavy expenditure. Provisions for meeting pension liabilities and retirement benefits should ideally form part of current revenue expenditure. The claims of less developed and less literate areas should be met, preferably from a dedicated fund to be created for the purpose. A prices, wages and income policy covering government and private sectors should guide the market and employers.

MG Warrier

Mumbai

Unfair picture

This refers to the cartoon, By the Way, by Dipankar Bhattacharya (August 15). It is unfortunate that our participants in the Olympics have been depicted as if they are interested in food and not in sport. This will undermine the efforts they’ve made over the years in trying circumstances. Why depict them so badly?

S Kalyanasundaram

Email

Simply fantastic

The gritty show put up by gymnast Dipa Karmakar at Rio has made every Indian’s heart beat with pride. The proverbial cat’s whisker that separated her from the bronze-winner mirrors how close she was to a medal. She has scripted history by becoming the best Indian gymnast in Olympic history. Dipa Karmakar, you were simply fantastic!

NJ Ravi Chander

Bengaluru

Time enough

This refers to your editorial, ‘Reimagining the Republic’ (August 15). Undoubtedly we have achieved a lot in 70 years in terms of industrial growth, agricultural reforms, the fight against poverty, improving literacy, providing employment, attracting foreign investment and so on. But 70 years is long enough to develop from an underdeveloped to the developed state given our huge natural resources and enormous manpower. It is a pity we are still rated a developing nation. We lag behind even peers Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on social indicators such as primary education,health and sanitation and core infrastructure. Certainly there are loopholes in our policies and implementation. Corruption is on the rise. The hyper nationalism witnessed in recent times is not the nationalism of our freedom struggle. Unless these problems are addressed, we cannot become a developed nation.

TSN Rao

Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh

A performing government alone can bring in and implement reforms with a view to transforming the lives of people. The Prime Minister along with his Cabinet chalks out and announces new schemes but implementation and deliveryare possible only with the cooperation of the chief minister in each State. Opportunities for employment, rather than subsidies and freebies, will alter the lives of people. For this, we need skilled people, and not just numbers.

According to a survey, the bottom 25 per cent of engineers earn a lower salary than the top 25 per cent of those with certificates from ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes). This is a telling fact. Similarly, to take healthcare and sanitary initiatives to the village level, the collaborative effort of local body administrations, and the State and Central government is necessary.

S Lakshminarayanan

Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu

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