Inflation eases

It is good that “Inflation tumbles to 8-month low of 5.05% in Jan” (February 15), but the RBI cannot cut rates because the core inflation has risen marginally to 3 per cent. Even if the CPI is given greater consideration, the overall macro trend cannot be ignored.

Foodgrain output is high but farm growth at 4 per cent is against the low base of 1.9 per cent last year. Again, supply-side management in the agriculture sector is far from satisfactory; in all likelihood, it may be very difficult to sustain the distribution of agricultural products in the months to come.

With elections on the anvil, inflationary trend could inch upwards and the RBI may not reduce interest rates immediately, but may at best hold on to the present level for the next two-three months.

The flat industrial production is the result of poor investor sentiment and the challenges faced in getting environment and other government approvals, besides the recent confusion on the economic and political fronts.

KU Mada

Mumbai

Funding polls

Accusing business houses of funding political parties is wrong. Before pointing fingers, we must understand the contribution of such business houses to the economic development of the nation and the extent to which they have provided employment to millions in the country.

Let me ask: Is there any party that funds its expenses without receiving contributions either in cash or kind? I am sure there is none.

Leaders who are considered icons need to understand the effect of their statements on society.

Is not buying votes through subsidies corruption? Political parties in the past have been following this practice. Instead of using taxpayer’s money for the development of the country, the money goes in subsidies. This is also a means of funding the elections but who cares because almost every political party is following the same principle.

Dilip K Raina

Ghaziabad

Patience pays

Arvind Kejriwal is no doubt intelligent and shrewd. His planning is good, but he fails repeatedly in executing his plans.

Though Delhiites provided him the required power to cleanse the overall administration, he simply did not make use of the opportunity. It appears that he simply wanted to gain political mileage by playing the blame game.

This will not work in the long run. Among other qualities, a leader requires patience, maturity and practical solutions to address problems. But the ‘man in a hurry’ simply ran away from the problems.

He has miles to go before becoming an able politician and an efficient administrator. He has disappointed lakhs of people who had found in him a ray of hope in the present corrupt system.

BN Bharath

Hubli

Silent revolution

This refers to the report “Cheap rides, low costs: it’s tuk-tuk time in Tripura” (February 15). Made in China, the tuk-tuk (electric three-wheeler) will face tough competition in the market.

However, its presence is yet to be felt in cities such as Chennai and Mumbai. It is likely that autorickshaw unions will pressurise the state governments to prevent the running of tuk-tuks; this should not be encouraged.

The public should be more vigilant as autorickshaws have manipulated meters and take five passengers at times in Mumbai’s suburbs such as Ulhasnagar and Ambernath. Other states should emulate the Tripura, which amended the law to encourage the use of tuk-tuks.

Deendayal M Lulla

Mumbai

Tripura did the right thing in amending its Rikshaw Regulation Act. Every state in India needs to encourage this pollution-free electric model, at least for short distances. Apart from this, we need new-age entrepreneurs to produce it indigenously and law-makers to change with times in encouraging them, rather than be rigid in protecting existing monopolies.

There is something fishy with the way states, including Delhi, are imposing a ban on this, despite its popularity in the National Capital Region.

NV Ramamurthy

Mumbai

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