Only good governance

This refers to the report “Public sector banks should not be seen ‘as an extension of the Govt’ ”(September 16). The ‘ownership rights’ being exercised by the finance ministry over PSUs, including statutory bodies, in a negative manner has been an issue which impacts the good governance of all organisations in the public sector.

Mild protests by several stakeholders were ignored by successive governments. Even this well-argued case for PSUs to be provided a level playing field, comparable with well-managed private sector entities, may get diverted as an issue between the RBI and the Central Government.

The debate being opened by Raghuram Rajan should be taken forward in the national interest. Only good governance in the public sector can handle national priorities speedily enough to catch up with the developed world; the private sector has so far been interested only in the creamy layer of the development cake, concentrating mostly on industrial and services sectors. Private sector banks have so far not been able to capture even one-third of the business share or penetrate rural areas.

MG Warrier

Mumbai

Not justified

The RBI governor’s assertion that as it costs the bank to run ATMs, customers have to pay, is not logical. Banks have provided the facility to cut down footfalls in the bank. Banks save a lot by making customers draw money through ATMs or use other channels.

The banks must also ponder over the abysmal interest they pay on savings deposits which is far lower than the inflation rate. In real terms, by keeping a balance in savings bank, one loses the real value of money. Advocating charging for withdrawal from one’s own account cannot be justified.

S Kalyanasundaram

Email

Raising the bar

Raising the bar of the Indian legal system (“Chennai lawyer on mission to raise the bar of Indian legal system” by Niharika Mallimadugula, September 16) calls for action on many fronts. Chiefly we have to remedy the lengthy procedure, especially in civil matters.

Everyday after the judge in the lower courts for civil litigation takes his chair he spends about 90 minutes calling all the cases listed for the day; more than half are adjourned or kept aside because parties or their lawyers are not ready or there is no representation. No real progress is made in the forenoon, even as witnesses wait. The Civil Procedure Code should be amended to enable the judge to start with the actual hearing of cases right from the time the court starts functioning for the day.

Lawyers’ online requests for adjournment should be automatically granted. Pre-fixed costs could also be required to be paid online while registering the requests. This saves time. The procedural law relating to execution also needs to be pruned and tightened.

R Veera Raghavan

Chennai

The time’s ripe

With reference to your editorial, “Waiting for recovery” (September 16), the country's growth and capital inflow will now be more determined by external factors — the Fed Reserve of US decision on interest rates, China’s slowing growth, etc. While the former will adversely impact capital inflows into India, the latter will help funds and investments coming to India rather than China. Slowdown in China will also soften commodity and crude prices which is good news for India. The Government should increase domestic demand. Revival of the monsoon is also good news. With conditions favourable for growth, the Government should bring in big bang reforms now.

Sridhar Narasimhan

Email

Big ask

The articles by AM Jigeesh, R Balaji, AJ Vinayak and Aditi Nigam in India File headlined “River-linking: bad science or good economics?”(September 16) were interesting. Linking major rivers is a gigantic task. Had it been taken up immediately after Independence, costs would have been far less. Environmentalists need to come out with proposals as to how to manage ecological balance and biodiversity once the task is taken up.

HP Murali

Bangalore

Wave on the wane

The Modi wave is visibly on the wane if the by-poll results are any indication. People in most cases do not want to elect the same candidates. There is also discontent against the Modi government for sidelining senior leaders who were instrumental in bringing the party to its present stature. The administration should be a blend of youngsters and seasoned politicians.

KV Seetharamaiah

Hassan, Karnataka

Simple solution

There is no dearth of people in the country to stir up a hornets’ nest about language. That the IG of Coast Guards has remarked that Hindi must be used the most in official work is a case in point. A simple solution to the language problem in the country is to speak or write in a language which the target audience can understand.

S Ramakrishnasayee

Ranipet, Tamil Nadu

Surprising order

We were totally bewildered by the Supreme Court’s directive asking Prashant Bhushan to reveal his source in Diarygate. The diary provides material evidence to conclude that the CBI director indeed met people ‘linked’ to the accused companies in the spectrum case at his official residence. The fact that he met them is of prime importance and the identity of the whistle-blower is of least importance. Graphologists can verify the gateman’s .

An act of impropriety or illegality or crime cannot be ‘buried’ on the ground of ‘anonymity’ of the agency that helped bring it to light. Since public interest is involved in this case, it cannot be reduced to a rivalry between corporate houses. By asking Bhushan to name the information provider, the apex court has, wittingly or unwittingly, sidestepped the real issue and changed the trajectory of the case. The Supreme Court cannot seem to be supportive of Reliance and the Marans with enormous financial clout in their bid to cover up the clandestine meetings. The present inexplicable order will go to discourage potential public-spirited whistle-blowers from 'leaking' facts for fear of reprisal. If the Supreme Court sincerely believes that exposing corruption, be it political corruption or corporate corruption or any other from of corruption, is a good thing and advances the cause of fairness, it must rescind its dubious order and proceed with the case to ensure transparency and accountability in the management of affairs of the state.

G David Milton

Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

Switch to CPI

This refers to the report “Inflation at 5-year low, but Rajan nixes rate-cut (September 16). Inflation cannot be said to be down on the basis of wholesale price index. Wholesalers do not feel the pinch of inflation; in fact higher the wholesale price inflation, the higher their profits. We should switch over to consumer price index as a measure of inflation. It is the consumers or ordinary citizens who feel the pinch of inflation.

S Raghunatha Prabhu

Alappuzha

Border matters

The contentious border row with China does not look like having a happy ending any time soon with Chinese civilians in government vehicles pushing into Indian territory in Demchok in Ladakh and a fresh stand-off ensuing between Indian and Chinese soldiers along the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC). The simmering tension along the border with China has been a matter of grave concern in recent months and by the look of things it appears that our neighbour is in no mood to listen to New Delhi's pleas to redraw the border. The cropping up of the border row just ahead of Chinese President Xi Jingping’s visit to India could have an adverse effect on Indo-Sino ties and it is important that India makes it abundantly clear that while it is nice to go forward with boosting bilateral and economic ties, there can be little or no compromise when it comes to protecting our borders.

NJ Ravi Chander

Bangalore

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