Retire the policy

Our country is losing a lot of experienced and skilled employees to retirement even though they are healthy and able to work. Retirement should be based on health, mental ability and willingness to work.

Simply removing from service an employee who has turned 58 or 60 is not correct. It is also wrong to think the jobs opened up as a consequence of retirement are beneficial to the unemployed.

The government should change the retirement policy. Also, retirement should not be all of a sudden, it should happen in a phased manner. For instance, the employee should work two or three days a week and then slowly retire. Making the best use of well-trained, skilled persons is a boon to the country; retiring them just on the basis of age is imprudence.

M Firozama

Visakhapatnam

ATMs can come together

This refers to the news item, ‘Post offices to issue ATM-cum-debit cards for savings account holders’ (December 31). Making services more broad-based and customer-friendly is welcome. However, the proposal to prescribe a fee for issue of ATM or debit card to the Post Office savings bank account holder may end up making the scheme a non-starter.

By encouraging use of ATM cards, there will be savings in man-hours. The costing methodology for arriving at profits/losses in ATM maintenance should factor in (a) the low interest paid on savings bank accounts from which ATM withdrawals are made, and (b) the savings in costs when transactions are managed through machines. Even if initially it results in losses on account of high expenditure for installation of machines and so on, this should be met from the normal budget of the organisation and recovery through fees should not be an option.

Another aspect the RBI and banks should look into is the need for several ATMs in the same locality or sometimes in the same shopping area. As the present infrastructure and technology do not leave much scope for ‘competition’ among service providers, pooling of resources and having ATMs based on need could be thought of. Where there are ATMs within a short distance of each other, bringing them together under one shelter will save costs on rentals and security.

MG Warrier

Thiruvananthapuram

No value addition

This refers to your edit, ‘Plane truths’ (December 31). Unless the government moves to privatise Air India nothing will change on the ground for the aviation sector. Unless the elephant moves out of the room no one else can have the breathing space to survive and grow.

Almost half the ministries at the Centre add no value on the ground. Take for instance the rural development ministry. We have one at the State level and one at the Centre. We are a union of States and just allocate money to the State and move on. What is the value addition by having this ministry at the Centre? More than half our laws exist because someone enjoys the power derived from them. We need to remove unwanted laws and ministries and sell out unwanted businesses for governance to improve substantially.

CR Arun

Email

Message in the medium

This is regarding the protests against the film, PK . After the Censor Board clearing it for screening, the authorities have to take the necessary steps for its undisturbed release. However, it is incumbent on the part of producers and directors to ensure that the sentiments of communities are not hurt in any manner. The Censor Board has the authority to ask producers and/or directors to delete objectionable portions and anything that is offensive in tone and tenor. Films are the cheapest form of entertainment in India, they are also the best medium for dissemination of good messages. Why spread ill-will?

HP Murali

Bengaluru

In a pluralistic country like India where religious values are held in high esteem, the Censor Board should behave in a balanced way because some filmmakers are out to make quick money on religious grounds.

DJ Babu

Mumbai

Cheer the ordinary folk

Navneet Munot in ‘The person of the year’ (December 31) has presented several strong contenders for the person of the year award while running through a slew of individuals and events. Among all those worthy contenders, one unassuming fellow missed out: none other than the low-profile Common Man who simply and somewhat nonchalantly took in his stride whatever happened around him during the year as he knew he had to fend for himself. He does not mind being the anonymous and unrecognised hero, he is used to it. He is the one who dutifully obeyed the laws of the country, waits for his turn and pays his dues. Not only does he not mind if someone else becomes the person of the year, he also ungrudgingly cheers the winner. Let us give him a hand.

CG Kuriakose

Kothamangalam, Kerala

What’s the difference?

The recent classification of borrower by the RBI as non-cooperative is a loan defaulter who deliberately stonewalls the legitimate efforts of his lending banker by which a default borrower can not secure any fresh loan from any banker. How different is this from a wilful defaulter which means a borrower who has the capacity to repay but does not; instead he diverts the funds to other projects or utilises the funds for a purpose other than for which the loan is sanctioned?

The RBI should elaborate more clearly the difference between these two and also the consequences to be faced by the borrower and what are the advantages for the banker in recovering the dues, because the bank is more particular about the recovery rather than the classification. It is good idea to include statutory auditors to be members of the committee that will classify the borrower so that the pressure on the banker is reduced. In addition, the government should think of filing criminal cases against these two classes of borrowers who owe to the bank ₹50 crore and above if it is really serious in reducing NPAs.

TSN Rao

Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh

Plain unaffordable

The Trai pricing of 3G spectrum at ₹2,720 crore/Mhz, which is 18 per cent below the auction price in 2010 and 23 per cent higher than the 1800 Mhz band may find few takers. All 3G services call for expensive, high-end phones and become a potent factor in determining consumer demand. This contravenes the principle of digitising India by making access for the common man unaffordable.

Vikram Sundaramurthy

Chennai

Promises to keep

This refers to ‘When the opposition refuse to oppose’ by AM Jigeesh (December 31). Adopting the ordinance route to clear critical pending legislations should not be construed as undermining democracy. Yes, even the BJP opposed the Congress’ ordinances. With many States under its belt the BJP will have more seats in the Upper House and that will help them clear many more Bills in future. Narendra Modi has to fulfil his acche din promise to the people and for that some extraordinary decisions will have to be taken.

Bal Govind

Noida, Uttar Pradesh

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