Letters to the Editor dated March 23, 2020

At the time governments across the globe are making every effort to contain the spread of coronovirus, misinformation is also spreading across social media and thus making it difficult for many to separate fact from fiction. For genuine information about the pandemic, one can rely on sources such as WHO and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These organisations provide regular updates on statistics, advisories and guides on everything from sanitising our homes to managing stress.

Sholavandan, TN

With coronavirus spreading to various parts of the country it is important that the Central and State governments extend medical help quickly and efficiently. The government must also provide financial assistance to people who have no work on account of the pandemic. In-depth study must be conducted by medical experts to prevent the spread of the disease.

Coimbatore

This refers to the editorial ‘Get cracking soon’ (March 23). Now the absolute need is the rapid execution of monetary and non-monetary relief packages to support the continuity of economic activities and intensify the implementation of the measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

As the banks, barring a few, are well-capitalised and have sufficient capacity to lend, it is crucial to control the growth in bad loans of these lenders. Accordingly, a relaxation in the prudential norms on income recognition and asset classification is imperative to ameliorate the aggravating financial stress of business entities and the financial sector. In the present scenario, uninterrupted credit flow at very low interest rate is paramount to cater to the credit needs and keep economic activities going. Ensuring the availability of refinancing from development financial institutions to commercial, co-operative and regional rural banks at nominal interest rates is essential to avoid possible liquidity crisis in the banking system.

Kottayam

At a time when the situation is totally amorphous and unpredictable, it is time for the government to come out with tangible measures which are much needed to alleviate the unprecedented hardships witnessed across various strata of society. Even as it is trying hard to rein in Covid-19, same rigorous steps are needed also to get the economy chugging again.

First and foremost is to prioritise. All infrastructure projects with long gestation periods being executed by the government and the public sector must be put on hold and the resources deployed for upgrading the public health infrastructure. The most vulnerable are workers in the unorganised sector. This calls for putting an indefinite moratorium on all outstanding cesses, and with the stricture that the workers cannot be laid off. There is no gainsaying that big corporates should join hands with the government.

Chennai

This refers to ‘Coronavirus can throw economy into a tailspin’ (March 23). As stated, India’s response to coronavirus has been proactive, comprehensive and effectively led by the government right from the inception of the pandemic. To compensate the marginalised people on their loss of income, announcing free ration for a month coupled with financial assistance is needed.

Sivakasi

India has entered the list of nations under serious threat of water scarcity. States at ‘extreme risk’ include Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan, while Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal are rated at ‘high risk.’. India extracts more groundwater than any other country; 250 per cent higher than the the US and China. No wonder we are more dependent on monsoons now than in the 1950s.

Navi Mumbai

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