Pay more, get more

This refers to the article ‘Pay more, get more’ (November 25). When the government spends 50 per cent of its revenue on salaries and pensions for its employees, the question arises, is the government for the people or for its employees? We got our independence in 1947, but are we really free? There are millions of unemployed people in this country; joblessness means you are not free.

Millions of sick people hesitate to go to the hospital because they can't afford the treatment; sickness means you are not free. Millions of students can't afford quality education; if you are not educated, you are not free.

When the freedom of millions of citizens is compromised because of the lack of an adequate social safety net, how can a democratically-elected government spend half its income on salaries and pensions? This kind of spending not only perks up inflation, it is also not sustainable in the long run. The government should focus on making India a free country.

C R Arun

E-mail

Challenging times

This refers to the article ‘Is another financial crisis looming?’ by Bandi Ram Prasad (November 25). It is true that Indian corporates are better placed compared to global peers, but the risks are high. Most of the corporates which went for global acquisition have suffered in view of market conditions and difficulties faced in doing business in other countries .They carry these legacies in their balance sheets.

Another common problem faced by companies is declining prices for exports and delayed realisations. Even AA-rated corporates are forced to delay settlement of dues, resulting in delinquencies. The only silver lining is that no major capex has been undertaken in the last few years and debt levels have not increased on that account. However, short-term liabilities have been converted into term debts to handle cash flow mismatch. Initiatives like ‘Make in India’ will certainly help companies shore up order books, but the next few quarters are going to be challenging for Indian corporates with the inevitability of business carve-outs and takeovers under SDR.

M Raghuraman 

Mumbai

Performance appraisal

The pay hike is incredible, considering we in the private sector are struggling to achieve these kind of figures with more stringent objectives to achieve.

In view of this hike, we should measure achievements and goals on a regular basis, considering how difficult it is to get work done by government agencies.

We can motivate people by offering incentives and awards for top performers. Work needs to be done on time and for that to happen we need measures for appraising individual performance.

Kamal Anil Kapadia

Mumbai

Understanding the employee

This is with reference to the article “Banks have no time for customer service” by B Yerram Raju (November 25). To know how a bank works and how the officers and staff do their very best to satisfy each and every customer, one has to be an impartial analyst of situations.

A bank employee has multiple roles to play within a stipulated time. Many will agree that bank employees are cordial, patient listeners and able performers. Most banks work from 10 am to 5 pm; however, employees need to remain at the branch till 7 or 8 pm to complete day-end processes. It is common knowledge that public sector banks need to cover a lot of government account operations within the stipulated time.

In addition, there are pension payments. Irrespective of all the odds, when one compares banks to government offices, one can definitely see the difference in work ethic. In a bank, an employee is answerable to any customer complaint. 

There are a number of grievance redressal forums, including the Banking Ombudsman. It may be interesting to note that maximum customer complaints are against State Bank units, largely because they handle maximum number of transactions and accounts. Is it not proper to appreciate the general functioning of public sector banks in discharging their social responsibility roles? 

Mathew Abraham

Thiruvananthapuram

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