The editorial, ‘Killing fields’ (April 29) draws attention to the sad state of Indian farmers. More than the policy around agriculture we need to ensure that the right benefits are passed on to farmers by way of subsidies, cheaper loans and cheap agricultural supplies. While a lot has been said about eliminating the middleman, we haven’t done what’s needed to benefit farmers and consumers.

Kamal Anil Kapadia

Mumbai

The editorial rightly figures out the reasons for the agricultural crisis. The ideal NPK ratio (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) is 4:2:1. The data for 2012-13 shows that NPK ratio for Punjab and Haryana was 61:18:1 and 61:19:1 respectively, whereas for Kerala it stood at 1.4:0.7:1. The all-India NPK ratio for same year was 8:3:1 which clearly indicates the indiscriminate increase in the use of nitrogenous fertiliser resulting in a skewed fertiliser use ratio.

Market access is another big hindrance: while one regulated market serves an area of 118 sq km in Punjab, in Meghalaya the area served per regulated market stands at 11215 sq km. The access to credit is far from the reach of poor farmers, most of credit facilities from banks or primary agriculture credit societies are utilized by the bigger or influential farmers and small/marginal farmers are left to fend for themselves. There must be clear and uniform guidelines for agricultural insurance. Thus, radical changes in policies and their effective implementation is needed to make farming viable.

Rajkamal Mann

Bathinda, Punjab

Rationalise holidays

According to the recently signed 10th Bipartite settlement between IBA and bank unions, all the Saturdays except the second and the fourth are full working days. This is yet to be implemented. In countries such as the US, declared holidays are a bare minimum. In India, different States declare holidays under the NI Act just to appease various sections, and the number of holidays goes up every year. Though ATM and internet and mobile banking channels are available, many people depend on branch banking. Will the government and policymakers rationalise the public holidays for banks?

Sreedhar Murthy BNS

Email

Basic right

And ordinance on the right to service has reportedly come into force enabling citizens legal recourse to holding an officer accountable for delayed services in Maharashtra. Punitive action has been prescribed for delayed rendition of services. Laws are enacted with much fanfare but lacklustre implementation makes them redundant. When quality and timely services are not rendered, those concerned should be pulled up.

KV Seetharamaiah

Hassan, Karnataka

Dredging subsidy

This refers to ‘Why grudge a subsidy for dredging?’ by Jose Paul (April 29).A public good must be of use to the people of the country. If ships use the deep draught channel of a port for delivering or receiving goods, the direct beneficiaries are ship-owners; the people are indirect beneficiaries. On the other hand, if ships that transport goods require lower draught, then there would be no rationale in requiring the public to bear the cost of dredging operations that do not benefit anybody.

Port authorities levy a fee on ship-owners for use of port channel and berth facilities. Shipping cartels do not share the savings in operating cost with people by lowering freight charges. As shipping freight is market driven and not cost driven, it would be inequitable to require the public to bear the huge cost of dredging that predominantly benefits ship-owners.

KVA Iyer

Kochi

Tax evasion

It is learnt that the total outstanding tax from corporates is around ₹4.85 lakh crore (end 2014-15). Can a salaried person in India who pays his income tax every year avoid paying taxes like big corporates? No. Inequalities of income and wealth are increasing in geometric progression in the country because the state encourages capitalists to grow on the sly, and grinds the salaried mercilessly.

S Ramakrishnasayee

Ranipet, Tamil Nadu

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