Mailbag

Do away with Jumbo cabinets

Sir,

The reduced U.P State with Uttranchal State carved out of it has been blessed with 98 ministers by the C.M of the State Govt. earlier the largest strength of State Govt. including Uttranchal was 95 ministers. The very large ministerial strengths both in the centre and the State Govts. are dictated by coalition politics which is dissidence prone. In order to overcome this problem this exercise is done to stay in power and with an eye on elections. Coalition politics is thus un-ethical and costlier to the public exchequer. Notably a Minister costs several lakhs of rupees per month to the exchequer on account of salary, privileges and perks. The parliamentary budget estimates committee examines the annual budgets of the Govt. on test-check basis and makes recommendations for effecting economies besides making other suggestion. It is in the fitness, of things that this committee should also address to the problem of limiting ministerial strength to control Govt. expenditure. The Govts. are law unto themselves in increasing their ministerial strength enhancing their salaries. TA and DA perks and privileges etc. They are representatives of the people and are public servants. In contrast pay revisions of the public services take place after a span of ten years and in the normal course no raise in their emoluments can be made without the approval of the higher competent authority accorded with the concurrence of Finance Ministry/Finance Deptt. in the case of the State Govt. Arbitrariness in any form and by any authority is discriminating and opposed to Democratic dispensation. The following suggestion for sound finance are made.

Strength of ministers should not exceed ten to twelve per cent of the strength of the House (Legislature). Perks of the ministers should not exceed fifty percent of actual expenditure thereon. In case of ministers and legislators absenting themselves from the House and also those not participating in voting on issues under debate, discussions, no confidence motion in the house, daily allowance etc. should not be paid to them. Tours and receptions combining home and personal work at Govt. expenses must be eschewed. Ministers must be above board and set sublime examples for emulation. Democracy demands high ideals, discipline, conduct, decorum and subordination of self interests to national interests which are not much in evidence and so the downward drift which must be halted by our enlightened leadership as per own example set by the Father of our national Gandhi Ji.

Yours etc...
Babu Ram Sharma
443-A, Gandhi Nagar,
Jammu.

Traffic in Jammu city

Sir,

You have very rightly brought out the burning problems of Jammu city in your editorial on 10 Oct 2003. Traffic is a serious problem. The main culprits of traffic nuisance are matador drivers, youngsters driving two wheelers and traffic police. It is disgusting that there is simply no check on matadors. They consider anywhere and everywhere as matador stops. They will stop in the middle of the road without bothering for any traffic behind them. Traffic police though mushrooming in the city stand on duty points as mute spectators. It appears as if they come there to read news papers and have nice chat. The simply do not bother about controlling traffic. At Jewel Chowk crossing you will find 4-5 traffic policemen standing, yes, Standing as spectators only but never controlling traffic. It is only good luck of persons that one crosses safely. Why are they on duty, I have failed to understand. At times they would not be standing at the chowk, but away under nice shady tree, like Rehari Chowk area. I request SP Traffic Jammu to pay attention to problem of traffic in Jammu.

Yours etc...
Dr. K B Gupta
Gandhi Nagar
Jammu.

Absorb all unemployed engineers

Sir,

First, betrayed by the pervious Governments engineers who are the backbone of any society, developing or developed, came to roads many a time in eighties and nineties.

The outgoing flambuoyant Chief Minister despite promising batch wise selection could not keep his word. Now these technocrats are on the roads once again. Who is at fault? They, most of whom have burnt the midnight oil to become engineers, many among whom have taken loans to fulfill their aim of becoming technocrats, those who have been betrayed many a time in the past or, the worthy Governments of J&K State from time to time who concerned them always. Any Government whether it was headed by Farooq or the present one by 'Messiah with a healing touch' did not consider it worthwhile to address the grievance of this community. Unemployment and frustration forced a few of them to join the ranks of militants but the Government was not alarmed.

Development in any region depends upon a number of technical persons working there. Most of the civil works in our State are in the hands of agencies of Central Government. It is a pity that the rulers of our State were always reluctant even to avail of 50 percent quota of jobs in the hands of any central agency working in the state because those who were kith & kin of politicians were given backdoor jobs or lucrative projects to prosper.

So what was the need to care for engineers? Isn't it strange that since 1987 PSC has not conducted PSC examination in case of engineering though for KAS, Assistant Surgeons and many others posts, they have made PSC exams a routine exercise. In doing so J&K PSC has broken the record of Bihar PSC even.

So better if Mufti Sahib, in view of the present package from PM and expectation of such liberal help from the centre, considers their demands and go for absorption of all the unemployed engineers in a phased manner.

PDP-Congress Government should not try to use the delaying tactics used by their predecessors in the past.

Yours etc...
Er. Kamal R S Jamwal
Rajouri