MyVoice: Views of our readers 6th May 2023

Jagan govt facilitating Uttarandhra Vaibhavam

More than Rs 4,500 crore investment has been committed for the international airport at Vizag (Bhogapuram), which will lead to exponential rise in the volume if air traffic in the region. The government also announced to spend around Rs 200 crore on Taraka Rama Thirtha Sagaram, which will provide 5 million litres of water to 49 villages and irrigation to 3,000 acres of agricultural fields. Adani Data Centre and IT Business park, Skill Development Facility and Recreational Centre will provide lakhs of jobs and lead to the development of tourism, medical tourism and IT sector. Kudos to Jagan Mohan Reddy for his vision leading to Uttarandhra Vaibhavam.

Kantamsetti Lakshman Rao, Visakhapatnam

Restore conjugal relations

Two issues have of late caught public attention and seen SC consideration: cohabitation of same-sex couples and nullity of solemnised marriages. The former case, though an indecent, immodest, coarse, crass and crude, is to be handed over to a committee while the latter is acceptable by Divorce Laws and Special Marriage Act, 1954 after strictly following the principles of Restitution of Conjugal Rights and judicial separation of six months. Irretrievable breakdown of marriages may turn retrievable if couple arrives at an agreeable consensus and such cases were there earlier. Our culture is always melding for the matrimonial alliance. Saying judicial separation is not necessary is a blow to conjugal relations. Lawmakers and the Apex Court must review this family matter with an open mind not only from legal angle but also on ethical grounds.

N Ramalakshmi, Secunderabad

Religious appeal by PM to voters

Prime Minister Modi, while campaigning in Uttara Kannada, exhorted voters to chant ‘Jai Bajrang Bali’ when they cast their vote, in an apparent rebuttal to Congress manifesto, which seeks to ban Bajrang Dal if voted to power in poll-bound Karnataka. The Prime Minister shouldn’t have indulged in such blatant communalism for two reasons: 1. Sister concerns of the BJP have always been the proverbial thorns in the flesh and sources of embarrassment to the BJP on more occasions than one; 2. Modi is the Prime Minister of every Indian, irrespective of caste, creed and gender, and blatant support to communalism is unbecoming of a national leader.

Dr George Jacob, Kochi

Fix accountability of GST officials

There is a need to address two key issues in the current GST system: the reduction of the number of slabs and exemptions, and the improvement of tax administration efficiency to increase tax collections. The former requires political action, while the latter requires smart execution by tax officials. Unfortunately, there has been little progress in the working style of GST officials over the past five years. The extended time taken to resolve disputes and appeals by appellate authorities is a point of concern. Furthermore, the dual GST administrative control requirement has added to the complexity of assigning accountability to the responsible tax officials.

Rajpal Singh Chouhan, Ujjain

Centre indifferent to women wrestlers

The continuing protests by the wrestlers in Delhi seem to be turning into another major sensitive issue in the country definitely due to most inhuman handling of the issue by the central government. It is being handled with a scant concern on the female genders of the society in spite of the involved members being reputed women wrestlers who have raised the country’s fame in the entire world by virtue of their skills and dedication to the nation. The Supreme Court also instead of once for all closing the issue must have kept the issue open by assuring that a retired judge at least would monitor the issue totally post registration of FIRs against the WFI chief. Afterall, it is an issue concerning ‘ sexual allegations ‘ which definitely needs more concern.

Katuru Durga Prasad Rao, Hyderabad

Increase frequency of MMTS trains

MMTS is the cheapest mode of transport in the twin cities and what a tragedy that it is not patronised. The fare is highly subsidised and when it is so, people should really benefit from it on the contrary. The SCR should at once run these services at 10-15 minute frequency at least on pilot basis for a couple of months and then gauge the public response. If necessary, to do so, they can add additional rakes and I am optimistic there will be resounding success for MMTS services. Let us not waste PM’s initiative in increasing these services.

D Nagarjuna, Hyderabad