MyVoice: Views of our readers 20th August 2023

Modi govt should come clean on CAG findings

Till today, the USP of Modi government is its honesty and Indian voter's psyche is very sensitive towards it and we are aware how previous governments of Rajiv Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh lost the elections due to an environment created by opposition parties against them on the issue of corruption. Now, CAG has highlighted the irregularities in seven projects causing losses to the tune of Rs 7.5 lakh crore. Let us take one by one report in brief as under:

The first-ever CAG report on the PM-JAY or Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana highlights how the scheme has been riddled with corruption and visible fraudulence such as treatment for the dead, discharge before surgery and number of registration from a single phone/mobile and many problems of Ayushman Bharat. As per the NHA database, 24.42 crore beneficiaries had registered for the scheme and Rs 67,456.21 crore had been spent on their hospital admissions. The CAG assessment included the time period of September 2018 to March 2021and the auditor test-checked 964 hospitals in 161 districts of all 28 states and Union territories. Delhi, Odisha and West Bengal have opted out of this scheme.

The auditors found large-scale corruption in insurance claims settlement. It reported that not enough validation was done by the agencies before releasing the claims to the hospitals which were empanelled under the scheme. It noted that in 2.25 lakh cases, the date of 'surgery ' done was not shown to be later than the date of discharge. Of all such cases, more than 9 lakh were found in Maharashtra for which the claimed amount was over Rs 300 crore. In other instances, the hospitals had made claims and the agencies had transferred money for dates even before the inception of the scheme. The payments were made to hospitals in some cases prior to submission of claims. In other cases, patients above 18 years of age were given treatment under 'paediatric speciality packages.'

The auditors also found that in 45,846 claims, the date of discharge was earlier than date of admission. The data in the Transaction Management System (TMS) showed that 88,760 patients had died during treatment. And yet 2,14,923 claims were shown as paid in respect of 'fresh treatments 'given to these dead patients. Almost Rs 7 crore were spent towards settling these claims in 24 states and UTs.

One of the biggest instances of graft in the implementation of the scheme was found in registration and identification of beneficiaries. The audit discovered that 1.57 lakh cards appeared more than once in other words, all these IDs were prepared more than once.

Let us about other projects also in brief:

CAG also pointed out the inflated project cost of the Dwarka Expressway which went up 14 times from the sanctioned Rs 18 crore/km to Rs 250 crore/km. A common man expects from the government to clear the fact whether the cost was inflated 14 times. The audited report was tabled in Parliament.

CAG report had also raised similar objections on irregularities in the Ayodhya development project and diversion of old page Pension funds under National social assistance programme for Publicly of present government 's schemes instead.

CAG report also accused the present government of corruption in infrastructure projects and as per report on the 'Bharatmala Pariyojana ' highway projects there is involvement of corruption and government should look into it in detail.

Under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, a total of 75,000 kilometers of roads were to be constructed at the rate of Rs 15 crore per kilometer but the government increased the cost to Rs 25 crore per kilometer so the government had inflated the cost by 75,000 crore On the above all projects government should clear the picture before the nation.

- Yash Pal Ralhan, Jalandhar

Unfair criticism of Modi government

Ref: ‘A myopic view of Indian democracy’ (Bold Talk, 19 August). A vibrant, and performing democracy like India, has always been the target of lampoon by the western countries, in the attempt to make India measure up to their standards, albeit they are dismally far behind, on several aspects and parameters that India has an upper hand, in terms of socio-economic indices; and a vibrant socialism in place – with a clear and unmissable focus on the have-nots and the downtrodden in their uplift; while the so-called critics and the foreign media have a great deal learn and imbibe from the traditional wisdom and matured democratic principles and credentials that are already in practice in India.

The lobbies and the NGOs who act like mercenaries, have no computation to be delivering the ‘recorded’ messages on so- called shortcomings from the foreign perspective that suits the agenda of unscrupulous political parties and ‘secular gangs’ that are up to wreck the well-knit social and cultural milieu, the country enjoys. But, then to make these ideals to pass and become acceptable before the eyes of the westerners; who quote India as the oldest and largest democracy in the world – it requires, on our part to gain some semblance of equality and respectability, in winning the critical view and analysis by others that India has now garnered; in terms of an economic power, akin to endorsement accorded by the World Economic Forum (WEF) that credits India of overtaking the UK to emerge as the fifth world economy. Under such circumstances, respectability and non-myopic view on India is imperative to help things naturally fall into place.

Another 'fashion word' that is being played out by some states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Delhi West Bengal and Karnataka, is the infringement of federal structure by the Centre; that is more of an eye-wash than reality. The same drama was enacted by the Delhi government under the Chiefministership of Kejriwal, who always criticised the Union government for needlessly intervening in the affairs.

–S Lakshmi, Hyderabad

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The writer V Ramu Sarma rightly said that despite encountering difficulties at every step, India is still a vibrant representative parliamentary democracy and will be at all times because of effective participation of people of all faiths and classes to uphold the democracy. Even though many times executive and legislature abdicated their responsibilities, the proactive attitude of courts had shown the mirror to the political parties to correct itself adds to the strength of democracy in India. Therefore, any attempt to show it in poor light by any party or group in India or abroad would tantamount to fail is proved beyond reasonable doubt many times.

The autocratic ruling by almost all the political parties which includes regional parties bungling by injecting overdose of appeasement of people belonging to a particular religion and caste had led to hatred and animosity resulting in frequent skirmishes on a trivial issue at one place or the other across the country cannot be denied. This in turn provided fodder to anti-national elements in India and abroad including Congress and Leftist leaders and intellectuals to take a dig at our democracy by falsely painting a wrong picture about India.

– K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

Geopolitics rage over rare earth metals

Rare Earth elements (REE) have played critical role in the national security, energy independence, environmental future and economic growth of many countries. REEs are only 17 elements from the periodic table out of 118 elements. China possess the highest REE deposits. It has been providing over 90 percent of global supply while holding only 23 percent of the global storage. China's dominance in REE refining is attributed greatly to its low cost labor force accompanied by low environmental regulations, making it the global destination for REE processing. According to the US Foreign policy Research Institute, till June 2021, US had imported 98 per cent of processed REE from China. In this scenario, US has recently inked seven agreement with the strategically situated landlocked country Mongolia regarding rare earth mining to decrease sole reliance on Chinese supply.

In recent years, many deposits of rare earth materials have been discovered across the globe. For example, India has declared that it had discovered rare earth deposits in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. Turkey had also announced that it had discovered world's second largest rare earth reserve. Western countries soon will start exploring rare earths in Denmark's autonomous territory of Greenland. The key to the industry is not only maximizing the recovery rate of rare earth elements but also developing and perfecting refining technology.

This is pivotal to the sustainable production and supply of REE. At present China's REE smelting and separation technology is top on the global list with an REE resource extraction rate of 99 percent. This show how well the China has organized the full scale industry. If the US want to use Mongolia with the ambition of breaking China's monopoly in global rare earth it has to take more initiative than it has taken till date. The location of Mongolia is unique as it will provide USA a geographical space between Russia and China. Strategically, it may also refrain China from extracting rare earth elements from Mongolia. Simultaneously, now Mongolia can bargain better with Russia and China by bringing USA in the regional geopolitics.

There is nothing wrong with the cooperation among different states but USA must think cautiously and keep balance between commercial dealing with China and supporting an expensive partner like Mongolia who is still primitive in terms of REE technology.

– Arka Goswami, Durgapur, WB

Electoral rumblings loud and clear now

The election fever is catching up slowly but steadily in Telangana and AP. Every political party, every leader worth his name is making some noise punctually. A retort here or a dig there at their political rivals and detractors.

Some leaders are very sure of getting tickets again, while many are running from pillar to post for them. Of course, doubting Thomases are habitually sitting on the fence, and waiting for opportune time to jump onto the bandwagon of some 'promising' party.

It is an open secret that most 'fore-sighted' politicians and leaders have already lots of money at their disposal to defray 'seen and unseen' expenses before, during, and after the elections! The Government in Telangana is busy, announcing populist schemes and granting sops to all sections of people. Even Opposition parties are not lagging behind in promising the moon to their gullible voters. Look at Chandrababu Naidu, aged 73, who the other day spoke of his ‘Vision 2047.’ We all know that defections and horse trading are also quite common before elections.

In AP right now Pawan is cooking with gas, I mean, doing well. However there are two areas where Pawan has to focus on. He must be on guard while making sweeping remarks and comments and serious allegations against the Jagan government. The other day he said that 30,000 women had gone missing in AP and nobody showed any concern for them. Does he have any substantial evidence to prove the number and give the reasons for their missing? Above all, he must by now have selected winning candidates so that they can take care of their constituencies. This will definitely make Pawan Kalyan a power to reckon with and win some double digit numbers in the forthcoming elections.

Chandrababu Naidu on his part is doing everything to win the elections. It is a pity that the avoidable clashes between his supporters and that of the YSRCP at a couple of places in recent times did little good to either of them. It is very strange that in spite of his invaluable political experience and connections, Naidu has not come yet with strong proof and evidences exposing corrupt practices and other chinks in the armour of Jagan. For example, Naidu could rake up an issue by saying that Jagan is known for his nepotism and he has done injustice to all BCs by not appointing one of them as the Chairman of the TTD.

Clouds of elections are gathering at the horizon and one can hear the rumblings and roarings of them.

– M Somasekhar Prasad, Hyderabad

Promoting healthy habits in children

In recent years, the escalating addiction to digital devices, particularly mobile phones, has become a pressing concern. From children to adults, the dependence on electronic gadgets has given rise to "nomophobia" – the fear of being without one's cell phone. While children often shoulder blame for this addiction, it's vital to recognize the role adults play in shaping these behaviors.

Adults must set an example by cutting down on screen time at home, serving as role models for younger generations. Through activities like reading and writing, adults can inspire children to explore diverse forms of enjoyment. Encouraging children to visit libraries during leisure moments is paramount, given that children often imitate adults by reaching for pen and paper to create.

Excessive phone use by parents directly impacts children, fostering secondhand obsession and disrupting parent-child interactions. Often, parents introduce mobile phones to children as mealtime distractions, inadvertently nurturing addictive tendencies. A more substantial concern is the lack of quality time spent with children, leading them to seek solace in digital devices.

Recognizing our contribution to this predicament, rather than solely blaming children, is vital. Despite the World Health Organization's guidelines on limited screen time for various ages, many parents remain unaware. Research indicates that parents often underestimate the negative impacts of excessive smartphone use, praising their children's technological prowess instead.

In today's digital landscape, restraining children's screen usage proves challenging. Despite smartphones and tablets offering educational benefits, their addictive nature can hinder child development. Experts advise strategies like promoting physical activity, prioritizing tasks, and integrating activity-based learning to counterbalance the pitfalls of excessive screen exposure.

To combat smartphone addiction, parents can adopt strategies such as encouraging physical activity, task prioritization, creating media usage plans, avoiding using phones as rewards, and embracing activity-based learning. These measures enable children to strike a balance between screen time and other activities, fostering healthier digital habits. Ultimately, parents must proactively address digital device addiction in children. By advocating a well-rounded technological approach, parents can guide their children toward healthier and more rewarding digital experiences in today's age.

– Dr Krishna Kumar Vepakomma, Hyderabad

India on the road to greater prosperity

The people of Gujarat State are overwhelmed by the so-called "Gujarat model" of development mainly due to infrastructural facilities provided to that State. In the year 2014 when BJP won the majority, Nitin Gadkari had been chosen to lead road transport and highways ministry. For the last 9 years, he has been holding only NH portfolio which according to performance stands at a top rank presently.

It is believed that in the 2024 elections, the hatrick victory for the BJP would be possible mainly on account of infrastructural facilities for growth provided by the BJP led government. Gadkari has envisioned the concept of public-private partnership. He owned the responsibility of constructing a total of 55 flyovers in Mumbai. He created a new model for availing infrastructure. He took initiative to promote "Grameen Sadak Yojana " during Vajpayee regime.

During the 9 years of Gadkari in office, the total length of roads touched a length 1,45,240 km, thereby increasing 59% of the road facility. The road construction rate that was 11.6 Km per day during the UPA regime has now increased to 28.3 km per day. Due to expansion of roadways, the number of vehicles as well as tollgate collections have phenomenally increased. There is an estimated 4,50,000 crores for construction of Bharat Mala first phase of construction across the nation.

Nitin's efforts to expand roadways during his regime are praiseworthy. The nation could become the third auto market during the 9 year regime of Gadkari. Gadkari is not facing allegations of corruption and his role in construction of roadways is devoid of politicisation thereby winning the favour of opposition parties. He has been giving equal weightage to all States. During his tenure, vehicles have been changed to B.S.VI level and ethanol added fuel has come into use. Also, battery operated vehicles have been put to use. All in all, he has brought about a revolution in the construction of roads as he is working towards a development and he deserves to be elected and seated in the Transport and National Highways office for a third time after the 2024 elections.

– Bh Indu Sekhar, Hyderabad.

Valley slipping into drug mafia hands

The valley of Kashmir has a troubling fate, despite being called as the Heaven on Earth. The exotic valley which has the scenic beauty, and bliss of nature's ecstasy had been disturbed by man repeatedly. The valley amazement is not to actually feel and lost in there forever; due to threats of life, either in the form of terrorism or in the form of drug abuse.

It was since a week now that media reports on Extended Drug Abuse cases in the valley had disturbed the calm of the people of India. According to the reports, there is a big push in the cases registered in Drug De-addiction Centres of the valley, 145 people on an average visit the Drug De-addiction Centre on daily basis to get rid the drug abuse habit. In fact, the intake our several dangerous narcotics like heroine, liquor and other drugs are beyond regular intake level compared to other Indian states of India.

There are a few external actors who never wanted a shining of peaceful sun in the valley. They want Kashmir is to be ever burning and ignite in any way, no matter what it would cost to them.

There is no shame in blaming Pakistan and China directly for this position of India's Kashmir valley. Both these external actors are creating drug fund militancy challenges for Indian Security forces. The middlemen have illegal supply chains to deliver this unwanted stuff in full supply to the Indian markets. The valley is in the lurch of abuse. We need to increase awareness about abusive agendas of Pakistan and we need to curb the menace of abuse nexus on an urgent basis.

– Kirti Wadhawan, Kanpur.