MyVoice: Views of our readers 23rd September 2020

LRS is a penalising attempt

People have bought plots in the past after following the govt rules existing at the time of registration. The developers or the individuals had obtained layout sanctioned by the panchayats of the plots existing in villages. Now the point is, why plot owners should get faulted and are to get LRS approved by the govt by paying necessary fees when they followed the rules and got their plots registered legally as per the rules existing then?

If govt wants to regularise the layouts to be in tune with HMDA layout, they should do by themselves, not by levying fees on the owners as they in no way flouted the rules and the plots are registered in their names and possessing the plots legally registered by the govt.

It is like stating that people who passed the various educational degrees in the past have to reappear for revised exams again as per the new syllabus failing which the degrees obtained earlier would become ln valid and illegal which is so illogical and illegal.

If govt wants revenue, they can raise through other taxes, not through Land Regularisation scheme which owners of the plots are in no way responsible as the plots are registered by the Registrar Office of the govt then, only after due verification of the compliance of the rules framed by the govt then.

This is a fit case for legal remedy as there is the injustice on the part of the govt to raise money illegally through LRS from plot owners who followed the rules and got their plots registered by the govt

A M Daniel, Hyderabad

II

The LRS and BRS are not new schemes. Earlier too the then government had regularised the unapproved lay outs and buildings by collecting huge amounts. The TRS government has come out to regularise unapproved layouts giving final chance for regularisation.

There are lot of layouts approved by DTCP, HMDA ,HUDA and Gram Panchayats. Some layouts were sanctioned under farmhouses. The plot holders even constructed the houses and paid necessary charges along with development charges to obtain permission from respective local authorities and paying house taxes. The government should clarify the status of such layouts.

Surender Kumar Malla, Hyderabad

Our favourite daily

We are very happy to be your newspaper readers for past six years. In fact, my late mother used to enjoy it till her passing away in 2015. We now read your newspaper with glee for its good news coverage, apart from articles by Dr IYR Krishna Rao, Bharat Jhunjunwala and Mohan Kanda to name a few. Your views on the editorial perch seem to have a very good understanding of the current topics both of national and international significance.

I would request you to cover certain major Hyderabad areas with civic and related issues faced by residents, and also meet the Corporators and seek their input through your newspaper. Please include areas like Malkajgiri, Ameerpet, Mehdipatnam, LB Nagar on a daily basis. On the other hand, water levels in major reservoirs in the state has been a major concern. Please include water levels in Telangana like Singur, Nizamsagar, SRSP, Manjira, Lower and Mid Manair on a weekly basis. Hope to look forward to new changes like this that will help us know about our Hyderabad.

N Venkataraman, Hyderabad

A great mistake

The Modi government can try to defend the passage of the farm bills in the Rajya Sabha in the manner they were passed and brazen it out in the current political climate, but it was wrong - there are no two ways about it. No amount of obfuscation would make it right. The government relies on these new farm laws to say that the future is looking rosy for our farmers. But there are legitimate concerns over the beneficial effects of these dubious laws. Who exactly stands to benefit from these laws merits an analysis. When the new laws are put into effect they would mark the retreat of the government from a sphere where its role is very much needed to protect farmers from exploitation and the abandonment of farmers to the mercies of big agribusinesses. Initially, the private players would provide farmers some benefits to wean them away from APMC mandis and induce their collapse. Once they gain monopoly over the market and maximize profits, farmers will lose their bargaining power and suffer a sharp dip in their incomes. A government obligated to protect the interests of farmers cannot leave them in the lurch.

It is a reasonable demand that no farmer market - private or government-run - should be allowed to trade below the MSP. One is at a loss to understand why the government is so hesitant to make MSP a legal entitlement. A clause or provision to this effect in the farm laws will allay the fears of farmers and actualize Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurance. The government can resolve the problem by giving a legal guarantee of MSP, say 50 per cent more than the cost of production as recommended by Dr M S Swaminathan.

We oppose the new laws because they have the potential to create a scenario in which farmers have to contend with lesser incomes and more distress and the diminution of their freedom to have their own farming style, methods of farming, grow crops of their choice and use fertilizers they deem best. Farmers alone know what farming is all about; the government must consult farmers and defer to what they want and make changes in the farm laws accordingly.

G.David Milton, Maruthancode

Needless drama by Oppn

While the Opposition is continuing with their irrational protests inside and out the Parliament – the two farm Bills have been passed in the Rajya Sabha, amid ruckus and unruly behaviour by the Congress, Trinamool and Left parties, resulting in the suspensions of eight MPs for their despicable and vandal behaviour.

The Centre has repeatedly assured the members, and the farming community, of the advantages that these Bills will help accrue in terms of empowerment of farmers, having no effect on the Minimum Support Price on farm produce, which is being repeatedly enhanced during the NDA rule. The Bill has nothing to do with prevailing mandis and marketplaces that are in the country. The Opposition is misleading the nation on several false narratives about the Bill, without being able to substantiate their claim. The Centre in fact is in the process of implementing the Swaminathan Committee Report that is pending for so many decades, ignored by the Congress. It is important for the Opposition to desist from the needless drama it is enacting to be critical of the Bills, which is a sure way for farmers becoming self-sufficient financially to double their income by the year 2022.

K V Raghuram, Wayanad

Atal tunnel, an engineering marvel

One of the greatest Indian engineering marvels of the new millennium - the Atal tunnel, the world's longest high altitude tunnel is all set to be formally inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi during the first week of October . It was last year that the PM decided to name Rohtang passageway as Atal Tunnel to mark the 95th birth anniversary of former prime minister who played a vital role in making a dream come true and laid it's foundation during his tenure .

The decision to construct a strategic tunnel below the Rohtang Pass was taken on June 03, 2000 when late Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. The foundation stone for the access road to the south end of the tunnel was laid on May 26, 2002. The nine kilometre Rohtang Pass tunnel is the world's longest tunnel which is above an altitude of 3,100 metres .

Built under the supervision of the BRO at a cost of Rs 3500 crores the tunnel will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 kilometres and save crores of rupees in transport costs. It has world class amenities like hi tech telecommunication service , emergency exits , turning caverns, air quality monitoring equipment , broadcasting system, CCTV monitoring to detect incidents inside the tunnel and other arrangements making it one of the ultra-modern and one of the safest tunnel to travel. Besides enhancing tourism influx it will also enhance national security transportation.

M Pradyu, Kannur