Editor,
Is MeECL going the MSEB way? While the later is died an unnatural death due to mismanagement, the former is facing heavy financial crunch. The MeECL is an old wine in a new bottle. The MeECL was created by turning MSEB into a corporation so that it would provide better services to the customers. But it has completely failed in its endeavour. There is not a single day when power is not snapped 7 to 8 times. If counted in a year, at least more than one month goes in load shedding sometimes on the plea of there being no water in the Umiam Reservoir and sometimes because of maintenance work. The whole year goes in maintenance procedures.
The State Government is also cash starved and is unable to tide over this crisis. How long will the MeECL survive on loans only? If the revenue collection is less than the expenditure for power generation and staff salaries, the management should think of ways and means to detect the lacunae.
It is high time that Government takes a serious view of the overall situation and brings about radical change in the entire proceedings of the Energy Corporation.
Yours etc.,
S L Singhania,
Via email
Mending Indo- Nepal alliance
Editor,
It is heartening to learn that both the armies of India and China at the border in Ladakh have withdrawn completely. At the same time, India has reaffirmed its stand that Line of Actual Control (LAC) must be strictly respected and neither side should take any unilateral action to alter it. Reciprocating to Indian appeals, China also echoed similar sentiments. But another thorn in India’s flesh is the border issue with Nepal which is annoying India. It may be reminded that Nepal had recently altered its map thereby giving India a heartburn.
Faced with nemesis of a split in Nepal’s ruling communist party, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has a harrowing time because of his own agenda where he worked hand in glove with China on the border issue with India. Over the years, Nepal had been spoon-fed by India and it grew rapidly and stood on its feet to bite the hands that fed it as it found a new neighbour to seek help from. India had been a true friend of Nepal all these years and Nepal’s sudden distancing could be either due to familiarity that may have bred contempt or because of its new found love for China. Either ways, it has distanced itself from India.
Another disheartening report is that Nepal on Thursday stopped the transmission of all Indian private news channels except Doordarshan, accusing them of airing reports hurting the country’s national sentiment. However, the Nepal government did not officially announce the halting of telecast of Indian news channels. Nevertheless with each passing day the relationship between Indian and Nepal is worsening.
Notwithstanding Nepal’s revolting stand and the hatred it propagated against India across Nepal, there is a chance that it all will come to an end like a storm in a tea cup. The anti-India feelings were roused and propagated mainly by its Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli himself as he is a communist. As birds of a feather flock together, communists will always remain comrades but Oli has to pay for his misdeeds of alienating India from the Nepali hearts but the majority of Nepalis still love India and their hearts are with India. It may be pertinent to note that Nepal is the only Hindu kingdom in the world with the constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy. So, Nepal is supposed to be more inclined to India than China, and in that sense, Nepal and China are indeed incongruous and they cannot remain friendly perennially. One day Nepal will have to return to its natural friend and find solace there in a give and take relationship. In short, friendship between China and Nepal is like a borrowed garment which will never fit. The Oli government and some of his party leaders have done much anti-India propaganda and it is high time such government resigned on its own and seeks a fresh mandate from of the people.
Yours etc.,
TK Nandanan,
Via email
Nepal acts irresponsibly
Editor,
Nepal stopped the transmission of all Indian private news channels and accused them of airing reports hurting the country’s national sentiment. This is not a good decision and a matter of grave concern for India. Nepal continues to take actions against India by violating the bilateral ties. Without initiating any dialogue with India, Nepal acts as an irresponsible neighbour. The Nepal government has also been facing internal conflicts for those resolutions related to India. The need of the hour is for Nepal to leave its narrow ambitions, and restart a healthy relationship with India and establish lasting peace and harmony.
Yours etc.,
Amit Singh Kushwaha,
Satna (M.P.)
Whither the ordinary train passenger
Editor,
Profit-pursuing private players are not expected to have a charitable view towards the society. They are not concerned about the welfare of the general population and society. Their single mission is to maximise their profit by hook or by crook. So the private owners of trains, who are scheduled to get identified by 2023, would naturally come up with prohibitive fare structures with glittering amenities which can be accessed by the elite and highly privileged only. However class barriers exist in every sphere of unequal Indian life be it hospitals, schools, higher educational institutions, residential apartments, hotels, match tickets and what have you. So the same “tradition” of “exclusivity” would naturally enter the domain of Railways too!
But the least that Government should do is not reduce or discard the already existing trains or routes! Let the elite enjoy their day in luxurious trains with their owners laughing all the way to the bank, but that should not come at the expense of the poor and middle class Indians (who form the overwhelming majority among train passengers) as Railways is often their only lifeline due to its financial affordability and/or lack of alternatives. So care must be taken that the ordinary Indians in any route are not compelled to avail the obviously exorbitant privately-run trains or discard railway travel altogether in the eventuality of reduction of existing trains/routes.
Government of a supposedly welfare state should always remember that providing service at affordable rates to the weaker section of the population is its urgent priority and that should not be dispensed with at any cost.
Yours etc.,
Kajal Chatterjee,
Via email