MyVoice: Views of our readers 3rd April 2020

Merger of Andhra Bank disrespect to Telugu culture

The recent announcement by the Centre about the merger of Public Sector Banks (PSBs) came as a disappointment to Telugu people. There is no point in saying that bank mergers happen to reap the economies of scale and to bring in the profitability perspective.

The PNB retained its identity, followed by the Canara and Syndicate Banks. The Indian Bank's identity cannot be compromised as it is a Chennai-based Bank. Therefore, Andhra Bank becomes the easy target to be merged and losing its much cherished identity.

Dr Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya was an independent freedom activist, who left his lucrative medical profession to found the Andhra Bank. By not retaining the identity, a disservice has been done to the Telugus in general and to Dr Pattabhi in particular.

This is hardly the way to treat a freedom fighter. It is not surprising though, that not a single MP or MLA from Andhra Pradesh could lodge even a whimper of a protest. Not only the State was denied Special Category Status but even its culture and heritage are being eroded with impunity.

The government should therefore protect the bank's heritage and retain its name. When Tamilians, Punjabis and Kannadigas could protect their respective cultures in not allowing the names of their banks to lose the identity, why not the Telugus?

P S S Murthy, Nagole, Hyderabad

Universities should provide online learning facilities

University Grants Commission (UGC) has given directions to all universities and colleges in India to provide ICT education initiations for making e-learning accessible for students during the lockdown period due to novel coronavirus.

Apart from these information and communication technology initiations, universities should provide online courses, MOOCs, virtual classes and labs, and online YouTube lessons to students to overcome imbalance of academic calendar schedule. These tools are useful to students virtually.

They can easily access the subjects and they can download material and practice through assignments. However, our State universities in Telangana are lagging behind in the adopting these ICT tools for higher education.

Most of the distance open universities are providing self-learning material to distance learners but State general universities are not providing separate online portal for virtual labs and classes.

Our universities should provide ICT online initiates to university and college students in Telangana. It will be helpful for students in this emergency situation.

Sravan Kumar Kandagatla, Research Scholar, KU, Warangal

Steps to be taken to save economy

The Covid-19 pandemic has placed the Indian economy in a precarious condition. Difficult times need quick responses by the managers of the economy.

The government and public sector employees have the best job security in the country and hence they must be tapped first to handle the crisis by containing costs.

A few steps suggested are: a) Stop conveyance reimbursement for lockdown period as no travel has taken place. b) Suspend DA enhancement for one year as an economy measure or divert the amount to provident fund.

c) Grant immediate one year sabbatical for government employees (above 55 years) without any pre-conditions up to 10% of each department's strength.

Pay them only 10% of their wages for the sabbatical period and direct them to be grounded at home to prevent escalation of health hazard to the seniors, This will instantly reduce wage bill without commitment to pay any retirements benefits.

Those with less than three years' service must be given option to retire in sabbatical. d) Suspend all travel for official works and conduct meetings through video conferences. e) Convert 10% of government offices and 100% of training centres in to quarantine centres.

f) Convert all government and PSU owned auditoriums into quarantine facilities. Use all roof spaces of government-owned offices as quarantine centres by building temporary shelters. g) Suspend all promotions for the next year in State/Central govts and PSUs, if the pandemic lockdown extends beyond two months.

All existing post holders to be asked to hold additional charge of posts falling vacant or next in command to hold substantial charge till end of 2021. These are only a few steps but can be undertaken with immediate effect to gain substantial cost savings.

Sreenivas, East Marredpally, Secunderabad