MyVoice: Views of our readers 5th January 2023

Release a white paper on DeMo benefits

Recently, the Supreme Court has given uncritical endorsement of the decision-making process for the demonetisation. While making any decision on any scheme, every govt always proceeds with a positive mind to get benefits out of the schemes but no govt dreams of bad outcome. It is true that citizens faced immense miseries out of demonetisation waiting for long hours at banks to exchange banned currency. But how far the government has succeeded in unearthing black money is a question and it has to come out with a white paper. When people supported the government move facing miseries for country's economy, it is the responsibility of it to declare the results of demonetisation. It is a hidden mystery of good or bad of demonetisation.

JP Reddy, Nalgonda

II

The five-judge constitutional bench of Supreme Court of India hasupheld the government's process of demonetization with a 4:1 verdict. The only one judge in the five member bench, Justice B V Nagaratha, dissented. It is so sorrowful to see the judiciary's stand on a disastrous calamity like demonetisation which threw middle class, daily wages workers into extreme poverty and hunger. On other hand, it damaged the cash-backed informal economy. The unemployment was touching skies and the GDP was falling down. More than 50 lakh people lost their jobs. It is deeply astonishing to see that SC didn't find any flaw in this devious policy.

Muzakkir Khan, Mumbai

III

The BJP is more excited about the 4.1 verdict delivered by Supreme Court, but it has forgotten the ill-effects faced by public because of the demonitisation exercise. The drive taken by Modi government is a Himalayan blunder which has caused untold hardships to the people of this country. Demonitisation was not illegal or bad, but what the way the Modi government applied it was unwise and it created ģreat pain to the citizens of this country. Lakhs of people faced many difficulties when the government suddenly demonitised high value notes. People even lost their lives in standing in queues due to exhaustion and stampedes. Though the court has given legal validation to demonitisation, it will remain in history as a drastic step taken by Modi government. Now BJP is asking Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders to tender their apology on their criticism of the demonitisation, but the effects of demonitisation still exist and it is matter of common sense that who should tender an apology to the public.

Zakir Hussain, Kazipet

Saving grace for senior citizens

The Central government raised interest rates on eight of the 12 small savings schemes by 20 to 110 basis points for the January to March 2023 quarter, but left the returns on the popular Public Provident Fund (PPF) unchanged at 7.1% for the eleventh quarter in a row. The Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme's return was also retained at 7.6%, prevailing since April 2020 when small savings schemes' rates were cut across the board. The returns on Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) and the National Savings Certificate (NSC) were raised by just 20 bps each, to 7.2% and 7%, respectively. In all, it is a saving grace for senior citizens, who solely depend on interest income and they put all their hard earned money in one basket and just wait for an increase all the time.

C K Subramaniam, Mumbai

Norms for rallies, road shows in good spirit

Human life is too precious to be taken for granted. It should be protected at any cost. The repeated stampedes leaving scores of people dead in two meetings in row by main opposition party in AP have rightly made the government bring regulations in conducting public meetings. All parties should take it in right spirit and help the authorities in taking steps to avert the man made disasters. The human lives matter and deserve to be seen above political interests.

Dr DVG Sankararao, Vizianagaram

India boldly proclaims self-supporting stance

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's sane advice to the European countries to wake up from their present mindset of 'old world order' to be able to view things in proper perspective – from issues ranging from perennial proxy war by Pakistan against India to the Chinese challenge on the LoC that the European countries have no clue about. US and European countries have their own notion and perception about ground realities prevailing in India vis-à-vis its neighbouring countries. Now, India showed the mirror to the world that the country is no longer bound by dictates of the world in arm-twisting it to suit their tone and tenor that is not in India's interest.

S Lakshmi, Hyderabad

Ban on lottery has caused a loss of `6000 crore to state exchequer

Bengaluru: The state is losing Rs 6000 crores per annum due to proliferation of online gambling and E - Lottery, Karnataka state retail lottery merchants association President C Ramakrishna said in Bangalore.

Speaking to the media, Karnataka state retail lottery merchants association President C Ramakrishna said it is ridiculous to ban paper lottery in the age of Online gambling and E - Lottery. "The neighbouring Kerala state is getting a revenue of Rs 6000 crores by efficient regulation and monitoring of lottery system," Ramakrishna added.

He urged the state government to emulate Kerala model of managing the lottery system in the interest of state exchequer as well as small and retail lottery agents."Our government should look into the humanitarian angle in this issue," Ramakrishna added.

In his view, the income generated out of lottery sales can be utilized for social welfare schemes including medical facilities to the elderly people. "Moreover, if the government brings in a transparent and fair lottery system, we can curb illegal gambling and the menace of E - Lottery," Ramakrishna explained. He said the wholesale lottery agents can buy all the printed lottery tickets by paying the entire amount. The lottery tickets can also carry advertisement material cleared by the government. In this system, the government will be in a win-win situation.

Karnataka State government has failed to implement the SC verdict on re-introducing the lottery program. On 23 March 2022, the Supreme Court thoughtfully proceeded with the verdict in favour of Karnataka State and Kerala State ordering the sale of lottery tickets from outside these states and the Karnataka State Government has failed to adhere to the SC verdict. In the other state governments-run lottery trade, the lottery traders have not submitted the retailers' income to the finance department from 7 other states.