MyVoice: Views of our readers 6th May 2020

Move to reopen liquor outlets welcome decision

This is with reference to the editorial 'Boozehounds on cloud nine as liquor sales resume' (May 5). In order to boost the revenues, the move to sell alcohol at hiked prices is acceptable. But one should also note that the workers and labourers hardly earned for their livelihood during this ongoing crisis. In recent times, migrant workers had difficulties to travel back to their home. Further, the government had taken a plethora of measures to revive economy by resuming essential activities, so that these workers are not left jobless. By opening liquor shops across the States, these workers are spending their hard-earned income on alcohol. Also, the government urged everyone to maintain social distancing protocols. Are they following? People were seen thronging on roads to buy alcohol. Huge crowds and long queues were seen at liquor shops by violating social distancing. Even if alcohol is sold at maximum hiked price, the buyers will do anything to consume alcohol. The government should have hiked prices on fuel and other aspects. More safety measures and vigilance across the States must be taken at this appalling time.

M Vinesh, Visakhapatnam

Close wine shops to save lives

The Central government's decision to open wine shops in green and orange zones created a pandemonium at liquor outlets. People on large scale gathered at liquor shops ignoring social distancing and without wearing masks. Despite the Covid-19 positive cases rising in thousands daily, the Centre agreed to raise the curtains of liquor shops. This act of the government is puzzling and perplexing. Earlier the government itself promulgated the issue that consuming alcohol would lose the immunity of the people, therefore they asserted they would close the wine shops. But now quite against to its own decision, the government issued permissions to open these shops. People from all walks of life are severely condemning this act as a foolish move. Moreover, the Central and State governments are depositing money in the accounts of poor people claiming they are unable earn their livelihoods, on the other hand, they are taking back that money by making the people buy liquor. Giving with one hand in the name of welfare and taking it back with another hand by selling liquor. We don't know how the governments justify their acts. Especially the meagre earnings of daily labourers and other poor people are spent on liquor absolutely ruin their lives. With this decision, it is evident that governments give more priority to boost economy than to save lives of people. As people are gathering in large numbers at liquor shops ignoring safety measures, even the past 40-day lockdown period efforts may also go waste. Undoubtedly, there is a chance of surge in positive cases. So the governments should reconsider its decision and must issue orders to close liquor shops until there is a massive decline in Covid positive cases.

K Manoj Kumar, Huzurabad, Karimnagar.

Provide revised pay to UGC pensioners

Yours is the only paper consistently advocating the cause of UGC pensioners for 7th pay scale for which all of them are grateful. Yours news item entitled "Pensioners urge government to implement 7th pay scale" (May 4) would certainly attract the attention of relevant authorities and they may implement the scale without further delay. Despite the issue of GO Ms No-15 in February 2019, the government has slept over it and allowed 85 UGC pensioners to die without obtaining the new scales. While the Opposition leaders including Jana Sena Party chief Pavan Kalyan make hullabaloo over deaths of a few farmers, one wonders why they become mute spectators on the deaths of highly educated UGC pensioners without receiving no revised pay even after a lapse of 15 years. The officials should be sensitive to the woes of UGC pensioners as all of them in the other States are enjoying that 7th pay scale without any delay and discrimination in the pay structure. Any further delay by the AP government would invite attention of Human Rights Commission or the judicial intervention becomes imperative, which brings shame and stigma to the departments concerned.

Venkataratnam Gollapalli, Rangapuram, AP

Help families from other States reach home

There are number of families stuck at various places in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh who came to spend a few days with close relatives well before the lockdown and after declaring lockdown they could not move to their places thus making people panic. The government should allow stuck families to proceed to their own places of residency showing Aadhaar cards to prove the State they belong to. Why does the govt have problems when they want to leave for their own States using their own conveyance? The authorities must issue an interstate permit pass for reaching their State and the driver to return for a few days. This will reduce the government problems by half.

Padmanabhan, Hyderabad