MyVoice: Views of our readers 8th August 2022

Let the gold rush continue

India's gold rush, so to say, in the Commonwealth Games event can largely be attributed to athletics, boxers and other field sports. The Indian contingent is participating for the 18th time in the Commonwealth Games and has attained the fifth position in the medal tally table.

It all started when the famous Indian weightlifting champion, Mirabai Chanu, won the first gold medal for India in the women's weightlifting championship (49 kg). Sanket Sargar was the first Indian athlete to win a silver medal in men's weightlifting (55 kg) at CWG 2022 Birmingham. We expect a bigger medals tally at the Commonwealth Games 2022.

Calicut Krishnan, Kozhikode

Chance to expose Centre lost

The decision of TS CM KCR in boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting is not correct because he has once again missed an opportunity to take along with him other members' consensus opinions on several important issues. As regards freebies and equating them with 'bank loans write-offs' is absurd. Waiver of interest (future or present), reduction in the rate of interest, write- off of a certain portion of principal amount in some bad loan accounts are all there for long in the banking industry in exceptional cases where there is no 'tangible recovery in sight.'

As regards freebies, the government can always announce hundreds of freebies but where is the money coming from as was rightly pointed out by the Supreme Curt. Criticising is OK but understanding issues in a broader manner is vital in national politics.

Katuru Durga Prasad Rao, Hyderabad

II

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's boycott of NITI Aayog meeting on the plea that the Central government does not treat states as equal partners serves no purpose. This point if applicable to all states, no CM will participate in the meeting.

It would be honourable and dignified if the Telangana government also joined despite no expected result and it becomes another strong point to raise the tone in high pitch. He can then keep the ball in centre's court if no sufficient time is not allotted to vent out State's issues. KCR has not utilised this opportunity.

Dr NSR Murthy, Secunderabad

Uptick in Covid cases worrying

The steady rise in the average daily new cases of Covid-19 in the past few weeks must awaken us to the realisation that we have not yet turned the corner.

We cannot afford to adopt a lax attitude towards the coronavirus still in circulation and registering an uptick. Governments must undertake adequate testing and increase the pace of vaccination for the containment of the We have to celebrate the upcoming festivals discreetly and avoid mass congregations.

Physical distancing and mask wearing are still 'virtues' in public spaces, if safety is the overriding consideration and paramount. Dos and don'ts may look repetitious; but they are worth repeating and following to avoid a repetition of what happened during the pandemic waves.

G David Milton, Maruthancode

Do justice to EPS-95 pensioners

I read a news, though it is not a fresh one, that banks have written off non-performaning assets (NPAs), which is public money to the tune of Rs 10 lakh crore in the last five years. Since independence, this kind of public money collected in the form of taxes and cess is being sanctioned as loans to big and influenced entrepreneurs without taking proper hypothecation of assets worth much more than the loan amounts.

Why did not banks auction them as a recovery process? Meanwhile, 75 lakh EPS-95 pensioners throughout India have been earnestly appealing for hike of their immovable minimum since two decades now from Rs 1000 plus pension to Rs 7,500 for the past two decades. The monthly expenditure to be incurred for increasing the pension is not even equivalent to the interest of waivers of NPAs. Moreover about Rs 4 lakh crore corpus is available with EPFO, which can be used for the purpose.

N Ramalakshmi, Secunderabad

Petty politics over Tiranga festivities

Our national Tricolour which is the pride of every Indian is being dragged to a new low and needless controversy by a cynical political party at a time when the country is celebrating 75th year of freedom.

Comments by certain leaders like Rahul Gandhi on the Tiranga, asking why it is made in China, are shocking and beyond the comprehension of an average Indian. It will further bring down their stock in the eyes of people. They must be aware that but for the glorious sacrifice and enormous commitment of great freedom fighters the country would not have seen this great day.

K V Raghuram, Wayanad