Unions must start more auto, taxi services on a sharing basis
Auto rickshaw and taxi unions should start more share-a-rickshaw and share-a-taxi services in Mumbai. Since many commuters are feeling the fare pinch, sharing of autos and taxis will help reduce expenses and also make available autos and taxis easily.
There are special rates and concessions extended to Senior Citizens in trains, air, banks (deposit rates), IT etc to name a few. Why not extend a special rate for Senior Citizens for autos and taxis?
Dilip Raute, Borivali
P R Vijayaraghavan
BEST must run more buses
In view of the steep hike in auto and taxi fares, the BEST authorities should increase its services to put auto and taxi drivers in their place. These drivers have become law unto themselves. They call the shots as and when they like. They also behave very rudely with commuters by refusing to ply.
Sunita Thakkar, Borivali
Commuters look for cheaper transport
Daily commuters are demanding more BEST bus services so that they can avoid travelling by autos/taxis and can save some money. The hike in the auto/taxi fares, coupled with inflation and price rise, have forced many families to cut commuting cost and look for cheaper means of transportation.
Jayanthy S Maniam, Sion (East)
MCGM to impose garbage tax?
If the reports appearing in a section of the print media are to be believed, then Mumbaikars should be prepared to shell out a new type of levy. The MCGM is contemplating to introduce garbage tax. Whether it is for the heaps of garbage that are lying uncleared for weeks together, or for creating another avenue for their unscrupulous staff for lining their own pockets, is not known. Let us wait and watch.
Jorhat Singh
Khurshid evades answer
Bringing a handicapped person in front of cameras and prompting him to speak about the funds earmarked for them is not the way Law Minister Salman Khurshid should go about. When confronted that the list of donors did not exist, Khurshid evaded the answer. Mr Minister, please resign.
Unmit Kapadia, Sion
Let Vadra himself reply to charges
Kejriwal’s allegations aganist Robert Vadra may be questionable. But how Congressmen have reacted is definitely not in the right direction. How come these Congressmen have become spokesperson of Vadra? On what authority they are replying/commenting on these allegations? Is Vadra is a Congress person? He is in no way connected with the Congress party or the government. Why does Vadra not forward to reply?
Mahesh Kumar
Of hunger and food wastage
On the Global Hunger Index India ranks 65th out of 79 countries where every third malnourished child is an Indian. As per a media report, a survey shows that annually, Bangalore alone wastes 943 tonnes of quality food during weddings. Recently I happened to attend a seminar at the Mumbai Taj where the banquet staff said the unused food would be given to orphanages through NGOs. Though in the wedding invitations it’s mentioned RSVP (répondez s’il vous plaît) which means “Please respond”, about your attendance. Which means it helps reduce expenses and wastage.
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee
Taliban attack on Pak girl inhuman
The Pakistan Taliban attack on the school girl Malala Yousafsai who campaigned for the right-to-education is inhuman. People of every country must fight against the evils of terrorism.
Cajetan Peter D’Souza, Ghatkopar [East]
Azad justified in ctiticising DDCA
Kirti Azad, a former Test cricketer, has pointed out that bogus members have been enrolled in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) on a regular basis to make sure the power remains with the same group. He is right that the membership should be restricted to only those from Delhi and that too, local cricketers. It is intriguing that Kapil Dev or women cricketers like Sunita Sharma and Anjum Chopra are not made members.
V Subramanyan
Don’t go ga-ga over the reforms but…
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram go ga-ga over the reforms but the scams have already tarnished the country’s image. The rating agencies have downgraded have slashed the country’s growth forecasts for 2012 to 4.9%. Further downgrad is likely if the economic growth prospects remain dim. The Finance Minister should push reforms and meet the norms of the World Bank, IMF and come out of the woods instead of just sidetracking the issue. There is one-in-three chance of India’s economy coming out of the woods in the remaining 80 days of the year.
Subbu Jayant, Khargar
