road to prosperity

text of letter sent to the press:

The UP government ad (in all leading dailies today) caption 'road to prosperity' says it all. They have decided to allow private sector to operate passenger buses (stage carriages) on all routes, including notified/ nationalised routes.

This is exactly what is required in as key an infrastructure area as public bus transport services. The resulting prosperity in the rural areas, and the de-congestion in the urban areas, are going to be the new drivers of the state economy.

What ever is Karnataka waiting for???

PS: For more, read my blog on traffic/ transport solutions.

subversion of democratic process

text of the letter sent to the press:

A few days back, the ARO of our ward gave us a schedule of EPID issual programme, spread over some 8 days at 4 different sites, at 2 days per site. As an office bearer of the association in the complex where I stay, I broadcast this information to the residents, after successfully checking out the process personally on the first day. The experience of the people who heeded my advice, including my own family members, was disappointing, to say the least. There was total chaos and disorder at the designated centres, and they were all turned away on some pretext or the other.

Most of them are now planning to make do with any of the 15 other documents which have been notified as serving the purpose. However, given the whimsical ways of the SEC/ NIC/ BBMP combo, they will have to wait till the polling day to see what new problems they get to be faced with.

The above apart, when I say 'successfully checking out', I must also mention that the totally unprofessional way the entire job is being handled by the contractor and his people, leaves a lot to be desired. One can't imagine how as important a task as this can be gone about in such cavalier fashion, whereby any body who chooses to can very easily register any number of Bangladeshi's as voters.

All in all, the SEC/ NIC/ BBMP combo, entrusted with the job of preparation and maintenance of the electoral rolls and issual of the EPID cards, has once again proved itself unequal to the task. The resulting inaccuracy levels of the order of over 50% across the state (as admitted by their own selves), is causing serious subversion of the democratic process even at the very first stage itself, apart from posing a serious threat to national security. Correction of this anomalous situation has to be the first priority of the country if it wants to call itself a democracy.