Consider social impact Robbing Peter to pay Paul Avoidable issues
Apropos “PM inaugurates Sardar Saravor Dam; calls it engineering marvel” (September 18), the controversial project on the Narmada, the largest and most expensive such project in the country, is considered by many environmentalists, academics, economists and activists as the largest planned ecological disaster. Though its proponents claimed it as the most studied river valley project , comprehensive environmental impact assessment had not reportedly been done. Besides, major conditionality set down by the Ministry of Environment and Forests have allegedly been unheeded.
The prime minister in his address mainly targeted academics, activists, and the World Bank. From the very inception of the dam, a large number of environmentalists, economists, communists and intellectual of international repute such as Noam Chomsky protested, apprehending the possible devastation of environment and loss of livelihood of millions of people. Though the World Bank had originally supported the SSP with a $450-million loan, it withdrew it as the environmental and social impacts of the project had not been properly considered. By referring to the monetary support extended by the temples in Gujarat, the PM has perhaps tried to satisfy the Hindutva organisations just before the Assembly elections in the state.
Needless to say, the environmentalists all over the world mull that big dams not only upset environment and its ecosystem but also produce huge amount of green house gases expediting the process of global warming. When a large number of dams have been demolished the US to save the rivers and environment as well, our country with utter lack of pragmatism, takes pride in building the world’s second largest dam on the river Narmada.
Buddhadev Nandi Bankura With reference to the news report “Don’t exploit the country, keep price below ~40k a tonne: Govt to steel firms” (September 17), the government has recently taken steps to ringfence the steel industry from the onslaught of cheaper imports as it is of the considered view that India can’t be used as a dumping ground and a balance has thus to be constantly maintained. How come then that the BJP-led NDA govt has constantly been “exploiting” the hapless common man by hiking the petrol prices across the country?
Ministers are publicly justifying the same even when engaged in the act of robbing Peter to pay Paul. However, the government should not underestimate the power of the common man. Mind you, nothing is permanent here which obviously includes the people mandated political power centres. Kumar Gupt Panchkula During the past three years, there have been several reforms in the taxation system in India. The goods and services tax (GST) has been claimed as a revolutionary step in the direction of improving and simplifying taxation and tax collection procedures. Initial hiccups are many. Some of these should have been avoided to ensure that whatever credibility in the public mind remains of the government’s intentions is not further eroded.
It’s well known that there was tax evasion before the GST days and therefore collecting the GST would be unavoidable in certain situations. But this needs to be done transparently. Many sales and services outlets are straightaway adding another 18 per cent GST to the pre-GST price which give rise to genuine apprehensions in the minds of customers. Perhaps, central and state governments could nominate district level ombudsmen to receive customers’/consumers’ grievances in such situations.
M G Warrier Mumbai