Apropos the article “House rules ready for New Town”, August 4, I was allotted a plot in Action Area I of the township. It was handed over to me on February 15, 2005, after completion of the formalities. Hundreds of other people, too, were similarly handed over plots. We were told that after sanction of building rules, which could take a few months, building plans would have to be submitted to Hidco for sanction.

It is disappointing that a year-and-a-half have elapsed but the building rules have still not been approved by the government and officially published. Hence, the building plans cannot yet be submitted to Hidco. When I called up the Hidco office after reading the report, I was told that the rules had not yet been published and no orders had been issued regarding submission of plans. This was confirmed by the senior general manager (estate). In other words, it is not yet clear when the plot-owners would be able to start construction.

The development of New Town started with promise and the initial work was done quite fast. But from the time of handing over of the plots, the progress has been excruciatingly slow, depriving plot-owners of invaluable time at a crucial juncture in their lives. This inordinate delay has caused the allotees inconvenience and financial loss. The lack of concern towards the interests of the plot-owners shows Hidco and the state government in poor light.

Nikhiles Biswas,
Rail Vihar

Voices of protest: Students on the Bengal Engineering and Science University campus

It has become a practice to call a strike over the death of a student in a fight between unions in an educational institution (Mixed effect of strike call, August 15). It is unfortunate that violence has become commonplace at Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU), Jadavpur University and Presidency College, where most of the talented students of Bengal study. There may be differences of political opinion among students, but such differences should not be settled through violence.

Strikes, too, serve no purpose. They only vitiate the campus atmosphere and after a few days everybody forgets why the strike was called. But the parents who lose their child in the violence cannot get over the incident for a single moment in their life. Instead of calling a strike, students can hold a condolence meeting after class.

Dinabandhu Mukherjee,
Behala

Apropos the report “Doctors invoke God”, August 11, it is unfortunate that infiltration of politics into educational institutions has resulted in the death of a BESU student. Student politicians, goaded by party leaders, often cross boundaries. The innocent suffer as a result.

Ratan Kumar Halder,
Behala

The ruling party cannot shrug off its responsibility in the violence at BESU, leading to a death. Student unions should be banned and the union leaders punished to restore peace on campus.

Sukumar Ghosh,
Mukundapur

It is a good sign that Soumik Basu’s death has prompted the BESU student unions to make an effort to resolve their differences.

Sachindra Nath Mitra,
Beleghata

Apropos the report “Dream sail out of depth”, August 9, bad luck and embarrassment seems to be following our workaholic and straight-speaking chief minister. First, it was Rajarhat Expressway, his first track to progress, which was found riddled with craters. Now his bid to transform the city into Venice has been brought to a halt by silt. To add to the humiliation, his cabinet colleague had boasted in public about how well the canals had been dredged!

Sunil Banerjee,
VIP Road

Apropos the report “Canal ferry ready for trial run”, August 8, launch service on canals will benefit many. The launch of the service might also lead to an end of mosquito menace in Salt Lake.

Sourish Misra,
Salt Lake

Apropos the report “Night haven for hapless girl child”, August 10, Sister Cyril of Loreto Day School, Sealdah, is doing a praiseworthy job in providing shelter to street children. It is heartening to learn that more than 65 schools have responded positively to her novel proposal of allowing school premises to be used as night shelter for destitute children.

Akhter Kamal Siddiqui,
Park Street

I was aghast on reading that a Group D staffer of Belle Vue Clinic had molested a schoolgirl (“Verbal vet for hospital odd jobs”, August 9). Such incidents cannot be ruled out in government hospitals, but it is shocking that a premier clinic turned out no better. And why was there no woman nurse accompanying the girl? I am associated with a nursing home where no male staff member is allowed to enter the women’s ward without a lady staff member accompanying him.

Dr Dipak Kumar Das,
Barrackpore

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