New targets

• Sir - The article, "The long arm of the unlawful" (Jan 21), was comprehensive. In the recent past, attacks by criminals on police stations have become common in West Bengal. In 2014, a police station was attacked in Calcutta as well. Policemen are the upholders of law and order. They must not be vulnerable to law-breakers. The perpetrators of such crimes usually enjoy the protection of the ruling party, thus making it difficult for the police to retaliate. This does not augur well for society. The government must allow the police a free hand in tackling such criminals.

Yours faithfully,
Sanjit Ghatak, Narendrapur
 

Black muddy river

• Sir - The river Ganga is considered sacred by a large section of Indians. It is tragic that it has become so polluted. A sizeable proportion of the effluents that enter the Ganga is the product of domestic activities such as bathing and washing clothes. Open defecation is another serious problem. Tanneries, chemical plants, textile mills, distilleries, animal slaughter houses and hospitals add to the contamination by dumping untreated, toxic and non-biodegradable waste into the river. People often immerse their dead in the water. The sheer volume of pollutants released into the river each day is damaging our fragile ecosystem irreparably, and contributing significantly to sanitation problems.

The former prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi, had vowed to clean the Ganga, and had allocated funds for it. There was hardly any progress made, however. Now that Narendra Modi is the prime minister, the job of cleaning the river has been speeded up. The Union water resources minister, Uma Bharti, has been given the task. The Union environment minister, Prakash Javadekar, has ordered the closure of 150 industrial units, including sugar mills and tanneries, along the river after these failed to install round-the-clock effluent monitoring systems.

Yours faithfully,
Vijay D. Patil, Pune
 

Walled garden

• Sir - The CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, had expected that India would accept his new platform, Free Basics, without too much fuss. He is now peeved at critics who believe that his promise to give Indians free access to a limited number of internet services will violate net neutrality. Facebook launched a lavish advertising campaign to gain support for Free Basics. India is Facebook's second biggest market in the world. The truth is that Facebook and its telecom partner, Reliance Communications, reserve the right to reject requests from websites and apps for Free Basics, and can force them to conform to their technical guidelines. A number of services will not be allowed on Free Basics. People prefer access to an open and unrestricted internet. One wonders why Facebook chose this model for Free Basics, which rejects the option of giving poor users free access to the open web. Is Zuckerberg trying to turn the internet into a walled garden?

Yours faithfully,
Shovanlal Chakraborty, Calcutta
 

FROM ODISHA

Smart move

• Sir - January 28 was a red-letter day for our city: Bhubaneswar was tagged as the 'smartest' city in the country. It is surprising that we figured in the top 20 at all; that we topped the list is a matter of pride. I thank The Telegraph for keeping us updated on the developments on this issue.

Now I want to see Bhubaneswar placed in the list of top cities worldwide. We should not grow complacent after receiving such a prestigious title.

Yours faithfully,
Ronita Sharma, Bhubaneswar
 

• Sir - In the smart city initiative, the administrations of successfully developing cities receive a good deal of money. This leads to fears of corruption. I hope that the Centre has set up a rigorous monitoring process. We cannot simply hope that the money will be well spent. In the meantime, city officials should start formulating their proposals. Let's not miss the deadline.

Yours faithfully,
Arindam Satpathy, Bhubaneswar
 

• Sir - Getting the first place on the smart city list is an achievement for everyone involved. At the same time, some city services are not reaching the consumers. Our primary challenges lie now in improving the public transport facilities, the urban agricultural development methods, and waste management.

Yours faithfully,
Ansuman Pattanayak, Bhubaneswar
 

•Sir - It's heartening to know that a cause that was supported by so many people has succeeded in its aim. It remains to be seen exactly what kind of smartness the authorities will bring to our developing city. It is time for all of us to adopt some smartness in our attitudes too.

Yours faithfully,
Samaresh Dhal,Bhubaneswar
 

•Sir - We, the residents of Rourkela, feel disappointed that our city failed to find a place among the top 20 on the smart city list.

But, since we stand a good chance in the next round, all the stakeholders - the municipal corporation, the Rourkela Steel Plant, the Rourkela Development Authority, political parties and citizens' forums - should pull up their socks. We have to solve the problems that are preventing us from becoming a smart city.

Yours faithfully,
Sanjay Rungta, Rourkela

FROM BIHAR

For the people

• Sir - I am happy that the chief minister, Nitish Kumar, has resumed his janata durbar. The initiative, which was started by him in 2006, has become a vibrant platform for the redressal of public grievances. Every durbar is attended by people from remote areas seeking solutions to their problems. There have been instances when people's expectations have not been met by the durbar. But it is also true that many of the petitioners have benefited from attending the durbar. People frustrated with inept officials in the lower tiers of the bureaucracy have an avenue in the durbar to air their grievances. It also offers Kumar a platform from which he can get a sense of the situation on the ground.

However, the event also raises some pertinent questions. The strength of the gatherings indicates that the administrative machinery is not functioning to its potential. Otherwise why would people from remote areas travel all the way to Patna in the hope of getting their work done? The chief minister should pull up officials in districts or in blocks for their inefficiency. There are also reports of the durbar failing to take up matters pending before the courts. This is primarily because people are not always aware of what can be presented in the durbar.

Yours faithfully,
Sushil Kumar Sinha, Katihar
 

Parting shot

• Sir - It was alleged that the Congress legislator, Siddharth Kumar Singh, had kidnapped a woman. But the woman later told the police that she had not been abducted by Singh. The woman stated that she had left on her own because she was in love with Singh's driver. An adult woman is entitled to marry a person of her choice. But the case throws up several questions. Singh himself claims that he is married and has a son. The affidavit he filed during the assembly elections, however, does not mention his wife or his child. In fact, it has been reported that Singh's driver, whom the woman claims to have married, has been married before.

This incident should not have been politicized. But there are doubts that Singh may not have disclosed full information. The conduct of politicians leaves much to be desired. They should set an example by strictly adhering to the law.

Yours faithfully,
Krishna Verma, Patna