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| BEAUTY AT WHAT COST: Instead of spending crores of rupees on beautification of riverbanks, our chief minister could have utilised the amount to repair roads and the drainage system of the city (Mamata’s Hooghly eyes Thames high, August 3). What is the point in decorating the city when it lacks basic amenities? |
Regarding security in residential complexes (Spot test for safer homes, September 5), I want to stress the following points:
● A survey should be carried out to assess the potential threat to security at a particular location and deployment of manpower should be made accordingly
● No guard or supervisor should be engaged unless he/she has successfully completed at least a weeklong basic training in providing security and fire prevention from an authorised organisation or institute
● Background verification of all security personnel is a must
● Security is everybody’s business. Residents should be sensitised to security and fire prevention issues
● Security personnel should not be engaged in any other job. Residents often engage them in various odd jobs like paying electricity bills, hailing a taxi or fetching cigarettes from nearby kiosks. This should stop
● Twelve-hour shifts should be reduced to eight hours to increase efficiency
● A job as a security guard should not be someone’s last option. Hence, they should be given proper salaries, besides other statutory benefits. This is a sensitive issue, which should be given due care.
Tridib Kumar Biswas
What’s wrong with West Bengal?
I feel like revolting against the change of the state’s name (GenY: Let it be, yeah, let it be! August 24). Calcutta sounded the best. But then they changed it. Now, West Bengal is being changed into Paschimbanga. What’s wrong with the present name? It seems the MLAs have nothing better to do.
The chief minister should take into consideration all castes, creeds and religions and not just Bengalis.
Ruchira Chowdhary
Is it necessary to change our state’s name? They say it will impart an administrative advantage. How? P is just a few places above W. Can’t our legislators think of doing something more constructive rather than change names?
Paschimbanga is long and difficult to pronounce. I hate the new name. The chief minister should not waste time on changing names.
Tirthankar Modak
What’s wrong with West Bengal? It sounds smarter than the new name. I can’t understand why our chief minister is hell-bent on changing various names. She started with the Metro stations and now she has changed the entire state’s name. No wonder Gen Y is unhappy with this change.
Saumyajit Das, Maheshtala
Fuel bill
It is fascinating to note that a minister has burnt up more than 1,600 litres of diesel in a single month ostensibly “in the interest of public service” (Free-fuel bill shoots up, August 23).
Even by a conservative 9km per litre, the minister concerned must have travelled 14,400km in a single month.
How many times did he criss-cross West Bengal, or should I say Paschimbanga?
Chameli Pal, Batanagar
Fire safety
The people who use the studios are themselves to be blamed for the fire that erupted at Bharat Lakshmi studio (Flames devour fantasy floors, July 19).
What were they doing so long? They paid the least attention to the infrastructure and other safety norms. The fire was waiting to happen.
Samrat Sengupta, Haltu
The condition of roads in Calcutta is deteriorating with every passing day. The CMC only does some patchwork on these roads and that, too before Durga Puja.
Metro has been continuously highlighting the poor condition of roads but the authorities seem to be sleeping. The previous mayor under the Left Front board hardly paid any attention to the roads. The present mayor, too, seems least bothered. With such an attitude, Calcutta can never become London.
Raj Bagri, Ho-Chi-Minh Sarani
Hooligans on train
There is no doubt that hooliganism by pantry car staff can only happen in connivance with other railway employees on board (Pantry staff held for train assault, July 26).
As a frequent traveller on long-distance trains, I have noticed that pantry cars are a haven of gambling and drinking by a section of railway staff. One can participate in it if the right palms are greased. I hope the authorities take note of this situation and take steps to make rail journeys safer.
Alok Pal, Auckland Place
Inept policing
The recent robberies in Salt Lake have exposed the pathetic security condition of the place. If such incidents can happen in the state capital, I wonder what the condition is in the districts.
It is heart-rending to hear an eight-year-old child suffering from panic attacks after his house got robbed, or people leaving their ancestral properties for lack of security. Why are the police kiosks made and why are cops being appointed if people have to look after their own security? Are the cops waiting for everybody to vacate the place so that they could sleep more peacefully?
Why are they being paid? That money could be used for other purposes.
Nisha Panigrahi
Poor and substandard security has led to the spate of thefts and robberies in Salt Lake. Policemen are hardly visible in the township. Most of the kiosks are empty and important crossings like the Karunamoyee are often without traffic police.
Cops can be found busy gossiping at tea stalls. How will they manage security? Lack of streetlights is an added boon for robbers. Only a strong security system can control such frequent thefts.
Amrita Mallik, Salt Lake
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