MyVoice: Views of our readers 8th July 2022

Aircraft maintenance, a big worry

Apropos, "DGCA raps SpiceJet over safety concerns", The Hans India, July 7. India's civil aviation regulator DGCA issued a show cause notice to SpiceJet after reviewing a series of incidents reported from April 1 in aircrafts operated by it. The broad conclusions of the regulator are that the airline had poor internal safety oversight and inadequate maintenance. Consequently, there's been a degradation in safety margin. There have been at least seven instances reported since May where there have been questions about SpiceJet. The worst day was July 5 when there were three instances, including one where a Delhi-Dubai flight had to be diverted to Karachi after a snag. None of these problems have arisen overnight. There have been red flags for a while. Auditor report raised doubts about the company's ability to continue as a going concern. Meanwhile, the findings showed that suppliers are not being paid regularly and that has led to a shortage of spares. Also, the main reasons for flight accidents are said to be failure on part of the cockpit crew to stick to standard operating procedures, technical defects and factors related to the weather and ATC. However, DGCA's primary responsibility is to take timely action to make sure that Indian flyers are guaranteed safety standards that match the best. That requires being proactive when problems are at an incipient stage.

N Sadhasiva Reddy, Bengaluru

LPG price hike unbearable

It is shocking that the central government continues to tax the tax paying citizens in one form or another - the latest being LPG price hike by another Rs 50 making the consumers pay around more than Rs 1100 for a gas refill. Under the shelter of 'international energy prices escalation ' initially the government withdrew the subsidy totally except for a small group of people and now a tremendous hike of around Rs 244 in a span of a year on the gas cylinder . The government has scant concern on the wellbeing of citizens but only aims to politically and financially stabilise its power in the country by hook or crook.

The people do not aim at freebies but only expect the government to help their survival too. With tremendous increases in the cost of living, cost of shelter and cost of keeping running minimum health , cost of escalating bank charges ( if even Rs 100 is deposited in cash deposit machine the SBI charges Rs 25 as fees with the staff advising the customers to use cash machine and not to come to cash counters) the government still aims to increase LPG charges which is a basic necessity as being claimed by the ' men in power '. With no eligibility criterion required for achieving political power except money power/ sentiment power , it's all the political game on the people be at the centre or at the states.

Katuru Durga Prasad Rao, Hyderabad

II

The BJP government seems to be completely impervious to any kind of criticism on the gas cylinder hikes. The government has increased the prices by another 50 rupees which means there has been a 26% hike from the last year. Those who were prancing around the streets with gas cylinders when the UPA was in power are now silent just because they are in the government. What adds insult to the injury is that many who are a part of the BJP's eco system are actually justifying it. The ujwala scheme is a good initiative of this government. However it is hard to imagine the poor refilling the cylinders at this rate. Which means the claims of the government at eradicating chulhas would be false. The BJP probably believes, the heavy doses of nationalism will make them immune from the wrath of the middle class at the election booths. They could be in for a surprise!

Anthony Henriques, Mumbai

Let performance speak

When far-sighted and sensible actions on issues plaguing the state from the government and political parties is the need of the hour so as to provide succour to the common man suffering from incessant rise of prices of items of daily use, it is shocking that not a single day passes without TRS, BJP and Congress trading serious charges and indulging in blame serving no purpose at all.With the political heat building up, stepping up its offensive against TRS government, BJP filing over hundred Right to Information (RTI) applications across the state seeking information from various departments in the state on the status of various promises and announcements and similarly TRS party's claims that centre not only stopped releasing the state's dues but acting as a stumbling block for the state in getting the required finances as loans from Banks. Thus as the tendency of politicians to fish in troubled waters is getting nasty without focusing on the right and/or wrong of the issues is a mockery of democracy, time has come to view the whole issue impartially in order to ensure that wrong-doers are punished without bias instead of making sound and fury to score brownie points.

K R Srinivasan, Secunderabad

K'taka water contamination deaths: Lokayukta initiates suo moto probe

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Lokayukta has taken a suo moto cognizance in connection with a case wherein 8 persons died after drinking contaminated water in the state's Raichur district. Lokayukta Justice B.S. Patil also began a probe into the incident on Thursday.

At least 8 persons were killed and more than 40 persons had fallen sick after consuming contaminated water in Valkamdinni, Jukura villages of Gorkal Gram Panchayat in Manvi taluk of Raichur district. The incident which took place in the last week of May had created panic throughout the state. H.M. Venkatesh of 'Naija Horatagaara Vedike' has submitted a memorandum in connection with the incident and demanded that action should be initiated against those responsible for the tragedy.Lokayukta Justice B.S. Patil has directed authorities to supply clean drinking water to both the villages and submit a report in this regard on August 25.

Alert gateman prevents major rail mishap in Karnataka

Bengaluru: An alert railway crossing gateman's presence of mind has prevented a major disaster in Karnataka, railway authorities said.

The incident involving a train dashing against a truck on a railway track, happened on Tuesday and was caught on camera the video of which went viral on social media. The accident took place at Siddheshwar railway crossing in Bidar district. The goods-laden truck was trapped on the railway crossing as the gates had closed after it entered. The hind part of the truck was jutting onto the railway track of the fast approaching train.

South Central Railway officials said that on July 5, around 14.00 hours, a mini truck with excess speed ran into the closed level crossing gate situated between Halbarga and Bhalki, and came on to the tracks. The driver was unable to clear the vehicle from the tracks. Meanwhile, train no 17648, Purna-Hyderabad Express which had already left the previous section, was fast approaching the level crossing. However, an alert gateman on the spot helped to minimise the impact of the collision by alerting the loco-pilot.