Letters to the EDITOR: Disappointments in Budget

Disappointments in Budget

The omission of the term "railway" in the Union Budget 2024 comes as a huge disappointment in terms of the lack of focus on critical areas in the public domain. Though going by the interim budget, the capital outlay of Rs 2.65 lakh crore is far below expectations, particularly in view of the utilization of Rs 2.62 lakh crore in 2023–24. The expectation of the announcement of measures to augment rail safety, which has been under considerable stress recently, is too dished out. Hopes were also dashed regarding updates on the three economic corridors announced in the interim budget. There was also no talk about the completion of big projects like the J&K dedicated freight corridors. Moreover, it was also expected that the government would continue its capex in the rail sector by allocating resources through general budgetary support. Even the internal generation and extra budgetary resources are on the decline, indicating that everything is not right. Despite an increase in traffic, profitability is going down. Since the fund allocation for maintenance is stagnant in spite of increasing infrastructure and rolling stocks, this can prove disastrous in the long run. Though the policy initiative of strengthening mineral and cement corridors, port connectivity, and dedicated freight corridors alongside the high-density corridors has helped railways achieve consistently robust growth in freight traffic and passenger traffic in the recent past. Local trains play a key and significant role in the daily commute ecosystem. Despite expectations for a reduction in season ticket prices, the budget announcement fell short of addressing the long-standing issue. Though modernization drives and infrastructure upgrades have been announced for the railway sector, a lack of attention to passenger amenities will not be very result-oriented. More initiatives for enhanced safety measures and issues such as delays, cancellations, and frequent disruptions that continue to inconvenience passengers need to be redressed promptly.

Abhijit Roy,

(abhijitroytatanagar@gmail.com)

Double engine ‘sarkar’ and Assam

The main focus of this year’s Union budget, without any doubt, was Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. The Union Finance Minister devoted a substantial portion of her time to speaking about the special packages for these two states. The efforts of Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu, the Chief Ministers of these two states, must be lauded and appreciated for being able to corner the government into giving them many special benefits. As pointed out by the Finance Minister, the special packages for these two states are likely to continue in the subsequent years.

Assam is comparatively a backward state economically, and it ranks alongside Bihar in many of the socio-economic parameters. This year, the floods and erosion have also devastated the state. Interestingly, both the Union and the state governments are led by BJP-led coalition partners. Much was said about these double-engine sarkars and their inherent benefits. Alas, despite the high promises, no benefit seems to have accrued to Assam, especially in these trying times.

D Bhutia,

R G Baruah Road, Guwahati

Changed faces of stations

There have been many smart initiatives on the part of the Indian Railways for some time to change the picture of the railway stations. Smart stations and eco-friendly stations are few. The eco-smart tag is no joke. Strict environmental standards have to be adhered to while waiting for the ISO 14001 certificate. This is in accordance with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), for which ten important yardsticks are prescribed. Stations' cleanliness, with frequent watering and sweeping, is a crucial parameter. Garbage consisting of food waste, combustible and non-combustible rubbish, and litter like papers and plastic bottles seen all around the platform is tough to clear. Water management on platforms should be immaculate.

How so ever the Railways aims at creating awareness about not using the toilets when the trains are stationary, passengers care two hoots and flout all regulations.  The "track waste" disposal is another herculean task.  Many a time, it is the intruders who use the toilets, so the dual task is to keep a watch on the non-travellers who barge into the toilets. Then there is prudent management of energy, whose balanced use is important in maintaining the ecosystem.  Many trains have had eco-toilets, but there is certainly a long way to go. The eco friendly stations also need to look green and vibrant. Plantation and afforestation activities have to go hand-in-hand with the elimination of waste.

Dr Ganapathi  Bhat

(gbhat13@gmail.com)

Pros and cons of video games

Prof. Karuna Hazarika, in his thought-provoking article, 'The Video Games: Good or Bad', published in your esteemed daily on July 24, has rightly said that although today's world is widely dominated by the entertainment video game in the digital era, parents can play a significant role in forbidding their children from playing video games by imposing some guidelines that may be of some assistance. If children finish their scheduled work, parents can reward them with one hour of playtime. At the same time, it is crucial to ensure that our children are engaged in outdoor games as well. The writer has said that learning and developing new abilities through a unique form of enjoyment that is found in video games is crucial for our child's overall personality development. Some studies have shown certain video games can improve hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills, and the mind's ability to process information. But overindulgence in gaming can have detrimental effects on relationships, learning, employment, sleep, stress, and other significant factors of life. Video game addiction can lead to wrist, neck, and elbow pain, skin blisters, weakness or numbness in the hands, and even blood clots. It is absolutely necessary to strike a healthy balance between children's development and work and play. Last but not least is time management. Examining the damage and the action that can be taken to lessen it is crucial in all aspects, and it has both benefits and drawbacks.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati.

Fitness Failures

In today's world, the gym has become an inseparable part of many people's lives. Several surveys have shown that more people are now going to gyms and opting for workouts after the COVID-19 pandemic. But of late, several videos have surfaced online showing people collapsing while working out in the gym. The notable one was of Sourav Ganguly. Even while doing Zumba fitness, people tend to collapse, and this is of great concern. Fitness is the need of the hour, but not at the expense of your health, and that too because of over-straining.

CK Ramani

(ckramani@hotmail.com)