Letters to the EDITOR: Waqf properties should be subject to audit

Waqf properties should be subject to audit

I would like to bring to public notice that in Dibrugarh there are a few religious properties, like Kabarstan (graveyard), Madrassa, and Mazhar. These institutions have received funds from MLAs (Members of Legislative Assembly) or MPs ( Members of Parliament), which are indeed subject to public scrutiny.

On the contrary, the majority of the institutions do not hold any general public meetings or submit accounts. It seems that these institutions are run by people who have occupied them for years without giving accounts or holding public meetings. It is further alleged that one of the institutions has sold land. MLA and MP funds are allocated from the public exchequer, making them accountable to the public. Furthermore, institutions' funds must maintain transparency in their utilization, ensuring that money is used for the intended purposes. They must be prepared to answer questions and provide justification for their expenses and activities. Their financial records and activities must be subject to audits and evaluations to ensure proper use of funds. That's a concerning issue. When individuals or groups take over public and religious institutions without transparency and accountability, it can lead to:

1. Mismanagement of funds and resources

2. Lack of representation for the community

3. Undemocratic decision-making

4. Potential for corruption and embezzlement

In the context of Waqf properties, this can be particularly problematic, as these

Institutions are meant to serve the community and manage assets for religious and charitable purposes.

To address this issue, it's essential to:

1. Ensure transparency in financial dealings and decision-making processes.

2. Hold regular public meetings and allow community participation.

3. Implement democratic election processes for managing committees.

4. Establish clear accountability mechanisms.

5. Conduct regular audits and inspections.

Additionally, legal frameworks and regulatory bodies can play a crucial role in preventing such takeovers and ensuring that public and religious institutions serve their intended purposes.

Jamshed Ahmed Khan

Dibrugarh

 Riders and drivers in the city

Through your esteemed daily newspaper, I would like to bring to attention a very serious issue regarding the city's people who ride and drive daily in Guwahati. As the population increases day by day, the city's traffic is also rapidly increasing. The city police, along with the transport department, introduced advanced traffic signals at each and every stoppage where vehicles pass. But unfortunately, many riders and drivers do not heed the signals or the zebra crossing either. We have noticed that in their manner of dressing, they look very smart and drive the costliest vehicles, but they do not abide by the rules of traffic when they drive their vehicles. The riders of two-wheelers should also follow the signals, but they are seen rushing to cross the signal by violating the traffic rules.

The authority concerned should monitor them to ascertain if they follow the rules at the traffic signals. Guwahati is a smart city, and the behaviour of its citizens should also be the same. Through this esteemed popular newspaper, we request all the riders and drivers of the city to maintain discipline while driving and riding for a traffic jam-free and safer Guwahati.

Kabyajyoti Das

Hengrabari, Guwahati

T20 hangover?

Team India, after their triumph in the recently concluded T20 World Cup, paid a visit to Sri Lanka for bilateral T20 and ODI series. They swept the T20 series but were simply outplayed in the ODI series. The way our star batsmen, namely Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubnam Gill, KL Rahul, etc., committed hara-kiri while batting simply proves that they are yet to recover from the T20 hangover. They seem to forget that Test Match, ODI, and T20 are totally different cups of tea. The only silver lining is the emergence of our Riyan Parag as an all-rounder in T20 as well as ODI. Coach Gambhir has a tough job in hand. I wish him well.

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

Climate risks threaten rice productivity

Recent research at the 32nd International Congress of Agricultural Economists in Delhi reveals a significant threat to India’s rice production due to climate change. According to Nishi Yadav from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, states like Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu face severe climate risks impacting rice yields, while Bihar, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand are less affected.

 Yadav’s study shows a clear negative relationship between climate risk and rice productivity, posing a threat to national food security and global rice exports. Additionally, Disha Gupta’s study from the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research highlights inefficiencies in water use in Punjab, suggesting that raising electricity prices could reduce water extraction significantly.

 These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted policy interventions to address climate risks and optimize resource use to sustain India’s agricultural sector and global food supply.

Mowsam Hazarika

Guwahati

Record rainfall in the city

On August 5, Guwahati recorded the highest rainfall during this monsoon season. The two-hour heavy downpour not only paralyzed normal life, but the situation due to waterlogging came to such a point that many people either reached their homes as late as 3 a.m. or could not turn up at their homes, and many even had to spend the night at hotels. The worst-hit Rukminigaon is yet to return to normalcy. The CM's statement that rampant earth-cutting on the hills of Meghalaya bordering the Kamrup (M) by the managements of private schools and universities has aggravated the menace of flash floods and affecting the low-lying areas along the Basistha-Bahini and Bharalu rivers besides the stretch along Amchang and Bondajan as cutting of the hills has made the rainwater flow directly into Guwahati is indeed a matter of serious concern. The city dwellers are subjected to these hazards, which are undoubtedly our own creation, linked to ever-growing population pressure and infrastructure development. Over the years, the hill slopes of Guwahati's landscape have lost their natural stability. Flooding is also exacerbated by the ever-shrinking wetlands, which need to be restored to their original capacity so that they play a balancing role as storm water reservoirs. The peripheral areas of Deepor Beel around Dharmapur are a case in point, following massive earth filling and construction activities responsible for the inundation in the city's northeast part. What the city urgently needs is either a big drainage system or a robust discharge system to make Guwahati free from flash floods. The experts' result-oriented suggestions on ways to pump out the excess water from the affected areas must be given top priority. We must take up targeted increases in green cover in the hills through suitable plantations to prevent soil erosion. Bio-engineering practices need to be taken up for slope stabilisation. A lasting solution to the issues of earth-cutting, flash floods, and shrinking wetlands is the need of the hour to protect the low-lying areas of Guwahati from the brunt of flash floods.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati.