BBMP should stop murder of trees

Sir,

At least eight banyan trees have been felled on both St John’s Circle and Madivala over the past three weeks for no discernible reasons. And about two weeks ago, three more trees got the axe on Adugodi main road in front of Tata Indicom. As per a ruling from the Supreme Court, two new saplings must be planted for each felled tree, but that has not happened yet. Though there is enough space for it, not even one sapling has been planted in the median between the stretch from Banashankari to Metro and from Bilekahalli Circle to Meenakshi temple.

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) who are responsible for this sorry state of affairs, are devising
methods like the Capital Value System to levy more taxes from the people. They should concentrate on discharging their duties for the benefit of the people and stop the murder of trees.

V RANGANATH
Bangalore

Sonia’s comments

Sir,

Sonia Gandhi, the UPA chairperson, has awaken the sleeping tiger Jyoti Basu, by unwarrantedly commenting on Nandigram in a public rally in Malda on Monday to attract the immediate response the veteran CPM leader. Does she know how elections to corporations, municipalities and panchayats are held in Tamil Nadu and how people are terrorised by movements of paid hoodlums? While she herself lives in a fragile glass chamber she should be careful while throwing stone at others.

M S Rajaraman
Bangalore

Bring freshness

Sir,

Once again political parties in our state have fielded candidates with criminal cases against them. A survey by citizens watchdog Karnataka Election Watch, shows that two former chief ministers have criminal cases against them. BJP’s B S Yeddyurappa faces cases of rioting and criminal intimidation. While his former ally H D Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) has one case under Section 324 IPC for causing fatal injury. It is desirable to field a candidate who has no criminal proceedings against him in order to bring some freshness in political system.

MUDGAL VENKATESH
Gulbarga

Crucial juncture

Sir,

Looking to the declared assets and other details of some of the politicians for the ensuing elections, it is clear that education, training, experience or even hard work may not be necessary to amass wealth. The eroding human values in a race to accumulate wealth and occupy seats of power will have detrimental effects on our society. It is high time that we all wake up at this crucial juncture to exercise their vote judiciously not leading to a coalition government again.

Ramakanth Sharma
Bangalore

Decent behaviour

Sir,

The recent nasty episode of Harbhajan Singh has brought down the image of cricket in the eyes of cricket-lovers. Aggression ought to be in the bowling speed, in the force of hits, in fielding and throwing etc., and not in one’s utterances or gestures. It is a matter of decent, civilised behaviour.

V R Chitguppi
Hubli

Modern-day Nero

Sir,

There are people who never repent, and also never learn. K P S Gill stepped headlong into that category by sitting Nero-like while the hockey empire he headed burnt like Rome around him. He did not wake up even when his secretary-general K Jothikumaran was found giving berths in the team after receiving bribe. One hopes that the ad hoc panel which will run the affairs of the Indian Hockey Federation now will also be professional.

J AKSHAY
Secundarabad