State-funding

After blaming the media, the prime minister, late Indira Gandhi and even the founding fathers of our Constitution of a lack of foresight, Prem Shankar Jha in his article advocates the State-funding of elections (Keep it poll-ution free, January 2).

After blaming the media, the prime minister, late Indira Gandhi and even the founding fathers of our Constitution of a lack of foresight, Prem Shankar Jha in his article advocates the State-funding of elections (Keep it poll-ution free, January 2). While the government must show political will to carry forward electoral reforms, the Election Commission can provide useful inputs for it. But Jha also says, “The Indian political animal is irremediably corrupt. State-funding will make no difference to political morality and will throw good money after bad.” Rather than clearing the air on poll reforms, the article seems to make it more poll-uted.

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Bhavish Prakash, via e-mail

II

The UPA’s decision to introduce State-funding of elections is an excellent idea. It is the ultimate step and not the first step in electoral reforms. Money power during elections should be controlled and electoral processes need a lot of cleaning-up. Also there are big questions on the manner in which State-funding will be implemented. This requires discussion between the government and political parties. It is good that the UPA is serious about promises made in its CMP.

Pranav Sachdeva, Delhi

III

Prem Shankar Jha is right that there is urgent need for reforms in election funding. Criminalisation of politics have stretched to corrupt practices at university-level elections as well. But any reform in this direction requires giant political will. Otherwise, it will yet again be wasting the nation’s valuable resources.

Piyush Guliani, Delhi

Metro musings

There can be no two opinions about the success of Delhi Metro as a viable mode of transport (Transported to the future, January 3). But while the running of Metro’s line 3 met its deadline, support features like station escalators and feeder buses have not been completed. These should also be completed in record time.

K. Venkataraman, Delhi

Set on track

The editorial No hang ups (Jan. 4) rightly states the desperation of educated unemployed people in Bihar. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar faces a long road ahead and must initiate measures to set things right. Desperate youth can easily get misled.

Narendra Kumar, Delhi