Vox pop

With reference to the report Shinde's reward on day of worst blackout: Home (August 1), there seems to be an acute shortage of efficient ministers in UPA 2.

Where have all the competent UPA ministers disappeared?With reference to the report Shinde's reward on day of worst blackout: Home (August 1), there seems to be an acute shortage of efficient ministers in UPA 2. As a result, Sushilkumar Shinde, a failed power minister, has been made the new home minister and P Chidambaram, who can't boast of any significant achievement as the home minister, has been given charge of the finance ministry in the latest Cabinet reshuffle. Why isn't the UPA giving its young ministers a chance to prove their worth?Gulshan Kumar, via email

A severe drought of policiesThe government offering assistance to the 320-odd districts that are facing a drought-like situation is a case of too little, too late (Drought alert, govt pumps in R2,000 cr, August 1). The UPA, it seems, was earlier busy placating its allies like the Trinamool Congress instead of taking note of the plight of millions of farmers. Agriculture in India cannot depend on erratic monsoon rains alone. The government must devise alternative irrigation methods.Gautam Chandra, via email

Tunnel vision on securityIndia should have kept quiet about the discovery of a 300-metre-long underground tunnel in the Samba sector in Jammu, which is believed to be the handiwork of either the Pakistan government or jihadi terrorists in that country (India lodges protest with Pak over tunnel, August 1). We should have guarded the opening of the tunnel and caught the intruders from the other side of the border red-handed. Now it will be difficult to make Pakistan accept its role in building the tunnel.Ravi Bedi, Jodhpur