Next flight out

Next flight out

* This refers to the editorial 'Look who's talking' (IE, February 24). It has exposed the naked truth of Air India and Kingfisher. For how long will these carriers put out their begging bowls at the expense of taxpayers? Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh is right in refusing a bailout to Kingfisher. He should apply the same yardstick to Air India.

It is rightly suggested the government disinvest Air India, thus recovering the colossal debt of Rs 44,000 crore. As regards Kingfisher, Vijay Mallya could borrow from elsewhere.

— Deepak Chikramane Mumbai

Energy bar

* The prime minister finally broke his silence on the Koodankulam nuclear project's unrest and endorsed the view that the nuclear power plant protests were backed by foreign NGOs. Why has the government allowed the agitation to go on for months? Thegovernment should rein in the protesters and start the plant without further loss of time and cater to the energy-starved southern states.

— N. Ramamurthy Chennai

Fix the fisc

* The editorial 'Frightening fisc' (IE, February 24) has well advised the finance minister to go in for a medium-term course correction on the fiscal deficit instead of losing sleep over it. What's more important is that the Congress should not throw a spanner in his fiscal works by insisting on unwanted subsidies for electoral gains. In Indian polity, political expediency matters more than the financial frugality or prudence. The Congress must be ready to bite the dust in near future because of economic chaos if it is not ready to bite the bullet now.

— Hema Langeri

* Apropos 'Frightening fisc', in the Congress, it seems the executive proposes, the party disposes. To some extent this is true of all parties. Instead of winning votes by following pragmatic polices aimed at people's welfare, parties resort to expedient stopgaps and shortcuts like subsidies and sops. This proves to be the bane of the economy. After the elections, the Congress must cut down on populist and short-sighted schemes. Otherwise even the UPA's high-profile programmes will sink in the abyss of the fiscal deficit.

... contd.

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