— Saumya Brata Panda

Noida

Derailed?

• It’s always good to hear a minister championing social viability over economic viability. But shouldn’t there be limits to populism? Mamata Banerjee should know that while we can assess economic viability, there’s no way to measure “social viability”. The Union rail budget makes one apprehensive because of the spectres of a larger state role that it seems to let loose. Such notions of state power are indeed exaggerated.

— Bellur S. Dattatri

Pune

Still insecure

• P. Chidambaram must realise that setting up NSG hubs is not a guarantee of security. NSG commandos will act only after an attack. So the police and intelligence agencies will still be responsible for averting terror strikes. Security can’t be guaranteed without greater Union control over policing. Perhaps law and order should be made a Union subject to begin with.

— N.V.S.N. Murthy

Gandhinagar