• With reference to your editorial ‘Three to go’, further break-up of any state will not really help matters. New and smaller states have failed to keep their governments alive for full term. The stability factor puts a question mark on the rationale for smaller states. Any marginal player will be able to destabilise the government, with fewer MLAs. The demand for Telangana and the division of UP into three states must be examined in this context. The national parties should use their good sense if they still have any.

— Naval Langa

Ahmedabad

Think tanks’ role

• Apropos of the article 'Track every rupee', I compliment Jaithirth Rao for this most timely and thought-provoking piece. He has rightly focussed on the role of appropriate incentives (which should also include disincentives) for bringing changes in the behaviour of all economic players, which would be congruent with the goals of public policy.

A proper alignment in this direction will help to efficiently translate public outlays into public outcomes for achieving inclusive growth for benefiting the weaker sections of the society through market-based economic reforms. Having been associated with the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), New Delhi, for a long time, I appreciate Rao’s compliments for the work being done by this think tank. Public policy management think tanks are invaluable in assisting officials with better delivery systems for public programmes, which are capable of neutralising inimical vested interests and effectively delivering maximum feasible public good.

... contd.