Unjust petrol subsidy:

The country is witnessing an acute scarcity of petrol once again with the import volume not meeting the demand. Minister for Industries and Supplies Rajendra Mahato has already declared that the government has no plan to discontinue subsidising petrol before the CA polls. The eight-party clearly wants to remain popular among the owners of motorcycles and cars in the cities but does not see the injustice against the people of remote areas who do not own vehicles.

The government should discontinue subsidising petrol and end the injustice against the rural people. At the same time, the country should bring a policy to make the country self-reliant to meet its fuel needs. The prospects of energy from night-soil and ethanol should be explored.

Moreover, proper geological surveys need to be carried out to see if there are any petroleum mines in the country.

Ravi Manandhar, Kathmandu

What use?

Before they joined the interim government, the Maoists lectured in their lofty language about how the people’s revolution was aimed at the collective good of the country. But now that they are a part of the government, the Maoists have arranged for a monthly salary of Rs. 3,000 for each of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) cadres. They will draw their salaries for doing virtually nothing. I wonder what collective benefit accrues from allocating money for the Maoist combatants.

Bishnu Paudel, Bharatpur

Keep it up:

I would like to congratulate APCA Nepal for the fantastic job they did with Ambition 2007. I hope that you will be able to hold this event for many years to come. However, there should be good scheduling because this fair’s timing clashes with ECAN fair. I really appreciate your effort because even though ECAN is the professional in this field, your fair was much better with better management, organisation, options, arrangements and quality. Keep it up.

Mitaali Carroll, via e-mail

Bad job:

The teachers in government colleges do not do their job well. They are only concerned about finishing their courses on time and not about how much the students learn. As a result, most of the students have to take private tuitions or visit coaching classes. Likewise, the classrooms in government colleges are shabby and libraries without good books. In education sector too, it seems, nothing will improve without foreign aid.

Shiva Neupane, via e-mail

Deplorable:

The pelting of stones at the vehicle of American ambassador James F Moriarty at Damak by some cadres of the Young Communist League the other day was deplorable. It was an irresponsible act. The Maoists have not changed much even after joining the interim government.

These actions will erode the Maoists’ credibility as a political party and send a wrong message to the international community. The Maoist leadership should take immediate action to control such activities if they want to preserve their image as a legitimate political entity.

Abijit Sharma, Dhapasi