For the uninitiated, your editorial “Take Stern action” (THT, September 13, Page 14) offers a window view to the blatant official racketeering in new Nepal.

The general public, as mentioned by you, is beginning to wonder at these thugs’ audacity to brazenly give shape to their evil plans to defraud the nation. How low can these people stoop? Nowhere in our neighbourhood, neither in Bimstec nor in Saarc, the politicians and the public servants forge such unholy alliances to rob the motherland. It is unlikely that the PMO’s request to MoS to initiate action against the guilty will bear any fruit. Nor are the guilty likely to fear the PM who himself is dragging his feet on the sacred constitutional requirement of disclosing his property details.

His earlier request to fill the cracks and potholes on the roads in the capital went largely unheeded. There is no reason to believe that his latest request will not be ignored and brushed aside. People are beginning to feel the need of a strongman who can follow up on threats of, say, throwing the culprits from the airborne helicopter in order to rid the country of official racketeering. Do we have such a candidate?

In another news item, “Cops hunting for rural municipality chair”, THT, September 13, Page 4) our dedicated police force’s frustration is evident from their statement: “We are after Paudel and have launched a manhunt to nab him. He is nowhere in sight within Nepal as he took leave from the office of the rural municipality on September 7 and fled somewhere”. We can learn from the US and employ bounty hunters to help our police nab the fugitives. In some democracies they also shoot at sight to flush out smugglers, criminals and illegal money makers from their hideouts, or stop fleeing.

Anyone who helps them hide and flee are also dealt with severely. We also hope that the runway at Juphal Airport that took 42 years to blacktop will last for at least 1000 years just as the remnants of Maya civilization in the hills of Mexico.

Manohar Shrestha, Kathmandu

Dengue

This refers to your well-researched article “Dengue alarm” (THT, September 13, Page 14). Dengue, the world’s most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease, is taking a far bigger human toll than was believed to be the case.

Dengue is rearing its ugly head in India with new cases of infections and even deaths being reported from different States. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), incidence of dengue has shot up 30 fold in the past 50 years. Achieving ideal environment for mosquito eradication involves resources, money, education, community participation, change in attitude and political and social will.

It is both for the authorities and citizens to keep their surroundings clean. Unless citizens take theinitiative to be cleaner, the municipal authorities are only fighting, rather pretending to fight, a losing battle. For many infectious diseases, good vaccines are available.

Vinod C. Dixit, Ahmedabad