Andhra Pradesh

Hassle-free airports for senior citizens

At airports in the United States and Europe, there are either separate counters for senior citizens and women with babies in arms and children or preference is given to them for checking in, boarding the aircraft and for alighting.

Unfortunately, no such practice is in vogue in our airports due to which senior citizens are put to avoidable hardship.

It is high time we followed such a system.

G.V.S. Lakshmi

Visakhapatnam

A few months ago, the Greater Visakha Municipal Corporation (GVMC) announced that vacant land tax (VLT) should be paid by land owners.

But since the rate of tax was abnormally high, there was a hue and cry from the public. Opposition parties also started an agitation.

The Greater Visakha Municipal Corporation council dismissed the issue and formed a committee to study the tax structure in other corporations and submit a report.

But the committee’s recommendation is not made public.

Nor was the issue discussed in the recent GVMC council meeting.

As people are ready to pay a reasonable sum as tax, the GVMC should take an early decision in the matter.

M.S.R. Sarma

Visakhapatnam

The idea to create a common man’s protection fund (CMPF) for serving and helping the people facing a variety of problems, including risk and threat, irrespective of caste, creed and community with Rs.1 crore corpus fund by film star Pavan Kalyan deserves praise.

This should inspire more people to serve the cause of society. May more film heroes, philanthropists and affluent persons come forward and lend a helping hand through the CMPF.

K. Satyanarayana

Visakhapatnam

Authorities should look into several issues which are posing problems to the travelling public in the city. Chief among them are APSRTC drivers making unscheduled halts causing traffic hazards to other vehicles, bus passengers jumping out of moving buses, autorickshaws using a single headlight and not switching on lights on either side during nights, pillion riders of two wheelers giving signals to confuse the vehicles behind, RTC buses and autorickshaws jumping traffic signals.

Also, there is the beggar menace at important junctions causing distraction.

Hope these problems which are causing a lot of inconvenience to motorists are resolved immediately to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

D.V. Ramakrishna

Visakhapatnam

The Andhra Pradesh Passengers’ Association from Kakinada has been requesting the Railway Ministry since the last 40 years to lay a railway line between Tirupati and Tirumala, perhaps the biggest pilgrim centre in the world, without response.

Now suddenly we find reports in the media that there are plans for railway line to Tirumala.

We congratulate the government for the decision. If this proposal ripens into an accomplishment, it will remain a landmark in the history of Andhra Pradesh.

S.S. Krishnaji

Kakinada

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