Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Fuel price rise

I am one of the few who think that the recent hike in the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas is justified. In fact, the UPA government should be applauded for deferring the hike until now. The solution to the worldwide problem lies in promoting research in hybrid technologies and not in organising demonstrations.

Viswanath Mohan,

Austin

Statewide bandhs, which have become the norm, have serious economic repercussions and cause huge inconvenience to the common man. A tool that was employed to oppose the British has assumed epidemic proportions.

This is not to say that I am happy with the price rise. But political parties should make known their displeasure through appropriate forums.

Devulapalli Chakravarty,

Hyderabad

Ours is perhaps the only country where LPG, which is not the poor man’s fuel, is sold at a subsidised price. A 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinder should, on an average, last 40 days for a family of four. Even at the revised price of Rs.339 a cylinder, a family of four will spend about Rs.8.50 a day, and Rs.270 a month. This, in most cases, must be less than what is spent on electricity every month.

Are we justified in subsiding the fuel used by the rich, the upper middle class, and the middle class? The amount spent on it could be used to improve public transport.

M.P. Robin Raj,

Chennai

This refers to the letters suggesting differential pricing of fuel. Different prices for the same substance for the same quantity are unfair. The assumption that only the affluent own high-end vehicles is faulty. Many taxis are used as tourist vehicles. A differential pricing system will affect the livelihood of those who have taken loans to buy taxis. The need to conserve energy and explore renewable energy sources cannot be overemphasised.

Riyaz Iqbal,

Changanacherry

The government should introduce a five-day week in all sectors. The private sector should encourage employees to work from home. High-speed internet and laptops have made working from home possible.

In the U.S., many companies have started encouraging their employees to work from home on Fridays. A collective effort can save a lot of energy.

V.S. Sridhar,

Hyderabad

Encourage people to own/hire horse-drawn carts (tongas, jutkas, etc). This way, a sizeable number of middle-class commuters will have a cheaper, non-polluting vehicle. Bicycles can be made the common means of transport within the city.

For the long term, encourage car manufacturers to make cars which run on electricity and hydrogen. Just as workshops in India advertise retrofitment of LPG conversion kits for cars, the workshops in the U.S. advertise water kits for cars.

S. Sunder,

Coimbatore

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