Letters to The Editor — December 23, 2024

Thriving on opaqueness

Ironically, the central government’s amendment of the Conduct of Election Rules, to restrict public access to polling footage, comes at a time when the need of the hour is more, not less, transparency.

As a matter of fact, the word ‘information’ in the RTI Act includes not just papers and documents but also any information stored even in a computer and an electronic device. Therefore, the move to restrict access to the same confirms the fact that both the government and the Election Commission of India thrive on opaqueness (Page 1, “Govt. amends rule to restrict access to polling footage”, December 22).

In an age when public faith in institutions is on the decline, the move appears to be calculated to circumvent the judiciary’s order on a petitioner’s plea for poll video footage.

Regardless of the final outcome, the fact remains that the Government and the EC are in cahoots when it comes to the question of providing information to the general public under the RTI Act, even though it is a fundamental right — a trend which borders on the ominous.

M. Jameel Ahmed,

Mysuru

Insurance and GST

It is surprising that a review of GST levies on life and health insurance has been deferred (December 22). In fact, there is no major hurdle in giving relief to citizens on these insurance policies. Life and health insurance policies are essential to all citizens, and still, a lot of the population has to be covered. As almost all insurance companies have increased the premium for health policies as well as co-payment by the policy holder, additional GST is a burden on policy holders.

J.P. Reddy,

Nalgonda, Telangana

Even a fleeting understanding of the need to have health and life insurance underscores the need to have insurance for a substantial amount for which proportionately high premiums are paid. Hospitalisation is getting more expensive by the day, which makes insurance imperative and desirable. If the government’s objective is to keep its coffers healthy, it is a sad commentary on its functioning.

V. Lakshmanan,

Tirupur, Tamil Nadu