Cow, North-East
Sir: Whenever voices are raised to protect the cow progeny, many groups are seen to be up in arms to oppose the move, citing individual’s freedom to eat what he or she wants in a free and secular democracy like India. Large sections of the people of the North-Eastern States take refuge under the special legal provisions governing the region, and assert their right to eat beef. As a matter of fact, large numbers of tribal people from the North-East have been converted to Christianity over the past many decades, and the Centre kept a blind eye on such activities my missionaries. The local populations, like Hindus in Assam, have also had to contend with large-scale Muslim infiltrations from Bangladesh. It must be noted that at a time when even a state like Jammu and Kashmir has been campaigning for cow protection, non-Hindus in the North-East are hell bent on continuing with the practice of cow slaughter. Stringent laws must be brought into force to ensure cow protection everywhere in the country including the North-East. The North-East cannot be allowed to be an exception in this matter. It is high time the Union Government takes up the matter in a more serious way.
Dr (Major) Umacharan Panigrahi, Station Road, RAYAGADA
Centre, state
Sir: With the 14th Finance Commission recommending a raise in the Central grants to states from 32 per cent to 42 per cent, the plan expenditure of the states is set to increase manifold. But, the ground situation is quite dismal in Orissa. The dismal performance of various departments has added to the woes of the state. While the state government prepared a mega annual plan outlay of Rs.42,304crore during the last fiscal, the total plan expenditure stands at 68.99 per cent — ie, about Rs.29,186crore. In the last budget, the government made an outlay of Rs.38,810crore for the government sector. Since the government initiated various new plans like the Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana, the Biju Express Way project etc during the last fiscal, it was expected that the main expenditure departments like RD, PR, Agriculture, Fisheries etc will come up with new plans for swift utilization of funds for the developmental works. The performance of major departments like H&UD, PR, Energy and Rural Development was below expectations during 2014-15. This trend of poor spending needs to be changed in positive ways. For this, action plans of several departments need be modified. The state must know that blaming the Centre for non-sanction of funds will no more be an acceptable excuse for a lack of state’s growth and development.
Ratikanta Mahapatra, OFS, Courtpeta Square, BERHAMPUR