Shady deals
Sir — Criminal syndicates often use legitimate businesses like restaurants as fronts to conduct shady deals. Gangs in Sweden are now doing something similar. But they are using medical clinics to hide their dealings. Sweden’s Economic Crime Authority has warned that gangs are running healthcare clinics and vaccination centres to benefit from welfare fraud and that profits from this
operation amount to almost six billion kronor. These criminals ought to be
prosecuted for their deceitful ways along with companies that charge exorbitant prices for substandard drugs.
Mrinmoy Chaudhury, Calcutta
Power of protest
Sir — The manner in which the national general-secretary of the Trinamul Congress, Abhishek Banerjee, and his delegation were treated by the security forces outside the offices of the Union minister of state for rural development, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, is reprehensible (“Trinamul leaders ‘manhandled’ by cops in Delhi”, Oct 4). West Bengal has not received funds for many months for schemes run by the Union government, like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Banerjee had thus gone to Delhi with labourers from Bengal to protest against the Centre. This incident will further strain the Centre-state relation and lead to a fractured polity.
Jayanta Datta, Hooghly
Sir — It is unfortunate that TMC leaders were evicted from Krishi Bhavan in Delhi without meeting Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti despite having a prior appointment. Jyoti had met the Bharatiya Janata Party member of the legislative assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, earlier in the day but refused to grant time to the TMC delegation. Such incidents undermine the trust that should exist between the Central and the state governments.
Maimul Safui, Howrah
Sir — In spite of several obstacles, the TMC was able to hold demonstrations in the national capital and highlight the plight of the masses. If discrepancies are found in the distribution of funds, the Centre should take strict action against those who have defrauded the public. Withholding hard-earned money from needy workers is unacceptable.
Hiralal De, Hooghly
Sir — The ruling party at the Centre is oblivious to the fact that the greater the delay in releasing legitimate dues of the Bengal government under various Central schemes, the less its chances of winning elections in the state will become. It is astounding that most BJP-ruled states never face any struggles or delays in receiving funds from the Centre, while states ruled by Opposition parties frequently suffer from such step-motherly treatment.
Arun Gupta, Calcutta
Sir — It seems that Abhishek Banerjee was trying to fool gullible labourers who participated in his party’s agitation against the Centre recently (“Plan to clear job dues of Delhi agitators”, Oct 4). Banerjee’s suggestion that the state government would try to clear the pending wages for 2,500 MGNREGS card holders using the salaries of elected representatives is an unrealistic commitment.
Ananda Dulal Ghosh, Howrah
Fatal neglect
Sir — It was heartbreaking to read about the 31 deaths reported at a government hospital in Nanded in a span of 48 hours. Twenty-four of these deaths occurred in one day. Months ago, 18 deaths were reported in a municipality hospital in Thane within 24 hours. The hospital authorities have revealed how they coped with the shortage of medicines. These deaths have exposed the government’s negligence.
Gregory Fernandes, Mumbai
