Lucrative option
Sir — Incentives are a ubiquitous part of modern professional culture. It is popularly believed that they encourage employees to work harder. Strangely, the Chinese government has instituted a similar incentive to coax its citizens to procreate (“China brides offered £108 to get married”, Aug 31). There is now a 1000-yuan reward if couples below the age of 25 get married. Whether such a stimulus will arrest China’s drastically declining birth rate remains to be seen, but the cash inducement seems urgent if one considers that China had 8 lakh fewer marriages last year than in 2021 — the lowest since 1986.
Sheuli Bhowmick, Siliguri
Poll promises
Sir — The decision made by the prime minister, Narendra Modi, to slash the price of a liquefied petroleum gas cylinder by Rs 200 betrays his hunger for power (“Modi swallows revdi, blinks on gas price”, Aug 30). But the self-styled ‘servant of the people’ is late to the freebie party — the Rajasthan government already offers cylinders for just Rs 500. It is obvious that the Bharatiya Janata Party has announced this in order to gain momentum in the upcoming elections in numerous states. Let us hope that the voters are able to see through these pre-poll gimmicks.
P.K. Sharma, Barnala, Punjab
Sir — Narendra Modi has taken too much time to alleviate the sufferings of his ‘sisters’ (“Gender cliche cover after voter ire on gas”, Aug 31). His comments about the LPG price cut being a gift to women for Raksha Bandhan and Onam are not only ridiculous but also misogynistic. It is not surprising that when elections knock on the door, freebies aplenty are released from the Centre’s gift basket.
Arun Gupta, Calcutta
Sir — The steepest cut in the price of domestic LPG cylinders in recent years
lays bare the Centre’s intent of appeasing crores of women voters ahead of crucial state and general elections. If this was sincerely a festive ‘gift’, as many Union ministers have claimed, why did the prime minister not offer it last year on Raksha Bandhan when so many women were still reeling from the effects of the pandemic? Narendra Modi’s persistent disapproval of the freebie culture has been exposed as hypocritical.
Kamal Laddha, Bengaluru
Sir — The reduction in the price of LPG cylinders is not an economically prudent move. The cost will be borne entirely by the Centre using taxpayers’ money. Most of the oil marketing companies are set to accrue record profits this year and could have afforded to take the hit.
Subhash Das, Calcutta
Sir — It is undeniable that the reduction in the price of domestic LPG cylinders will come as a big relief. Although there is some merit to the argument that the Centre has announced this cut only to woo the electorate, the slash will help those who struggle to make ends meet.
Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai
Sir — The prime minister has expressed his reservations with freebies in the
past but it seems that he has no qualms about awarding such freebies when
elections are around the corner. The Opposition has rightly termed it as a
poll gimmick. Perhaps the BJP’s rout in Karnataka and the success of the Opposition alliance has forced Modi’s hand.
Khokan Das, Calcutta
Sir — For the poor households covered by the Ujjwala scheme, the 200-rupee cut in the price of domestic LPG cylinders will be in addition to the existing subsidy of
Rs 200. Apart from the price reduction, the Centre has also decided to provide 75 lakh more connections under the Ujjwala scheme. These decisions are not just about politics.
C.K.J. Subramaniam, Mumbai
