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Exorbitant charges by DHA Lahore
Individuals, especially retired senior citizens living in DHA Lahore have been burdened with an exorbitant rise of over 77.16% in Water/Sewerage bill effective from the month of November 2021.
Previously civilian residents of DHA living in a self-owned and self-occupied house constructed on 500 square yards were paying quarterly (every three months) Rs6057 as water/sewerage charges.
This has been increased now to Rs10731/ per quarter for a house built on 500sq-yds, which is to be paid every month in instalments of Rs3577.
As it is inflation in basic food items, medicines etc., have made it difficult for retirees and senior citizens, who having paid taxes all their life, expected the state to give them relief. Instead DHA, a statutory body has bombarded them with an over 77% rise.
Even the property tax levied by Walton Cantonment Board has been increased, which has made an already difficult situation, even worse for civilians living within their jurisdiction.
Is there somebody in Pakistan who can understand that there exists no institutionalized social welfare system in Pakistan? Senior citizens, living in self-owned and self-occupied houses, who worked in the private or public sector, and paid taxes all their life, deserve some relief and compassion, just like those who were gainfully employed in the service of federal/provincial government, or a Cantonment Board.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Employees-friendly transfer policy
The frequent transfer of officers both federal and provincial, including judicial officers, does not enhance and improve their efficiency and effectiveness, but multiply their miseries in this age of insecurity and hyper-inflation.
The ill-fated officers and judges who are family men, suffer the most on all counts, with a special mention of physically, psychologically, financially, when they are transferred to far-flung areas. Their school going children bear the brunt.
The transferred officers become psychologically injured and mentally disturbed. How can they give their best when the family is divided? Over the past few years/decades, this officers-unfriendly transfer policy has led to utter demoralization and poor performance.
Frequent transfers and that also away from the home district neither give better governance nor easy access to justice.
It is proposed that the persons in authority should not and must not consider transfer in today’s stressful society just as a routine matter, but they must take into account all aspects related to it, with a special focus on welfare of the family and children of the officers when their parents are transferred to the remote stations.
With regard to judicial officers when the law of the land is the same so how would it improve the service delivery of the officer when he or she is transferred to the remotest area? The authorities must take into account the miseries of transfers. They must realize that shifting of a house or family is not a child’s play but a tedious task.
The authorities must use their power to ease their subordinates to deliver the desired results and for this purpose officer–friendly transfer policy with appropriate norms and practices may be determined and practiced, if necessary.
HASHIM ABRO
Islamabad
BJP next elections
Indian Premier Modi met the Head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis at the Vatican City in Rome on October 30, 2021 and even invited him to India after the pandemic comes to an end.
Shri Narendra Modi’s meeting with the Holy See Pope Francis, is only an election gimmick to lure Christians so that they may vote for the BJP in the next election.
On one hand, Modi meets the Pope and even invites him to India, while on the other hand, a large number of Christians are being attacked in the country and their places of worship desecrated.
In his meeting with the Indian PM, Pope Francis gave a hidden message to him from the book of Isaiah Chapter 32, verses 1 to 8 as a brass gift to make him understand his job as the ruler of the country.
It said, “See a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice. Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.
Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear.
No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected. For the fool speaks folly, his mind is busy with evil: He practises ungodliness and spreads error concerning the Lord; the hungry he leaves empty and from the thirsty he withholds water.
The scoundrel’s methods are wicked, he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.
But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands”. I’m sure the PM must have not understood even a little bit of what the Pope said, or else why would he harass Christians who are peace-loving and kind.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
