‘Zero loss’

I find Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s defence of coal blocks allocation that no loss has been incurred because the coal is still unexploited really amusing. The licences now belong to the allottees, not the government. Does Mr. Chidambaram plan to withdraw the licences awarded under the non-competitive bidding policy, as was done in the 2G case by the Supreme Court, and allocate them through competitive bidding? That is the only way he can convince the nation of his presumptive ‘zero loss’ theory.

T. Satheesh Kumar,

Hyderabad

By coming out with the ‘zero loss’ theory, Mr. Chidambaram has reminded us of a great philosophy propounded by our sages. Nothing given by Mother Earth can be a loss. Thus rainwater draining into the sea is not a waste. It comes back to us as rain. Coal is also a gift of nature. As our learned Finance Minister has pointed out, it all depends on the colour of the glass through which we see things.

S.Y. Ramakrishnan,

Bangalore

Can I pay zero tax on my income, saying the money is still in India and so the government faces no loss of income?

C.P. Anandasubramanian,

Chennai

The BJP should accept the challenge thrown by AICC spokesperson P.C. Chacko to bring a no-confidence motion against the UPA government, instead of disrupting Parliament on the coal blocks allocation issue. That would be a democratic way of dealing with the government. The ugly scenes in Parliament are being seen by not only the people of the largest functioning democracy but also those in the rest of the world. If there is any amendment that the Constitution needs, it should be to ensure that the MPs allow the business in Parliament to be conducted peacefully.

P.L. Thomas,

Ernakulam