Good Samaritan

This refers to the news report, 'Mayor begins mobilising Rs.14 lakh to save ailing boy' ( The Hindu , April 17, 2015). It was heartening to read that the Tirunelveli Municipal Corporation Mayor E. Bhuvaneshwari has shouldered the noble task of mobilising Rs.14 lakh to meet the medical expenses of seven-year old M. Kishore Kumar of Palayamkottai who is suffering from Thalassesmia Major. As only a woman can understand the pitiable condition of others and the Mayor being a woman has rightly assured the poor family of necessary help. In this connection, I wish to state that during my four decades of service in various local bodies in the state, I had not come across such a civic chief with a philanthropic bent of mind. She has proved that she is a Good Samaritan and may such her tribes increase! I also appreciate The Hindu , the lone newspaper to have published this news item.

S. Nallasivan,

Tirunelveli

Timely message

Apropos the report, 'Check correct weight..'(

The Hindu , April 20, 2015). The Deputy Controller of Legal Metrology has spoken of the provisions envisaged in and under the Legal Metrology Act for jewellery shops to maintain weighing scales of accuracy with valid certificate. He has also pointed out the need for keeping F2 class weights. The awareness message is welcome, but the official has lost sight of the fact that majority of people going for purchase of jewels on occasions like Aksaya Tritiya are the poor and middle class. They buy jewels weighing from 500 mg onwards to suit their meagre savings. What they see in the jewellery shops is the weight shown on the display panel of the weighing machine and there is no question of mistrust. None of them could venture to question the trader for fear of inviting his wrath.

Keeping F2 class weights near the weighing machine would not in any way lend a helping hand to the poor consumers. Instead, the district administration should encourage consumer organisations to set up centres near the vulnerable area, at least during festival seasons, where consumers could counter check weight of the gold against the bill.

P. Ganesan,

Nagercoil.