Letters to the Editor: Police station vandalized

The news appearing in your daily of May 22, 2022 on the above caption is a very serious matter. A mob including men, women and even children from a particular community attacked and burnt down the Batadraba Police Station, including vehicles parked in the police station. The mob vandalized the police station and even attacked police on duty in the station, causing serious injuries to a number of policemen. The incident occurred due to mysterious death of a youth in police custody. Whatever may be the cause of death of the youth while under police custody, an enquiry would have clarified and if any negligence is found on the part of police suitable action could have been taken against the persons concerned. The mob should not have vandalized, burnt down the police station, vehicles etc.

The authority concerned must take stringent action against the people involved in the incident and exemplary punishment should be meted out to them so that such incident do not occur in future in any part of the State.

Bikash Barpujari,

Beltola, Guwahati.

Waterloggingin Guwahati

Due to rainfall, waterlogging is a continuing problem in the city of Guwahati. This creates indescribable conditions in the city, especially during the monsoons. Anil Nagar and Naveen Nagar are the two regions of Guwahati that have received the name 'flood hotspot of the city'. There are many other major areas as well where this artificial flood has had its affect. The Government alone is not responsible for the problem, because the citizens are equally to be blamed because of their careless behaviour. To solve the problem, the Government as well as the people living in the city and the people who come to Guwahati for various activities, should unite and come forward to contribute to the cause. Frequent cleaning of the drains of the city and constructing new drains in areas with no drainage system is an immediate step to be taken by the Government. Also, blockage of the drains is one of the primary reasons for the waterlogging in the city, as every person who hails from the city and comes to the city throws garbage bags into the drains, causing drain blockages. Efforts should be made to curb the usage of single-use plastic bags as much as possible and proper plastic disposal facilities should be made available in every area of the city. If the municipal corporation is successful in taking all the necessary actions and the general public is enlightened with all the consequences of their actions, then the artificial floods in Guwahati city can be reduced to a great extent.

Sakil Zaman Ahmed,

Cotton University.

Apex court's ruling on GST Council

The Supreme Court's ruling that the GST Council's recommendations are "not binding on the Union and States" is an unusual step in the country's tax infrastructure. The GST Council, chaired by the Union Finance Minister and made up of Finance Ministers from States and Union Territories, was established with the goal of promoting cooperative federalism in the country's tax framework. It was widely assumed that the GST Council's final judgement on calculating tax brackets for various commodities and services would be the guiding principle for the entire country, until the Supreme Court's verdict. The new ruling would shake India's fiscal federalism going forward, as the Council's decisions will only be considered recommendations rather than the ultimate word. The ruling will have far-reaching repercussions in a number of areas where the States disagree with the GST Council's determinations, particularly in the area of compensation. It will almost certainly result in a wave of lawsuits in the future. With this decision, the Supreme Court has effectively opened a large grey area in the country's previously black-and-white tax structure.

Chandan Kumar Nath,

Tezpur University.