RailEnquiry

The fire in the Tamil Nadu Express killed dozens (Don’t let politics wreck rail safety, Aug. 1). How is it that there is no fire alarm in rail coaches to alert the loco crew? I think it is the carelessness of the maintenance staff and the total lack of commitment in the railways at all levels that cause accidents regularly. The Divisional Railway Manager and his staff must be held responsible for accidents.
Lakshmi Ramnath Secunderabad

RTI & NGOs
Mohammed Abdul Aleem's suggestion (RTI activists, July 31) that RTI activists should proceed via NGOs is not always helpful. Under the 'Whistle Blower Policy' the information furnished to the CVCs of government organisations is supposed to be kept secret, but that is not being done now. Whistle blower policy is often misused by some CVOs to access information which they use for their own ends. It is these CVOs who disclose the names of RTI activists and endanger them. NGOs should give financial support to RTI activists if convinced about their bonafides.
M.J.S. Murthy
Hyderabad

MFs and seniors
I cannot agree with your editorial that the mutual fund industry will take off in India if retirement funds come into it. (Protect mutual fund investors, July 24). In India, retirement money is meant for old age emergencies. MFs are not useful for that, especially the tax-saving ones, as they are not easy to encash. I have been trying to redeem six tax saving MFs of my husband after his death since the last nine months. They have a lock-in period of three years with an early payout option. But some AMCs do not allow that. Another fact is that the agent who sold the MFs, expect a cut on redemption. So exempt the old from MFs.