Silent demonetization: Letters to THE EDITOR

Silent demonetization

Not printing the Rs. 2,000 note for one year by the RBI and withdrawing it from banks and ATMs is another silent demonetization. However, the common man is not affected by the absence of the big note, because it is not useful for routine transactions. Currency in denominations of Rs.10, Rs. 50, Rs.100, and Rs. 500 are the ones in use. In addition to these, for the convenience of people, the RBI must release new Rs. 25 and Rs. 250 notes, after withdrawing the Rs. 20 and Rs. 200 notes.

Chandan Kumar Nath,

Sorbhog, Barpeta.

Reopening of schools

Since the Government of Assam is looking to reopen educational institutions from September 1, it has already started mandatory COVID-19 testing of all teachers and employees of all educational institutions in the State. However, students will have to wait for the centre's go-ahead for going back to the traditional classroom.

The government's silence about if students' testing is also mandatory fills one with serious misgivings. If its response is negative, the purpose won't be served just fine.

On the other hand, the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) don't recommend universal testing of students and staff. It is felt that at this time, testing all the students prior to the reopening of schools is not feasible in most settings. Even in places where this is possible, it hardly ascertains that such testing would reduce the likelihood of spread within schools. It is important to recognize that virologic testing only shows whether a person is infected at that specific moment in time. Also, one can't deny the possibility that the nasal swab virology test result may be negative during the early incubation period of the infection. As such, though a negative result is reassuring, it doesn't mean that the student or the school staff member is not going to subsequently develop COVID-19. It may be stated in another way- a student tested for negative on the first day of school may not remain so throughout the school year. So, given these misgivings, the governments must consider and reconsider seriously before coming to a conclusion of making the educational institutions fully- functional.

Dipen Gogoi,

Teok, Jorhat.

A request to GDD Minister

We on behalf of the residents of Lakhi Mandir Path, Lane No.3, near Axle Care Hospital- Pachim Boragaon, like to draw the kind attention of Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya on the following. GMC engaged an agency to collect household waste/garbage from door to door in our area for disposal, which has helped us to keep our area clean and tidy. Before lockdown (due to COVID-19), the agency used to collect waste in their mini-van, after every 3/4 days. However, in last one month, we have found them erratic in providing their services effectively in our areas. Now, they use to visit our areas hardly once in a fortnight, but don't collect garbage from all the residents. As soon as their mini-van gets filled-up, they leave the place and don't return to collect waste from the remaining houses. This has put us in great inconvenience. We have no mobile number of the agency to contact them. Therefore, you are requested kindly to look into the problem and issue necessary instructions to the persons of GMC concerned so as to normalize the garbage collection and disposal system in our area immediately.

Pankaj Barua, Tridip Deka and

Manuj Saikia,

Guwahati.