Letters to The EDITOR: Online trading menace

Online trading menace

In the article ‘Online trading: Awareness and security’ published in your esteemed daily on 13 September, the writer, rightly said that the arrest of several notorious scammers involved in the online trading scandal in different parts of the state in the recent past, has not only exposed the modus operandi of the fraudsters but also raised a question how come there is a mushrooming growth of financial companies that are out to defraud people of their hard-earned money even when a sharp-toothed Act is in operation in the state? What is most regrettable is that our thick-skinned authorities come to their senses only when a large number of depositors had already lost crores of their hard-earned money. 

The writer has said that people, particularly the youths of the state, must have a proper understanding of online trading while ensuring that the chosen broker is legally recognized, regulated and registered with a no objection certificate (NOC) to be issued by a DC after he is satisfied with the documents furnished by a financial establishment. While legitimate online trading is widely acceptable, illegal online trading is linked to fraudulent and scandalous activities. Therefore we need widespread social awareness to prevent people from falling prey to illegal online trading schemes. 

Student organizations like AASU can play a pivotal role in bringing down illegal online trading. The common people need to be on the guard against such scammers. They need to abide by some basic guidelines that can go a long way in checking such crimes. Our law-enforcing machinery should not expose their sheer insensitivity as the issue has its roots in social-economic factors.

The Special Task Force (STF) of the police has detained many more scammers for questioning. One expects that the police will round up the operation swiftly and carry the case to its logical conclusion. At the same time, those investors who had invested huge sums, but were reluctant to approach the police because of their black money being invested needed to be brought under the radar of the scam investigating agency. By staying vigilant and making others vigilant, we can root out the menace lock, stock and barrel from society.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati 

Need for Qualified Leadership in Assam’s Agriculture Department

I would like to draw attention to the concerning trend in the Assam Agriculture Department, where key positions are now held by officers without recognized qualifications in agricultural science. Posts such as Commissioner-Secretary, Agricultural Production Commissioner, Director of Agriculture, and other pivotal roles like the Secretary and Director of Horticulture, Joint Secretary are filled by non-technical officers. This shift undermines the department’s ability to address the complex challenges faced by the agriculture sector. It is crucial that qualified, technically proficient individuals lead such vital departments to ensure informed decision-making and effective implementation of agricultural policies.

Mowsam Hazarika,

Bharalumukh 

Railway modernisation

Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnav was at pains the other day while talking about steps taken by the Modi government towards modernisation of the Railways. There is no doubt that the Indian Railways has taken rapid strides towards cleanliness and punctuality.  But transparency still appears to be a far cry for the public sector giant. Holes in providing safety and security to passengers are so visible with a slew of train accidents, some major, happening over the last couple of years. By the look of things, funds crunch does not seem to have crippled the Railways. So, Vaishnav has to dig deep and put the Railways back on track. Not many trains are covered by the anti-collision, Automatic Train Protection System(ATP), or Kavach, so this is an area of acute concern. Track renewal and upgradation should not wait.   

Every express train should possess anti-climbing Linke Hofmann Busch(LHB) coaches which can prevent the piling up of bogies during accidents thus minimizing casualties apart from being comfortable to passengers due to their lightness. Heightened suspension,  efficient cooling and better soundproofing are LHB coaches’ specialities. Above all, the minister should urgently take stock of the situation arising out of the malicious agenda of anti-national elements who are hell-bent on rail sabotage by hatching conspiracies.  

Dr Ganapathi Bhat,

(gbhat13@gmail.com)