Even while people in Marathwada and Vidarbha crave for rains and relief, politicians not only hate rains, they are declaring normal rainfall zones as drought-hit. Clearly, financial bounties of drought relief are too high Aritra Bhattacharya Aurangabad (Maharashtra)
The Mayawati regime approved of Rs 556 crore for construction of parks and statues, but allocated only Rs 250 crore for drought relief. Even that money is not reaching as helpless people starve in drought-hit UP Pradeep Kapoor Lucknow
Both home and world prices greeted the news of drought by moving up. Will the government rein in the profiteering market forces and ‘relief bureaucracy’ that loves every drought as a boon? Kamal Nayan Kabra Delhi
Food prices are rising not due to a delayed monsoon. It is because of massive hoarding, black market and speculation. Yet, the government takes refuge behind the excuse: markets driven by sentiments Devinder Sharma Delhi