India?s forex reserves increased to $275.6 billion in December 2007. It may touch the $300-billion mark soon. A lot of ideas on how best to utilise the astronomical amount have been mooted by experts, but nothing has fructified so far. Tamil poet Avvaiyar has written about the futility of storing a large amount of money without using it. Bartruhari, the Sanskrit man of wisdom, has said that money should be used for one?s own enjoyment (meaningfully, of course) or be given to someone needy?otherwise it is wasted. Will the finance minister heed the words of wisdom from the south and north, and act accordingly?
?VS Venkatavaradan, Salem
That ballot trick
It seems technical jugglery to supress the rate of rupee appreciation (?Finmin?s currency basket trick?, Jan 8) is not the only trick up the ministry?s sleeve. The inflation rate is low but consumer prices are rising; employment plan is deficient but growth projections are strong. As pointed out by YK Alagh, these are ?mathematically correct, logically false? (?Don’t lose sight of employment?, Jan 8). It?s worth remembering that the discerning public has the mightiest trick at its disposal: vote.
?Jacob Sahayam, Thiruvananthapuram
No work, no pay
Our parliamentarians should be made accountable if they fail to do work (?Rs.20 crore lost…?, Jan 7). It is time to apply the principle of ?no work, no pay? to them as well.
?DN Prakash, Mangalore
