| 08 August 2004 | Sunday | 21 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425 |
Stagnant housing sector
Help for disabled people
The defence secretaries of Pakistan and India who met in New Delhi to discuss the Siachen glacier did not manage to break the deadlock on the dispute that has bedevilled their relations for the last two decades. But the positive development is that the two sides have agreed to meet again in Islamabad. At the next meeting the experts will continue their discussions on the modalities of disengagement and redeployment of Indian and Pakistani troops in what has come to be known as the highest battlefield in the world. It would be recalled that an agreement of this nature was reached in May 1989 but could not be implemented because India backtracked on it.
An agreement on relocating the troops in Siachen would not offer a permanent solution to the dispute which can only be settled in the wider framework of the Kashmir issue. But a move to disengage troops of the two sides from their eye-ball to eye-ball position would certainly be immensely helpful. The ceasefire that has been holding since November 2003 and is now being strengthened has brought a truce to the area which has facilitated a measure of goodwill and trust between the two countries.
This in itself is a significant move as a confidence-building measure that will set the stage for wider negotiations on the future status of Kashmir. Besides, agreements such as these are important because they avert unnecessary loss of life. In Siachen, disengagement is also essential for another reason. In this battleground at the rooftop of the world frostbite and chill have taken more lives than claimed by exchange of fire.
Moreover, deploying their soldiers on the glacier and keeping them there in the inclement weather conditions of the lofty Siachen heights is proving frightfully expensive for both sides. Each person's uniform, specially designed for the shivering climate, costs over Rs60,000 while India and Pakistan were at one time spending Rs20 million a day on their military operations in Siachen which has emerged more as a prestige issue than anything else.
Given the logic that works in favour of disengagement, one wonders why India and Pakistan have not been able to adopt the sensible approach. The fact of the matter is that so far decades-old mutual mistrust and suspicion have determined the policies of Islamabad and New Delhi towards each other. In the case of Siachen, India, which has managed to seize some strategic points that give it a military advantage, fears that if it pulls out of these, Pakistan would re-take them. But a beginning has to be made somewhere.
In the present circumstances when goodwill and a positive approach to the composite dialogue characterizes relations between the two sides, Siachen should provide a good opportunity to India and Pakistan to test each other's intentions. Given the glacier's location and the fact that it is more an issue of prestige than strategy, it is time Islamabad and New Delhi showed a spirit of accommodation on the question of disengagement.
This will ultimately pave the way for a solution of the Kashmir dispute which, after all, will call for a lot of understanding and compromise when the time comes for a final settlement of the issue.
Stagnant housing sector
The stagnation witnessed in the housing sector despite the various incentives promised by the government in this year's budget means that the twin objectives of creating employment and providing shelter remain unfulfilled. Housing and construction are both labour-intensive industries that have the potential of easing the problem of unemployment in the short term. However, for this sector to take off, the government needs to address the issues that have been raised by various stakeholders.
These include checking the practice of land grabbing and introducing uniform building laws. Another problem that has been pointed out by the developers is the long delays faced by them in going ahead with their projects and the numerous NOCs that need to be obtained before one can transfer ownership. The demand for a one-window operation for these services is quite reasonable. Also, the government needs to reduce transfer fees as this will act as an incentive for the construction industry.
All these incentives, however, will come to nothing if the government does not take notice of the phenomenal rise in the prices of steel and cement in the local market. While the immediate cause is the rise of these products in the international market, the extent of increases is disproportionate and therefore unacceptable. It seems that the cement and steel producers are intent on making a killing while the government looks the other way. Another issue that needs to be looked into is housing finance.
Financial institutions need to adopt a more generous approach to the credit needs of the housing sector for reasons of its creditworthiness as also because of its role in the economy and employment generation. A lot more needs to be done to update and improve the system for keeping land records. In many cases, banks have been reluctant to lend money to customers in certain localities in different cities because of the questionable reliability of the papers and documents produced in connection with the application for a housing project loan.
If these problems are looked into and appropriate solutions found, one hopes, the housing sector will come out of the prevailing stagnant phase and move closer to a take-off point.
Help for disabled people
The federal cabinet has taken two welcome decisions regarding the plight of disabled people in the country. One, that such persons, including those visually impaired, will be eligible to appear in competitive examinations conducted by the Federal Public Service Commission. The other decision is of a more general nature according to which the government has said that a two per cent quota set for disabled persons in government recruitment will be implemented.
According to official statistics, between two and two-and-a-half per cent of the population has physical disabilities which translates into a population of around three million in the country. Given the general attitude of many in society to look down upon those with physical disabilities, and given the many obstacles that such people face in trying to lead a normal life, the cabinet's measures, provided they are followed through, should help assimilate the disabled into the mainstream.
The quota is for government jobs in grades one to fifteen. However, the fact that candidates with physical disabilities will now be able to sit for competitive examinations means that they will be able to compete for jobs in higher grades as well. In addition, it would be good if at least schools, colleges, government buildings and the offices of the agencies involved in public dealing (such as the passport office, the ID card office and so on) were made accessible to disabled persons.
Ramps should be built so that those on wheelchairs are able to move about with ease. Also, since the government is using micro-credit to target low-income groups in its fight against poverty, it should direct banks to allow the same facility to disabled people. It has been often seen that the presence of a physically debilitating condition does not prevent an individual from pursuing an education.
Also such people should be encouraged to seek small loans to start their own business. Besides, a change in public attitude towards the disabled is vital. People with disabilities do not need pity but need help, assistance and incentives just like any other category of citizens.