  I reexamine the Nayak's criticism [Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 178 (2000); 86, 943
(2001).] on the U(1) gauge theory approach to the strongly correlated systems.
Contrary to his conclusion, the arbitrariness of the charge assignment observed
by him does not contradict the possibility of a deconfinement. Should the
deconfinement occur, the deconfined slave particle carries an effective
fractional charge, which is independent of the arbitrary assignment but is
rather determined dynamically.
