Today, I prayed for my Goa and my beloved Goans. There is fear and anxiety in the minds of the people ever since the fair price shops in Goa began distributing maggot infested rice to the consumers. Though these incidents were first highlighted by O Heraldo in May 2023, nothing much seems to have been done to closely monitor the distribution of quality rice. This only goes to prove how much the Government is concerned about the weaker sections of the society who are dependent on the public distribution system. The much hyped ‘praxaxon tumchea dari’ hardly makes any sense when in reality the administration is in slumber and its maggot infested rice finds its way ‘tumchea ghari’. Is this the administration they are talking about? The matter is of public health and safety. Thousands of people are dependent and survive on the rice distributed by the fair price shops. They can’t afford to buy rice from the open market, due to the spiralling prices of common food items. There is a constant fear and anxiety in the minds of the people who have a hand-to-mouth existence.
Government seems to be least bothered to check the quality of rice that is distributed through the Civil Supplies department. When accountability takes a back seat, one cannot expect miracles from an insensitive administration. This is a case of inefficiency and irresponsibility on the part of the officers of the Civil Supplies department. Perhaps the minister for Civil Supplies department is not in control of his department and is treating all the incidents as a joke.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Today, I prayed for my Goa and my beloved Goans. I was a little selfish though and I prayed more for the people of South Goa. There is fear and anxiety in the minds of the people of the entire South Goa ever since rumours started floating around that the Goa International Airport at Dabolim will gradually shut operations and South Goa people will have to travel all the way to Manohar International Airport (MIA)at Mopa to fly out of Goa. The fear and anxiety in the minds of people increased when all the international airlines under Civil Aviation directives moved their operations to Mopa. The very idea of driving 58 kms by road from Vasco to MIA to catch a flight out of Goa is frightening. The sheer joy and euphoria of having the International airport in my backyard and yet not able to fly to international destinations has deflated my happiness. Fear and anxiety has gripped my mind.
The tale of two airports is a sure cause for fear and anxiety. The Government does not pay heed to the appeals of the people. The South Western Railway double tracking work cutting through private properties of Goans in south Goa villages is a case in point. The villagers of Cansaulim, Velsao, and other neighbouring villages are pleading, but there’s no one to hear their pleas. Fear and anxiety in the minds of the people is on the rise. But, a little bird tells me that the only hope for retaining the Dabolim International Airport and also flights to international destinations is the all-powerful private taxi lobby operating at the airport. They wield more power than all the fragmented opposition MLAs put together on the floor of the Goa Assembly. The Government will never let this lobby down. Both share a strange chemistry between them. The south Goa people will not only need the taxis to have a drop from the airport to home, but, will need them for the very survival of the airport and all its domestic and international flights.
Today, I prayed for my Goa and my beloved Goans. I also prayed for the innocent and defenceless national animal, the (Goan) Tiger. Our state is so privileged by their majestic presence in our sanctuaries. Forget those who deny their existence. Now it is amply clear the tiger is not a mere visitor or tourist to our state. The report of the National Tiger Conservation Authority has put things in the right perspective. The existence of five tigers in Goa is not a figment of imagination. There is evidence to back their claim. Project Tiger is a national project. Goa can support this national project and fulfil our Prime Minister’s vision by having a dedicated ‘Tiger Reserve’.
There is fear and anxiety in the minds of the people of Goa who love their land, love their forests, love the flora and fauna, love their rich bio-diversity, ecology, and love the presence of the majestic national animal amidst our thick forests and sanctuaries. By not respecting and implementing the decisive verdict of the Honorable High Court to declare the Mhadei Wild life sanctuary as the Tiger Reserve within three months some powerful people may clandestinely help Karnataka to divert the Mhadei river and deprive Goans of their daily bucket of water in the future and turn our fields into parched lands. Our future generations will never ever forgive us. We need to envision the future of our generations yet unborn. We just can’t live for the present and destroy the future.
Today, I prayed for my Goa and fervently to those people who deny the very existence of tigers in our Goan forests. Some were not so privileged to see any tigers with their own eyes in the wilds of Sattari. There is fear and anxiety in the minds of the people because some politicians in Goa still do not believe in the scientific methods used by the National Tiger Conservation Authority to establish the presence of five tigers in Goa. They need our prayers. Let’s join our hands in prayer.
(The writer is a Vasco-based Konkani author, freelance writer and TV anchor)
