Drinks, drugs and devilry
Tourism stakeholders are anxious about the nuisance created on our beaches by hordes of loutish tourists who throng the area on long festive weekends, buy alcohol by the kiloliter and binge drink on the shore and in the sea. Post drinking they throw the containers in the water or worse still break the empty bottles in the sand which endangers their own safety as well as the safety of other beach users.
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Many cases have been recorded where inebriated tourists venture out into the sea and are drowned by the rip tide or pulled away by underwater currents. Laws prohibiting drinking in the open are openly flouted, there is not much that the police can do when rowdy elements descend in the thousands at popular beaches in the State. Preventing such people from drinking is virtually impossible, why not have designated areas on the beach with garbage bins where they can sit and drink and bin the empty bottles later? Most of these boors from border States pile on in an SUV and troop to Goa for the sole purpose of alcohol consumption, doing drugs and unruly revelry. Police at the border checkposts should be trained to spot such hell raisers and allow entry to only those who have booked accommodation beforehand.
Stringent pecuniary penalties for nuisance and endangering public safety much on the lines of the new MV Act just introduced would help to some extent in keeping such drugs and dare devils at bay. Due to these hooligans, it becomes very difficult for decent tourists to enjoy the beach or visit shacks, thereby impacting the local economy.
It is high time the government took cognisance of this serious issue and implement suitable deterrent legislation.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Congress party must get its act together
After the Goa Assembly polls, whilst we were waiting for that counting day, the Congress Party was publicly bragging that it would elect its Chief Ministerial candidate within minutes of declaration of results and stake claim to form a government. But since March 10 after ending up with only 11 MLAs, the party was struggling for three long weeks to decide who the Leader of the Opposition would be. A real travesty, isn’t it?
It was expected that due to his seniority, experience and political maturity, Digambar Kamat would have been the instant, obvious and unanimous choice. But the expected in-fighting erupted due to which it left the choice to the High Command with Digambar Kamat now being waylaid and losing the race. Did the Congress leaders sitting in Delhi take a right decision or will it be a repeat of Navjot Singh Sidhu in Goa, only time will tell?
Goa Chief Minister having been imposed by Delhi and Leader of Opposition also been decided the same way, does this not expose the low intelligence quotient of Goans and our political pettiness?
It is high time the Congress gets its house in order and conducts itself as a mass movement for public good. The party has to work in a disciplined way and unitedly with a sense of selfless commitment to the people in combating the suffering the common man is enduring under the BJP misrule which has been also destroying the secular and democratic fabric of our great nation.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Dedicated mamlatdar for revenue cases
Ponda MLA Ravi Naik has been sworn in as a Minister in the State Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant. As I mail this letter, the portfolio allocation has not yet taken place. One consistent demand by Naik when he was in the Opposition, was that there ought to be a dedicated Mamlatdar who will dispose Tenancy and Mundkar cases.
I concur with his demand and the requirement is especially a necessity in Bardez, Salcete and Ponda Talukas. It is seen that Mamlatdars/Jt Mamlatdars are engaged in multifarious duties like law and order, recording statements, updating of electoral roll, various types of elections etc, thereby leading to frequent adjournments in revenue court cases.
With Ravi Naik becoming a Minister now, I hope his demand will become a reality. This will be of great benefit to thousands of niz Goemkar bhoomiputras.
Sadanand M Raikar, Colva
Imran Khan’s innings in political test
Great cricketer once upon time and an all-rounder of Pakistan cricket is today facing test which is outside the cricket pitch. He is facing no confidence motion on April 3, 22 in his political career. Retired from cricket field in 1992 joined politics later by floating his own party PTI-Pakistan and was in opposition during Nawab Sharif’s regime.
Today after being the prime minister of Pakistan he has lost confidence from his political group and is facing Test floor on April 3, 22 after serving the country for one year. He calls this day as defining moment for Pakistan. Addressing the Pakistan people on March 31, 22 he felt Pakistan is always humiliated in spite of sacrifice by them for America. The country was always supported by America is in turbulence today and also blamed India for the political situation in the country taking Kashmir issue.
He tried best to befriend India but failed to do so. He also feels it’s a foreign conspiracy against PM of Pakistan to oust him from the position today.
He also blames US for political situation in the country. He now waits for the country to see who will be in the government who have many corruption cases for last many years .Now it’s time for him to face the last ball on 3rd and see if he is bowled out or remains unbeaten.
Raju Ramamurthy,
Vasco da Gama
April 2, Autism awareness day
The rights of challenged persons has been tackled on a war-footing by the body. Its convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities has specially looked into many crippling human disabilities and deformities so that these brothers and sisters can integrate themselves into the mainstream society and pro-actively participate in the active deliberations akin to the more fortunate ones.
In addition to technology, education and employment play major parts in securing the people with physical and mental disabilities. Developmental disorder that it is, a person with autism tends to withdraw into a shell due to impaired ability to communicate with the surroundings.
Also termed Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), speech and non-verbal interaction is seriously hampered in autism compelling the affected to go through a repetitive behaviour.
Diagnosable as early as one year, proper scientific intervention can mitigate the developmental problems to a large extent for the same reason. The wide spectrum of autism also means an individual can live with the two extremes seriously challenged or perfectly normal. The puzzling ways of autism that often goes undetected till later life have made the disorder a professional challenge.
What and when are two crucial words in medicine which no parent can afford to ignore. The evaluation of a child, suspected to have ASD, through a diagnostic schedule is essential.
“Autism”, is “autos” from Greek and the “self-isolation” requires a comprehensive and empathetic observance and evaluation. Known to run in the family, the unknown cause of autism makes it interesting to professionals who have relied mainly on behavioural therapy and language therapy to corner the disorder denoting a marked shift from the past.
Correcting accompanying deficiencies and psychological disorders go hand-in-hand. The aim of professionals is to improve the child’s quality of life through his/her transition into adulthood.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
