Police must bring back the killer
This has reference to the report ‘Man killed by another following argument over jumping the queue’ (Herald, September 29, 2021).
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This is indeed a very sad case of an innocent life being lost due to the mindless action of another man. Standing in queues is always a painful experience and can be taxing for the brains. But this case of a man pushing aside another customer in the queue speaks of high handedness and arrogance. Not satisfied with the ruckus he created at the supermarket, the man even goes out and assaults the other customer, resulting in his death. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the man who was arrested and released on bail, is absconding and seems to have fled the State.
On the one hand, we have the insensitivity of man, on the other, we see the helplessness of the police force. The culprit’s act was certainly not pardonable and the police must do everything in their power to bring him back and ensure that justice is done to the bereaved family.
Melville X D’Souza, Mumbai
Use scientists to clean up the city
I have read with great interest the Constitution of a Committee, under the Chairmanship of the Managing Director of Imagine Panjim Smart City Development department. Ever since late Manohar Parrikar discontinued the UPA-II Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Rejuvenation Mission once he assumed power in 2021, over the last decade, the successive BJP governments have done nothing to make Panjim into a smart city. Except for the mounting of garbage, Panjim has to redeem itself as a heritage city.
We read now as elections draw closer, that the government and CCP want to undertake a project ‘PULL’under Project Urban Living Laboratory, with Babus and Architects in charge of this project? There isn’t qualified engineers dealing with wastewater management since the creek is full of sewage released by hutmen living on the banks of the creek and releasing sewage as they have no septic tanks. The MLAs of Panjim, Taleigao and the CCP officials should have seriously embarked on the cleanup of the Creek using the services of Scientists not babus and irrelevant Govt officials.
Today St Inez creek is a cess pool of sewage, garbage and terrestrial runoffs. I have as the Consultant for Goa State Pollution Control Board offered suggestions under JNNURM. Sadly, the Creek waters are further polluted and biodiversity destroyed with each passing day. Will the voters of Panjim and Taleigao be further deceived and humiliated is a million dollar question, if news reports are to be believed.
Joe D’Souza, Panjim
Political scenario is in state of flux
Political leaders being naive is a trait that has no place in modern Indian politics. It is essential to be as cunning as a fox and as aggressive as a wolf. Congress had a good thing going in Goa and after the debacle of how they squandered their opportunity after having won 17 of the 40 seats in the 2017 assembly polls in the State, and did not form the government, even die-hard Congress supporters will blame the one who was responsible for not forming the government.
The resignation of Congress stalwart for four decades Luizinho Faleiro is a stunning blow for the morale of the Congress in Goa. Luizinho had a stellar role in the fortunes of Congress and should not have been sidelined and humiliated. For Congress in India, Luizinho too played a significant role in North-East India. With the exit of a senior Congress leader in the State, the Congress is not expected to perform remotely as well as in 2017. The State’s political scenario is still in a state of flux and whatever happens in the run-up to the assembly polls in February 2022 will play a crucial role.
Though still early to predict, if the as many as ten opposition political parties like the Congress, Aam Aadmi, TMC, MDF, GFP, NCP, MGP, Shiv Sena, Revolutionary Goans, and Goencho Avaaz go their separate ways, splitting of secular votes will enable BJP to squeak through with slender margin despite the anti-incumbency factor. This is my pragmatic assessment and I don’t belong to any party affiliation.
Stephen Dias, Dona Paula
Covid-19 deaths, quite disturbing
Goa reported five Covid-19 fatalities on Tuesday, the highest since September 5, taking the toll of deaths to 3,309. The number of deaths reported due to the virus is quite disturbing. Though on some days there are nil deaths, on other days the number fluctuates from 2 to 5 deaths. It must be said that all medical facilities are available at the government hospitals in order to treat the Covid-19 patients.
There is enough supply of oxygen in the hospitals in contrast to the situation the State experienced during the month of May when there was an acute shortage of oxygen cylinders which led to several deaths. With deaths due to the virus being reported at a disturbing frequency, it is high time the Health Dept finds out the reason for such an alarming number of deaths taking place.
There is every possibility of patients getting admitted in the hospitals late when the disease has progressed thinking that the symptoms are just due to viral fever as a result of the wet weather. A Covid-19 test needs to be taken by the citizens if the fever persists for a few days and get admitted immediately.
Hospitals need to treat every patient with viral fever as a possible case of Covid-19.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Cash for trash
A pilot project by the City Corporation of Panaji wherein people can deposit dry waste like PET bottles, milk packets, cardboard packaging, glass, metal, newspapers, etc, at designated locations and get paid for their efforts has proved to be a big hit, over 200 tonnes of trash over the past three months has been recycled. This initiative by way of monetary incentives nudges people towards being environmentally conscious.
At present two collection centres receive a tonne of waste daily from households, the hospitality industry, tourists and business establishments. 25 varieties of waste items can be deposited out of which 10 qualify for compensation; items which can be used again are sent for recycling while the non recyclables are incinerated. This not only reduces considerable load on the landfills but also makes life easier for door to door junk dealers who are now assured of a certain minimum amount for their goods.
This initiative should be extended to all major cities; on similar lines the government should set up wet waste collection centres serviced by trained dedicated staff bringing in wet waste from houses, restaurants, hotels, etc.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Flawed vaccine policy
While the State’s Covid advisory committee has recommended that the govt should open up physical classes totally, the education department in a submission before the High Court of Bombay at Goa has mentioned that getting vaxxed is ‘voluntary’ (read non compulsory) for both teaching and non teaching staff, this is not only arbitrary but totally irrational. Imagine the damage an asymptomatic Covid +ve teacher would wreak upon society, this would turn the clock back on the recent gains made in bringing the virus under control.
Alarmingly vaxxing has not been made mandatory for employees of many govt departments including healthcare workers. This is untenable in the present circumstances when we are just about coming out of the woods. Vaccination should be made compulsory for all government employees who wish to continue in their present jobs.
Rekha Sarin, Benaulim
