Install C Alvares’ statue in front of Saligao VP
A road in Golotem, Saligao named as ‘ C Alvares Marg’ after the legendary Konkani tiatr stalwart on the occasion of his 24th death anniversary right next to his ancestral home is in very bad shape.
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Anyway, I would like to congratulate the family members of the late Konkani tiatrist for somehow putting in a lot of efforts to get the necessary permissions from panchayat and I hope that they will now put a proposal to install a statue of C Alvares in front of the Village Panchayat of Saligao to immortalise his name as a source of inspiration for the young generation and to really take his legacy forward in the years to come.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
Who is responsible for road accidents in Goa?
Both public and government are equally responsible for road deaths.
Public is at fault for blatantly violating traffic rules while the government is at fault for not enforcing traffic rules, poor road works and non functioning streetlights at nights.
The major issue is, that the public gives a damn to traffic rules while the government is busy collecting taxes and gives a damn when it comes to providing infrastructure for smooth traffic movement or safe policing.
Drivers or riders have a duty to respect the road safety rules in letter and spirit while it is the responsibility of the government to provide for safe roads so that lives can be saved.
Let’s understand this quote: Recklessness is a species of crime and should be regarded on our streets and highways while we drive or ride as prevention is better than cure, they say!
Gaston Dias, Sarzora
Involve children in Mhadei movement
Activism to save the Mhadei river has now reached the student community. It is learnt that an interactive session about the diversion of the Mhadei water was conducted for the students of Perpetual Succour Convent High School at Navelim. However on the flip side it is understood that Mhadei activists on Tuesday reportedly gheraoed the ADEI of Bardez taluka and confronted him over the advisory issued to students and teachers forbidding their participation in competitions and events with the ‘Save Mhadei’ theme.
It must be said that ‘Save Mhadei’ is a mass movement and should involve every Goan including the student community. The future of our children is at stake if the water of river Mhadei is diverted.
Hence school children have every right to be a part of the movement. The student community needs to know about the rivers flowing into the state, its source, its impact on our lives and our livelihood. They should be made aware about the need to safeguard our natural environment and our water resources for our future. If we do not act now to save the Mhadei river water, future generations will not be able to experience nature in all its beauty and bounty. By being a part of the movement children in a way are safeguarding their own future. Essay competitions, talks, elocution competitions, drawing competitions, etc. need to be held in schools on the topic of Mhadei river. This will inculcate deep love for the river water in young impressionable minds.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Malaise in taxi industry
The opening of the blue taxi stand at Mopa, and the closing of it within two hours, is symptomatic of the malaise in the taxi industry in Goa. It has transpired that the Assistant Director of Transport, Pernem, at whose hands the Blue Taxi counter was inaugurated, suddenly realized (or was made to realize ) that the documents for opening the counter were incomplete!
Goa is an important tourist destination. Unfortunately it is probably the only city without access to Uber/ Ola among other such aggregator services. All the more reason, the existing taxi service must be streamlined.
I suggest that the transport department put out an official notice giving the number of vehicles of each operator (Blue, Black or whatever). The fare of each operator from Mopa to important destination like Mapusa, Panjim , Calangute, Margao must be clearly stated.
In addition, the Transport Department must also publish the Kadamba bus time table from Mopa and Dabolim to and from important places.
The above official notification must be published in all publications in Goa and also some cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and neighboring states, so that tourists can make an informed choice at the airport. This information must also be available on bill boards at all important destinations and beaches. These suggestions will go a long way in improving the image of Goa’s infamous public transport system.
Robert Castellino, Calangute
Ambedkar the tallest icon
Ambedkar is one of the greatest figures in the Indian history and according to me he should have been India’s first Prime Minister as he was certainly the tallest icon across the political spectrum.
Political parties should not appropriate Ambedkar for their selfish deeds. The BJP may have benefitted from the Dalit outreach but I have a doubt if is merely symbolic, just like what other political parties are doing in our country.
At the end of the day, nobody cares for Dalits and till today they are suffering from atrocities. Today, all politicians are forced to look at Ambedkar. They rhapsodise about his achievements and appropriate his legacy in the game of one-upmanship but does that serve any purpose?
Ambedkar and his team drafted the best Constitution by borrowing best practices from around the world and made sure that nobody could tamper with it that easily.
If not him, we could not have got such a unique Constitution of India.
Diomedes Pereira, Corlim
Goan roads are most dangerous
It is a grim reminder that tourist destination Goa has deadly roads. The number of vehicles is increasing every year, but road size is not increasing proportionately. Lack of signboards, potholed roads, defunct signals and unlit junctions have not only made commuting, a nightmare but also put lives of motorists in the state at risk.
People who commute daily say that state authorities are turning a blind eye to the danger that motorists and pedestrians face. The bad road engineering and lack of monitoring by the PWD is responsible for the mess and in the rains it will be worse. The ministers and VVIPs travel in SUVs and high end cars and do not feel the trouble but common commuters have to suffer. Every budget sees rise in road tax but the condition of road worsened exponentially.
The over speeding needs to be avoided in new Highways and speed limits should be set at all sensitive roads.
Accidents have become so common that people cannot be sure of returning home safe. The Transport Department and the Traffic Police should join hands to restore sanity and take a firm resolution to control accidents by strictly enforcing the law. Moreover enough precautions should be taken to ensure that the person who’s been given a license is not given in a hurried manner.
K G Vilop, Chorao
