North Goa trees need attention too
On Sept 13, I went through the headlines of our local newspapers and read that ” Ex-expert advises South Collector not to fell but prune trees”. This reminded me of an issue that has been bothering me. I got up and went directly and clicked a photo of a huge tree close to my house which I pass every day.
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This tree is 200 metres height and 5 metres diameter approx and every day I wonder why our Forest Department and Fire Brigade are not pruning these huge trees which poses danger not only to the people passing by but also to the house of a councillor.
In fact this is just one of many trees that need urgent attention. In spite of my repeated request to the above authorities, all, including CCP, are remaining silent in this matter of pruning the many trees that have grown old and big in size. They need to identify the trees and attend to them pre-monsoon and then continuously supervise the state of these trees, especially in the monsoon season.
The other day when I was passing towards Campal road to Panjim a dry small branch fell on my helmet while riding my scooter and I was lucky to escape from injuries.
CCP is doing good work nowadays in terms of cleaning the sides of roads of leaves and other waste. Now they also need to look up and see the danger overhead.
Stephen Dias, Dona Paula
Decision on HBA scheme unfair
Goa government has played with the lives and well-being of all and sundry. Injustice galore, not sparing even its own employees. In a drastic step having far reaching financial implications on hundreds of its employees an order was issued suddenly last year withdrawing the Housing Building Advance (HBA) Scheme given to Government employees. The loan which was availed at an interest rate of 2% now requires the employees to suddenly pay the current prevailing rate of over 10%. This skewed decision of winding up HBA Scheme is most arbitrary, unfair, capricious and done in a hasty manner violating fundamental Rights of those who had availed of the scheme. It has caused extreme financial hardship and a lot of stress as benefits given at the time of employment cannot be taken away in this manner to their detriment.
This sudden withdrawal of the HBA Scheme has resulted in high financial burdens due to which employees are unable to repay their now enhanced loan installments. The least the government could have done was to stop accepting new applications thus avoiding needless economic havoc by upsetting existing loans thereby impacting its employees and their families with such unbelievable distress and that too in a pandemic.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Hotels responsible for pandemic spread?
Owners of hospitality and casinos along with their irresponsible clientele are responsible for continued bottling of their industry. Ironically, it is these irresponsible people who are crying to open up citing 2% positivity cases backed by a self-proclaimed ‘omniscient’ Press.
Two per cent cases are amongst curfewed 15L Goa population: what is it for the States where the clientele come from? Much more. Further, if 2% is a magical figure, why does India not stop the pulse programme? During lockdown, many hotels hosted illegal parties. One flouted permission for a wedding on one day with 50 guests by allowing 300+ guests that too for 2 days. And no one calls for penalising them. So, they have the carte blanche to deliberately scuttle all SOPs and still demand opening up. It is these industries that are responsible for killing more than a thousand Goans. And some media deliberately work to hide these facts. They are judge and jury combined.
We can see what is happening at Patradevi. Fake RT-PCR certificates is a major industry in India wholly patronised by the above clientele. That the vax efficacy wanes after 6 months is clear. Knowing all this we wish to open-up and suppress the logical people. I think this is amazing.
Follow the sane Singapore Govt; 90 L tourists who want to come to 15 L Goa must be made to have RT-PCR tests if 6 months have elapsed since their vax dose. Knowing the fake certificate industry, they must be made to self-test at the point of entry. Goan lives matter.
R Fernandes, Margao
Clear the beaches, save environment
This has reference to the report ‘State to send reminder to MOEF&CC seeking solution to tarballs issue’ (Herald, September 15). It is good to know that the Goa government is taking up the issue of the oil spill/tarballs with the central government. This oil spill may be an annual feature but this year, as the report rightly suggests, the oil spill has been more widespread than in previous years. And this has affected not just the beaches in Goa but in other places like Mumbai as well.
All the beaches have been defaced on account of this oil spill, people are slipping and falling while walking along the rocks on the shoreline. The sea is not a dumping ground, it breeds fish and is part of the environment. We need to protect the sea and the beaches.
Melville X D’Souza, Mumbai
Red carpet for Covid 3.0
In flagrant violation of Covid rules, unvaccinated or passengers not holding a Covid -ve certificate are surreptitiously allowed entry into Goa for a reported ‘convenience fee’ of Rs 250, of course aided and abetted by the border checkpost personnel in connivance with bus/taxi operators. This corrupt practice puts thousands of Goan lives at risk by laying out the red carpet for the third wave, we seem not to have learnt any lessons from the past.
Such brazen non-compliance and flouting of rules negate the efforts of health care workers, many of whom have sacrificed their lives in protecting us from the scourge of the virus.
The unscrupulous black guards at our borders facilitating entry of visitors for pecuniary gains should be dealt with an iron hand and dismissed from service, if not charged with manslaughter/culpable homicide for endangering the lives of Goans.
Rekha Sarin, Benaulim
