ZP polls result will not impact assembly polls
With those votes counted the curtains came down on that pointless and insignificant Zilla Panchayat (ZP) elections which were held in controversial circumstances, the validity of which will be decided by the High Court which is already seized of the matter.
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With a fragmented Opposition besides being overloaded with money power, empowered with muscle power and with the entire state machinery at their beck and call it is no wonder that the BJP comfortably cruised through. It was not a level playing field as the BJP candidates unofficially new the polling date well in advance.
The various political parties would have to introspect on the results. The BJP would also have to do a post-mortem as to why some of its strong holds crashed while in some it just scraped through and as to why its plot failed to win by tactfully making the party symbol Lotus in some constituencies invisible on the ballot paper.
These ZP elections will have no impact on the 2022 Assembly polls as that would be a different ball game altogether. Nothing can and should be read into the outcome of this futile election. Many people saw this election as a waste of time and money, a danger to their health and a gross disrespect for the safety and health of the people from a destructive pandemic and chose to vote with their feet by not venturing out into the danger zone.
The Government has now once again assured that more powers would be devolved to the ZPs. But the proof of the pudding is in the eating. We have for the last many years been repeatedly promised that Mining and the very vital Mhadei issue will be resolved very soon. But that day does not seem to dawn. So, any assurances made are a reality only when it’s all done and dusted.
Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of America famously said, ‘No wonder Americans hate politics when, year in and year out, they hear politicians make promises that won’t come true because they don’t even mean them, campaign fantasies that win elections but don’t get nations moving again.’ The same can be said of our Government who for several years has a string of broken promises to their name. Promises are worse than lies. Cause you make others hope, hope for something that you are not sure you can give. A promise means everything. But once it is broken, Sorry means Nothing!
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Pledge to free Goa from drugs
During the last many months almost every alternate day it has been reported that there has been an arrest by the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Goa Police of some illegal drug traffickers in Goa under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
It has been observed that either a young Goan or a non Goan even including foreigners residing in Goa are involved in the illegal sale of commercial quantity of drugs. When there is a regular demand, one tends to find a supply chain. Thus it seems that a lot of youth in Goa are addicted to consuming drugs which then later turn them into small drug traffickers to sustain their addiction. Earlier such ills were restricted to the coastal areas due to the presence of foreign tourists consuming narcotics, but now it seems to have spread even to the hinterland areas .Some youth from other States come down to Goa as tourists to consume drugs due to its availability.
Whilst commending the ANC for apprehending such culprits who are out to destroy the youth of Goa for their pecuniary gains, what is most disturbing is the main source is not traced to stem the supply. It is well known that the terrorism in our Country is mainly financed by the illicit drug trade. So it is essential that the main source of supply is traced and apprehended in order to control the menace of supply into Goa by seeking assistance from the Narcotics Control Bureau, the Central Anti-Narcotics Agency.
Simultaneously the State Authorities have to open Drug Rehabilitation Centres to assist those addicted who willingly desire to free themselves from drug abuse. The State Government must take a solemn pledge on the 60 th Anniversary of the Liberation Day to free Goa from Drugs
Rui Ferreira, Panjim
Encourage local vendors
The Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) has begun work of renovating it’s old municipal market complex, where it plans to house all the roadside vendors spread across the town. It is learnt that repair work is being undertaken at an estimated cost of Rs 18 lakh. This is a step in the right direction and was long overdue. This prime area in the Vasco market was being used all these years as a godown by the vendors to stock their goods. It is a fact that local vendors, especially ladies who are mostly senior citizens, are seen selling local products like coconut, oil, fruits, tender coconuts, locally grown vegetables at various locations across the town.
Many have only an umbrella to protect themselves from the hot summer sun and the monsoon rains. These vendors, who do not share space at the vegetable and fruit market which is occupied by vendors from outside the state, need to be brought under one roof. However great care must be taken by the authorities while allotting space for vendors at this market complex after renovation. The space should be allotted only to local vendors and not vendors from outside the state.
It would be desirable not to charge these local vendors for occupying the market space as most of them lead a hand-to-mouth existence. We need to promote our local produce in a big way.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Flawed beach shack policy
Beach shack operators who could not commence operations even 8 weeks after the beginning of the tourist season are staring at a bleak future as their licences stand to be rescinded according to the new tourism guidelines.Owing to these trying times some owners have not been able to remit fees and they too are at risk of getting their licence allotment cancelled.This is a double whammy for shack operators, they got knocked out by Covid first and by flawed government policy next.
The beach tourism laws entail that shacks be put up within a specific time frame after the licence has been granted.As it is there have been very few visitors patronising shacks and the skeletal staff required to serve them are also in short supply since the regular service personnel from north Indian states have not returned after taking the train out during the pandemic. Only the weekends bring some business to beach shacks , weekdays are total washouts.Though the Christmas-New Year week is expected to bring some footfalls but the concern is that high spending tourists will prefer celebrating within the confines of their hotels for fear of crowds at the beach.
The seasonal beach shack as a business model is threatened to be discarded in the dustbin of history given such extraordinary circumstances, thousands of livelihoods would also be lost in the process.The least the government can do is to charge only 25% of fees for this season and defer cancellation of trade licenses.If the state does not revisit it’s decision it might end up killing the goose which laid the golden eggs all these years, after all the maximum number of tourists visit Goa for it’s beaches and by extension the shacks.
Desperate times call for desperate measures and this is a humanitarian crisis of sorts, the state must do all in it’s powers to alleviate it.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
