Significant
drug bust
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The recent big drug bust involving hydroponic cannabis shows that illegal drug operations are growing in our area. This is not the first time similar setups have been found in empty warehouses, rental homes, and even luxury apartments. These illegal farms are dangerous because they can cause fires due to faulty wiring, landlords often don’t know their properties are being used, and the money made from these drugs can support other crimes like trafficking and gang activity. This is a serious problem that affects the safety of our community.
To stop this, we need to take strong action. First, there should be stricter rules on selling hydroponic equipment to prevent misuse. Second, landlords should check their tenants properly and inspect their properties regularly. Third, the public should be educated on how to spot and report suspicious activities. Finally, police from different areas should work together to catch these criminals before they set up more operations. Instead of just reacting when a bust happens, we should focus on preventing such crimes in the first place.
Ruth Pereira, Saligao
Mangoes beyond the
reach of common man
It seems that mango referred to as the “King of Fruits” is fit to be consumed only by the king given the price it commands in the market today. Goa’s GI tagged Mankurad mango is reportedly fetching vendors a handsome Rs 500 per piece as the first crop of this season begins arriving in local markets.
At some places, the fruit is even sold at Rs 7,500 per dozen. However the price the fruit commands also depends on its size. Even this could be beyond the reach of the common man. The question that arises is whether the Mancurad mangoes are being exported to foreign countries where they are in demand as the fruit is now GI tagged. By the end of March and through April large quantities will be harvested and will flood the markets and prices will drop.
However, this will raise the question of whether mangoes are artificially ripened. Artificial ripening of mangoes is done using chemicals like calcium carbide or ethylene gas. While these methods can speed up the ripening process, they can also be harmful to human health. Those ripened artificially often have a bland taste and a bitter aftertaste, while natural mangoes boast a sweet and pleasant flavor without any bitterness. A naturally ripened one will sink when put in a bucket of water while the artificially harvested mango will float. If the mangoes have bruises or spots, it might be due to the injection of chemicals. The authorities concerned need to keep a vigil on whether artificially ripened mangoes are being sold.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Untiring efforts of Goa
Foundation bears fruit
Courtesy the untiring efforts of Norma Alvares of the Goa Foundation , the High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the state government not to issue any further permissions of Zone change under Section 17(2) of the TCP Act. The Court has read down the rules and guidelines under the section which were almost criminal to begin with. Lakhs of square meters of agricultural/ orchard land has been illegally converted to ‘settlement zone’ by ministers, real estate sharks, politicians, outsiders owning land in Goa and many other inimical to Goa’s interests. The ravishing of the state has unsurprisingly been facilitated most by the felonious talents of the TCP minister with the blessings of the CM.
Incidentally Rane is claiming that the HC has not struck down Section 17(2) but instead ordered modifications to rules and regulations of the Act. The Goa government will move the Supreme Court next week, possibly to find some loophole in the court judgement which can be used to keep their ‘conversion’ game going.
Hearing another suo motu PIL on unlawful constructions and encroachments, the HC came down heavily on the government for allowing and encouraging unbridled illegal construction in the state. The judicial bench issued instructions to the Chief Secretary to take action and make available two additional demolition squads for the two districts. In a related development, the Court also directed an immediate halt to all deforestation on the cliffs around the court building at Penha Da Franca. Goa is being destroyed most by the lawmakers who are supposed to be protecting it, hopefully this tight rap will bring a halt to the brutal assault on our land, or will it ??
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
New RTO fines
for traffic offences
The latest circular issued by the MORTH of the new fines to be imposed on motorists from March 1, 2025 is a welcome step but one particular area of concern is the PUC violation by motorists.
Does this act apply only to small cars, two and three wheelers? Why are the heavy vehicles exempted from this act? The govt owned Kadamba buses and trucks are the biggest violators of this with their exhausts emitting a cloud of black smoke. Another item of this circular is the fine on seat belts. Why are the seat belts not made compulsory for heavy vehicle drivers also. Any particular reason?
Lucas D’Souza, Verna
Hoist by their
own petard
Donald Trump’s tariffs tantrum just cost American farmers $21 billion in agricultural exports. China has officially stopped imports of US beef and grains and shifted its business to Canada and Brazil. Canada, Western Europe and Mexico too have taken their custom elsewhere.
The West’s prosperity was built on purloined wealth from stolen lands, from slavery to colonial massacres to modern exploitation, its crimes are undeniable.
The ‘American Century’ in it’s violent twilight is collapsing under its own weight as Trump’s trade wars backfire, allies resist military demands, and there is massive blowback from the citizens themselves. An unhinged man’s perilous pursuit of neo-colonialism (read proposed annexation of Greenland, Canada, Gaza and Ukranian mineral deposits) threatens the demise of US supremacy with cataclysmic meltdown, nay a metaphorical Armageddon.
Western imperialists and oligarchs, past and present, whose greed has led them to this moment, are being consumed by the very Frankenstein they helped create. They would do well to remember that power and influence are always cyclical; Empires come, Empires go. Hopefully the rest of the world and particularly the right wing zealots will learn a lesson from this mother of all upheavals.
Rekha Sarin Trehan, Benaulim
