SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
Comunidade polls
Elections scheduled for December 2021 to elect committee for administration of assets of Comunidade for coming term of 3 years w.e.f. March 1, 2022 are welcome. Sad part is that the member has not been given any notice. Absolutely there is no time to give notice and fear is that there may not be elections at most of the communidades. Members are residing at different places in Goa and the country. They need to get notice of the meeting. Electoral rolls, so called list of able components, have not been made public.
Art. 43 of Communidade rules state that on 2nd September onwards, the lists should remain exposed for the public for eight days at all religious institutions in the village, market places, etc., for maximum public notice. The Attorney and Escrivao should prepare the list of able components with great care. At places where elections are not held, the committee should be appointed by the Government, on the basis of the list of able components. Government should take necessary action against illegal expenditure at this pandemic time.
J.A. Jaques, Nuvem
No reservations, please!
All roads led to Old Goa on Sunday, November 21, 2021. Thousands of people, old and young, from all walks of life sacrificed their time to show their solidarity for a worthy cause The response given to the call given by The Save Old Goa Action Committee was overwhelming. The large crowds gathered on the old Goa grounds proved that we Goans still have a ray of hope. Nothing is lost.
The members of the Save Old Goa Action Committee spoke about the challenges and frustrations that they encountered in fighting this battle. The common people of Goa showed their support for this just cause. Now what remains to be seen is the support the church and church authorities will give to this effort.
What is the stand of the church?
Very soon we celebrate the feast of our patron, Saint Francis Xavier. Every year on December 3 we see the front seats reserved for the MLAs and their families. With great pride and splendour they occupy the front seats along with their families.
I think its time that this practice of keeping seats reserved for them should be stopped. If anyone needs to occupy the front seats this year, it is the members of the Save Old Goa Action Committee who are fighting tooth and nail with no personal hidden agenda, to save our heritage for posterity
Will we see the church authorities take up this challenge? Will those responsible for selling our land be shown their rightful place? Is anyone in charge listening?
We, the people of Goa are waiting for the church authorities to put things right.
A Good Shepherd leads from the front.
Belinda Jacques, Fatorda
Assault of religious leaders unacceptable
It is shocking to note that the parish priest of Saligao church was assaulted by a resident of Pequen-Morod in Saligao who owns property adjoining the church where some renovation work was going on. It is learnt that there was an issue between the parish priest and the accused person over some matter. The accused person reportedly assaulted the parish priest with blows on his face, abused him with filthy language and threatened him with dire consequences over the issue. The accused person has since been arrested. It must be said that a physical attack on a religious leader is unacceptable and is a serious matter. The police need to show zero tolerance towards such acts. Any issue that crops up needs to be settled across the table.
In the churches Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) needs to play an active role in resolving issues pertaining to property. It is common knowledge that in many churches the parish priest lives alone in the church premises. Hence an assault on the parish priest by some unscrupulous elements over some petty issues cannot be ruled out. If the parishioners feel there are such elements who have been verbally attacking the priest, then the matter should be quickly resolved before it takes an ugly turn. The police need to take necessary action against the accused person in the Saligao incident.
Parishioners of various churches in the state should see to it that such episodes do not take place in their respective parishes.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Implement buffer zones
As per a Central government directive issued in 2011, all protected/ UNESCO heritage status monuments in the country had to mandatorily have a shielding zone around them to ensure there is no structural damage.
As per a letter from ASI to the states' Town & Country Planning department no construction activity would be permissible within a 1 km radius of historic monuments in Old Goa but sadly this has not been implemented, I suspect more by design than by oversight in order to favour land sharks.
The disastrous results are there for all to see with builders offering 'cathedral view' apartments and posh villas in the vicinity of these supposedly 'protected' buildings. Damage to our heritage monuments has also been caused by air pollution, vibrations resulting from vehicular movement, rising water table during monsoons due to reverse site slopes, inadequate drainage in catchment areas, blocking of natural effluent disposal channels, bulk ground water displacement caused by real estate activity resulting in rising dampness, destructive efflorescence, laterite degeneration, foundation settlement etc.
Goa is the only state where the bulwark perimeter recommendations have not seen the light of day. The TCP should study the regional plans and ODPs and enforce implementation by government diktat either by way of an ordinance or suitable legislation. These crown jewels of our heritage can not and should be allowed to go the way of ' ashes to ashes, dust to dust ' for there is no resurrection possible for them.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
ISL matches sans spectators
The authorities are doing grave injustice to the football crazy
Goan fans by playing the ISL matches behind closed doors when all other events like IFFI, casinos, movies, theaters, political meetings going on unhindered. Why only this official Goan sport "FOOTBALL" is given a step-motherly treatment
by the people at the helm requires immediate answers.
Have the authorities noticed the hordes of tourists who throng the Goan beaches these days almost rubbing shoulders with each other without masks or social distancing? Do the tourism authorities have any control on their influx or it is "SHOW MUST GO ON" as usual. One can understand the last two seasons when the virus was at its peak but since the last few months it has stabilized a bit n more or less under control and even the govt is contemplating of reopening the schools in physical mode. So it would be prudent to allow the public to watch and cheer their favourite teams/players from the stands albeit with 50 % capacity.
With the elections fast approaching I dare to ask the politicians/netas to organize their campaigns and meetings from the stage before empty audiences.
Lucas D'Souza, Verna
Be responsible citizens
Though the governments of various states in India and the courts are taking steps to come out of the pandemic, it is also the duty of every citizen to take precautionary steps to avoid the transmission of the virus. They should practice social distancing, cover their nose and mouth properly with a mask, use sanitizer and wash their hands properly. It should be the moral duty of every citizen in the country to not only look after his/her own health, but also the health of others. Hence, taking precautions is the safest way of not getting infected by the virus.
Jubel D'Cruz, Mumbai
