SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2024
Reckless decision by Goa passport officer
The authorities in Goa have no right to revoke passports of Goans who opted to get their births registered in Lisbon and obtain ‘assento do nascimento’.
The Portuguese national law provides that Goans born before December 20 1961 are entitled for Portuguese citizenship and the benefits of which can be reaped upto the third generation. Goans seek Portuguese passports inorder to find an easy access to European countries for employment and this should be noted by the passport officer before taking reckless decisions.
The government of India has also PIO and OCI schemes by PM Manmohan Singh in 2011 during his good governance. The passport officer should take back his decision at the earliest. The government of Goa should act on this and come to the rescue of Portuguese passport holders.
Ashwin Caeiro, Cansaulim
Must put to use water from air-conditioners
It is observed that at several places, water dripping from air-conditioners in shops and residences are let out on the pavement. Many residential complexes and shopping arcades have several air-conditioners. There needs to be a proper outlet for the water from these air-conditioners. Continuous dripping of water from the air conditioners can lead to slippery conditions on the pavement. This can pose danger to pedestrians, especially the elderly persons and little children who can slip and fall. The dripping water can be put to good use by collecting it in containers and buckets through a pipe. The water can be used for gardening and can also be provided to stray animals and birds. Hence it would be in the fitness of things for all those who use the air-conditioners continuously to make good use of such water instead of letting it out on the pavement.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Accidents on the rise in Goa
Apart from road accidents, other incidents of electricity department employees or linemen losing their lives while on duty are also on the rise.
On Friday, 38 yr-old lineman Krishna Pawar of Morjim lost his life while performing his duty at Siolim.
This is the fifth such incident in reported Pernem. Many a times, it is noted that linemen take the risk to climb electricity poles without any safety gear and end up losing their lives.
Often they are the sole bread earners and tragic incidents like these have devastating effects on their families who depend on them.
The workers should also adhere to safety measures and one cannot hold the government responsible if the former throw caution to the winds while on duty.
The compensatory jobs should be given only if the death is accidental and not due to negligence on part of the worker. The government and electricity department needs to have a strict measures for the staff as it is a risky job. The incidents can be reduced or avoided only with such measures or else the same will continue in future.
Raju Ramamurthy, Vasco
Who has benefitted from IFFI in Goa?
The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was started by late Manohar Parrikar in 2004 in the name of bringing long term development and with the promise of giving guaranteed benefits for all the locals, upcoming Goan film makers, musicians/artisans through this festival in Goa.
Unfortunately, nothing of that sort seems to have really happened so far and we Goans are still where we are right from 2004 till date. Forget other parts of Goa, the city of Panjim itself practically turns chaotic especially in the evenings with traffic congestion on account of IFFI every year and with that extra pile up of tons of garbage generated through this festival.
The worst part is that the organisers of IFFI are always seen ignoring the efforts of our Goan Konkani film makers and giving too much of attention only for all the Bollywood/South Indian Film makers/ actors during this annual week-long festival in Goa.
The organisers also bring some outstation dance troupes, musicians from neighbouring states to perform during the opening/closing ceremonies every year and insult all our famous Goan musicians by making them to perform on small stages at some isolated places of Panjim.
I therefore personally feel that our government spends crores of our hard earned money every year on IFFI which hardly benefits Goans.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
Final warning from the Supreme Court
It is laudable that the Supreme Court has come out with the most welcome verdict making it abundantly clear to the Governors that when a bill passed by a State assembly and sent for their assent, being titular heads of states, they don’t have the power to veto legislative decisions of elected governments or sit indefinitely on bills duly passed by the legislature. The Apex court also made it clear that when a bill which has been returned by the Governor is re-enacted by the Assembly and returned to him with or without any amendments, the Governor has no other option but to give assent to the bill. The top court has also confirmed that it is Speaker’s call to adjourn or prorogue the House and the Governors cannot poke their nose into the powers of the Speaker as well. Now that the verdict of the Supreme Court has well defined the boundary of action by the Governors as per the Constitution, one only hopes that, at least now, wisdom will prevail on them, particularly the Governors of the non-BJP ruled states who are bent on giving umpteen number of problems to the states just to create chaos and confusion in those states, and act as per the verdict of the Apex Court in letter and spirit.
Tharcius S Fernando, Chennai
Prevent violence against women
Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is most often unreported. When the United Nations (UN), through its 54/134 resolution declared November 25 as “International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women,”its hands were, obviously, full. Sexual violence against women is categorised, among others, as unwelcome sexual advance, rape, child sexual abuse, forced marriage, human trafficking and female genital mutilation.
One in three women worldwide experience domestic assault at any point in their marital life. About three to four countries have outlawed domestic violence; 49 countries are yet to do so.
Another contentious issue is early marriage that enhances the “marital longevity” of a woman. The more the length, the more the possibility of domestic violence. A shocking number reveals that 750 million women are married off before they attain their eighteenth year. Maturity of girls to withstand the unsolicited “marital rape” is highly questionable at such a young age. Only 78 countries have criminalised marital rape. Lax laws have ensured poor conviction rates.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
