FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
Multi-level car parking in Margao
The news about the e-tendering of multi-level car parking at Margao is music to the ears of four-wheeler owners of Margao, Fatorda and other neighbouring areas. Besides the issue of clearing dumped garbage at Sonsoddo the need for multi-level car parking has been always a major necessity for all those who come to Margao for various kinds of work and getting a vacant parking slot in any part of Margao is next to impossible or just a matter of luck.
Parking of cars at present in the absence of any properly demarcated slots is being done in most haphazard manner leading to confusion, chaos and immense inconvenience to fellow car owners. Also there's scant respect to others including the pedestrians, who find it very difficult to walk around freely and safely and do their regular shopping. Margao Traffic Police too finds it difficult to regulate vehicle parking due to its inherent complexities.
Car parking has been a long standing problem and unfortunately Digambar Kamat, a long standing MLA of Margao and also an ex-CM of Goa, was unable to fulfill his promise of resolving parking issue by building a multi-level car parking, made to Margao voters at the time of elections for some reason or other, even in spite of laying the foundation stone by MMC some six years ago.
Now it's heartening to note the elected Chairperson of MMC Lyndon Pereira, has taken strong initiative upon him to make multi-level car parking as one of his top priority. Of course it's not going to be a smooth sailing as we know that there's always some kind of opposition to any developmental work due to petty politics plaguing MMC. Anyway we wish Lyndon Pereira best of luck and if and when he succeeds, this will be a great achievement to his credit.
Let's hope that he will receive full cooperation from all the MMC councillors and concerned authorities.
Antonio Diniz, Fatorda
Save the century-old trees at Chimbel
It is learnt that 31 century-old trees are set to be cut down at Chimbel. The locals of Chimbel have reportedly petitioned to the Director of Institute of Public Assistance (Provedoria) with a plea to stop the felling of the century-old trees in the village. Ironically the age-old trees are to be felled for the proposed new old-age home building project. Trees are our treasures and need to be conserved. People from the village have an emotional attachment to these century-old trees.
The concerned authorities need to make alternative arrangements so these trees will not have to be cut down. It is understood that the present old-age home is not in use due to its dilapidated condition. Hence the logical step would be to set up the proposed new old-age home building project by demolishing the existing old structure which is in unsafe condition. That way not a single tree will have to be felled.
The entire project needs to be reviewed in order to save the trees from being cut. It is beyond comprehension as to why the old building, which is not in safe condition, is to be retained and a new old-age building built by cutting the trees. It takes several decades for the trees to grow but a few hours to cut it down. Development should not be at the cost of destroying nature.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Political ‘leaders’
The SC has instructed the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to remove the photo of the PM and his slogan, ‘Sabka Sath…. from the footer of the court’s emails. First off, that the Govt. could have even thought of putting the PM’s photo at the footer of the courts’ emails is dumbfounding. Even more so is the fact that all the Opposition parties never thought of approaching the Courts or even raising a whimper on the same. Ditto the many citizens who are first to criticise Rahul Gandhi but thought this is fine. This speaks mountains on the character of the former.
The vaccine certificates also carry the PM’s photo which has been the butt of many jokes within and outside India. Still, they persist. And still we have no ‘non-BJP leader’ who can get it removed. And a very tolerant media who only criticise the Opposition! The media is working overtime to ‘pass the buck.’ Not to forget the Advocates in Goa.
The Gujarat HC, recently asked the Government to reply on a PIL asking the Govt to ensure Industries shift from Coal to gas. The petitioner advocate relies on Section 17 of the Air (Prevention and control of Pollution Act 1981, which empowers the Govt to take preventive steps to curb air pollution by closing, prohibiting, or regulating any industry, operation or process. He asserted that it is the Government’s duty to secure the right to life by ensuring a healthy environment. Please Note: silent, ‘top performing’ BJP MLAs along the tracks. And all sulking ones, new ones, grassroots ones, etc.
R Fernandes, Margao
Enforce ban on gutka
Goa is getting infested with paan and gutka sellers who cater mostly to the migrant population in the State, at almost every road corner you see one surreptitiously peddling his wares. Under section 87A of the Goa public health Act all injurious food articles containing tobacco are prohibited from their manufacture, sale, stocking or distribution in the state.
Gutka is being smuggled in from across the border and almost every month there is a major seizure of stock at Margao railway station. Tobacco in any form is the first rung of addiction and oral cancer; Goan youth have also begun consuming it and later they graduate to hard drugs. The police should enforce the law in letter and spirit and root out such suppliers and peddlers of poison before it is too late.
Rekha Sarin, Benaulim
15 tablets per strip for extra profit
It has been observed that gradually drug-manufacturers in India have started introducing 15 tablets or capsules per strip rather than usual 10 just to mint extra money and profit. Usually chemists sell complete strip of the medicine rather than cutting the strip for wanted less tablets. Rest of the tablets or capsules after taking the prescribed dose for limited days practically becomes a total waste for consumers. National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (Union Ministry of Petro Chemicals) should regulate packing-formula in true metric spirit by ensuring pack of medicines in packs of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 or 1000 tablets, capsules or millilitres and thereafter in multiples of 1000.
Exemption from such packing-formula may be sought from regulatory authority for dose-wise administration. This will also prevent another anti-consumer practice of some commonly advertised medicines like cough lozenges being packed in strips of eight because consumers usually judge price of such medicines per strip without realising that the strip has less number of lozenges than usual ten.
Drug-manufacturers should also be directed to print front side of strips in a manner that name of the medicine appears on each of the tablet or capsule may be by having a background print with name of medicine printed all over the strip with other details like composition overprinted on the strip. Likewise manufacturing and expiry dates should be printed repeatedly all over the back side of the strip. There must be some maximum overall trade-margin on all medicines including both generic and branded medicines. At present there is a big loot even in wholesale sale of generic medicines where generic medicines have Maximum-Retail-Price (MRP) which is at times ten times more the distributor-price.
Subhash Chandra
Agrawal, Delhi
