SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2024
People appear excited for change
People appear excited to vote for a change. The BJP have done nothing for its people. Rising unemployment, destroying natural reserves and widespread allegations of corruption against the BJP government in the state have made calls for anti-incumbency louder. It has failed to provide proper electricity and water supply to its citizens. The roads that were dug multiple times were finally hot mixed, however, the work is substandard. BJP was unable to take forward Goa’s tourism industry. It is of no doubt that there is massive anger against the BJP on ground, but it is to be seen how opposition parties capitalise on it.
The people of Goa are not liking the fact that politicians are changing parties like they change their clothes. Goans are fed up with this politics and want to teach these politicians a lesson. AAP's promise of free pilgrimages to various religious centres is hilarious. All the political parties want power and are ready to do anything to get the power. The BJP leaders in particular and the party in Goa in general have lost their credibility.
The public now wonders whether these leaders are adept in spreading falsehood and lies and in character assassination with the sole aim of fooling them. Voters should avoid voting for candidates whose interest in contesting is not service to people but acquisition of wealth or power.
K.G.Vilop, Chorao
Freebies culture
Every major political party in India wants to win elections, and there is nothing wrong with it. All the parties want is power to rule the people and accrue the attendant benefits. In the process, they make one hell of a lot of "promises" to the people. Most of them are far-fetched, unrealistic and outright ridiculous.
But still the promises are unabashedly made because there are certain sections of the society that are gullible to tall promises though the clever can easily see through the assurances that are essentially meant to be broken once the election results are out.
As long as there are sections of the people ready to be exploited there will be political parties that go the whole hog to give free ration, fixed amount of direct money transfer into women's accounts, monthly cash to women, yearly fixed incentives running into lakhs, monthly remuneration to the jobless, free electricity up to certain units' consumption, and so on.
No party dithers from promising the moon to its electorate. Most of the parties promise free but are not forthcoming on the huge burden their " free promises" will put on the exchequer if at all the promises are to be remotely met.
Apparently, the Election Commission (EC) can do little to stem the rot. Its hands are full with the onerous responsibility of conducting the elections and enforcing the Model Code of Conduct. Who else can arrest the unsavoury practice? The courts, of course.
The Supreme Court had, on an earlier occasion, decried the tendency of the political parties to indulge in "freebie culture". It had lamented the “culture", and said doling out freebies would disturb the level playing ground in an election.
In a latest order acting on a fresh petition, the Supreme Court has asked the Centre and the EC to reply to its notices on freebies. The petition has prayed for directions from the court to seize the party symbol or deregister the party that promises freebies to its voters.
A tall ask indeed because the top court had said earlier that assuring freebies to the people does not amount to "corruption. But something has to be done to prevent the political parties from playing with the sentiments of innocent people.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Taxes and taxis
Tourists who visit Goa complain about two things - taxes and taxis, the former for being high and the latter for being fleeced by the taxi drivers in the absence of meters. People in Goa also feel the same.
I will not comment on the taxes because of limited space in this column but one thing l will say is that it is totally wrong on the part of the government to think that the economy of the state depends only on income from taxes and that controlling expenditure especially wasteful expenditure is not important.
As regards taxis, for decades now they have been running without meters when taxis in other states have meters. The situation has remained so because of reluctance of the taxi drivers and appeasement by the government. During the last year the government showed some seriousness on the issue and it succeeded partially in seeing that many taxis got digital meters fixed. Let's hope that all taxis are fitted with meters soon.
However, although meters are fixed in many taxis, none of them operate these meters. They are just like ornaments. People want that taxis charge them fares according to the meters. They have waited long enough for it. The new government in Goa should do it without any further ado.
Rodney de Souza, Assagao
Announcements of freebies
Political parties are offering irrational freebies from public funds before elections as if there is no tomorrow. The model code of conduct kicks in the day poll dates are declared and forbids political parties from offering inducements, both material and monetary or making announcements that could impact voters. But all outfits merrily flout the statute, this often messes up the level playing field for some parties and amounts to corrupt practice.
A survey conducted in 2019 in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections had revealed that 40% of the electorate across 534 constituencies voted for the party which had promised the maximum number of bestowals in it's election manifesto.
Based on a plea filed by a BJP leader (wonder of wonders) the Supreme Court observing that the freebie budget was exceeding the regular budget has issued notices to the Centre and Election Commission of India seeking their response to this unethical and blatantly illegal practice. This has been a perennial problem with our democracy since the last five decades and skews the electoral landscape in favour of candidates who promise to be a Santa Claus bringing maximum number of goodies in his/ her bag, post victory. Everyone knows that the pledged largesse hardly comes by once candidates are victorious, almost all public funds are spent by parties on bolstering their resources and enriching their own coffers. The ECI should play a more proactive role and deregister parties promising the moon, the stars and the whole solar system to gullible voters.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Transgenders in electoral list
The frontpage news item "Nine transgenders make it to the electoral list", is a scoop by Herald, January 26. All credit for their inclusion into the mainstream electoral process goes to the Election Commission of India who by a masterstroke inducted the ostracized community in the electoral fray with extended support from Chief Election Officer and District Collector with the blessings of the Governor.
The ECI will also earn the goodwill of the oppressed class to transition them from isolation to accepted members of the society by allocating an appropriate party symbol for future assembly elections. Needless to say that their body language during the assembly sessions will put to rest the raucous and un-parliamentary behaviour of the MLAs on the floor of the house where uproarious scenes are the order of the day.
Everette Assis Telles, Margao
