letters to the editor

Leave Wagh alone please

Given former Deputy Speaker Vishnu Surya Wagh’s very precarious state of health, it is very unfortunate that an FIR has been registered against him and that too for something that he penned some years ago as part of his literary writings. And with his health already in dire straits, for Vishnu Wagh an FIR on the eve of the Festival of lights brings only further needless and unjust gloom. 

For over a year the poet, writer, dramatist, journalist and artist par excellence Vishnu Wagh has been bedridden in almost a vegetative condition unable to even communicate. 

And yet he is being hounded by the so-called virtuous amongst us.

Is it fair and proper to slap an FIR on someone who cannot defend himself? And that too when the Police selectively choose to look the other way in real crimes committed by other politicians.

To instigate the State machinery against someone in a helpless personal condition does not augur well for one who is presumed to be fighting for values of mankind.

Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar

Dental post graduate students' stipend hike

The first letter that was sent to the government regarding the request in hike of dental post graduate students' was in November 2015 and till date no decision has been taken. 

All over the country the clinical post graduate students of Medical and Dental are paid the same amount of stipend (which in most states is around 60-80k per month). 

Whereas in Goa the stipend of clinical and non-clinical post graduate students in GMC is 60k. We as dental post graduate students despite of being in a clinical field are still being paid 25k per month and our request to get away with this discrepancy has not been looked upon by the government since last two years. 

Where in all over India dental post graduates are considered and paid in the scale of a "junior resident", it's not the case in Goa. In Goa dental college the post of junior resident is filled by BDS candidates for one-year tenure and are paid 60k salary.

As all the other posts like lecturer, professor, senior resident, and interns, of GMC and GDC are paid the same, there shouldn't be any discrepancy amongst the PG students of both the Institutes as we all come under the same campus and university. 

Despite repeated assurances by the government the file has not been put up for cabinet and off late as per the sources in public health department , the file has been kept back because it has been combined with another issue (creation of senior resident posts) and the finance department has not yet approved of this issue.

 Because of this our issue has been held up. So our request is to the health minister to do away with this disparity as early as possible as this is creating unrest amongst all the resident doctors in Goa dental college.

Clarence Dias, by email

Waiting for a tragedy?

As usual the administration in India wakes up to take up corrective measures, only when a tragedy occurs like the Elphistone bridge. Vanxim island, for instance, lies neglected, only because its few votes hardly matter during elections. The biggest nightmare for them is when the ferry breaks down.

It takes four hours to replace that ferry which arrives all the way from Panjim jetty. Imagine the plight of those who have to board a flight or an outstation train or still worse those who have to be rushed for medical treatment. 

A flyover bridge is a distant reality, but a provision of standby ferry can go a long way for both Vanxim as well as Naroa ferry users, since Naroa which also has just one ferry is just 200 mts away.

I request the administration to take note of this and not wait for some worst incident to happen.

Dellon D'Mello, Vanxim

Baina beach beautification works

It’s really good to see the beautification and development at Baina beach, as this was a long pending project for Vascoites, but the concerned authorities must note that a natural green lawn and Children’s Park equipment like swings, seesaw, slides, monkey bars, jungle gym, etc, at the beachfront, are essential, and surely, this project is incomplete till date, as several other facilities like changing rooms / toilets are still pending, and are part of the beautification plan (phase 1).

Also, a landmark statue of ‘Vasco-da-gama’ or ‘children playing ring around the rosie’, at the entrance of the beach, will be a good idea, as tourists wish to take photographs, and will serve as a tourist attraction.

I hope the concerned authorities will complete these works as early as possible.

Augustus Alphonso, Vasco-da-gama

Promote Citizen journalism

It is understood that the Government of Goa, through the Department of Information and Publicity, has instituted “The Goa State Journalism Awards” which will be conferred in seven categories for news items and articles published during the previous calendar year. The categories, among others, include sports reporting, reporting on art and culture, photo journalism, etc.

It must be said that the common man as a citizen journalist also plays an important role in field of journalism by reporting on various issues of public interest. 

These citizen journalists are not employed by any newspaper publishing house but nevertheless could be playing a crucial role in bringing problems faced by the common man to the attention of the authorities concerned by highlighting them in the print media.

'Citizen Journalism' plays an important role in the society and more citizens need to be encouraged to contribute to the print media. The government could include an award for “Citizen Journalism” and choose the citizen journalist for the year after receiving nominations forwarded by the various newspapers. This will go a long way in encouraging more people to take up the role of a citizen journalist.

Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco

No Aadhaar, no food?

An 11-year-old Indian girl starved to death on September 28 at her village in Jharkhand as her family was struck off the eligible list as their Aadhaar cards were not linked to their ration cards. The family was struck off from government welfare rolls for not linking their ration card with the Aadhaar card.

 How can this Government be so insensitive to the plight of the poor that they cannot even provide food grains to those living below the poverty line? 

 PM Modi gives big talks with actions about ‘sab ke sath, sab ka vikas’ and ‘achee din’ but is it only ‘achee din’ for PM Modi, Amit Shah, Jay Shah, Arun Jaitley, Adanis and Ambanis?

Matias Lobo, Oman