letters to the editor

Burning of 

garbage

On Saturday February 17, plastic bags and other garbage lying along the road behind KTC bus stand in Ponda were set ablaze. Such a tendency is bound to create pollution. Buses as also the pedestrians proceeding along the way were put to great inconvenience due to the smoke emerging from burnt garbage. 

No doubt, burning of garbage has been banned by law. But we still come across such instances even in major cities and towns. Even municipal workers in Ponda brooming the roads indulge in such practices on various occasions.

 It is absolutely necessary for the concerned authorities to depute its representatives at strategic spots for surprise checking and initiate strict action against persons found burning garbage along roadsides. No doubt, such practices should end once and for all.  

Pravin U Sardessai, Adpai

Another bird 

flies away

We are all a witness to another bird, which flew away. I am referring to Nirav Modi, as of now it is said that Rs 11,300 crores is the amount which has been defaulted to various banks but the Indian Express says it can go upto Rs 14,000 crores. It all started in 2011 when the UPA was in power and in 2017 it was out, that it is a defaulter company and the PMO also received complaints with documents, with regards to Nirav Modi. 

In the next few days maybe more things will come to light and chances are the figures of the scam might go up. Lot is available on the net about a big list of defaulters who have to pay back hundreds of crores, but they are well-connected politically and have learnt the art of manipulating. 

When it is said, it is government money, it is actually our money, and we will have to pay back in return maybe as taxes or maybe there will be some increase in prices of essential commodities or maybe any other way but we have to pay back. But we are happy sending jokes and forwards on this issue and many will forget about this entire episode in a few days. The government will do the same thing as usual, i.e blame the earlier governments and promises of course that the guilty will not be spared, but we know that this is a sarkar of ‘Jumlas’. Just a thought, in the good old days, people who robbed and cheated people were called as thieves, or chors or thugs, today they are called as corporates and conglomerates. Apologies, but correct me if I am wrong.

Altaf Shah, Vasco

Iran plane 

crash

It refers to the news item (Iran plane crash kills 65 aboard. 19th, February). As soon as the news broke, the entire world felt heartbroken that all 65 passengers and crew were feared dead in a plane crash in central Iran. It was really distressful to read that many innocent people lost their lives in cause of nothing. 

 It is enough evidence to say that Iranian Airlines have done too little to save the life of their travellers and citizens. That is why air travel is becoming less safe. I extend my heartfelt prayers to the families of deceased and all the people of Iran. 

Md Rustam Parwez, Hyderabad

75% rule of 

college attendance    

A large majority of college students seem to be up in arms against the University rule of 75% compulsory attendance. This rule which was implemented by the University Grants Commission (UGC) exists all over India since the last more than 50 years. Bunking or cutting or whatever you want to call, of classes is fun, no doubt and all students should indulge in this once in a way. Like office-goers have casual or French leave, students could take a day off or not attend a lecture or two. But skipping classes on a regular basis should be a strict no-no. 

Students need to understand that their parents pay 100% fees through their noses for education and they should respect their parents’ wish and the University rule. Many a time a student may be unaware as to how his/her parents manage to pay the steep fees, pay for their upkeep and sacrifices the parents have made. 

Non-science students may make up for the missed lectures through reading or borrowed notes but science students would be at a great loss if they skip a practical class as this would not be repeated by the teacher. Let us not deny the fact that there may be instances when a student wants to study and work to support their family which may desperately need additional income. The authenticity of such claims could be checked by the authorities and permission granted on case to case to basis. But in no case it should be lower than 70%. 

Today it is the college students who are clamouring to do away with the attendance rule and tomorrow school students may want the uniforms to be scrapped!           

Sridhar D. Iyer, Caranzalem

Dangers at the 

bus stand

In a tragic incident, two people were reportedly killed and three others injured after they were knocked down by a private bus at the KTC bus stand in Panjim. It is understood that the passengers were knocked down by the bus while they were walking after alighting from another private passenger bus. 

It is a fact that people face a lot of danger from moving buses in the various bus-stands in the state. This so because those who alight from the buses have to walk on the lane meant for the buses. The buses could be moving into the bus stand or exiting it by moving in a rough and negligent manner with the thought that the bus-stand is meant only for the buses to move. 

It is observed that at the bus-stands in other states the passengers board into or alight from the buses directly from the pavement present within the bus-stand. Hence they do not have to walk on the bus-lanes. This is not the case at several bus-stands in the state where passengers are forced to walk along the bus-lanes and thus face peril. 

In other states, private cars are not allowed to enter the bus stand. In Goa at several bus-stands, private vehicles are seen entering the bus stand in order to drop the passengers at their respective buses. This has to stop. The police should also see to it that people do not loiter on the roads within the bus-stand but rather wait for their buses at the areas designated for the passengers.  

Adelmo Fernandes, 

Vasco