SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2024
Arthur Dias VIA EMAIL
There is a blue plastic cup epidemic slowly growing, but spreading fast through the streets and lanes of Goa. You might have seen it as you have driven or walked by your house or going about your daily routine. It’s hard to miss. Blue transparent cups squashed or just dumped on the ground. This has become a very common sight in Goa.
Our Goemkarsd or otherwise men getting drunk out in the open wherever they can find a little bit of privacy or solitude. They come in groups, drink, laugh, abuse each other and leave all trash on ground without a care in the world.
They disturb the peace of a neighborhood and then come again the next day to repeat the same act. Where are these cups coming from, you ask? These are from the retail booze shops that are encouraging this behaviour by selling these cups at no extra cost to their patrons. It’s a clear violation of the law which prohibits drinking liquor out in the open without a permit. But slowly Goa is turning into an open bar state.
One can witness men drinking right outside a booze shop, sitting on the pavement and chugging a beer can or two. Who is allowing such behaviour? Why isn’t any action taken against such liquor shops? The license of defaulter retail outlets should be cancelled and the shop sealed!
Two people also to be blamed here; the public and the police. The public for letting these brazen acts continue and the police for turning a blind eye. Why is the public not complaining or protesting against these drunken affairs? Why stay silent and set a bad example for our future generations.
Our cops are the most relaxed and friendly that can be. They should have regular patrols and also set up drinking checkposts to stop such behaviour. If someone has been to Bangalore, they will tell of how merciless the cops are there. You cannot argue if found drunk and you have to pay the hefty fine. If found in violation the third time, your license is cancelled and you have to appear in court. Why doesn’t our Goa police come up with such measure to uphold the law? Time and again we have seen accidents from drunk driving, which again is tied to these plastic blue cups.
Who will clean up this mess now? I have seen cops come to such drunkards, talk to them, smile and leave. When will they toughen their act? It's high time that the Goa government take stringent actions to curtail this menace.
