Goa is barely a few days away from the by-polls in Panjim and Valpoi,
and the candidates are doing all that they can to woo the people to secure
their ever-so-precious votes. The parties have drawn their manifestos and
listed solutions to issues that they think will earn them brownie points. The
mud-slinging couldn’t have been far behind and rival candidates are trying to
prove how each one of them is better than the other. Although the by-polls are
restricted to the constituencies of Panjim and Valpoi, issues that affect each
of us continue to exist in every part of Goa. And we are not even talking about
larger issues such as unemployment, whether or not casinos are good for Goa,
etc. Of course, these issues also affect Goans and we’d like to see them
resolved, but here we are talking about civic issues that affect us on a daily
basis. Be it the terrible condition of roads, traffic jams, garbage issues or
parking woes – these problems plague every one of us and if resolved, would
make life far more comfortable.
Café asked a
few young Goans about the issues that they’d like to see resolved, and this is
what they had to say:
The condition of
roads, especially in the Verna Industrial Estate, are so bad that they not only
pose a serious risk to the vehicle but can also cause major accidents leading
to loss of life or limb. The authorities should also crack down on people that
litter, by imposing proper civic etiquettes. The garbage issue is not
restricted to any one part of Goa but is a problem that continues to be a
headache in almost every taluka. I feel that the politicians should, for once,
stop thinking like politicians and think like the common man. That will bring
us all on the same page.
RUTUJA KARMALKAR, Entrepreneur, Margao
There’s a reason why
the youth, apart from venting out their frustration and participating in
elections only virtually on social media, is not really interested in politics.
The party manifestos are a joke and a repetition of the same old clichéd
solutions to age-old issues that neither of the parties have true willingness
to solve. The casino stuck at Miramar is a perfect example of the joke that
politicians have made of this state and its people. The vessel is not only an
eye sore but is causing serious environmental hazards that will affect all of
us in the long run. What we really need is a government that is accountable and
prioritises issues as per their seriousness.
ABHISHEK KAMAT, Graphics Designer, Dona Paula
The roads in Panjim
definitely need an overhaul. The condition of the internal road from Caranzalem
to Dona Paula is extremely bad, and there are no street lights on the Miramar
outer road. From the viewpoint of safety for women, especially after numerous
incidents of chain snatching that have taken place in the area, it is important
to have some visibility in the night. In addition to that, the issue of
parallel parking of vehicles on 18th June Road continues to cause traffic jams.
These issues affect all of us on a daily basis, and the person/ party that is
committed to solving these, gets my vote.
LUANA AGNES MASCARENHES, Dietician, Panjim
