IPL betting in
football crazy Goa
It is no secret that Goans love their football. There are probably more Goans who follow ISL matches than IPL games. Hence it comes as a surprise that Goa is slowly but surely becoming the betting centre for IPL matches. On Friday, the Porvorim police busted yet another IPL cricket betting racket at a villa in Socorro. As a matter of fact, so far this month, the Goa police have booked seven cases related to IPL betting. This comes at a time when an innocuous looking game like ‘Housie’ has allegedly been banned in the state as it amounts to a "gambling activity". It is pertinent to note that those engaged in IPL betting activities in Goa are from other states. There is a major IPL betting syndicate operating in the State. This has given Goa a bad name. The question that arises is that why do people from other states prefer Goa to carry out this nefarious activity. Has Goa become a sanctuary for betting activities? If so, why. One reason could be the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities concerned in tackling this illegal activity. Goa appears to have become a hotbed for gambling activities. Every IPL season has its own share of news of operators being nabbed and cash and equipment being seized. Despite the proactive efforts of the Goa Police illegal betting activities show no sign of abating. There need to be stronger deterrents in place including constant vigilance, stringent regulatory measures and more importantly people’s involvement.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
A curtain call
for Housie
For generations, Housie—lovingly known as Tambola—has been more than just a game. It has been a source of joy, a spark of laughter, and a glue that bound communities together. In every spirited cry of “Jaldi five”, "Eyes down for Full house!" echoed the warmth of togetherness and the celebration of life’s simple pleasures.
This cherished tradition brought smiles to young and old alike, its charm lighting up church gatherings and social festivities. It was never about money or gambling; it was about connection, unity, and a shared joy that could be found in no other pastime.
Now, with the South Goa District Magistrate’s sweeping ban under the Goa Public Gambling Act, that joy is under threat. Housie—a game so innocent and filled with love—has been caught in a web of legal restrictions. This decision cuts deep, leaving religious institutions and their treasured celebrations in a void that no substitute can fill. How can we let something so pure, so deeply rooted in our hearts, vanish in the blink of
an eye?
What makes this ban even more painful is the stark contradiction it exposes. While casinos, where fortunes are lost and families are torn apart, continue to flourish, and matka gambling operates freely on every street corner, the very fabric of wholesome community traditions like Housie is being unravelled. It feels like a profound injustice—a misplaced judgment on what truly constitutes harm. This is more than a legal decree; it’s a heartbreak. It’s a call to defend our cultural roots, to protect a tradition that has touched countless lives with its simplicity and joy. It is a plea to rekindle the spirit of Housie, to rally as a community and ensure that this beloved tradition is not lost to the sands of time. Let us not let the lights of Housie dim without a fight. Let us stand together, as we always have, and bring back the smiles, the laughter, and the cries of "Full house!" that once filled our hearts and brought us closer.
Everette Assis Telles, Margao
Recent hike in prices
of LPG cylinder
The government does not seem to know what it is doing. Recently it hiked the domestic LPG cylinder prices by Rs 50 but just about 10 days ago, it had reduced the prices of the larger LPG cylinder used in hotels and restaurants by the same amount. Therefore the commodity of LPG being the same there seems to be no logic to hike the domestic LPG cylinder prices by Rs 50 now. However, strange are the workings of this government since in the recent past when international prices of oil and gas were falling , we were seeing an increase in fuel prices domestically.
Srinivas Kamat, Mysore
A cruel decision
Despite the continuous reduction in the price of oil in the international arena, the BJP government's decision to increase the price of LPG cylinders is nothing but day light robbery. Ever since the saffron government came to power, it had only been interested in fleecing the consumers instead of asking on the benefit of reduction in the international price of oil. They have surreptitiously reduced the subsidy on cylinders from Rs 499.52 in 2014 to a pittance Rs 24.95. The irony is that the subsidy remains the same but the cost of the cylinder has been raised multifold and it costs Rs 868.50 today and the latest increase of Rs 50 per cylinder is exactly twice the subsidy of Rs 24.95!
This government is not ready to reduce the cost of the gas cylinders, a day to day requirement of the middle and low income group of people but it had the big heart to write off amounts to the tune of Rs 16.35 lakh crores as Non Reforming Assets of crony capitalists and wilfull defaulters most of whom are alleged to be close to the ruling dispensation, in public sector banks during their 10 year rule.
Why else can we expect from a cruel government which appears to be in existence only for the rich and other crony capitalists, read crooks?
Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai
Fire incidents in summer
have to be controlled
Other than the heavy toll on the body and psyche, a surge in fire incidents is a dangerous repercussion of the intense heat all over the country. Over stressed electrical system at homes is one of the principal causes of increasing fire mishaps. Prudent electricity consumption by residents can prevent short circuits.
Parched weather and inflammable waste products too contribute to fire incidents. Accumulated garbage dumps are major sites for fire; chemicals stored in godowns can also lead to catastrophic fire accidents.
Biodegradable materials of garbage quickly decompose to augment the temperature of the landfill, and when combined with inflammable materials like plastics and clothes, are ready to cause a major fire.
Timely garbage clearance and upkeep of storage areas of flammable materials cannot be over stated in large cities especially near residential localities and industrial areas. Furthermore, dead and dying plants, standing dead trees and fallen leaves and twigs rapidly ignite wildfire.
Therefore, both the citizens and the governments have a task on their hands: preventing fires and protecting lives.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Unauthorised structures
shouldn't be regularised
The government should stop the practice of regularising unauthorised structues as a routine. And such a lenient and casual approach towards regularisation of unauthorised houses, emboldens the non law-abiding individuals to intentionally deviate the rule. Illegal constructions not only cause environmental damages but also pose a threat to the safety and security of neighbours. Road-users too suffer on account of such illegal constructions. Regularisation is not a license for illegal constructions. The government is not expected to be a mute spectator in respect of illegal constructions, which cause great inconvenience to people residing in a locality.
If the construction contravenes of the rules, it would be construed as illegal and needs to be demolished. In Goa, there is widespread belief that unauthorised constructions can be regularised later. Moreover, the government's regularisation scheme will be abused by
developers.
K G Vilop, Chorao