Don’t make Exposition
VIP or touristic event
Many people worldwide irrespective of their religion are eagerly awaiting with fervour to partake in this year’s forthcoming Exposition our Goencho Saib, St Francis Xavier. My request is please do not make the Exposition a VIP or tourist event. The ‘App’ announced recently in newspapers wherein anyone registering online will be given priority for veneration through a separate queuing arrangement is very much in bad taste which is not in conformity to the teachings of the Church. Pope Francis always reminds us the Church should give priority and cater cater to the needs of the poor, the downtrodden and the marginalised. Many such people do not have access to such Apps or are accustomed to use such facilities. It would mean such marginalised and downtrodden people will have to keep waiting in queues while those who have registered online will be given priority over them.
I request our Church authorities to advise committee members on the importance of religious devotion and to shun such VIP culture atleast at the Exposition and also set a precedent during the novenas and feasts.
Hoping better sense prevails.
Praxy Fernandes, Sankhali
Big salute to oppn panch
members of Sancoale VP
Opposition panch members should be congratulated for successfully putting a tough fight against their ruling panch members of the Sancoale village panchayat and forcing them to resolve to issue a show cause notice to M/s Parmesh Constructions Company Ltd, also known as Bhutani Infra, asking it to comply with the Mormugao Planning and Development Authority (MPDA) regulations including submission of necessary documents and NOCs within seven days.
Yes, let the real truth finally come out through the Panchayat itself and let Goans know who were still involved in bringing this Bhutani ghost cum nuisance to Sancoale village for their own self-interest.
Anyway, keep going Tulsidas Naik, Maurelio Carvalho, Nidhi Naik and Maria Paulina Azavedo, you people are really doing a wonderful job to save your village through your own hard efforts and by digging past records.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
Bouncers should know
their limitations
The controversial Bhutani housing project which is proposed to come up on a hill in Sancoale village has faced strong protest from the locals and Goans from across the state. Several opposition leaders, local leaders, social activists and citizens have landed in the village in support of the locals which also saw a massive candle-light procession. It is observed that the Bhutani Infracompany has posted bouncers at the entrance of the project site not allowing people to enter the forest area.
The locals have alleged that these bouncers also roam on the streets of the village video filming the villagers, including the women, even at night. This is highly objectionable and amounts to stalking the women folk of the village. The police need to look into the matter and take necessary action. Be that as it may, bouncers are primarily employed to monitor night-clubs, bars, casinos or venues in order to detect, report and correct any condition inside or outside the club which could lead to injuries of patrons or staff or to damage of the club or its equipment. The task of the bouncers is also to monitor crowds, check identification, and inspect bags. A bouncer's duties also includes providing security, to check legal age and drinking age, to refuse entry for intoxicated persons, and to deal with those with aggressive behavior. They should not have a free hand and hit people on flimsy grounds and definitely they do not have any right to video film on their mobile local women, especially after dusk.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
TCP taking the
public for a ride
In every Panchayat, we find villagers have been objecting to projects that have been issued licences on the basis of the technical report of the TCP. The Officials of TCP who are corrupt and real estate supporters have passed many controversial projects overlooking every aspect of the environment damages and the village carrying capacity.
The hills, forests, fields and water bodies are not spared. The bulldozing of the Panchayat Raj act was seen in the video that went viral as to how an lawyer was allowed to attend and sit in the fortnightly meeting of the panchayat body and was seen prompting to the VP Secretary what to say till the public decided to say that enough was enough.
This amounts to murder of the Panchayat Raj and the Panchayat Secretary/Sarpanch should be issued a show cause notice for such gross violations.
Gregory E D’Souza, Siolim
Trouble brewing for coffee workers
Coffee denotes energy; coffee symbolises joy. Above all, it is a celebration of friendship. In some coffee producing nations, coffee consumption is rooted in culture. Coffee could connect people and create communities. Unlike tea, coffee is 'prescribed' as a medicine to keep small disorders away.
Amidst more than four hundred million cups of coffee consumed annually, in more than eighty five coffee growing countries, coffee growers were in a tight spot when the corona pandemic took the world by storm. Even otherwise, climate change that has resulted in global warming, and untimely and scarce rainfall, have troubled the coffee producers.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola