26 June Letters

Cutting  trees  for  safety
Trees be it young or old cause great danger to residential houses and occupants. Many people appeal to the panchayat or municipal authorities to take up their cause and at times file petitions at the deputy collector’s office for immediate relief and action.
Any tree can swing in any direction depending on its age, weight, height, soil conditions and wind forces acting on it. All these factors have to be taken into consideration when such trees are likely to cause considerable damage to property and life. Trees including their branches which are in close proximity to the houses can be assessed by visual inspection for its potential danger. If government agencies make a decision that such trees will not cause any danger, then that government agency stands responsible for the consequences to follow.
Many landowners too are reluctant to cut such trees which may cause likely damage to residential property and life. The landowners may have the ownership right on their trees, but not when the safety of houses and occupants are at stake. Can the State government enact a law in this regard during the coming monsoon session and resolve this issue? 
Paul Pereira, Utorda
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Au Revoir Marc
It was indeed very sad to hear about the death of Marc de Souza a writer and contributor from Miramar who has contributed to the print media in the State for several years. I was an avid reader of his writings, especially the ‘middles’ which were based on several topics pertaining to various aspects of life. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Ironic situation
Opening a new business means a never ending runaround to obtain licenses with government approval which never seem to end. One amongst these is the license to be acquired from the food and drugs department which deals with hygiene of business premises. Following the submission of relevant documents, an officer inspects the site after which there are other essential requirements that must be fulfilled ~ proper ventilation, proper painting and tiling, proper waste disposal, et al ~ in order to obtain complete approval. Ironically, when I visited the Food and Drugs Administration office in Altino, Panjim I was taken aback at the pathetic condition of the office. I was surprised to see paint peeling off the walls, broken windows, dust all over and furniture that cried out for prompt attention, water marks left behind on walls proving the seeping in of water during rains. Seeing bundles of wires and insects made me feel worse. It made me wonder if the rules made by the department were only for the general public.
Alico Fernandes, Benaulim
Winning despite…?
By appointing Narendra Modi to lead its election campaign, the BJP has done a big favour to the Congress in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. If it’s anything to go by the 2004 elections, where the BJP, with its iconic leader A B Vajpayee could not retain its throne in Delhi, post the Gujarat violence, then it will surely be very difficult to do so with the controversial Modi carrying with him the ignominious deeds of the Gujarat riots. With the splitting of Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal(U) from the NDA and the walk out from the party of their most influential leader LK Advani, the writing is on the wall for the saffron party. In Goa, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar openly patronizing Modi has sent shivers down the spine of many. The Congress will once again win the election despite of Coalgate, 2G and Commonwealth Games allegations.
Valent Mascarenhas, Calangute
Sao Joao fest
With all the suffering and death in north India, it does seem out of sync for our State to be reveling publicly, commemorating the feast of St John the Baptist. Our brothers and sisters are mourning the loss of so many lives in floods in Uttarakhand.
Dr Carmo Costa Viegas, Assolna
Casinos destructive?
I seriously cannot understand the hue and cry being made by certain activists about casinos in Goa.  Only well-to-do businessmen splurge money at casinos. Black money and other ill-gotten wealth may be laundered. A few fools who don’t have the moolah to burn may also visit the gambling dens and turn paupers at the most if they don’t have the control  ~ and  waste their hard or easy (by selling their properties) earned money. This, I believe  is much better than visiting bars and turning into alcoholics, thus destroying both, their health and family life.   Most of the casinos are for entertainment purposes for the well off. Prostitution happening in some casinos is the negative side effects, which lawmakers should keep a check on.  If social activists are so concerned about local people wasting their own money, there should be strict rules about entry into casinos for locals. Casinos are generating jobs for locals in the entertainment industry.  The government must reorganise this industry and could change the locations of the ships if necessary.
Margarida M, Fatorda
Discipline tourists
Law and order is needed to ensure a healthy society. This is provided by an effective police force. Tourists who visit Goa need to be cautioned about their behaviour in the State. Some of the tourists do not follow traffic rules. Society often blames traffic police for being callous towards such errant tourists; the police have to face the ire of errant drivers who are chastised for disobeying traffic rules. If the men in uniform are suspended for doing their duty diligently, tourists will continue to break rules and regulations and create a chaotic situation in Goa. Will such a thing happen in foreign countries wherein traffic police are suspended for doing their duty?
Rui Pereira, Navelim
Negative attitude?
We Goans have a tendency to either protest or resist any change that is introduced by the government or any other public institution. No doubt, our resistance to change is sometimes justified, but it need not always be true in each and every situation. We need to look at the bigger picture of what the change can bring about. For example people from Cuncolim are opposed to setting up of a prestigious educational institution like NIIT or for that matter there is objection from some parents to the increase of 30 minutes daily, to the present school timings, without going into the merits of the issues involved. In these two cases, educationists and parents should welcome them whole heartedly. Such decisions most definitely in the long run will greatly benefit our present and future students. Issues if any, can be resolved by demanding greater accountability from schools though the PTAs.
Parents should realize the additional time will definitely help teachers to complete the syllabi well in time without rushing through the course and in turn students will be subjected to less stress and strain. Also various co-curricular and extra-curricular activities can be conducted effectively in a systematic and planned manner.
A negative attitude from the parents towards changes, can become detrimental to the cause of education. Certain things are best left to educational experts and their decisions should be respected and implemented efficiently.
Antonio Diniz, Fatorda
Give powers to aam aadmi
If elected panchayat bodies have overriding powers over gram sabha resolutions as per the prevalent panchayat raj laws, then the government should change it immediately. Give powers to the common  man who elects representatives and all the other persons who come seeking votes to serve the people of that area and promise to fulfill their requirements and then when elected do exactly what they want without asking, consulting or listening to these common people of the area. So change the Panchayat Raj Act immediately to give much more powers to the gram sabhas, specially to check multi-house dwellings, mega projects and grandiose plans of builders and speculators that compromise the basic infrastructure of the area specially water, electricity, roads, parking, garbage, law and order, medical services, transportation, etc, which are already so overburdened. Also, give power to the people to recall the elected person if he/she is not performing his/her duty, so that this unfair compulsion of putting up with non-performing representatives for five long years, is gone.
Elected representatives have to be responsible and accountable for the job that they have volunteered to do and have been elected to, as are all other employees of the government or any other enterprise. Laws empowering gram sabhas should be changed immediately, just as the government changed casino fees quickly and changed the gambling Act in favour of casinos.
Annand Madgavkar, by email