Armando Colaco has
scripted history
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Congratulations to Armando Colaco for being chosen for the prestigious Dronacharya Award. Goans are proud of you for being the first Goan to achieve this prestigious award and third Indian after Syed Naeemuddin in 1990 and Bimal Praful Ghosh in 2022.
Armando Colaco is a son of soil hailing from the village of Curtorim in South Goa. He started his career as a football player, a very successful player and after his retirement from playing football in 1985 he started coaching and became a coach and later in life he became a manager. His contribution to football is huge as a player, Coach and also a Manager. He had played and coached for most of the Goan Club Clubs, like Salcette sports club, Sesa Goa, Churchill Brothers, Sporting de Goa and of course Dempo Sports Club. He also became a coach for our state team in the Santosh Trophy and also Indian National football team and thus Armando Colaco was a legend in the Indian football field. He achieved a lot and also contributed lot to Goan and Indian football. He deserves this Prestigious Dronacharya Award for his sacrifices in football. It is learnt that this Award will be awarded to Armando by the President Draupadi Murmu on 17th January at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Goa is proud of you Armando for getting this Prestigious Dronacharya Award to Goa,you are a jewel in the Crown of Goan as well as Indian football.
Natividade Fernandes, Cavelossim
Baby steps in conserving
Mhadei river water
It is shocking to note that the House committee on the Mhadei water dispute met on Wednesday, almost two years after the last meeting. The Mhadei water issue is very important for the state of Goa. However it has never become an emotive issue and does not evoke much response even during the state assembly elections. It is the environmentalists who are in the forefront to prevent the diversion of Mhadei river water to the neighbouring state of Karnataka. It won’t be wrong to say that Goa is taking baby steps towards conserving ‘mother’ Mhadei River water for Goa. The Mhadei River is considered a lifeline and a nurturer of the state’s ecosystem and culture. Karnataka is going full steam in its work in diverting water from the Mhadei basin to the Malarpabha basin.
It is learnt that in the House Committee meeting that the members cutting across party lines have decided to visit the Khalsa and Bhanduri projects in Karnataka in order to inspect the work carried out by the neighbouring state for diverting the water. Is it too little too late? Even though Karnataka has a Congress government and Goa has ‘double engine sarkar’, it is understood that the Chief Minister of Karnataka held a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking permission to divert Mhadei waters for drinking purposes. It seems necessary for an expert team to accompany the politicians from Goa during the visit to Kalsa and Banduri project sites in Karnataka to get a first-hand experience of the ground situation.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Melodrama has taken
sheen off reality shows
Television Reality shows boomed at the fag end of the 1990s and the early 2000s. India emulated the West almost along the same time to offer a wide range of reality programmes which really began with talent-hunting song shows. However, some “reality” shows have become the butt of jokes, and others have been accused of “fixing” the entire series, from day one.
The problem with the reality shows began the day they transgressed from its definition: unscripted, real-life situation with unknown participants. Scripted, pre–planned, stage–managed, rigging are the common words used by audiences to pan the shows. Unnecessary melodrama has taken the genuine stuff out of these shows.
The past histories of several participants are needlessly raked-up to pump the show with emotional overload and endlessly drag the event. There are also reports on how some stories about contestants are fabricated to increase the Television, or Target, Rating Point (TRP) of the shows.
Talent–hunting should concentrate only on one particular aspect of a participant: aptitude. Socio-economic hindrances cannot be highlighted to garner empathy towards the contenders and, thereby, votes.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Quality, not quantity
work needed
While Infosys Chairman Emeritus and Founder Narayanmurthy has advocated for seventy hours work a week ago, L&T’s Chief Subrahmanyan has bettered it by advocating for ninety hours week and also questioning how long the employee would look at his/her spouse’s face. Both the bosses have not realized the fact that employees do have a personal life as well and that it is the quality of work out put which should matter and not the quantity. Both being exceptionally well-run successful companies hope they adapt exemplary work standards and ethics.
While on work hours both the bosses may also recall the recent death of young women employee of E&Y Anna Sebastian Perayil who at the prime age of 26 died due to work related stress which her mother had also reasoned to the long work hours and the work-stress.
Statements of the sort coming from acclaimed industry bosses, I am afraid may send wrong signals amongst enthusiastic youngsters who would want to prove themselves.
Gopalaswamy J, Chennai
Improve public transport to reduce accidents
The government is eager to announce and undertake ‘development’ activity in the State. Right from roads to bridges and flyovers, wherever you go, one will come across the so called infrastructure development in Goa. The worst is how the Smart City works are being perennially given deadline after deadline. All these works are adding to traffic congestion and sadly deaths to fatal accidents.
One way to improve the situation is to go back to good old days of excellent public transport. Goa was known for bus connectivity across the State, which included KTC buses as well as private buses. Without good public transport, the public suffers and are forced to travel in private vehicles, most of the time a single soul in a four-wheeler.
While the infrastructure works can continue to flourish, only reducing the number of vehicles can ensure less congestion and improved road safety.
This applies to the rental vehicles too. If govt promotes better public transport and taxi facilities and takes the self driven rental vehicles off the road, it will add to employment as well as better and safe commute among the tourists.
Ibn Budan, Verna
