GGEA has hit the nail on the head
The Goa Government Employees Association (GGEA) after taking a serious note of the recent Parliament security breach is now rightly demanding to ban entry of staff of Ministers and MLAs visiting government departments without ID cards in the State and for often misusing their positions inorder to get own work done in Goa.
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Well, today it has indeed become a trend for every Tom, Dick and Harry, claiming to be staff of Ministers and MLAs to frequently barge in different government departments under some pretext or the other and to flex their muscles in front of employees of these departments behaving like roadside rowdies to get their own personal work done in Goa.
When wearing of identity cards is already compulsory for our press reporters, security guards and even for children studying in different schools and colleges in the State then why not make wearing of ID cards compulsory for the staff of ministers and MLAs as well to stop them from misusing their position and acting like big VIPs in Goa?
The Goa government should accept this legitimate demand of the GGEA at earliest and make wearing of ID cards to henceforth stop them from misusing their positions.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
Security breach has left nation shell-shocked
The unprecedented security breach in the Parliament has left the entire nation in a state of shock and disbelief. Can entering a highly protected building be that simple? The infraction cannot be seen as a singular event, but a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities that exist even in the most guarded locations of the country. It is all the more disturbing that the incident took place on a day marked by solemn tributes to the victims of the 2001 Parliament attack, adding a layer of grim irony to the sacred institution.
The fact that one of the intruders almost reached the Speaker’s Chair underscores the severity of the breach. The Parliament security breach is a wake-up call to the nation, and it highlights the need for constant vigil, robust security frameworks, and swift action to prevent any compromises to the nation’s security. As investigations continue, it is crucial to learn from this incident and beef up our defences against any such future threats.
Meanwhile, if the ruling BJP is really serious about the incident, in a nonpartisan manner it must take proper action against the party’s MP from Mysuru Pratap Simha, who is said to have issued visitor passes to the intruders.
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
Two sets of laws in every sector of ‘New India’
Mere allegation of “receiving money and gifts for query” indeed threatens “national security” with the “culprit” promptly expelled from the Parliament, but literally security breach within Parliament can certainly not be a cause for worry!
So there arises no question of demanding accountability who issued visitor’s pass to one of the canister-brigade though rules clearly say that all responsibility of any sort of nuisance by the “guests” rest solely upon the pass-issuing MP!
However such a hypocrite stance on the part of the concerned authorities is hardly surprising; after all two sets of laws exist in every sector of “New India,” one for the “saffron” states and Centre, another for the vocal states/people of Opposition rank!
But had the pass been issued by say Rahul Gandhi or any leader of TMC AAP DMK RJD or Left! Surely the Bhakts and their “patrons” would have painted the town red (or painted the country saffron) by now denigrating the “Pakistanis” “anti-nationals” “Urban Naxals”, isn’t it!
Kajal Chatterjee, Kolkatta
Covid-19 resurgence and the festive season
After a substantial period of relatively low number of Covid-19 cases, Goa seems to be now facing a resurgence of the infection. Four new cases were detected in the State according to the health authorities taking the total number of people testing positive for the virus to twelve. It is learnt that 112 samples were tested and that all the affected persons are currently observing home isolation in order to curtail the spread of the disease.
Be that as it may, Covid-19 sub-variant JN 1, a descendant of a descendant of Pirola or BA.2.86 has been detected for the first time in Kerala after eluding India’s genome surveillance efforts for weeks, triggering concerns about its potential impact on the rising cases in that state. The disease is potentially linked to the winter season, when influenza-like illnesses tend to increase. Despite the recent uptick in cases, health officials have reportedly reassured the public that the situation remains under control. It is pertinent to note that Goa is in the midst of the festive season. Droves of tourists from within the country and across the globe, including family members and relatives, will be heading to the state to celebrate Christmas and usher in the New Year 2024. Hopefully Goa will not see a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in the coming days.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Goa viewed by many as unkempt destination
As a British tourist who has been coming to Goa for the past 30 years Vinay Dwivedi via his letter titled ‘Goa losing out on foreign tourists’ (Herald, 12 December) has got it correct in that foreign tourists in Goa right now are and will remain few and far between.
Sadly one of the reasons is that Goa is viewed by many international tourists as being a dirty unkempt destination! I am currently staying in Candolim and the beach here is as bad as I have ever seen it. At the weekend, there was a huge influx of domestic tourists on the beach and the result was nothing short of disgusting!!! Beer and water bottles, plastic bags, wrappers of all kinds are simply discarded by Indian tourists. Why you would want to make such a mess of your own surroundings is simply beyond me. Until rubbish bins are available at regular intervals on the beach and Indian tourists use them, sadly Goa’s international reputation is going to continue to suffer.
Emma Thompson, by email
