Install traffic signals at all road junctions
It is learnt that a day after a fatal accident at Consua junction on Friday, traffic police were deployed at the accident-prone junction. This must be considered as a stop-gap arrangement. Police personnel are after all humans and cannot be expected to do duty in the hot sun throughout the day. Police stations are also facing a shortage of staff. It is learnt that the Cortalim MLA Antonio Vas has recommended installation of traffic signals at the junction. It is absolutely necessary to install traffic signals at all major road junctions in the state which should be functional.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
The traffic signals at Verna junction were not functioning for several days. The traffic lights at other junctions along the highway from Verna to Dabolim Airport are functioning intermittently. Given the tremendous increase in the number of vehicles on Goa roads the importance of traffic signals cannot be underestimated.
The primary function of any traffic signal is to assign right-of-way to conflicting movements of traffic at an intersection. Traffic lights also save time by coordinating traffic routes and flow without traffic jams. The traffic police posted at the junctions need to book vehicular drivers who jump the signal. Traffic lights apply some rules and regulations on the vehicle drivers. Broadening of roads and building flyovers has reduced travel time. What is also necessary is traffic control at major junctions by installing traffic lights.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Patrolling needed at porous border
Since the Myanmar army has been brutal against the militants in the battle for supremacy along the Indian border, a mass influx of Myanmar citizens into India particularly Kamjong in Manipur has taken place. Though four Indian states share border with Myanmar, Mizoram and Manipur have borne the maximum brunt of insurgency, particularly Manipur nowadays. But the International Border, that runs to nearly 1643 km, has to be firmly secured to prevent influx of drug lords, Myanmar citizens, army personnel and the insurgents. Drugs, goods, arms and counterfeit currency smuggling have shown no signs of unabating across the unfenced border. The Centre has begun its work on building a barrier along the lengthy border since March 2023, but the work is tedious considering the terrain.
Already, fencing of the border in Manipur has been met with stiff resistance by the local militants like Kukis and Nagas. The Centre is also planning to remove the 16 km free movement regime (FMR) that allowed people residing on either side of the border to venture 16 km into each other’s territory without a visa. However, a strong patrolling and quick fencing can be the only answers to check free flow of drugs and arms into India. In this regard, the Indo–Myanmar Border Force, a massive force with a combination of Assam Rifles and Indo–Tibetan Border police, that is ready to be rolled out, should help tackling the cross border smuggling menace to a great extent.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Corruption can’t be eradicated completely
Amid the efforts of the government to tackle corruption, it cannot be completely eradicated in economically vibrant societies. Corruption comes from weakness of human nature; temptation, greed and the desire to amass wealth or to obtain business through unfair means. It as a low risk and high profitable way of making a quick buck and whoever is caught, often knows how to go scot-free.
Lack of clarity and transparency makes our laws fertile breeding grounds for corruption. While corruption that happens at the top level often attracts media attention and the occasional national outrage, a great deal of corruption, which affects the ordinary person, is at the retail level. While corruption remains endemic and deep-rooted, most of the state’s in India, anti-corruption measures remain half-hearted and slow. This is largely because the vital institutions raised to fight graft lack genuine autonomy and a serious sense of purpose.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Semblance of Opinion Poll to LS Elections
On 16 January, we celebrated 57th anniversary of the Opinion Poll which voted for Goa, Daman and Diu to remain a separate entity in the first and only referendum in free India and a projection of this Opinion Poll could be done on to the national scene this year which is going to the polls in late April most probably.
It may be recalled that the pro-merger forces had a majority in the Legislative Assembly but in the people’s court, the Opposition went on to win by a margin of 34,021 votes.
The Opposition INDIA is in a similar situation with respect to the ruling NDA. In fact it would be right that the INDIA alliance has a greater support base in India and could topple the NDA from power if all the 26 constituents are united despite ideological differences. If they stick together, history can be made and the necessary change that a vibrant and pulsating democracy is in need of can happen. A galaxy of opposition leaders could come together to provide a much needed alternative which could become the shield of the secular fabric of the Constitution. Realistically such a change can happen and a secular India would be more acceptable in the international comity of nations. The INDIA alliance has the chance of their lives to set up an alternative if they navigate with caution and prudence.
Elvidio Miranda, Panjim
All that glitters is not gold!
The Maldivian President had asked the Indian government to withdraw its military presence from Maldives before March 15. In a hither to strained diplomatic relations scenario between the two nations , over recent derogatory comments by Maldivian ministers targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his visit to Lakshadweep, this insistence will only create the rift to widen.
It is unfortunate that the present government which has a pro-China stand forgetting the help and support rendered to the island nation in the past. Be it the military aid given during an attempted coup by some mercenaries in 1988, assistance given during the 2004 Tsunami and then the water crisis in Dec 2014,
India was always the first to help them in crisis. In 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic was raging across the globe, India was the first to help with supply of vaccines and Indian tourists were the first to visit Maldives just after Covid helping it’s tourism economy . India has always stood by Maldives in its good and bad times.
It is very well understood that some political outfits who are anti Indian are behind the scene and the leaders at the helm are just but puppets dancing to their tune. It is also obvious that China has it’s own vested interest in supporting and helping Maldives.
Days to come will surely make the present Maldivian government understand that all that glitters is not good.
M Pradyu, Kannur
