Why road accidents have
become too common?
A lot has been said about road accidents and many views and suggestions have come from different people through this very same column.
Well, I personally feel that the root cause of most road accidents is due to the free availability of liquor every few metres throughout the state.
The other reason is because some people simply do not know how to drive.
The worst part is that RTO officials allegedly issue driving licenses to even unfit people who simply do not know the basics of simple driving.
Our respective governments over the years have also not bothered to improve the public transport services in the state and due to which we see most people practically using their vehicles on a daily basis to move around everywhere and in the bargain create more chaos on our already congested roads.
I therefore strongly feel that until and unless the government of the day does not improves the public transport services in the state, does not puts strict restrictions over the sale of liquor, keeps encouraging people from using their own vehicles to create more chaos on our already congested roads and does not stops the RTO officials from blindly issuing licences, we should never expect nor dream of curbing road accidents in Goa in future.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
Pre-monsoon showers
will flood Panjim
Monsoon preparedness in the city of Panaji which usually begins in January has reportedly been delayed this year due to the roads being dug up for developmental works under the Smart City project. The unclean drains pose a threat to the city’s arterial roads that are generally plagued with flooding. It usually takes the CCP three to four months starting January to clean the city drains. However, with several roads being simultaneously dug up, most drains have been blocked due to the ongoing works. The unclean drains pose a threat to the city’s arterial roads that are generally plagued with flooding. There is fear and anxiety in the minds of the people of Panaji that the city might flood this year due to lack of inter-departmental co-ordination. To make things worse, the pre-monsoon showers are round the corner. In fact the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has reportedly forecast light rain and thundershowers in Goa on April 7 and 8. It is under the influence of trough in easterly winds. Thundershowers are likely in isolated places over North and South Goa. If Panaji city does experience heavy rains during the pre-monsoon showers then there is a likelihood of the city being flooded. Water will enter the homes in low lying areas. The mud from dug up areas will make the roads slippery in the rains which could prove very dangerous for the vehicular drivers. The pre-monsoon showers are knocking at our doors and it will require a miracle to complete the Smart City project in time.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Appoint Human Rights Commission Chairman
Today our Goan Society is undergoing a social change with people agitating everywhere for legal relief. Inspite of the best efforts of the Government to reach out to citizens and redress grievances there is a need to have all forums of redressal vibrant and functional at all times. It has been some time that the state is with a Human Rights Commission without it’s members.
Would request the Government to immediately appoint the new Chairman and full component of it’s members so that people have a rightful forum to represent against harassment and denial of their fundamental rights.
GR Crasto, Navelim
Enemy property belong
To Goa and Goans
The Central and State government seem to be concerned about the properties of private owners these days. The Union government has announced that it will sell the enemy properties shortly. Enemy properties in Goa belong to Goans who had gone to Pakistan years ago and took citizenship of that country.
The Goa government has recently passed Bills regarding properties viz Restrictions on transfer of agricultural land which are tilled which has some major loopholes and the Amendments to the Code of Comunidades which gives the government swing powers to mediate in Comunidades matters and control them. The amendments also include one that enables the children of accionistas to get Comunidade land without auction.
These have been done without the consent of the gaunkars who are the owners of Comunidade land. This is like Sakaram giving away Tukarams land. And to top it all, the Goa government has now announced that the anonymous properties which are of private owners will be taken over by the government. The Goa Government seems to be more interested in privately owned properties rather than issues of the common man.
Rodney de Souza, Assagao
Pakistan judiciary in
utter turmoil
Though nothing appears right in Pakistan, its judiciary, without being fiercely independent, infused some hope in the common man. However, the developments over the past several days have severely indicted the transparency and independence of Pakistan’s judiciary. Over the question of holding re-elections to two provincial assembly seats held by former prime minister Imran Khan’s Tehreek-e-insaf, within the stipulated time, there was unprecedented divide among the judges hearing the matter. There has been an open revolt against the chief justice of the Supreme Court who is heading a three-judge bench.
His fellow judges were not in favour of the said bench headed by the chief justice to hear the matter. The general opinion is for a full court hearing which the chief justice has out rightly dismissed; he has described the entire imbroglio as a political tool to subvert the judiciary. The Pakistan government has readied a strange law to withdraw the right of the chief justice from constituting a bench. When executive or legislature start to encroach upon the judiciary, then it would be death knell for the judiciary. But in a country like Pakistan that has bitterly compromised every organ of its administration and the governments have been the puppets of the army, nothing much can be expected.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Defining moment in
US criminal history
Donald Trump earned the dubious distinction of becoming the first former American president ever charged with a crime. An indictment in court by the Manhattan grand jury declared the charges against the twice-impeached Republican.
Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony charges related to hush money paid to an adult porn star before the 2016 presidential race and remained defiant. This hearing was a defining moment in US criminal and political history, as Trump is now a leading Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election.
N J Ravi Chander,
Bengaluru
