Goa will ‘restart in self-sustainable way’
In response to the article “if they don’t come back, Goa doesn’t restart” which only highlights the over reliance of the tourism sector on an migrant work force. The hospitality industry has long been using the excuse that “there aren’t enough Goans” or “Goans are too lazy” to employ cheaper, more compliant labour whereas scores of Goans languish in lines for a government job (even contract ones).
It is a pity that the president of TTAG, yearns for the return of an outstation work force, instead of working towards generating a more sustainable and local benefiting solution.
A simple modification to the existing employment strategies, wherein at least 25% of the workforce would have to be of the local population, would go a long way to avoid similar hardships faced by employers in terms of a crisis of such magnitude.
Surely the scores of Goans coming back into the State due to the pandemic, could have been enticed into working a local shift, be it on a temporary basis until more permanent changes are made to the way the tourism sector functions.
Goa can and will restart… maybe this time in a more self sustainable way.
Neil De Souza, Margao
Covid war memorial
Goa holds the dubious record of having one of the highest Covid death rate. Against an India average of 102 per million, Goa stands at 465! Here alone we see an excess of 363 deaths per million or 547 deaths that should not have been!
Nepal has 55, Singapore: 5, China :3.4! Many African countries are in single digits per million.
All over the world, organisations like WHO, CDC, etc, maintain that only those more than 65 years who have comorbidities are at risk of death from Covid-19 but can still survive. In Goa, people in their 50’s are succumbing like nine pins.
These deaths in Goa were avoidable if we all worked diligently with one objective: avoiding unnecessary deaths. Our ego, pathetic administrative and problem-solving skills, penchant for excuses coupled with an unsatiating greed has killed hundreds of people in Goa well before their time. Many more will have their lives cut short as we continue with flawed decisions denying them their basic human rights. This is real life and death horror incident.
A memorial must be built to all these victims of the Covid war whom we killed by willfully taking the decisions we did — a collective decision by all by commission or omission. To serve as a reminder of how casually we have taken away their lives. Many were earning members, many providing care and support to kinfolk. Most had many more fruitful lives to live. Even their pets know something was amiss. The memorial is the least we can do to allow us to live with ourselves. The lost lives were placed in the hands of mature elected and health providers and the many advisors. The SC declared the right to die with dignity a fundamental right: here we see many had to succumb gasping for oxygen – no dignity and stolen right to life.
R Fernandes, Margao
Goodwill gesture
In a real goodwill gesture the Indian authority repatriated two girls from the PoK region who inadvertently crossed the border. The siblings were seen off with gifts by senior Indian administration and army officials and handed over to the Pakistani authority.
The goodwill gesture from the Indian authority, especially at a time when there is fierce conflict going on between the armies and tension prevails on either side, it is worth mentioning and goes to prove that we have always welcomed and are for peace and friendship .
M Pradyu, Kannur
Incompetent officials in the ISL
It’s sad to know that despite spending crores of rupees in hiring foreign players and talented Indian players in the current ISL the authorities concerned fail to hire European referees for the matches…it’s a shame to see the incompetent Indian referees officiating the matches as they want..they don’t seem to know the rules of ruling out an offside neither do they know when to opt for a penalty…most of the games have a VAR system so why not in football and specially when we have incompetent officials refereeing the current ISL matches.
It is a request to the authorities concerned, as many people are watching these matches all over. A VAR system is a must and that too…NOW… our Indian referees need to watch the foreign matches and learn a lot. To my view our local referees would have done a better job than these FIFA clowns officiating the ISL matches in Goa. Please appoint European referees in the remaining ISL matches so as to raise the flag of Goan football standard high.
Vincy Soares, Orlim
Use of zebra crossing by pedestrians
It is learnt that after five years of being neglected, roads across Panjim were being marked with zebra crossings in an effort to implement traffic regulations. A total of 35 zebra crossings across the city were in urgent need of painting due to weathering.
The need of repainting zebra crossings is felt in other major towns as well. It must be said that, however, many zebra crossings present on the roads, serve no purpose if the pedestrians and the motorists do not follow the traffic rules. It must be said that the concept of using the zebra crossing by pedestrians is alien to Goans. Unlike in other cities in the country, where pedestrians use the zebra crossing to cross the road, in Goa pedestrians cross the road wherever it is convenient for them.
n countries like the UK motorists stop at the zebra crossings to allow the pedestrians to cross the road. In India motorists do not even slow down while approaching the zebra crossings.
Besides the markings on the roads, signage also needs to be put up to make motorists aware of the zebra-crossing ahead. There seems to be a need to instill road discipline among the pedestrians as well. For this awareness of using the zebra crossing and even penalising pedestrians for not using them needs to be introduced. For pedestrians in Goa using the zebra crossing seems to have lost its significance.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Eternal vigilance is the need of the hour
In a welcome move, the HC of Bombay at Goa quashed the construction licence issued to the Goa Tamnar Transmission Project Ltd. for the Mollem power plant, one of the three eco-destructive projects being planned in the State.Vociferous and sustained opposition by the local populace and surprisingly, support from MLAs of the ruling party (I guess they must have seen the light) brought this about, but the CM in his wisdom has rebelliously declared that the project shall be cleared otherwise the State power scenario shall be in the doldrums two years from now (on the prodding of his masters from Delhi I suspect).
Such projects follow neither the spirit nor the letter of the law and do not take into account public sentiment. It is pertinent to note that the construction licence for the Tamnar scheme was unilaterally granted by the village sarpanch without any resolution being passed by the gram sabha.
Also the technical licence was surreptitiously obtained through the back door of the Quepem TCP’s office which actually has no locus standi on the project. No due process has been followed for any of the three schemes but they have only been slapped upon an unwilling people by the dalals of crony capitalists. Eternal vigilance is the price we have to pay if Goa is to be saved from these predators and their ill-conceived schemes.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
