Pacifying Shel-Melauli villagers
The village population at Shel-Melauli in Sattari has depicted enough resentment against the proposed IIT project at their village. By keeping all work aside, they have been repeatedly assembling in large numbers whenever officials of the survey department visit this place for demarcation of boundaries and other related work. Even the recent meeting called by the CM Dr Pramod Sawant had maximum attendance of the local population. During this meeting they had expressed that they do not want the said project at their jurisdiction and that they are unwilling to hold any talks with him on the said subject.
Inspite of the people’s opposition for the said project, the CM still asserts that the project would come up at this particular place. If people doesn’t want this project to come up, then there is no use whatsoever for the government to impose it forcibly thereby hurting the sentiments of the villagers. It should not proceed any further with it and decide shifting the prestigious project to some alternate place, especially at Farmagudi in Ponda where sufficient quantity of land is already available.
Rather than raising further resentment in the minds of the villagers, it would be wise for the CM not to linger this project any longer but to take it out from Sattari. If at all the BJP government has to win the elections with a sizeable margin, then gaining people’s confidence assumes utmost importance. Only in protecting the genuine interests of the Shel-Melauli population lies the victory of the state government. Consequently pacifying the locals at this particular moment tends to be the ideal step in the right direction.
Pravin U Sardessai, Adpai
Video art a fundamental right?
The JMFC, Canacona, while releasing the actor involved in a porn clip, said that conducting professional shoot for a video or film cannot be considered obscene just because the public says so. Further, films and videos are covered by the fundamental right to expression under our constitution.
It appears the learned Judge has erred. While in essence, what he said is true, all such video and film expressions must be approved by a censor board before being released to the public. In this case, such approval was not met. Further, all the posts are visible to even minors, whereas an approved film will X rate them and ban them from being viewed by minors. The perpetrators, being from the film industry, are well aware of these facts and therefore have willfully committed the offence. This act therefore was very much relevant in the instance of bail application and not at trials. Trial application on whether the scene was obscene would arise only after the Censor Board released the same.
R Fernandes, Margao
FM’s outburst against SBI
The recent Hon’ble FM pulling up the SBI chairman, KYC has become an instrument to harass commoner whereas waving tails before the rich. Unfortunately the procedures are only for common man. The banks bend backwards to help the likes of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi. Due to many government savings and transactions the SBI has become very busy and the behaviour of its staffs has become very rough. Only outbursts are not the proper treatment. Solid action has to be taken on them. SBI and its employees have forgotten the fact that customer is most important visitor to their premises. The employees need an overhaul. More reforms are required for the public sector banks. The Government and RBI should restrict and control PSU and private banks properly for the safe savings of the money of people.
KG Vilop, Chorao
Online registration of marriage
It is learnt that henceforth people who want to register their marriages will not be required to wait in a queue at the sub-registrar’s office to submit their applications as they will be accepted and processed online only. This will be effective from November 16.
All applications will be processed through online mode and even supporting documents and payment of fees will be accepted online. After paying the fees online, an appointment date and time will be generated through the electronic system and applicants will be intimated through SMS. It may also be possible to check the status of their application online.
With this process moving online, frequent trips to the sub-registrar office will be done away with which will reduce congestion at the sub-registrars’ offices. This is a step in the right direction due to the convenience it will bring to the general public. However, it must be said that both the rich and the poor, the literate and the illiterate get married. Those people who live in the remote village may not be computer savvy. They could be mostly illiterate and may not have excess to the internet and net banking could be alien to them.
It would be desirable for the authorities to make it possible for the poor and illiterate people to get their marriage registered through the normal procedure and not insist only on online registration.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Minister’s ignorance on environment
I have been active keeping track on responses of various key Goa ministers to people opposing the controversial infra projects, particularly the ones in Mollem/Western Ghats, IIT in forest area and double tracking by SWR. And in doing so, I am really shocked with the lack of education and awareness our ruling politicians have about the environment, ecology, wildlife and eco systems!
For instance, at a public protest in the Mollem area where a senior minister was having a heated exchange with activists asking relevant questions, the minister responded that cutting trees is not an issue because the Government has and is planting many trees! Not only is the later statement not accurate because it is known in Goa that the thousands of trees already destroyed are not actually replaced by new trees close to those cutdown.
Does this Minister know that when we cutdown trees/forests going back hundreds of years, we are also destroying the ecosystem that has been so beautifully built over so many generations and with it killing so many plant and animal species? Just implying that it’s ok to destroy forests/trees with rich ecosystems because the Govt is anyway planting trees is not at all acceptable! (Leave alone whether the Govt is actually planting the replacement trees which we know is not being done).
I really think that the ministers should attend a workshop and be educated by experts on environment, ecology, ecosystems and how we all are connected. Destroying one will eventually destroy others including mankind. Their ignorance is causing a lot of pain and damage to Goa.
Arwin Mesquita, Colva
Why health sector jobs only to few?
Kudos for publishing the article ‘Winnability vs Loyalty’ by Dr. Joe D’Souza (Herald, November 3) which throws light on the dirty politics in Goa. Why should all the jobs in Health sector go to residents of Valpoi and Sattari only?
This is highly objectionable and the unemployed youth are frustrated. The frustrated youth may come on road to voice their grievances and politicians will have to take all the blame.
Querobino Charles R. Dias, Penha de Franca
