Open operations with caution
Since restarting operations two months ago hotels in the coastal belt have been enjoying @80% occupancy levels on weekends while those in the towns have witnessed @25% on the best of days. Now that the positivity rate is below 2%, tourism stakeholders have urged the government to allow cruises and casinos to operate. For how long can entities sustain losses after the extended lockdowns/curfews, is a matter of concern.
With resumption of mining activities a distant dream courtesy the SC judgement, limiting tourism and allied activities which now contribute @ 45% to the state GDP is more than a tad unfair to people in the cruise and casino sectors who have been rendered jobless for the past 18 months; after all they too have mouths to feed.
It would be prudent to adopt a middle path and allow activities to resume with strict implementation of SOPs without any dilution, after all how can you put your life on hold due to the virus.
Rekha Sarin, Benaulim
Prevent suicides
World Suicide Prevention Day is an awareness day observed on September 10 every year, to provide worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides.
Suicide is preventable. Knowing the risk factors and recognizing the warning signs for suicide can help prevent it. If someone indicates they are considering suicide, listen and take their concerns seriously. Convince them that suicide is not an option. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about their plans.
Let them know you care, and they are not alone. Encourage them to seek help immediately from a knowledgeable professional. Don’t leave them alone. Ask someone you are worried about if they’re thinking about suicide. (While people may be hesitant to ask, research shows this is helpful). Keep them safe. Reduce access to lethal means for those at risk. Be there with them. Listen to what they need. Help them connect with ongoing support. Stay connected. Follow up to see how they are doing. They may be going through a lot which you may feel is nothing. Never judge that Person. If they open up with you don’t gossip around to the world about their problems. Let us save lives by preventing suicides.
Princy Carol Gonsalves, Quepem
Bad name for Goa
A Goa police team comprising personnel from the crime branch and cyber crime cell reportedly apprehended 13 persons accused of operating an illegal call centre from Morjim in Pernem. It is learnt that the call centre was being used to defraud US citizens. The accused would pose online as US law enforcement authority officials and seek payment from ‘defaulting’ US citizens.
These citizens were reportedly made to pay through vouchers, which was converted into cryptocurrency by the accused and then withdrawn by the fraudsters from Ahmedabad as Indian currency. However it is pertinent to note that the main accused as well as the others accused persons are mainly from Gujarat and Mumbai and had started operating from Goa recently. Besides making arrests, police also seized electronic devices including 12 computers and laptops. The cause for worry is that Goa was used as the place to set up the illegal call centre. This gives a bad name for Goa and Goans across the globe.
Though no Goans could be involved in the racket even then Goan soil should not have been made available to run such an international racket. The police need to carry out a thorough investigation in the case and name the accused and the place of their origin so that the name of Goa and Goans are cleared from the international money racket.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Goa, a cybercriminal’s playground now
The busting of a fake call centre operated by masterminds from Gujarat and Mumbai who were defrauding US citizens adds a chilling dimension to crime in Goa, the last frontier of crime has been breached in a manner of speaking. The criminals would pose as law enforcement officials from the Inland Revenue Service and extorting money, which was later converted into cryptocurrency, from gullible Americans. Personal details of citizens were procured by using Virtual Private Networks and IVR analogue systems who were then convinced through intimidating calls that they have committed illegal acts like defaulting on tax payments or parking tickets.
What is more worrisome is that the said call centre was operating out of rented hotel premises just a stone’s throw from the local police station. Besides arrests, 12 laptops, cellphones with international sim cards and voice modulation software were also seized.
Other than this there have been numerous instances of credit card cloning, phishing attacks and cyber extortion rackets run by foreign nationals in the recent past. Malfeasance has become a Hydra headed monster with cybercrime it’s fastest growing tentacle; it needs to be nipped in the bud before it acquires a life of it’s own and reaches unmanageable proportions.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Thefts, burglaries on the rise
The number of thefts and burglaries have increased in Goa. A few days ago a number of vehicles were broken into and some parts and sound systems were stolen. Two days ago a robber opened the dickey of a motorcycle that was parked at a parking place at Mapusa and took away cash worth Rs 32000 that was kept in it by the owner. The robber opened the dickey without a key. This robbery was caught on CCTV.
These thieves hang around the market place and parking lot and watch the movement of the people. Festival time is an ideal time for them when more people move out to make purchases. In any case the dickey of a two- wheeler is not a safe place to keep valuables since its spring lock can be easily opened with a piece of wire and these guys know the art of doing it. Therefore, at festival time or any other time, people should take precaution not to keep any valuables or important papers in the dickey of a two- wheeler.
Rodney de Souza, Assagao
Another pandemic?
The new normal isn’t normal at all. Reaching out for a mask instead of keys before stepping out isn’t normal but is necessary.
As a citizen, I am glad that India now has established protocols to deal with pandemics even though they came as a lesson from the massive loss of lives due to Covid-19.
Fears of a Nipah virus outbreak have arisen in Kerala with one confirmed death in Kozhikode. The early start of vaccine trials for the Nipah virus indicates that if there is a Nipah outbreak, we will be one step ahead.
Tejal Kumar, Pune
Thinking out of the box
We must commend the national selectors for thinking out of the box and naming MS Dhoni as the mentor for the T20 World Cup, beginning on October 17.
Hailed as one of the sharpest cricketing minds in the world and the greatest finishers of all time, Mahi has much to offer to Indian cricket. The wicketkeeper-batsman led India to two world titles – the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa and the 2011 ODI World Cup in India.
The timing of Dhoni’s appointment also coincides with the curtains coming down on head coach Ravi Shastri’s tenure after the T20 World Cup, leading to speculation that the former’s stint with Team India may continue. Dhoni’s selection also has the backing of the captain, vice-captain and coach.
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
