Use of bucket seats in cars
Many a time we can notice in cars/SUV that kids below the age of 4 years are either sitting on their own or on the lap of an adult. Some parents go overboard and drive with the child on his/her lap and sometimes even give the steering wheels.
All these styles are highly unsafe for the child and adult because if the vehicle suddenly brakes, the child could get hurt. To prevent such incidents, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways should mandate the installation and use of bucket seats in the backseat of the vehicle. The child needs to be strapped to prevent it from lurching forward when the car stops. Additionally, a signboard should be displayed to show that young child/children is/are in the vehicle.
For kids more than 4 years, the usual seat belts should be compulsorily worn. The belts could be colourful and with cartoon characters which would attract the child to wear it. Once the habit of wearing seat belts is imbued in the child then whenever they board a car it would automatically become a second nature to them.
Sridhar D Iyer, Caranzalem
Vachpa Ghor, step in the right direction
In reference to ‘Vachpa Ghor helping the Village Youth Build a Bright Future’ (Herald 10-11-2021), the locals of Quepem deserve a huge pat on their back. They have taken an extremely useful initiative like creating a library in Copelabhat Deao, Ambavali. Reading develops human minds. This habit needs not only encouragement but also a great push to lure the youth to pick up books and make it a habit of reading regularly.
The knowledge gleaned from the highly popular WhatsApp University will create dumb citizens with brainwashed minds. On the contrary, reading great books written by philosophers, revolutionaries, achievers and thinkers will help in expanding horizons and give an experience of one single life lived as many as one hundred times over. People of Goa need more libraries across the State.
People from other villages should learn from the locals of Quepem and follow in their footsteps to create libraries welcoming people across age groups. The only thing that can save us is knowledge acquired from the reading of books.
Gafaar Shaqoor, Margao
Wholesalers vs fish vendors of Vasco
The tussle between the fish wholesalers and the market fish vendors in Vasco has been going on for far too long. This has affected the commencement of the work for the new fish market as the fish vendors have refused to shift to the new market shed. It is learnt that the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) has issued notices to fish wholesalers operating in Kharewado to stop carrying out sale of fish.
The wholesale fish vendors have reportedly hit back saying that they have been selling fish caught by their canoes and that they should not be deprived of their livelihood in order to please the vendors of the Vasco fish market. It is true that while the wholesale fish vendors sell their fish in weights, the market fish vendors sell the fish in shares. There needs to be a level playing field. Hence the market fish vendors too need to sell fish by weight. This will lead to a healthy competition and the consumer will in turn get fish at a lower price. Everyone has the right to earn a living.
In business, as a general rule, the retail seller buys the goods from the wholesaler at a lower price and sells it at a higher price thereby making a profit. The market fish vendors could buy fish from the wholesalers and sell it at a profit. Only hotel owners will buy fish in bulk from the wholesalers. Hence there is no question of the marker fish vendors losing their business. Citizens buy fish in small quantities at the retail price.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Roll out quotas for PwDs in promotions
The apex court issuing instructions to centre for giving reservation in promotions to PwDs at the earliest not less than four months will benefit the community. The centre had filed application for clarification, the SC disposed off. The government applying various delaying tactics to give the due benefits to the disabled community since 1995 to which many cruelties are inflicted by nature.
The SC in its judgment had said that instructions should be issued in accordance with Sec. 34 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which provides that every appropriate government shall appoint in every government establishment not less than four per cent of the total number of vacancies in the cadre strength in each group of posts meant to be filled with persons with benchmark disabilities. The government should not deny quota in promotion to those who were appointed to a post under reservation policy for the PwDs. Once that post is identified, the logical conclusion would be that it would be reserved for PwD who have been promoted.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Pre-poll understanding of Opposition needed
If the opposition is to be united and prevent splitting of votes, if there are no pre-poll alliances, at least all the opposition parties should have pre-poll understanding in which all the opposition candidates extend support to candidates that have potential to win by supporting common candidates so that no splitting of votes happen.
Would the opposition parties not rue if they lose particular seats merely because of the splitting of votes? It is thus most important for the opposition parties to support common candidates by having pre-poll understanding. In Goa where the size of electorates in each constituency is very small every vote would count if the margin of victory is very slim. To thus reinforce one another a comprehensive pre-poll understanding is the need of the hour. Do not regret later because splitting of votes will lead to losing of particular seats.
Elvidio Miranda, Panjim
Have road assets in Goa been monetised?
I refer to the report appearing on page 4 of the Herald dated October 30, 2021 mentioning about the Gati Shakti Master Plan. I believe Goa is too small to implement such master plans for creating massive multimodal logistic hubs. Such development concepts associated with land deals/land speculation and poor governance will completely destroy peaceful villages, livelihoods of local communities and heritage zones that defines the unique identity of Goa.
Can we allow Goa to become an urban slum? Earlier, there was an interesting front page report in the Herald dated August 24, 2021 on the Rs 6 lakh crore National Monetisation Pipeline. It is reported that the biggest chunk of Rs 1.6 lakh crore will come from monetising 26,700-km of existing operation national highways and new roads. Are the National Highways roads in Goa under Goa PWD or the National Highways Authority of India or any other hidden Project Authority? Have road assets in Goa been monetised? Is there a hidden monetisation process linked to National Highways road construction contractors and Mopa Airport Development Authority?
These questions need urgent answers since there are serious governance issues related to the National Highways (NH) upgrading projects in Goa. Please create awareness as soon as possible on the 29 in-principle declared NH projects in Goa.
Wesley Edward Pereira, Raia
