Introduce passbooks of uniform size
Most banks have introduced automated machines to help us to update our passbooks, although these are not as common as ATM machines. Self-updating of passbooks has reduced the time spent standing in long lines in a servile manner in front of a bank staff. The customers can update either in his/her bank’s branch or in a kiosk and even during bank holidays. The only itch is that every bank has different sizes of passbooks which make it impossible to update in a different bank than that of the account holders.
Similar to debit and credit cards, that are of identical sizes and are universally accepted in any ATM and POS machines, the banks in India could introduce passbooks of uniform dimensions. The procedure will require tweaking/replacing the passbook printing facilities in the banks and in the automated machines.
Such same-sized passbooks will be convenient to those who do not have a branch of their bank in the vicinity and to those who have accounts in multiple banks. Additionally, the income tax people can track all the transactions and balances of any customer in one go.
Sridhar D’Iyer, Caranzalem
Goa’s performance at national games
The National Games concluded with Services winning the most number of medals. The army team won 128 medals, including 61 gold medals, 35 silver and 32 bronze. Services came into the 2022 edition as three-time defending National Games champions, having won in 2007, 2011 and 2015. As many as 29 teams won at least one gold medal at the edition.
Maharashtra bagged the ‘Best State Trophy’ for finishing second in the medals tally with the most number of medals among states and union territories. However, Goa could manage only 5 bronze medals and ended at the 30th spot in a field of 32. This does not speak well of the level of sports in the State, especially if one considers that Goa was training the athletes as the State was expected to host the Games. Goa could neither host the games nor do well in the National Games held in Gujarat.
It is pertinent to note that Goa won 11 medals in the last National Games in Kerala six of which were in Taekwondo only. Significantly at the National Game in 2011 in Ranchi Goa finished a creditable 16th with a medal haul of 16 including five gold and five silver medals. However, now sports in the State appear to be on a downslide. Being the hosts next year, Goa cannot expect to end up at the bottom of the table. If necessary, budgetary allocation for development of sports in the State needs to be enhanced.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Education can bring in culture of cleanliness
In the 75 years of Independence, India should have made more progress and advances in the field of education especially to the marginalised sections of the society which roughly is 80 percent of the total population of our country. The government should pay attention to the standard of education provided by various state and Central schools and other educational institutions to the poor and marginalised.
The education provided should have more stress on cleanliness at a younger age in schools where children should be made aware of their responsibility in keeping environment clean. Also the hazards to the environment be corrected so that public be inspired to have a civic sense and perform civic duties to keep each and every village clean. It can be seen that more filth lies in every nook and corner of villages and when we start imparting cleanliness education to students then automatically we will see all villages and cities clean within a span of few years but we have start teaching instead of preaching.
There is a scope for improvement in other areas. Panchayats, Municipalities should give more importance to solid waste management and garbage disposal in an efficient manner to prevent flooding in villages and cities after heavy rainfall, along with providing electricity and clean and 12 hours of water supply if not 24 hours as most villages in Goa receive at the most 2 hours of water supply and far flung areas in Goa has no tap water and the women go to fetch spring water around five kilometres away from their residence, I don’t have data of all over India but I don’t think it to be any different.
Diomedes Pereira, Corlim
Old Goa’s heritage has been mutilated
As expected no action by the Government has been forthcoming against that outrageous bungalow belonging to BJP national spokesperson Shania NC which has brazenly come up within the heritage precincts at Old Goa. The issue, which is now entangled in the long drawn legal web which will drag on for decades and somehow save the illegal structure from the axe by finding a convenient way out, possibly even through a foul government ordinance.
It is clear that the Government from the inception has been tacitly shielding that monstrous bungalow at Old Goa by allowing the loopholes in the law for litigation by that politically well connected BJP leader. There was never the will nor the intent of the government to demolish this illegality built building.
Ultimately, justice must be done and be seen to be done without favour or fear. If the government practises one law for one and another law for the other, then how can it expect the people to respect and abide by the law?
The authorities have also conveniently abdicated in their responsibility by not acting against all other illegal structures that have come up at Old Goa with political patronage destroying the sanctity and solemnity of this UNESCO world heritage site.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Woes of bar owners
Our transport minister says that Goan bar owners should reach home their drunk customers. But what will happen if the taxi driver who the bar owners sends to reach their drunk customer is also drunk?
And what about Goan bad roads? November 2021is gone long ago and now 2022 November is on the threshold and potholes are gone from bad to worse. Most of the newly constructed roads are wrongly designed. Speed breakers are not painted nor signboards positioned where they should be erected and some places the signboards are missing. And some places where there are signboards are faded and wrongly positioned. Why the transport minister is after bar owners only?
Do Goans not have our functions and parties at our homes and hotels? Are we supposed to reach our guests home if they are drunk? We do not understand what has happened to our Goan ministers. All of them talk rubbish. Someone is comparing Kala Academy tender issue to Taj Mahal; someone is talking about exporting water and someone is advising us Goans if petrol is expensive to buy electric vehicles.
Wah re wah Serkara, yehi hai Goa ki parampara? Accidents on the roads are mainly because of Goan roads and mainly newly constructed roads and highways.
Natividade Fernandes, Cavelossim
Petrol hikes hit the common man
Hardeep Singh Puri, Central Minister, while speaking recently in the US said that India contained the oil price hikes to 2% while in North America the increase was in the region of 40%. One does not know where the Sardar Mantri gets his figures from but the runaway increase in prices of oil and petroleum prices has hit the common man very hard in India.
It is also not the quantum of increase but its affordance that we need to look at. People in North America with higher incomes can afford the hikes which the Indian common man cannot. Thus we have to look at the Indian context and limit price increases and/or take measures to cut duties/taxes and not talk in the air what other countries are doing for their people.
Srinivas Kamat, Alto St Cruz
