Choose right candidate for Assembly polls
In order to win the hearts of voters during the upcoming Assembly polls, different political parties have been making various sorts of promises for the citizens at large. These include providing free water supply, free electricity, free education, subsiding the fuel rates, etc. Many more promises would add to the list in coming days. Even aspirants would be assured jobs in government departments. However, in reality, the vacant posts would be filled exclusively on the grounds of favouritism rather than merit basis.
The Goa Staff Selection Commission set up by the State government for the selection of candidates will remain merely for name sake. In reality politicians would prepare a list of their own candidates for the said posts, however, incompetent and inefficient they might be in their abilities. Time has come for the Goan citizens not to fall an easy prey to promises and choose the right person during the Assembly elections. Candidates of political parties who really possess the capability of serving the masses in the right perspective should be elected to run the State administration. Our ‘Sobit, Sundor Goem’ should not be ruined any more, but must be protected and well maintained at all costs.
Pravin U Sardessai, Adpai
Get creative on World Photography Day
To bring the thrill for those lovers of photography on World Photography Day today, just say cheese and flash your best broad smiles. Photography is a very satisfying profession as well as hobby if you innovate and try out various photographic tricks that will make you display your array of photographic skills, differently.
Pick up your model and embellish your collection of photos by capturing that glint in her eyes and do a portfolio with a range of exciting images with your camera. Remember that the simpler your camera, the more valuable is a photograph which will be appreciated as difficult to click.
Go on manual mode and enrich your collection on World Photography Day with an amazing set of pictures. Use your ingenuity to capture unforgettable photographs. Come on, for a day, just shoot the Covid-19 blues away.
Elvidio Miranda, Panjim
AAP’s free power vs BJP free water
With around six months left for the State to face the assembly elections, CM announced that the State would provide free water supply up to 16,000 litres per household per month to Goans from September 1. This counter came against the backdrop of the Aam Aadmi Party announcement to provide free electricity up to 300 units.
Already Goa is reeling under water problems and contamination, potholed roads and also power cuts. In such conditions this is a common expectation and freebies to the voters when the elections are nearing. Later they show moons in the sky.
If the CM of Goa thinks that he can deliver on giving Goans free water now, why did he not do so when he came to power? The freebies are being doled out only when the election is nearing. The freebies lure or induce voters to elect the party which promises more freebies; cause economic burden on the exchequer, and make the citizens parasites of the government of the day.
The Election Commission of India should frame guidelines for election manifesto released by political parties and also stress the need for separate legislation in this regard.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Goans need to live free from fear
With assembly elections just round the corner, various political parties are coming out with promises which will make the lives of the citizens easy. Right from 300 watts of free electricity to 16,000 litres of water per month free of charge, another political party has promised free education and free health-care to the citizens. It must, however, be said that there is already free education and free health care in place in the State by way of government schools and government hospitals. What Goans desperately need is to live free without the fear of anti-social elements. Women should be able to move about freely without fear even after dusk.
Owners of jewellery shops and those carrying out other commercial activities should be free from fear of robbery and dacoits. Citizens need to be able to live in their homes free from fear of robbery and house-breaks. At present there is a lot of fear in the mind of Goans.
Goa should be made free from rapes, kidnapping, murders and gang-wars. Such fear has been augmented by the presence of migrants who have made Goa their homes. Lack of jobs due to the pandemic could have forced these migrants into anti-social activities.
Police need to allay the fear of the citizens by cracking cases in quick time.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Justice delayed is justice denied
The Chief Justice of Bombay High Court during his recent visit to the State highlighted that the pendency of agriculture, tenancy and mundkar cases is an area of concern and must be addressed post haste so that the have-nots and marginalised do not have to wait unduly long for justice, in many instances civil suits filed earlier are stayed until disposed off by the revenue courts .There are @ 1900 minor cases pending with mamlatdars and deputy collectors which cause immense hardship to the litigants, almost bordering on harassment.
Also to ensure speedy justice in criminal cases it is important that a full-fledged forensic laboratory manned by suitably qualified scientific staff be set up in Goa soonest. There are many examples on record to show that trial is hampered on account of unavailability of forensic reports from out station facilities. Judicial staff shortage is the major reason for this tareekh pey tareekh kind of situation. It is pertinent to note that the HC of Bombay at Goa is functioning with only 66% of the sanctioned judge strength. Zero pendency of cases thus remains a pipe dream, more often than not trial drags on for ages, sometimes beyond the demise of the original litigants; the process itself becomes the punishment.
If justice needs to be dispatched without the quality of judgements being compromised it is imperative that the appointment of judges be fast tracked, as they say ‘justice delayed is justice denied’.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Master’s degree in ‘Poli-tricks’
Abraham Lincoln said, “Democracy is a rule of the people, for the people and by the people”. It means that democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people and they work for the welfare of the people. This Aaya Ram Gaya Ram expression of unethical politics hurting Goan and Goa at large must stop.
The phenomenon of changing loyalties has become utterly shameless seeing frequent floor-crossing, turncoat, polarising, switching parties and political horse trading in the legislature by the elected politicians we have voted. In today’s world or in Goa, most would like to educate their children knowing education has the greatest value in the society with healthy lifestyle. Today, look at academic requirements for job application higher secondary certificate is the minimum requirement to find the lowest category job on land or in the sea. But one wonders, why don’t we see the educational background of the politicians before we cast our valuable votes to gift them a well furnished bureaucratic? Without education how does he/she read or understand the needs of the common man or read the laws versus making mockery by signing unread documents or bills? Why do we look for candidates to match our own caste, creed, religion or community, which has so far failed nor they care, once elected.
Gaston Dias, Sarzora
