108 Ambulance and its services
The Health authorities although doing a commendable job with their 108 ambulance services, would appreciate if they could instruct their drivers and paramedics to take the patients to the hospital of their choice rather than insisting on going only to govt hospitals where sometimes the services are substandard.
A patient having severe chest pain should be rushed to the nearest super speciality facility as the first hour (golden hour) is the most important under such circumstances and is a situation between life and death.
Hopefully the Health authorities will do the needful and oblige.
Lucas D’Souza, Verna
Power (cost) sharing
Power supply is a government service but in Goa which hopes to attract large manufacturing enterprises, companies are reeling under power shortages and load shedding which lasts up to four hours. Now existing industrial units and pharmaceutical companies have stepped in to help the state tide over the ongoing crisis.
The government shall purchase an additional 120 megawatts of power from the open market for supply and on its part, the industry has agreed to pay the additional amount over and above the Rs 6 per kilowatt hour that Goa spends on power purchase, this arrangement shall continue till June 30.
This unprecedented move is a last ditch desperate attempt to ensure that units in Goa are not forced to shut down. Currently the State faces an acute power deficit of 100 MW compelling the power department to go in for daily load shedding with industries bearing the brunt of it.
This episode will also send a message to likely investors in Goa that the private sector can no longer depend on the government for power, which is not a good thing. Meanwhile the government should also address issues of power theft and transmission and distribution losses which stand at @ 25%, getting a grip on this would ensure that Goa doesn’t need to buy additional power; this will go a long way in alleviating the precarious situation.
Rekha Sarin, Benaulim
Islamic month of Ramadan
Ramadan (or Ramzan) is when Muslims from all over the world keep fasting from dawn till dusk, as a mark of piety to Allah (Peace be upon Him) their God and His teachings. Not even a glass of water is drunk during this holy month of Ramadan, however sultry the climate may be or however thirsty one may feel.
The holy month of Ramadan is very auspicious to the Muslims all over the world. It is celebrated on the day after the crescent moon is sighted. The Muslims observe a fast for 30 days, starting with the sighting of the new moon and end it after seeing the new moon, the next month. They offer alms and recite the Holy Quran during this holy month.
Coming to the new moon, the festival marks the end of Ramadan. Eid is celebrated in India with much enthusiasm and fervour by Muslims from all strata of life.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
Let Goa remain peaceful
Goa it seems is well on its way to becoming another communal cauldron much on the lines of UP, Bihar, Karnataka, Haryana, Gujarat and other saffron ruled States. Recent statements by our CM are bound to rent apart the syncretic culture that our beautiful State is known for.
First is his exhortation to counter imaginary religious conversions taking place in Goa. Second his contention that the Portuguese destroyed many temples in the past and to regain Hindutva glory we must restore them. Third was the CM’s claim that we Goans are poor in Hindi and should learn to improve our language skills; this was right after the union home minister announced that Hindi should be a substitute for English all over the nation, talk about linguistic imperialism.
This begs the question- why do almost all of our political leaders send their kids to English medium schools and then abroad for higher education where the medium of instruction is largely English? The CM is treading totally as per the Centre’s playbook of ‘divide and rule’.
I appeal to our Hon’ble CM to not raise the communal temperature by unwise utterances, we are peaceful people and want our state to remain that way.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
No easing of Ukraine war
The Russian-Ukraine war shows no sign of easing! Moscow launched dozens of airstrikes across eastern Ukraine after Kyiv accused Russian forces of unleashing a major new offensive in the Donbas region. Control of Donbas is vital, as it would enable Moscow to create a southern corridor to the occupied Crimean peninsula.
Meanwhile, Moscow issued a fresh ultimatum to the defenders of Mariupol holed up in a steel factory to surrender, but the gallant Ukrainian fighters continued to withstand the assault.
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
Use of loudspeakers at public functions
This has reference to the report ‘Police nod necessary for loudspeakers’ (Herald, April 19). The Maharashtra government may be right in their directive that police permission would be a must for the use of loudspeakers at religious functions in the State. Apparently, this step had been taken under political pressure. One needs to appreciate the concern Raj Thackeray has for the health of the citizens. He has clarified that he is not against religious functions but against the use of loudspeakers which has social and health implications for all people. Yes, we need to support that stand. However, by that yardstick, one needs to look at the religious functions where loudspeakers are playing full blast throughout the day and night.
Obtaining permission from the police is fine but does that gives one the liberty to play music at mind-boggling decibels even at the dead of night? Over the years we all have been seeing how music is being played for days at a stretch, with gay abandon, without a thought for the health of the people.
I think the government and the police need to look into that aspect. People are not averse to the use of loudspeakers but there must be limitations of time and volume.
Melville X D’Souza, Mumbai
Justice at the crossroads?
That the judiciary is also dancing to the tunes of the powers that be is evident from the manner in which the Supreme Court has admonished the Allahabad Court for giving bail to Ashish Mishra, the main criminal accused in the Lakhimpur murders in such a ‘hurry’ and without giving the victims of the crime an opportunity to be heard which should have made the head of the concerned judge who acted so very partially, hung in shame. The Supreme Court has also taken on record the failure of the BJP ruled State of Uttar Pradesh for not appealing against the bail given to him despite recommendation to do so by the Supreme Court appointed Special Investigation Team and the retired High court judge monitoring the probe and admonished them for their partitioned act.
While it is really laudable that the Apex Court has set aside the bail given to him, one wonders why the Court has allowed the accused a week’s time to surrender! In normal circumstances, those who are denied/cancelled bail are arrested immediately and sent to jail and hence a question arises why in the case of the accused who is the son of a central minister has been allowed a week’s time to surrender! There is every possibility of the accused manipulating evidence and coerce the witnesses to change their stands.
Tharcius S Fernando, Chennai
