Will blame or will save; Ask AAP
Goa is a peaceful State and we respect all religions to ensure our safety in future by any government some questions arise when we look at the Delhi church demolition issue. First we want to know if it was to save the church from getting demolished possible by the present AAP Government in Delhi? But the AAP was active to blame the central government rather than doing any attempt to save the same.
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Most of our churches and religious structures of different religions are close to roads, rivers and on hills. If tomorrow AAP comes to power in Goa and if the central government passes an ordinance to demolish all structures close to roads, rivers and on hills, will the AAP Government be able to save or blame the central government?
If again will it be the same blame game like Delhi then why we need AAP Government who will be powerless like Delhi. These are my worries it will be better if all political parties give their clarification on this not only AAP.
Savio Almeida, Assolna/Texas
Loss of inheritance
This is in reference to a vibrant editorial written on Herald on January 17 on comunidades of Goa, by consulting editor Sujay Gupta highlighting the relevant points that are plaguing the comunidade, Agricultural Tenancy Act, 1964 and Rules, 1965 – has sounded the death knell to the comunidades, under the act and the rules formulated thereunder, comunidade land is being sold to the tenant as ‘deemed owner’ for sum of 60 paise per square metre, a ridiculous amount of compensation by today’s standards, most of the land of the comunidade is tenanted and the comunidade runs the risk of losing almost all its land holdings and will soon become extinct.
A heritage institution that lasted for thousands of years it survived the rule of the Bhojas, Kadambas, Adil Shah and ultimately the Portuguese who codified it. The government should come out with quick legislative reforms to protect the rich agricultural lands of the comunidade.
The late Parrikar was contemplating contract farming. Illegal squatters on comunidade land have become vote banks for electoral politics.
Agnelo Furtado, Chinchinim
Revenge tourism
It was appalling to see images of hundreds of people flocking to Kuli, Manali, Mussoorie and other hill stations in the north and to several other places in India, including Goa. Now that the 2nd wave of the pandemic has subsided after having created a havoc in the country, people want to travel far and wide. The media has termed this as ‘revenge tourism!’
One does not know whether to laugh or cry at the foolhardiness of the people who want to take ‘revenge’ on a near-invisible virus! In the coming months there is a plethora of festivals and holidays coming up and people would be itching to travel.
Doctors, bio-statisticians and politicians have forecasted the coming of third wave of the pandemic. There is a sneaking thought that the predictions may be based on the mind-set of the people and not on the actual movement of the virus and its variants.
Sridhar D’Iyer, Caranzalem
Bring a complete ban on alcohol
Alcohol consumption was associated with 62,100 or five per cent of newly diagnosed cancer cases last year in India, according to a study published in The Lancet Oncology journal and which also showed alcohol use is on the rise in the country.
Now, that sounds very disturbing but is our (forget the central government) Goa government really bothered on showing any concerns for our well-being or breaking this growing trend (which unfortunately is also on the rise in Goa) of alcohol use amongst Goans in the state?
Our respective governments, despite of knowing all the ill-effects of liquor have been historically issuing licences for people (including non-Goans) over the years to open up new bars and restaurants, wine stores etc (forget city/towns) even in the most remote interior Goan villages in close proximity facing each other and slowly destroying thousands of families by turning most of their members into habitual permanent drunkards. Now, isn’t that most shameful and shocking on the part of our respective governments in Goa?
Well, I personally feel that the government of the day, instead of selectively unleashing the cops from the traffic cell to extort the hard-earned money of all the soft targets or two wheeler helmetless riders (including jobless unemployed poor people) in the name of saving precious lives, should bring (ignoring all types of protests) a complete ban on the lines of ghutka/tobacco products over the distribution/sale of liquor in the State at the very earliest and really try to break the growing dangerous trend of alcohol abuse amongst Goans to bring a permanent lasting peace in most families in Goa. Hope better sense prevail.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
Time-bound verdicts necessary
Justice delayed is justice denied. In case rules of timely delivery of judgements at present do not apply to High Courts and Supreme Court, then rules must be made to fix some reasonable time-limit for pronouncement of judgements by Supreme Court and High Courts within a time-bound period of say maximum three months after completion of hearing.
Moreover in case Single or Division Bench of High Court or Supreme Court desires matter to be heard by a larger bench, then decision in this regard should be taken compulsorily maximum within one month of first hearing of the case. Ultimate decision on long pending cases WPC 32855 and 32856 of 2009 before Supreme Court by a five-member Constitution Bench ultimately came on 13.11.2019 that too because the then Chief Justice of India heading the bench was to retire on 17.11.2019.
It was not only because the final verdict came seven months of completion of arguments but also because necessity of formation of first a three-member bench and then a Constitution Bench after initial hearing done by a Division Bench.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal, Delhi
Canacona’s killer road
The cleaner of a truck was injured while the driver escaped unhurt as a Karnataka-bound truck loaded with iron bars first hit the road divider and damaged a street light before ramming into the crash barrier and going off the road at Canacona near the Talpona river.
It is learnt that this is the fifth truck mishap in Canacona in the past nine days. It may be recalled that some days back two Karnataka-bound trucks fell by the side of the highway barely metres apart within five hours in Gulem-Canacona.
It is pertinent to note that for research work in order to find out the reason for accidents taking place along the highways, the road between Polem check-post to Canacona on the stretch of the NH-66 was selected. The crash data that was collected for 6 years found that as many as 344 crashes took place along the 24 km stretch of the highway. The data collected was reportedly analysed to evaluate the effect of the parameters that affect the high crash rate.
The high traffic volume, faulty road planning could be some of the reasons for a number of accidents taking place, mostly involving trucks laden with goods. It may seem that the truck driver loses control while negotiating the sharp turns on this killer road. Due to the closure of the Anmod Ghat road, the traffic on this road has increased. The concerned authorities need to look into the matter and take remedial steps to stop accidents from taking place.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
