Have a camp for Corporators
The voters of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) which includes Ribandar have elected their 30 new Corporators. With 13 first time Corporators and 12 sitting ones re-elected, we also have 5 corporators of the past who have made it this time around.
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The immediate task before the first time Corporators would be to read the CCP Act and familiarise themselves with the provisions. While government had held training sessions for MLAs after their election, it should consider such an orientation camp for the Corporators which would especially benefit the first timers.
Over the years all has not been well at the CCP. The Corporators have to be given the freedom to express their mind and come up with concrete innovative ideas to transform Goa’s capital city.
Thanks to last year’s direction by our High Court, there is now a ray of hope that there will be some transparency and accountability at the CCP as it would have to constitute the Seven Ward Committees as mandated by Section 41 of the CCP Act.
As these vital Ward committees were not constituted since the enactment of the Act in 2002, I had to move the High Court last year after which the CCP on June 19 constituted the committees but contrary to law. I had to again knock the doors of the High Court which on August 31 directed the CCP to constitute the Ward Committees in accordance with law.
So accordingly, the CCP Ward Committee Rules were framed and notified on November 27 last year.
We need total transparency and zero tolerance to Corruption if we are to firmly halt the further decay of Goa’s capital city.
The CCP Act is almost two decades old and must be brought in tune with the times. If genuine progress is to be made to stop the stagnation and decay of our once beautiful city, it is vital that the CCP has a structure and leadership reflecting the dynamic selfless drive needed with integrity, transparency and the rule of law with full accountability for every paisa spent from the public purse.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
How to make the BJP fail in Goa
The time now is not to say “to be or not to be” but to be decisive in our resolve to remain afloat at the political surface of Goa by creating a dent deep into the remotest places of the electorate to convince them of the folly of electing BJP back to power.
The latest results of Municipal Council elections in Goa indicated that Goans are least bothered to know who rules Goa and how but as long as they get their share of money and political power they are happy. They don’t want to know the BJP has totally destroyed the fabrics of political system which is now on the verge of collapse. In this environment no democracy can survive and this is what the majority of the people in Goa want, both the locals as well as migrants who I noticed are not interested in anything as long as they get their share of secured place to live and sufficient income to live like kings in Goa.
The first and the main priority at this hour is to open communication with all the like minded political parties minus BJP, contesting the next general election, for the purpose of coming into electoral alliance. Non BJP parties if they contest the election individually on their own, they will suffer resounding defeats from BJP. To alienate BJP from the firm political grip they acquired in Goa is to field one candidate of all the non-BJP parties against the BJP. Then only BJP will fall.
Now the question comes is this: Who will bell the Cat by taking the lead to convene the meeting of all the like minded parties that are indicating their dislike for the BJP? I feel, as seniormost party Congress should take the lead. This as the first step once agreed upon, the next steps will follow automatically.
A Veronica Fernandes, Candolim
Bio-secure bubble at wedding halls
The health minister has reportedly said that the Goa government needs to make it mandatory for travellers to provide a Covid-19 negative certificate before entering the State. This needs to be done keeping in mind the increase in the number of Covid-19 positive cases in neighbouring States of Karnataka, Maharashtra and even Kerala. It is understood that certain wedding receptions have led to spike in cases. Maintaining social distancing could be a far cry at a wedding reception. Guests could also not be wearing the mask at all times as they indulge in drinks and partake in the buffet.
Desperate situations call for desperate measures. Besides keeping the number of invitees to the bare minimum, the host could also insist for a Covid-19 negative certificate from the guests. This step may seem a bit harsh, but insisting on a negative certificate will help maintain a bio-secure bubble at the wedding hall.
A bio-secure bubble is a safe and secure environment isolated from the outside world in order to minimise the risk of spread of the infection. Such a bio-secure bubble was introduced during the recently held Indian Super League (ISL). It permitted only authorised personnel, sports persons, support staff and match officials to enter the protected area after testing negative for the virus.
The wedding invitation could carry an advisory for the guests to carry along a Covid-19 negative certificate. It is better to be safe than sorry. However, children could be exempted from the requirement.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Deal Covid with an iron fist
Looking at the situation in our neighbourhood i.e. Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra, the Goa government should insist on a Covid -ve certificate from visitors entering Goa. With seven long weekends this year, the closest being the Holi weekend, expect a huge influx of tourists from near and far. The government is yet again mulling over an SOP, but of what use is one if the implementation is tardy and lackadaisical.
SOPs should be provided with legal teeth and not merely be an ‘advisory’ or ‘guideline’; for instance non wearing of masks in public should be made a recognisable offence with a nominal prison term of a day or two besides stiff fines.
Also police parties should be posted at weddings, which are super-spreader events to enforce the rule that no more than 50/100 people would be attendees and that too on production of Covid -ve certificates. Similar should be the case with restaurants which have merrily done away with the 50% seating limit as per previous SOPs. Desperate times call for desperate measures and with the cases in the State rapidly escalating it is time the government handles the situation with an iron fist to avoid another round of lockdowns.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Printing machines in ATM kiosks
The introduction of ATM kiosks has made it simple and easy to withdraw and deposit money and even print passbooks. Although not at all kiosks passbooks can be printed but wherever the facility is present it is convenient, else one may have to stand in a long queue in a bank to update the passbook.
One major issue with the printing machines is that sometimes that there is over-printing of the entries. In such cases we are compelled to visit our bank and get printed afresh the faulty pages. This results in unwanted consumption of papers in the passbooks and wastage of valuable time of the bank employees. Therefore, would it be possible for the banks to introduce an option in the printing machines wherein the client can feed the dates for which the data are required?
Given the versatility of Indian software experts the above suggestion would not take much time to be developed and implemented in all the printing machines across the country.
Sridhar D’Iyer, Caranzalem
