Fighting for the minorities
NCP Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao should be congratulated for visiting the demolished Little Flower Church site in New Delhi, for meeting the Parish priest Fr Jose as well as the parishioners and for pledging his full support to fight the grave injustice of the demolition of the said church by the Delhi authorities.
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Of course, some say that Alemao must have visited the demolished Little Flower Church site in New Delhi to play his politics and to take some political mileage for himself out of this whole thing keeping an eye on the upcoming assembly elections in Goa but who cares? At least Alemao has dared to raise his voice on behalf of all the Goan Catholics and to defend his religion unlike the other so-called ‘minority community’ leaders (including from the Congress) who have still not bothered (forget visiting the demolished Church site) to even issue a single statement condemning the above mentioned act of the Delhi authorities just to stay in good books with the current ruling BJP government in Goa. Now, isn’t that most shocking and shameful on the part of all these minority community leaders in Goa?
Hey, wouldn’t all the BJP leaders (including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah) have rushed or visited (like they keep visiting Ayodhya and other Hindu religious places) the said demolished site in New Delhi if the same structure had belonged to Hindus and have tried to instigate them just to play their Hindutva politics in our country? Then why Churchill Alemao alone should be targeted for merely visiting and pledging his full support for the parish priest (including the parishioners) of the above mentioned demolished church in New Delhi on behalf of all the Christian community in Goa/India?
MLA Churchill Alemao historically might have been a most disastrous opportunist politician but the one good thing about him is that he has always dared to speak up his mind on many occasions even in the past to defend his religion and that is something great about him.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
Allocate land for the landless IIT
In 2014 the Centre had allotted an IIT for Goa and since 2016 it has been housed in the campus of Goa Engineering College, Farmagudi (Ponda taluka). The IIT has been three times unlucky for not being able to find a suitable piece of land. In 2016, there were oppositions by the people at Loliem (Canacona taluka), in 2018 Cotarlim (Sanguem taluka) was identified but for some reasons in 2019 it was dropped and the project was shifted to Shel Melauli and Guleli (Sattari taluka) where in Jan 2021 the people revolted.
In May 2021 the government wanted the revenue department to transfer 14 lakh sq m in Tuem village (Pernem taluka). It has come to light from the Pernem mamlatdar that there is no such tract of land owned by the revenue department!
Interestingly, in Tuem acres of land have been identified and a proposal is in the pipe-line to have an entertainment park (EP) where electronic music and dance and other events could be conducted. Recently, 5.97 lakh sq m which was identified for the Greenfield Electronics Manufacturing (EMC) cluster has not received suitable response from the industries.
The reasons there were either were no eligible companies or eligible ones asked for a lower price than the reserved price of Rs 1,600 per sq m.
Perhaps the 7 years jinx for the prestigious IIT could be broken if the lands identified for EP and EMC could be either singly or jointly be allotted to it.
Sridhar D’Iyer, Caranzalem
Preventing electrical accidents
Three workers engaged by the contractor of the Electricity Department reportedly died and one was battling for life after they were electrocuted while attempting to remove old cables from discarded poles at Savoi-Verem, in Ponda taluka. It is learnt that while pulling out the old cables, the insulation cover must have got scrapped and the cables probably landed on the electrified cable.
All four workers from UP received a high intensity electric shock. While two died on the spot one succumbed on the way to the hospital and one worker was under treatment. It must be said that there have been several instances when electricity workers have suffered electric shock which at times even proved fatal. Such unfortunate incidents can be prevented by switching off the section of the line where the work is being carried out. In order to take extra precaution the fuse of the particular line needs to be removed. They should be placed back only after the work is completed in order to restore the power. This precaution needs to be taken even if work is being carried on a “dead'” electricity cable through which no current is passing.
Such incidents can also be avoided if the workers wear all the protective gear provided to them. If these electricity workers were wearing gloves such a tragedy would not have taken place.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Reservation in promoting disabled
It’s extremely unfortunate that PWD’s government employees facing delay and difficulties for promotion in government organisation.
The top court in its landmark judgment dated Jan 1, 2020 and June 28, 2021 had held that the reservation in promotions to the persons with benchmark disabilities cannot be denied. There cannot be methodology used to defeat the reservation in promotion. Once that post is identified, the logical conclusion would be that it would be reserved for PWD who have been promoted.
The non-acceptance or non-adherence of the decisions or judgment passed by the SC are not just to make social and news media headlines, to grant justice to the PWDs according to the rights stipulated through parliament procedure.
The RPWD Act states the reservation to the PWDs have been extended to 4%. But the government departments are not implementing reservations in promotion for people with disabilities in spite of SC verdict, causing a huge setback in the form of carrier progression and also monitory loss. The apex court verdict in connection with the reservation in promotion for the disabled employees in States should not be ignored.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Time to walk the talk
In times when the communication technology has been advancing everywhere, the BSNL services in Goa is in utter dire straits. The Internet connectivity all over and especially in the villages is extremely pathetic on account of which it is very adversely affecting students who are now on online classes and also the people at large being unable to access online services provided by the government and other institutions including the Courts which are now conducting hearings by virtual mode. Even where the network exists the speed is extremely slow which is further frustrating.
It is high time that the now crumbling BSNL, a government entity, which has been in total disarray, gets its act together. In times of trouble like the current pandemic, the importance of the speed and access of the Internet has become significantly greater.
This global pandemic has clearly demonstrated to us the benefits and urgency of having state of the art Internet connectivity, speed and access and the pitfalls of not having one like some of our many villages are sadly experiencing.
Progress claimed by the Government cannot be just on paper and loud talk as the people need to experience and feel that change for the better.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
