The mess on the new Zuari bridge
The incompetence and cussedness of our government in Goa is being repeatedly shown in the traffic woes that people have to face while crossing the Zuari bridge over the last few days and particularly since Christmas. The other day newspapers reported a 5- hour traffic jam at the bridge. Recognising the misery heaped on commuters over the last 5 years while the new bridge was being constructed and with plans to open one side of the bridge by end Dec 2022 for traffic, should the government not have examined expediting the opening to around 20th Dec before Christmas when the holiday season traffic increases? It is known that people including tourists arrive over the Christmas – New Year and thus anticipating this would have shown that our government had more sense and conveyed sympathy to the travelling citizens plight. Instead of that they took the approach that the people have suffered for so long and how does another few days matter. One also cannot understand how the date of 29th was chosen for Nitin Gadkari to inaugurate the bridge. Was it because of his tight schedule since he zips around the country with his last known position being somewhere in the Terai region of the Himalayas? If so, the Goa government could have taken a decision to start the bridge traffic as soon as the facilities were ready by say around 20th Dec. Then Gadkari could have come at any time later and did a formal inauguration. This method would have shown that our government is responsive to citizen’s woes and takes positive action to resolve them. Even now after Gadkari inaugurates the bridge on 29th, the papers say that the bridge will be thrown open to traffic the next day, on 30th. Why add another day? Let Gadkari inaugurate the bridge and let the traffic flow from 29th Dec itself. It is time also that the Goa government show that it has some spine and stands up to the Centre. After all it is for the people of Goa and even the PM the other day said that his is a people or citizen centric government.
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Srinivas Kamat, Alto St Cruz
New Year resolutions
I don’t believe in making New Year resolutions because we make the same resolutions every year and then… never really stick to them.
Not making a resolution and enjoying the simple joys of life is the best resolution. It also helps in keeping up with your aspirations in professional and personal life.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
Prayers for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s health has reportedly worsened over the past few hours due to advanced age and doctors are constantly monitoring his condition, the Vatican said on Wednesday. Pope Francis appealed to the faithful to pray for his predecessor to remember him asking the Lord to console him and to sustain him in this testimony to love for the church, “until the end.” The Holy Father reportedly went to visit his predecessor in the monastery of the Vatican grounds where the retired pontiff lived since retiring in February 2013. When he resigned nearly 10 years ago, Pope Benedict had cited his declining health, both of mind and body. He had said that due to his advanced age and that his strengths were no longer suited to an adequate exercise of leading the church, which had led to his decision to resign freely, and for the good of the church. He lives in the Mater Ecclesiae monastery on Vatican grounds, where he moved shortly after becoming the first pope to resign in 600 years. Pope Francis said that he would like to ask all for a special prayer for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who is sustaining the church in silence. It would be desirable for the Church in Goa to have special prayers for the health of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI during the morning services in the parishes across the state.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Viva Ponte Zuari
In October 1960, the Overseas Ministry, Lisbon, had invited bids for suspension bridges over Rivers Mandovi and Zuari in Goa and Sandalcalo in Daman but the bids could not be finalised on time. Portuguese engineers had opined that the beds of the rivers were too treacherous in the monsoons to build the bridges on piles.
Indian engineers traversed the three rivers with bridges on piles for timeliness with unfortunate consequences.
May the new bridge over River Zuari with a unique state of the art be blessed with long life and service.
John Menezes, Mumbai
Reality check by N Murthy
Addressing students at GMR Institute of Technology at Rajam on its Silver Jubilee celebrations Narayana Murthy said “In India, reality means corruption, dirty roads, pollution and many times no power. However, reality in Singapore means clean roads, no pollution and lots of power.
Therefore, it is your responsibility to create that new reality. The candid remarks by Narayana Murthy should be taken as a constructive criticism for improvement, and not anti-National. Narayana Murthy is considered as the father of the IT sector having put India on the world IT map, the authorities need the gall to digest his well-meaning remarks and improve the system, corruption is the thermite that eats away our progress.
Agnelo Furtado, Chinchinim
Petty fines for garbage violators
I was reading in disbelief about some coastal village panchayats e.g. Calangute Panchayat imposing petty fines from 5000 to 25000 rupees on business establishments dumping garbage illegally in unauthorised places and ignoring the pre-agreed processes/mechanisms for the same! Are the respective sarpanchas and panchas really serious about curbing this menace? These petty fines are hardly a disincentive for garbage dumping/violators! The panchayats must put in steep fines to at least a lakh plus suspension/termination of business licences for those repeating the offence!
Burning of wastes/plastics by business establishments should also face steep fines and suspension/termination of business licences, as this is a major health hazard to residents, visitors and tourists!
In overseas countries, steep fines and cancellation of business licenses have proven to be a major deterrent in addressing the garbage/open burning menace…. I strongly request the Goa Govt/Municipal Bodies/Panchayats to look at introducing similar measures!
Arwin Mesquita, Colva
Mysterious deaths raise eyebrows
The mysterious deaths of two Russian tourists at the Sai International Hotel in the non-descript Rayagada district of Odisha have raised eyebrows. One of them, Pavel Antov, who fell from his hotel terrace on December 24, was a business tycoon and member of the Vladimir legislative assembly. He had taken a critical view of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Antov’s friend Bydanov Vladimir succumbed to a heart attack in the hotel room on December 22. The Odisha government has done well to order a Crime Branch investigation into the deaths.
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
