Cannot allow RTI to be choked by govt
This week is being observed and focusing on Vigilance Awareness but it is imperative that we need to be ever so vigilant every day of the year to ensure that Good Governance is the order of the day. It has been 15 long years since the Right to Information Act came into force on October 12th 2005. But over these years however the greater challenge has been the actual implementation of the Act. Unless the RTI Act is further strengthened Good Governance, Transparency in the Administration and zero-tolerance to corruption will never be a reality.
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The Right to Information Act has been hailed as the hallmark of our democracy. The Act aims at making the government transparent and more accountable. The effective use of it would, in the long run, curb corruption. Right to Information Act has become a powerful tool in exposing corruption at all levels of government. Democracy and non-transparency in the functioning of the Government cannot co-exist. Besides freedom of speech without access to information is meaningless. For the common man, getting correct and accurate information under the Right to Information Act is today still a far cry.
Under Section 4 of the RTI Act all public authorities are duty bound to regularly display on their website a wide range of information, including all relevant facts while formulating important policies or announcing the decisions which affect the public. This proviso in the law was enacted to reduce the need for filing individual RTI applications. But this mandatory duty has been blatantly flouted by the authorities with most government websites themselves dysfunctional or not updated.
We need to battle it out and cannot allow the RTI Act to be choked by the government to a slow death. Steps need to be taken to strengthen the transparency regime that was sought to be established as envisaged by the RTI Act. Effective implementation of the RTI Act requires political commitment from the very top. Governance by cloak of secrecy and opaqueness needs to be strongly resisted. It cannot be a hush-hush regime. We need to dismantle those walls of secrecy that continue to hound transparency and good governance.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Modern day Nostradamus and COVID-19
Every other day we read articles and opinions from and hear debates of specialists and non-specialists pertaining to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Each of them have their own views and ‘know-it-all’ attitude as to when the virus would peak or exit from a place or country. There are claims, sometimes just one-off case that the virus has been found in sewage waters and even in a cremated corpse.
Several attributes and parametres are used by these predictors to claim that the virus would peak or otherwise during summer or winter or because of air pollution, coming of a second wave (how do they know that the first wave has ended?), travel time and distance of the virus, how long the virus remains on what kind of surfaces and so forth. So far, globally the virus has not acted ‘responsibly’ as per the suggested mathematical or other models.
A grim image emerges from such studies which make the public more paranoid and jittery. If these modern day, dime a dozen Nostradamus are not able to paint a rosy picture that the virus would soon exit or could be controlled but at least they should not depict a canvas of doomsday scenario. These soothsayers instead of saying soothing things act like the blinded folded men trying to describe the elephant in the room. World-over the populace is at their wits end worrying about the next meal, job, safety, medicines etc and let not their hopes be dashed by such ‘hope-less’ statements.
We need to appreciate the Indian and also Goa governments which give a positive twist by daily announcing the number of cases reduced and number of case cured. After all, we exist on hopes and prayers.
Sridhar D’ Iyer, Caranzalem
SOP during Diwali
In order to restrict the spread of Coronavirus at its jurisdiction, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has issued the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to be followed during the ensuing Diwali festival. Accordingly, there will be no Narkasur procession in the city. The height of the Narkasur effigy has been restricted to 8 feet. Fireworks at the site of Narkasur installation has been totally banned. Further, playing loud music, organising cultural programmes, competitions will not be allowed so as to avoid over-crowding at such spots. Similarly, burning of Narkasur effigy has also been banned. It is but sure that other major cities and towns would follow suit and follow SOP strictly during this festival. However, as far as the villages are concerned, I doubt whether the village panchayats would support this move.
In case such guidelines are overlooked, there is every possibility of Coronavirus spreading at the respective jurisdictions thereby endangering human lives. Under such circumstances, the Directorate of Panchayats as a competent authority should take a serious note of this important matter and issue necessary circular to all VP’s in the state thereby requesting them to adopt its SOP during the above festival. VP’s that ought to neglect this serious matter should be taken to task at all costs. Human lives being precious, appropriate precautionary measures need to be initiated so that the deadly virus is kept at bay.
Let us hope that the DOP would issue the much needed circular on priority basis without any further delay. Indeed, the village population should be assured safety at all costs.
Pravin U Sardessai, Adpai
Much needed property reform
In a welcome move which will cut down on fraudulent property deals, the state government has mandated creation of a property register which shall have details of all immovable assets including encumbrances, liens, mortgages, lease disputes, court orders and zoning violations relating to them.Though it would be a long drawn out and rigorous process, the wheels of the government machinery have already been set in motion to collate this database.
Generally the public faces a lot of obstacles when finding out the antecedents of the property they intend to purchase, lease or rent especially Portuguese era houses in joint ownership whose owners reside abroad . Once a property is included in this definitive property register after due diligence, it will make it much easier for prospective buyers and sellers to enter into sale or lease agreements. Each survey number shall have a separate digital property register thus enabling concerned government officials to keep an check on any fraudulent transaction happening in their jurisdiction. They shall also have a free hand in updating information related to immovable properties independent of the ‘Directorate of Settlement and Land Records’ or the revenue department.
We hope this well intentioned scheme reaches it’s logical conclusion within a reasonable time frame.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Reopen church doors
The great enemy of our God ‘Satan’ has been dancing with glee because the government all over the world has closed church doors since March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It’s high time now the government opened them back. Places of worship are essential to all of us and our very way of life as people of God. We are not designed to live in isolation from other believers. We can open them back safely and with precaution.
Hearing online Mass on YouTube or on TV is not what God wants us to do. He wants us to to church because He (Jesus) is only present in the Eucharist.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
