It’s amazing to witness the transformation taking place at the Margao KTC bus stand and its surrounding areas in preparation for the visit of the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, to Goa, especially in South Goa this time.
It reminds me of a time back in my school days when our class teacher instructed us to keep our classrooms clean because there would be an inspection by the principal. While everything was spick-and-span and ready to be inspected within a few hours, the small details would go unnoticed. This was because it wasn’t just the cleanliness that mattered, but also the occasion that demanded it, and more importantly, the person who graced the function.
Imagine a scenario where cleanliness is a daily routine. Why would there be a need for a special alert to spruce things up for a particular event? The same can be said for the situation at the KTC bus stand. In addition to the fairly large pandal that has been erected, the general public has been greatly inconvenienced in terms of catching their buses or hailing an auto. Shops would have to be closed, and business would ultimately suffer for the day. And all of this, of course, to accommodate one man who runs the country. Undoubtedly, a prime minister receives the importance and due respect from citizens, but it is not expected that the public should be inconvenienced as a result. The roof of the Margao KTC has been leaking for several rainy seasons, and it is finally receiving a much-needed overhaul. This is something the government could have addressed a decade ago when the general public in South Goa called for its repairs. The local buses, along with the Kadamba buses, have been relocated further down the road. This has not only increased the traffic wait time around Colva Circle but also forced citizens to walk extra miles just to catch their buses home and to work.
The area across from the INOX theatre has finally been tarred after a long time, a much-needed improvement that could have been addressed much earlier. Need I say more about the traffic issues that I, as a driver of a four-wheeled vehicle, have been facing in the past few days? Arriving late to work is one thing, but having to contend with poorly synchronized traffic lights that, inexplicably, don’t always function was promptly reported to the appropriate authority and rectified soon after.
Why does Goa have to wait for the Prime Minister to visit the state to set things in order? Wouldn’t it have been easier if issues were addressed regularly, making the entire process simpler to execute?
Buses lined up, sidewalks repaired, and roads freshly coated with tar.
Welcome, Principal Narendra Modi. Your faithful students have done a great job!
After all this, we eagerly await the visit of our esteemed Prime Minister to our state, as there is no greater honor than the leader of the country gracing us with his presence among our fellow Goenkars.
We may have learned in school that a last-minute touch-up is good enough to make a good impression. However, the most important lesson from this is the need for daily maintenance of a functioning system to prevent breakdowns and ensure smooth operation, which is far more effective in the long run.
After all, our leaders were once students, and it’s never too late to learn. It is never too late.
