PANJIM: Four people have lost their lives and several others met with life threatening accidents, during Smart City works in Panjim. While the next of kin of one victim was given Rs 4 lakh; Rs 10 lakhs is proposed to be given to another victim’s family. Herald TV asked people whether there should be compensation given to the victims or should criminal proceedings be started against those responsible for the deaths?
Compensation is one part of it for certain minor accidents maybe. When there are major accidents, the accountability must be at a different level. Accountability has to be fixed to the person who is confirmed to be responsible for negligent and rash driving. There should be not only criminal action against them, but they should be definitely behind bars for some time period, so that it can set an example for others. This has to start from top to bottom. We have seen that the rich get away. So somebody has to take strong action against rich and influential people.
Anthony D'Silva, Social Activist
Actually I don’t want to talk about Smart City, because I have spoken about Smart City so often. They don’t listen, and they don’t care who dies. Four people have died, forget about compensation, but they don’t care. Dust pollution has increased, forget about Panjim being Smart. Right from the government to officials working in Smart City, as well as the CCP, no one cares for citizens. Citizens just don’t know what to do. There has to be accountability, the entire group of officials should be brought to book. Who will do that? Because there is corruption right from the top to the bottom. The bridge which they have built is not only ugly but it is totally illegal. If government builds something illegal, what are people supposed to do?
Patricia Pinto, Resident of Campal
Ribandar is also a part of Panjim City. The haphazard planning which has been done by the Smart City, I think a commoner would have done a better job. I am only going to talk about how hazardous it is for a common man. Recently I lost a very good friend of mine Emidio Monteiro. It was not very late when he met with an accident. He could not be even shifted to the Ribandar Primary Health Centre, can you believe the roads were so bad? And that is why he had to be taken all the way to PHC Betki and they could not do anything about it.
Succoro Menezes, Resident of Ribandar