Change Goa’s destiny
It is now extremely clear that while we removed a destructive Congress Party, we actually jumped from a frying pan into the fire, by giving the BJP and Manohar Parrikar too much of a mandate to govern Goa. We voted for them on promises of reducing corruption, regional plan to safeguard goa, special status to preserve Goa or at least laws within its ambit to stop the onslaught. U- turns on all!
I believe if the BJP can come out with creative ways on ordinances to destroy eco sensitive areas or the coconut tree, surely they could have come up with laws to safeguard Goa. The priority is to oust the BJP, as they are now the worst anti Goan party ever! And at the same time, we need to have proven Goa loving people to stand for elections and a powerful citizens watchdog to ensure future politicians/partys are kept in check.
Arwin Mesquita, Colva
Repair roads
Every year citizens are advised to be cautious while driving, as the Road Safety Week is observed in Goa. However, the aspect of improving the condition of the roads doesn’t receive prompt attention. Apart from the failure on the part of travelers to abide by the rules and regulations pertaining to driving, the bad condition of the roads is equally responsible for causing accidents. This leads to death or serious injuries. Repairing defective roads at the right time is significant. Safety and protection must be assured to all travellers at all times.
Pravin U Sardessai, Adpai
Justify prices
The price of oil is the lowest it has been in about 12 years yet the government of India has only reduced the price of petrol in the country by 32 paise this time, yet raised the tax levied by about thrice that amount. The same goes for the price of diesel, which was reduced but taxes increased threefold. How does the BJP government justify these prices and the rise in taxes? The Acche Din that was promised seems to have disappeared along with any sense of responsibility to the people that Narendra Modi claimed to have during his campaign. It’s an alarming state of affairs.
Sanjay Naik, Mapusa
Safe beaches
The lifeguards area finally back in action on Goa’s beaches, but not before they had to go on strike to get the government to accept certain demands. I do not condone strikes, but it appears that methods such as this are possibly the only way to get the government to sit up and take notice. These lifeguards are the ones who often lay their lives on the line to save people and keep Goa’s beaches protected and safe. Surely they deserve more than minimum wage and decent facilities to live and operate in. We have hundreds of thousands of people on Goa’s beaches every season. We need more lifeguards but if we cannot keep the current crop of them happy, how are we going to manage an increased force? The tourism policy needs to recognize these fine individuals as professionals and pay them as such.
Bhushan Kamat, Panaji
