Better policing
It was a relief recently to hear that the current DGP went around Panaji and pulled people up for breaking the law. One heard that he made people follow the rules by not stopping on the zebra crossing and also not double parking along 18 June Road. That area is one of the most congested in Panaji. The pay parking rules have helped somewhat but many people continue to break the rules. The page 3 report in The Goan Everyday shows that everything is now back to what it was. Something needs to be done about the shortage of policemen in Goa. If the force can police better then more than half these rule-breakers will not commit these crimes. Perhaps the time has come for the government to install signals in many places in Panaji. This will give policemen more time to patrol and pull up errant Goans. The fine structure must also be increased, so it becomes a proper deterrent. If the transport department can increase public transport too, then there will automatically be less cars in Panaji. The time has come to introspect and revamp.
Bhushan Kamat, Panaji
Inculcate civic sense
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious Swacch Bharat Mission was long-needed and is indeed a commendable initiative. When it comes to cleanliness, India lags abysmally behind as compared to other developing countries. The Centre has been actively promoting the campaign, even going to the extent of levying cess to fund the project. While all these efforts will certainly go a long way, there are still certain aspects that the government has overlooked. A vast majority of Indians don't seem to have any civic sense, and this is where the actual fault lies. A strong, active awareness campaign is needed where cleanliness is made a habit. People must be educated and strictly directed to use waste bins rather than conveniently dropping garbage on the floor or flinging bags filled with waste into water bodies. Hefty fines must also be levied for offenders. But more importantly, the government should also ensure that an adequate number of visible dustbins are placed in designated areas. If this done, only then the Swacch Bharat Mission will achieve its intended target.
Dennis Pereira, Calangute
Pothole problems
The number of complaints against bad roads in the state are astounding. That, in addition to the bad image the Public Works Department (PWD) has managed to earn for itself through scams and corruption, one would have thought the department would make amends. But they continue to engage in bad and shoddy half hearted work. The perfect example of their bad ways is in the way work along a major road in Benaulim was done. The entire stretch from Dando football ground to the Maria Hall junction was dug up as part of the JICA project that laid down sewage pipe. But the work of patching up the road after the pipes were laid was so terrible, its an inconvenience to commuters. Forget potholes, the roads are a sort of vehicular see saw with the monsoons only making things worse. The department should have had the sense of waiting till the monsoons were over to start the work than to put us, the people in trouble.
Debbie Fernandes, Benaulim
