Promoting khadi
With the central government and the BJP central leadership pushing for wide use of khadi, it is understood that the Goa government has reportedly already agreed to the central request to ask officials to wear khadi once a week. The only thing left to decide is when to implement the dress code. It is pertinent to note that even though what one wears is a matter of individual choice, a step to promote khadi is always welcome. But then this promotion should commence with the ministers and elected representatives in the assembly, the civic bodies and the panchayats. Another aspect is that if the government is to promote khadi in a big way then khadi clothing should be easily available. Most of the private clothing shops do not store much variety of khadi clothing. Hence it would be in the fitness of things for the government to open retail outlets for khadi clothing in every city which need to store a wide variety of khadi clothes. Wearing khadi clothing does imbibe a sense of patriotism as khadi is synonymous with Indian culture the world over.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Irregular rules
The Goa Government is bent on regularizing illegal houses in the State before the 2017 Assembly elections. About 40,000 illegal houses built before February 28, 2014 on governments and private land will be regularized. At one time, the CM says that structures will have to have a clear land title to qualify for regularization. At another time he says that structures built on others property will be considered if they have NOC from the owners. Here are some questions that need answers. If a family has built two or more illegal houses, and there are many such cases, will all of them be regularized? Will the government recover the cost of the land occupied by the usurpers, if the houses are built on government land? If so, at what rate? With regard to houses built on private land owned by others, the government says that NOC from the owners will be considered for regularizing the illegal houses. NOC does not constitute title to the land. How will the sub-registrar register the conveyance or for that matter the Mamlatdar carry out the mutation without a proper deed of conveyance? Will houses which are built in the fields and orchards be regularized? (b) Will the structures which are built for commercial or business purpose or those which have been rented out also be regularized? Will the houses that have not maintained the required setbacks and FAR be considered? Will all the government fees and charges such as conversion, licence, infrastructure, etc. be recovered? Will the illegal houses built after 28 Feb 14 be pulled down? The people should be informed what steps are being taken by the government and the local bodies to stop illegal houses that are being continuously built in Goa with ease and in open defiance of the government rules and regulations.
Rodney de Souza, Assagao
