Investigating Agusta
The Agusta scam has eroded the image of Indians abroad. There should be a thorough investigation of the scam to nail the culprits and save the tax payers money, thereby eradicating corruption from the defence sector so that there are no hurdles to buy equipment regularly as part of upgradation and modernisation programmes. Scandals hurt the interest of the armed forces and also the security of the country. The Congress leadership should take responsibility as this scam was during the tenure of the UPA government and respond to criticism rather than blocking the precious time of the Parliament to carry out legislative business. When country like Italy could successfully investigate and bring the bribe givers to book, why are our investigation agencies groping in the dark? The government should pursue the case vigorously and it looks like Modi wants to use Swamy for his agenda with the main intention of slandering Sonia and Rahul. Interestingly why is Modi silent on the Agusta scam?
Diomedes Pereira, Corlim
Safe water sports
The tragic death of a tourist from West Bengal who met with a watery grave while parasailing after he landed in the water at Colva beach has once again brought to the fore the lack of enforcement of safety regulations in adventure sports by the tourism department. This incident is a huge blow to Goa’s image as a safe tourist destination. An adventure sport by its very nature is riddled with a lot of risk. Hence all safety measures need to be in place to prevent any accidents. There also needs to be medical facilities available in quick time to meet any emergency case. Facilities for rescue operations in case of an eventuality also needs to be in place. It would be in the fitness of things to have a 108 ambulance as a stand-by at every beach that offers adventure sports. The operators of water sports at the beaches need to be in the know of the changing wind conditions and refrain from carrying out any water-sports activities if the weather condition is not conducive. The tourism department need to keep a close watch on the water-sport activities so that making a fast buck does not take precedence over adopting safety measures thereby putting the life of people at risk. The government should not only attract tourists by providing various adventure sports for tourists but also ensure the safety of every tourist that visits the state.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Smart move
The nod to funds for Panaji’s Smart City programme is a welcome step. Panaji has been needing development for a long time now and, apart from a few roads here and there, there has been negligible improvement on the city’s infrastructure. The increasing number of buildings in Altinho and around the city has put a strain on the city’s already week sewerage system. There needs to be better traffic control and much more. If these funds can speed up the process, then why not? But there has to be transparency in this process.
Bhushan Kamat, Panaji
