Quick service
I had an extremely pleasant experience when I went to the Santa Cruz Panchayat for my son's birth certificate. The helpful woman asked me for his date of Birth and then his name. Immediately she gave me a computer-printed certificate and I had to pay Rs 20 at the next counter and got it stamped. From the time I entered the Panchayat office till I left with birth certificate in hand was exactly 3 minutes. Bravo! Is it like this for birth certificates at all panchayats in Goa?
Cecil Pinto, Aldona
On the edge
After the recent hot mixing of National Highway 17, the edges of road on either side are about six inches plus inclined. It has resulted in tipping over of some two wheelers when driven on the edges, but fortunately have not been dangerous or fatal thus far. During monsoon due to water logging and at nights where the roads are not illuminated, accidents are waiting to happen, endangering commuters. Nothing seemed to have happened even post these accidents. Why do the authorities display carelessness and scant respect to safety of riders due to these steep edges?
Nelson Lopes, Chinchinim
Garbage plan
Finally the government has come up with a plan to collect and manage garbage. The CM says that all panchayats are responsible for the garbage in the village and have to submit plans of collection and transportation. There is also the state of the art waste management plant at Saligao which will help us clean up Goa. But what about the beaches and roads where people dump garbage with impunity? Not just tourists but Goans too. There is dumping in rivers and fields. Collection of garbage will not stop this. The government has to work on awareness programmes and fines to stop this dumping.
Sanjay Naik, Mapusa
Diabetes and football
During his brief address at the AFC Under-16 Championship draw the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar reportedly said that since football is so much in our blood we in Goa do not suffer from diabetes. However this statement can be taken both metaphorically and literally. It can also mean that the love for football has led many Goans to play the game on the fields, at the village level, students play football in schools and colleges while the professional footballers play for their respective clubs and go on the represent the state and even the country. In Goa we also have veterans playing the game while a football match between the married and the unmarried men is quite common at the village feast. The love of football is not just restricted to men. Women in Goa also play the game with a lot of enthusiasm. With so much of football being played, the body does get a lot of exercise which leads to controlling the blood-sugar level thus reducing the risk of diabetes which is a life-style disease. Regular exercise is essential in combating diabetes. Hence the Chief Minister is absolutely right is saying that incidence of Goans suffering from diabetes could be less since football is in the blood of Goans.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
