Help save Ponda
In 2013, the Ponda municipal elections were held, where an alliance between the BJP and MGP won around 10 seats. We voted for the alliance in faith but it has been destroyed by greed. The people of Ponda are today suffering because of this.
The entrance to the market is very narrow. Less than a metre and a half. As a result, women are manhandled when trying to go through. This entrance needs to be widened so that there is no inconvenience caused. The PMC is not functioning as per government norms. The elected councilors are silent spectators and seem happy with their Rs 7500 honorarium. The chief officer is also handling the work of the additional deputy collector. It’s a heavy load. The chairperson of the PMC is hardly every available in the office and his staff states that he is only available after 3pm. The main engineer is also only available twice a week.
The chief minister and deputy chief minister, who also holds the ministry of urban development portfolio should look into this and appoint a permanent chief officer and main engineer at the Ponda Municipal Council so that the needs of our ever growing population is served better
Antonio Da Silva, Ponda
Beyond jackfruit
I’m glad that our Minister for Agriculture, Ramesh Tawadkar, is laying an emphasis on production of value-added products of rice and jackfruit in the state as they are available in abundance in Goa. What he also needs to realize is the fact that ‘hundreds’ of tropical fruit trees can be grown in Goa. Apart from Kerala, I hope that his visit to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia in the past provided an insight into this matter. Let us not only think of jackfruits and rice as we have known them for ages but must make a persistent attempt to grow other 'hundreds' of tropical fruit trees to fruition. We need is a wider range of tropical fruits on our dining tables and not only the common ones that we have known for ages. Also, there are different nutritional values for every fruit and they also have their value-added products.
Augustus Alphonso, Vasco
Absconding journalist
Police are on the lookout for accused scribe Rupesh Sawant for quite a long time, and he has been dodging the police summons at least thrice thus far. It is not known how many times this will continue and it appears to be a game of hide and seek. It is quite unfortunate that such things are happening in the Goa police department. If there is another investigation, perhaps a terrorist or a big criminal, will this be the same story there too?
Since Sawant is well versed on the ability of Goa Police and that is probably the reason he allegedly has taken the law in his own hands. I think the home department must tighten up things in the police department even though summons were already been delivered at his residence.
Stephen Dias, Dona Paula
