Risks of reporting corruption cases to CBI
Many Goans must have been aghast with the CBI asking people to come forward fearlessly with their complaints on corruption. In a state like Goa, corruption is rampant. The runs from senior ministers to government officials.
There several examples of corruption cases involving politicians, with the latest trend being about washing away all the corruption accusations by joining the ruling party.
With such cases show that the government and even its agencies, including the CBI, have lost credibility in the eyes of the public. It seems the guilty will never be brought to book.
It is a well known that coming forward with complaints against powerful individuals can have its own risks, including coming under the target of government machinery aimed at harassment.
Where is Goa’s vigilance Department which is supposed to investigate the numerous incidents of corruption reported regularly in the State? Are they in a coma?
Why can’t the CBI start taking action against the officials against whom there are pending corruption cases?
Arwin Mesquita, Colva.
Ensure time-bound delivery of services to citizens
The Right to Service Act contains statutory laws and provisions to ensure time-bound delivery of public services to citizens of India. The Goa government should implement the Goa (Right of Citizens to Time-Bound Delivery of Public Services) Act, 2013, including imposition of stringent penalties on government employees for delays.
The act has been made in Goa but there is no penalty for it in the State and it has become defunct. The legislation was passed by the state assembly in 2013 but was never made applicable to all departments. Most importantly, though the law speaks about imposing fines up to Rs 2,500 on any government officer who fails to provide the public service to eligible persons, the clause was never implemented. It should be made universally applicable to all services.
Directions should be given to all heads of departments to implement the act. The act should be notified in its entirety across all the departments.
The rules and regulations under the act should be notified soon with stringent penalties imposed on government staff for delaying services. Public services are the rights of Indian citizens and must be provided to them by designated government officials within the stipulated time.
KG Vilop, Chorao
RTI delayed is RTI denied
Providing a reply to an RTI application is the duty of aPublic Information Officer (PIO), however some politicians are playing with the RTI Act and trying to hide information.
Most of the times, the village PIOs are not aware of the RTI applications entered in the village office, however, it is their duty to keep a tab on these. It is said that “justice delayed is justice denied” and the same applies to RTI applications.
In one instance, a a RTI application has been pending for the past 12 months mainly because a politician has asked the officer to hide the application. One day this will create a problem.
Therefore a PIO should maintain an inward register to keep a track of all the RTI applications. Only time will expose the politicians in question. No amount of money can prevail over the laws of this country.
Rajesh Banaulikar, Arpora
CM needs to walk his empty talk on corruption
In the Vigilance Week that is currently being observed, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has publicly claimed that his government professes to zero tolerance to corruption and that every corrupt official would not be spared.
So what action does he propose against every Police Sub-Division and Police Stations including Outposts that are allegedly collecting a huge monthly ransom for the political bosses? This is no secret and even a constable and the home guard know it all. An utter disgrace by those mandated to uphold the rule of law.
Goa’s endemic corruption starts at the top and therefore needs to be cleansed from the very top. It has to begin with the Ministers and MLAs and filter downwards to the entire bureaucracy including the peons and sweepers in every department.
When Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has inducted Ministers facing serious Criminal charges what example has he set? His cabinet should have led by example but sadly some of them are awful role models with now even land grabbers as part of his cabinet and ruling MLAs.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Provide free transport to children of poor families
It is learnt that the state owned Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) has recently hiked the rates for the weekly, monthly and annual bus passes. The government has reportedly not spared even the students who have to shell out more for public transport to go to school and back home. It is pertinent to note that many-a-time students from remote areas have to hop from one bus to another in order to reach their school.
This will be an additional financial burden for children belonging to poor families. The government needs to give all the encouragement for poor families to send their children to school. Children are the future of our country and need to be provided with all the amenities to continue with the schooling and providing affordable traveling facilities.
If poor families cannot afford to send their children to school by public transport there could even be school dropouts. Not all schools have buses of their own. It would be prudent for the government to provide free transport in KTC buses for students in the rural areas. For students in urban areas the rates for the weekly, monthly and annual bus passes needs to be reduced drastically.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
A common man’s Vadapav will be expensive
The prices of petrol, diesel and gas have already increased. Therefore, the prices of essential commodities like vegetables and grains are increasing. Wheat and rice have become expensive.
Transport rates have increased. Inflation seems to be increasing at the general level. To add to this, the prices of bread and bread have also increased. Hence, even the savior of the match, Vada Pav, is on the borderline of inflation. I read such news recently, in Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, vada pav is generally available for 10 to 15 rupees. There has been a 50 paise increase in bread prices this is the third increase this year. Bread prices are also going to increase along with Pava. Along with vada pava, kachori and bhaji are also going to be expensive.
According to an estimate, it seems that the price of Vada Pava will increase by three to four rupees. Therefore, the price of Vada pav will now be around 20 rupees. Vada pav is very popular in Mumbai as well as Pune. In the city of Mumbai, every person is running for work and business, so if you eat one or two vada pav without bringing a box from home, that’s it! Now that vada pav has become expensive, there will be a big financial hit in Mumbai. Also, there is no doubt that this will affect the employees of Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad as well.
Shantaram Wagh, Pune
