This is in reference to the front page news report ' Sawant orders crackdown on drugs, illegal sand mining (TGE, Sept. 3). Much was expected of chief minister Pramod Sawant after the BJP rode to power in the 2022 Goa Assembly polls with a convincing majority. Sawant was the main architect, lauded and credited for having braved the political storm single-handedly, without a pre-poll alliance, and emerging successful in a hotly contested election. Today the situation in Goa is unfortunately worse than what it was earlier. People's hopes have been dashed with the failed promises, and the total deterioration of law and order in the state, with the rising number of crimes involving rape, murder and drugs, etc. Three months is a considerable time to wait to fulfill the promises of restoring the state to normalcy, where people and tourists feel safe to move out and party, without the fear of being kidnapped , raped , murdered , or being drugged. The number of illegal land grabbing cases in the state is also something never heard of before, bringing shame to the Goa govt with the number of govt officials involved in connivance with fraudsters. Taxis in the state still continue to charge arbitrarily without the use of meters? When will all this end, is what every Goan is asking today.
