JAY JOSHI
One of Goa’s biggest problems at the moment is the bad state of its roads. Potholed roads have reportedly caused a number of accidents and inconvenienced people in a lot of ways, dampening the joy of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. The government has failed to live up to its earlier promise to fix the roads before Ganesh festival and has blamed the dismal conditions of roads on heavy rains.
In recent days, however, the state government has shown the readiness to fix the pockmarked roads, urging the citizens to send pictures of potholed roads to a whatsapp number. As soon as the citizens send the pictures, government officials will inspect the concerned roads and fix them, the government says. By the looks of it, this idea seems impressive and efficient, but it has drawn heavy criticism from the citizens.
“I do not see what the need for this idea is,” says Dilip Naik from Ponda, who is the founder of the NGO Road Safety Forum. There are two reasons why this move puzzles me. Firstly, Goa has a small area. So, each PWD engineer has a small portion of roads to take care of. Such programmes would have made sense in a vast state like that of Maharashtra. Secondly, there is the issue of implementation. I find it difficult to believe that the officials will act quickly on the matter even if we do send pictures. If the government would have first fixed the roads to the best of its capacity and then asked the people to point out if there are any remaining potholes, then it was a different matter. This seems pretty silly,” says Naik.
Nayana Adarkar, a corporate employee from Vasco also draws action to government apathy. “I do not believe that the government will properly implement the scheme. Earlier, there was a similar measure taken with regard to ladies seats in buses. Female passengers had to call a number and register complaint if they were not given ladies’ seats in buses. I called the number, but no action was taken,” says Adarkar, adding that she has faced government apathy in many other cases as well.
Rajesh Salgaonkar, a freelance journalist from Pernem also highlights the same problem. “It is actually the job of PWD engineers to monitor and repair the roads. They should take tours regularly to inspect and maintain the roads. Instead, they are putting the onus of their responsibilities on the shoulders of the people while they themselves are sitting in cozy cabins. I feel that this picture idea is a mere publicity stunt to make the people feel that the government is doing something and that they are an important part of the process. Why do you need to involve citizens in a matter as simple as fixing potholes on the roads?” asks Salgaonkar.
Vinay Joshi, a corporate employee from Panaji, who works in Mumbai on the other hand supported the new programme. “In Mumbai, we have been using this system for the past four years. This system is also being followed in may other states across India. This mechanism ensures that there is a system in place to address issues regarding roads. Even in a state like Goa, it should help bring some accountability for the government. It will give people a channel to voice their concerns,” says Joshi.
Deepak Sonawne, a project manager from Panaji expresses different reservations. “For sending pictures on Whatsapp, one needs a good Internet connection. That, you cannot get in rural areas. So, it looks like the system will only work in cities and towns where both the Internet as well as the government have easy reach while the rural areas might suffer,” quips Sonawane.
