A NOBEL GESTURE TO SPREAD AWARENESS: Bhupendra Singh Mehra, a cyclist hailing from Haldwani from the district of Nainital in Uttarakhand, called on Governor Mridula Sinha at the Raj Bhavan on January 26. On a cycling tour, he has cycled from Nainital to Goa to create awareness among people about the need to protect and save the environment. The Governor lauded him for his noble gesture!
GOANS LOSING OUT!
AAP’s public opinion about this present BJP government in Goa is extremely low. The government has been rendered totally dysfunctional apart from those departments gambling away Goa’s land. Recently, AAP convenor Elvis Gomes threw open a discussion among party leadership about the crises in tourism and mining sectors and the inherent contradictions surfacing with accusations against Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar being openly made party MLAs.
The BJP policy of doling out huge tracts of land under the garb of investments under IPB to big time “money bags” is making a mockery of the Opinion Poll victory and diluting “goycarponn” beyond recognition. Those who fought hard for victory of “two leaves” symbolizing the anti-merger campaign, had not remotely anticipated that rogues and criminals would take control and Goa and Goans would be losers.
How true this is! While speaking of this Elvis Gomes also added that the children of politicians mostly go abroad in the name of studies and accumulated wealth is transferred abroad so that one day when things heat up they too can desert Goa and leave Goans licking their wounds. We must ask ministers why they are celebrating Opinion Poll day when the government has no respect for Goan people’s opinions.
Did they take the opinion of Chimbel people while forcing an IT park on them? Do they take the opinion of people while taking over agricultural fields to push through highways causing extensive damage to Goa’s ecology? The misadventures of this government are leading to destruction of all that’s Goa and Goan. Now that AAP has proved its bona fide success in Delhi and is earning widespread accolades, Goans too must take stock of what AAP can offer them in the interests of Goa.
— Pradeep Padgaonkar, General Secretary, AAP, Goa
CLEAN UP POLITICAL TURF
ON Oct 15 last year Dayanand Sopte left for Delhi by that late night flight claiming that he was going on a “business trip” to the capital while everyone in Goa knew that he was on his way to defect to the BJP after having been promised a Cabinet berth within 15 days. It is now three long months and that assured ministership is no where in sight and Sopte has to be content with the hefty wallet he and Subhash Shirodkar received. Subhash was also a beneficiary of the handsome `70 crore Shiroda land scame courtesy Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Both the dubious defections were engineered by the devious Vishwajit Rane with his aspirations of being chief minister. But he dug the political grave of the two MLAs and in the ensuing bye-elections to Mandrem and Shiroda it will be the voters who will put Sopte and Shirodkar to eternal political rest! It will be a resounding message to others who dare resort to such political chicanery.
Goans must ensure that at least in Goa there is no room for political dalalgiri! It’s time to cleanse and sanitize our very grubby political turf.
— Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
GLOBAL VILLAGE
A global village is being planned at Guirim where artisans from all over India will showcase their wares. Good idea. The government wants to acquire land for the purpose but from whom? The locals? Goan communidades? Politicians, builders, businessmen, migrants from Goa, Maharashtra and north Goa all have vast tracts of land in Goa. The land has been with them for over two decades. Where is this unwritten law that land may be acquired only from native Goans and their communidades? The land others own is protected as their birthright!
Who is projecting the fact that land lies only with native Goans? It is like the 70 lakh tourists visiting Goa which has a population of 20 lakh – with native Goans comprising 12 lakh – yet the projection is that of all the garbage, dirt, filth and other evils come from the latter. Yet native Goan people only ask for the law to be fair to all, never to be favored! This is being 3exploited to the hilt by one and all. As far as “giving” up land is concerned, all must pitch in and even non-native migrants who have acquired land for a song.
— R Fernandes, Margao
BUY LANE OR BYE LANE
Today and Tomorrow – GOA is in obscurity and the state is in decay thanks to our 40 outstanding herdsmen seating in the legislative assembly whose power and achievements are highlighted on their birthdays with photographs splashed in the local dailies resembling the hypnotist Abade Faria.
Their determination to have six lanes, SEZ, and MOPA airport is potentially to lead Goa to a FREE-PORT — this might be from our ministers free trip to Hong-Kong or China.
Goa with a length of 64 miles, and 37 miles wide, enjoying a total area of 1350 sq miles, having an exaggerated population of 15 lakhs seems to have confused our Governor and the honorable minister of Industries who has no idea of the lanes, while his constituency has raised strong opposition so also the ruling party being divided on the issue. With south Goa being firm on the issue no lanes and the great Goa Chamber of Commerce necessitating the speed of development.
The same 40 cowboys did not forsee the Konkan Railways would bring in soil erosion, deforestation, affect water levels, damage the complex system of irrigation between fields and damage archaeological monuments and poor old homes, and the demographic “damage” migrant influx.
Way back in 1970’s, Nigeria discovered its oil belts and “The West” (America and Europe) rushed to develop the “Bush” place. Nigeria has the credit of being the most populated country in Africa; and like India graded as the most corrupt nation in Africa.
Western development brought in two lanes, four lanes, six lanes ending up with eight lanes from a 14 feet broad road. As the population grew, and being unable to accommodate it, FLYOVERS were built eventually leading to RINGROADS for outlets. The congestion led to ‘GO SLOW’ traffic in cities, and high speeds recorded 10,000 accidents per year.
The solution to open-space parking, congestion and an intriguing system of odd-even car numbers plying into the city on alternate days did NOT materialize. The Callow situation was also expressed in Brasilia (Brazil), where the rich fly by helicopter from home to office. You might soon see this in Goa.
Eventually (Nigeria) solved its ‘created problems by shifting the capital city Lagos to Abhuja. I guess with no Government, we might have to shift our Capital to Karwar or Belgaum.
Do we require consultants to our solutions?
No we require minister to carry coal from Australia to the harbours!
— Dr Armando Da Silva, Verna
AAP’s public opinion about this present BJP government in Goa is extremely low. The government has been rendered totally dysfunctional apart from those departments gambling away Goa’s land. Recently, AAP convenor Elvis Gomes threw open a discussion among party leadership about the crises in tourism and mining sectors and the inherent contradictions surfacing with accusations against Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar being openly made party MLAs.
The BJP policy of doling out huge tracts of land under the garb of investments under IPB to big time “money bags” is making a mockery of the Opinion Poll victory and diluting “goycarponn” beyond recognition. Those who fought hard for victory of “two leaves” symbolizing the anti-merger campaign, had not remotely anticipated that rogues and criminals would take control and Goa and Goans would be losers.
How true this is! While speaking of this Elvis Gomes also added that the children of politicians mostly go abroad in the name of studies and accumulated wealth is transferred abroad so that one day when things heat up they too can desert Goa and leave Goans licking their wounds. We must ask ministers why they are celebrating Opinion Poll day when the government has no respect for Goan people’s opinions.
Did they take the opinion of Chimbel people while forcing an IT park on them? Do they take the opinion of people while taking over agricultural fields to push through highways causing extensive damage to Goa’s ecology? The misadventures of this government are leading to destruction of all that’s Goa and Goan. Now that AAP has proved its bona fide success in Delhi and is earning widespread accolades, Goans too must take stock of what AAP can offer them in the interests of Goa.
— Pradeep Padgaonkar, General Secretary, AAP, Goa
CLEAN UP POLITICAL TURF
ON Oct 15 last year Dayanand Sopte left for Delhi by that late night flight claiming that he was going on a “business trip” to the capital while everyone in Goa knew that he was on his way to defect to the BJP after having been promised a Cabinet berth within 15 days. It is now three long months and that assured ministership is no where in sight and Sopte has to be content with the hefty wallet he and Subhash Shirodkar received. Subhash was also a beneficiary of the handsome `70 crore Shiroda land scame courtesy Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Both the dubious defections were engineered by the devious Vishwajit Rane with his aspirations of being chief minister. But he dug the political grave of the two MLAs and in the ensuing bye-elections to Mandrem and Shiroda it will be the voters who will put Sopte and Shirodkar to eternal political rest! It will be a resounding message to others who dare resort to such political chicanery.
Goans must ensure that at least in Goa there is no room for political dalalgiri! It’s time to cleanse and sanitize our very grubby political turf.
— Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
GLOBAL VILLAGE
A global village is being planned at Guirim where artisans from all over India will showcase their wares. Good idea. The government wants to acquire land for the purpose but from whom? The locals? Goan communidades? Politicians, builders, businessmen, migrants from Goa, Maharashtra and north Goa all have vast tracts of land in Goa. The land has been with them for over two decades. Where is this unwritten law that land may be acquired only from native Goans and their communidades? The land others own is protected as their birthright!
Who is projecting the fact that land lies only with native Goans? It is like the 70 lakh tourists visiting Goa which has a population of 20 lakh – with native Goans comprising 12 lakh – yet the projection is that of all the garbage, dirt, filth and other evils come from the latter. Yet native Goan people only ask for the law to be fair to all, never to be favored! This is being 3exploited to the hilt by one and all. As far as “giving” up land is concerned, all must pitch in and even non-native migrants who have acquired land for a song.
— R Fernandes, Margao
BUY LANE OR BYE LANE
Today and Tomorrow – GOA is in obscurity and the state is in decay thanks to our 40 outstanding herdsmen seating in the legislative assembly whose power and achievements are highlighted on their birthdays with photographs splashed in the local dailies resembling the hypnotist Abade Faria.
Their determination to have six lanes, SEZ, and MOPA airport is potentially to lead Goa to a FREE-PORT — this might be from our ministers free trip to Hong-Kong or China.
Goa with a length of 64 miles, and 37 miles wide, enjoying a total area of 1350 sq miles, having an exaggerated population of 15 lakhs seems to have confused our Governor and the honorable minister of Industries who has no idea of the lanes, while his constituency has raised strong opposition so also the ruling party being divided on the issue. With south Goa being firm on the issue no lanes and the great Goa Chamber of Commerce necessitating the speed of development.
The same 40 cowboys did not forsee the Konkan Railways would bring in soil erosion, deforestation, affect water levels, damage the complex system of irrigation between fields and damage archaeological monuments and poor old homes, and the demographic “damage” migrant influx.
Way back in 1970’s, Nigeria discovered its oil belts and “The West” (America and Europe) rushed to develop the “Bush” place. Nigeria has the credit of being the most populated country in Africa; and like India graded as the most corrupt nation in Africa.
Western development brought in two lanes, four lanes, six lanes ending up with eight lanes from a 14 feet broad road. As the population grew, and being unable to accommodate it, FLYOVERS were built eventually leading to RINGROADS for outlets. The congestion led to ‘GO SLOW’ traffic in cities, and high speeds recorded 10,000 accidents per year.
The solution to open-space parking, congestion and an intriguing system of odd-even car numbers plying into the city on alternate days did NOT materialize. The Callow situation was also expressed in Brasilia (Brazil), where the rich fly by helicopter from home to office. You might soon see this in Goa.
Eventually (Nigeria) solved its ‘created problems by shifting the capital city Lagos to Abhuja. I guess with no Government, we might have to shift our Capital to Karwar or Belgaum.
Do we require consultants to our solutions?
No we require minister to carry coal from Australia to the harbours!
— Dr Armando Da Silva, Verna