SEA DRAGONS TO FLY INTO SUNSET!

COMMANDER Mrinmoy Ghosh assumed charge as Commanding Officer of INAS 315 from Commander Vaibhav Sundriyal on October 28, 2022 at INS HANSA, Goa Goa. The event marks a significant milestone for the “Winged Stallions” — the longest-serving long range maritime reconnaissance squadron of the Indian Navy. For 46 years, the Soviet-era Ilyushin 38 Sea Dragon aircraft has kept watch over the country’s waters and beyond. However, with the Boeing P8I taking over surveillance duties, the IL-38 squadron is now all set to be phased out. INAS 315 was commissioned on October 1, 1977 at INS Hansa with three aircraft. Two more were added later. The aircraft is equipped with a search and attack radar, a magnetic anomaly detection system, electronic support measures and can carry torpedoes, depth charges and anti-ship missiles. However, with the Naval Headquarters giving the green light to commence drawdown of the Winged Stallions, three aircraft have already been decommissioned. The two remaining aircraft will continue to operate till mid-2023 and be handed over to museums on being paid off. The Squadron has clocked over 50,000 flying hours over the years and has its counter still ticking. This rich legacy has been kept alive by the “Indomitables” — the crew of INAS 315, at INS Hansa, Goa, home to these big birds. We are sad to hear this bit of news from Lt Cdr Abhishek Vardhan and hope the legacy in some way or another stays alive in another avatar!

CELEBRATE, DON’T DISTURB!

GOANS and Indians must learn to celebrate their festivals without disturbing others. However, a bunch of self-centered/selfish Goans (despite knowing everything about global warming and noise pollution) can be seen stubbornly lighting up noisy fireworks continuously to light up the sky with such horrific loud splitting noises that the ground trembles, windows rattle along with ears. Like shattering DJ music in full blast under the influence of influence and this goes on till the wee hours of the night and morning even in remotely populated residential areas during Diwali time.
Why can’t we Goans celebrate our respective festivals peacefully without bursting noisy fireworks, playing loud blaring DJ music the whole night and disturbing the peace of those who need their sleep like children, seniors and the domestic animals? Are we really liberated in Goa?
We should stop this mad habit of vulgar loud celebration without a care for others around us by day and by night. Is this some kind of scoring points of superiority over others who are not in celebration mode? Can we please be more civilised human beings and stop allowing some known communal politicians to hijack our festivals for political gains?
Can we be more dignified to maintain the unique status and beauty of Goa?
—Jerry Fernandes, Saligao

PUBLIC SPACES USURPED, ABUSED!
HAVEN’T Ponjekars noticed how public spaces are being usurped for casino advertising in regrettably ways, all the way down the Dona Paula-Miramar and Campal Promenade road – these blue neon casino advertising every few feet on lampposts is disgusting, as if Panaji is now a vast brothel for all to salivate over. See the blatant casino advertising which even the women’s groups are not objecting to, look at the degrading exposure of images of women in the entertainment business of casino. Such advertising signages are insulting to women and it is high time Ponjekars objected and did something regarding such insulting of public sensitivities. Who is going to teach such advertisers a lesson? Why doesn’t Chief Minister Pramod Sawant object to such vile advertising? Is he so much in awe of the Casino Majestic bosses to take action?
—Pankajbala R Patel, Panaji

ND AGARWAL’S ROCKETING PAYMENTS!
GOA government is incurring a monthly expenditure of over Rs70, 000 on the official vehicle hired through Goa Tourism Development Corporation for ND Agarwal, now Advisor in the Department of Printing & Stationery; he has been hired on a monthly salary of Rs 50,000. This has been revealed in information obtained under RTI.
Our documents reveal that the appointment order was issued on June 6 without required prior cabinet approval and also mandatory sanction from Finance besides Personnel departments—and he 70-year-old retired bureaucrat Agarwal hurriedly joined the department as Advisor the very same day. The cabinet accorded ex-post facto approval only on July 20.
This appointment is courtesy Minister for Printing & Stationery Rohan Khaunte, who moved a note that Agarwal be appointed for an initial period of six months. Relevant file notings reveal that officials at the Secretariat had raised vital queries over the proposal, including that the scope of work the Advisor needs to identify, and whether the department was not capable of carrying out its job without an advisor?
The Department of Printing Stationery has taken strong objection to the fact that the vehicle hired for ND Agarwal was not reporting to the office, the parking of the vehicle is right in front of the office in the evenings, and there is no submitting of daily reading of mileage — the department is unaware of the status of the vehicle deployed and being utilized for the purpose it was hired for!
—Adv Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar