LETTER TO THE EDITOR FOR ISSUE DATED MARCH 18 2023

CM PAYS TRIBUTE TO PARRIKAR

 WE REMEMBER YOU BHAI! Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant paid rich tributes and homage to former Goa chief minister and India’s defence minister, the late Manohar Parrikar, on his 4th death anniversary at his Smruthi Sthal at Miramar on March 17, 2023. He was accompanied by Minister for Labour & Employment Atanasio Monserrate. The statue of Manohar Parrikar was garlanded and floral tributes were laid by many at the Samadhi in memory of the much-loved BJP leader. Present were MLA Poriem Dr Deviya  Rane, EDC Chairman Sadanand Shet Tanawade, Secretary to CM Ajit Roy (IAS), Director General of Police Jaspal Singh (IPS), Collector-North  Mamu Hague (IAS), Manohar Parrikar’s son Utpal Parrikar,  secretaries, under-secretaries and government HODs.

ORGANISED CRIME IN TONCA

RECENT news revealed that an MH registration vehicle caught fire at Tonca, Panaji and a body was found burnt inside. The fact that this vehicle bears a Maharashtra number is a red flag. A wanted Mumbai gangster was arrested last year at a Goa offshore casino, with a weapon and live ammunition on his person.

His gang’s brutality came to light after the arrest, along with his penchant for burning his victims and abusing underage girls. Goa’s lawlessness, human trafficking and gambling establishments are ideal for organized crime members. 

The law enforcement agencies should immediately probe the deceased’s phone records, his last whereabouts by cell tower triangulation and his links to possible crime syndicates/casinos. Money laundering, terrorism financing and whitewashing proceeds of crime are all facilitated by casinos worldwide, and any employee skimming off the top is brutally punished by casino enforcers.

— Chris Fernandes, Miramar, Panaji

ATAL SETHU ISSUES

IT was a bad incident with the  traffic policeman the Atal Sethu bridge in Panaji. My story is that I had an appointment with the dentist at Porvorim to take care of hurtful tooth. I was at Manipal Hospital when my dentist called to tell me to come soon as my appointment was lapsing. I rushed via Bambolim on my scooter. This was my first time I was travelling on a two-wheeler at Patto, a most confusing area, and I somehow got on the route via the Atal Sethu bridge by mistake.

After reaching bridge end three traffic police caught me and said that I was on a wrong route. And they said I deserved to be fined a minimum fine of Rs 500. Oh my God, I said, I didn’t know that I shouldn’t take this route. One traffic policeman opened his challan book and I told him there is no question of Rs500 rupees as I can pay Rs5,000. He was stunned at my response and asked me who I was. I told him I was rushing from hospital where my wife has been admitted for treatment and due to the urgency of my tooth pain, I had to go and meet my dentist and unwittingly I had got on to the Atal Sethu.

He said I should be still be fined as my scooter was   tracked by CCTV. I said no problem, but why do you police first of all allowed me to get on the bridge at entry point? I was none of my business, was the response, pay the fine! I got angry and asked why the bridge was in such a bad state and damaged, the public should fine the PWD…and you are demanding fine from an innocent person when nothing when I got onto the bridge warned me not to get on to it clearly? 

Mercifully, the police put away their challan book and told me no fine, I may continue to keep my appointment with my dentist. But the truth is that all signages at bridge points are in a total mess and not clear at the right places…and none of the diversions on the highway ever tell you where the diversion will take you! And I want to say traffic police are unnecessarily harassing the public. 

–Stephan Dias, Dona Paula

GOA GOVERNMENT SELL-OUT!

 

GOA government has now reportedly decided to prohibit entry of people in forested areas in the wake of the recent fire incidents, they are prosecuting those entering forest/protected areas under the Wildlife  Protection Act.  

Goans have never witnessed the kind of fire breakouts which happened in February-March. Now it looks like the government has unleashed spidermen to start fires on hills and forests for some destructive projects to come up. Why is it that not a single arrest has been made vis-à-vis these fire breakouts in hilly areas?

It’s my observation that we have a  well-planned conspiracy unleashed by our anti-Goan BJP government in the state to somehow destroy Goa’s hilly lands for Delhi-wallahs to and land sharks to construct on the top of hills to woo buyers. It is all round greed for money and more money to turn Goa into a concrete state.

— Jerry Fernandes, Saligao

LIFE A JOURNEY, NOT DESTINATION! 

WHILE reflecting on the past, taking stock of the present and mapping out the future, thanks to everyone who has been part of my roller coaster life’s journey. Firstly, my thanks to all those who corrected me and put me back on the right track when I faulted and erred.

Thanks to all my dearest teachers from nursery to Law College, many of whom are still blessing me from their heavenly abode, my immense gratitude for all their patience in dealing with a challenging student, for that I always was.

Thanks to bureaucrats and government servants at all levels  who over the last 50 long years have been so gracious to help my fellow people in need by resolving their grievances. Without that warmth and blessings of all these folk I would have been grounded in my voyage of life which I will always cherish!

Last, but by no means least, my immense gratitude to the one too many foes, who kept me alert and watchful from yet another attack. It has been a tough life, but enriching in experiences and successful in the pursuit of justice and truth for  common good, with everyday being a different one. Coping with these challenges has not been easy but my multitude of friends across the globe made my journey worthwhile.

The journey of life is not meant to be feared and always planned or worry about the potholes on the way, like on our roads. It is meant to be travelled and enjoyed with enthusiasm and gratitude and that is what we need to do with family, friends, foes and well-wishers alike.

–Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar

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