Bridge embroiled in mystery?
A new bridge is being built linking Kumbarjua to Santo Estevam at Vantso, Jua, St Estevam. This bridge is surrounded in a mystery. Ostensibly being built by GSIDC, according to RTI documents with no Board or contractor’s name – there is nothing clear about it. The Panchayat of St. Estevam pleads ignorance about it.
The people of St Estevam have not petitioned it. They have already a bridge at Tonca and they are satisfied with the same. There is also a ferry at Daujim. Then why this second bridge is being built? For whose benefit? The villagers of St Estevam demand a clear answer from the GSIDC.
Visitação B Monteiro,
St Estevam
Lifetime cabinet status for Sr Rane
That skewed decision by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to bestow on Pratapsingh Rane lifetime cabinet status is on shaky ground and unheard of. It is devoid of any legal standing. An absolute illegal decision which the Courts would strike down for the asking. That Pratapsingh Rane may himself decline to be a beneficiary of such an unprecedented largesse is another issue.
Any decision by the cabinet has to be first examined by the bureaucrats and cannot be passed in such an arbitrary manner knowing fully well that it would have financial implications on the State and which also needs the approval of the Finance Department.
Pramod Sawant knows well that the BJP is on its way out, and in his final days is creating unjustified and weird financial burdens for the next government knowing well that the State is up to its neck in debts which it may never ever be able to repay.
Pratapsingh Rane’s contribution as a legislator for an uninterrupted half a century has been outstanding. He being an astute politician must have well gauged and read the malafide intent of the Pramod Sawant government in the gifting of this lifetime cabinet status.
It is sought to be bestowed with obvious oblique motives by the BJP which by now is well known for its devious politriks.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Minimum age of marriage for girls
The decision to increase the minimum legal age for marriage for girls to 21 years is a step in the right direction and also could help secure equal education and career access for them. The present minimum legal age of marriage for girls is 18 years while that for men is 21. The increase in the minimum age for marriage for women will result in amendments in several laws and legal procedures, such as the 1955 Hindu Marriage Act, 1972 Christian Marriage Act, 1936 Parsi Marriage Act, the Divorce Act, etc. The changed law will also impact age-old customs related to inheritance, divorce, maintenance.
Child marriage is blatantly against children’s rights and makes them vulnerable to exploitation, violence and abuse, and while it also impacts boys, its impact on women is disproportionate as it denies them the right to self-determination, education, health and well-being. Union Cabinet has cleared the proposal for increasing the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 21 years. As the legal age of marriage for a man and woman would become the same. But there is a need to look at the practical implications of this decision as well. Moreover the laws need to be unambiguous, clearer and strictly implementable.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Sheer hypocrisy
The grand ruling party sanctimoniously announced (almost from a pulpit) that keeping the public good in mind in these times of Covid it has cancelled all future public meetings till January 13. Really? There had to be catch. In the same breath the party president announced that only small street corner meetings shall be held and candidates would conduct door to door campaigns to seek votes. As per the government's own admission, community transmission of the superinfective Omicron variant has begun in the third wave which struck the State on December 28 with four figure caseloads being recorded almost every other day; would the Corona virus be benevolent enough to give the 'small' (and how small is that small?) street corner meetings a miss?
Law abiding, Covid protocol adhering citizens would be visited by bunches of political hoods at their homes asking for votes. This door to door electioneering will only speed up door to door home delivery of the virus and make things worse, who knows how many infected homes the candidates would have visited before landing at your doorstep? Sheer hypocrisy, the netas want to have their cake and eat it too; such disease mongering rascals should be soundly rejected.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
What is in a name?
Apropos to "Changing names in Goa will be a tough call now" (January 07, 2022), what is in a name? Well, we Indians give a lot of importance to names and surnames. Surnames can tell the entire history of the person right from his antecedents to the present day shenanigans.
In Goa when the assembly elections are just round the corner and "Bhailo-Bhitarlo" debate is gaining traction, this proposal to amend the legislation of making the change of name and surname more stringent can be hailed as a masterstroke.
How strange are people of Goa! How stranger are politicians of Goa! First they try to push the controversial Bhumiputra Bill much to the fury of Niz Goenkars. And, when the elections are round the corner, they give proposal that makes the process of the change of name and surname more stringent so that Bhailo does not become Bhitarlo.
Nothing is surprising. The lust for power is to be blamed.
Gafaar Shaqoor, Margao
Are MLAs’ resignations a farce?
With the resignations of eight MLAs from the Assembly belonging to various political parties the effective strength of the present legislature has gone down by 20%. This is likely to worsen further immediately on announcement of the elections when more MLAs are expected to resign and switch parties. This is an unprecedented situation. The legislative assembly will be existing just in name and unable to function if the elections are postponed or cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic.
What is the fate of the various Corporations and Committees where the MLAs are chairpersons ? Does the Constitution permit this situation?
Why should the remainder MLAs draw their salaries and perks from a body that is rendered non functional by the Acts of its elected members?
Obviously the tax payer will have to carry this burden.
Therefore it would be in the fitness of things if the Governor dissolves the house and keeps the state under his Rule until a full fledged Assembly is elected.
Jonas Correia, Aldona