![Letters to the editor (26 Dec 2020)](http://media.assettype.com/heraldgoa%2Fimport%2Fuploads%2Fnews%2F169059_letters.png?w=480&auto=format%2Ccompress&fit=max)
Exempt water/power bills during lockdown
It is understood that transport operators in the State operating passenger and transport vehicles have been exempted from paying road tax for the lockdown. An ordinance has been notified in this regard. All kinds of commercial and transport vehicles registered in the State have been exempted from tax payable for six months from April 1 to September 30.
It is learnt that the ordinance also says that there will be no penalty if the tax is paid on or before March 31, 2021 and if the penalty has been paid for the current financial year, then it would be adjusted towards tax payable in future. This is a welcome step as the transport sector suffered huge losses during the lockdown period. However, it must be said that several people either lost their jobs, had to return home from their work-place abroad and the seafarers were left without work during the same period.
Several business establishments had to shut shop as they were running in huge losses during the lockdown period. In view of the hardships that the citizens faced, it would have been in the fitness of things for the government to exempt the citizens from paying the electricity bills and water bills during the lockdown period.
This exemption can be provided even now by adjusting future bills of electricity and water consumers from the payment made during the lockdown period. People are still reeling under the fallout of the lockdown period.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Effects of coal pollution
Goa State Pollution Control Board (GPSCB) has in a recent communication to the railways asked for wagons carrying coal to be covered with metallic or plastic sheets/domes to avoid spillage. It can be also be suggested that coal be transported in flat bed, wagon mounted closed shipping containers which are available aplenty. Coal dust pollution has led to a drastic rise in respiratory stress and asthma in the State and needs to be checked in right earnest.
It is indeed tragic that Goans have to suffer the ill effects while other States enjoy the benefits of end use of coal viz. for their steel mills, metal smelting plants, forging units and thermal power.
GPSCB has also rightly rejected the appeal of South West Port Limited, a private entity to increase their coal handling in the winter months to make up for the shortfall during the monsoons which usually is a lean season. This decision should be lauded as Goa has suffered enough all these years due to coal dust pollution, we cannot let other State's benefit at the cost of the health and lives of Goans. Hopefully the government will see the light in days to come and scrap the destructive double tracking project.
#goanlivesmatter
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Be discrete during Christmas week
Goa should learn from the fiasco that America went through during the last one month or so. On November 17, 2020 the infection tally in America was just a shade above 1,50,000 per day. A month later on December 18, 2020, the number of patients that contracted the Covid-19 coronavirus had increased by 1,00,000 infections to reach 2,50,000 per day, a quantum jump.
While tourists and locals are participating in the Christmas celebrations, it would be prudent to exercise maximum restraint and maintain social distancing, wear face masks and use sanitizers as well as frequently wash hands as also desist from crowding in one place.
A situation should not arise during the Christmas week wherein there is a substantial increase in the number of infections which could also lead to rise in fatalities. Both tourists and locals should be discrete and maintain SOPs so as to be able to make the best of the Christmas week without turning the festivities into what can be a preventable tragedy that is uncalled for.
Elvidio Miranda, Panjim
What was the show for?
Families were checking their accounts if Rs 5,000 was directly transferred as stated by dotor CM of Goa whose video went viral on social media. DSS scheme for seniors was implemented during Manohar Parrikar govt to pay respect to the senior citizens having given their best in younger days. The beneficiaries received their amount every month regularly. It was continued even during the Parsekar govt but suddenly went dead during Pramod Sawant rule till date. Some have not received to their accounts since February 2020 while others complain of not receiving since July this year.
Interestingly CM Pramod Sawant has collected Rs 100 crore to celebrate Goa's 60 years of liberation.One wonders where all this money has been spent instead of giving to every family account as a gift and paying the DSS Scheme to settle all pending dues.
Was the Liberation Day only a show of publicity to entertain the President to come here and have gala time not considering the grievances of Goenkars in need of assistance in pandemic time?
Ayres Sequeira,
Salvador do Mundo
Tourists, families avoiding Goa
Goa has been a preferred destination for domestic and international tourists. Goa is regarded as one of the leading beach and nightlife tourism destinations in the country. Nowadays high spending tourists and families are keeping away from Goa as a tourist destination due to restricted tourism activities, pandemic COVID-19 and systemic issues. The destination is losing its value. The tourists come with several inconveniences such as taxis and rickshaws charging exorbitant prices, persistent touts and unregistered water sports activities. Hotels are reporting low occupancy at this season's, which is considered the backbone of its economy.
Most members are yet to setup shacks as they are waiting to gauge the response of tourists. Some of the shacks operating now are empty. It should facilitate the development of high-value infrastructure and services and standardising the tourism industry by strictly enforcing the existing policies.
Goa has to re-invent its tourism profile by going back to the pristine 1960s, to get the industry back on its feet.
KG Vilop, Chorao
Award for mask wearing!
The mask is one of 5 must-do actions to arrest Covid-19 spread. It is also the one most violated: whether by not wearing the same or using it under the chin or not covering the mouth, nose: a style made famous by our IAS Officers.
Therefore, one must award those who religiously wear the same. The Govt is totally unable to get tourists to wear masks and asked the Goa Police for protection. Yet, on Christmas Eve, they were ‘diligently’ asking Mass goers, 99.9% if not 100% of whom were already wearing masks, to wear masks!
The former stooped to undemocratic means to harass unarmed youth sitting in protest, going to the extent of removing their name badges -- is this legal, arresting citizens by showing no identification that they are Police Officers in fact taking pains to hide the fact, and then taking them not to the nearest Police Station which is in fact the jurisdiction of the alleged crime, if any?
During the lockdown, we saw these stalwarts mercilessly beating a handful of citizens who moved out.
Now, hordes of tourists attend rave parties, clubs, beaches, etc. With neither masks nor social distancing and should you ask any of them they will tell you how our police are invisible. What a mask!
Yes, those who wear masks must be ‘awarded’ for being unique.
R Fernandes, Margao