TUESDAY, JULY 02, 2024
Ban liquor outlets near schools
The State government has reportedly amended the State Excise Duty Act, 1964, to allow liquor shops to operate within 100 meters radius of schools and religious places by doubling the license fee for such establishments in Goa. This decision marks a departure from previous regulations that restricted such establishments from operating near such sensitive areas in the state.
Goans are practically seen facing a number of serious problems in their families due to the free-flow/availability of alcohol every few metres in the state. For e.g. many members from even well-to-do Goan families, from husbands to sons are seen getting addicted towards alcohol, creating havoc in their families and dying at a very young age. Tourists too are seen coming here due to the free-availability of alcohol and creating nuisance for the general public after consuming alcohol and causing most road accidents in Goa.
Unfortunately, instead of taking a serious note of the above mentioned fact, it looks like the government now wants to turn even our students into habitual drunkards by allowing liquor outlets near their schools to desperately fill it’s own empty coffers and destroy their future in Goa.
If this government has no money in its coffers then why is it wasting crores of rupees unnecessarily in organising some useless events every now and then in different parts of Goa?
If the State government really cares for the health and well-being of Goans then it should immediately withdraw the above controversial amendment because the simple truth is that alcohol is a poison, if not a deadly drug that goes to kill thousands of innocent people annually and destroy families in slow motion in Goa.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
Roll back power tariff hike
It is learnt that the State government will reportedly have to compensate electricity consumers in the State within 90 days by adjusting their power bills if it fails to meet specified performance standards in power distribution as specified by Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) regulations. As per the new regulations, consumers can claim compensation for power supply failures each lasting longer than three minutes, delays in billing, resolving billing complaints, addressing meter issues, restoring power after faults, managing voltage fluctuations, and fixing distribution network problems.
The payment of compensation shall be made to the affected consumers as per the rates specified under Schedule III of the regulations. The specified compensation amount ranges from Rs 40 to Rs 1000 per hour or delay of delay. This seems like good tidings for Goa’s power consumers irked by frequent disruption of power supply.
But is there a system in place to record voltage fluctuations? Be that as it may, this seems like lip-service when there is a 3.5 percent increase in power tariff which will be an unjust financial burden on residents of the state.
There needs to be a roll back on power tariff hike. It is learnt that the owner of a house in Pernem was fined Rs 6.5 lakhs for illegally tapping electricity. The government needs to show zero tolerance towards power theft and recover outstanding dues.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Is Goa turning into a banana republic?
Shocking but true. We have politicians speaking on the emergency imposed during the rule of Late Prime Minister and Indira Gandhi but keep mum on what is happening in Goa.
The bulldozer culture is in. The gambling culture for the so called filthy reach at the casinos and the concretisation of our beautiful motherland is on the rise.
Except a few NGOs and concerned citizens are made to run pillar to post to save little that is left of Goa, our rulers maintain a stoic silence on the destruction of the environment.
The latest move is the government’s move to allow liquor shops to be given licences near schools and religious places. What a shame just to promote tourism!
What is the use of promoting physical exercise and eta right for students when such business establishments will be allowed near their institutions?
I hope the Chief Minister who holds the portfolio of Education will not and should not agree to this reckless move.
Gregory E D’Souza, Siolim
Probe Assagao matter thoroughly
The Assagao house demolition case reached a new turn late Wednesday night with reports pouring in of a settlement between the Delhi based builder and the Agarwadekar family. While the details of such settlement are not known, it is reported that the Agarwadekar family would withdraw the complaint. This is shocking because this has happened after the huge outcry in Goa on this issue. Even the Chief Minister of Goa who is also our Home Minister visited the site and assured probe through Crime Branch. The CM should let the inquiry continue as this issue has now snowballed into a major nexus involving possibly many people. The involvement of police in this issue is questionable. Did the police, apparently in civil dress, remain present during the demolition and if yes, in what capacity? Is some senior IPS Officer in Goa helping the Delhi based real estate lobby to spread its tentactles in Goa at the cost of the interest of locals? These points need investigation because the involvement of police in civil disputes is not warranted.
In December 2022, a similar allegation of involvement of the police in a civil dispute at Porvorim had been made in the matter of assault on Advocate Gajanan Sawant. As real estate in Goa is becoming expensive, there may be a rise of mafia who would violate law day in and out with the covert blessings of Government officers including Revenue authorities and police. Hence, the Government needs to investigate this and the media too needs to follow up the same.
Sadanand Raikar, Colva
