‘Vande Bharat’ train convenient but pricey
There is good news for Goa-Mumbai train travellers. With the flagging off of the Vande Bharat Express from Margao on June 27, AC tickets (which are hard to come by) will be easily available. During the monsoon the train will run from Margao on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday leaving Margao at 12.20 and arriving CSTM at 22.25. From Mumbai, the train will run on Monday/Wednesday/Friday leaving CSTM at 5.25 and arriving at Margao at 15.30. The train will halt at Dadar and Tivim besides other stations.
After the monsoon, the train will run six days a week. The only fly in the ointment is the ticket which costs Rs 1,815 from Mumbai to Margao and Rs 1,970 from Margao to CSTM. Most people would loathe to travel by the Vande Bharat Express as it is very pricey (hence tickets will be easily available).The ticket by Janshatabdi is just Rs 975 while by Mandovi Express it is Rs 1,090. But at least there is a choice now if you are willing to pay for it.
Robert Castellino, Calangute/Mumbai
Apathy towards roads in Panjim exposed
The working on the Panjim Smart City seems to have been exposed after roads in Panjim and the Ribandar causeway caved-in. This is enough to expose the poor road infrastructure yet again. The cave-ins or cavities or sink holes are actually a product of the incessant rain. These sink holes are the result of poor quality of the road. Miffed over the poor infrastructure, Panjim residents and riders have taken to demanding accountability from the public officials. Moreover the problems of crumbling infrastructure of the city and poor roads were out in the open for everyone to see. While crores were spent on revamping these roads, the complaints of poor roads in the internal parts of the city are still unresolved. It’s a kind of theft, where taxpayers’ money is wasted on sub-standard and compromised quality of work thereby endangering the lives of citizens, especially two-wheelers. People should start planting saplings in the potholes to register their protest against the bad roads in Panjim. This type of protest is needed here to wake up the authorities to the problem.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Doctors render selfless service to society
National Doctors’ Day is celebrated in India on July 1, to express gratitude for the relentless service provided by doctors to the people, across the nation. It is observed in honour of Bidhan Chandra Roy, the physician turned politician who was the second chief minister of West Bengal.
This day highlights the significant role of doctors in promoting the well-being and health of individuals and communities.
Every year, Doctor’s Day has a theme and this year the theme is “Family Doctors on the Front Line.”Since the beginning of the pandemic, doctors have selflessly served the people of the nation. This special occasion of National Doctors’ Day appreciates the contributions made by doctors towards making a healthy nation.
Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai
Manipur is burning and people are dying
Why has our honourable prime minister turned a deaf ear to the people of Manipur? When Manipur really needs their prime minister, our honourable prime minister left to America. Cyclone Biparjoy has created destruction in Gujarat and Rajasthan. People have lost their loved ones but our prime minister has no time to meet grieving relatives. Nobody has solved the issues of the female wrestlers. Many were killed in the tragic train accident in Odisha? But is anyone held responsible for this ‘mass killing’. But our honourable prime minister was in America and celebrates yoga day in the UN. What is the world looking?
In Konkani there is a proverb Aiz Maka Faleam Tuka. Manipur is a part of India, and as Indians we all should stand up for Manipur. Russia has almost finished Ukraine, the Taliban have finished Afghanistan and the life of women has become like a living hell. Where is the world looking and more importantly what is the UN doing?
Anita Fernandes, Verna
Must re-screen old Konkani movies
Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr, Porvorim, recently celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of Amchem Noxib, the second Konkani film and the first one in the post-Liberation era. Amchem Noxib is a 1963 Indian Konkani film directed by A Salam and produced by Frank Fernand. It is the second Konkani film, after Mogacho Anvddo, which was released in 1950. Amchem Noxib was a trendsetter for the fledgling Konkani cinema industry and was followed by another Konkani film Nirmon in 1966. Amchem Noxib has some of Konkani cinema’s most memorable and popular songs.
The film gives an insight into the various aspects of Goan life in the years gone by showcasing its culture, habits and lifestyle. The youth of today need to be aware of the life of their ancestors and one way to go about it is to popularize the Konkani films of the past. Movies such as Amchem Noxib and Nirmon need to be screened in the movie halls all over again. Watching these movies will be a nostalgic journey to Goa of the past. The songs, music and acting were all different from what we see today. For the elderly people of Goa, who have seen the movie in their younger days, it will be a journey back in time to relive the Goan style of life in the reel way. If possible the film could be ‘colorized’ to convert the B/W film into colour movies.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Outrageous increase in prices of vegetables
The sharp increase in the cost of tomatoes is a big worry. In many cities such as Delhi, Chandigarh, Kochi, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, and Bengaluru, tomatoes abruptly rose beyond Rs100 per kg. As monsoon season moves forward and rain impedes the transport of goods, the shortage of perishable items could persist, leading to higher prices. Carrots, beans, and chillies are also seeing a jump in prices. The outrageous prices of vegetables have adversely impacted both the purchasers and the vendors.
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
Protect Forest personnel
One can understand why India was considered the most unsafe country for forest rangers by the International Federation of Rangers in 2017, if the deaths of two forest personnel are perused. A forest guard was killed inside the Similipal Tiger Reserve of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on May 22 and a deputy forest ranger was shot at by poachers on June 16 in the same reserve. There are many others on the list. The most pronounced reason for Indian forest personnel to fear for their life is that they are neither armed with weapons, nor are they fully granted the immunity while using them for self-defence. Assam and Maharashtra are the two states that have provided legal immunity to forest rangers when they use firearms in self-defence. In some states, forest guards and rangers can fire in the air or shoot below the waist only.
Very few states have armed their personnel, who guard their forests with guns and other ammunition to fight the poachers. While there is no doubt that the forest personnel be provided with arms, one cannot overlook the fact that they are chronically overworked. Dominating superiors and unconducive atmosphere have added to their woes. While granting them adequate protection from poachers, their working conditions need to be bettered. Paucity of staff and vehicles has to be addressed. The number of forest rangers, and guards and foresters, who work under the rangers, has to be substantially increased.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola