LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Expedite Sewage Pipeline Work In Ponda

The haphazard digging undertaken at various locations in Ponda for laying sewage pipelines is inconveniencing the public a lot apart from posing a danger to their lives. Not only the motorists but even pedestrians including school students face hardship while proceeding along the dug portions at roadsides. With the space for vehicular traffic being reduced considerably, traffic congestion is also noticed at different spots. Ultimately people get delayed in reaching their respective destinations. It is necessary for the concerned authorities to expedite the work so that the public is provided relief at the earliest. It would be appropriate to mention here that the dug up areas are not filled satisfactorily once the work is completed in all respects. Neither is the tarring work of roads taken up at once at places where digging is undertaken. Such a careless attitude can result in accidents on such road stretches endangering lives.

PRAVIN U SARDESSAI, Adpai

Mining Dependants Have Been Given False Assurances

The assurances being given to the mining-dependent families on resumption of mining in the state is all a hoax irrespective of howsoever high in the BJP hierarchy the person giving the assurance may be. Amit Shah, Shripad Naik and others who are giving assurances are all making empty promises trying to drag on the issue until the Lok Sabha elections are announced in the beginning of March 2019, when they will have a genuine excuse of telling the mining-dependent people that if anything has to be done then it can happen only after the elections. To give an example of this, the day after the delegation of mining dependants along with the BJP leaders from Goa met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the newspapers indicated that the Prime Minister had said he would look into the matter but there was a small news item just below the report according to which Minister of Mines at the Centre stated that Goa’s case cannot be considered in isolation and they have to look at all cases in the country. Therefore, any solution to the mining impasse is highly unlikely. The BJP leaders from Goa should have been frank with the mining dependants and apprised them of the reality that the issue will take time rather than keep them dangling from one fictitious date to another.

S KAMAT, Alto St Cruz