About Disruption Of Essential Services
The government lacks basic inter-departmental co-ordination and maintenance of blueprint of utilities, which are not updated if existing, resulting in wanton destruction of the already unsatisfactory provision of essential services. One department does not know or take care that the other department or contractor employed is warned in advance of where the underground pipelines or cables are laid. This is nothing new and continues to happen unabated, resulting in so much unnecessary damages and increased workload, loss of time, material and extra financial burden, not to mention resultant helpless public distress due sheer negligence! Last year in Curti, damage to water pipeline reportedly caused due to road widening left Tiswadi with no water supply for around 10 days! Not only is there no accountability or punishment for those responsible but it continues blatantly today! This is not only criminal but dangerous and it is high time the powerful government or the courts take suo moto notice for urgent and stringent action so this cannot happen again, if they care about justice and public interest!
John Eric Gomes, Porvorim
On Benchmark Performance
Gregg Olsen had very aptly said: ‘Change happens through example and not through just talking about it’. And, this is precisely what Justice Prafulla Kumar Misra did, right from the day he took over as Lokayukta of Goa on April 28, 2016 till he retired on September 17, last year. Justice Misra having left behind a very credible benchmark by his performance, much will be expected from his successor. For over six months, the Goa government has been in search of a Lokayukta. Retired Justice U V Bakre who initially gave his consent, later withdrew allegedly because of those amendments diluting the powers of the Lokayukta. Another retired Bombay High Court judge, the Aurangabad-based Ambadas Joshi has now been selected for the post. While leading an exemplary life with the utmost form of ethical conduct, former Lokayukta Justice Misra kept away from socialising in any form. He even stayed aloof from the Independence Day, Liberation Day and Republic Day receptions hosted by the Governor at Raj Bhavan. Justice Misra was of the opinion that as Lokayukta it was not proper for him to mingle and jingle with politicians and public officials whose acts of omission and commission he had to expose. Judges in Goa could never find a better role model than Justice P K Misra, who firmly felt that clean persons in black robes are required to uphold the independence and the integrity of the judicial system. He was a judge who always bluntly spoke his mind and never ever minced words. The virtues and principles that Justice Misra lived by and practiced will be long remembered. The people at large remain ever so indebted for the utmost dedication in which he fearlessly discharged his duties in enforcing the provisions of the Goa Lokayukta Act and upholding the law.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar