Govt Must Be SensitiveTo People’s Sufferings

It is the same old story. Of apathy, insensitivity, lack of accountability and coordination. The state government has time and again exposed its incompetence in dealing with situations. Two weeks after massive traffic jams left senior citizens, medically ill, students and children stranded on the roads, Wednesday saw a repeat with students going to take SSC exams in and around Panaji having anxious moments. Even fire tenders and ambulances were caught midway in the traffic.
It was the height of mismanagement, as there were no traffic plans in place. With the government washing its hands of the situation, the moot question is: Who is responsible for this chaos and mess? There is no doubt that infrastructure needs to be spruced up for the prestigious G20 events beginning in Goa from April 17. But do they have to be at the cost of people’s sufferings?
Whenever the government plans to bring changes in the traffic algorithm, it is most important to inform the road users about them. The government and the authorities concerned are quick to log on to social media to announce every ribbon cutting or make tall claims of achievements. But isn’t it their duty and responsibility to inform the people, preferably with maps, about traffic issues?
Is the government taking the people for granted? Is it only during an assembly session that traffic flow over Atal Setu should be smooth for our ‘honourable ministers and MLAs’ to travel?
It is the responsibility of chief minister Pramod Sawant not to betray the trust reposed in him by the people of Goa. It is high time he took matters seriously and got advice from experts. Goans are tired of empty promises. It reflects poorly on the CM, and we are tempted to argue that he lacks control over the state administration.
CM Sawant wants to turn Goa into a tourist capital. But is this what he wants to showcase? The government wants Goa to be a model state, but the tiniest state cannot handle vehicular traffic.
The government must get its priorities right. As the government seems to be clueless, the least it can do is to inform the people in advance what to expect on the Goan roads, so that they can find a way out for themselves. The government must be sensitive to the sufferings of the people.