With just a few days of rain,  Panjim is flooded as is usual.   Last year
the Panjim Municipal Chairperson and his fellow Civic fathers had assured
Panjimites that there would be no flooding henceforth. After all the digging
and cleaning of drains,  Goa's Capital city has to endure another monsoon of
flooding. The Panjim roads are forever being dug although the civic
authorities had vowed not to allow any further fiddling with the city's
roads.

The Civic authorities should not attempt to take shelter under the lame
excuses that plastics and the high tide are causes for the flooding.  The
authorities do not accept any excuses from the taxpayers if they are late in
paying the exorbitant municipal taxes. So it is more than fair that the
authorities do their job and fix the chronic problems Panjim has been
facing.

The renovated part of the Panjim Municipal Market was opened last year
amidst a lot of pomp and fanfare. The place is in dire straits today. The
civic fathers  have nothing to worry as their shopping is delivered at home.
However, it is the common man who has to thread his way through a
stinking and water logged market while he shops for his daily needs.

In fact the Municipal authorities should have by now,  as promised,  come up
with a Master Plan for the city. There has been  no serious effort
whatsoever to address the problem of garbage disposal.  At this rate we will
soon have an epidemic and it will be too late for some of us.

The present civic bosses seem to be as corrupt and inefficient if not more
than their predecessors. Their focus seems to be legalising all the
illegalities that are being committed in broad daylight. It is obvious that
this brings the Civic fathers the gratification that they so very much
desire.

Today it makes no sense applying for a license to construct something
legally as the burden of the procedural route could be agonising. The best
option is to just commit the illegality and ensure that the palms of a few
councillors are aptly greased and they would be more than happy to turn a
Nelson's eye and further regularise the illegal construction.

You cannot expect the lower ranks of the Municipal staff to enforce the laws
when the bosses at the top are rotten and stink. Today designated parking
areas of various buildings are  been used for all other commercial purposes.
The designated parking area of a City Hotel on  the crowded 18th June Road
has been licensed by the Panjim Municipality to run a permanent Sales
exhibition. It was all possible with the blessings of the Civic fathers for
reasons best known.

The people of Taleigao,  which was added to the Panjim Municipal Council a
few years ago,  are all set to distance themselves from the aches and pains
of being part of the Panjim Municipal Council by demanding that Taleigao be
reverted back to a Panchayat. The people of Ribandar may also have to
consider the viable option of being part of the neighbouring Chimbel
Panchayat after enduring lack of any Civic amenities for the very high
Municipal taxes paid.

Aires Rodrigues
Ribandar




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