LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

LPG thieves

Incidents of LPG pilferage have resurfaced in the Chandor-Guirdolim area, raising fresh concerns among the residents.  Disruption in LPG supply, triggered by geopolitical tensions in West Asia, has already strained households dependent on cooking gas. Now, the malpractice of underweight LPG cylinders being delivered to homes driven by pilferage during transit has sparked widespread concern and frustration. Reports of delivery personnel siphoning off small quantities of gas before delivery are becoming increasingly common. In many cases, delivery staff do not carry weighing machines, despite it being a mandated requirement. The lack of verification creates an opportunity for illegal practices to thrive unchecked. There exists a substantial price difference between domestic and commercial LPG cylinders. Unscrupulous individuals exploit this gap by transferring small amounts of gas from subsidised domestic cylinders into commercial ones, which are sold at a higher price.   LPG distributors must ensure that delivery personnel are equipped with functional weighing machines. Additionally, strict monitoring and random checks should be implemented to enforce compliance.

Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco

On cost of living

Based on 2026 estimates, the minimum daily cost for a single resident in Goa ranges between Rs 500 and Rs 700, covering basic accommodation, home-cooked food, and transport. This assumes a frugal lifestyle, such as staying in low-cost rentals or shared PGs and avoiding eating out. A rough daily breakdown includes Rs 250–Rs 350 for accommodation, Rs 150–Rs 250 for food, and Rs 100–Rs 150 for utilities and transport. However, seasonal factors like the monsoon often raise the cost of essentials such as fish, eggs, and chicken. While a modest lifestyle may cost Rs 15,000–Rs 20,000 monthly per person, many middle-class families survive on far less. For them, daily expenses average Rs 125–Rs 150 per person, totaling Rs 19,000–Rs 23,000 monthly for a five-member family. This economic strain reflects a harsh reality. Many cut basic expenses due to limited income opportunities. It is vital that census data capture these conditions accurately, enabling policies that support financial stability for Goan families.

Rajesh Banaulikar, Arpora

‘Dishonesty on rape

When an MBBS student hailing from Odisha was raped in Durgapur, her father had stressed that the former is a “far better state” than West Bengal.  It was also termed as “political setback” for the Trinamool Congress with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi leading from the front in condemning West Bengal.  Less said about the super-activeness of the national media and BJP leaders the better. Not to forget how the then West Bengal governor tauntingly delivered unsolicited sermon of West Bengal requiring ‘second renaissance’.  But when two private ambulance drivers gangraped in Bhubaneswar a woman from Bengal a week ago, who had visited the Odisha capital to meet her husband, all maintained pin-drop silence. Let the news of the world’s one of the severest crimes remain relegated to a tiny paragraph in the inner pages of a few West Bengal dailies only. However, now no question of demanding President’s rule in ‘far better state’ Odisha, no call of sacking the BJP government in the state!

Kajal Chatterjee, Kolkata

Safety from IEDs

Explosive devices kill and maim people. Socioeconomic development of nations is crushed when people are killed at the drop of a hat. Mines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices (IED) are the biggest culprits of mankind.  International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action is observed on April 4 to infuse awareness among the people about the threat caused by landmines. Saving lives, providing humanitarian aid, protecting lives and properties, helping internally displaced refugees return to where they belong are not easy tasks at all, and the United Nations Mine Action Service is seized of the matter for the last two decades in providing a healing touch to the needy. The UN always believes that “safe future starts here”. Also, this year’s theme” invest in peace; invest in mine action” directly calls for elimination of land explosive threats.

Ganapathi Bhat, Akola

Zelenskyy’s hypocrisy

In a recent speech to the UK Parliament, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Russia and Iran as “brothers in hatred,” arguing that regimes built on hatred must not prevail. He also suggested that Iran has been a central destabilising force in the Middle East and poses a broader threat to Europe. Imagine being “invaded”, and then criticising another country for being invaded.  Imagine crying because Russia stole his land, but supporting Israel for stealing other’s land. Imagine hating Russia’s “illegal war of aggression”, but supporting US-Israel’s illegal war of aggression. Is he confused? Certainly not. He is just one among the long list of hypocrites.

Rekha Sarin, Benaulim