LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

True purpose of SIR 

No thanks is enough for the economist Parakala Prabhakar for calling spade a spade and exposing the blatant hypocrisy and highly questionable intention embedded within the SIR exercise. Had SIR indeed been a simple electoral matter or revision of rolls, then the Election Commission (EC) would have concentrated merely on deleting the names of the already deceased electors and rectified the anomalies preventing a person’s enrolment in multiple constituencies. But the actual intention of the electoral roll revision is vicious to the extreme: the ruling   dispensation is seen to be zealously batting for SIR when it remains the exclusive EC domain. BJP leaders  are constantly shouting how ‘several millions’ names would be excluded, ‘infiltrators’ identified and the ‘termites’ exterminated from the Indian soil, thereby blatantly exposing that SIR is practically nothing but NRC through the backdoor or “bloodless political genocide” as brilliantly termed by Prabhakar.  Also, the unfathomable pressure on SIR could have been reduced a bit by appointing more officials. The authorities concerned should answer the real reason behind such a hurry in completing the exercise. May we know who must be held responsible for the deaths or suicides of several BLOs?

Kajal Chatterjee, Kolkata

Weakened tool

Is filing a right to information (RTI) application online truly effective in Goa? While the government has created a dedicated portal for submitting RTI applications, first appeals, and second appeals, its actual functioning is questionable. I have filed over 50 online applications, but only five received replies. Many RTI officers seem indifferent to their time-bound responsibilities under the Act. The portal, rtionline.goa.gov.in, is a commendable initiative, yet its ‘activeness’ and seriousness remain doubtful. Some public information officers (PIOs) ask applicants to visit their offices for inspections instead of providing clear information online. Is this lawful? It appears designed to push applicants toward unnecessary appeals, turning the process into harassment. Although the online application costs only Rs 10, payment status updates are often missing, and many applications remain pending with no response. Who is accountable for this negligence? If applications are sent to the wrong department, they are returned without refund—refunds are not the issue; providing information, whether positive or negative, is what matters. Shockingly, even a top office returned an application without proper response, raising concerns about oversight. Some departments do respond effectively and uphold the RTI Act. They demonstrate what a people-oriented government should look like.

Rajesh Banaulikar, Arpora

Good move  

The state government is set to amend its law in order to introduce community service in place of jail time for first time offenders of minor offences. Under the new system, offenders will be required to perform duties such as cleaning, tree planting and maintenance at government facilities for between one and 31 days. Institutions will include hospitals, parks, beaches and educational institutions, with the task determined by the court. The programme will be overseen by district probation officers or other designated state officials. Community service serves as an alternative to prison, aiming for the offender’s rehabilitation and reintegration into society by having them contribute constructively to the community, often with tasks related to the offence itself. It is a form of punishment that requires offenders to perform unpaid work for the benefit of the community as part of their sentence and has been introduced as a form of punishment for the first time under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. For many offenders, community-based punishments are proven to be more effective at reducing repeated offences than short-term prison sentences. Hence, the use of community sentences for these types of offenders can potentially mean fewer victims and crime in our communities. It discourages future criminal behaviour, protects the public and reforms the individuals.

Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco

‘Brexit’ for billionaires

Several ultra-rich people in Britain are planning to get away to countries where they will not be taxed!  (NT, November 25, 2025). An example is the Rajasthan-born Lakshmi Mittal, who has been based in London since 1995. He is the founder of the Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal steel company which is worth Rs 273,000 crore. Ranked 8th on the 2025 UK Rich List, his fortune is Rs 180,000 crore. Now he is a resident in tax-haven Switzerland and spends most of the time in Dubai. The reason for the high-net worth people to exit from the UK is the proposed taxes to be imposed on them. It is pathetic that those who made millions and billions of dollars and pounds, agreed by their hard work, foresight, business acumen etc, now want to move away from a country that nurtured and honoured them all these decades. Perhaps it is better to be ‘poor’ and patriotic and loyal rather than roll in the green bucks but flee when taxes are imposed.

Sridhar D Iyer, Caranzalem