Hand over Suleiman
Khan case to CBI
Notorious criminal and land grab accused Suleiman Siddiqui Khan has claimed that his second viral video was ‘fake’ and filmed at gunpoint after his re-arrest in Kerala in December last year. He further accused a police inspector of administering electric shocks and reiterated that all the allegations made in his first video were true. This raises a pressing question: what does Chief Minister Pramod Sawant have to say about this matter? How can Sawant expect high-profile Goa police officers, whom Siddiqui has explicitly named in his first video and continues to accuse of torturing him and orchestrating his escape from Colvale jail, to conduct a fair and unbiased investigation? Given the gravity of these claims, it seems only appropriate for this investigation to be handed over to the CBI, or for a judicial commission headed by a retired High Court judge to thoroughly probe all allegations and uncover the full truth as soon as possible.
Jerry Fernandes, Saligao
On learning benchmark
Pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) or student-teacher ratio (STR) in schools has always been a debatable issue. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 has set certain ideal PTR yardsticks. At the pre-primary level, between classes 1 and 4, 30:1 ratio and from classes 6 to 8, 35:1 ratio is recommended; for secondary school children, again a ratio of 30:1 is advised though different institutions have varied benchmarks on the matter. Better teacher-student interaction and individual student attention, heightened student learning and participation. Rather than raising the number of teachers, the focus should be on their correct deployment and necessary training. Without funds, resources and infrastructure, a mere increase in the number of teachers may not cement the education system. Teachers should be guaranteed that their career opportunities will be protected and promoted.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Unfair freebie culture
The Supreme Court has deprecated the culture of pre-poll freebies which is creating a class of parasites. Labourers have become choosy and unwilling to work. And why should they? Over 800 million people are getting free food. Cash doles are being given out with gay abandon to lure voters. Free bus travel for women, free water and electricity, and even free 1 BHK flats for slum-dwellers. Providing some shelter for the homeless is fine but not for others. Everyone must pay something or the middle class will have to pay double. It is very unfair that the middle class has to pay Rs 1 crore for a flat in metro cities, while the slum dwellers get it for free!
Robert Castellino, Calangute
Welcome move
This is with reference to the news report ‘Goa to get separate dept of drinking water’ (NT, February 13, 2025). At long-last, wisdom seems to have dawned on the government to constitute a separate water department in the PWD to supply drinking water for four hours to the people of Goa. The idea was mooted several times in the past, but unfortunately did not receive the approval and sanction of the government, for reasons best known to them. The new department will hopefully look after all repair and maintenance works that include, keeping tabs on water leakages, pipe bursts, and pilferage, illegal connections, replacing old and corroded pipes, and ensuring adequate pressure in the trunk lines for water to reach the tails ends and elevated places during the four-hour supply. Booster pumps should be used wherever required.
AF Nazareth, Alto Porvorim
Boost to fishing
The Fishery Survey of India (FSI) has discovered several deep-sea fishing grounds between Goa and Kerala in the Arabian Sea (NT, January 12, 2025). These areas are unexplored and highly productive and are 100 to 120 nautical miles and at water depths between 300 and 540 metres. The new grounds host commercially valuable Humpback nylon shrimp, Arabian Sea red shrimp, Deepwater spiny lobster and deep-sea squat lobster, among other fish varieties. The catch per unit effort is 150 to 300 kg/hour and this does not change with the diversity of the species nor between day and night operations. It is a matter of pride for India as the new fishing grounds would boost the productivity and help retain India as the second largest producer, after China, of marine fish in the world. There could be opportunity for employment in the fishery sector and potential export of the catch. Was it necessary that the FSI’s report of the find be in the public domain? Because one worrisome concern is that illegal-unreported-unregulated fishing activities may occur and hence, the government needs to be vigilant.
Sridhar D Iyer, Caranzalem
