Dog tax
It is learnt that the Mapusa Municipal Council has reportedly announced the introduction of a new tax on dog owners, requiring all residents with domestic dogs to register their pets with the municipality. As part of the new regulation, a one-time registration fee of Rs 500 will be charged for each dog, with an annual renewal fee of Rs 100. Registering a pet dog with the civic body is a good step, but why should the dog owner be made to pay such a hefty dog tax? The dog owners could have been charged a nominal fee, which could include the price of the metal tag. This step will have wide ramifications. And what about stray dogs that roam on our streets? Who will pay the dog tax for them? Why single out only dogs for taxing? What about other pet animals like cat, pig, cow, sheep, etc. Will they also be subsequently taxed? Should there be any uniform tax profile for all breeds of dogs that include high breed dogs and local breed? If a household has more than one pet dog, paying the dog tax could mean extra financial burden. Whenever tax is collected, the general procedure adopted is for the government to use the tax collected for the welfare of the people. Will the dog tax that will be collected be used for the welfare of the pet dogs? It is pertinent to note that dog lovers usually adopt stray dogs from the dog shelter. If these dog lovers have to pay dog tax then it will dissuade them from adopting these dogs. Hence, the number of dogs in dog shelter will only increase in due course. The authorities concerned need to have a rethink on imposing dog tax.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Destroying terror
It took a mere 25 minutes for the Indian missiles to pound enemy targets and destroy them. Pakistanâs terror backbones Lashkar- e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen were broken so badly that it may take years, if at all, for the evil conspirators and executors of terror to recoup. Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has always been a nursery for terror training and the Indian forces did commendably well to locate and strike at five targets there. âOperation Sindoorâ is the most exhaustive military action on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism by India in nearly five decades. While the Balakot attack was on a single terror launch pad, âOperation Sindoorâ targeted nine such launch pads and went even deep into the Pakistan territory. What âOperation Sindoorâ has done is to send an unambiguous message that India will no longer tolerate terror on its soil in any form. Gone are the days when posturing and planning were the only counter attack mechanisms employed by the governments in power. At the same time, India has displayed a remarkable combination of attack and restraint by focussing only on terror hubs.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Operation Sindoor
Hats off to our Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Armed Forces for their retaliation for the Pahalgam attack on our tourists. The Prime Minister has aptly christened this as âOperation Sindoorâ. The most heartening news is that all the opposition leaders, especially the Congress, hailed the efforts of our Armed Forces on their successful mission. âOperation Sindoorâ and the support and cooperation of our opposition parties must have given a clear message to the perpetrators of terror, a loud and clear signal that Indians will not tolerate terror and that we are united.
N Viswanathan, Coimbatore
Rohitâs retirement
At last Rohit Sharma, Indiaâs Test captain, has retired from red ball cricket. On a Wednesday night, when most eyes were on a tense âOperation Sindoorâ, Sharma announced his retirement from Tests through an Instagram story. Even if his statement seemed a trifle too fast, it was not exactly a surprise, as the curtains were drawing close after a poor Australia tour. Minutes later, reports emerged that one of Indiaâs most successful captains may be sacked by the BCCI selectors. Sharmaâs Test career began in 2013 and he went on to play 67 matches, scoring 4,301 runs at an average of 40.6, including 12 centuries and 18 fifties. His highest score was a masterful 212 against South Africa. Known for his elegance and timing, Sharma matured into a dependable opener in the latter half of his career. But his recent Test form was underwhelming. In his last nine Tests, he averaged just 10.93. During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, he even opted to drop himself from the Sydney Test, saying, âI have to be honest to myselfâŠI wasnât hitting the ball well.â Although he has been a talented batter in Tests, in ten years of Test cricket he has not scored enough in five years. His average in these years is below 30, and only 12 centuries in 67 Tests is also very poor.
Bidyut Chatterjee, Faridabad
