Scathing report
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has released a report, which has found that 47% of India’s ministers have criminal cases against them (NT September 5). The report came days after the Centre introduced three bills that proposed the removal of prime minister, chief ministers and ministers arrested or detained for more than 30 consecutive days on serious criminal charges punishable with imprisonment for a term that may extend to five years or more. The ADR analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 643 ministers from 27 state assemblies, three Union territories and the Union council of ministers, who had self-declared cases that included murder, kidnapping and crimes against women. The report lists ministers, cases, states and other details of national and regional parties. The ADR found that 302 ministers have criminal cases, with 74 facing serious criminal charges. Newspapers have not provided information about Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Kerala. The scalding report brings to the fore the known fact, which is not openly admitted, about politicisation of crimes and criminalisation of politics. Incidentally, ministers from Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland and Uttarakhand reported no cases against themselves. Perhaps they could tutor their colleagues from the other states, who truthfully acknowledged their crimes, how to be law-abiding.
Sridhar D Iyer, Caranzalem
Pathetic state of
NH-66 in Porvorim
The recent visit of newly-appointed Minister for Public Works (PWD) Digambar Kamat to witness and check the pathetic state of the National Highway-66 in Porvorim will hopefully end the nightmarish experiences of motorists, and the dangers to life on this stretch of the highway. Kamat has reportedly summoned the site engineer and ordered restoration work to be completed within five days by using the patchwork concrete machine. This is excellent by any reckoning. The question, therefore, is what the PWD was doing all this time despite several media reports and complaints by motorists and commuters. Was there no civil engineer or inspector to oversee and tackle the problems ever since the work of the elevated corridor started?
A F Nazareth, Alto Porvorim
Singapore model
The increase in Singapore’s new car registrations from 2004 to 2023 is almost zero, with most of the citizens using public transportation, while the pedestrian space is used for cycling and walking. The stagnant growth and even a decline in registrations is attributed to the government disincentivising private vehicle ownership by imposing huge costs. One even has to prove that he has a parking space before he can buy a vehicle. Car purchases are made prohibitively expensive through high taxes and a limited, auction-based Certificate of Entitlement (CoE) that adds significantly to the ownership cost. Additionally, the government uses Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) to charge for using busy roads, levies high registration fees and offers incentives for scrapping older vehicles to promote a car-lite society and reduce congestion and pollution. In a city like Mumbai, there are 2,94,000 vehicles being registered annually, while Delhi boasts of a figure in the vicinity of 7,09,000. Billions are being poured into making highways/ expressways/flyovers in Mumbai, which simply push traffic jams from one end to the other, while BEST, once the prime people mover, gets a piffling budget of Rs 1,000 crore for expanding the bus fleet. Half of that grant will go towards replacing their ageing and end-of-life vehicles. India should replicate the Singapore model and prioritise public transport.
Rekha Sarin Trehan, Benaulim
Race tracks
India’s premiere racing extravaganza is all set to make its debut in Goa next month as the state will reportedly host the Formula 4 Street Race in Mormugao constituency. Goa will now be known as the land of sun, sand, sea and speed. But there are certain aspects that need to be taken into consideration. After spending a huge amount of public funds on the event, will it generate sufficient revenue for the state? Will the locals, especially the youth, benefit from this event? It is pertinent to note that Formula cars still largely run on fossil fuels thereby contributing to carbon emissions. The maintenance of race tracks and the surrounding infrastructure can harm the local ecosystem. The loud engines generate significant noise pollution, which will affect not just humans but animal life too. Significant medical facilities need to be developed in close proximity, as high speeds in racing cars moving in close proximity can create major risks of crashes, leading to severe injuries and fatalities. This is all the more true as Formula 4 racers are amateur drivers. F4 serves as the initial step for drivers graduating to the car racing world in higher categories like Formula 3 and ultimately Formula 1. The question that arises is whether holding the event in Goa will encourage Goan youth to indulge in speed driving on the roads.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
