Uncertainty on power tariff
People are in a dilemma over the recent statement about the 20% power tariff hike for domestic consumers. It is now said that the hike applies to industrial and non-domestic users. The statement referred to the wastage of power by consumers; hence, the hike applies to power consumed between 5 pm and 1 am. Domestic users tend to use more electricity at night, as during the day only essential appliances like refrigerators and other household electric devices are in use. However, after 5 pm, power consumption increases as people need lights on in the dark, and some use ACs at night. The main issue is the 20% hike during peak hours. It is also proposed to fit smart meters to monitor consumption. On the one hand, we have pending bills amounting to crores of rupees in outstanding dues from the industrial sector. The said amount has been collected, but not fully. The rise in power tariffs will hit middle-class and poor people the hardest. It is always the poor and middle class who suffer. Street lights should also be monitored properly, as half of them don’t work.
Raju Ramamurthy, Vasco
Rise in attacks on cops
The Panaji police have reportedly booked seven persons following a clash between two groups right outside the police station’s main entrance early Sunday morning. It is learned that members of both groups began abusing and assaulting each other with fists and blows despite police intervention. During the scuffle, an iron knuckle duster and pepper spray were also used. Recently, eight people were arrested, and 400 others face charges after a mob torched a man’s car outside the Honda police outpost in Valpoi on the night of Narkasur. In September this year, four Cuncolim policemen, who were on patrol duty, found themselves at the receiving end after they were attacked by seven youths for objecting to drinking alcohol in a public place. Not long ago, in Vasco, seven persons obstructed the road, and the situation escalated when two of the accused, along with others, assaulted two police personnel and manhandled PCR staff. Recently, in Fatorda, six women were booked for assaulting a lady sub-inspector at the police station entrance. Such incidents of attacks on police personnel were rare in the past. One may recall the infamous Panjim police station attack case that took place in February 2008. However, it must be said that, of late, the attacks on police personnel and scuffles outside police stations have been occurring with disturbing frequency. There seems to be absolutely no fear of the police and law-and-order machinery in the state. Unless the police force pulls up its socks and tackles law-and-order situations with an iron hand, things could only get worse.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Invest in human capital
India’s projected 6.7% economic growth is certainly encouraging, yet progress cannot be confined to figures and forecasts. True development uplifts human lives, not merely graphs. Can we call it growth when unemployment and inequality still cast a shadow over our villages and cities alike? Prosperity without fairness is hollow. The government must ensure that investments reach education, rural industries, and healthcare. Are our policies empowering the poor or glorifying the rich? Let every percentage of GDP reflect the dignity of citizens, not just market success. Economic growth becomes meaningful only when every worker feels secure and every child dreams without fear of hunger.
Hasnain Rabbani, Mumbai
Xi’s stranglehold on China
The architect of the ‘Chinese Dream,’ Xi Jinping, has continued his stranglehold on the Communist Party of China (CCP). After its 4-day plenum, the CCP reaffirmed the “core leadership” of Xi Jinping as the head of the party and military. Xi, who secured his third term as general secretary at the CCP meet in Beijing in 2022, will rule China at least until the end of 2027. In 2018, Xi convinced the top brass of the CCP to relax the usual two-term norm for the President. Notwithstanding the fact that democratic values are exceptions in Xi’s scheme of things, and human rights, socialism, and media freedom are considered “dangers of Western values,” he has astutely balanced a market-based economy with a command economy. Infamous for silencing dissent in the party and ruling the government with an iron fist, diplomatically Xi is viewed as a strong leader who makes friends through his suave demeanor. Xi Jinping has already been immortalized in China, alongside CCP founder Mao Zedong and revolutionary leader Deng Xiaoping.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
Kurnool bus tragedy
The bus involved in the recent Kurnool accident, which resulted in the loss of 20 innocent lives, was illegally modified into a sleeper coach, reveal documents. The vehicle was converted into a sleeper coach without proper authorisation, and it was being operated across states under questionable documentation. Officials had failed to identify that the bus was originally registered as a seater coach, which was later converted into a sleeper without following safety protocols. It had 120 challans, 16 serious traffic violations, and a history of overspeeding, yet officials looked away, just like they always do. This isn’t an accident; it is a heinous crime—mass murder born out of greed and corruption. There could be many more such buses plying on our roads. The state transport authorities should conduct a thorough audit of such vehicles and impound those that don’t meet norms; otherwise, such tragedies will continue to happen.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
