South Goa RTO is a fountainhead of corruption in Goa. First hand experience of a parent. – By Ashley J. Fernandes

Ashley J. Fermandes

Well this was what was well said and written about by a friend of mine many years ago. Whilst I waited for the right opportunity to come my way I was rewarded last week as the corrupt official of the transport department played into my hands during the driving test of my daughter, Aelita-lee Fernandes, the inspector concerned, Nixon Soares.

It is a well known fact that driving tests over the years are a mere formality, observing the manner in which vehicles are driven and parked on the Goan roads. A farce it is, because rules are applied and are supposedly implemented by the officers in charge to selective candidates at the time of the tests, only to be forgotten forever by one and all. That the rules itself are wrongly implemented is another joke.

Miss Aelita-Lee Fernandes turned up for her driving test on 27^th May 2016 near the District Library, Navelim  at 9.30am since the scheduled time for the traffic cell personnel to arrive was 10am. After a long wait for 1hour 15 minutes (to be precise), the officer arrived much to my delight, as the candidates were made to waiting in the sweltering summer heat, as he greeted me and enquired who was being tested from my family. I openly gave him the name as I didn’t want any favours done.

This being besides the point, the tests began and my daughter was tested. After she was asked to drive forward, reverse and park to a side which she rightly did in the best possible manner, she got off the vehicle and was told by the officer that she had not put her parking lights on. Well I would like to ask Nixon Soares, if he has ever put the parking lights of his vehicle on whilst having dinner and booze at a bar and restaurant, I haven’t to be honest. I yet chose to accept the decision of her being failed for this action of hers, since the deciding authority at that instant seemed to have carried out his duties, till the time I set my hands on the officers report of the test which is sufficient proof. What I actually saw was shocking, it is worst than corruption to the core, since the officer’s report had nothing mentioned on it, as to why my daughter has failed the test  and a test was rescheduled for 31/05/2016. Now, if she had failed the test for whatever valid reason, the reason should have been mentioned, which also implies that the failed candidate cannot be given a re-test before a 10 day gap.  On questioning the instructor of the Teja Motor Driving School, I was told to speak to the inspector since the papers were lying with him. Why should I be allowed to speak to the inspector to reverse his decision or was it one way of asking for a bribe or further, was it a way of getting even with me for my attack on the Transport Department in South Goa which is already a laughing stock for all around, with traffic rules being flouted at the drop of a hat, in the local newspapers and on social media? It is by all standards a “highly suspicious judgement”.

What is even more shocking are the faulty signals (as per my knowledge ) followed by the driving schools and the inspectors conducting the test, where my daughter was asked to press the hazed light button to activate the hazard lights as parking lights . reverse lights. If this is what the hazard lights are used for then which lights do we use when a vehicle that has broken down is parked to a side? Also, can the Transport Minister or the band of jokers under him educate me as to why vehicle manufacturers have provided reverse lights when the reverse gear is activated? I also demand an answer , as to what are the actual parking lights provided  meant for? I’m sorry, the guys in the transport department will first need to take a crash course on the rules governing traffic before they test candidates applying for a driving licence.

While this may be put into print in the local media, the matter will also be seriously taken up with authorities at the State Government level and Central Government level, for the CORRUPT PRACTICES followed by the TRANSPORT CELL in Goa as a whole, as we need to weed out the garbage that is present within the system which as of now is “ the fountain head of corruption”.

Manohar Parrikar aka late Indira Gandhi style in Goa -- By Nisser Dias

Way back in the 80s when the iron lady of India late Indira Gandhi held the reigns of the country as the Prime minister, Zuari bridge which was completed months before was not being allowed to be used as Mrs. Gandhi could not find time or make time to fly to Goa to inaugurate thereby alleviating the hardships of the commuters who had to depend on the ferry to cross the river.

Ultimately it took the grit and guts of an IPS lady police officer Kiran Bedi to throw it open much to the relief of the public. For this act of hers, she received a dressing down from the then chief minister Pratapsing Rane.

Recently ex-chief minister of Goa and now Defence minister Manohar Parrikar repeated the act of then Prime Minister and skipped the inauguration of the stilt parking in the capital city for want of time. It was given to understand that he was busy preparing the groundwork to bombard the Congress over AgustaWestLand helicopter scam in the Parliament. And hence the people or the general public who vote these politicians to public office be damned.

It also seems that the politicians of all hues and political parties think alike and that is not the betterment of the public but their publicity and fame.

Stilt or vertical parking project in Panjim



Or could it be that Parrikar did not want to throw it open on the birthday of his controversial partyman and Tourism minister Dilip Parulekar?

But ultimately it is general public that has to suffer because the project is not inaugurated to satisfy the ego of one man. And why?

Was the project planned and executed with Defence Minister’s personal money? Was the property on which the project stands his? The idea to have such a project may not have even come from ex-CM. The concept was mooted through public demand and funded partly by the Union government. But after completion of the utility project we have to wait for ‘His Lordship’ to inaugurate it, till then the pubIic has to suffer. And if the project was not complete why was it even slated to be inaugurated on controversial Tourism minister Dilip Parulekar’s birthday.

Vertical parking project in the capital city was undertaken during current government tenure, even the third bridge over river Mandovi was mooted by this dispensation. Sadly this same government did not give any attention to the district hospital in Margao which was started during the Congress tenure. It is very evident that the BJP government does not care for the health of people.

It is perceived that Parrikar is intelligent but to my mind he is all about hype, baseless rhetoric, arrogance, domination and dictatorship. Does an intelligent person craves his name to be on the plaque and goes to the extent of stalling a public project. This is not at all an intelligent thought but more of a sadistic idea to be present for the inaugural and hog the limelight.

We all know that our cities lack adequate parking space and there is urgent need for such public projects or infrastructure to be set-up to ease traffic movement and avoid traffic jams. But here is an example of utter disrespect for the public, when a project that is ready is not being thrown open for public use just to pander or satisfy the ego of one man.

Let’s go back in time when Congress was in power. There was a landslide on one side of the Porvorim hill near the Assembly complex. Work was being carried out to clear the highway. As it happens with any government department removing the pile of mud was being done leisurely and traffic police were having a tough time regulating to and fro traffic only on one side of the highway as the other half was buried under the earth.

Manohar Parrikar then Opposition leader appeared there from Assembly and seeing the slow movement of the vehicles threw open the police cordon and barricades and let the riders and drivers find their own way. For this act of his the police had booked him for endangering human life which is a bailable offence.

When he was questioned by journalists, his reply was that police regulating the traffic movement were not efficient and it was causing hardship to the public and so he removed the cordon.

Today also motorists are facing hardship due to acute constraint of parking space and his government is in power but the same principle does not apply to him and Manohar Parrikar does not feel the hardships of the same people. 

 

Nutty Salad

Requirements:-

3 bunches lettuce leaves.

1(150-200gms) iceberg

1(250gms) broccoli

2 onions

2 tomatoes (hard)

200gms of dried fruits

100gms of boiled groundnuts/peanuts

Garlic sauce with herbs

Preparation:-

Tear of the lettuce leaves. (curly front of the leaves should be maintained)

Finely slice iceberg. Cover both with cling film and refrigerate.

Cut/break broccoli into half inch pieces and refrigerate it.

Cut dried fruits into size if peanuts and refrigerate it.

Boil fresh groundnuts with little salt, peel them and refrigerate it.

2-3 hours before serving mix dried fruits, peanuts and broccoli together and add garlic sauce with herbs.

Dressing:-

Take the lettuce leaves and iceberg from the refrigerator, apply olive on it.

Take a flat dish, place lettuce leaves on the circumference and sprinkle little salt and white pepper. Spread the lettuce leaves in the middle of the salad plate. Put the mixture of dried nuts, broccoli and peanuts in the middle.

Tomatoes and onions should be chopped to ¾ to an inch size. Soak chopped onions for five minutes in vinegar. Spread tomatoes and onions on the lettuce leaves and serve chilled.