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----- Forwarded message from Floriano Lobo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ----- Date: Wed, 09 Jun 2004 16:30:43 +0530 From: Floriano Lobo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> It was interesting to read May 30, 2004 Herald Mirror's "PUBLIC DARBAR" featuring "DISTRESSING PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM" by G.M. Salelkar, Panjim and the response by the Junior Traffic Officer Mr. Sanjay Ghate. This Herald's Darbar reminds me of the Darbar Luizinho Faleiro used to run, called the "Janata Darbar" and as far as I can remember, this Darbar had created more chaos and anarchy in the government administration than solve problems, since the heads of all department were paraded form North to South to quick fix enterprising people's problems. The rest were left to the mercy of the Gods. It amused me to read the following in the response given by 'AUTHORITY SPEAK' by Mr. Ghate Quote Regarding the maintenence of the buses, our managing director have issued orders for the commencement of the maintainence work before the monsoons set in. Unquote This response amused me because, all these years we knew that only the Electricity department was doing the pre monsoon maintenance of the power lines (which unfortunately, now a days, this is being done during the full blown monsoons since lines are tripping off like fire-crackers in a celebration due to the rampant "Ullas Nagar" electrical items are being pumped into the lines by outside contractors). As far as the public transport road vehicles are concerned, they are supposed to be maintained round the year and only the bald tyres changed with treaded tyres before monsoons. Having had this at the back of my mind, I volunteered to take the Kadamba's shuttle service from Panjim to Vasco yesterday ( 8 June, 2004 at 1015 hours), specially because I did not want to risk doing this trip with my 4 wheeler during heavy rains. Having parked my 4 wheeler off Kadamba bus terminal, I asked my daughter to purchase the tickets as I needed to use the toilet. On reaching the toilet, directed by the signboard displayed, I found the entire bank of urinals being renovated and in dug-up conditions. When asked where to find the temporary or the other toilet, I was told that there was none in the complex and that I would have to use the sulab toilet located at the perimeter of the terminus. Not wanting to walk a mile, and wondering where the load of people at the terminus would relieve themselves, I walked back to the shuttle. My daughter was seated in the mini-bus and it was full except the front seat. The driver and the conductor were yet to board the shuttle. As I entered, I noticed a pile of human vomit on the floor, on the foot rest of the front seat, behind the driver's seat. And that was that. Pointing to the pile, I told the passengers, including my daughter, that they were all goats and pigs seating in a bus in this condition. Pulling my daughter out of the bus I charged to the ticketing room and pulled one khaki clad guy by his arm and showed him the pile. It was a real ruckus, a shouting match. I demanded and got my fare back and in the melee I heard some of the conductors/drivers telling me that if I wanted to make noise, to go and make the noise in the concerned officer's cabin. To that I asked them if they expected the Chairman or the Managing Director of the Kadamba or the Transport Minister himself to come with a broom and a water hose to do their job, I would certainly go tell them. There ended my shuttle trip to Vasco. I had to make it in my 4 wheeler. Relating this incident to the lady I went to see in the Salgaokar Chambers, the tale of woes of daily commuters in the shuttle service poured out as the lady herself was a daily commuter to Vasco from Panjim and back. Things like ' The shuttle never leaves on time" 'Waits until it is full" 'Seats are too small specially for two well fed persons' 'Rickety and filthy', 'Irresponsible driving'. The tale was long. The general impression is that our State runs "Cattle Transport Corporation" instead of the "kadamba Transport Corporation" with Mr. Arun Desai as its Managing Director and the haughty, arrogant 'know it all' Mr. Manohar Parrikar as its Chairman, who also doubles as Goa's Chief Minister. If I had the time, yesterday, I would have made it to their respective cabins with a broom and a water bucket so that they could do their jobs effectively. And I needn't have to wait in line at the Secretariat to get a pass to see the haughty CM either. The General Elections 2004 has seen to it that it has rubbed some of the arrogance off from his haughty RSS chin. Floriano Lobo goasuraj ----- End forwarded message -----