On 1 January 2003, almost a year ago, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee while holidaying here announced the Sky Bus as his New Year's gift to Goa. However, the gift is a mere promissory note which may never see the light of the day. One wonders as to how the project was ratified without examining the feasibility and other modalities. It is now said that Chief Minister is trying to convince the Central Government that Konkan Railway should bear the entire cost. He is definitely right. One never pays the cost of a gift and that too a New Year one.
The Sky Bus project is doomed to disaster as the volume of traffic is not adequate to sustain it. According to the Konkan Railway's own figures the minimum daily passenger load required is 150,000 at Rs 50 for the round trip. It would be cheaper and more effective to widen the existing roads and have more buses plying the routes.It might be even more economic for Goa to buy the redundant Concorde aircraft from British Airways and to use them to ply between Panaji and Mapusa. The Chief Minister displays a tendency for backing extravagant schemes without tackling the urgent need to improve the basic infrastructure. We are now being hyped up with the proposal of floating theatre on the River Mandovi. Perhaps he should put the sunken River Princess to some productive activity if the Government lacks the spine and determination to remove it. This New Year President Abdul Kalam is expected to visit Goa. Regardless of what he offers Goa we should definitely make sure he is made feel at home. Perhaps he should be taken on a tour of Goa’s prestigious hairdressers for the pampering of his locks. Rumour has it that he has embraced the Sikh religion. If this is the case our Chief Minister can surely find him a suitable turban. It will definitely give our President a new look and enhance India's image which is projected through our Honourable President. Aires Rodrigues Ribandar ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
