This is an open letter to Mr. Sanjit Rodrigues. ---------------------------------------------------
Dear Sanjit Rodrigues, Commissioner of CCP Panjim-Goa At the meeting of stake holders in Hotel Fidalgo on various aspects of Smart City Mission I handed over a 21 point memorandum on issues which Panaji is facing which need to be overcome before Panaji can be a SMART CITY. Apparently what I and other people consider basic services are being packaged as part of the Smart City package. Facilities like 24 hours water, uninterrupted electricity supply with proper voltage, proper garbage disposal systems in place, completion of sewage piepline work for every household, roads done up, gutters for storm water in place and many others items as cited in my memorandum etc are BASIC services that we should have by right even if there is no such Smart City plan formula. By packaging such basic services under the Smart City plan you are essentially now trying to add to the burden on Panimites with User Charges. This is a shrewd move since I doubt there would be many Panjimites willing to pay user charges for hop on and hop off city buses and Wifi across the city. Those are luxuries which the common man can ill afford. This farce is as funny as the Swachh Bharat Tax which has crept into every bill without people even being aware of it and without any change in the 'Swachata' of the city. We do not want to pay any extra money for what used to be basic rights all these years. What next? A tax on air that we breathe? Let this Smart City Mission be buried permanently as it does not suit us on account of “User charges”. The BJP Government has taken huge loans, presumably for benefit of the public, and the CCP has funds it can access if pending house taxes can be collected. With all this existing and potential money available, all plans for road repairs and for sewage lines already in the works can be completed. Once these things are overcome Panaji will slowly achieve great results even without this Smart City Mission. Stephen Dias Dona Paula -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
