-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Please help us to introduce Saligaonet to more people in/from the village, who would like to keep in touch... -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Dear Saligaonetters, On Tuesday 21 Mar 2006 11:02 pm, Albert Desouza wrote: > There was a time when people > of saligao had to literary fall at the feet of the gas dealer > who made us go to Lawry Saldanha's garage to pay the > bill and walk half way to the seminary to get the gas .Our > MLAs did not bother to see our plight. Today the gas comes to > our door and we can select the one that gives us better > service. This did not happen *automatically*. Members of the Saligao Civic and Consumer Cell (SCCC) *fought* fiercely and relentlessley from December 1996, to force the dealer to give us home delivery by right. Till around 2003, the LPG sub-committee of the Cell visited the dealer's showroom in the village, checked his stocks, order list and querried any delay, discrepency or malpractice. The Cell still maintains a vigil from time to time to keep the dealer in line. > One must remain with the tide and not show that we > lack in modern technology. I see many people crowding the post > office to pay their bills for they have never heard of ECS > system of paying the bill. The main problem at the Post Office in Saligao is that it is understaffed. The Post Master looks after postal as well as banking services. And it is the latter that is causing the problem. At the last public meeting of the SCCC, one consumer observed that agents involved in Post Office banking come from the surrounding villages with piles of Pass Books to process at one time. This causes the bottleneck. Some one who wants to buy a simple post card for .25 pisae sometimes has wait for long periods till the banking agents finish their transactions. After the last meeting, the SCCC decided to take up the matter with the Head Post Office and demand a separate counters and staff for banking and postal services. Accordingly, Nicholas Sequeira the President of the Cell, met Dr. Wilfred D'Souza our local MLA and Dy. Chief Minister to tell him of the problem. Dr. Willie immediately called for Post Mistress General to meet Nicholas and sort out the problem. Parleys are on and indications are that we are in for a few radical changes in the way the Post Office functioned in Saligao. Thanks again to the SCCC who is following the matter with Dr. Willie and the Post Mistress General. > Today people are still using BSNL and are at the mercy of the > fellows called mechanic. Baba re matso mhojo phone sarko kor > re, one has not heard of Reliance and Tata phones and if they > are told about it they will behave like people from the 18th > century and say " Hoch phone boro." This is true only of those who *have extra money to pay* and who are willing to prostarate in front of the linesman. No one in the SCCC has ever paid the linesman or bribed a BSNL official and they get fantastic service - by right! If villagers come to SCCC meetings - 11 am, every 2nd Sunday, at Lourdes Convent - they will be empowered to escape from the "mercy" of BSNL staff. Alternatively, come to the meeting and tell the SCCC who is extorting money. If one has surrendered to the "mercy" to BSNL, it is only a matter of time before the same surrender takes place to Reliance, Tata, BPL or whoever. Being a public sector like Corporation, BSNL can still be made accountable - more so with the competition. Try making Reliance, Tata and BPL accountable for their deficiency of service and you will return to BSNL, in the 21st century, saying, "Hoch phone boro!" Whether at the Post Office, bank or telephone exchange, there is no alternative to "Zag giraika, zag!" Solidarity. M&M -- PS: Kindly note our new e-ddress: Muriel & Mario <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> and make the change in your e-ddress book. - M&M. ................................................. there *is* anOTHERgoa - the destruction of Salmona Spring, for instance! ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' muriel & mario, 4/4 tabravaddo, opp. st. anne's chapel, saligao. bardez. goa. 403511. tel: 0832-2278276 / 2409999 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' _______________________________________________ Saligao 403511 website http://saligao.goa-india.org Saligaonet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.goacom.org/mailman/listinfo/saligaonet
