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Ramblings of a citizen and experiences of an entreuprener

This is about my way of life. It has two parts, one is related to the world around me and the other part is my experiences as an entrepreneur. Check out our website www.shaktiindia.com

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

ROAD BLOCK AHEAD: Indian Super League in Progress

Nita Ambani's dream to see India play in the world cup has many supporters. I would also like to see India play at the football world cup, but surely there has to be some method in this madness. The first match (and rest of them too) of the Reliance back league in Goa was at the famed Fatorda stadium. We the citizens are available to be kicked around so that the Indian dream is realised.

The administration moved heaven and earth or should I say stopped, to ensure the match was a resounding success. No they did not play, I assume the top bosses were handed a few complimentary passes. Fortunately unlike for cricket matches duplicate tickets were not seen or heard off.

The administration decided that everyone living around the Stadium had to also stop their business of living and either sit at home or take a walk and watch the match. They decided that the players who are either yesteryears stars or stars in the making need to have a smooth passage to the Stadium.

We should be happy they did not decided to close the roads from Panaji or Vasco to ensure this. Some consolation for lack of application of mind or should we say crowd control techniques. Maybe we should send the traffic police or better the district administration on a European study tour. Problem is they will see no road blocks even if Manchester United is playing Arsenal.

The road leading to the stadium from the Margao- Panaji Highway is blocked at the highway itself. Is this logical? From Margao no right turn is allowed even if you wish to go towards ND Naik, one has to go ahead and pass the new presentation school and then proceed. Are the police applying their mind?

There are more than 10 policemen zealously guarding the barricades which would give ideas to protestors in Hong Kong. Would it not be better and less stressful to move the road block to the start of the Y junction 50 mts inside. ?

Even this is not required. The advertisement for traffic arrangements states, says 60 VVIP cars and 2 coaches will be parked inside the Stadium. Wonder who paid for this half page advertisement? After the local MLA has worked to widen the roads pre Lusofonia, the stretch from the highway to the stadium has been mostly completed and the road is broad. There is no need to block the road, and harass residents for a few players and ofcourse as the advertisements included “MLA/Ministers”, the code word. Once you use this secret term all roads open, oops close. Why can they not drive as they have from Panaji on a common road, why is the need to close the road to vehicular traffic on this stretch and put every resident which possibly numbers 10000. Is this correct for 60 cars block of 10000 people?

And then where is the equality which is required or essential for democracy? A few days back a cycle race was not allowed because the organisers could not get permission from the district administration to close the roads for a short time. The reason, and rightly so, it would inconvenience many office goers. Different rules being applied by different administrators or is it a case of arbitrary decision making? Or are the residents of Fatorda liable for inconvenient times just because they probably came to live in Fatorda after the stadium was built.



We never saw this happen for the other football matches, can the powers that be ensure a smooth FLOW of traffic around the stadium without closing roads, they have to think as these matches are going to be a regular fixture. If they cannot, they should ask for help from some experts in crowd control. “LETS FOOTBALL”.

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