One of the more popular news on twitter is how the news of an old man from Bengaluru, Revanna Sidappa selling medicinal plants has become viral and is also covered in the mainstream media.
The 79-year old man is selling different kinds of medicinal plants at a low price of Rs 10 to Rs 30. Earlier he was selling only 5 plants from a footpath in kanakpura, bengaluru, now he is selling ten plants daily. He has also been provided with a table and chair, for greater comfort.
This highlights a problem in goa, especially panaji, that the local authorities are very strict and they do not allow poor people to sell any item on the footpath or public areas while in Mumbai, Bengaluru and other places there are many people selling items on the footpath.
Though the government is against it, it is very convenient for people who have less time like the domain investor who are unable to visit the market daily to purchase items on the footpath near their home, especially if items are not available in the local shop.
Goa is facing a debt crisis, has one of the highest debts in India, partly because the government is wasting too much money on welfare schemes like laadli laxmi and gruh aadhar, doles for housewives instead of encouraging women and elders to work and be financially independent.
In other states like maharashtra, karnataka whose economy is much better than goa, the government does not give doles to housewives and others , they are encouraged to do some work, like Revanna Sidapa and the well paid government employees do not harass them for selling items on the footpath.