GOANSPIRIT
it never dies

What this means is your ‘Honourable’ MLA is entitled to a minimum pension of Rs 50,000 after just one term, while you work your butt off for a minimum of 8 hours per day. Just before Parrikar died, he agreed to increase MLAs salaries and so Rs 13.5 cr of your tax bucks was spent (some would say wasted) on salaries and pensions. Then there are the add-ons and junkets, My question is, do our MLAs past and present deserve their big pay days considering how rich they are?

In these Covid -19 crunch times, The TO Do list for CM Sawant includes scrapping the sheer extravagance of building the 75 mt tall administrative building, postponing IFFI, which is a drain on the Goan tax payer, for 2 years, solving the debilitating issue of GIDC paying Rs 1 lakh per day as interest, taking back the Rs 26 crore owed by Meta Strips and sacking the 30 per cent government employees who own private businesses financed no doubt by their ill-gotten gains.

When it comes to road building, it appears that Goa government is totally at sea. Many times including outside the Dabolim aiport, it seems to be a "mis-planned" activity. It is clear that the BJP government is failing to plan these projects before execution and there is “continuous return to the drawing board to re-visit the design multiple times”.

While anyone who lives in Colva will point out to the polluting hotels/shacks, the consensus of the GSPCB on paper at least is that hotels have contained pollution! Yet shockingly, it found BOD of water samples collected from both upstream and downstream of the Colva creek exceeded permissible levels. Many hotels operated without consent under the Air Act, Water Act and Hazardous Waste Authorisation. No shack had GSPCB consent and all simply disposed ‘wash waste water’ in open land.

Wilson Godinho is tied to several low profile companies.There are always names in common under the ‘potential related directors’ list. Another common link is they are mostly in the construction, hospitality and manufacturing business. Kamla Prasad Yadav, the deputy sarpanch of the Chicalim Village Panchayat and a close friend of Mauvin Godinho, is probably the first to be rewarded the much-sort-after membership of MPDA, which is open only to political appointees.

The BJP government does not mind being rebuked by the NGT but will not fall in line. Because fines are paid by your tax money. Another Rs 68 lakhs are due when the case on illegal structures on beaches comes up for hearing on January 21, 2020. EX-CM Manohar Parrikar vetoed setting up a bench in Goa saying it would be a financial constraint and would not have enough work. But since it was set up, the NGT’s Pune bench has passed more than a 100 judgements in Goa-related matters.

Sawant is constantly targetting NGOs and activists about creating hurdles in his development agenda. But when it suits him, he shoots from their shoulder as he did when he unleashed his "political vendetta" against Vijai Sardesai. In any case, Sawant like all politicians, cares a fig for the environment going by the tonnes of cement, which is hugely polluting, he is pouring in to fulfil his so-called development which includes building gigantic bridges.

Would you dare give intelligence inputs, considering your police can't be trusted with such sensitive info; also why have police then? A sample of insight into ministers' minds is Transport Minister Godinho saying his government was contemplating the use of AI to catch traffic violators! If the Modi government could'nt ban the Rs 30,000 crores packaged water bottle industry after initial bravado,Cabral too got cold feet over banning manufacture of plastic bags.

So, when all else fails blame rain gods. That's what Nitin Kunkolienkar and Nilesh Cabral did for poor internet and power. Gajanan Electricals and Gwave are two connectivity providers. But, Gajanan is prohibitive and his service sucks. Gwave is excellent. Vinsan Graphics has made crores in ads and hoardings for Grape Escapade and IFFI for decades. We all know Mauvin Godinho has spent a lifetime critising NGOs when they had opposed the navy. Now he is targetting it fighting for his fav buildings.

No sooner TTAG celebrated the GST reduction it went for the small guys, the owners of unlicensed guest houses. Will it take on OYO and Airbnb? Of course not. In comparison to Goa’s miserable performance at the PATA awards, Kerala won three PATA golds. Of the 15,500 RTMs which has become the mainstay of its tourism policy, 13,500 units are led by women. In contrast Goa has become better known for its sex tourism.

Michael Lobo claimed his was a rags to riches story. Certainly riches for him, but as a result he nudged some into a rags situation. He began as a land broker, who in Goa, is a much bigger beneficiary than the govt. Thus the legend was born and he now owns a construction company currently into over 40 projects, a travel agency, the Baga Deck which locals claim falls within 500 metres of CRZ , the Terra Paraiso among others.

That was Alemao’s first yellow card offence. Bite he will because the new executive committee is determined to put him in his place from Day 1 with a strategy that includes postponing the very first executive body meeting from July 16, 2006 which he has ordered, to July 20, to show who’s boss. His second yellow card offence! Keep reading for the red card.

The voting process was never democratic, just like everything else about Goa’s football. Remember Churchill Alemao’s vigour for breaking strikes was used to crack the MRF workers’ strike and he was rewarded with MRF buying out Varca SC. But later Varca was re-admitted because for the Alemaos it was a ‘collection center’ for the club’s costly Carnival dances. Since a football is spherical and therefore rolls; likewise what goes around also comes around in the GFA.

If Vishawajit Rane's tweet itself was not meaningless trivia and obfuscation; then what is? What about the painful circus of having a CM run the State from at least three hospitals for a year, one of which was in another continent? Rane clearly drew the Laxman Rekha between the working class and the political class. So, to say that MLAs are working for the people just is not convincing. Is there a Panchayat that has not played the toppling game?

JNNURM was to improve the life of citizens of the concerned State, not tourists. But in Goa, it has been used to underwrite buses to ferry tourists from the airport! As privileged is crorepati MLA Pratapsing Rane, who declared assets of Rs 50 crores in 2017, but availed of a house and car loan of Rs 45 lakh. Also entitled is Mauvin Godinho who has at least five cars in his garage and property everywhere but took loans of Rs 45 lakhs. And bought a Rs 10 lakh Ducati at the ripe old age of 56!

And on the emerging angst over migrants, it appears Dy. Speaker Isidore Fernandes is a foreigner. He reportedly got a Portuguese passport on April 22, 2014! CM Sawant entered the Hall of Blame by blaming NGOs (he claims there are 3,000 regd.and 2000 not regd) for blocking development in the assembly. Blaming NGOs was also Parrikar’s pet peeve Btw. Now development as we know is, for eg. demolishing a part of the iconic Kala Academy and asking GIDC to rebuild a monolith there.

Pramod Sawant blamed parents for their children getting into drugs and defended his police force.Earlier in 2017, Parrikar said in the Assembly that MLAs should refrain from making sensational comments on Goa’s drug use. Media never tire of defending tourism stakeholders as suffering from financial losses. But you barely read anything on Goa's destruction, social disturbance and garbage menace caused by the tourism industry on the other primary stakeholder, the ethnic Goan, you and I.

It’s one thing for BJP karyakartas/MPs to chorus “Jai Shree Ram”, as a taunt, but Goa has been witness to Catholic MLAs carrying appeasement of their new masters to limits that would make the average Catholic cringe. Vjiai who was stunned at having the rug pulled by CM Sawant, has withdrawn his 3GFP MLAs and is whining about how Sawant has gone against Parrikar’s “legacy”. Parrikar had shown how to cling onto power no matter what, only Sawant has done it more forcefully

GCF had a simple demand – that government agencies should protect the consumer’s right to safety from fake providers operating in Goa. And we know that the government’s track record on doing so is dismal. In fact, GCF's letter to the ROC K S Reddy, says, “We are convinced that he(Ajju Sindolli) has even got assistance from some officials of the Economic Offences Cell (EOC) of Goa Police and thereby is able to continue to fleece innocent people on a daily basis.”

The government needed to huddle together after the Panjim constituency’s smart citizens decided to vote out the BJP in the by-poll. Was the BJP more concerned with attending the swearing-in tamasha of Prime Minister Narander Modi in Delhi which it attended to the extent of its musterroll while giving the Statehood Day celebrations here a miss? Even Vijai Sardesai who goes blue in the face talking about how Goa Forward Party is for Goemkarpann was missing.

Vijai could have prevented the BJP’s march of swallowing immoral MLAs and make up the numbers.He does not to let Salgaonkar and Palyekar out of his sight. Was he insecure because of the counting? BJP getting 1800 votes in the LS election in Panjim segment but losing the assembly by 1758 votes means Utpal would have got those votes in Parrikar's name and the BJP would have got one more seat instead of its humbug excuse that it was against dynasties!

This government can’t do much for senior citizens already, but it would like to do it in CM Pramod Sawant’s constituency Sakhali. But the phrase “small events” which could turn out to be the very big destructive EDMs, worries me. It appears that Vijai Sardesai is all gung-ho if the idea to make fields a talking point or a photo op comes from him.Earlier he appealed to farmers to chant a vedic mantra in their fields! Harebrained ideas, keep on coming.

What happens when this new Mandovi bridge is redundant in 20 years or collapses like the first? See the concrete columns supporting an elevated highway being built over an exciting highway which has stood the test of time? At what price? The government admits 1,019.34 hectares was destroyed for 35 mining projects. China imported 15 per cent of its iron ore from India especially Goa. But all most Goans got was environmental degradation.

So what were the sentinels, who earn big bucks by standing at street corners and going trigger-happy with their mobiles, doing? While sentinels pick low-hanging fruit (the guys who do not wear helmets), what about reckless drivers who end up traumatizing a family? By the way when Utpal Parrikar debuts in politics, it’s “LEGACY” when Rahul Gandhi joins politics it is “DYNASTY”. Talk of semantics!

While the tourist can buy his grog in every nook and cranny literally, your government earned a paltry Rs. 409.97 crore in 2017-18 from sales from a whopping 10,179 licences issued for all of Goa. In other words, there must be something seriously wrong here on an equally gigantic scale even if you take into account Goa’s low taxation rate on alcohol. For the record, Karnataka’s IMFL and beer sales revenue for 2017-18 was Rs 17,948.5 cr.

BSF men are real sentinels guarding India's borders, not these men and women lurking around pretending to wet nurse a serious traffic problem.And, while they do this, the most horrific road accidents will continue to take place on the highways. Drivers will continue to drive at top speed while talking on their mobiles. And the sentinel will continue to prowl around looking for parking violations. So, basically as a tax payer I am underwriting the traffic cop’s salary as well as paying the sent

Whereas, there are thousands of very, very rich Indians in the US of A and England, more than willing to do the BJP’s bidding; as of December 2016 there were around 600 Indians, 200 of whom are Indian citizens living in Paraguay, primarily in the city of Ciudad del Est in south-eastern Paraguay

Many believe that the Congress has really been indulgent to Churchill in the past, giving him a chance at family raj for the 2012 assembly polls, making him and Joaquim ministers on several occasions, letting him continue his revolving door tactic with the party. But the riot act has now been read.

While Pacheco's planned entry into mining riches ended in disaster, Nilesh Cabral, the Curchorem legislator, owns 13 trucks, four excavators and two barges. Sanguem legislator Subhash Phaldessai (assets:Rs 7,08,41,855) is a mining transport contractor and owns 18 trucks. The Sanvordem legislator Ganesh Gaonkar is a "dealer" in iron ore and also a transport contractor. The Sanquelim legislator Pramod Sawant owns two trucks. All four are BJP legislators.

While Pacheco's planned entry into mining riches ended in disaster, Nilesh Cabral, the Curchorem MLA, Sanguem MLA Subhash Phaldessai, Sanvordem MLA Ganesh Gaonkar, Sanquelim MLA Pramod Sawant have flourished. All are BJP legislators. The Goa Mining People's Front convenor Suhas Naik has claimed that even police officers and Road Transport officers own mining trucks but have not registered them on purpose.

Foreigners, particularly Western Europeans (definitely not Russians) come not to change Goa's geography but take part. They landscape their properties, hire Goan architects, landscapers, employ locals where they can; are the biggest buyers of antique furniture which spawned an entire industry (albeit fake or semi-fake) in Mapusa and Colva and spend their money locally. It hardly ever leaves Goa. Can you say that of a north Indian or Delhite?

Wonder why your 40 rulers never debate issues(like the selling of Goa) in the State Assembly where they are constitutionally bound to discuss issues that affect the public? Instead they just score debating points. If they did oblige, you'd see through the games. That's why the BJP waits till the crap hits the ceiling and become heroes by bringing up a 'burning' issue in the assembly. That the media focuses on non-issues is another matter altogether.

The government wants to turn the old Secretariat into a cultural centre with art galleries, museums etc.So be prepared for a mall there or something equally kitschy. The MLAs built their own Palacio da Idalcao (Goa Niwas, Delhi) for Rs 16.72 crores and the projected cost is Rs 19,70 crores.The original cost of the new Assembly at Porvorim was Rs 13 cr. It was re-estimated at cost Rs 26 cr. It's always an 'estimated cost put to tender' and an 'up to date expenditure'. In the first is where the cr

“The clubs want me to be president. I must be elected unopposed.” But a stunned Churchill got only rebuttals. “Where is your brother?” “Where is the Rs 50,000 he promised?” “What will you promise us this time?” The political playing field suddenly turned a mine field. “What have you done for football?” The meeting ended with some club reps walking out. Churchill realized he had been red carded. He decided not to contest despite his great ambition to become president.

The last time I checked, Joaquim Alemao was not the IT minister. Yet, between April/May 2006 to October 2007, he made ten trips to Bangalore, known as the Silicon Valley of India. 'Bangalored' is a pejorative usage when someone in the US has seen his job being outsourced to Bangalore. But Joaquim got 'Bangalored' in a different way culminating in him spending a whopping Rs 1,14,261 to-ing and fro-ing to the IT city in just two trips

That makes it a grand total (see below) of Rs 56,52,327 culled from records I have and does not include the clever ruse MLA's use these days, of getting government corporations, like the Goa Tourism Development Corporation which is developing itself more into a freebie flying club than it is developing tourism, to foot their travel and living bills.

It was fun determining whether our montris live to eat or eat to live, except for my many trips to the Secretariat only to find the official not in his/her seat and for keying in of all those exhaustive details. But don't thank me -thank Sonia Gandhi whose idea it was to give Indians the only weapon (The Right to Information Act) we have to fight back, because we still haven't learnt how to use the ballot box to benefit us yet. Even so, it was a burp-worthy feast for me.

Cost of feeding the MLAs you rather foolishly voted to power Rs 1,32,091. Power being the sine qua non here.

There's more on July (2006) and it's enough to constipate you. But for now remember that Rs 1,02,740 was spent gorging in July of that year. Don't you wish some of these restaurants especially the many at the Cidade de Goa, or O' Coqueiro and Sher-e-Punjab were government owned, just so that some of the profit pennies filter back to you? In the business pages they call it dividends. Not happening!

Imagine increasing the current strength of 40 MLAs to 80 fortune-hunters to avoid toppling games? How will another 40 constituencies be carved out? The only way I can think of is reclaiming land from the sea with all the iron ore rejects that are clogging up the hinterland. Imagine the cost of creating 40 more corporations for them to head, feeding and flying them; plus the cost of reclaiming 40 more constituencies from the sea?

Remember Francisco Sardinha said bullfights are for the aam aadmi. Now, he says Casinos are for rich tourists only because they don’t come to Goa to sleep! Sardinha’s howlers fly as fast as his reasons to be airborne. Fasten your seat belts for takeoff. And to think that 21 years after achieving statehood there are some who feel it has given Goa an identity, a sense of dignity. Get a life please! Our politicians and IAS officers need to run to Delhi for every two-penny bit reason.

On June 15, 2006 Pratapsingh Rane and the Chief Secretary together spent Rs 5,30,980 dining out delegates of a UN body. There goes your hard-earned money! But while your concerns are over the perennial shortage of potable water, the garbage problem, your politician's top concerns are expensive eating out habits, holidaying abroad. So you wonder if your nightmare over good governance is ever going to end.

A way to keep those without ministerial power) happy is to use food as an enticement. How else can you explain Digambar Kamat, Pratapsing Rane and Manohar Parrikar splurging Rs 15,82,251 on food for their ilk. And by the way, even in his short stint as power minister and amid the daily power stoppages and fluctuations, Alexio Sequeira could find the spark to spend Rs 1,03,590 on a dinner for the KIP Group at the Radisson.

Ferrytale -3