Air strike -February 25,2008

Eye Spy appears in Gomantak Times every Monday

Which, advertising or, promoting itself?
It goes on. The Tourism Department pays Netmagic Rs11,000 per month as maintenance charges for its website www.goatourism.org, probably the industry's most boring official website. It has three windows to open on the home page, one, a warning to tourists not to drown in Goa's seas, the other on GTDC's hotels and the third regales surfers of its attendance at tourism exhibitions abroad. Naturally, Goa's Flying Circus has to explain its huge expenditure. You have to check out the website to begin to believe its ignorance and lack of information. It paid Rs2400 as website domain name renewal charges and Rs40,000 as website hosting charges.

Air strike
Statutory Warning: Reading this could be injurious to your health.
In 2004 the department paid Rs4,00,00,000 to advertise on BBC, Rs5,00,00,000 between Sept-Nov 2005, Rs1,51,52,400 between Nov-Dec 2006, Rs1,19,11,358 in March 2007 and Rs2,98,96,491 between Aug-Oct 2007. A total of Rs14,69,60,240 for god knows what purpose because the BBC is not exactly everybody's first choice even in the UK where there are currently 835 radio stations, 512 television channels, 1,596 newspapers, and 1,931 magazines, if my Google search was accurate. The BBC itself has BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Three, BBC Four, CBBC, CBeebies, BBC News 24 and BBC Parliament and the channel on which the department advertises is its external service, probably hardly viewed in the UK! There is also ITV, Channel 3, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky. It paid Ten Sports Rs2,42,44,000 to advertise in February 2006 alone and Rs2,63,76,394 to advertise on Euronews between Jan-March 2007. Did the department investigate the options before it? Yes, it says, but the evidence is to the contrary because Euronews hardly has viewers in England and cannot compete across Europe with local channels who rightly have a regional bias. And why advertise on Indian channels? By the way, if it somehow escaped your attention, the figures are in crores.

The Soap opera goes on

And here's more. In 2003 it paid Star Plus Rs68,90,000 to advertise, Rs2,95,00,000 in 2004 and Rs4,60,00,00 between Sept-Nov 2005. Total Rs8,23,90,000. It paid Zee TV Rs98,49,060 to advertise between Nov-Dec 2006, Rs3,76,95,937 between Aug-Sept 2007 (total Rs4,75,44,997) and Rs81,93,500 to NDTV to advertise between Nov-Dec 2006.

Governors
Should government vehicles too have governors? Considering the bullying ways of government drivers, their equally insensitive passengers and increasing numbers on the roads, yes. In 2005 the government bought 102 vehicles, 157 in 2006 and 54 in 2007. That is 313 vehicles driving in a radius that from the evidence, I have encompasses primarily the Panjim area and the usual routes police vehicles use. Mind, you this does mean the government has only 313 vehicles. These are just 3-year figures. The most egotistic buys came from guess where, the Secretariat, where Goa new age rulers preside. They randomly bought Mitsubishi Lancers, Honda City's/Accents's. Added up it worked out to a whopping Rs1,23,59,864 of wheels. The Directorate of Agriculture preferred the rugged but gas guzzling Mahindra Marshal's and Sumo's. So did most other government departments. But not the high profile Sports Authority of Goa which bought two Chevrolet Tavera's and two Tata Indica's for a total cost of Rs17,28,301, while the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs bought a Qualis and a Sumo for Rs8,99,486. The two departments, you might have noticed on the roads love to pool their resources and therefore share their vehicles. But, imagine the number of turf pitches that could have been laid with the money spent on wheels. Remember also Pandurang Madkaikar, VM Prabhudesai, Mario Pinto, Brahmanand Shankhawalkar and Bruno Coutinho also jetted off to the World Cup 2006? Cost Rs7,12,439.

What an Idea!
Before he took off to Australia stitching the BCCI with his flight tab, Dayanand Narvekar hassled officials to move files quickly for his mobile roaming facility; he demanded was crucial to keep in touch with his office. Really now. How petty can you get? And why didn't BCCI foot that bill too?

Positive negative
It's official. You are not allowed to have a negative mindset or oppose what this government proposes. Only MLA's can do that even if it means opposing development like the kind the MPT dreams up. In this case three MLA's opposed it. Mauvin Godinho, whose constituency is not affected, presumptuously warning MPT it would face the wrath of the people of Vasco then audaciously hijacking the protest completely. Where was he when the dissent first began? Wasn't he on the wrong side when the people of Chicalim opposed the invasive expansion plans of Bharati Shipyard. You want proof of the pudding? How did the MoU between MPT and the Mormugao Bachao Abhiyan (MBA) include MPT's no-objection to Bharati's expansion plans that was not even remotely linked to the protest. It was people's power that won the fight and not political power because the government committee of politicians formed to address the issue of the MPT suddenly expanding its kingdom to include the Chicalim bay and the river Sal has not spent a moment over the issue. By the way the Shipping Minister TR Baalu is on a mission to make money for himself and his party the DMK that is why MPT kick started the plan to take over what is left of Vasco. And which is why he dreamed up the Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project that involves dredging at a cost of Rs. 2,500 cr up from Rs37.46 cr when the project was envisaged back in 1968.

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LIVING DEITY

This article appeared on The Economic Times, Bangalore edition, on July 5, 1992.
The anointing of a Living Deity

Chennai

If popularity is a game of numbers, the Tamil Nadu chief minister Ms. Jayalalitha has clearly emerged a winner at the AIADMK conference at Madurai. Despite the overwhelming mandate received last year, the party supremo felt the need for a fresh referendum to revive public memory and silence the critics, all in a stroke.

She achieved all this and more. Ms. Jayalalitha used Madurai to install her most trusted stalwarts-K. Sengotaiyan, S. Kannappan, and Azhagu Thirunavukkarasu- in the second tier of power, which is all secondary leaders in this State can hope for.

Madurai is the seat of the Goddess Meenakshi -the giver of power and strength. Judging by the deification of Ms. Jayalalitha by the mesmerized masses, it appears that she has found a place in the pantheon of Gods. All the stops were pulled out while she was being anointed as the new leader of the Dravidians. Nothing really new in a State where making cult figures out of mere film stars and politicians is a part of life.

Ms. Jayalalitha's 130-minute speech at Madurai had all the ingredients used in the past to arouse Dravidian passions, and was programmed to obliterate the memory of MG Ramachandran, her mentor since her entry into politics in 1984. No less than an unceremonious dismissal was accorded to Mr. Karunanidhi, the former chief minister.

She did not spare the two ministers (K Rajaram and RM Veerappan) whom she had jettisoned from her Cabinet. Both are veterans from the MGR era. But her best was reserved to paint the picture of a lady in distress. If Ms Jayalalitha flawed during her delivery, it showed up in the quiet tone and lack of histrionics her predecessors used. But the message was clear -the lady had been cheated in the past of her rightful place in the Dravidian movement, and, on occasions, even humiliated.

Even Lord Balaji at Tirupathi, it would seem, could have reason to envy the offerings made at the feet of Idhaya Theivam (the living deity, as she is often referred to.) The offerings included a Rs12,00,000 silver coated throne replete with a silver foot-rest and crown, a four and a half feet high replica of the rock fort (a popular temple in Trichy.) The 13- kilogram model is plated with gold and reportedly costs Rs52000. A 9-kilogram model Ashoka sword costing Rs41000, was also gifted to her.

Of the 60-odd giant cut-outs that towered over Madurai, only a handful were of MGR. The millions of maroon and red party flags made of paper had sketches only of the DMK (the party's precursor) founder-leader CN Annadurai.

The emergence of the Purathchi Thalaivi Peravai (forum) staffed with former conscripts of the MGR Fans Association, and a car and truck in which she was involved in an accident in the late 80s put on display at the exhibition of Dravidian culture, were other powerful reminders to enforce the view that Ms Jayalalitha brooked no usurpers.

The two-day mega meet has established that Purathi Thalaivi or revolutionary leader (with doctor prefixed to the legend, no other title was used to invoke her name in Madurai) is the ultimate overseer of the State's politics. With the World Tamil Sangham conference planned as the next fixture in Jayalalitha's calendar, both the Congress and the Opposition parties will find it difficult to extricate themselves from the pulverizing effects of the Jayalalitha juggernaut.

The Congress party has acknowleged both the success of the two-day conference, and her ascendancy to the throne as monarch of the Dravidian movement. This unsolicited certification has come from the TNCC president K Ramamurthi, despite the fact that the Congress MLAs and MPs were not invited to Madurai (the AIADMK sent a large delegation to the AICC conference at Tirupati on being officially invited.)

However, by showing her distain for anything that looks like opposition, she kept the door to New Delhi slightly ajar by permitting the conference to adopt a resolution hailing the new economic policy of the Union government. However, Ms Jayalalitha made it known in her address, that she, and not the death of Rajiv Gandhi was the sole factor behind the sweeping victory of the AIADMK-Congress alliance in the 1991 elections. With the Congress only too eager to please and the opposition fragmented for the time being, Ms. Jayalalitha is all set to rule Tamil Nadu at her whim and fancy.

Sweepstakes -February 18,2008

Eye Spy appears in Gomantak Times every Monday

Beach of a party
For long 5-star hotels using their own staff and social clubs deploying disinclined students have used beach cleaning as a photo opportunity. Why, because its only done at the beginning of each tourist season. You never see starred hotels cleaning their own sea fronts during the season when their guests are actually dirtying them. That is one of the reasons why Goa's beaches are dirty 24x7 through the tourist season? The Tourist Department thinks no and has proof even if it's pure spoof to prove its point. It spent millions of taxpayers money cleaning the beaches from Pernem to Canacona in 2005-06.

Sweep(stakes)
Murali Builders (Contractor) Siridao, Bambolim (name of beach) 54777 pm
Jan-April 05 (cost with period)
Manguesh K Kaskar, Vagator, Mandrem, Keri, 33300 pm
Jan-April 05
Murali Builders, Bogmalo, Baina, 99777 pm
Jan-April 05
Rosario Santan Fernandes, Cavelossim, Varca, Fatrade, Benaulim, Colva, Betalbatim, Majorda, Utorda & Velsao, 174,600 pm
Jan-April 05
Pratap Virnekar, Anjuna, Arambol, Morjim, 33300 pm
Jan-April 05
GU Haldankar, Palolem, Agonda, Morjim, 156,000 pm
Jan-April 05
Lions Club of Arpora-Nagoa-Parra; Nerul, Sinquerim,
Candolim, Calangute, 87000 pm
Jan-March 05
Vinod Kumar Ghanta, Terekhol, Keri, 57300 pm
June 3, 05-June 30, 06
Roy Vaz, Arambol, 57300 pm
Ref Lite India, Mandrem, 67300 pm
Ramesh Metals, Morjim, 57300 pm
Manguesh Kaskar, Anjuna, Vagator, Ozrant, 105,000 pm
Venkateshwara Constr, Calangute, 93000 pm
Pratap Virnekar, Candolim, 86000 pm
Ramesh Metals, Nerul, 30850 pm
Brian Enterprises, Caranzalem, Dona Paula, 43900 pm
Murali Builders, Bambolim, Siridao, Baina, 114,312 pm
RS Fernandes, Velsao, Betalbatim, 113,000
Satya Sudhir Ghanta, Colva, 51260 pm
Jaju Enterprises, Benaulim, Sernabatim, 57300 pm
BR Pereira, Zalor, Fatrade, Varca, 44750 pm
Juveena Vaz, Cavelossim, 44700 pm
Gauresh Naik, Betul, Canaguinim, Cabo de Rama, 43000 pm
GU Haldankar, Patnem, Talpona, Galgibag, Agonda, Pallolem, 113,000 pm
(Where dates not mentioned, the period is June 3, '05 to June 30, '06)

Murphy's Law
Though, I asked for details of workers employed, some figures were not given implying the department did not care to know how its money was spent. The tenders awarded to Bogmolo-Baina boggles the imagination because Baina beach is a virtual open-air toilet on one half while the other half has no tourists, no shacks and no restaurants. It never had. Therefore there's no cause to term it "beach cleaning" as you and I know and understand it. The half that is not used as an open air toilet is used by fishermen to keep their canoes and boats. Murali Builders was inexplicably paid big money to clean beaches where comparatively few tourists go (or none go as in the case of Baina and Bambolim) whereas in beaches where thousands of tourists throng almost till midnight, less money was spent. It doesn't make sense. Maybe for the tourism department, Murphy's Law operates: the lesser a beach is used, the more dirty it gets, so you pay more!

Taken to the cleaners
Since the government works in mysterious ways, forgive me for stretching the possibilities a bit. Is it possible the Ghanta's are related or are the same person that would then make one of them a benami name? Agonda has less than a handful of hotels and no beach life –it has two beach pubs. Yet it was clubbed with Pallolem and Galibag and a huge (second highest) tender awarded. Then the following year Patnem and Talpona were added for a lesser tender cost but a 13-month period against the earlier period of four months. If this is not Murphy's Law than it has to be plain and simple mockery of your tax money. Also, compare the two Calangute tenders, price wise and the number of workers employed, and you stay convinced none of this makes sense.

Numerology, perhaps?
Forgive me for suspecting too, that the contractors appear to have applied numerology to their equations. Thus, it appears Murali Builders may have a penchant for the figures '777' and for the number 9. Because, in 54,777, 5 and 4 add up to 9 and this number appears twice in 99,777. And he may have applied the so-called science when he quoted the figure '114312.' Numerology again, because 1,1,4 add up to 6, while 3,1,2 also add up to 6. Else, how could Murali Builders end up with the number '2' in a straightforward quotation where no percentages are involved or VAT is levied. Or could it be just cooking the books as they say, almost contemptuously. In 2006-07 beach cleaning was not tendered and for 2007-08 the tenders have just been forwarded to the government that means right this moment the beaches are not being cleaned. But then, when did anyone ever clean them, the photo opportunities notwithstanding. Now you know why Narvekar's ministry is sitting on the tender file and that is the reason also why the Grape Escape expenditure file is also maturing in the Secretariat.

Saying it with roses
Earlier this month I suggested a flower park instead of a food park at Quepem. The TANFLORA Infrastructure Park expects to export 70m cut roses by 2008-09. It is the world's fourth largest floriculture park and exports all its produce earning India valuable forex. The AEZ near Hosur is eco-friendly and completely free of controversy. There are no issues like building malls, hotels and theatres under the garb of facilities or the involvement of realtors disguised as floriculture farmers. But then governments in the south generally listen to the voices of the people and want to keep precious land for future generations. Another example is the Kerala's government starting a company called Kerala Aqua Ventures International with a 49 % stake that cost it only Rs15 cr to export ornamental fish. An imported Arowana Dragon Fish can be bred and sold in China for Rs2.5 lakh is one example I was given. True, there's a goldmine in Goa's backyard, but it needs politicians with vision and not with an eye on lining their own pockets.

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River Princess yet to find Prince Charming -February 11,2008

Hell of a pad
It's like a cancer that won't leave you even after a radiation overdose. Only death provides relief from the pain. Somebody in the tourism ministry wants to build a helipad at Ela, Old Goa for a proposed project to provide helicopter services no one knows for whom. Towards this end 20,998 sq mt of land has been transferred from the PWD to the Tourist Department. Now await the announcement of yet another grandiose extravaganza announced in the usual grandiloquent manner. By the way the department appears to be having a problem collecting the rent on the lease agreement it has with the Taj group of hotels to whom it hired out the helipad that has not had a landing in decades.
Here's another stunner. It costs Rs1,51,400 per month to maintain the Circuit House in Altinho, Panjim which is used by every politician, top official and influential person in India for a free stay in Goa paid by your tax money who on return to their mother States promptly fill out an exhaustive expense sheet. That's the kind of dough the government is paying GTDC to do the job.

That sinking feeling again
The bank guarantee of Jaisu Shipping Co Pvt Ltd tasked with the job of re-floating the River Princess ends on May 28, 2008. The legal implication of granting the company an additional month after its contract expired on May 20, 2007 would have come into operation only if it asked for an extension one month before ie April 20, 2007. It didn't and even if it can be arranged which as you know is possible in Goa where official files randomly disappear, it would depend on whether the government agreed to it. And also on the condition Jaisu pays the liquidated damages (or penalty) of Rs100,000 per day for a minimum of 30 days specified in the agreement. Jaisu also gave the government a performance security deposit in the form of a bank guarantee of Rs5.50 cr and a demand draft for Rs25 lakh as earnest money deposit that is refundable on successful execution of the salvage. In return for re-floating and towing away the ship, Jaisu was to be paid Rs5.50 cr.

Catch 22
Where am I going with this? It's simple. The River Princess is never going to be re-floated and towed away, so therefore the government should simply cut its losses and show Jaisu the door because as it happens Jaisu is not going to pay up the Rs30 lakh penalty since it can't salvage the ship and therefore clearly, must also cut its own losses having invested heavily so far. In fact, the only clarity in this entire saga is the definition of completion of contract which the agreement clearly states is when the ship is towed away wholly to an authorized ship breaking yard and the fact certified by a competent authority. And the only ship-breaking yard is in far away Alang in Gujarat but the ship grounded in June 2000 and corroding since without any maintenance, won't get that far in one piece. So, while the River Princess (built in 1975) will never be salvaged, the government ironically can salvage itself if it acts now. Because, though everyone in government failed miserably, the law department that scripted the agreement made sure that the Rs30 lakh penalty can be deducted from the EMD or by invoking the bank guarantee. But it has to invoke the bank guarantee payable in Panjim through the State Bank of India before the expiry date. Else, Jaisu will jettison the contract and jet off to Gujarat.

Lord, show us the light of day
Politicians have their wires crossed most times, some have short fuses, others electrifying in their speeches. The Calangute MLA actually wanted the lights put off. Let me throw light on the subject. On December 27, 2006 the Tourism Deparment deposited Rs37,013 with the Executive Engineer, division VI, Mapusa to repair the high mast lights at Candolim and Calangute beach. On March 6, 2007 it sent him another Rs79,432 for the same repair jobs. Shockingly, the MLA stopped the repairs of the Candolim high mast light because the beach shacks have hit his hotel's revenue. Strategically placed the rays of the powerful halogen carve a light swathe for late night revelers heading for the many shacks. There can't be any other reason.

Ray of hope
First Governor Jamir said Goans had a 'negative mindset.' Coming from a politician proportionately responsible for turning Nagaland into a war zone and into India's most unconstructive State, I found it hilarious. Did you know domestic tourists need an inner-line permit to enter Nagaland? But when Digambar Kamat said Goans were habitual opposers, it set me thinking. Maybe Goans known for their tolerance of corrupt politicians would not oppose if for instance a flower park was set up instead of a food park in Quepem because Goan women would be employed. I recently visited the Tanflora Infrastructure Park, a public-private venture at Amudagondapally village in Tamil Nadu promoted by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation and Bangalore's MNA Associates. The Rs22 cr cooperative of 25 individual growers' raises cut roses in 54 greenhouses and will export 3 m this Valentine. Tanflora's next target is 10 m. Goa could grow spices. Goans would not oppose awards like the Kerala Tourism Department's Gruhastali project for conservation of heritage buildings instead of politicians/officials flying off on junkets abroad. No, but the government would never have it.
On February 4 when I was in Chennai, bars and nightclubs were asked to shut down after 11 pm. Just outside Chennai on the East Coast Road to Mahabillipuram liquor licenses have been cancelled because they took a heavy toll on the roads and because the TN government respects the people's sentiments. The industry will just have to cope. On the other hand, several accidents take place every Saturday night involving mainly bikes because of the traffic chaos created by the night markets and because every young tourist on the road is either stoned or drunk or simply foolhardy. These accidents are never reported.

Goa safe from foreigners but what about politicians -February 4, 2008

One for the Mopaists
The INS Vikramaditya is not expected to join the navy till after 2010 definitely. The price for the Gorshkov is being renegotiated, because the government thinks the $1,200 million quoted by the Russian company, Rosoboronexport that incidentally has a presence in Dabolim, is outrageous. It may not sail in at all because China too has reportedly bid for the much-delayed Russian aircraft carrier and as a result Dabolim may not retain its current strategic importance forever. So, expect those including a five-star owner close to the powers that be to start lobbying again also because that cigar is now firmly stuck in Churchill's mouth and you won't hear a whimper from him on Mopa.

Postal order! For Pete's sake
It was definitely not Mathany as the TTAG alleged that frightened away foreign tourists whom as I said earlier are now wary of December's domestic congestion and therefore didn't come in their usual numbers. There is another genuine reason. The Indian Embassies in the UK (London, Birmingham, Glasgow) suddenly at the beginning of the current season decided that the fee for Indian visas should be sent by postal order only. Cheques or credit cards that are the universal transaction language were banned. British as a result had to pay 10 per cent of 30 pounds as postal charges. Add another pound for administration charges leveled by our embassies and that worked out to 34 pounds.
That was not all. The visa applications had to be sent by registered AD only. That worked out to an additional 5 pounds to send the visa application and 5 pounds the embassies charged to send it back. That's the reason why many British tourists didn't come for the season's beginning. Embassy officials also turned down requests sent to Glasgow claiming Scotland was an independent country. It does have its own Parliament, but separate country! Give me a break. Mercifully, the rule was changed in time.

Fix in time saves nine?
But there's good news. Foreigners can't buy property in Goa any longer. Because visas are now being issued abroad for exactly one day short of the stipulated period foreigners must stay in India to be eligible under RBI rules to buy property. A clever ploy quietly implemented. Next, how to deal with the Delhities one of whom stays regularly in a hotel in Panjim's heart and buys property at any price? He could I think even have been involved in the attempted coup on Kamat which is why even Wilfred De Souza in his usual vague terms is talking about an SEZ lobby being behind it. And, the likes of a Delhi woman who owns a chain of so-called heritage hotels in Goa and who bought a heritage home in Fontainhas. Yes, and nobody protested because the old GMC is the only beacon of hope for the protestors.

Goa' flying circus
It goes on. Narendra Shirodkar, who flew to London in October and therefore violates the government's three-month cooling off period, and Jose Roque Gracias Flor, both assistant tourist officers in the Department of Tourism flew to Spain on January 27 on yet another at-taxpayers-cost junket. There's more. Turns out Sonia, Eduardo Faleiro's daughter also accompanied Papa on the Qatar trip (he went to Kuwait as well) and stayed in his hotel. If you remember, the feminist activist Sabina Martins was also part of the delegation but stayed with Goan families in Qatar. I don't have the answers but a few Goans in Qatar are asking whether Sonia was there at your cost or hers.

Scramble for Goa's sand
Remember Sunny Side Up, the illegal bar on the dunes in Candolim owned by a north Indian? Well Derick Almeida the GT editor for once didn't get a broadside on account of my 'yellow journalism.' And he's had many, trust me, but him and I have never been wrong. If you recall, I did say SSU would produce an endless pile of 'evidence.' It didn't happen. Here's why. The Candolim sarpanch Lourenco Fernandes as early as October 15, 2007 wrote to the Department of Tourism asking it to depute a person to identify the illegal construction. So, there was reasonable cause as early as that. Fernandes cunningly did not suggest a date but left it to the department, because as you should know this is done to encourage more exchange of letters and buy time. The sarpanch also asked for the relevant survey number that makes you wonder why it was not given in the first place.

More evidence
On January 11, 2008 the TD wrote to the Calangute police. Excepts: "With reference to your letter PI/CAL/8479/2007 dated 1.10.2007, it is informed that the Candolim VP has shown the encroachment made on government land under survey no. 148/5 Part and 146/4 Part which is indicated in the enclosed survey plan. The letter was also sent to the Collector, north Goa, GCZMA and the Mapusa mamlatdar. In view of the above, you are requested to take immediate action against the encroachers and the anti-social elements." So, everybody knew. I now have copies of these letters and documents asked under the Right To Information. Everyone in Candolim knows Sunny Side Up has encroached on government land that was acquired from Goans a long time ago but was never put to the use it was intended. One of the intentions was to build a public toilet that was opposed by the villagers. The land acquired runs into thousands of square meters.
The TD is yet to reveal to me the results of its own investigation into the encroachment, how much was grabbed or even how much land it has in its possession though I asked this in my RTI request because the department is in disarray for a variety of reasons and despite the fact it has a public information officer (mandatory under RTI) and an additional assistant PIO each for the north and south separately one of whom took off to Spain.

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Who cares about sons of the soil -January 28,2008

Calling their bluff
Remember the number of times Luizinho Faleiro said industries would be forced to employ Goans although we just can't seem to live on their miserly salaries, and the times Aleixo Sequeira said SEZs will provide jobs for Goans, or the times Vishwajit Rane and the Dhavlikar duo have also said that, also Chandrakant Kavlekar eternally confused between SEZ and food park. Well, it happened that the MLA Damodar Naik asked for the names, addresses and date of joining of all workers employed by the companies in the Cipla group in Goa. The amazing answer from Digambar Kamat was: "Details such as names etc are not maintained by government." If this were a mathematical equation that needed solving, Einstein could not have been cleverer. If, Kamat cannot force Cipla to provide basic answers concerning an emotive issue that rocked his government, what good are their promises? It also crossed my mind, that the issue is not whether the government has the details but rather, that it is morally and constitutionally bound to give the answers to the Assembly.

Sons of which soil?
Yet, another question asked was to give the number of Goan workers. This time Cipla vaguely replied: "The total number of local recruits/Goan origin is 1728 (contract and regular employees.)" Evidence that Cipla has no clue on who is Goan or who is not and possibly does not care because local recruits can mean any one from Jammu to Kanyakumari. For the record Cipla cleverly parceled off its group (you can guess why) into seven different companies employing 2396 workers. How I wish Naik had asked how much Cipla, whose annual turnover runs into hundreds of crores, pays its workers, how many are contract workers and, how many times these workers are rotated or their contracts terminated so that they are never deemed to be permanent workers.

Guarding royals
Taking into considering inflation and the changing dollar values over decades, it must have cost the Portuguese far less to maintain their army and police in Goa for centuries than what it costs you to protect Goa's new rulers. Last week you learnt that 111 police protect the Governor and 57 police protect the two Ranes. Here's a new angle to this. More police guard the Ranes than are stationed in the Verna, Sanguem, Quepem, Maina Curtorim, Valpoi, Collem and Agaicaim police stations. In fact Vasco has a force of 57 police and Colva 58. In 2007-08 it cost you Rs26.48 lakh to protect Pratapsing Rane, Rs28.92 lakh to protect Digambar Kamat, Rs9.06 to protect Ravi Naik and Rs18.64 lakh to protect Vishwajit Rane. In 2006-07 it cost you Rs66.27 lakh to protect Pratapsing Rane and Rs11 lakh to protect Wilfred De Souza. Since 2005-06 it has cost you Rs62,03 lakh to protect Raj Bhavan and Rs757.57 lakh to maintain the CISF there. And this is only a tiny part of what is being spent.

Bearing the cross of being Goan
Gregory Fernandes of Agonda left his homeland to work abroad because of the miserly salaries in Goa. He was killed in a possibly racist attack on him and buried last week. His Uncle Fr. Diogo Fernandes who lives in the US told me the Goa government did not offer any financial compensation, nor did it did it take up the issue with New Delhi. It did nothing, period. The MLA Chandrakant Kavlekar and MP Francisco Sardinha did not call up the family or show up at the funeral. The Fernandes family has not asked the government for any help because like most Goans they know it is futile.
Fr. Diogo told me he couldn't find the words to describe the compassion shown by a British police officer called Crossland who became his personal driver and host while he was in England and hand-held him through the murder scene and investigation and even took him to the agency where a claim for compensation was made. The officer put Fr. Diogo in touch with other officials and these are his exact words describing the help he got, "Even as a priest I have never seen such compassion."
On the either hand Digambar Kamat donated Rs15 lakh of your tax money to the All India Konkani Parishad and will travel to Ernakulam on February 1 and spend more of your money. Perhaps it doesn't pay to be a Goan any longer because the government it was revealed in the Assembly recently gave the Bengali Cultural Association, Panjim a grant-in-aid of Rs40,000 in May 2006, the Gujarati Jagruti Mahila Mandal, Margao Rs50,000 in November 2006, the Bengali Cultural Association, Panjim Rs100,00 in December 2006 and another Rs100,000 in June 2007.

Zero parking tolerance
Will real estate prices go up in the two zero tolerances zones being set up by the Goa police? They could, as these will be the only two safe places to live in because the rest of Goa will continue to be the deathtrap it has become. On the other hand the police could also remove the zero parking zones set up by many shop, garage and restaurant owners to prevent cars parking in front of them like the hotel owner who placed broken tiles on the road. There is a charcoal selling van (white) that DGP Brar can see from his window, occupying parking space for two cars. Opposite Hotel Fidalgo, a cement dealer permanently occupies parking space. A steel trader near the Dhume clinic keeps his wheelbarrow on the road. One garage opposite the warehouse in Junta House has no parking signboards on the road. There are many more examples.

Living it up - January 21, 2008

Fasten your seat belts
Goa's flying circus will never let you down because they don't suffer from jet lag. They just keep flying. The Commissioner for NRI affairs Eduardo Faleiro spent Rs86,691 on trips to Kuwait and Qatar in November 2007. The Director, NRI Affairs UD Kamat spent Rs66,930 on the same junket and Rs58,807 in June 2007 to fly to Lisbon. The Chief Secretary JP Singh who tirelessly globe trots on behalf of Goa spent Rs2,47,719. The Chairman, Overseas Employment Agency of Goa Vice Adm John D'Silva spent Rs66,930 on the Kuwait, Doha and Qatar junket.
Evidently not satisfied with their efforts abroad they looked towards the homeland too Faleiro spending Rs3,64,535 to travel within India, while D'Silva spent Rs78,566 and Kamat spent Rs1,03,933.

Low cost support
Eliciting this information under RTI cost me only Rs20 officially apart from petrol money but it gave me an insight into the life of the under privileged under-secretaries and clerical staff. There is no working copier in the two floors where several under-secretaries sit.
The copier of the Development Commissioner was taken away during the PM's visit and damaged. Even a joint secretary in the finance department whom I asked to help was embarrassed to say he did not have a copier. The door of the under secretary, home department Maria Pires designated as the public information officer under the RTI Act because strangely no PIO was appointed in the office of the Commissioner for NRI Affairs, does not shut and needs repairs. It took all of one hour to get ten pages copied eventually. Some weeks earlier when I went to the cabin of NV Prabhu Dessai, the under secretary, law we had to talk over the jarring noise of a ceiling fan.
Naturally, the story is different within the centrally air conditioned buildings where the Goa's new monarchs work. There is definitely a caste system practiced in the Secretariat.

High cost living
The NRI Commissioner's office spent Rs4,64,011 to fly in seven non-resident Goans who wouldn't care a fig if Goa disappeared from the face of the earth except to moan over the loss of their ancestral homes and properties which they abandoned for greener pastures, to attend the Global Goans Convention, 2007. Rs1,39,380 was spent to fly in Wolfango Dourado and his wife from Zanzibar in Tanzania. Dourado had a sterling legal career there. In their time, all these worthies may have been brilliant, but what is the point of inviting them now?
Likewise for Dr. Damodar Sardessai of California who cost the taxpayer Rs87,615, who as a successful educationalist ought to have offered to pay his fare. The same would apply to Dr. Narana Sinao Coissoro of Lisbon (expenditure incurred Rs76,480) Neville Roach, Sydney
(Rs67,656) Fitz Remedias Santana De Souza, Nairobi (Rs45,920) Leslie De Melo, Vienna, (Rs56,480) and Patricia Rozario, OBE, Kent, UK (Rs60,480.) What was the point really? Fritz De Souza, a Goan luminary in all of Africa retired in the 70s! Coissoro left Goa for Portugal in
1949.
So, should the government have its own airline? I vote yes because then Mopa airport will have a better claim for coming up. Besides the airline would come in handy every time there is a coup (and we know that's frequent in Goa) and our MLAs have to escape to Delhi or some resort in Rajasthan.

Reach for the sky
The air fare reimbursed to the seven recipients of Global Goans Achievement Awards was Rs5,34,011. Compare that with the miserly Rs1.50 lakh cash the government gave to Mando Festival winners this year, up from Rs 1 lakh. Here is more hair-raising information about the convention. Rs 5,13,000 spent on hotel accommodation for the recipients, heads of diplomatic missions in India and officers of the Ministry of External Affairs. Rs7,04,275 spent on lunches and dinners hosted by the Commissioner for NRI Affairs. Rs1,47,892 spent on transport. Rs5,44,907 spent on cultural entertainment. Rs1,12,410 spent on trophies for the award dinners. Rs6,67,480 spent on souvenirs. Rs1,36,300 spent to exhibit Goan art and paintings,
Rs31,893 on printing and stationery and Rs3,62,502 on advertising and publicity. Did they miss out on something? Noticeably, it was achieving nothing after spending Rs37,54,670. Apart from that the expenditure was on cue. Everyone got a free ride, dined, wined and departed with an expensive souvenir or trophy. What else did you expect?

Extravagant Society of Goa (ESG)
The Entertainment Society of Goa once again lived up to its name. Sealed quotations were invited ingeniously from 5-star hotels close to Kala Academy though the ESG didn't cut down on transportation costs to make its bluff look real. Naturally only two hotels tendered, Cidade de Goa and Goa Marriott Resort. And guess which got the contract? Cidade further away. The hotel had 825 room nights booked against 164 for the Marriott. The hotel quoted Rs10,120, Rs10,670 and Rs 14,300 for three class of rooms. The Mariott quoted Rs10,750, but did the lowest bid win?

Protecting monarchs
A CISF company consisting of 111 men protect Raj Bhavan including 24 personnel of the Goa Police lead by a PSI. Thirty-seven police including a PSI and ASI each protect Dagamber Kamat, 33 police protect Pratap Singh Rane including a PSI, 12 police protect Ravi Naik, 24 police including two ASI's protect Vishwajit Rane who in the short time he become an MLA was elevated to the status of 'Y' category. That means 57 police alone protect the Ranes. Wasn't it Vishwajit who said on Thursday that he resigned because the government did not deliver?
As taxpayers you even bankroll Luizinho Faleiro's police posse because Rs1.52 lakh was incurred till December 2007. During this period Rs1.52 lakh was spent protecting Advocate General Subodh Kantak whom if you have been reading this column should know gets paid only in crores.
Now you know why you can never get to your montris? It's because of the thick layers of khaki that hide them.

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Same old same old - January 14, 2008

Writing on the wall
You have nothing to lose next but your X'mas hols. On every other front, even eternal optimists will agree there is hardly anything left of Goa to save. Even the TTAG got it wrong, it wasn't Mathany's threat to domestic tourists that frightened them away. They came all right and frightened away European tourists instead by their crude behaviour on the roads and on the beaches. At Palolem where fistfights took place and tourists were hollering across tables in most beach-shacks, parked vehicles lined up right up to the crossroad junction (left Karwar, ahead the Grand International, right Palolem.) All along the coast locals felt harassed by young domestic tourists on bikes driving at breakneck speed, high on god knows what and with that idiotic look on their faces. An eyewitness spoke of drunken youth from the South in an open vehicle driving down Baga, shirts waving frenetically above their heads, screaming and drunk. At several pubs in Baga foreigners just paid for their drinks and quit.
Do you think this kind of behaviour would be allowed to happen in another Indian metro? The answer is NO. I spent December 31 in Fort Kochi, the closest resemblance to Goa with its homesteads, bars and narrow streets and it was a peaceful New Year beginning you will never get to see in Goa where everything else's pleasure takes precedence over that of the locals.

So who else is new in town?
Lord Meghnad Desai, the MP from the British Parliament, that's who. Yes, Lord Desai who in 2004 wrote a book called Nehru's Hero: Dilip Kumar in the Life of India, a biography of Indian film star Dilip Kumar, has supposedly bought an old house in South Goa and is currently renovating it. So folks in South Goa can look forward to tea and crumpets with the Lord and his lady, Kishwar Ahluwalia, the book editor he married in 2004. North Goa used to be the playing ground of the rich, famous and from the north. Now definitely the scene is shifting to South Goa. I hear another author Arundhati Roy – famous for declaring herself independent of the Republic of India some years after she won the Booker Prize – is also scouting for property in Goa. Goa must be bringing out the muse in authors because Amitava Ghosh has bought a house in Aldona, the pretty village that has so far remained unspoilt.
Remo might lament that "the Goa I knew and loved" is not around anymore, but for those outside, Goa is like a magnet. They'd give anything to live here. And they are coming in their hordes. Read further.

Big B ko gussa kyon aata hai?
There was a time when Amitabh Bachchan collected as many fans off screen as onscreen. Onscreen off course, he has been left behind by the Badshah of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan. But since he got mixed up with the likes of Amar Singh, his fans offscreen are dwindling too. A case in point is his attitude during the recent IFFI. Neelam Kapoor, Director, Film Festivals of India, says she wrote to him inviting him well ahead of IFFI and he had accepted. So she assumed that he would make his towering presence felt and invitation cards were printed. But then he decided not to come – by then he had realized SRK would be the chief guest and decided to be petulant saying he was not invited.
Neelam was in a tizzy considering that Rituparno Ghosh's film was being premiered and tradition demanded that the star cast of the film had to be present. But the big B refused to budge and stuck to his "I was not invited" although Neelam Kapoor had the correspondence in which he had accepted to show up at IFFI as proof to the contrary.

Entertainment Society of Goa
Did the ESG have foresight when it picked on the name. On hindsight, yes. Remember how the award giving ceremony, was sabotaged on account of issues over entertainment allowance and Vishnu Wagh, Goa's virtual shadow Minister for Culture (after the British system where the Opposition appoints shadow ministers, but who are watchdogs however, and not marionettes) went red in the face. Turns out, the entertainment allowance paid to its officials is not exactly peanuts.
At least one of them took home Rs256016 in salaries for 2006-07. ESGs top five officials drew a refreshment allowance of Rs150 per day from 1.11.2006 to 15.12.2006 and a telephone allowance of Rs1000 per month from October-December 2006 for getting IFFI 2006 on the road. You can bet the figures for getting IFFI 2007 were the same or more. And really, where was the time to entertain when everyone was running around like headless chickens?

They are coming
By the time the Congress acts and bans non-Goans from buying land in Goa, it might be too late as usual. Though when it comes down to taking credit, it is on cue always. In any case India's rich northerners overburdened with black money will instead simply buy whole apartment buildings if they can't buy property. If you don't believe that, why do you think they started all those fancy restaurants on the beach? It's just to say to the folks back home "We have a beach restaurant in Goa" because Goa has become an address to die for.
If you study the trend in the wanted classified ads you will find a discernible shift to the South. I recently spotted one that actually gave you the freedom of two calling numbers; one if you wanted to speak in English, the other in Hindi! The scene is also slowly shifting to the Ribandar-Old Goa stretch, to be precise at Sao Pedro. The tin fence that hid what was happening at the Riverside Green, a snobby complex is slowing coming down and the main road already cramped with vehicles belonging to contractors. When the SUVs arrive, this road won't be the same ever. Near the Sao Pedro chapel, where a builder Ratilal Shah bought huge land, a barbed wire fence has come up. Soon it will be screened off from public view and another fashionable complex built.
No points for guessing who will buy these hideously expensive apartments. In fact the only Goans who might get their answers wrong are Alexio Sequeria and Dayanand Narvekar because like their (in)sincere belief that SEZs will give Goans jobs, they believe building holiday apartments for the rich is development. Possibly, Babu Kavlekar too, if, that is he can make the connectionbetween an SEZ and a food park.

The New Year- January 7,2008

Goa's Nariman Point!
That was the title of the thick folder showcasing Patto Plaza when EDC wanted to auction 14 prime plots in the commercial plaza in 1989. Beneath it, read the legend 'Grab it before it goes.' Several years down the line the plaza looks like an obstacle course with at least one alfresco urinal opposite the Gera construction, a road and both pavements merged into one (opposite IDC) and many of the buyers are fed up. The huge square when not used as a huge bus park for buses owned by TCI confounds drivers because they are yet to figure out which way to drive. Are both sides of the square two-way lanes or one-way. No driver has figured that out yet because the builders themselves haven't.
Promised to them was infrastructure like sewage, storm water drainage, elevated and underground water tanks, underground electrification, sewage treatment plant, electric sub-station, landscaping, a shopping complex, cinema theatre, hotels. How many times have the Congress and EDC said the last three were never on their agenda? So, why mention it in the brochure in the first place. The only pleasure out of this is that the Congress is not only taking Goans for a ride, it is duping Mumbai's and Delhi's big builders who are responsible for changing
Goa's skyline.

Rules meant to be broken
Restrictions on visits abroad for study tours, seminars, conferences, workshops etc involving government funds read as follows: Rule 4. (a) "The strength of foreign delegations on official tours shall not exceed three members including the minister. PS/PA's to ministers shall not accompany the delegation. The period of deputation shall not exceed seven days excluding the journey time. All proposals for foreign travel/visits must be concurred with by the Finance Department before being put up to the Chief Secretary/Chief Minister. There should be a gap of a minimum of three months between two foreign tours."
The Ministry of External Affairs has its own rules and regulations for "political clearance for visits of high dignitaries, ministers and officials of State Governments" including a '8-point proforma' that is never followed by Goa's frequent flyers. In fact, the Finance Department issued an office memorandum on September 24 pointing out that foreign tours were being organized without following the procedure laid down and "in a number of cases tours are conducted without taking approval of Government of India including Cabinet Secretariat." There is off course none to judge Goa's new rulers and so this wasteful and continuing expenditure will never be investigated.

Sunny Side Up
So far we've had restobars and lounge bars. Newer concepts are probably on their way to Goa. This one – it is as yet not officially conceptualized, but going by its location could be called a dunebar. Because it is built on old sand dunes a few metres from the high tide line. The Sunny Side Up on Candolim beach could be one such. It's owned by a mysterious Delhite (nobody knows who) and can't possibly have any sanction or license that could stand the legal requirements of the CRZ or building laws, though its owner I am sure has many documents to show. Its awesome size, modern wash rooms, kitchen, sewerage system and elevated platform clearly could never have gone past any legal scrutiny which is why officials of the Tourism
Department along with a private consultant inspected it in December possibly because the owner may have encroached on some land owned by the department. Tons of sand must have gone into elevating the land on which Sunny Side Up was built to raise it above the roofline of the shacks in front of it and give it a view of the sea.

Hardboiled
The owner even built an elevated path to the restaurant. It's not a licensed beach shack as we know it because it's not a temporary structure, though it's only a few metres from the shacks in front of it. It's (supposedly) not a permanent structure because then it would have to be illegal. But permanent it is because it runs through the off-season when every other beach shack shuts down. Yet, for sheer infrastructure (example: its powerful lighting) it has more than any other restaurant on Candolim's shore. It's a dunebar, the Delhite's latest unprincipled rest and recreation contribution to fun on the beach while Goan entrepreneurs are made to bend and crawl for shack licenses by their own montris. It happened, a few metres from Sunny Side Up. It happened up north too when Micky Pacheco tried to stop Cruz Cardozo (a Churchill supporter) from setting up Pearl's Beach Café. It was Churchill who stopped his PWD workers from demolishing his shack on November 26 after they arrived there from wrecking other
shacks in Utorda, Arossim. Keep watching this space while you scramble for your GT and your morning eggs.