Is the pot calling the kettle black?
Some weeks ago Dayanand Narvekar accused his own government of clandestinely conceding a financial benefit of Rs 1,060 cr to United Telecom Ltd in the broadband project. This is his own scoresheet while he was briefly (thank God for small mercies) the Information Technology minister. A total of six companies were attracted by his high pitched sales:
1. Elin Electronics, Verna Industrial Estate. Investment: Rs 159.16 lakh. 5-year manpower projection: 50.
2. NE Technologies Pvt. Ltd, Verna Industrial Estate. Investment: Rs 5 lakh. 5-year manpower projection: 20.
3. Digital Alchemy India Pvt. Ltd, Myles High Corporate Hub, Patto Plaza. Investment: Rs 3.2 lakh. 5-year manpower projection: 386.
4. Mehul Developers Pvt. Ltd, Verna Industrial Estate. Investment: Rs 1 lakh. 5-year manpower projection: 110.
5. BlackJack ITES, Goa Housing Board Complex, Penha-de-France, Alto Porvorim. Investment: Rs 9 lakh. 5-year manpower projection: 332.
6. First European Infotech India Ltd, Verna Industrial Estate. Investment: Rs 5 lakh. 5-year manpower projection: 500.
You think this reads like a low-scoring cricket game? All I say is if the investment figures are so subdued and the manpower figures so lofty that they caught you on the wrong-foot, please be informed they are positively not typos I made in my copy. I have not erred in giving them to you. Someone else might have, not me. So make your own conclusions. Investigating further I discovered Mehul, a company registered in Defence Colony, New Delhi (where else?) recently transferred 35,000 M2 to Bosch Industries. This is a plot it held at the Verna Industrial Estate. This as I have said before can happen only in Goa.
Not quite Satyam, but getting there
Recently, I asked the Goa Industrial Development Corporation a few pertinent questions under RTI. Now, GIDC is Goa's equivalent of L&T in bagging huge contracts, but possibly the equivalent of a Satyam- in- the- making, where management of its internal affairs is concerned, as this column has proved time and again. I was stunned when it refused to answer these questions claiming 'the information sought does not fall within the definition of (the) Right to Information Act, 2005.' My questions were: 1. Give the number of vacant plots in each industrial estate. 2. From these; how many plots were allotted; to whom were they allotted. 3. From this list of allottees; how many have not taken possession; how many have taken possession but have not started any activity. 4. Give the lease amount paid to IDC in each of the above cases. 5. Was there a cut-off date after which no plot was allotted? What was the date? 6. Were any plots allotted after this date? If so, give details. 7. Give details of the progress achieved towards setting up the proposed industrial estate at Carambolim.
Transparency not a strong suit of Republic of GIDC
Clearly, like Manohar Parrikar said of the Mormugao Port Trust, GIDC thinks it is a Republic on its own. Either that or, it thinks like an Embassy on foreign soil. Therefore all the industrial estates in Goa belong to the Republic of the Goa Industrial Development Corporation or, do they call themselves Peoples' Democratic Republic of the Goa Industrial Development Corporation. I'm not sure which. Let's break-down its so-called democratic hypothesis on Right To Information.' Without a doubt, the industrial estates do not wholly belong to GIDC in a manner it can do whatever it wants to do with them under the veil of 'Official Secrecy' Act, whatever. When I last checked, India was still a democracy, where state-owned corporations were answerable to the people, and Goa was not a failed state like Somali or Pakistan (in Swat, the Pak government bowed down to the Taliban and brought in Shariat law.) Not yet here at least, though we are heading thataways, surely. In fact, the RTI Act came into being only to clear any misconceptions government officials had about their self-proclaimed extra-constitutional powers. But what we are getting is obfuscation to protect the government, the politicians and the real power behind the throne, the bureaucrats.
For Your Eyes Only
What the 'Republic' deemed appropriate for your eyes to see is this bit tidily put together piece of information. The vacant plots in the Pissurlem Industrial Estate total 94,460 M2 in area including 10 amalgamated plots totaling 76,412 M2, done so, and reserved perhaps for someone with deep pockets. IDC 'revealed' that Kadoda PH-III had vacant plots totaling 9785 M2. In the Canacona estate there is a total vacant area of 4320 M2. In Cuncolim vacant plots total 1800 M2. In Honda phase-II the figure is 6134 M2. In Quitol, vacant land amounts to 8,88,576 M2. No wonder the urge here is start something, even remotely concerned with processing anything vaguely tied to food. In Kundaim Industrial Estate there is a total vacant area of 2,50,000 M2. This is as far as GIDC will go. But wait, the RTI is not done with it yet.
(Feedback 9763718501, lionroars.goa@gmail)
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Oscar for IT minister
Hullabaloo over IT
Dayanand Narvekar's accusation that his own government, "clandestinely conceded a financial benefit" to the extent of Rs 1,060 cr to United Telecom Ltd for the government's broadband dream scheme, makes strange reading. It's actually a long-winding complaint he got tabled in the Assembly, and I really don't have the space to explain it all. But, I think you know that till date no single project of any kind has ever benefited Goa to the extent of a thousand crores! It truly reads like a script which deserves an Oscar for fantasy. Well, here's food for thought. It's amazing what MLAs ask of each other in the Assembly. But, you know what, they never appear to go anywhere with them. Often, is it called playing to the gallery!
It's all about getting land
A Mahadev Naik question produced these answers recently. So, make good use of it, because he ain't. A total of 133 plots have been allotted in Shiroda constituency for industry purposes. Three plots are still to be 'properly' utilized till date. One plot at the Bethora Industrial Estate, allotted in 2006, it transpires is within the validity period to start activity. Get hold of this, in infinitesimally tiny Goa where there are more NGOs, activists and protectionist organizations than there is land available, industrial plots that are allotted can be kept vacant for up to three years without any industrial activity. A show-cause notice has however been sent to the one offender, I think is the Electricity Department, that was given 5328.34 M2 at Rs 100 per M2. Miditech Pvt. Ltd, one of the many outstation companies to enjoy the largesse of the Congress –it was offered 67,457.50M2 of land at a miserly Rs 275 per M2 at the Shiroda Industrial Estate, is within this validity period. So, wait and see. The third company, KFG Glass Industries Ltd offered 2161.39 M2 M2 at a niggardly Rs 12 per M2 in 1996 has attracted an eviction process against it. Wait and see, again, what happens of this. Meanwhile, I am wondering if the government cannot 'evict' a small timer who is yet to 'occupy' public-owned land, how in hell are they going to evict the might owners of the SEZs?
Another progress report
Here's a list of unutilized sheds/plots estate-wise that remained unutilized two years after allotment.
Verna Industrial Estate: Laminex 2180 M2, Shailesh Packaging 1212 M2, Noble Industries 1520 M2, Ganaram's 500 M2, Shail Foods & Packaging Pvt. Ltd 2070 M2, Amartara Pvt. Ltd 3450 M2 and 1225 M2, Petals Healthcare Pvt. Ltd 8210 M2, Green Company 2220 M2, Century Comforts Pvt. Ltd 894 M2, TJ Naik & Co 4836 M2, Maheshwari Corporation 1000 M2, AVA Industries 8381 M2, Bhavani Shankar Purohit 1000 M2, Florence Flora 2300 M2, Maheswari Enterprises 1154 M2, Marine Electricals 9296 M2, Astra Metals Pvt. Ltd 10,943 M2, Matrix IT Enabled Services 4670 M2.
Colvale Industrial Estate
GKB Optolab Pvt. Ltd 6850 M2
Kundaim Industrial Estate
Aditya Electro Mechanical Works 700 M2, Gopala Masala 2356 M2, Synnovate Health Care Pvt. Ltd 3880 M2.
Pissurlem Industrial Estate
Hindustan Engineers 1600 M2.
Diu Industrial Estate
Durga Ice & Cold Storage 1886 M2, Sonal Plastic Industries 940 M2, Varundev Ice Plant & Cold Storage 1400 M2, VV Garments 700 M2.
Canacona Industrial Estate
Goa Industrial Packers 900 M2, SGA Enterprises 525 M2, Goa Packaging Products Pvt. Ltd 1980 M2.
Margao Industrial Estate
Geo Industries 1380 M2.
Sanguem Industrial Estate
Samapriya Holistic Healing Pvt. Ltd 25,297 (wow!)
Kakoda Industrial Estate
East Quepem Consumers Coop Society Ltd 1392 M2.
Bethora Industrial Estate
Dimensions 600 M2.
Madkaim Industrial Estate
Anbee Pipings Pvt. Ltd 605 M2
Pilerne Industrial Estate
Gurukrupa Logistics 600 M2
Shiroda Industrial Estate
Miditech Pvt. Ltd 67,457 M2 (wow again)
(BTW Miditech Pvt Ltd is the production company run by Nikhil and Niret Alva, sons of Margaret Alva, who was the AICC secretary in charge of Goa till she took on the Congress high command and became persona non grata. Let's not forget that Margaret Alva is currently in the doghouse after alleging last November that tickets were sold by the Congress in the Karnataka assembly election. It came out that she wanted a ticket for Nivedith, another one of her sons, but did not get it.)
(Feedback lionroars.goa@gmail.com, 9763718501)
Dayanand Narvekar's accusation that his own government, "clandestinely conceded a financial benefit" to the extent of Rs 1,060 cr to United Telecom Ltd for the government's broadband dream scheme, makes strange reading. It's actually a long-winding complaint he got tabled in the Assembly, and I really don't have the space to explain it all. But, I think you know that till date no single project of any kind has ever benefited Goa to the extent of a thousand crores! It truly reads like a script which deserves an Oscar for fantasy. Well, here's food for thought. It's amazing what MLAs ask of each other in the Assembly. But, you know what, they never appear to go anywhere with them. Often, is it called playing to the gallery!
It's all about getting land
A Mahadev Naik question produced these answers recently. So, make good use of it, because he ain't. A total of 133 plots have been allotted in Shiroda constituency for industry purposes. Three plots are still to be 'properly' utilized till date. One plot at the Bethora Industrial Estate, allotted in 2006, it transpires is within the validity period to start activity. Get hold of this, in infinitesimally tiny Goa where there are more NGOs, activists and protectionist organizations than there is land available, industrial plots that are allotted can be kept vacant for up to three years without any industrial activity. A show-cause notice has however been sent to the one offender, I think is the Electricity Department, that was given 5328.34 M2 at Rs 100 per M2. Miditech Pvt. Ltd, one of the many outstation companies to enjoy the largesse of the Congress –it was offered 67,457.50M2 of land at a miserly Rs 275 per M2 at the Shiroda Industrial Estate, is within this validity period. So, wait and see. The third company, KFG Glass Industries Ltd offered 2161.39 M2 M2 at a niggardly Rs 12 per M2 in 1996 has attracted an eviction process against it. Wait and see, again, what happens of this. Meanwhile, I am wondering if the government cannot 'evict' a small timer who is yet to 'occupy' public-owned land, how in hell are they going to evict the might owners of the SEZs?
Another progress report
Here's a list of unutilized sheds/plots estate-wise that remained unutilized two years after allotment.
Verna Industrial Estate: Laminex 2180 M2, Shailesh Packaging 1212 M2, Noble Industries 1520 M2, Ganaram's 500 M2, Shail Foods & Packaging Pvt. Ltd 2070 M2, Amartara Pvt. Ltd 3450 M2 and 1225 M2, Petals Healthcare Pvt. Ltd 8210 M2, Green Company 2220 M2, Century Comforts Pvt. Ltd 894 M2, TJ Naik & Co 4836 M2, Maheshwari Corporation 1000 M2, AVA Industries 8381 M2, Bhavani Shankar Purohit 1000 M2, Florence Flora 2300 M2, Maheswari Enterprises 1154 M2, Marine Electricals 9296 M2, Astra Metals Pvt. Ltd 10,943 M2, Matrix IT Enabled Services 4670 M2.
Colvale Industrial Estate
GKB Optolab Pvt. Ltd 6850 M2
Kundaim Industrial Estate
Aditya Electro Mechanical Works 700 M2, Gopala Masala 2356 M2, Synnovate Health Care Pvt. Ltd 3880 M2.
Pissurlem Industrial Estate
Hindustan Engineers 1600 M2.
Diu Industrial Estate
Durga Ice & Cold Storage 1886 M2, Sonal Plastic Industries 940 M2, Varundev Ice Plant & Cold Storage 1400 M2, VV Garments 700 M2.
Canacona Industrial Estate
Goa Industrial Packers 900 M2, SGA Enterprises 525 M2, Goa Packaging Products Pvt. Ltd 1980 M2.
Margao Industrial Estate
Geo Industries 1380 M2.
Sanguem Industrial Estate
Samapriya Holistic Healing Pvt. Ltd 25,297 (wow!)
Kakoda Industrial Estate
East Quepem Consumers Coop Society Ltd 1392 M2.
Bethora Industrial Estate
Dimensions 600 M2.
Madkaim Industrial Estate
Anbee Pipings Pvt. Ltd 605 M2
Pilerne Industrial Estate
Gurukrupa Logistics 600 M2
Shiroda Industrial Estate
Miditech Pvt. Ltd 67,457 M2 (wow again)
(BTW Miditech Pvt Ltd is the production company run by Nikhil and Niret Alva, sons of Margaret Alva, who was the AICC secretary in charge of Goa till she took on the Congress high command and became persona non grata. Let's not forget that Margaret Alva is currently in the doghouse after alleging last November that tickets were sold by the Congress in the Karnataka assembly election. It came out that she wanted a ticket for Nivedith, another one of her sons, but did not get it.)
(Feedback lionroars.goa@gmail.com, 9763718501)
Monday, February 16, 2009
Culture Vultures literally
Traditionally), Goans have watched from the sidelines as the political class that ruled Goa for decades provided the people with a fair dose of entertainment on the streets, over the frequent horse trading, their sons sometimes participating in this entertainment. This is apart from entertaining themselves with expensive dinners, travels across the country and abroad. Perhaps only the tip of the iceberg has been covered in this column. And then, I discovered recently there is money to be made in conning you into believing they are going to give you a Central Library, to make you more knowledgeable than you are. Now, you are being conned into thinking there is a cultural side to you. Or, is it them? The question, whose cultural side is for you to figure out. But let me give you a hint and say, it's fairly clear, whose. Till now, you probably thought there was money to be made only in the Public Works Department and Transport Department. Think again. There's a bundle to be made in the Directorate of Art and Culture. And its done with little sophistication and elegance, an irony, because art and culture, by definition, have both attributes. Here's how it is possibly done:
Expenditure for various schemes, events & festivals:
Rs 1,52,500 was spent under the head Indian classical dance in 2003-04. Strangely no one thought of propagating this art in later years. Beginning with 2003-04 and up to 2006-07 Rs 1,23,500, Rs 1,46,000, Rs 1,46,500, and Rs 1,60,000 was spent on a scheme called Ghumat Vadan workshop. On Ganeshotsav Rs 54,301 was spent in 2003-04, Rs 1,08,000 in 2006-07 and Rs 1,13,100 in 2007-08. Rs 80,000 was spent on Natyotsav in 2003-04, Rs 83,327 in 2004-05, Rs 95,805 in 2005-06 and Rs 1,36,800 in 2007-08. Also, Rs 69,892 was incurred to send a Goan cultural troupe to Himachal Pradesh in 2003-04, Rs 91,066 to send a troupe to New Delhi in 2003-04, Rs 1,71,900 was spent again the same year on another junket, and Rs 61,250 again in 2007-08. In 2003-04 Rs 17,418 was spent on Balotsav and Rs 61,250 in 2007-08.
Rs 2,50,000 was spent separately in 2003-04 and 2004-05 and Rs 4,00,000 in 2005-06 to organize a South classical dance & music festival. Between 2003-04 and 2007-08 Rs 5,00,000, Rs 7,69,444, Rs 7,36,415, Rs 6,16,118 and Rs 9,54,990 was spent on Lokotsav. In 2004-05 Rs 1,33,823 was spent to hold a lecture dance demonstration, Rs 1,44,056 in 2005-06, and Rs 1,54,000 in 2006-07. On Shigmotsav Rs 51,791 was spent in 2004-05, Rs 60,000 in 2005-06 and Rs 1,15,000 in 2007-08. In 2005-06 Rs 65,600 and Rs 9700 was spent on a fabric painting and glass painting workshops. In the same year Rs 88,250 was spent on a mehndi workshop.
Thereafter it appears holding workshops took centre stage because in 2006-07 Rs 2,11,000 was spent on a bajani (sic - bhajan or is it bandhini?) workshop, while Rs 9,74,424 was spent in 2006-07 on the Margao festival and Rs 6,65,000 the following year. Rs 59,000 was spent on a tailoring and embroidery workshop in 2006-07, while Rs 1,56,000 was incurred to send a Goan cultural troupe to Tamil Nadu.
In 2007-08 it was back to organizing mainly workshops: Rs 3,86,161, Rs 24,505 on a Hindustani classical workshop and Rs 20,329 on a bajani (sic - bhajan or bandhani?) workshop, Rs 55,415 on a wood and thermocole carving workshop Rs 71,606 on a tabla workshop, Rs 44,687 on a chikankari workshop, and Rs 1,50,939 on a Hindustani classical music and dance festival at Jaipur, Rs 1,23,145 on a Hindustani classical music natyageet festival, and Rs 40,141 on Yuva Pratibha Puraskar. Phew.
feedback: lionroars.goa@gmail.com 9363718501
Traditionally), Goans have watched from the sidelines as the political class that ruled Goa for decades provided the people with a fair dose of entertainment on the streets, over the frequent horse trading, their sons sometimes participating in this entertainment. This is apart from entertaining themselves with expensive dinners, travels across the country and abroad. Perhaps only the tip of the iceberg has been covered in this column. And then, I discovered recently there is money to be made in conning you into believing they are going to give you a Central Library, to make you more knowledgeable than you are. Now, you are being conned into thinking there is a cultural side to you. Or, is it them? The question, whose cultural side is for you to figure out. But let me give you a hint and say, it's fairly clear, whose. Till now, you probably thought there was money to be made only in the Public Works Department and Transport Department. Think again. There's a bundle to be made in the Directorate of Art and Culture. And its done with little sophistication and elegance, an irony, because art and culture, by definition, have both attributes. Here's how it is possibly done:
Expenditure for various schemes, events & festivals:
Rs 1,52,500 was spent under the head Indian classical dance in 2003-04. Strangely no one thought of propagating this art in later years. Beginning with 2003-04 and up to 2006-07 Rs 1,23,500, Rs 1,46,000, Rs 1,46,500, and Rs 1,60,000 was spent on a scheme called Ghumat Vadan workshop. On Ganeshotsav Rs 54,301 was spent in 2003-04, Rs 1,08,000 in 2006-07 and Rs 1,13,100 in 2007-08. Rs 80,000 was spent on Natyotsav in 2003-04, Rs 83,327 in 2004-05, Rs 95,805 in 2005-06 and Rs 1,36,800 in 2007-08. Also, Rs 69,892 was incurred to send a Goan cultural troupe to Himachal Pradesh in 2003-04, Rs 91,066 to send a troupe to New Delhi in 2003-04, Rs 1,71,900 was spent again the same year on another junket, and Rs 61,250 again in 2007-08. In 2003-04 Rs 17,418 was spent on Balotsav and Rs 61,250 in 2007-08.
Rs 2,50,000 was spent separately in 2003-04 and 2004-05 and Rs 4,00,000 in 2005-06 to organize a South classical dance & music festival. Between 2003-04 and 2007-08 Rs 5,00,000, Rs 7,69,444, Rs 7,36,415, Rs 6,16,118 and Rs 9,54,990 was spent on Lokotsav. In 2004-05 Rs 1,33,823 was spent to hold a lecture dance demonstration, Rs 1,44,056 in 2005-06, and Rs 1,54,000 in 2006-07. On Shigmotsav Rs 51,791 was spent in 2004-05, Rs 60,000 in 2005-06 and Rs 1,15,000 in 2007-08. In 2005-06 Rs 65,600 and Rs 9700 was spent on a fabric painting and glass painting workshops. In the same year Rs 88,250 was spent on a mehndi workshop.
Thereafter it appears holding workshops took centre stage because in 2006-07 Rs 2,11,000 was spent on a bajani (sic - bhajan or is it bandhini?) workshop, while Rs 9,74,424 was spent in 2006-07 on the Margao festival and Rs 6,65,000 the following year. Rs 59,000 was spent on a tailoring and embroidery workshop in 2006-07, while Rs 1,56,000 was incurred to send a Goan cultural troupe to Tamil Nadu.
In 2007-08 it was back to organizing mainly workshops: Rs 3,86,161, Rs 24,505 on a Hindustani classical workshop and Rs 20,329 on a bajani (sic - bhajan or bandhani?) workshop, Rs 55,415 on a wood and thermocole carving workshop Rs 71,606 on a tabla workshop, Rs 44,687 on a chikankari workshop, and Rs 1,50,939 on a Hindustani classical music and dance festival at Jaipur, Rs 1,23,145 on a Hindustani classical music natyageet festival, and Rs 40,141 on Yuva Pratibha Puraskar. Phew.
feedback: lionroars.goa@gmail.com 9363718501
Monday, February 9, 2009
Whose Right is it anyway?
Civic Rights Don't Matter
Does it always have to be so overwhelmigly against the real Goemkar? Pandurang Madkaikar's defense of the stall owners (almost all non-Goans including other illegal squatters of Church land) at Old Goa whose illegal stalls were demolished by the government did not take into account the hardship they cause to the taxpaying public using the public road built with tax money. On one side of the road are these stalls, on the other a double line of taxis and tourist vehicles. In the centre jaywalking tourists, touts, hawkers and taxi drivers. It's a perennial problem, but as is occurring now with dangerous finality, nobody takes into account what the citizen taxpayer wants or, has a right to. It is always about the polluter's or in this case, the transgressor's so-called rights. It is the righteous indignation of these two that matters only in Goa nowadays. In this case Madkaikar without an afterthought said the stalls owners have to be given places where they can do business. In other words, if it means occupying a kerb, public and or even private property, so be it. Perhaps this is why the government and CCP do not have the political will to make the 18th June Road a vehicle free road. There are vehicle free plazas like this across the planet where the absence of traffic actually encourages shoppers and sightseers. Can't be done because the traders would protest. And we don't' won't to upset traders raking in the moolah, do we?
The fact that the road turning off the Panjim-Ponda highway was choked by these stall owners, and the road from the Gandhi Circle leading to the Sao Pedro ferry crossing to Divar are probably Goa's worst, does not matter. A stretch in the former is almost entirely covered by sand through the year, while the other where there are no potholes, has tourist buses, illegal stalls, hawkers and jaywalking tourists. What is important in Goa, are the 'rights' of illegal squatters and stall owners. Isn't it ironical that the word 'rights' needs to be used here? These for instance are easily the most 'righteously' protected car parks or in the case of some, public land usurped for a selfish few to ply their trade. The coal van parked perpendicular to the zone marked for parking instead of vertically, opposite the Azad Maidan. A glass trader who for years has placed two huge wooden frames outside his shop at St. Tome, so that he has free access to the public road. The garage owner near the ICICI bank at Panjim who has the audacity to place No Parking signs in the parking zone. The steel trader next to the Dhume clinic in Panjim who uses instead a trolley cart to preserve his own private car park. The stalls at the garden opposite the MES who have usurped the pavement for themselves. But the prize goes to Soul Of Asia which has even laid out a green carpet on the road and stationed a guard to prevent cars from parking in front of the shop close to the Education Department. If you have some of your own 'landmarks' to expose do write in giving exact details and find them mentioned in this column next week.
Rewind
Remember the Central Library your government is building for you at Patto Plaza at a cost of Rs 15,95,00,629.70. The Plaza is the place that looks like an Olympic standard steeplechase course with dangerous potholes, broken concrete drain covers, drain covers that could break anytime with your vehicle on top, vehicles and pedestrians fighting for a place on the road because the pavements disappeared a long time ago. I didn't forget. I promised to tell how conscientious successive governments have been about propagating the arts and culture in Goa. Trust me, there's money to be made in every nook and corner in Goa, under every stone. Figure it out for yourself. I did the donkey's work, you do the thinking.
Expenditure for the last 5 years:
Kala Samman Scheme - 2003-4 Rs 87.17 lakh, 2004-05 Rs 152.22 lakh, 2005-06 Rs 157.51 lakh, 2006-07 200.26 lakh, 2007-08 Rs 222.16 lakh
Grants to cultural institutions -2003-4 Rs 19,15,974, 2004-05 Rs 32,44,585, 2005-06 Rs 31,58,298, 2006-07 Rs 35,32,594, 2007-08 Rs 40,88,498.
Scheme to provide special financial assistance for organizing cultural events – 2003-04 Rs 27,02,500, 2004-05 Rs 30,85,000, 2005-06 Rs 69,40,000, 2006-07 –Rs 1,91,06,400, 2007-08 Rs 1,54,35,179.
Dhalo Fugadi Festival -2003-04 Rs 3,00,000, 2004-05 Rs 4,21,344, 2005-06 Rs 6,35,000, 2006-07 Rs 58,945, 2007-08 Rs 6,63,752.
Deepotsav festival -2003-04 Rs 54,230, 2004-05 Rs 63,677, 2005-06 Rs 29,460.
Mahila Sanskrutik Melava – 2003-04 Rs 1,85,250, 2004-05 Rs 1,88,675.
Kalakar Kritagnyata Nidhi -2006-07 Rs 5,10,000, 2007-08 Rs 6,00,000.
(Feedback lionroars.goa@gmail.com, 9763718501)
--
Does it always have to be so overwhelmigly against the real Goemkar? Pandurang Madkaikar's defense of the stall owners (almost all non-Goans including other illegal squatters of Church land) at Old Goa whose illegal stalls were demolished by the government did not take into account the hardship they cause to the taxpaying public using the public road built with tax money. On one side of the road are these stalls, on the other a double line of taxis and tourist vehicles. In the centre jaywalking tourists, touts, hawkers and taxi drivers. It's a perennial problem, but as is occurring now with dangerous finality, nobody takes into account what the citizen taxpayer wants or, has a right to. It is always about the polluter's or in this case, the transgressor's so-called rights. It is the righteous indignation of these two that matters only in Goa nowadays. In this case Madkaikar without an afterthought said the stalls owners have to be given places where they can do business. In other words, if it means occupying a kerb, public and or even private property, so be it. Perhaps this is why the government and CCP do not have the political will to make the 18th June Road a vehicle free road. There are vehicle free plazas like this across the planet where the absence of traffic actually encourages shoppers and sightseers. Can't be done because the traders would protest. And we don't' won't to upset traders raking in the moolah, do we?
The fact that the road turning off the Panjim-Ponda highway was choked by these stall owners, and the road from the Gandhi Circle leading to the Sao Pedro ferry crossing to Divar are probably Goa's worst, does not matter. A stretch in the former is almost entirely covered by sand through the year, while the other where there are no potholes, has tourist buses, illegal stalls, hawkers and jaywalking tourists. What is important in Goa, are the 'rights' of illegal squatters and stall owners. Isn't it ironical that the word 'rights' needs to be used here? These for instance are easily the most 'righteously' protected car parks or in the case of some, public land usurped for a selfish few to ply their trade. The coal van parked perpendicular to the zone marked for parking instead of vertically, opposite the Azad Maidan. A glass trader who for years has placed two huge wooden frames outside his shop at St. Tome, so that he has free access to the public road. The garage owner near the ICICI bank at Panjim who has the audacity to place No Parking signs in the parking zone. The steel trader next to the Dhume clinic in Panjim who uses instead a trolley cart to preserve his own private car park. The stalls at the garden opposite the MES who have usurped the pavement for themselves. But the prize goes to Soul Of Asia which has even laid out a green carpet on the road and stationed a guard to prevent cars from parking in front of the shop close to the Education Department. If you have some of your own 'landmarks' to expose do write in giving exact details and find them mentioned in this column next week.
Rewind
Remember the Central Library your government is building for you at Patto Plaza at a cost of Rs 15,95,00,629.70. The Plaza is the place that looks like an Olympic standard steeplechase course with dangerous potholes, broken concrete drain covers, drain covers that could break anytime with your vehicle on top, vehicles and pedestrians fighting for a place on the road because the pavements disappeared a long time ago. I didn't forget. I promised to tell how conscientious successive governments have been about propagating the arts and culture in Goa. Trust me, there's money to be made in every nook and corner in Goa, under every stone. Figure it out for yourself. I did the donkey's work, you do the thinking.
Expenditure for the last 5 years:
Kala Samman Scheme - 2003-4 Rs 87.17 lakh, 2004-05 Rs 152.22 lakh, 2005-06 Rs 157.51 lakh, 2006-07 200.26 lakh, 2007-08 Rs 222.16 lakh
Grants to cultural institutions -2003-4 Rs 19,15,974, 2004-05 Rs 32,44,585, 2005-06 Rs 31,58,298, 2006-07 Rs 35,32,594, 2007-08 Rs 40,88,498.
Scheme to provide special financial assistance for organizing cultural events – 2003-04 Rs 27,02,500, 2004-05 Rs 30,85,000, 2005-06 Rs 69,40,000, 2006-07 –Rs 1,91,06,400, 2007-08 Rs 1,54,35,179.
Dhalo Fugadi Festival -2003-04 Rs 3,00,000, 2004-05 Rs 4,21,344, 2005-06 Rs 6,35,000, 2006-07 Rs 58,945, 2007-08 Rs 6,63,752.
Deepotsav festival -2003-04 Rs 54,230, 2004-05 Rs 63,677, 2005-06 Rs 29,460.
Mahila Sanskrutik Melava – 2003-04 Rs 1,85,250, 2004-05 Rs 1,88,675.
Kalakar Kritagnyata Nidhi -2006-07 Rs 5,10,000, 2007-08 Rs 6,00,000.
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