Take a Rest(yl) Agent S
Over the space and time of three columns titled ‘GIDC’s cover-ups,’ ‘We the People,’ and ‘Is the pot calling the kettle black’ the activities of a certain Agent S and Agent B in ‘arranging’ plots at various industrial estates were exposed. Well, this really pissed off Agent S who has unsuccessfully tried to elicit information on how I got hold of all that information (not RTI Btw) or rather who my informants are. Not happening Agent S, I belong to the old school of journos –hard as rock, just ask around. But, I humbly recommend you take Restyl, say 0.25 mg daily, and calm down. Among the ‘volunteers’ he asked for help or has been pledged help, is a man from Margao who sometimes writes. All this makes me wonder why Nitin Kuncolienkar moaned that Goa’s activism was detrimental to industry progressing. Point is when there is so much of business like for instance the kind described in those columns it does mean Goa has nothing to worry about. After all, you can’t expect all businesses’ to be registered with the BSE or, for that matter the Register of Companies, can you?
Land of honey
Exactly what I mean. There’s money to be made in Goa and again you really don’t need PriceWaterhouse to tell you how. Look what it did for Satyam. It cost your government Rs 6,73,12,814 to host, err foist on you and me, the International Film Festival of India, 2008, as of February 19, 2009 as per the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG.) If you read between the lines, it could mean there is more to come. Sometimes making money in Goa is not the main dish, it is only the garnish. And this time, the Government of India did not invest a pie. This is how it all started. The ESG as is routine now, called for bids from event management companies (EMA) in a two bid system –technical and financial. Three EMAs Wizcraft Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, Alternate Brand Solutions Ltd. (ABSL), Mumbai and Brilliant Entertainment Networks, New Delhi, qualified to bid. As I have been saying continuously in the past, nothing Goa does, ever benefits aam admi companies or aam admi for that matter, not even holding the annual St. Francis Xavier’s feast. An evaluation committee of the government’s all-time favourite men and woman (not a typo) using an evaluation criterion and point system later allotted them marks.
Keeping the natives out
The eligibility criteria are 10 marks given for a minimum Rs 45 crore cumulative turnover in the past three financial years. Five additional marks for cummulative turnover above Rs 45 crore but below Rs 80 crore in the three years. Five additional marks for cummulative turnover above Rs 80 crore in the same three years. Reminds you of the TV serial ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway’ produced by comedian Drew Carey. More the cumulative turnover, lesser the points. That’s the perverse way Drew Carey gives his actor-comedians points sometimes, adding a huge fun element to the show. Jokes apart, what a Brilliant (pun intended) way to keep the natives out. Sheer Wizcraft huh. As if to mark up their brilliance a notch, ESG allotted two marks per each international event and one mark per national event organized during the same period.
More ways than one
Then there are marks awarded for a sponsorship criteria that went like this. If a bidder had between Rs 100 lakh and Rs 500 lakh of cumulative sponsorship in the same three years, ten marks were awarded. For above Rs 500 lakh and Rs 10 crore, ten additional marks were awarded. For above Rs 20 crore of cumulative sponsorship, ten additional marks were awarded. Silly me, I didn’t ask ESG to show evidence of proof of turnover and sponsorship ability. But, I’m learning fast. Not that it has any (I am sure of that) or, the means for that matter to verify the evidence, but then again in the land of ordinances proof of life is never necessary. For the record ABSL of the Times Group got the maximum marks and were awarded the EMA contract.
But wait, where are all the sponsorships? The high-flying ABSL could bring in only Rs 1 crore, which means IFFI 2008 cost the Goa government a whopping Rs 5,73,12,814 because ABSL could bring only a miserly Rs 1 crore to the table. ESG understandably blames it (low sponsorship) on the ‘tugs and pulls’ between it and the Directorate of Film Festivals, also on the ‘lack of brand image for IFFI.’ Notwithstanding that, shouldn’t it be mandatory for high-flying EMAs to stick to their declared reputations especially when it concerns sponsorship commitments. No excuses, please. ESG did after all ignore the natives and go pan-India allegedly to tap the best.
Tailpiece: A rival has been arm twisting freelance journalists earning their money the hard way from writing for Herald2day. It’s happened twice so far. Oh dear, the rival doesn’t know it takes two to Tango. Let the Tango begin.
(Feedback 6658606, 9763718501 lionroars.goa@gmail.com)
About Me
- lion roars
- Beginning my career with the Goa Today in the late eighties, I wrote for the Marine Times, Sunday Free Press Journal, The Telegraph and Amrita Bazar Patrika before becoming Chief Reporter of the Gomantak Times, that played the biggest role then in getting Speaker Dayaynand Narvekar to resign over a molestation charge. My big break was Special Correspondent for Mid-day in Goa before I moved on to Bangalore to join the Indian Express and later the Pioneer. My next stop was Madras with the Economic Times and later Hyderabad with the same paper. My Hyderabad spell included launching a new daily called AP Times, than joining the Newstime before writing for the Dubai based Gulf News for several years. Hyderabad was where, after a spell writing a column called Lion Roars for the Deccan Chronicle, I wanted out of the rat race and decided to go solo sooner than later because of my genetic makeup and what my newest column Eye Spy that appears in the Gomantak Times Monday's and reproduced here is all about.
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