Walk the talk

Last Friday morning, they had to be the most resilient lot in Goa, because you can’t be more hardy than the Friday Mapusa market vendors, who, braving the punishing, pouring rain, covered their wares, and waited, glumly for the more foolhardy buyer like me to come wading along. Even the woman selling rock salt was there, so were some of the plant sellers, who perhaps lost more plants to the flooding waters, than they sold. Truly, it was a wretched Friday, and made me want to call up the editors of magazines who have serially voted Goa as the best and most trendy place to be in. My point, you ask? Our montris need to walk along this path too, literally. They live in glass houses, pretending to be concerned about people’s welfare, and waiting to pounce like vipers on opportunities that come their way. And, it’s not always about making money. It is also about the opportunity to stay in power for another term. Like the issue Mr. Atanasio Monserrate a.k.a ‘Babush’ picked, that is, he said the Rajiv Gandhi IT Habitat could reoccupy its home in Dona Paula if the ‘B’ Company boys at the Taleigao panchayat were to get a one-time ‘compensation’ of Rs 2 crore; and all the house tax accrued from the parked be parked in the panchayat. So, screw the sentiments of the people of Taleigao (the rest of Goa included) who fought hard to stop, what can accurately be called a hoax of ‘concrete’ proportions, if you get my drift. What next Mr. Monserrate? Tax Goans for setting their eyes on what is left of the tambdi bhaji fields before they join the rest of the concrete jungle that was once beautiful Caranzalem?

But, not this way

Remember all the tax money spent to perk up the already stately homes of our montris, Dayanand Narvekar included, despite the fact he was struck of the privileged list, albeit temporarily. Here’s more on our nawabs and their princely perks, which brings me to a point I should have made a long time ago in this column. Pandurang Madkaikar, the Prince of Cumburjua, is the only one I know who when in power, hasn’t been lavish with your tax money. And, that’s saying a lot these days. This week it’s the turn of Ramkrishna Dhavlikar, who spent just Rs 28,924.65 of your tax money perking up his official bungalow. Dhavlikar, among one half of the Band of Brothers) is the man with the thing for vanishing high security number plates that cost a bomb, and I still wonder why you protest so much. Never mind the cost dumbo, your registration plate car just turned stealth with his help. The Indian Navy has stealth warships, and you have a stealth car now that evades police radar. Go get it. You won’t regret it.
Mr. Ravi Naik, the home minister, spent Rs 1,44,399.13 to do up his official bungalow and it went like this. Rs 7,900 on a steel cupboard, Rs 23,000 on a washing machine. For the rest, read on.

Movers and packers

Apparently spartan in the luxury area, Mr. Naik however showed a huge preference for handy items and splurged your tax money on exactly 86 categories of items. And, I make this point again. What the heck happened to all replaced items? I mean who takes away old refrigerators, washing machines and cooking stoves every time new ones are bought? And then, Mr. Naik decides to change residence. So, what does he do? He simply goes shopping again. Remember, the man who strangely as home minister licensed all the floating casinos on the Mandovi, had earlier spent Rs 5,25,185 of your tax bucks to paint another bungalow where he also installed a FRP (fibre reinforced plastic) cabin costing Rs 1,07,342, but then shifted residence on October 21, 2007 to the bungalow called ‘Herambh’.

Unhealthy trend

This Tuesday, health minister Vishwajeet Rane came calling to Divar after the islanders demanded a public health centre. And were they surprised! Not by his visit silly, but by his insistence that Divar must provide suitable accomodation for the centre and its staff. So, the islanders are asking (in private of course) ‘why do we need you then. And, isn’t? your government the expert on acquiring huge land at the drop of a hat even if it is to build stadiums that none will use eventually?’ As they say, GOOD QUESTION.


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