Only in Goa

Elbowed out in Mapusa

Do you know why locals can never find a spot to park at Mapusa’s paid parking? It’s because the town’s Godfathers have given taxis the pride of place, and other taxi drivers who can’t squeeze in there, as an alternative, park in the remaining areas which you would think should have been reserved for the likes of you and me. Not happening, never going to happen I’ll go out on a limb to say. You see your cab driver here makes as much as his counterpart in New York --well, at least the fares he charges are the same as in the Big Apple-- so he can afford to park there, even if it is for several hours. Another reason you and I can never find parking space is because tourists in their SUVs often treat the car park as a rest and recreation area. Locals going to the Friday Market as a result are compelled often to park inside the Garden Centre building, a fair distance away and have to trudge to and fro with their bags.

28 days of work

Did you notice Panjim’s traffic cops making money hand over fist on February 1st? They descended on the city with a vengeance never seen before and they made a pile and were shameless as only they can be. And all the while as they were performing their sleight of hand tricks, the ‘regulars’ that is, the trucks bringing goods into the city were left alone as they continued like they do every day, to disrupt traffic which often has to wait as entire consignments are unloaded in the middle of a road. February must be a great month for traffic cops –they work for only 28 days but get paid for 31, plus those additional benefits just described.

Only in Goa

It happens only here. Many shop owners are back to insisting on a two per cent ‘levy’ on credit card transactions. Ask them why and they tell you rather audaciously that the banks on the contrary charge them a fee. This self-levied ‘duty’ happened many years ago, but was mercifully withdrawn. But it’s back. Whereas you can migrate to any mobile provider and still retain your old number, all done, at a mere transfer cost of Rs 19. In Goa, Vodofone at least refused me –‘wait till March end’-- when I decided to quit Idea which most times is as dead as the Dodo if not unreachable.

A hush-hush housing project

Pilar is described as a village that is entrenched atop a hill and hence makes available breathtaking views of the Mandovi river. It is the next frontier that will be conquered now that the coast in North and South Goa is chok-a-block with building projects whether they are hotels or houses. It’s supposed to be hush-hush but the paperwork is almost complete. The Radisson or rather Zuri Varca Goa White Sands Resort & Casino Goa is all set to start another project in addition to the two it already has. Pilar is the location and apartments is the project. Those living along the river Mandovi – all the way from Miramar to Old Goa – will be envying the residents in the new project at Pilar because not only is the village untouched so far but the view will be to die for. But why hush-hush? That’s a no-brainer considering Gram Sabhas have been reverberating with outrage from locals about the damage to the environment by rapacious builders. So mum is the word.

The taste of Thanda

It’s back to the Secretariat where all the fun (read: entertainment) takes place. The canteen owner up on the hill must be a happy man. Just goes to show, you don’t need a beach shack license to rake in the moolah. The Hill will do fine, thank you. Between April 2007 and March 2008 your Montris spent Rs 3,68,785 on refreshments only or cool drinks as they are called at any Railway station platform across India. To be honest, not all of them or their thirsty visitors needed to be refreshed. But this one is a real corkscrew -- they consumed the least during the warmest months! Thus, they consumed Rs 13,524 worth of refreshments in April 2007, Rs 4,848 in May and Rs 19,517 in June of the same year. But in November the figure was Rs 59,254, Rs 30,913 in December 2007 and Rs 43,787 in January 2008. Their consumption lost its fizz in March 2008 dropping to Rs 32,159.

The Chief Minister spent a lavish Rs 67,363 entertaining visitors, the Home Minister Rs 35,787, the Revenue Minister Rs 22,196, the Water Resources & Forest Minister Rs 18,751. The Urban Development, bless his kind soul, spent just Rs 7,539. The Panchayati Raj Minister spent Rs 71,650. The Tourism Minister spent Rs 27,510. The Minister for Health spent Rs 30,345, the Minister for PWD, Science & Technology Rs 34,101. The Minister for Transport/SW spent Rs 17,596. Another one liner to add to the shack inference made --if you feel thirsty, simply visit your friendly neighbourhood Montri up on the hill. That’s it for now, more cheer on this next week.

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