Politicians are about self development

Egg or chicken?

What will come first, the much delayed Regional Plan 2021 for Goa or Goa’s Mineral Policy? If the former is out first, this government will fall and that is the odds on favourite and not all the income tax raids in the world will make Humpty Dumpty (read as in the seven MLA’s called the G7) fall from the wall. So, the Mineral policy will come out first because Jairam Ramesh, the Union Minister, has asked Digambar Kamat to impose a moratorium on new mining leases. The Minister of State for Environment & Forests has also returned all the proposals sent to him from Goa. Both decisions were taken under the provisions of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006. To make damn sure everybody in Goa understands this, the Director, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Dr. O.L Ahujaraj even shot off a memo, a copy of which was delivered to the Goa State Pollution Control Board.

Litmus Test

The Regional plan won’t be out because our politicians strongly believe in ‘development’ which in Goa means building huge, expensive buildings which is why the Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP) is planning to build a spanking new headquarters for itself. Because in Goa development is meant only for the self-development of politicians. And guess who will make a whack on the proposed Rs 97 crore building, though this is something that is very much in the air at the moment. Talking about air, if it gets down from there and becomes reality (or should I say Realty?) on the ground, it will mean demolishing the CCP’s existing building and constructing a new one. Unless of course, the CCP has the guts to take on the Army which has this huge plot of land adjacent to its headquarters in a prime location tucked away in the heart of Panjim which it uses as some kind of garage. The land belongs to the CCP. And if you still are confused over what will come out first, here’s a benchmark to help you make your decision. None of the 8,600 suggestions/objections made by the public have been considered for the Regional Plan by the people in charge. On the other hand, the PWD has signed an agreement with Sesa Goa by which it will acquire land for the mining company whose annual profits exceed Goa’s budget to build a 10 km long road from Codli to Panchwadi.

Should GSPC change its name?

The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPB) has received 45 complaints from individuals on mining ore dust pollution between July 1, 2009 and November 13, 2009. All the GSPB did was forward the complaint letters to such authorities as the local police station in the area, the Director of Transport or Director of Mines and Geology. What could be worse than that? So, is GSPB confused about its role in life and is actually trying to prevent punitive action against mining polluters? It should consider changing its name to Goa State Protection of Polluters Control Board.

Notorious Public

It’s not only the people who run government and those that bring it down occasionally so they can sit on the throne that are greedy and corrupt. It is also those that sit on the sidelines. Show me a trader or vendor who won’t cream you off and top it with a prayer on how corrupt the entire political establishment is. There is a new entrant to the greedy brigade – Notary Public and Sub-Registrars. The Sub-Registrar in Vasco da Gama demands and gets Rs 3,000 per sale agreement he attests. The gratifying thing is he does not assess his ‘self-development fee’ on the basis of the value of your newly-bought house like the official taxman does, he just set his ‘fee’ at Rs 3,000 and has stuck to that till last week. Considering his rather large fiefdom which includes lucrative real estate areas like Vasco itself, Sancoale and further, this modern day feudal lord hardly ever looks up from his desk as he collects his daily plunder. He even pockets the change left over after billing you for the T-Form. Not so the Notary Public. These men and women across Goa look only at that line, that damaging line that reveals how much you paid for that house, factor in that unsaid black money (and experience has gained them much knowledge) and slam you with a fee that could knock you off that cheap furniture you find in every lawyer’s office. Sometimes you get a rather convoluted lecture (I was witness to one recently in Panjim) on the revenue loss to government which you are not supposed to understand why at that point in time, but becomes abundantly apparent in a flash after you are told the cost of that crucial signature.

Cashing in on river Mandovi

Aditya Puri, the HDFC’s MD stretched his banking experience to the banks of the river Mandovi in Ribandar just after the Chorao Island ferry crossing. Awed villagers there wonder what it takes for Goans to build such a huge bungalow on the banks of the river with a swimming pool thrown in for good measure. Further down the road villagers say a son of Anju Timblo bought out the erstwhile Camelot (the antique furniture shop) and is restoring it in a way only she can do, swimming pool and all (again), and with the gusto of all that experience gained from building her 5-star resort Cidade de Goa at Curla, Vainguinim beach near Dona Paula. But, can she restore our lost faith in her through the restoration work currently going on?


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