Flying Circus - V

You ain't seen nothin yet!

Fortunately for your tax bucks, Francisco ‘Mickky’ Pacheco, the former Minister for Tourism blinked first in the Mexican stand-off and resigned, but don’t pop that bubbly yet, your good cheer could end sooner than later. Because, instinct suggests that Srikanth Halarnkar as tourism minister (as I write this on June 15) may already have both eyes on the tourism convention calendar and a hand on the phone. You have doubts? Then why did he say post-induction: “I have no demands blah, blah, blah”. Plus this gem: “I will resign my ministership if Mickky Pacheco gets back” or words to this effect. In the double-talk of politicians, it simply, means: “Demands? Boy, I haven’t even begun/just wait till I start making them.” Also, for the reason that tourism ministers and officials of both the Goa Tourism Development Corporation and Tourism Department simply can’t resist packing their bags and taking off behind their masters on foreign junkets, like supporting actors, in the Flying Circus. In the past, it happened each time a new minister took charge, Mickky only took it to a new level. His reputation for long-haul flying even gave Manohar Parrikar the opportunity to sack him as a minister while on an expense-paid trip on 4 June 2004. Heaven help us if he were the sports minister today. His air and World Cup tickets would have been a waste after costing us an arm and a leg. To think, he would have stayed the entire course of the World Cup.

On Mickky’s trail

On 09-17, 2008 November he flew Mumbai-London-Mumbai which cost Rs 2,54,489 and was paid DA of Rs 23,076. The question is, should a government perk like DA be paid to a minister on a foreign junket when even his restaurant tips are covered. It’s logical or rather or rather makes sense if a minister flies off to Mumbai, but abroad, DA? Then there was his cab fare (see what I mean?) of Rs 2,40,000 (did he hire helicopters?) and hotel expenditure of Rs 1,49,310 making it a grand total of Rs 6,66,875 of tax money squandered away. Wasted, because what good does it do, participating in foreign tourism conventions to sell Goa over and over again with nothing new to offer and even less to show by way of improved tourist infrastructure. The squalor in the Colva creek will persist, tourists will continue to balance sightseeing with garbage sighting, and get short-changed at each transaction virtually.

Mickky gets picky

On 20-24, 2009 September he flew Mumbai-Dubai-DME (Russia)-Dubai-Mumbai, Business Class which cost Rs 53,710, was paid DA of Rs 8,104, strangely did not incur any cab fare but incurred a hotel expenditure of Rs 81,600. Total: Rs 1,43,414.

Goldfinger gets brazen

Yeah, I know, I know, he doesn’t wear them nowadays, but I couldn’t resist it. He was airborne again on 09-22 November, 2009 flying Doha-London-Helsinki-Copenhagen-Zurich-Rome-London-Doha, Business Class, spending Rs 1,87,621 on airfare, got paid DA of Rs 64,650, spending nothing on cab fare and incurring a huge Rs 1,36,386 on hotels. Total: Rs 3,88,657. All of which really, really makes the airfare of Rs 2,54,489 to London very, very suspect, as is the equally questionable cab fare of Rs 2,40,000 and I do know London cab fares are exorbitant. But to spend Rs 34,285.71 per day on cabs when you are supposed to be hard selling Goa! Whatever the facts behind these three hugely unnecessary junkets, Micky did manage to spend Rs 11,98,946 of your hard earned money. But with every new fact tumbling out on la affaire Mickky, go figure the hows and wherefores.

Fellow rambler, Minister for Education

2008 Year of Coincidence

Like his buddies, Babush began his flying with that familiar airdash to you know where on 22-23 September, at a cost of Rs 57,510+355, total Rs 57,865; followed by another to Delhi on 25-26 November, Rs 51,320+355, total Rs 51,675. Why coincidence? It just happened that of the 17 flights he took, nine took place when Vishwajeet Rane was also in Mumbai, which to the Goa G-7, is like Davos is to the real G-8 and corporate czars. For the same reason that on 15-21 December (cost: Rs 24,705+1,655, total 26,360) when he flew to Mumbai, Rane was there (18-24). Still think I’m on a flight of fancy?

2009 more happening together

He began the year with a flight to Delhi-Mumbai between 06-11 January, that cost Rs 60,828. Rane was there too (06-09). 08-11 April, Mumbai, Rs 19,868+960, total Rs 20,828; 13-17 April, Mumbai, Rs 19,868+1,185, total Rs 21,053. Monseratte’s next five flights to Mumbai coincided with Rane being there YET AGAIN. Rane was in Mumbai on 27 April-01 June. The flights are: 1) 27-28 April, Mumbai, Rs 22,013+520, total Rs 22,533. 2) 15-24 May, Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai, Rs 63,787+2,340, total Rs 66,127. 3) 19-21 May, Mumbai, Rs 20,268+780, total Rs 21,048. 4) 22-24 May, Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai, Rs 61,706+702, total Rs 62,408. 5) 27-28 May, Mumbai, Rs 20,268+442, total Rs 20,710. 10-13 June, Mumbai, Rs 20,268+962, total Rs 21,230; 30 June-01 July, Mumbai, Rs 22,432+442, total Rs 22,874; 09-10 August, Mumbai, Rs 22,432+442, total Rs 22,874. RANE WAS THERE TOO (he took a same flight) when Monseratte flew Delhi-Mumbai on 1-16 October, Rs 65,423+743, total Rs 66,166; 23-25 October, Delhi-Mumbai, Rs 58,962+702, total Rs 59,664.

2010 Two minds with but one thought

Rane was again in Mumbai when Monseratte flew to Mumbai on 06-07 February, Rs 23,430+442, total RS 23,872. In the end a total of Rs 6,48,115 was spent on flying him Business Class only, mostly to Mumbai and no guesses why. It is where Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel of the National Congress Party hatch conspiracies against the Congress).

The Flying Club Cost so far:

Ravi Naik Rs 04,08,749

Vishwajeet Rane Rs 17,56,397

Digambar Kamat Rs 13,26,144

Dayanand Narvekar Rs 1,36,275

Joaquim Alemao Rs 12,34,442

Churchill Alemao Rs 14,28,633

Mickky Pacheco Rs 11,98,946

Babush’ Monseratte Rs 6,48,115

Grand Total: Rs 81,377,01


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