Sheriff of Nottingham
Phew, I got tired of the number crunching the last two weeks, so I am going to give us all a respite. I’m just yanking your chain. Sorry, doesn’t happen that way by a long shot. But you know what, when you all wake up from your deep-seated sleep, then maybe we can at least stop the politician at the door, if not shut the door on him. Till then here’s another adrenalin rush. The Sheriff of Nottingham otherwise known as Filipe Neri Rodrigues, the Forest Minister. called another meeting of the Goa State Board for Wildlife that has now come to be virtually an annual affair. The August 25 meet, it turned out, was destined to miss out on crucial issues at hand. Last year, at a similar meet, a tiger enclosure for Bondla was shoved into the faces of all those who attended on the day of the meeting itself. This meet was concerned only with the Goa Forest Development’s intent to tie up with Southern River Adventures & Sports Pvt. Ltd. Now, anything that happens in Goa is through the back door, or through a window left ajar. Never the front door.
Pity the Madhei river
The people living in a 15 km stretch of river from Codal on the northern tributary of the Mhadei which joins the eastern tributary coming from Krishnapur and ending at Sonal, will if this plan is followed through, be the next recipients of a whole slew of irritants including roughnecks who will mix the effervescence of booze with the froth of white water rafting. That, of course in the name of tourism and who gives a crap what you and I think. This is how the Sheriff of Nottingham looks at it, and I quote the actual minutes of the meet: “This stretch of river offers stunning scenery, many exciting rapids (approx. 30) and is perhaps the most challenging than any other rafting section in South India. As in Dandeli, the Mhadei section runs through the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, though at no point of time will forest be touched enroute to any place. It is only the waters which will be used with both the start (Codal-Derodem bridge) and finish point (Sonal) out of the sanctuary limits.” They said that of the sand dunes, remember; of the beaches, of public access to beaches, of the River Princess (the salvage, that is), of IFFI (International Film Festival of India), of SEZs (Special Economic Zones), of, of ……..; all those were pushed through, delete that, bulldozed over you because they were supposed to be good for you. Look what happened. No dunes, 5-star hotels where depleting beaches stood, an iffy IFFI, a stranded Princess and SEZs entangled in lawsuits.
Will Dudhsagar fall?
A board member Tribolo D’Souza raised the issue again of freeing the limit on the number (98) of vehicles permitted to take tourists to Dudhsagar falls. I am told he does this as ritualistically as the monsoons falling over the Western Ghats. The limit was rightly imposed to protect the area which is part of the Bhagwan Mahavir National Park. Now, apart from being a pal of a pal of the Sheriff of Nottingham, D’Souza owns taxis and has a restaurant there. What more can I say? In fact, the entire approach to the 4/6 laning of NH4A which was on the agenda, was how should I say, as wanting as the Board’s will to protect wildlife.
The ‘Kala’ of money
This government has a compulsive obsession with building Ravindra Bhavans and Kala Bhavans. Its stated policy is that these edifices are built when people want them, only then. Since you and I have not gone stark raving mad yet despite all that happens around us, we know that’s not true. And culture vultures we are not. The things we want, we don’t get, garbage clearance being just one in a growing list of To Do’s. For many senior citizens these wishes must have gone into their Bucket List. The government had approved Ravindra Bhavans/mini Kala Bhavans for Sanquelim, Mormugao, Pernem, Mapusa, Canacona and Valpoi. Which means your wish list won’t fructify even into the next decade. Because all your tax bucks are poured like concrete into making Goa a haven for bhavans. The score so far; the Ravindra Bhavan at Curchorem, the Rajiv Gandhi Kala Mandir at Ponda and the Ravindra Bhavan at Margao have been constructed. The Ravindra Bhavan at Sanquelim and the Ravindra Bhavan at Baina in Vasco da Gama and the Ravindra Bhavan on the Verna-Dabolim bypass are under construction.
…And it’s Green
The cost of the newly installed sound system at the Ravindra Bhavan in Margao is believe it or not Rs 54,95,692. With that money, the entire village you live in could have been beautified for posterity. Bad news, I know. It gets worse. The amount spent on the old sound system was Rs 24,06,325. That’s Rs 79,02,017 only to make loud sounds. It cost you and I Rs 38,52,800 to replace the chairs. The total cost on capital expenditure incurred till this year was Rs 25,63,74,861. The cost of maintenance incurred since its inauguration was Rs 26,93,537. And I am told you could get your doctorate if you investigated the repairs that have been carried out to the south west walls and the ceiling of the foyer area of the main building. When last heard of, the PWD was asked to recover the cost of the work from the contractor. Add that to your thesis. Yes, it’s that same PWD that can’t get its contractors to build decent roads. Finally, to add insult to your injury be advised that the Margao bhavan was partly constructed on Communidade land that was acquired by the government probably for peanuts. And the winner is the Chief Minister who is also the Minister for Art & Culture, Digambar Kamat.
(feedback lionroars.goa@gmail.com, 9822152164)
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Wining and Dining Faleiro-style
The chosen ones
Last week you read how Rs 3,31,47,262 was spent on the shenanigans of the NRI Commissioner Eduardo Faleiro. When I said partying at conventions, I was serious, very serious. Here’s how some of that money was spent. A symposium on NRIs and family values held at the Goa International Centre, Dona Paula in Panjim on July 22, 2006 cost Rs 2,89,418. A huge sum of Rs 39,31,470 was spent on the Global Goans Convention 2007 held at the Cidade de Goa (yes, the chosen one) on January 3-5, 2007. Rs 7,23,421 was blown up on the 7th Know India programme for Diaspora youth on September 2-15, 2007. No venue was specified in the RTI data. A conference on Indian expats in the Gulf held at Hotel Mandovi, Panjim on March 29, 2008 cost Rs 1,98,308. A sum of Rs 3,88,740 was spent on a conference on building bridges with Africa on July 12, 2008 at the Cidade de Goa. The 1st Know Goa programme for Goan diaspora youth held jointly in Goa and Delhi on November 30 and December 14 of 2008 cost you Rs 13,47,689. I can’t begin to tell you how many times these well-heeled Goan youth must have holidayed in Goa prior to this extravaganza, and now we give them a paid holiday in Goa and one to Delhi just for good measure. Then there was Faleiro’s magnum opus: a conference on migration trends and the Goa Migration Study 2008 at the Goa International Centre held on October 9, 2009. Cost: Rs 1,66,180. Also, if you recall from last Sunday, the study cost Rs 20L, and Faleiro also flew to Kerala at a cost Rs 1,39,781 for the purpose.
More tears for tax-payers
Next he organized a 2nd Know Goa programme in Goa and Delhi from November 30-December 14, 2008 an extravaganza that cost you Rs 14,99,877. Makes you want to pull out your hair. Finally, a conference called ‘Goans in Europe and Europeans in Goa: Cultural experiences and identity’ at Hotel Nova Goa, Panjim on December 11, 2009 that cost Rs 52,949. Yes, I know that word identity again, and all that money blown on a Lost Cause. Hollywood makes sequels, Faleiro makes re-runs of lost causes or as some would say lost cause found again. In the end, the lost cause really was the Rs 85,98,052 spent on partying at conventions. And when they were not carousing, they were flying.
The joy(stick) of flying
Between Faleiro, VAdm John D’Silva (retd), Chairman of the Overseas Employment Agency of Goa, and U.D Kamat, the Director for NRI Affairs, they spent Rs 4,22,781 on flying within the country in 2009-10. Faleiro did that Kerala trip that cost Rs 1,39,781 on May 10-17, 2009. He flew to Bangalore on July 1-8 – Rs 40,746, to Delhi on August 2-8 - Rs 59,247, to Delhi on October 20-24 - Rs 1,22,715 and to Bangalore again on January 25-31, 2010 - Rs 9,277. It’s been questioned here before and needs to be posed again. How on earth do Goa’s politicians pay well over Rs 1L for a single (allegedly) ticket? D’Silva flew to Delhi on July 22-25, 2009 – Rs 10,651, to Bangalore and Delhi on August 23-30 – Rs 9,118 and to Delhi on September 7-10, 2009 – Rs 23,248. Kamat flew once, to Hyderabad, on July 25-27 – Rs 7,998. If you see the humour in it, Faleiro’s flying abroad in fact could entitle him to become a non-resident Goan himself. Well, at least, a BRG (barely resident Goan).
Run(away) costs
In 2008-09 Rs 8,14,833 of your tax bucks was spent on them flying within the country. You could also call it run(away) costs of flying and the pun is hugely intended. Faleiro flew to Delhi on April 24-26, 2008 - Rs 38,885, to Delhi, Vishakapatnam and Hyderabad on June 22-July 6 – Rs 62,333, to Delhi on August 20-27 – Rs 46,985, to Delhi on September 20-23 – at a huge cost of Rs 99,156, to Delhi again on October 19-23 – at a massive, massive cost of Rs 1,46,557, to Delhi on October 28-November 1 – Rs 55,397, to Mumbai on November 11-17 – Rs 25,070, to Delhi on March 1-6, 2009 – again incurring a massive Rs 1,60,997. The question is why did Faleiro spend Rs 6,35,680 flying mostly between April-November of 2008 to destinations one can safely assume had little or nothing to do with his job (officially at least) at hand. Incidentally, both D’Silva and Kamat also did their bit of flying --to the same destinations. So were they shadowing Faleiro or simply duplicating his work? D’Silva flew to Delhi (2), Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram, while Kamat flew to Delhi (5), Hyderabad and Mumbai. In 2007-08 the trio spent Rs 5,33,805, Faleiro doing the bulk of the costlier flying once again. Like his Rs 1,06,789 flight to Delhi on October 21-27, 2007, another to Mumbai-Vishakhapatnam-Hyderabad-Mumbai on July 2-8, 2007 – Rs 47,194 and another to Mumbai on January 3-6, 2008 - Rs 53,472. D’Silva flew Bangalore-Hyderabad-Chennai on April 17-20, 2007 – Rs 41,388. In all they flew 19 times, the same as the year earlier. In 2006-07 they flew 15 times at a cost to you of Rs 3,42,649, D’Silva making a Rs 31,780 flight to Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram, a destination that also attracted Kamat.
Report on the report
I know you are curious, so here are the facts. The cost of the Goa Migration Study 2008 was Rs 20L, while the cost of flying to Thiruvananthapuram where the study was invented was Rs 2,03,522. If you like to see it, it’s available at the office of the Commissioner for NRI Affairs at the Porvorim Secretariat. But don’t bother, you won’t find anything you already don’t know.
(feedback lionroars.goa@gmail.com, 9822152164)
Last week you read how Rs 3,31,47,262 was spent on the shenanigans of the NRI Commissioner Eduardo Faleiro. When I said partying at conventions, I was serious, very serious. Here’s how some of that money was spent. A symposium on NRIs and family values held at the Goa International Centre, Dona Paula in Panjim on July 22, 2006 cost Rs 2,89,418. A huge sum of Rs 39,31,470 was spent on the Global Goans Convention 2007 held at the Cidade de Goa (yes, the chosen one) on January 3-5, 2007. Rs 7,23,421 was blown up on the 7th Know India programme for Diaspora youth on September 2-15, 2007. No venue was specified in the RTI data. A conference on Indian expats in the Gulf held at Hotel Mandovi, Panjim on March 29, 2008 cost Rs 1,98,308. A sum of Rs 3,88,740 was spent on a conference on building bridges with Africa on July 12, 2008 at the Cidade de Goa. The 1st Know Goa programme for Goan diaspora youth held jointly in Goa and Delhi on November 30 and December 14 of 2008 cost you Rs 13,47,689. I can’t begin to tell you how many times these well-heeled Goan youth must have holidayed in Goa prior to this extravaganza, and now we give them a paid holiday in Goa and one to Delhi just for good measure. Then there was Faleiro’s magnum opus: a conference on migration trends and the Goa Migration Study 2008 at the Goa International Centre held on October 9, 2009. Cost: Rs 1,66,180. Also, if you recall from last Sunday, the study cost Rs 20L, and Faleiro also flew to Kerala at a cost Rs 1,39,781 for the purpose.
More tears for tax-payers
Next he organized a 2nd Know Goa programme in Goa and Delhi from November 30-December 14, 2008 an extravaganza that cost you Rs 14,99,877. Makes you want to pull out your hair. Finally, a conference called ‘Goans in Europe and Europeans in Goa: Cultural experiences and identity’ at Hotel Nova Goa, Panjim on December 11, 2009 that cost Rs 52,949. Yes, I know that word identity again, and all that money blown on a Lost Cause. Hollywood makes sequels, Faleiro makes re-runs of lost causes or as some would say lost cause found again. In the end, the lost cause really was the Rs 85,98,052 spent on partying at conventions. And when they were not carousing, they were flying.
The joy(stick) of flying
Between Faleiro, VAdm John D’Silva (retd), Chairman of the Overseas Employment Agency of Goa, and U.D Kamat, the Director for NRI Affairs, they spent Rs 4,22,781 on flying within the country in 2009-10. Faleiro did that Kerala trip that cost Rs 1,39,781 on May 10-17, 2009. He flew to Bangalore on July 1-8 – Rs 40,746, to Delhi on August 2-8 - Rs 59,247, to Delhi on October 20-24 - Rs 1,22,715 and to Bangalore again on January 25-31, 2010 - Rs 9,277. It’s been questioned here before and needs to be posed again. How on earth do Goa’s politicians pay well over Rs 1L for a single (allegedly) ticket? D’Silva flew to Delhi on July 22-25, 2009 – Rs 10,651, to Bangalore and Delhi on August 23-30 – Rs 9,118 and to Delhi on September 7-10, 2009 – Rs 23,248. Kamat flew once, to Hyderabad, on July 25-27 – Rs 7,998. If you see the humour in it, Faleiro’s flying abroad in fact could entitle him to become a non-resident Goan himself. Well, at least, a BRG (barely resident Goan).
Run(away) costs
In 2008-09 Rs 8,14,833 of your tax bucks was spent on them flying within the country. You could also call it run(away) costs of flying and the pun is hugely intended. Faleiro flew to Delhi on April 24-26, 2008 - Rs 38,885, to Delhi, Vishakapatnam and Hyderabad on June 22-July 6 – Rs 62,333, to Delhi on August 20-27 – Rs 46,985, to Delhi on September 20-23 – at a huge cost of Rs 99,156, to Delhi again on October 19-23 – at a massive, massive cost of Rs 1,46,557, to Delhi on October 28-November 1 – Rs 55,397, to Mumbai on November 11-17 – Rs 25,070, to Delhi on March 1-6, 2009 – again incurring a massive Rs 1,60,997. The question is why did Faleiro spend Rs 6,35,680 flying mostly between April-November of 2008 to destinations one can safely assume had little or nothing to do with his job (officially at least) at hand. Incidentally, both D’Silva and Kamat also did their bit of flying --to the same destinations. So were they shadowing Faleiro or simply duplicating his work? D’Silva flew to Delhi (2), Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram, while Kamat flew to Delhi (5), Hyderabad and Mumbai. In 2007-08 the trio spent Rs 5,33,805, Faleiro doing the bulk of the costlier flying once again. Like his Rs 1,06,789 flight to Delhi on October 21-27, 2007, another to Mumbai-Vishakhapatnam-Hyderabad-Mumbai on July 2-8, 2007 – Rs 47,194 and another to Mumbai on January 3-6, 2008 - Rs 53,472. D’Silva flew Bangalore-Hyderabad-Chennai on April 17-20, 2007 – Rs 41,388. In all they flew 19 times, the same as the year earlier. In 2006-07 they flew 15 times at a cost to you of Rs 3,42,649, D’Silva making a Rs 31,780 flight to Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram, a destination that also attracted Kamat.
Report on the report
I know you are curious, so here are the facts. The cost of the Goa Migration Study 2008 was Rs 20L, while the cost of flying to Thiruvananthapuram where the study was invented was Rs 2,03,522. If you like to see it, it’s available at the office of the Commissioner for NRI Affairs at the Porvorim Secretariat. But don’t bother, you won’t find anything you already don’t know.
(feedback lionroars.goa@gmail.com, 9822152164)
Faleiro Flying Files
Nature of the beast -Public Office
Who can blame you, if after you read this you want to avoid the taxman for eternity? In other words like the statutory warning that says smoking could be injurious to your health, reading this is. Certainly don’t show it to your kids, they may want to become politicians. Aires Rodrigues, that other pain in the butt for many, says Rs 3,31,47,262, that is, 3 crores 31 lakh 47 thousand 262 rupees of your tax bucks was spent on NRI Commissioner Eduardo Faleiro and on his often desolate office in the Secretariat at Porvorim from February 23, 2006 till June this year. As you will see, considerable amounts of it were spent combusting aviation fuel, precisely Rs 28,93,260, only on travels abroad sometimes along with his two buddies U.D Kamat, the Director, NRI Affairs and Vice Adm. John D’Silva (retd), Chairman, Overseas Employment Agency of Goa (OEAG), a post that Faleiro created as an extension of the gravy train. Their travels within India cost you Rs 13,53,342 in tax bucks. Total: Rs 42,46,602. Airline counters must love the sight of him in these days of crippling aviation fuel costs and price wars. So does the Kerala-based Centre for Development Studies (CDS) which was paid Rs 20L to do that Goa Migration Study 2008 which I am positive if you googled, you could learn more about the subject. Or, simply choose to ask any one of the many Goan associations abroad which I can vouch will give you authentic answers. Because, talking migration and identity loss has a richly stimulating effect on quite a few Goans these days. Which is perhaps what Faleiro had in mind to be fair to him, but he got his modus operandi all wrong.
Praise the Lord for tax money
Hallelujah. You can almost hear Faleiro saying that. But shed tears for the tax-payer. I have not seen the report but I wonder how CDS could have researched; 1) The magnitudes and dimensions of migration from Goa and return migration to Goa; 2) Assess annual flow and estimation of remittances from Goan emigrants; 3) Study socio-economic effect of migration on households; 4) Understand rehabilitation issues of return emigrants; within a short span of time. Because the 2008 report was released (released, not handed over to Faleiro) on June 2, 2009. Bingo, Faleiro did make an expensive trip to Kerala on May 10-17, 2009 that cost you Rs 1,39,781 which I know makes you wonder because for that price you could fly around the world. The researchers would have had to run through entire Goa to research any one of the parameters, leave alone all three in so short a time. In fact, it would be interesting to evaluate the flow of remittances if at all the researchers got within even an arm’s length of the figures. I doubt if the Reserve Bank of India has a ballpark figure considering the complexities involved and types (including destinations from) of remittances. Who approved the research methodology? Say a short prayer for Goa University which has at least some Goans and as a result could have done a better job. At least GU would have been answerable to the Goan tax-payer.
During that time Feb 2006-June 2010 Faleiro’s rent-free NRI office cost you Rs 67,63,055 on salaries. He gave out grant-in-aid of Rs 30L, that is Rs 20L in 2007-08, Rs 5L each in 2008-09 and 2009-10. Advertising his feats cost Rs 17,72,223. Professional services cost Rs 1,65,717. Other charges, whatever that is, took up Rs 1,60,37,914, I kid you not. Bottomline, while his flying cost Rs 42,46,602, office expenses cost Rs 2,89,00,660. What did it achieve? Positively nothing, apart from the partying at conventions abroad, that is.
Green grass on the other side
If you think there must have been some positive gains from all that expenditure, think again. After all Churchill Alemao, who knows best what is good for south Goa (and now Karwar too) did say all those mega housing projects provide jobs to Goans as security guards. Then believe this, because under the head achievements, this is what the Under Secretary, Home Department, Foreigner’s & Citizenship Division, has to say: 1) “The OEAG has imparted skill up-gradation and foreign orientation”. 2) On the migration study: “Goa is the second State after Kerala to have done a scientific migration study”. 3) “Goa Cards have been issued to nearly 500 Goan expatriates so far on request on payment of Rs 250. Holders get faster access and better attention from government offices and the benefits include concessions by government undertakings, private hospitals, and hotels.” 4) The Goa Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 1968 was amended to protect the property rights of NRIs. 5) A website globalgoans.org.in was hosted. 6) A “well represented” state level committee reportedly solves grievances of non-resident Goans and has “taken up follow-up action on various issues with the departments concerned and resolved several issues to the satisfaction of affected NRGs.” The under-secretary’s five-page report however did not give a stitch of evidence to support any of the ‘achievements’ of the Commissioner for NRI Affairs. 7) “A Goa scholarships programme for Diaspora children was established”. 8) “My Village scheme for expatriates keen to participate in developing their villages and towns in Goa was established.” There are more ‘achievement’ claims in the report like expediting compensation provided by the United Nations Claims Commission for Kuwaiti war victims which would otherwise have lapsed. But you would like to see the list, wouldn’t you? I would too, thank you. In fact, do check the website and make your own informed judgement.
(feedback lionroars.goa@gmail.com, 9822152164)
Who can blame you, if after you read this you want to avoid the taxman for eternity? In other words like the statutory warning that says smoking could be injurious to your health, reading this is. Certainly don’t show it to your kids, they may want to become politicians. Aires Rodrigues, that other pain in the butt for many, says Rs 3,31,47,262, that is, 3 crores 31 lakh 47 thousand 262 rupees of your tax bucks was spent on NRI Commissioner Eduardo Faleiro and on his often desolate office in the Secretariat at Porvorim from February 23, 2006 till June this year. As you will see, considerable amounts of it were spent combusting aviation fuel, precisely Rs 28,93,260, only on travels abroad sometimes along with his two buddies U.D Kamat, the Director, NRI Affairs and Vice Adm. John D’Silva (retd), Chairman, Overseas Employment Agency of Goa (OEAG), a post that Faleiro created as an extension of the gravy train. Their travels within India cost you Rs 13,53,342 in tax bucks. Total: Rs 42,46,602. Airline counters must love the sight of him in these days of crippling aviation fuel costs and price wars. So does the Kerala-based Centre for Development Studies (CDS) which was paid Rs 20L to do that Goa Migration Study 2008 which I am positive if you googled, you could learn more about the subject. Or, simply choose to ask any one of the many Goan associations abroad which I can vouch will give you authentic answers. Because, talking migration and identity loss has a richly stimulating effect on quite a few Goans these days. Which is perhaps what Faleiro had in mind to be fair to him, but he got his modus operandi all wrong.
Praise the Lord for tax money
Hallelujah. You can almost hear Faleiro saying that. But shed tears for the tax-payer. I have not seen the report but I wonder how CDS could have researched; 1) The magnitudes and dimensions of migration from Goa and return migration to Goa; 2) Assess annual flow and estimation of remittances from Goan emigrants; 3) Study socio-economic effect of migration on households; 4) Understand rehabilitation issues of return emigrants; within a short span of time. Because the 2008 report was released (released, not handed over to Faleiro) on June 2, 2009. Bingo, Faleiro did make an expensive trip to Kerala on May 10-17, 2009 that cost you Rs 1,39,781 which I know makes you wonder because for that price you could fly around the world. The researchers would have had to run through entire Goa to research any one of the parameters, leave alone all three in so short a time. In fact, it would be interesting to evaluate the flow of remittances if at all the researchers got within even an arm’s length of the figures. I doubt if the Reserve Bank of India has a ballpark figure considering the complexities involved and types (including destinations from) of remittances. Who approved the research methodology? Say a short prayer for Goa University which has at least some Goans and as a result could have done a better job. At least GU would have been answerable to the Goan tax-payer.
During that time Feb 2006-June 2010 Faleiro’s rent-free NRI office cost you Rs 67,63,055 on salaries. He gave out grant-in-aid of Rs 30L, that is Rs 20L in 2007-08, Rs 5L each in 2008-09 and 2009-10. Advertising his feats cost Rs 17,72,223. Professional services cost Rs 1,65,717. Other charges, whatever that is, took up Rs 1,60,37,914, I kid you not. Bottomline, while his flying cost Rs 42,46,602, office expenses cost Rs 2,89,00,660. What did it achieve? Positively nothing, apart from the partying at conventions abroad, that is.
Green grass on the other side
If you think there must have been some positive gains from all that expenditure, think again. After all Churchill Alemao, who knows best what is good for south Goa (and now Karwar too) did say all those mega housing projects provide jobs to Goans as security guards. Then believe this, because under the head achievements, this is what the Under Secretary, Home Department, Foreigner’s & Citizenship Division, has to say: 1) “The OEAG has imparted skill up-gradation and foreign orientation”. 2) On the migration study: “Goa is the second State after Kerala to have done a scientific migration study”. 3) “Goa Cards have been issued to nearly 500 Goan expatriates so far on request on payment of Rs 250. Holders get faster access and better attention from government offices and the benefits include concessions by government undertakings, private hospitals, and hotels.” 4) The Goa Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 1968 was amended to protect the property rights of NRIs. 5) A website globalgoans.org.in was hosted. 6) A “well represented” state level committee reportedly solves grievances of non-resident Goans and has “taken up follow-up action on various issues with the departments concerned and resolved several issues to the satisfaction of affected NRGs.” The under-secretary’s five-page report however did not give a stitch of evidence to support any of the ‘achievements’ of the Commissioner for NRI Affairs. 7) “A Goa scholarships programme for Diaspora children was established”. 8) “My Village scheme for expatriates keen to participate in developing their villages and towns in Goa was established.” There are more ‘achievement’ claims in the report like expediting compensation provided by the United Nations Claims Commission for Kuwaiti war victims which would otherwise have lapsed. But you would like to see the list, wouldn’t you? I would too, thank you. In fact, do check the website and make your own informed judgement.
(feedback lionroars.goa@gmail.com, 9822152164)
Driving You Crazy
Of Mad Men and Crazy Women on the Roads
Last week I asked why the traffic police ever bothered to apologise for the mayhem on the roads. For once I find myself defending them because frankly, theirs is a lost cause. We have many, many madmen and a few crazy women too on the roads. The traffic police identified 60 accident prone zones in the north and 40 in the south, narrowing down the main causes to “rash and negligent driving, over speeding, dangerous overtaking, lane cutting, drunken driving, fault of pedestrians, bad roads, mechanical defects, and stray cattle.” I find five categories missing here; the PWD, the bully government driver, the insensitive taxi driver and the trigger happy truck/utility van driver, 98 percent of whom are migrants who pop in an out of the many cheap bars at regular intervals in the course of work, and/or rich kids whose parents are walking ATMs. Ah, that brings me to Goa’s ubiquitous bars. Somehow this Goan edifice does not figure in the list. Shouldn’t it? Look at the many cars parked outside favourite watering holes on just the one highway itself. In fact rather than the row over late night drinking hours, it should have been about strict closure after 2pm. But that doesn’t happen, so at Gene bar opposite the Goa Institute of Management in Ribandar, for example, no one quits before 4pm which is when the bar shuts down for the afternoon. This is also where quite a few tourists have literally one for the road before driving off to Karnataka! Yet in 2009 ‘under the influence of drinking’ made up a miserly Rs 1,16,200 of the Rs 3,28,25,050 collected as fines by the traffic police. And I almost forgot, the most dangerous of all causes, your friendly neighbourhood MLA who gets hot lined immediately a voter is caught and makes the case go away. Cars with tinted glasses were fined Rs 7,27,700. Improper number plates produced Rs 8,57,900 and then I begin to wonder, is the traffic cop really blameless?
Too Fast Too Furious
That would be the best way to describe many drivers in Goa and yet two-wheel riders collectively paid Rs 75,83,900 for not wearing helmets and drivers without seat belts paid a collective Rs 20,05,700. Dangerous parking, whatever that means earned fines of Rs 18,55,600 while drivers using a mobile while driving paid Rs 8,37,100 in fines. Which you would think would actually run into several crores considering the only ones who don’t mobile-talk and drive are bus drivers simply because they are in such a tearing hurry to get from point A to B, they have no time for chatter. Though, if their vehicles were fitted with power steering, I wonder! Where am I going with this? Apart from those certified mad men on the roads, I am not too sure the traffic police are entirely or even partially blameless.
Right time, right place cops
Rash and negligent drivers paid a fine of Rs 36,71,050 of the total of Rs 3,28,25,050. Add Rs 16,00,100 for over speeding to that and it looks too easy for the traffic police. Look again at all the categories above. It is obvious Goa’s drivers (described here) are just easy prey because they don’t care about getting caught. All that the traffic police have to do is wait for the inevitable to happen, like football strikers, many of whom earn their keep by simply poaching which means to be at the right place, at the right time. Then it’s a matter of a simple tap in. Here’s the evidence. No entry was fined a huge, huge Rs 26,70,450 while wrong turning was fined Rs 2,41,200. More proof. The combination of drinking and driving (Rs 1,16,200), rash and negligent driving (Rs 36,71,050) and over speeding (Rs 16,00,100) toted up to Rs 53,87,350 of the total fines of Rs 3,28,25,050.
Police predators
The police waiting at the right place, at the right time earned them a total of Rs 29,11,650 in fines paid by foolhardy drivers (categories: wrong turn and no entry). Add that figure to fines of Rs 17,19,400 paid by drivers dumb enough to drive without side mirrors, you have a figure of Rs 46,31,050. And remember, this figure has nothing to do with tinted glasses fines (Rs 7,27,700) , improper number plates (Rs 8,57,900), no helmets (Rs 75,83,900), no seat belts (Rs 20,05,700), and dangerous parking (Rs 18,55,600), all of which add up to Rs 1,76,61,850 and does not include that totally uncaring group of drivers driving while using mobiles (Rs 8,37,100). So, it’s really about dumbos dying to get caught and not about the traffic police trying to make our roads safe. There were huge fines paid for driving without tarpaulin Rs 8,79,800, without uniform Rs 6,22,000, violating traffic signals Rs 4,09,000, none of which helped to make our roads safer.
Easy meat
How else would you describe drivers without number plates who contrived to pay Rs 1,73,750 in fines. Lane cutting Rs 2,11,600. Really now, who on Gods’ earth does not know which are the fave spots of the traffic police? A few seconds past the spots they lurk in and you can knock yourself out literally cutting lanes. But no, you can’t wait, can you? Ditto for overtaking Rs 5,97,900. This is a tough one. Driving without proper lights Rs 4,53,450. “Allowing unlicensed to drive” Rs 1,43,050. Another tough one, but if it means allowing your kid to drive, seriously, how dumb can you get? Just pick any lonely village road where you will never find a cop of any kind!
(feedback lionroars.goa@gmail.com, 9822152164)
Last week I asked why the traffic police ever bothered to apologise for the mayhem on the roads. For once I find myself defending them because frankly, theirs is a lost cause. We have many, many madmen and a few crazy women too on the roads. The traffic police identified 60 accident prone zones in the north and 40 in the south, narrowing down the main causes to “rash and negligent driving, over speeding, dangerous overtaking, lane cutting, drunken driving, fault of pedestrians, bad roads, mechanical defects, and stray cattle.” I find five categories missing here; the PWD, the bully government driver, the insensitive taxi driver and the trigger happy truck/utility van driver, 98 percent of whom are migrants who pop in an out of the many cheap bars at regular intervals in the course of work, and/or rich kids whose parents are walking ATMs. Ah, that brings me to Goa’s ubiquitous bars. Somehow this Goan edifice does not figure in the list. Shouldn’t it? Look at the many cars parked outside favourite watering holes on just the one highway itself. In fact rather than the row over late night drinking hours, it should have been about strict closure after 2pm. But that doesn’t happen, so at Gene bar opposite the Goa Institute of Management in Ribandar, for example, no one quits before 4pm which is when the bar shuts down for the afternoon. This is also where quite a few tourists have literally one for the road before driving off to Karnataka! Yet in 2009 ‘under the influence of drinking’ made up a miserly Rs 1,16,200 of the Rs 3,28,25,050 collected as fines by the traffic police. And I almost forgot, the most dangerous of all causes, your friendly neighbourhood MLA who gets hot lined immediately a voter is caught and makes the case go away. Cars with tinted glasses were fined Rs 7,27,700. Improper number plates produced Rs 8,57,900 and then I begin to wonder, is the traffic cop really blameless?
Too Fast Too Furious
That would be the best way to describe many drivers in Goa and yet two-wheel riders collectively paid Rs 75,83,900 for not wearing helmets and drivers without seat belts paid a collective Rs 20,05,700. Dangerous parking, whatever that means earned fines of Rs 18,55,600 while drivers using a mobile while driving paid Rs 8,37,100 in fines. Which you would think would actually run into several crores considering the only ones who don’t mobile-talk and drive are bus drivers simply because they are in such a tearing hurry to get from point A to B, they have no time for chatter. Though, if their vehicles were fitted with power steering, I wonder! Where am I going with this? Apart from those certified mad men on the roads, I am not too sure the traffic police are entirely or even partially blameless.
Right time, right place cops
Rash and negligent drivers paid a fine of Rs 36,71,050 of the total of Rs 3,28,25,050. Add Rs 16,00,100 for over speeding to that and it looks too easy for the traffic police. Look again at all the categories above. It is obvious Goa’s drivers (described here) are just easy prey because they don’t care about getting caught. All that the traffic police have to do is wait for the inevitable to happen, like football strikers, many of whom earn their keep by simply poaching which means to be at the right place, at the right time. Then it’s a matter of a simple tap in. Here’s the evidence. No entry was fined a huge, huge Rs 26,70,450 while wrong turning was fined Rs 2,41,200. More proof. The combination of drinking and driving (Rs 1,16,200), rash and negligent driving (Rs 36,71,050) and over speeding (Rs 16,00,100) toted up to Rs 53,87,350 of the total fines of Rs 3,28,25,050.
Police predators
The police waiting at the right place, at the right time earned them a total of Rs 29,11,650 in fines paid by foolhardy drivers (categories: wrong turn and no entry). Add that figure to fines of Rs 17,19,400 paid by drivers dumb enough to drive without side mirrors, you have a figure of Rs 46,31,050. And remember, this figure has nothing to do with tinted glasses fines (Rs 7,27,700) , improper number plates (Rs 8,57,900), no helmets (Rs 75,83,900), no seat belts (Rs 20,05,700), and dangerous parking (Rs 18,55,600), all of which add up to Rs 1,76,61,850 and does not include that totally uncaring group of drivers driving while using mobiles (Rs 8,37,100). So, it’s really about dumbos dying to get caught and not about the traffic police trying to make our roads safe. There were huge fines paid for driving without tarpaulin Rs 8,79,800, without uniform Rs 6,22,000, violating traffic signals Rs 4,09,000, none of which helped to make our roads safer.
Easy meat
How else would you describe drivers without number plates who contrived to pay Rs 1,73,750 in fines. Lane cutting Rs 2,11,600. Really now, who on Gods’ earth does not know which are the fave spots of the traffic police? A few seconds past the spots they lurk in and you can knock yourself out literally cutting lanes. But no, you can’t wait, can you? Ditto for overtaking Rs 5,97,900. This is a tough one. Driving without proper lights Rs 4,53,450. “Allowing unlicensed to drive” Rs 1,43,050. Another tough one, but if it means allowing your kid to drive, seriously, how dumb can you get? Just pick any lonely village road where you will never find a cop of any kind!
(feedback lionroars.goa@gmail.com, 9822152164)
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