A PANCHANAMA OF CHIEF MINISTER MANOHAR PARRIKAR'S FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE
By Aires Rodrigues
On 9th March Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar completes a year in office. A year of confusion, contradictions and controversies. This may sound like an eulogy but it is factually the ground reality. During the election campaign Manohar Parrikar had promised the moon but has reneged on almost every promise made. He used every trick under his sleeve to usurp the office of Chief Minister. We thought he would learn from his past mistakes and turn a new leaf. But sadly no. It has been the same old Manohar Parrikar puffed up with arrogance and allergic to any criticism.
His only achievement since taking oath is having almost stifled the entire voice of the Opposition. By his trademark tactics he has been able to keep on leash, and ground most of the Oppostion MLAs. Surprisingly to the credit of Manohar Parrikar even some of the otherwise very vocal and proactive NGO's have also gone into comatose. The Chief Minister has been playing to the gallery on the issue of Special status for Goa but has done nothing to control the alarming and unacceptable levels of migration into Goa.
We have lost count of the endless strings of his U turns. The common man has over the last one year, been taxed to death having to pay much more now for every government service provided. Manohar Parrikar's has been a one man government. What is alarming is the vicious politics of caste and creed that has been unleashed in this otherwise very secular state. He is known for his autocratic rule with all democratic norms and traditions thrown to the wind. Francis D' Souza may have been appointed as Deputy Chief Minister but it has remained an ornamental position without teeth. Less said the better on how the face of the Bahujan Samaj in the BJP Mr. Sripad Naik has been systematically isolated and dispatched to the woods.
Despite having been given a clear mandate by the people of Goa, Manohar Parrikar has been unable to deliver on the Parivartan he had promised by way of good governance and Zero tolerance to corruption. That the CM's so called mantra of Zero tolerance to Corruption was hollow was evident when in one of the first decisions after coming to power, he gave an extension in service to the then Director of Prosecution Shobha Dhumaskar against whom there was an F.I.R for corruption pending, registered on the directions of the Prevention of Corruption Court.
The escalating levels of crime in the State is a matter of grave concern. This government may never be forgiven for doing everything possible to hush up the January 14th brutal rape of the 7 year old Vasco girl. Coming from a poor family worked to her disadvantage as the alleged rapist and other abettors of that heinous crime are politically connected and financially well off. This is also a testimony that nothing has changed as far as the political interference in the working of the police.
The initial euphoria after this government took over soon subsided with the common man on the street let down and made to feel that by voting this government they have gone from the frying pan into the fire. Manohar Parrikar started his innings for the second time as Chief Minister by unnecessarily burdening the State exchequer with over 11 lakhs squandered on his swearing in ceremony at SAG grounds at Campal.
The rampant corruption continues unabated. Only the agents, brokers and beneficiaries have changed. Scams have continued galore. We were promised a sturdy Lokayukta in 100 days. One year down the line, Goa seems to be on its way to be lumbered with a CM's Yes-man Lokayukta. The much needed State Information Commission remains grounded for the last year after Manohar Parrikar's failed attempt to try and foist his unqualified men as Information Commissioners.
One of Manohar Parrikar's election promises that swayed me was that professionals and not politicians would head Government Corporation and other bodies. But to everyone's utter dismay he has loaded them all with his political cronies, some of them with a dismally tainted record. His Chairman of the Law Commssion stands charge sheeted by the CBI for destroying government property. But the CM has had the audacity to tell us that it is not a serious offence. He had promised to get rid of the Casinos in the Mandovi but having now embraced the Casino lobby he says he will remove them before he demits office in four years. What a joke.
The Chief Minister had also assured us that in three months the garbage strewn along the roads would be cleared. But besides a mere cosmetic exercise at some roads, the garbage crisis across the State has just become worse. He has not even had the spine to deliver on his promise of banning plastic. While he has gone back on his assurance on the Regional plan, his selected coterie of builders are having a field day.
He has miserably handled the Mining issue with his uncalled for confrontational attitude with the Supreme Court and the Central government. It is no secret that he has now cozied up with the Mining lobby too, only proving that Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
The various schemes launched over the year to pay doles and build vote banks are in bad taste. Welfare measures cannot be treated as a scheme of the ruling party but needs to really meet the needs of all the deserving. The Laadli Laxmi scheme is an example where application forms were available only with the ruling party MLA's. It was only after the High Court intervened that the forms were made available at the banks.
While in the Opposition Manohar Parrikar had always vociferously opposed the wasteful expenditure incurred by Ministers and MLAs on unnecessary travel especially the foreign jaunts. He has however over the last one year allowed them to recklessly jet around the world to ensure that his Chair remains stable and intact.
The Chief Minister spent the first six months speaking on the wrongs doings by the earlier government. Over the last year all the projects inaugurated by this government were planned and conceptualized by the earlier government. From the new Central library at Panaji to the new facilities at the Goa Medical College, the Patto Plaza renovation and now the South Goa Collectorate. The first project of this government to materialize would be the Calvim Bridge which the Chief Minister has assured will be completed in all respects and inaugurated on May 30th. Even on the Medium of Instruction (MOI) issue which he feigned was very close to his heart, he chose to make a volte face.
With so much hype on e-governance Goa has yet to trim its bloated bureaucracy. Despite the current financial crisis confronting this government Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is hiring thousands more government servants to accommodate his party cadres.
Many of the skewed decisions of this government may be on account of Atmaram Nadkarni being the Advocate General of Goa. The First Law officer of the State has over the years been defending the alleged illegalities of the Mining barons, the Casino lobby and the builders. So how is it expected that such a person would now tender fair and proper legal advice to the Government on such crucial issues.
Yes, we had a very pompous Carnival and will soon have an equally extravagant Shigmo. But it is all a sign of bad governance with State sponsored fun and frolic when the coffers are empty. This government has been on a borrowing spree. How long will it be able to survive on and sustain such unnecessary lavish spending?
In life we make mistakes. I have made one too many including the one on March 3rd last year in voting for Manohar Parrikar as my MLA. The only silver lining is that I may not have to live with this guilt for five years. If he continues behaving the way he is, Manohar Parrikar may not last too long as the Chief Minister. The BJP may itself find the need to scout for somebody more democratic, fair and affable to take over the mantle. The irony is that the Man who has failed to effectively govern India's smallest State was being rumored to running for the country's top post. Political sycophancy at its height.
(the writer can be contacted on 9822684372 or airesrodrigues@yahoo.com)
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