Behind the Garb of Development Lies Incompetance

The bougainvillea needs support to grow. If it has to bloom before the eyes of the public, we need to provide it with water, sunlight and a sturdy structure that helps it head upwards. Similarly, Goans engaged in every kind of profession need basic infrastructure to progress. It is the government’s responsibility to provide this, a role which Mr Parsekar’s team has happily abdicated.

The electricity department is rustier than a rusty electrical pole. Many officers have played musical chairs with its chief engineer’s post. When starving Frenchmen asked Queen Marie Antoinette for bread, she said “let them eat cake!” When Goenkars asked for a study supply of electricity, the government distributed LED bulbs for them to fix in the ceiling as showpieces. This, at a time when the fixed tariff on the electricity bill had already risen from Rs. 20 to Rs. 240. Frequent power cuts to industrial areas have left workers fuming, but the Investment Promotion Board continues to sanction new projects without considering if the state can supply fuel for the fire. The duty collected by the power ministry is redirected to non-electrical projects while the state grapples with outdated transmission equipment and studying under moonlight.

For two years, the PM has been harping about the Swacch Bharat Mission and the need to eradicate open defecation. Under the 14th Finance Commission, the Swacch Bharat Cess to build toilets was to be delivered directly to the panchayats. Where is that money? So far, the SBM in Goa has been all bluster and no blow.

Goans have a CM who refused a mere 30% to locals from the constituency in new Housing Board projects. This move would have benefited aspiring entrepreneurs by providing them with a start-up space. Projects such as the Miramar Dona Paula concrete road – which is bumpier than a drive on the moon – were allotted 84 crores when 1.6 crores had been spent on hot-mixing just a month earlier. The government got thousands of crores from the Centre for the Zuari bridge but choose to spend half as much from the state’s pocket for the Mandovi bridge. What sense does this make?

One does not employ a carpenter to fix a plumbing problem. Yet somehow, the tourism minister has somehow gotten into the business of building roads, panchayat ghars and playgrounds. With tourist numbers dropping, does the department not have enough reasons to spend its budget? If the Tourism Minister is busy in constructing public works, will we soon see the Public Works Department formulating a policy for beach shacks? Perhaps if they had had some assistance, the Tourism department would not have left shack-owners and tourists stranded for so long.

The government wants to gift-wrap our waterways and hand them over to the Centre, lock, stock, and barrel. Our rivers will be owned by a government sitting thousands of kilometres away, and the revenue we earn from them will be taken as lagaan from the people who live and work by them. Instead of signing away our waterways, why doesn’t the government come up with a plan to ask the Centre for funds to develop them?

Both BJP prime ministers have helped consumers bypass Goa. The tax on automobiles used to be 4%; people from all over the country came to buy cars here. Now, the only cars being driven out of Goa are the ones that entered it from other states. This too has been made more difficult; CM Parrikar had promised to reduce VAT on petrol to 0.01%. It is now 22%. Two thousand two hundred times more!

The government blows up this money on consultants that are hired for every big and small project. When the PWD department has a team of architects and engineers, why is it necessary to bring in a consultant? These people are associated with the project from plan creation to billing, but take no responsibility for the project itself. The state has paid hundreds of crores to consultants; how many projects are anywhere close to completion?  

Goa has 1 government employee for every 22 Goans – higher than any other state. 23% of the state’s outgo is used to pay salaries. The Human Resources Development Corporation was supposed to be the sole body to manage government job appointments. Instead, every department has individually advertised for recruitments. The CM has committed himself to implementing the 7th Pay Commission; does he intend to pull out 700 crore from his pocket like a rabbit from a hat? Social security initiatives like the Laadli Laxmi scheme are always welcome, but where are funds to pay for it? Robin Hood robbed from the rich to give to the poor; the state government robs from the poor to give to the poor!

Meanwhile, the common man waits day after day outside the deputy collector’s office, waiting for a date to air his grievances. The traditional fisherman is lathi-charged when he peacefully protests against LED fishing. And all Goans have money in the bank but no money in the hand. Yeh kahaan aa gaye hum.

Picture Credits: Herald