TRANSPORT
Promises kept
Monthly bus pass at 30% and for students at 15% of actual cost
Operating late night bus service connecting major towns and tourist destinations
Promises failed
Intra-state Bus Transport to be revamped
Accidents on the rise
HERITAGE
Promises kept: None
Promises failed
Prepare and execute a master plan for conservation, development and maintenance of heritage sites such as Tambdi Surla, Old Goa, etc.
CIVIL SUPPLIES
Promises kept
Electronic Ration Cards with appropriate coupons to be introduced to ensure 100% distribution of essential commodities.
Old rations cards have been scrapped and new ones are issued while National Food Security Act was being implemented.
Promises failed
PDS to be restructured so as to include more items of essential commodities at affordable prices.
FAST TRACK COURTS
Promise failed
To be set up in order to settle all cases of Mundkarial, Tenancy, Kumeri, Evacuee, Mokashe and encroachments including dwelling units in fixed time frame of three years through formulation of Land Reforms Policy
AGRI, FISHERIES, TRADITIONAL JOBS
Promises kept
New schemes to be introduced to ensure minimum support price of Rs 17 per kg of rice and Rs 30 per litre of milk for farmers
Subsidy of Rs 16 per litre on kerosene for traditional fishermen
Promises failed
New Agricultural Policy to be framed to make agriculture a more profitable venture.
Regulate the sale of agricultural landthrough legislation.
Special support for plantation of groundnut, cashew and other cash crops.
Support to toddy tappers, traditional bakers, craftsmen and other traditional occupations through beneficial schemes.
ADMINISTRATION
Promises Kept
Online payment of levies, taxes and license fees. Striving for better usage of e-governance: this has been mooted in most of the departments
Promises Failed
Lokayukta will be appointed within 100 days of coming to power : Though government managed to appoint State’s first Lokayukta B Sudershan Reddy in March 2013 within 12 months of coming to power, he resigned from the post within eight months.
One Day Governance for delivery of citizen—centric services such as birth/residential certificates: Legislation was passed in this regard, but it never took shape
Annual Performance Report of each government department to be prepared and made public: Never saw day of light
ENVIRONMENT
Promises Kept
Prevent deforestation and encourage afforestation in the catchment areas of the rivers and tributaries using local varieties of forest trees: The state forest cover went up by 5 sq kms
Promises Failed
Protect paddy fields, khazan lands and hills & slopes by curbing illegal construction: on the contrary, under IPB huge chunks of such land converted for development
EMPLOYMENT
Promises Failed
An allowance of Rs. 3000 to Rs. 4500 per month under Minimum Employment Assurance Scheme: yet to see day of light
Shall ensure that unemployment is brought down by policy incentives to industries to employ locals: promise still on the paper; IPB granted approvals to several projects that promises employment
Regularization of services of all contract employees in various departments: is evident from series of protest held in last five years
TOWN & COUNTRY PLANNING
Promises Kept
PDAs will be confined to urban areas only: in process of redrafting new ODPs- Vasco, Mapusa and Panjim notified. Margao and Ponda in controversy
Promises Failed
RP 2021 to be scrapped. A new RP to be made, keeping in mind Goa’s identity and a green, clean and an eco-friendly Goa, in consultation with all stakeholders, including NGOs, Gram Sabhas and Professionals: Biggest U-turn by not scrapping it, government in process to notify plan afresh
New construction projects shall be approved only after confirmation of availability of infrastructure such as, parking, sewage and garbage disposal: Construction licenses are issued rampant, haphazard planning
INDUSTRIES & MINING
Promises Kept
Single window clearance for new industries: govt introduced IPB to facilitate the proposal
CM Rojgar Yojana to be revamped: It received huge response from the people, specially youths
Promises Failed
Legal mining to be regulated: no steps ensured; infact mining leases granted to all those lease holders, who were pulled up by SC for illegal mining
Dedicated corridors for iron ore transport: mining ban had its impact on the promise. Though, the process started just three months back
POWER
Promises Kept
Underground cabling system in the whole of Goa: system has covered certain parts of the State including cities like Margao, Panjim
Promises Failed
Generation or power in the State by setting up gas-based power plant and renewable energy sources: still dependent on central power allocation
HEALTH
Promises Kept
The existing Survarna Jayanti Bima Yojana will be modified to ensure better coverage in private hospitals along with a benefit increased to Rs. 2 lakh : scheme now called as Deen Dayal Sawasthya seva yojana
Upgradation of GMC to provide super specialty facilities: managed to achieve 60 percent.
Upgradation of existing government health centres and hospitals, including Tuem, Kakoda & Chicalim: the work under progress
HOUSING & TAXES
Promises Kept
Total abolition of house tax : in panchayat areas only
Mayem evacuee property issue: settled after 55 years of Liberation
Promises Failed
Affordable houses: though the housing board managed to introduce project in Colvale, this attracted no takers
Issue of illegal encroachment on communidade land : no action so far
INFRASTRUCTURE
Promises Kept
A six-|ane Zuari bridge to be constructed: foundation stone for the same is been laid and the work on the approach roads have commenced
New bridges: several have been constructed while few are in pipeline
Mopa Greenfield International airport: the foundation stone is laid and the work has commenced
World class garbage management facility: active in Saligao
Promises Failed
Develop a world class convention and exhibition centre to attract nationa|/ international participation: an annual announcement
24×7 water supply: as the five year ended, deadline extended to April 2017
Comprehensive traffic management plan: traffic continues to be major worry
GENERAL
Promises Kept
Petrol prices reduced by Rs 11 abolishing VAT
Journalist covered under insurance: it was introduced and within two years the benefit was also hiked
Pension to seafarers: introduced
Promises Failed
CM to cover one taluka every week under the Jan Sampark program: CM woke up now for election campaign
Establishment of minority commission : just a mere promise
Master Plan for the State: Where is it?
THE U-TURNS
HULLABALOO OVER MOI
MOI was a major issue in 2016 that gave rise to a new political outfit – Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM), backed by Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM). The pro-Konkani group had supported BJP to come to power in the 2012 election but the latter’s betrayal on the Medium of Instruction (MOI) forced the BBSM to prepare itself to give the saffron party a befitting reply in the upcoming polls.
Grants to English medium primary schools were termed as the mother of all U-turns during its reign. BBSM launched a crusade against the then Manohar Parrikar-led party (now under the leadership of chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar) with public campaigns to vote against the party. The rival party is all geared up to split BJP votes.
As the leader of opposition in 2011, Parrikar had come out on the streets demanding that grants be given to primary schools in the regional medium. He did not leave any platform to castigate the Digambar Kamat led Congress government for providing grants to primary schools irrespective of medium.
The BJP and BBSM had campaigned that public grants should be only for primary schools in the regional medium and that grants to English-medium would prove disastrous to the overall growth of the child and Indian culture. This was also on the BJP’s agenda when it contested the 2012 polls only to reverse its attitude on the issue later. It then promised of an amicable solution on the controversial issue.
The then Parrikar-led cabinet took a decision on July 1, 2014 to give grants to English-medium schools with an assurance to translate into an act without any dilution. The decision not only shocked the BBSM and other organizations backing Konkani/Marathi as the MOI but it also created a divide among educationists. The decision also entangled Parsekar-led government that also faced allegations of non-performance on the issue. Forum for Rights of Children’s Education (FORCE) has been consistently demanding to enact the decision into a legislation while it also built up a movement to ensure government heeds to their demand. Whereas the BBSM held parallel crusade against the government demanding the cabinet decision’s immediate withdrawal. None of the two organizations’ demands have been fulfilled creating trouble for the government in the ensuing elections.
The BBSM then declared that it had options other than BJP to support in the next election and subsequently formed GSM, that has allied with the Shiv Sena. It is also in talks with the MGP over alliance. The issue had also seen RSS sacking Subhash Velingkar as RSS Goa Chief, who then formed RSS rebel group.
Roulette brouhaha
It was a wrong call by both the parties. Congress was the first to introduce casinos in an attempt to boost tourism. Soon they were cornered by the then opposition party BJP calling the ‘casino industry’ as den of corruption. In its election manifesto in 2007, the BJP promised to shut them immediately if voted to power but it faced an unexpected defeat. The attack on the Digambar Kamat government continued and during the 2012 elections, the BJP renewed its anti-casino campaign promising to remove all the casino vessels from the congested River Mandovi.
In a major U-turn, once it formed the government, BJP blamed the Congress for issuing licenses while giving justifications on why it was not feasible to immediately shift the vessels out of River Mandovi. The government also promised that it would not issue fresh licenses but did a volte face as two more vessels were visible in the waters. Manohar Parrikar’s successor Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar claimed it was not his decision to shift the vessels but stated he does not support increasing the number. The CM, denying its blanket ban, said Goa’s economy would cripple if the industry is shut while also pointing out that locals directly and indirectly dependent on it would differ. On the two new vessels, he argued that these were just transfer licenses.
In his last State assembly before being elevated to the Centre, Parrikar clarified to the House that offshore casinos will have to leave River Mandovi by 2015 as per an undertaking given by them and that government would look for alternate venues. However, the four proposed locations at Rivers Zuari, Chapora and Sal, and Aguada bay saw stiff opposition from the local residents.
RIP: RP 2021?
The Regional Plan 2021 was one of the key elements that played vital role in bringing BJP-led coalition government to power. The then Congress government’s policy on land use plan was out-rightly rejected by the people of Goa and the BJP then in opposition. People’s anger was witnessed in 2012 elections, when they voted in large number against the Digamber Kamat regime. The then Manohar Parrikar-led government came to power with a promise to scrap RP 21 and draft a new plan for the State in consultation with the stakeholders and local bodies like panchayats. However, after initially dragging its feet with a series of deadlines, BJP made its biggest U-turn when it declined to scrap or to de-notify the plan. They decided to modify the plan by undertaking necessary rectifications. However, no steps were initiated in this regard until end of 2015. It was only in January 2016, year after Laxmikant Parsekar took over the reins, government invited fresh suggestions and objections from the public. Post that, it formed a State level steering committee to guide government on the suggestion and objections to be incorporated in the plan. In December 2016, the Town and Country Planning Board approved RP21 for three talukas- Canacona, Sattari and Pernem- However; it missed the deadline to notify the plan by December 31. Forget about the entire plan, it could not notify the land plan even for these three talukas.
