We are now a few months into the new government, post the recent assembly elections in Goa. Our Chief Minister Parrikar resigned his position as the Defence Minister of India and rushed back to consolidate the state and stake claim to the leadership. So now, where does this leave the people of Goa? The issues unfortunately are the same as before the elections and the people of Goa are still waiting for answers and clarity.
Mopa Airport: Even though the people of Goa rejected to construct a new airport at Mopa, the Congress and BJP colluded and awarded the contract to GMR. We are still wondering if there is a real need for a completely new facility when Dabolim can easily handle the current traffic and forecasted growth. Is Mopa a civilian or navy airport as we are now given to understand that the Navy has been allowed 5 acres of land and will be controlling the air traffic from both airports. One of the original problems at Dabolim was that the Navy restricted air space and timings for flights thus creating saturated periods. By giving control to them, won’t the problem continue or even be exacerbated? The Navy has clearly said they can close the airport for Naval exercises of their sorties. So am wondering what was the need to build this unnecessary infrastructure on agricultural land and fertile soil? His intention is to allow gambling at Mopa, which he correctly mentioned in the assembly that Casinos will be shifted.
Honestly, statistics and reports have clearly shown that the State of Goa does not need a second airport and Dabolim is perfect in terms of location and recent infrastructure upgrades. I have written several articles to this effect as well as had three meetings with Parrikar to explain the unviability of Mopa. Not only is the terrain of Mopa unsafe and unviable for an airport but the existing airport can be made more efficient with cooperation from the Navy. But there does not seem to be a political will given that much of the land around Mopa has been already taken over by politicians in anticipation of better returns post the development.
It also appears that the government is in collusion with GMR to build hotels, casinos and other entertainment facilities to generate revenue and profits. As usual big business will benefit, whilst the people of Goa will be stuck with white elephants in the form of underutilized infrastructure.
Agriculture and Farming: Goa is primarily an agrarian society. Many of the people own traditional lands which they have been tilling for generations. Government should focus on upgrading their skills and knowledge with latest farming practices, making resources easily available to them to upgrade their machinery and bring latest technology to extract the most from their land and making financial loans and schemes transparently available.
There are many national and local schemes available for farmers given the latest crisis where farmers all over India are committing suicide due to the unbearable pressures to receive adequate returns from their crops. But these schemes are not well known in Goa nor are the subsidies paid on time. Instead of only grabbing land for widening roads, building golf courses and the Mopa airport, the government should also encourage agriculture and ensure it is a sustainable industry for those who take it up. After all, someone has to grow the food we all need to eat and survive on.
Medical Facilities and Insurance: Are we all familiar with Deen Dayal – Swasthya Seva Yojana? It is a scheme for Goans to avail off at government and private hospitals during illness and in case of medical operations. MLAs encouraged their constituents to subscribe to it during the elections and several people actually subscribed to it. In my own personal experience though, when people wanted more information on the pros and cons of the scheme, government officials and office bearers were unable to provide clarity or concise information regarding it. Nor was it easy to subscribe to it. It is unfortunate that people are made to go from pillar to post to access information and then seek redressal when claims are not fulfilled. These schemes are meant for everyone including the poor, uneducated and vulnerable. Imagine them being treated so unfairly when they have very few options.
The government needs to get this rectified at the earliest and also change the Insurance provider if they are not doing their job in service of the people. Else this scheme like many others will fall into the bracket of a scheme meant to benefit only a few, and many politicians at large.
Tourism: Goa has, is and will continue to be a tourist destination. But it is the quality of the destination that will be important in the long run. Goa can hardly be called a world class tourist destination in my opinion. Yes in the 70s and 80s, many people around the world came to Goa for peace, solitude and natural beauty. They loved the rustic appeal and the warmth of its people. Since then, the rest of India discovered it too and started descending in hordes. The infrastructure has grown organically with no planning or regulations. Hotels, restaurants, bed and breakfasts and entertainment facilities have grown at a mind-blowing pace. There is no proper rating system, no licensing, no food controls and no quality standards. The number of tourists increases every year, yet the roads are narrow, causing a constant traffic jam with vehicles blocking access paths and congesting the roads. Beaches and parks are littered and polluted and our river front is choc-a-bloc with food stalls.
I am sure many of our politicians have gone on “study visits” to other international tourist destinations and know full well what is required to be done – beaches need to be cleaned, toilet facilities need to be provided, restaurants and hotels need to be regulated for hygiene and food quality and road infrastructure needs to be upgraded to take care of the influx of tourists.
So, as you can see, we move from one election to the next and wait impatiently for our politicians to address the continuing issues that pile up year after year.
(The author is Managing Director of Aviation Travel & Tourism Services – ATTS).
