Scandals & scams, a pervasive problem
The BJP general secretary Vinod Tawade’s controversy has handed the opposition an opportunity to corner BJP in commitment to free and fair election in Maharashtra accusing cash-for-vote charge.
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Over the past few weeks, people in Goa have been waking up to fresh developments in the multi-crore cash-for-jobs scam on a daily basis. Some people even died by suicide after their names figured in cash-for-job scams. Hundreds of Goans have been duped of crores of rupees in a cash-for-jobs scam. Such widespread corruption could not have happened without political links.
On one side expresses concern over corruption and its glorification, describing it as a major issue for the society. But such type scams and scandals have become imminent. They have shaken the entire conscience of the state to the bones. From the past few years the image of our state has been defaced beyond redemption.
Goa have made headlines for alleged employment related scams and others. However, these cases are only like a drop in the ocean of such similar scams in India. Even former Hon’ble Governor of Goa Satya Pal Malik’s indictment of the government, he was removed. It seems that the connotation “Na khaoonga na khaane doonga” was just another jhumla by the BJP.
Ten years ago, the government had harped on about the coming of “Achche din”. At that time, the people of the country thought that it was meant for them. But now, the public is evaluating as to for whom have the “Achche din” come in the last 10 years? Today the people are singing in unison, “Koi lauta de mere beete hue din” (somebody, please return to the good old days gone by). Sadly, the governments, citizens have elected one worse than the other, leaving people frustrated and in a state of coma.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Goa ministers can’t be in charge of job scam investigation!
With the ongoing investigation of the massive cash-for-jobs scam in the BJP ruled state, can we really expect a fair amount of Justice if the Goa Ministers including Chief Minister Pramod Sawat is overall in-charge of the Investigations! What if the Ministers and BJP MLAs themselves are implicated? Will the Goa government take action on itself?
If there has to be any credibility to the investigations/scrutiny on this Jobs Scam racket, then the same has to be done under an independent authority which can have the powers to investigate anyone; including the Senior Goa Ministers!
Arwin Mesquita, Colva
Adani most likely to get away again
The US courts have recently indicted Adani for personally orchestrating a massive bribery scam for securing solar power supply contracts in India. Arrest warrants have been issued in the US for Gautam and his nephew Sagar Adani, American prosecutors plan to hand those warrants to foreign law enforcement authorities for action.
Adani has been charged under the stringent Foreign Corruption Prevention Act under extant laws as his companies had raised money through bonds from US investors concealing material facts, misleading them by making false statements and hiding plausible criminality.
Both the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission, the apex regulatory body in the US have filed civil and criminal charges against the businessman. As a result, Adani had to withdraw a $ 600 million foreign bond issue, and Kenya has scrapped Adani’s $2.6 billion airport and energy deals in the country. As usual the BJP has pointed fingers at the Congress for the bribery scandal which unfolded in India in defence of their biggest fund contributor.
On expected lines Modi is totally mum about his best friend’s murky dealings and Gautam Adani himself has denied any wrongdoing. The Hindenburg report a while back too had highlighted the dubious business funding practices and round-tripping of money through tax havens by Adani but it got buried by the pliant Indian media, SEBI and the government. It is doubtful whether this time too any harm will come to Adani’s operations, there is a wearying sense of familiarity when it comes to exposes regarding underhand deals and the subsequent clean chit granted to Modi’s blue eyed boy.
Adani and other big businesses always manage to game the system that on paper is rules based, courtesy government officials and politicians who are more than happy to oblige them for a hefty ‘consideration’.
Now waiting for the familiar tropes to be rolled out by the Indian media and politicians – a patriot wealth creator is being insulted, foreign hand behind all this, Soros conspiracy, a jealous world sabotaging India’s growth story, plot by anti-nationals to tarnish Modi ji’s image, etc.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Bring the historic
“A government job per family” bill
Goa government must bring a bill in the legislative Assembly so that the State’s Employment Exchanges Act would be amended to ensure that government sectors, give priority to local candidates in their recruitment, by providing “a government job per family” depending upon one’s skill, qualification, and attitude etc, with condition to look after family, subject to job shall be cancelled, in case any family complaint receive by the government.
Being a small state, Goa could achieve this Mission of Employment. Our CM is a capable economy master after Manohar Parrikar.
At present, the State government cannot provide government Employment to local candidates, one job per family as there is no lawful scheme (Act) existing in the state. The employment exchange currently sponsors the local candidates during the recruitment drives conducted by the private industries.
But this policy is not satisfying the common men to meet their needs. One government job in a family needs time. Poverty growth should be stopped anyhow. Our State experts should come forward with high tech solutions. Presumptive per capita income of Goa will be a blank record and meaningless.
All forty members, especially the government must pass a bill in the House, so that the government would amend the Employment Exchanges (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act, 1959 after taking all the parties into confidence. Government should amend the law making it mandatory for the Employment exchange to provide “a government job per family”. This amendment will be historical as far as unemployment of Goa is concerned. This will be a true service to Goans forever.
Rajesh Banaulikar, Arpora
Violating individual’s privacy
One can feel the pain and ordeal the engineering student from Chennai would have experienced when his mobile phone was flooded with calls for days from strangers after the blockbuster Tamil film Amaran allegedly showed his personal mobile number as belonging to actor Sai Pallavi in a scene. It is all the more throbbing as the student couldn’t sleep, study and carry out his daily chores since relentless calls had taken a toll on him and disrupted his normal life.
It raises the obvious question as to how the makers of the film landed up with someone’s personal number and used it in the film without the consent of the person. Did not the director and the producer of the film realise that it is illegal to use an unknown mobile number on screen in a noticeable manner and such a thing could possibly create a lot of hassles to the person to whom the number actually belongs to?
Ranganathan Sivakumar, Chennai
