Promises to keep,and miles to go…
For the Digamber Kamat-led Goa coalition government, its biggest achievement in three years in power is sheer survival. A coalition government that last three years in Goa must be considered a super-stable one. Considering the fact that it was very nearly toppled twice in mega-revolts within months of being sworn in, this is indeed an achievement!
In fact, it is probably the only achievement of any consequence…
Little wonder that Mr Kamat freely admits that a ‘divine hand’ has been guiding him in the governance and helping him overcome obstacles. He says this not in off-the-record asides, but in a booklet that the state government has released on the occasion of its completion of three years in office. ‘Golden Glow’ is its name, and former Tourism Minister Francisco alias Mickky Pacheco – presently on the run from the police in the Nadia Torrado suicide case – does not feature in the photographs of the cabinet ministers.
In the case of Mr Kamat personally, there is one more achievement – accessibility. Despite all the negative reports appearing recently about his treatment of a delegation of NGOs, the present CM has been, and continues to be, the most accessible chief minister this state has seen since Dayanand Bandodkar. In fact, it is probably this, and his general humility and politeness in dealing with people, which are the secrets of his longevity in power.
For, in terms of performance, there is little to show, except for a long string of broken promises and pending decisions. In fact, Mr Kamat more or less admitted this when he said that “much more” could have been accomplished. He has blamed all the ‘unaccomplished’ events on there “not being a totally favourable ambience”, whatever that may mean. “I feel I could have done better, which I am trying to do in future,” he told journalists at the release function.
Unemployment, underemployment, rising migration, slums and related social issues, solid waste management and disposal, lack of sewage and sanitation facilities, inability to direct sustainable development with environmental protection, and inadequate availability of financial resources are the challenges he says his government has identified.
Let us add to that the biggest problem of them all; unbridled corruption at the highest levels.
But strangely, even though people are deeply frustrated with the government, their anger is directed more at the other ministers. Mr Kamat himself has managed to retain a much better approval rating than his cabinet colleagues. He has been helped, no doubt, by an Opposition that is mostly dormant.
But a pleasant personality and good public relations can only take one so far. The government needs to pull up its socks and show the ‘aam admi’ that it means business. This includes disciplining wayward cabinet colleagues. The resignation of Mickky Pacheco is a good move, but he is by no means the only minister in the cabinet that deserves to go.
Draw the line
Chief Minister Digamabar Kamat’s statement that the claims made by Swedish model Lucky Farmhouse about a top politicians son being involved in the drug trade are ‘bogus’, shows that the government is not at all serious about eradicating the drug menace, or ending the nexus between drug dealers, cops and powerful politicians.
The former girl friend of Israeli drug-dealer Yaniv Benahim alias Atala had claimed she knew a top politician’s son who was involved in the drugs racket, and offered to give the information to the police. The police chose to ignore her claim. They weren’t really interested.
But, instead of castigating the police for their inertia, the CM’s statement that the model should have come and given her information to the police, suggests that the government doesn’t want to know about the cop-drug dealer-politician nexus either. That is truly unfortunate. We should draw the line where drugs are concerned.
