Dates mean a lot in governance. Pages of political history are riddled with dates of significance. Dates of glory and dates of ignominy. Dates of triumph and dates of failure. And this applies not just to elevated platforms of national and international governance and diplomacy, but even to the functioning of regional and local governments. Governance is known and measured by the fulfillment of promises according to a time frame set by the people who govern.
Goa has of late had a tryst with some promises which are taking an inordinately long time in coming while others like the Mopa airport project are being pushed at such a breakneck pace, that it needs no deadlines, perhaps just very serious brakes.
Meanwhile, there are critical issues on which Goa’s development, land use and implementation of major projects depend on, like the Regional Plan. While the laundry list of failed deadlines and promises on drafting a new plan, sending it back to the people in the villages for a re-look and de-notifying the vexed Regional Plan of 2021, is long, let us look at the last promise (which those in the know did not honestly believe in) made by the Chief Minister on July 29, in the assembly. He said that a eight member House Committee consisting of about 6 MLAs and two others would be constituted after August 21, when the assembly session ended to study contentious issues surrounding the Regional Plan implementation and prepare a road map for its final formulation. He went further to state that this House Committee would start functioning from September 15.
As a newspaper we had two choices. To ignore yet another promise unfulfilled as a mere extension of that laundry list and not pay too much heed, since expectation levels are low, or make this an issue. Our readers know the choice we would make. And it is that choice we are making now, because anything less would be a let-down. So we are making this an issue. This is bigger than a failed promise. We are asking for accountability from the Chief Minister for a promise which he made, not at a street corner at Merces, but on the hallowed floor of one of the temples of democracy – the state Assembly.
What really transpired is this. Buckling to all round pressure, and not the least from newspapers, on the delay in any movement on the Regional Plan which the Chief Minister had put in the cold storage without even wanting to open the door of the freezer, he for a moment, announced that he would take it out and ask a House Committee to look into it. While this could be an even more sophisticated approach to buy time; he not turning back to even look at his commitment to the House, really lowers the bar to a massive extent.
One does wonder if he documents these promises, or marks these deadlines as sacrosanct. The doubt stems from the fact that there is very little or no traction from the bureaucracy on these promises or no urgency either. And now when Herald raised questions with the legislature secretariat, the feedback was that it was the government that needed to work on this and not a House Committee. This kind of hesitancy and dithering and lack of clarity cannot become the hallmark of the governments’ response to issues. Two months after the Chief Minister promised to find a way forward on the Regional Plan imbroglio, no one, absolutely no one, knows what’s going on. An official concerned with the issue of the Regional Plan who may be severely reprimanded and suspended, for coming on record with media, looked baffled when questioned on the issue. His fervent plea was, “Please, please do not drag me into this”.
So is the bureaucracy running scared of even discussing crucial issues that are hanging fire? Well you can’t really blame them can you? After all, the CM has sent a clear message that the media creates confusion and processes of decision making should never be shared, only final achievements should be communicated.
Unfortunately that doesn’t work with us. And hence the questions.
