Goa government is quite literally proving the American scientist right in every aspect of its governance.
Almost a year ago, the State government was aware that it would be amongst the cities hosting the G20 Summit meetings. However, even after the first meeting began on April 17, at a starred hotel in Bambolim, the preparations such as painting the walls of the multilevel-vehicle parking facility right at the entry point to the Panjim city were yet to be completed. The pavers on the pedestrian path on the main Dayanand Bandodkar Road have been dug out and new pavers are yet to be laid out, the resultant traffic congestion can only be blamed on the lack of planning.
Given the importance that the G20 Summit carries for the branding of the State, the painting of the road medians, installation of barricades on the road medians, pruning of trees and lawns at the traffic islands, testing the street lights, carrying out the pre-monsoon maintenance works, etc, ought to have been completed before the arrival of the international delegates, which include ministers and diplomats.
The Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL) the special purpose vehicle carrying out the Smart City works has shot over all the deadlines and still continues to apparently defy all orders even as there is no sight of relief for the citizens and visitors to Panjim from the constant pollution and traffic chaos on the roads of the capital. Roads that had been tarred with asphalt merely weeks ago have been dug again, drains are choked and the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) staff is busy trying to complete the pre-monsoon maintenance works before the pre-monsoon showers hit the State.
O Heraldo in its special series on ‘Wheels of Misery’ has highlighted how locals commuting between Margao and Panjim have been forced to sweat it out in the scorching heat despite having paid in full for the AC bus facility. While the buses ordered for plying the delegates of the G20 Summit didn’t arrive, therefore the government diverted the only fleet of a few good quality AC buses available with the Kadamaba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) to ferry the delegates and the staff. As a result, locals suffer not just due to a lack of well-conditioned buses but due to a shortage in the fleet of buses for passengers to ply between towns and villages, forcing long queues at major bus stands across the State.
The case is no different when one analyses the government’s track record in the formulation of policies. We boast that Goa is a tourist destination and a major chunk of the State’s revenue is now tourism-dependent, and yet we have a flawed tourism policy, as a result of which time and again the High Court has had to intervene and order directions to the government to course correct its execution. The list of the State government’s preparation for failure is long.
Despite spending hundreds of crores of rupees from the exchequer, the State government has failed to complete the preparations in a time-bound manner and failed to turn the capital into a Smart City, even after years of suffering for Goans. On the other hand, the Goa government with its cabinet has left no stone unturned to strengthen the position of the ruling party in the State and as the Assembly elections in Karnataka draw nearer, the Ministers and the MLAs are busy campaigning in the neighbouring State.
It would augur well if the Goa government reminds itself that it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.
