Irony just died a painful death when Goa Government remained mum and failed to address people’s concerns that the mindless development that the State is witnessing shall create another Kerala style disaster of mindless proportions. The State’s BJP, MGP and GFP combo had earlier helped make the sometimes-in-vogue Regional Plan 2021 make a quiet entry into Goa. The TCP Minister threw the concerns of hundreds of Panchayats concerns to the winds and offered a non-negotiable recipe for destruction. This Government won’t learn from Kerala as it is counting coffers.
But then, irony just died a painful death 17 months ago too when a vehemently voted out incumbent BJP Government cobbled a coalition of greed and opportunism to haul upon the people of Goa. What was interesting then was the reverse migration (or should we say the Self-chosen demotion) of a man chosen for Defence Minister’s job keen to again hobnob with petty politics in the state. That left us wondering whether all that hoopla about an IIT-ian leading us was just another little child refusing to let go of his toys? Or is our Goem a toy for these over-hyped politicians?
Irony just died another painful death 17 months ago exactly this date when the Defence tuned Chief Minister allocated a bizarre set of portfolios to an interesting lineup of ministers. Sample this. The Minister for Town and Country Planning (who would later unleash the developers’ manna in the form of TDR) was also allotted the portfolios of Agriculture and Archives & Archaeology. Isn’t it ironical, the same man who would be overseeing the conversion of our land into real estate jungle would also be ensuring that our paddy fields are green and our archaeological heritage is not demolished at the altar of a multi-storey block?
Irony died another death when the Revenue Minister in charge of ensuring the protection of Goankar’s ancestral land, the State’s rich Gaunkari/Communidade resources and even jobs for the Goans would actually be pushing through a bill that sought to regularise all unauthorised structures on Goan lands which were mostly encroached upon by migrant labours (yes, those who still get jobs but while Goan youth have to search elsewhere). Isn’t that ironical – our Minister, our Land, our Jobs but insured and assured for someone else?
Irony also died another death when Parrikar continued to bless the PWD Minister with River Navigation Department too. Imagine the Man obsessed with building a mega-bridge across every possible river and rivulet in the State all in the name of connectivity ensuring that our eco-sensitive rivers are destroyed forever. These rivers were once upon a time preserved by a robust ferry system but then there is more money in concrete and bitumen.
There’s more death of irony that 17 months ago, the CM gifted the State’s Power Minister also the charge of Non-Conventional Energy. The Power-full Man who could have overseen the migration of Goa from a fossil fuel dependent one to a green, carbon negative non-conventional one; did even worse. He ensured that the State became further dependant on power from private players as people and the economy bled alike.
Irony died another death when the IIT-ian handed over the key to Health of the State to an MBM who rather an empowering the state-owned Health institutions including Goa Medical College, Primary Health Care under DGHS has been obsessed with (1) outsourcing healthcare to institutions far off and in neighbouring states (causing untold inconvenience to Goans) and (2) introducing super specialised healthcare in the State-run enterprises whilst primary and basic health care in the State has been crumbling and disintegrating. The Health Guardian has been almost Marie Antoinette-sque in his approach to healthcare if they want primary give them specialised healthcare.
But then irony dies a thousand deaths every day as Goans continue to put up with a system infested with such apology of governance and fight shy of asking tough questions of them.
