Elections are close, the Independence Day speech makes it clear

From the gist of this speech, there can be no doubt about it, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government is preparing for elections 2022 and Goa just got an early look at what the party manifesto for the upcoming polls may look like.
Going by its contents, Sawant’s speech can be construed as an early election campaign announcement and a quick comparison between this speech and his two others of the past years further establishes this. In his first Independence Day speech as Chief Minister two years ago, the only promise Sawant had made was to give the State corrupt-free governance and had made the assurance of completing all the infrastructural works within two years. At that time he had asked the people, especially the youth, to cooperate with the government to make Goa the number 1 State in the country. He had also called himself the ‘mukhya sevak’ of the State and reminded government employees that they are there to serve the citizens.
Then, last year, the Chief Minister’s Independence Day speech stressed on the COVID-19 management in the State and how Goa was relatively better poised to combat the pandemic than other States, and there was also a call to Goans to become atmanirbhar (self sufficient), to become vocal for local and then the statement that policymakers would visit the panchayats to draft policies for the all round development of the State. He had stressed that the government, along with colleges will adopt villages to ensure that grassroots development happens in real terms. A year later such adoption of villages and their development is yet to happen and the policies that were to be framed after panchayat visits are also still awaited.
This year the speech was replete with promises, and the free water announcement has the appearance of a carrot being dangled before the people. Water, in fact, played a central role in the Independence Day speech as Sawant vowed to never compromise on Mhadei and fight till the battle is won. The other announcement was setting a date for the inauguration of the Mopa airport , which Sawant said will be thrown open by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by August 15, 2022. As per this promises, Goa’s second airport is to be operational within a year’s time, but as admitted 35.22 per cent of the work on the airport has been completed as of now. Can the airport get completed in the next 12 months?
Another assurance made by the Chief Minister is security to all. A government should not have to make such a statement as it is the duty of the State to ensure that all the citizens are safe from anti-social elements. But, given the recent crimes against women and youth in the State, he perhaps felt there was need to reassure the citizens of this. Perhaps, the people were in need of such an assurance due to the recent crimes, but then such a statement has to be followed up with action on the ground. The security that is promised, and is expected, has to be delivered. Goa cannot only have repeated promises from the government, with nothing to show after that. The seriousness in delivery is just as important.