The Goa government continues to undermine institutions of government, demoralise professional bureaucrats who are not yes men, and ensure that key agencies like the Anti-Corruption Bureau under the Directorate of Vigilance work as a part of the Chief Minister’s office complex.
The manner in which it has shamelessly taken over the Anti-Corruption Bureau, shunting out the SP Bosco George and then finally squeezing out the Director Vigilance, under which the ACB officially functions, would put seasoned manipulators to shame. The Director of Vigilance Amarsen Rane had a blemish-less record as Vigilance Director. He along with the SP of ACB Bosco George made the ACB one of the most respected departments (barring the manner in which treated the issue of alleged malpractices by the former Principal of the Police Training School in Valpoi).
This reputation got further strengthened, when the ACB arrested the brother-in-law of the Chief Minister Parsekar, Ghanshayam Malvankar – a GIDC officer – for accepting a bribe. But this high was short-lived. After the usual platitudes of “the law will take its course” from the CM, swift action was initiated to ensure that George was out and replaced by an IPS officer Vimal Das Gupta. While one would have expected these transfers to be routed through the Director of Vigilance, Amarsen Rane was not even aware of these changes in a department which reported to him. Rane was then asked by the Chief Secretary to go on leave in December ostensibly because he delayed clearing some crucial files. Now two months into his leave, he has been transferred and replaced by Narayan Sawant who was the registrar of Cooperative Societies.
What the government has effectively done is posted a person with no hands on experience, at the crucial Vigilance department and has under him a new SP level officer from outside the state as the head of ACB, with a dual charge of FRRO. Though this will never be written, the new SP has to tow the line of his senior officers in the Goa police, and can hardly be expected to get independent leadership from his new lightweight Director Narayan Sawant.
From the Chief Secretary who is not a full-fledged one and is therefore not involved fully in the selection and posting of the right officers, to the District police Chiefs who are not IPS cadre officers, the government has thrown norms of policing and governance structuring to the winds. The Police Establishment Board which should deliberate and have a final say on transfers and postings has been reduced to a joke. The Director General of Police has very little say in the handpicking of key men in key positions, and therefore the police functions according to the law of the “Mahalakshmi’ (the Chief Minister’s official residence).
Weak departments and institutions are the hallmark of dictatorial regimes. If the rule of one person needs to be established, institutions of control, which are pillars of democracy, have to crumble. These institutions include the cabinet and the legislature.
It may be too late now, but it is again upto these institutions to reclaim themselves. More importantly cadre officials should realise that they can play an even bigger part in the fight back and transformation. All they need is a straight spine.
