He was dropped in July this year, just over four months ago. Since then, he has spent weeks and months making no major statement or announcement. Even his interventions during the Monsoon session of the Legislative Assembly were few and brief. The sudden charge from Palyekar, that the drug business is flourishing in the coastal areas, and that rave parties in the State have increased and it ‘looks like government is non-existent as there is no control over this illegal business’ is a serious one. Since he is a law maker and was also a minister, this statement needs to be thoroughly analysed.
Palyekar does not say that rave parties are suddenly happening in Goa, he says they have increased. Hence, from that statement we have to assume that rave parties were also happening earlier – perhaps even during the period when he was a minister. If so, what did he do during the time he was in government to stop the rave parties and the drug dealing? It is no secret that drug peddling occurs in the State on a large scale. Arrests in the last few weeks have led to seizures worth crores of rupees. A single seizure was of Rs 3 crore worth of drugs, and in another, the authroities, after a chase, arrested a person they claim is a top man in the drug trade in the State.
The charges made by the MLA have been swept aside by members of the government, including Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, who said that this was a reflection of Palyekar’s frustration. That, perhaps, may have some shadow of truth in it as once out of power politicians do raise issues they are silent about when holding positions in government. But, when there is evidence by way of arrests of drug peddlers and narcotics seizures, that the drug trade does exist, the possibility that rave parties may be also occuring in the State cannot be ruled out. This statement of Palyekar’s, therefore, has to be investigated by the authorities.
Palyekar spoke much more, including suggesting that the Home Ministry, which deals with law and order, be allotted to another minister, but that’s besides the point. The crux of the matter is that Goa cannot be allowed to be regularly described as a destination where drugs are freely available. When a law maker, in a public statement, casts aspersions on the government, during the period when a major international festival is on, it gives the State a bad name. Not that the MLA doesn’t have the right to have his say. He does, and it is up to the government to ensure that the State keeps away from controversy, especially of the ugly kind where narcotics, drugs and rave parties are involved. During a period when Goa is showcasing its hospitality to the international film fraternity, narcotics and rave parties cast a shadow on the State’s clean image.
There are enough laws to control night parties and drug peddling. All it requires from the government is the will to enforce them, without fear. Which is what makes Palyekar’s statement – ‘looks like government is non-existent as there is no control over this illegal business’ – a loaded one. The MLA’s constituency has a number of beaches frequented by tourists. He perhaps does have insights that others don’t. He says he has given information to the government. If that is so, then the government should act. If a law maker has passed on information of illegal actvities in his constituency, it cannot be ignored. It should be used, especially since almost every drug bust is conducted based on prior information.
