It is eight months since Germany won the Football World Cup in Brazil and we are now in the midst of the Cricket World Cup. And so, it is eight months since four of our MLAs went to Brazil, watched some of the matches and enjoyed the Brazilian hospitality. The money they were to pay back to the government also took eight months to reach the State’s coffers. It did reach, not all of it as one MLA is yet to make the payment, only after Herald reported on the long delay in making the payment.
Six MLAs, including two ministers, were supposed to leave on a government-sponsored Brazil Football World Cup junket. It was cancelled after the media took up the issue and cornered the government on the wastage of public money. Four of the politicians still did go to Brazil for the World Cup, promising to pay back to the government the funds already spent by it in arranging the tour. But like most other promises made by politicians, the money, despite four reminders, remained in the bank accounts of the politicians without reaching the government treasury these past few months.
When Herald on Tuesday sought to know from the MLAs when they would pay back this money, one MLA, the representative from Aldona actually retorted saying, “Is Herald interested in paying my amount? They are free to do so. The matter is with the government. I will reply to government whatever I have to say. I do not like to tell you.”
The Aldona MLA has to understand that he is there in the Legislative Assembly, and his party in government, because the people elected him. He should know that he is accountable to the people and the money spent by the government on this trip belongs to the people. By refusing to speak to Herald he has actually refused to speak to the lakhs of readers of this newspaper. It was not Herald’s private inquiry, but one conducted on behalf of its readers who have a right to know why the public funds that were utilized for a purely private jaunt were still to be paid back to the government treasury.
The culture of servility among the people to elected representatives, prevalent in many parts of the country, has now percolated down to Goa. MLAs expect to be handled with care, using the power that comes with the territory to be brash with the people and nonchalant about governance and accountability. They expect such a servile attitude from the media too, which will not happen.
This government was elected on the promise of zero tolerance to corruption and transparency in government. Corruption in not just the act of seeking and accepting bribes, but also the use of power to wrangle a foreign trip at public cost. It is also the delay in reimbursing the government the money spent on a trip abroad that did not have official sanction.
If the MLAs feel that the people do not need to know when the money will be paid back, let us explain here, why the people need to know: The junket was not forced upon the MLAs. They went on their own free will and were aware even before they reached Dabolim airport for their flight out of Goa that they would have to reimburse the government the money paid for the flight tickets, match tickets and the stay in Brazil. Reminders were sent to them but the money did not reach the government. The money belongs to the people, collected through taxes paid by the people, meant to be used for development works that will benefit the people. These are the reasons why, the people have the right to know whether the MLAs have paid back or not the money spent on the Brazil junket.
Four reminders from the Sports Authority of Goa didn’t make the MLAs pay back the money. The MLAs waited till Herald reported that the file on this reimbursement issue had been sent by the SAG to the government after the former had tired of waiting for the MLAs to pay back the money. They paid it back the very same day the report appeared. It is here that the role of the media as a watchdog has been seen effectively. Whether MLAs retort or not, Herald will play this role always.
