It was a welcome relief to watch you step out of the doors of the humble Dabolim Airport that your government wants to sacrifice at the altar of the economically unviable and undemocratically enforced Mopa Airport. We hope that you wouldn’t have noticed the dirty urinals, unimpressive interiors and a barren, unfriendly image that sunny, bright and cheerful Goa’s existing airport exhibits. But then there are some vexing questions that you left Goa bothering about. For example, where does the Constitution of India mention about a Cabinet Advisory Committee (CAC) working for yourself (the Chief Minister) in absentia? Did the second-largest party have no one worthy to at least ‘act’ as a CM or was it that the Constitution was downplayed? Goa often wondered if that special status did not mean that Goans will be treated to this special form of government? Just asking.
Also welcome back, Home Minister, back home where Goa has emerged as an unsafe, insecure and lawless hotspot. What your CAC-kling colleagues might not have told you was the fact a brazen gang rape happened at Betalbatim just kilometres away from one of the CAC members home constituency in Fatorda, and as reported in some sections of the media, an accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder may have stayed at the Sanatan Sanstha’s Bandora-based headquarters minutes away from another distinguished member of the CAC. What you also need to find out is that how did one of your party man’s factory in Pissurlem Industrial Estate turn out to be the base for manufacturing the banned party drug ketamine? The fact that the estate falls in a political arena that is very friendly to the ruling dispensation is another story. But the most disturbing part is while you were away, the CAC was more interested in signing away cheques for development than ensuring law and order.
Speaking of signing away cheques, welcome back, Finance Minister. After hurriedly tabling and passing an Appropriation Bill worth Rs 17,123 crore without discussion on the State Budget, the rules of law may have been followed but the spirit of democracy was crushed as Goans were denied the knowledge of why is the State spending this money thus? Goans had not voted for the present post-poll ruling coalition. First, the Budget and then the State’s Treasury being operated in absentia by bureaucrats and the CAC. Forget what is right in law and what isn’t (Goa was told that the CAC arrangement was legally tenable), Goans had never voted for bureaucrats to run this State with the people’s money. We still wonder why weren’t the people of Goa, who crowd temples and churches to pray for your well being, told who was signing the financial orders in your absence and why should we trust him with Goa’s money?
Welcome back, Education Minister to the broken promises of repairing leaking school roofs especially of primary schools which your favourite Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation was supposed to do. Goa understands that these primary schools with low budgets do not catch the fancy of the high spending, big-budget infrastructure projects fascinated government but then why promise them at all. In Salcete, anyways children are abandoning government primary schools for their pitiable conditions, so can we have those new and renovated schools that your government promised?
Also welcome back, Mining Minister. After winning a decent number of Assembly seats with their votes, can you please clear the air on the plight of the mining dependants who despite the tacit support of mining companies have not been able to cut much of ice with your government? They have been periodically coming on the streets and then going back to doing other stuff as mining is locked in a state of limbo in the State. Everyone is promising but no one is delivering. We also hope that you shall also help recover the Rs 35,000 crore loot that was quantified by a retired Supreme Court Judge of eminence and ensure that justice prevails.
We wish you the best of health and wish that Goa does not have to live in a state of secrecy and unaccountability again.
