It’s almost a week since a new government has been in place, and while there will be fresh challenges that need to be tackled, yet the unfinished tasks of the past cannot be ignored and will have to be taken up on priority. The new dispensation has a list of tasks it has to attend to, and there is not a moment to spare in finding solutions to what has remained pending. Procrastination that has been seen in the earlier administration cannot be taken into the new administration, for then the same tasks will remain unfinished.
ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE: Goa’s road network condition needs to be reviewed urgently. The State is getting some super highways that have met with the approval of the people as driving is turning into a pleasure and distances have been shortened in time taken to travel, but the interior roads of the State are far from comparable to the cemented six lane highways that have already been constructed or are in the process of coming up. The condition of some of the roads, even in the urban areas, is pitiable, with potholes, deep ruts and narrow approaches to tourism spots leading to congestion. A comprehensive plan for the repair and development of the road network is required. The condition of the roads cannot be allowed to remain on a status quo.
MINING MATTERS: To be clear, the mining sector has more than one issue that requires to be tackled at the government level. One of course is restarting operations that mining dependents having been demanding since 2012 and for which the Goa Mineral Development Corporation, announced in the Budget of 2021, has been set up. When the sector is thrown open, the government has to focus on sustainable mining with all environmental aspects considered and mitigate the effects that ore extraction and transportation will have on the ambience. The second issue is of recovering the losses of the past, that have remained only a subject of discussion. The State has to expedite the investigations in this and let the law take its course so that there is closure of the issue to the benefit of the ex-chequer.
MHADEI MUDDLE: Despite the award from the Mahadayi Disputes Tribunal, the State has found itself repeatedly struggling to gets its views on the River Mhadei water sharing to be heard by the Centre. The latest issue to arise was the clearance by neighbouiring Karnataka for a hydro-electric project on the river. Goa has sought a clarification from the Centre on this. But for how long will Goa only be reacting to actions of other States regarding the Mhadei and its waters? The river is the State’s lifeline. There is just no understating this, and so any diversion of its waters, before it flows into the Goa, will be detrimental to the State. This has to be a stand taken by the government and be unyielding about it. Goa has to put its views to the Centre and get it to decide in favour of the State.
POWER AND WATER SUPPLY: There are two services that the government has to improve the delivery of urgently. It is the supply of power and water. With the exception of Panjim that has a stable supply of electricity, thanks mainly to the underground cabling, the supply in other towns and villages that depend on overhead wires is far from even average. Power cuts are a common occurrence as are voltage fluctuations, with the situation turning worse in the rural areas. The power supply needs a huge improvement. Similarly, water supply is another service that requires the government’s attention. There have been promises of water supply 24 hours a day with deadlines that have long been past. Besides, the pipeline bursts that happen almost regularly disrupt the supply and South Goa in particular is often plagued with this problem when the Selaulim plant’s distribution system breaks down. The water storage and distribution systems need urgent attention.
GARBAGE MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT: Just days before the counting of votes the Sonsoddo garbage dump went aflame again sending yet another reminded that a solution evades this growing mound of garbage on the outskirts of Margao. A few days later a wall of the shed collapsed. This dump is not in some isolated place but close to residential and institutional areas. While Sonsoddo is a very relevant example of how garbage management has been mishandled, the State still plods along in finding a feasible solution to the waste issue. The NIMBY factor has also played a role in delaying the setting up of garbage treatment plants in villages. The government will have to sweep aside all such objections if the issue is ever going to be resolved.
INDUSTRY AND EMPLOYMENT: In the months before the elections the State government went on a recruitment spree targeting a new workforce of 10,000. It, however, is not the responsibility of the government to give jobs but to create the environment for industry to set up and generate job opportunities. At least one industry association has already demanded that the new government provide a conducive business environment that will give Goa a higher rank in the ease of doing business list. Goa’s rank on this list has been dropping and industry has been unhappy with the processes that have to be completed to start any new business enterprise.
It is the beginning of the term, the government has a majority in the Assembly, so the hiccups will be few. There is time aplenty – a full five years – to get the tasks completed. To reiterate, none of the tasks that have been listed are new. They are all issues that have remained unresolved by the earlier government. What therefore is being asked of the new government that has taken charge is that it completes what has been started and left unfinished. All that is required is for the government to begin on the delivery of what it promised and also on what the people expect from it. This is really not too much to ask of a government.