It was a pleasure to read “Goa rallies to save Tiracol, hundreds travel to Goa’s northern-most village to support its residents in their fight against a golf course and resort project” It was also amusing to read what some speakers had to say, ”Where are the ministers that made big promises before the elections”. “Instead of making only for the ministers there was a need for the implementation of 73rdand 74th Amendments that calls for people’s participation. Projects like this were an invitation to outsiders to set up shop but had little to nothing for the locals themselves”.
There is ample truth in these statements and the Goa government should put in practice the implementation of 73rd and 74th Amendments to avoid such reoccurrences in Goa.
Writers have voiced similar sentiments about people’s involvement in making policy decisions on Goa’s newspapers. In this context it is prerogative of the people to decide what is good for their town or their village and government must take this fact into consideration. Instead, the politicians decide everything without consulting the people and the people come to know only when the development starts. Luckily with alert citizens some projects have been stopped in Goa.
Even in Tiracol politicians are alleged to have been in the forefront and when politicians are involved it is easy to get all the clearances whether in Goa or from the Union Ministries in New Delhi. While in office every legislator gets a handsome salary and along with all allowances each MLA gets around Rs 1.20,000 per month, they get their salaries revised on and off without any opposition because all belong to the political flock. The last such hike was in August 2012 by the Parrikar government. Here someone has to be highlighted the 1st Chief Minister of Goa, Dayanand Bandodkar who was in office from 1963 to 1973 and received an honorarium of Re 1 per month throughout his career as the Chief Minister of Goa.
But who are these men the so-called politicians. They are the people elected by the people to represent them, to redress people’s grievances, to enact laws for the benefit of the people. We adore them, respect them, we make a point t to invite them for our celebrations like feasts, birthdays, parties, weddings and possibly all the occasions. Do our politicians serve the people of Goa with sincerity as they should according to the Constitution of India? When in office especially the ministers, hardly care for the common man and sacrifice the interests of the entire society to please the corporate society. Vivid examples are shelving of Carmona mega housing project, scrapping of golf course in Betul and now Tiracol golf and resort project. In all these the political society is involved.
The nexus of the political society with the corporate society has been curbed by the power of the people of Goa. The fact Goans are sussegad, peace loving and quiet by nature, these ugly situations have evolved time and again. It is time the Government of Goa realize the people of the town or the village should be taken into confidence along with the ministers when any new project is to be initiated in the towns or the villages, and the people of Goa cannot be taken for granted.
