By Ashley Noronha
The climate in Goa with respect to various corporate sectors or other establishments is changing rapidly having partial destabilising effect in the smallest state of the union. Everywhere you turn to, one will notice a sea of change has already taken or taking place. Banks which were once operating suddenly disappeared or merged with another more dominant one. Names of companies which existed before have vanished altogether and have merged with another under a different style and name, for operational purposes.
People are totally lost to find out when they discover of the new developments and to the whereabouts of their banks which once they transacted their business with, which stood in a certain place and is not there anymore. People have been subjected and made to undergo re-KYC with submission of all necessary documents and photos. One can't imagine but ponder as to why such rigorous draconian rules or laws are applied on old accounts, which public must go through all over again and which are periodically done from time to time.
Similarly some ATMs which once existed at certain outlets have suddenly disappeared and closed shop only to reappear at some distance away, totally upsetting the people's convenience of banking at the closest location of their choice .
Small shops and shanties which stood for ages with permanent electricity and water connections are bulldozed and flattened beyond recognition, uprooted totally, and in the bargain many people lost their jobs, adding to the unemployed force. Some owners who might have had high political connections and who seemed to skip or evade the onslaught of this unplanned and untimely demolitions, have not been spared this time. Some of these beleagured businessmen who were once used as pawns in geopolitical games of vote bank politics in the past but now did not find favour or any sponsors, this time around.
There is change of school calendar and timings on anvil putting parents and their schooling wards at total inconvenience and hardship in the new norm.
Such rapid changes in working conditions or locations will do little good in generating GDP and will lack wealth creation like before when business was conducted in a well-entrenched or established business.
It takes ages to build a business by creating an amicable rapport with the local public who have invested considerable time, money, energies during their lifetime. Huge five-star bridges and highways in the form of flyover have run over old businesses potentially beneath them which are not visible from the top of the highway or might have even obliterated some of them, and decreased their businesses to a certain extent. Government assisted mass demolitions kill age old businesses to the core thereby reducing all forms of wealth creations, with a prospect of reduction of GDP.
The Ministry of Home affairs (MHA) has identified 4 new islands in Goa... George Island, Grande Island, Pequeno Island, Conco Island to carry out holistic development and with this survey, many businesses might be relocated or some may self opt to locate in these islands with immense tourist potential. Tourism directly contributes 16.45% GDP and employs 35% of population in this sector. Goa's economic growth is driven by strong fishing, agriculture, tourism and pharmaceutical sectors, which should not be disturbed with economic maneuvering at all costs with all parameters to remain steady. New greenfield Mopa airport is vast and being groomed by increasing its capacity to handle 30 million tourists by phase 4, cancelling out on some of the Dabolim operations. Solar electrification which will be a revolution in rural villages which are carried out to bring electricity to areas where no grid connectivity is possible. State plans to give subsidies to 11000 EVs by this year, when we would see a significant shift from conventional fossil fuel powered vehicles taking place. Government plans to outsource it's newer projects to local IT firms to boost it's IT sector. The vexed Mhadei issue should move forward bringing it to logical conclusion and protecting all wildlife sanctuaries.