We urge readers to begin reading this story by looking at the two photographs of Manmohan Singh and Manohar Parrikar. The picture of Manmohan Singh, first published by the Washington Post, with an article by Simon Denyer, with the photo captioned “Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s second term in office has been damaged by corruption scandals and policy paralysis” The Washington Post in its story went on to add, “The image of the scrupulously honorable, humble and intellectual technocrat has slowly given way to a completely
different one: a dithering, ineffectual bureaucrat presiding over a deeply corrupt government” Cut to India’s smallest state, Goa, ruled by one its most progressive Chief Ministers, Manohar Parrikar, with some key similar qualities, a technocrat with an insight into administration, a sharp thinking mind, an ability to work with figures and above all personally incorruptible. But while Manmohan Singh had his party and his
government, he didn’t always have its eyes, years and in the later stages of his tenure even its trust. Manohar Parrikar became Goa’s Chief Minister entirely on his own but the mining ban and the economic slowdown made him heavily dependent on the Centre. The Centre, not
surprisingly, kept him at bay leading to frequent skirmishes, just short of an open showdown. With Modi in power, it was felt that the distance between Delhi and Goa had shrunk. Parrikar cultivated this by saying that Delhi was a phone call away. Four months into Modi rule at least four of Parrikar’s big ticket hopes of Goa’s Chief Minister, who promised to get decisions on the phone, is picking up more rejection slips from the Modi government at the centre than he wants to count central support to bail him out of critical economic situations
have been done to dust. And from it has emerged an image of Parrikar that he would hate to believe and never admit- that he cannot get things done, much like the most beleaguered and ridiculed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh On the issue of the Modi government’s unequivocal rejection of the resolution passed by the Parrikar government for granting Goa Special Status, to enable Goans
to have control over their land, the Chief Minister was forced to scramble and give some very weird explanations after the Centre perfunctorily said that the Special Status as per the State proposal was just not possible, and even quoted sections from the Constitution to buttress its argument while placing the answer in Parliament – no less. That his BJP MLA Alina Saldanha was more than generous
after this, is probably more as a result of her own insecurity and needs, then probably that she is convinced about the ability of the Chief Minister to deliver on what was very close to the heart of her late husband Matanhy Saldanha.
Another issue is the much touted mining
package.
The BJP rank and file had gone to town
about how the Centre had gained so much from
the Goa mining sector and how it was refusing to
do even a little for the state and this particular
sector when the Congress-led UPA was
in power.
Even the waiving off the loans have
not been agreed to with local banks not
agreeable to the ‘request’ by the Chief
Minister given that the RBI has not yet
given and permission for the same and the
government is still not giving any concrete
indication on how the banks would be
compensated for the losses amounting to crores
they would be forced to bear.
On the buffer zone the government had locked
horns with the Centre saying that it was being unfair
on its decision to earmark the buffer zone against any
development surrounding wildlife sanctuaries to
1 kilometre stating that 500 metres was enough.
It had also asked for a phasing out of the mines
within the buffer zone – even having put this
proposal up to the courts. However, this too was
not accepted by the Centre.
Many in his own government have expressed their
disillusionment saying that there was so much that the
government could have done using its own resources
especially given the mandate and the reason for the
mandate. But, rue the fact that there seemed to be not much
work on the ground on substantive issues, except work on
election related works likes schemes or keeping sections of
society happy. However, the most glaring example was that
of the new ‘third’ Mandovi Bridge that was the brainchild of
the Chief Minister with its state of the art flyovers for which
none other than the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid
the foundation stone on his maiden visit to the State.
The frustration sometimes shows. When pushed on the
status of the mining package from the Centre he retorted,
to journalists – What mining package. All that we are getting
from the Centre is a package.
Once when asked about funds from the Centre, he
quipped that since the state of finances in the Centre was
really tight, he didn’t feel like asking the Prime Minister for
anything. But he doesn’t really have such luxurious choices,
because the people of Goa will not stop asking. And if he
doesn’t get the funds in for revival, through any route, beg,
borrow or steal, he will be a shadow of what he once was.
Much like Manmohan Singh.
