The Goan economy is witnessing a downward spiral, which cannot be attributed just to the Corona-induced lockdown. While the slump has become more evident due to the pandemic, the real undercurrents that have pulled down the Goan economy into a plummeting spiral, is a matter for deeper introspection and discussion on open forums.
The mining industry has been one of the strong contributors to our economic surge for a long time. But for a decade or so, it has been plagued by many a malaise that has reduced it to a racketeering business for corrupt gains that fails to contribute to the State’s revenue. The dwindling revenue from the mining sector has been making a severe dent on our capacity to float mining related developmental projects on our own and increased our dependence on big corporates, who have already made deep inroads into the mining sector. These big players manipulate the mining industry with the single ulterior motive of personal profits and it is common knowledge that our politicians are hand in gloves to lap up the gains.
It’s only when there is a need to cheat on the State’s revenues that the politician-businessmen-mafia nexus takes place and the same is strongly established in the Goan mining industry for the last decade. While we call it ‘Illegal Mining’ the real terminology is anti-State activities that deprive Goa of its just means of revenue generation.
The malpractices that are taking place in the name of mining are common knowledge; and even the pandemic has become a boon for these corrupt elements to practice their illegal activities more forcefully under the cover of ‘Corona protocols’ that curb any form of public protest. Successive governments and politicians look at this illegal mining business as a channel for furthering individual gains and electoral fund generation while the State revenues continue spiralling down.
Corruption seems to have been institutionalised in the Goan mining industry and the greed has affected not just the economy but also the ecology. Hillocks and forest areas that are precious biospheres are reduced to gaping holes in Mother Earth leaving Goa’s environment perennially bleeding. The minimal sops introduced to address the environmental issues are an eyewash and toothless in wake of the powerful politician-corporate-mafia nexus and very soon Goa will turn into another ‘Wasseypur’ with the mafia ruling this beautiful Land, squeezing it dry of all the natural resources and leaving not just the economy in shambles but also converting Goa into a crater filled moonscape with rubble-heaps replacing the natural beauty.
Any government that sincerely wishes to put the mining sector on the right track with a positive motive of constructive mining with environmental concerns duly addressed should push for a regulatory body that will ensure that the natural resources of Goa are tapped for the benefit of Goa. There is a serious need to avoid big players and promote a Goan Corporation that will ensure against the outflow of revenue. We need to plan our mining activities in such a way that it is done in an eco-friendly manner and also that the job and revenue generation directly benefits the Goan populace.
Not just the mining industry but the subsidiary concerns that support the entire mining process should be localised and put under stringent control of the Regulatory Body to guarantee the sustainable development of both the mining industry and the Goan ecology.
The second pillar of Goan economy is tourism but its pertinent to note that nature, beach and the sightseeing mode of tourism as we knew it about 2 decades back, has been replaced with a Las Vegas style of gambler’s den tourism that’s limited to the casino’s in our rivers.
A high percentage of tourist footfalls are limited to the casino circuit, which is a small and self insulated arena with no chance of the footfalls benefitting anyone outside it. Casino’s see to it that the tourist is given a pickup and drop by their vehicles and all his other needs are taken care of in the floating dens of vice and hence these tourists do not contribute to the various sectors like taxi service, hotels, tourist guides, beach shacks, restaurants, curio shops etc. These tourists spend their entire money in the casino’s and go back with the intention of repeating the same procedure in these floating gambling dens, which go all out to ensure that not a single paisa trickles out of their clutches to the shore based tourism activities.
The drug circuit is another mode of growing footfalls of tourists, which does not contribute to the overall tourism industry and the economy because these are not actually tourists but groups of junkies coming to get high and dazed out spending all their money on purchasing drugs. These tourists are neither in need of good food nor a decent accommodation and are comfortable lying on the beaches, roadsides etc. Thus this lot does not contribute to the revenues of hotels, restaurants and other subsidiary tourism related sectors.
These two ugly faces of tourism are a direct contribution of people with vested interests getting high political backings that want to turn the Goan tourism circuit into a neon-lit, gambling, drug and sex haven because of the simple fact that its easy money for everyone. And with the drug mafia tightening its grip, the unemployed Goan youth first becomes a drug addict and then a peddler to finance his drug needs. Instances of drug induced crimes as well as gang wars between drug cartels, from local to international levels have become common in the Goan tourism circuit; especially the Calangute belt which offers safe haven to hardened mafia kingpins under powerful and corrupt political patronage. The drug industry also fosters the next vice of prostitution, which is becoming rampant in Goa; and even the local populace is seduced into the trade leading to complete degradation of social structure in Goa.
These are the real reasons as to why the increasing tourist footfalls in Goa are not contributing to its economy and leading to a spiralling downfall of revenues from this sector.
There is an urgent need to restore the tourism industry to its past glory of clean and nature-based tourism that will ensure that the tourists coming to Goa will contribute towards the economy of the State while shutting out the malaises of drugs, crime and mafia domination that are destroying the true nature of pristine Goa.
Another administrative fallacy of the highest order is that the Goa government is not promoting the IT sector, which could provide a pollution free industry and high incomes that will duly trickle down to the last mile of the Goan economy. Goan talent working outside Goa will be able to come back and work from their homes thus providing a large sector of high income population, which will bolster the sinking economy.
No time should be wasted in salvaging the Goan economy failing, which it will be a herculean task as there is a growing index of corruption inducing activities in the prime revenue generating sectors of tourism and mining that is destroying the entire Goan economy.
