For favour of publication. Best wishes. Averthanus _____
SEZ WHO ? Averthanus L. D'Souza. The spontaneous and almost universal opposition to the decision of the Government to demarcate vast areas of land as Special Economic Zones and to hand them over to land sharks from Delhi and Mumbai, once again exposes the fact that the Government does not act in the interest of the people of Goa but at the behest of big businesses and the Chambers of Commerce and Industry. It is a telling reflection on the Government that practically every project which it has sponsored or authorized has caused a negative reaction from the citizens of Goa; and not only from the local villagers who are affected by the decision, but citizens from the whole of Goa, who see the actions of the Government as retrograde and contrary to the best interests of the citizens. Quite obviously, the Government is working at cross purposes with the people it is supposed to represent. On the contrary it is violating the trust which the people have reposed in it. Linked to this, and arising directly from the unenlightened actions of the Government is the fact that instead of being the promoter of social harmony and the defender of peaceful development, the Government itself has become the agent of social unrest and the exploiter of the weaker sections of the population. It is strikingly clear that in the last few years, the Government (whether of the Congress or of the BJP) has been the primary culprit in the degradation of land, the over-exploitation of the natural resources, and the selling out of Goan land to outside sharks. Instead of curtailing criminality, the Government itself has become the major perpetrator of criminal activities. To a discerning student of the way in which the Government functions, it is clear that the Government is not a homogeneous corporate body which makes decisions by consensus. Rather it is an inchoate conglomeration of different vested interests which are constantly pulling in different directions. Each Minister has his own private agenda. There is no common agenda of the Government. In the process, no decisions are made as a result of consensus. Each Minister seeks approval from his counterpart in the Central Government, or from the 'High Command'.. This also includes protection against the possible treachery of his own colleagues in the Cabinet. It is no secret that alliances among Ministers are made on the basis of sharing of spoils from illegal activities. The Government is totally disjointed. One Department does not know (and does not care) what another Department is doing. There is not only an overlapping of authorities; there is often a conflict of interest. The problem was exacerbated by Manohar Parrikar, who set up a multiplicity of Corporations to do the jobs which were supposed to be done by the different Departments of the Government. While setting up the different Corporations, he should either have disbanded the existing Departments, or he should have clarified the respective authorities of the Corporations and the Departments. A glaring example is the conflict between the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation and the Public Works Department, which is understood to be the department to provide the infrastructure development in the State. The most recent anomaly is the construction of a sewage treatment plant in Taleigaon by the PWD. (Vide Herald, Friday, November 9th., 2007). If the PWD is responsible for setting up and commissioning a sewage treatment plant (as it should be), what is the purpose of having a Goa Sewerage Corporation? And what is the role in this project of the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation? There is a massive mess-up in the institutions of government which is causing the massive mess-up in governance. Instead of setting up Task Forces and Advisory Councils, (which are only an addition to the mess-up), the Chief Minister should first concentrate on cleaning up the institutions of government. His first priority should be to eliminate unnecessary and obsolete corporations and/or departments, and reduce the instruments of government to the bare minimum. The problem of the SEZs is a manifestation of the breakdown of government. There is total confusion about the relative authorities of the different wings of the Government. The GSIDC has made arbitrary decisions in violation of its own Rules of Procedure. In a Memorandum presented to the Chief Minister, the People's Movement Against SEZs has pointed out that land was allocated to certain business houses even without their Project Proposals being received by the GSIDC. One of the companies to whom land was allocated was not even registered as a company on the date that the land allocation was made. Decisions were made in a tearing hurry (less than ten days), without obtaining the necessary clearances of other Departments of the Government, and without following the procedures laid down by the SEZ Act of the Central Government. No environment impact assessments were made before the decisions to allocate land to these companies. In short, the GSIDC has committed several frauds in the course of allocation of land for SEZs, and has violated its own Rules of Procedure. The People's Movement Against SEZ has filed criminal cases against the GSIDC. Its F.I.R. details the alleged violations of the Law and the flouting of its own Rules of Procedure. In view of the growing opposition to the haphazard manner in which precious land is being handed over to land sharks, the Chief Minister made a public statement that he would review the entire question of allowing SEZs in Goa. This is like bolting the gates after the horses have fled. But what is even more distressing is the fact that while he is "reviewing" the question, work is going on apace. If the intention is honourable and the Chief Minister is serious about his promise, all work under the current sanctions should be frozen until the final decision is made. A larger, but more important, question about the manner in which the Government is functioning is how does the setting up of SEZs fit into the ongoing process of preparing a Regional Plan for Goa, 2021. Unless the Regional Plan, 2021 makes proper allocation for such land development, all permissions made up to this date should be promptly revoked. Averthanus L. D'Souza, D-13, La Marvel Colony, Dona Paula, Goa 403 004. Tel: 2453628.