As we get ready to usher in 2014, Goa needs to get its priorities right. There has to be a concerted effort to ensure that no stone is left unturned to transform India’s smallest State into the best.
2013 began with that brutal rape on January 14th of the Vasco 7 year old little girl in the toilet of her school. Sadly with the blessings of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar that case was conveniently hushed up with the Chief Minister himself till date not having even cared to visit that little girl and her grieving family. This year ends with the December 19th dastardly attack on St Andre BJP MLA Vishnu Wagh and the case once again muted. Worse still is that it has been publicly alleged that this attack on Vishnu Wagh was masterminded by no other than the Chief Minister himself. The year however also witnessed Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar going hammer and tongs to nail Tarun Tejpal. If the Police had shown the same efficiency in other cases, Goa would not have seen the alarming levels of crime that it is currently gripped in. 2013 comes to a close with the outrageous statement by Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar that music parties in Goa cannot be enjoyed without drugs and that this should be allowed. Dilip Parulekar has had the audacity to claim that he has been all over the world and seen that drugs are freely available everywhere and that Goa cannot be an exception. With the mounting corruption and mal administration there is a very urgent need to set up a sturdy Lokayukta. All that the Chief Minister has to do is to write to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and possibly the neighboring High Courts seeking recommendations for the post. This inaction has left room for speculation whether the government is sincere over its promise. Zero tolerance to Corruption was what we were promised but the ground reality is there for all to see. Only the brokers, agents and beneficiaries of corruption have changed. The garbage issue has reached a point of crisis across Goa and should be a matter of concern to us all. A solution needs to be urgently found. One fails to understand why the government is dragging its feet over the Bainguinim garbage disposal plant despite the land already having been acquired years ago. While in the Opposition Manohar Parrikar had demanded immediate removal of the Casinos from the River Mandovi and had even led a morcha threatening to gate crash and drive the Casinos away. Now having embraced power the Chief Minister says he will remove them before he demits office in 2017. This is unacceptable and the abomination has to end. If Manohar Parrikar expected the then government to move them out overnight, he now has to explain to the people of Goa his new found love for Casinos. Aires Rodrigues T1 - B30, Ribandar Retreat Ribandar - Goa - 403006 Mobile: 9822684372
