Over a year in office and Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has still not been able to complete the cabinet cobbling. With the Babush Monseratte induction still on hold and the stripping of Finance and Home portfolios from the incumbents in limbo the political uncertainty hovering over Goa looms large.
What is surprising is that the Chief Minister continues to be feted and so was he recently by the Margao block of his party. They vowed to ensure Digambar Kamat's stability despite not a single Minister attending that felicitation. Digambar Kamat who was groomed in RSS disciplined cadres has to now put up with the Congress Party that thrives on indiscipline, infighting and factionalism. The fierce feud between Francisco Sardinha and Shantaram Naik has kept denying Goa a berth in the Union cabinet. While the Aam Aadmi suffers from an administration that is grounded, Digambar Kamat seems to have decided to drag on in office and hopefully complete his term in the footsteps of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. The Chief Minister has had to walk a tight rope with some Ministers within his cabinet not seeing eye to eye. Time and again the Chief Minister has had to diffuse what would have been virtual in-camera bull fights. Infact the brunt and humiliation he has had to face from his own party men and allies has been a bigger threat than the official opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party. With so many clamoring for Ministerial berths and all eyeing exclusively the plum lucrative portfolios, it only confirms that they have not embarked on a mission to serve the people but to help themselves and make the best while it lasts. Chief Minister Digambar Kamat might have started his innings on a wrong foot astutely dodging the induction of Victoria Fernandes in the cabinet by re-assuring her of all round development in her constituency. The real issue was the non-representation of the lone lady MLA in the cabinet as one does not have to be a Sarpanch or MLA or even a Minister to nurse the constituency. That followed by tantrums Mrs Victoria Fernandes fasted, fainted and the ensuing drama at the Vintage hospital including the alleged invigorating transfusion of vitamin 'M' is now all history. While Digambar continues his visits to the Gods, he should expeditiously complete the dishing out of all posts and positions so that he can get down cracking on some of the serious issues confronting Goa and Goans. The Chief Minister being a builder himself should not have headed the Task force set up to prepare Goa's new regional plan. He should now ensure that it is prepared in utmost transparency and in consultation with all concerned. We need to have Goa's planned development with an environmental vision by first improving Goa's crumbling basic infrastructure while tackling serious issues like garbage and vehicle parking in cities on a top priority. The Planning and Development authorities (PDA's) need to be scrapped and facilitate the planning work by assigning a Town Planner to sit at every Municipality. There is an urgent need to enact necessary amendments to the Town & Country Planning Act to ensure that land use changes are not manipulated at the whims and fancies of those in authority Goa urgently needs to set up a "Lokayukta" to ensure public accountability of Ministers including the Chief Minister, Members of the Legislative Assembly, Municipal Councilors, and the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Managing Director and Members of Boards, which are subject to the control of the Government. To protect the interests of Goa's educated unemployed Government should revert the retirement age of government employees to 58 and revoke the blatant extensions in service and contract appointments being given to retired government officers. To ensure transparency in recruitment of government staff the selection process has to be handled by the Goa Public Service Commission. All government jobs should go only to people of Goan origin and 80% jobs in private and other organizations for people who are domiciled in Goa for at least 25 years. Corporations created over the years for political expediency must be wound up and the needed Government Corporations should be headed not by politicians but experts in the field related to the subject matter of the Corporation. Independence of the police force is a must and Ministers & MLA's should stop controlling police stations. There has to be a check on corruption, indiscipline and abuse of authority in Government offices. Information sought under the Right of Information Act has to be made more accessible to the public Starting with Margao the Chief Minister must look into the illegal migrant vote banks set up in most constituencies. All bogus voters from the electoral rolls of Goa need to be deleted as they are existing voters in their parent state too. There is need of a law to regulate sale of land to persons not of Goan origin. Communidade land has to be protected for the purpose it was envisaged by taking deterrent action against large-scale encroachment and land use violation of Communidade land. In keeping with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh the Government should take austerity measures to stop the unnecessary strain on Goa's exchequer. There has to be a curb on unnecessary traveling by Ministers and in particular the foreign jaunts. The Ministers should keep themselves fit and trim by not wining and dining at the people's cost. These and a lot of other issues confront our state. The Chief Minister seems to be lacking the confidence and the backing of his own party and allies. It would be a strategically wise move for Digambar Kamat to take Goa's various political parties and if possible NGO's aboard in finding ways to resolve Goa's vows. Chief Minister has so much to do but holding on to the chair takes most of his time. It is suprising his patience has not snapped. This may be due to astute person that he is. The consolation for Goa's Aam Aadmi is that they can pick up the phone and dial 9822129339 and it would be the Chief Minister himself taking the call. What the Chief Minister needs to realize is that one cannot thrive on love and fresh air. More so, the Aam Aadmi's whose patience will slowly but surely snap at a Government whose administration has remained grounded and dysfunctional for too long. Aires Rodrigues Ribandar
