Dears,
The "Digital Goa" SMS news service, operated by Niraj Naik, sent ripples
through the gossip circles that there was a major setback to the GBA today. The
SMS read thus:
QUOTE " In a major setback to GBA, Dr. Oscar Rebelo resigned as Conveneor of
Goa Bachao Abhiyan. Patricia Pinto & Ritu Prasad also resigned from their
posts.(DigitalGoa)" UNQUOTE This message came from it mobile number 9273501920.
The impression that one gets from the SMS is that:
1. Patricia Pinto and Ritu Prasad held "posts" in the GBA as of today and
2. Patricia Pinto and Ritu Prasad resigned "posts" in the GBA .
NEITHER of the two assumptions is TRUE.
Patricia Pinto handed over the charge of Secretary of GBA to Reboni Saha, who
was nominated to the post by Patricia herself at the GBA Core Group meeting on
31 March, 2008. I know this for sure as I keep the minutes for GBA since being
nominated by Patricia Pinto as Joint Secretary to assist her with the
records at the meeting on 09 October, 2007. Both the nominations were accepted
unopposed by the GBA Core Group. Patricia is a respected member of the GBA, and
she continues to be so to this day.
Ritu Prasad is a key member of the GBA and has worked hard, along with Patricia
Pinto, Reboni Saha and Pravin Sabnis, to prepare most of the presentations used
by the GBA. She has NEVER held any post in the GBA and never hankered for one
either. Her commitment is to GOA, the state in which she has spent most of her
life and where she feels "at home". The question of her resigning her POST does
not arise. She never held a post in the GBA.
I spoke to both, Patricia Pinto and Ritu Prasad just a few minutes ago. Neither
of them has any intention of resigning from the Goa Bachao Abhiyan, of which
they are valued members and to which they have contributed without reservation
at considerable effort and personal sacrifice.
Both, Patricia Pinto and Ritu Prasad, decided not to attend the current sitting
[1 to 3 August, 2008] of the Task Force on the Regional Plan 2021 as the Task
Force is trying to hurry them with a presentation on the modalities of
involving the people in planning process [an outline of which Prof. Edgar had
presented to the GBA delegation that met him, at his request, on 12 June, 2008,
in the Task Force Office in the Maquinez Palace, old Escola Medica / GMC
Complex, Panaji-Goa]. They are not "official" members of the Task Force like
the representatives of GCCI or GHCI, but just alternate persons permitted to
attend if Dr. Oscar Rebelo does not attend. Obviously, there is no question of
their resignation of posts in the Task Force.
The GBA Core Group has not finished its deliberations on the process and there
are a few points that do not meet the test of law as on date. The Task Force is
also non-committal on the repeal of amendments to the Sections 16 and 16A made
vide the Goa TCP[Amendment] Act, 2008, in the last session of the Goa
Legislative Assembly saying that it does not "affect the working of the Task
Force" or words to that effect. This amendment actually throws the final
product the Regional Plan 2021 into the waste bin insofar as Government
"projects/schemes" are concerned, whether executed by the Govt. its servants
[meaning officials] or agents [meaning private parties]. The GBA is not in a
hurry although the Task Force and the Government of Goa now appears to be ...18
months after the scrapping of the Regional Plan 2011 at the behest of the GBA!
Dr. Oscar Rebelo had distanced himself from the considered view of the GBA,
conveyed to the Task Force and the Chief Minister, Speaker of GLA, Leader of
the Opposition in the GLA and Ministers for Legislature and TCP on 26 and 27
May, 2008. His knee-jerk reaction has been on record of newspapers since 29
May, 2008. The letter he criticised was later sent by him as an enclosure to
his letter dated 07 July, 2008. All these letters have been released to the
Press, so there is nothing "Secret" about them. In any case, The GBA is not a
government organisation bound by the "Official Secrets Act". We fight for
transparency. We remain transparent to the people we represent, the people of
Goa. So help us Goa! There is nothing "official" about it.
Oscar Rebelo has confirmed by SMS from his personal mobile to me thus:
"I have resigned as convenor of gba ...." Once that is agreed, his request for
ratification by the GBA Executive Committee does not arise. The GBA is an
unregistered voluntary body without a Constitution or bylaws. I do not know if
Oscar will continue to be an active member of the GBA Core Group after
resigning as its Convener. We have not seen him for a single full meeting since
15 February, 2008. Meetings are routinely chaired by one of the Co-Conveners
ever since. At the very last meeting held on 28 July, 2008, Oscar came at the
fag end of the meeting and disrupted it. I doubt he will be missed if he does
not come for the meetings. He was, however, an asset as a public face of the
GBA. May be he felt he was indispensible. May be not. Time is the best teacher
on this subject. If he is no longer comfortable in the GBA Core Group, it is
not the place for him. so be it. As in the case of Sujay Gupta, it is sad to
see such iconoclasm. I wish him the
very best in life, where it may lead him.
Mog asundi.
Miguel Braganza
9822982676
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