------------------------------------------------------------------------ August 25, 2009 - Goanet's 15th Anniversary
------------------------------------------------------------------------ While Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s diktat is to cut salaries of MPs by 20% and adopt austerity measures, our MLAs in Goa have recently shamelessly given themselves a handsome pay hike. Good governance is about financial accountability which the Goa Government has not cared about. Recently the Economic Development Corporation which has been incurring massive losses since its inception on 12th March, 1975, dared to spend lavishly on a function to mark the inauguration of its Micro Finance section. The total expenses on the function was Rs 2, 42, 612. A sum of Rs 7000 was squandered on flower decorations to welcome the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat at the function. The High tea for dignitaries cost Rs 3600 while the lunch which could also have been avoided, swallowed Rs 12,848 from the State exchequer. Just because the corporation is basking on some crores of rupees it has fetched recently by selling some of its prime property, there is no reason to overspend. Chief Minister Digambar Kamat should ensure fiscal accountability even at the cost of losing his chair. Aires Rodrigues Ribandar