The first thing I did in the moring is to wait for the office hours to
commence. Then I placed at call on 2470344 which number is the most
prestigious telephone number of the Moira Panchayat, courtessy BSNL. To the
voice on the other end of the line ( though I could identify it) I asked to
speak to the the esteemed 'part time' VP Secretary, Mr. Chetan Shirodkar
( who incidentally hold the permanent post of the regular Secretary for the
Pomburpa Panchayat). The question 'Who is speaking' was asked, answered, and
voila "A're tujem kam zalem. You can collect your papers" was a jolt for me
from the unexpected. It was the most esteemed Sarpanch of VP Moira on the
other end of the line. "Oh ! Thank you very very much " is all I could
mutter before putting down the telephone.
Just then I received a landline call from my brother-in-law who is running
the general stores cum electronic repairs shop at the Panchayat rented
premises to inform me that the Panchayat clerk, Mr.Mahdev Shirodkar had
dropped in on last Friday envening to tell him to convey a message to me
saying that the papers are ready. That means the Esteemed Sarpanch of the VP
Moira had found it fit to sign on the dotted line after I had a long duel
with him and the Deputy on the same matter of delaying my papers.
Therefore, I stop at the esteemed Moira Panchayat on my way to Mapusa to
collect my 'a month delayed' forwarding letters to the TCP, PWD and Health'
to consider the NOC for Occupancy of my 2006 started residential building
which has 3 permissions to build and subjected to pay twice the amount of
construction license fees.
And as I was wanting to park my 4-wheeler, I see a stampede of sorts. The
red-light car of the Minister for Tourism who is also the MLA of the Tivim
Constituency where Moira was delimited for the last Assembly Elecitons ( now
delimited into Aldona Constituency) with the Minister sorrounded by people,
him come to distribute coconut palm saplings. I push into the crowd of the
Minister's wellwishers cum adorers, tap him on his back and say "Nilkant ..
good to see you in Moira" and walk upstairs to collect my papers.
From the top, I could see the brand new first time Minister in action,
collecting the account forms for the vote-bank, busy with his clients. From
the bird's-eye view from the top verandah of the VP Moira, I attract the
Minister's attention by saying " Minister Sir" ( the minister taking a few
seconds to locate the source of this greetings) - "Salaam to you" I say.
"This Panchayat building requires demolition, completely and totally as it
is fustrating the people who want to be legal" [Yhi Panchayat lokak trass
dita. Yhem Panchayat building modh kiteak amkam Panchayatuch naka"]
The minister took a few gulps and said " Yes we shall demolish this one and
build a new one"
It is anybody's guess to decifer what the minister meant by those words.
I cursed myself later because I did not have the presence of mind,
preoccupied as it is, to remove my cell phone and take a picture of the
Minister ensuring his vote-bank by dishing out coconut palm saplings.
I have made a point to make a note for the next edition of the Road Map for
Goa to include the following: "No Minister or the MLA of GSRP will ever
distribute free goodies like these coconut saplings to the people. That
these goodies shall be distributed by the heads of the concerned departments
( in this case the Agriculture Department).
Cheers
floriano
goasuraj
9890470896
www.goasu-raj.org for expanded scrolling party presentation on the Home
Page -- "Announcements" section
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is not ENOUGH that GOOD, HONEST citizens contest elections.
It is not ENOUGH that GOOD, HONEST citizen voters elect good, honest
representatives.
GOA urgently needs 'GOOD, HONEST, DISCIPLINED SYSTEM of GOVERNANCE'.
Wherein, even a dishonest person is forced to be good, honest n disciplined,
or to QUIT.
Only through PPS can such 'good, honest n disciplined system of governance'
be identified and accepted.
PPS GOA =PEOPLE for POLITICAL SANITY = PEOPLE'S POWER SYSTEM
for a date in 2012
Display the 'PPS' sticker on your vehicle today, to reject political madness
tomorrow
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
ISSUES BEING DEBATED: In East Africa, despite colonialism,
the British afforded the Goan a sliver of a socio-political
voice. Read *Into The Diaspora Wilderness* by Selma Carvalho.
Soon to be available in Toronto. Pp 290. Via mail-order from
[email protected] http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/
