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What is the Congress party waiting for? Dump all those involved in
illegal mining in Goa
By Nisser Dias
nisserdias at gmail.com
SMS to 9422437029
For more than a month now, not a single day has passed without
newspapers carrying reports on illegal mining in the state and exposing
all those involved in the same. Be it the chief minister, his cabinet
colleagues, Congress party president of Goa unit, MLAs and government
servants who did the bidding of politicians and allowed Goa to be raped
and destroyed of its natural beauty. At the same time causing a loss of
more than Rs. 10,000 crores to the exchequer. But the irony of the
episode that is unfolding before our eyes involves chief minister,
ministers and MLAs but they continue in their positions.
Compare this with an aam admi who has committed a crime, police
immediately arrest him so that the criminal does not hamper
investigation and destroy evidence. Moreover the entire scene of crime
is made inaccessible to those involved in the crime. If at all the
criminal is granted bail, the court imposes conditions that the accused
will not influence or threaten witnesses, will co-operate with
investigation, will not leave the country. But in the case of illegal
mining the persons who are allegedly involved are high profile and they
continue in their position where they can really influence and destroy
evidence. Notwithstanding all this, we continue to believe in the myth
that nobody is above law how where high and mighty he maybe.
Chief minister has been ruling over the portfolio for the last more than
a decade, he says that he has been aware of the illegality but chose to
stay mum thereby abetting it. Urban Development minister Joaquim Alemao
says he is only a machinery contractor for mining companies and is not
involved in illegal mining but the board outside his business office
shouts that he is into mining services including trading and he
continues in the public office. Health minister says he will not allow
closed mines to be opened but his involvement in alleged illegal mining
is also unfolding. Worse still he continues to dictate terms to the
Congress by weaning away BJP MLAs and forcing Congress party bigwigs to
accept them. Such is his stranglehold over the party. Goa Pradesh
Congress Committee president Subhash Shirodkar role is also being
unearthed. He is undeterred and continues in a responsible position
despite of his alleged irresponsible act.
Joaquim Alemao made a grand statement that he would resign as minister
if it is proved that he is involved in illegal mining. His statement
seems to be on the assumption, ‘innocent until proven guilty’. But for
common man it seems to be just opposite. Then Health minister Vishwajit
Rane threatened to sue Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar for
alleging that he is deeply involved illegal mining. The question is why
does junior Rane issue threats. Why can he just go ahead and file a
defamation suit against his tormentor. It is because the Health minister
knows very well that his darks deeds will be further exposed.
Now these same politicians are trying to form their own coterie by
either making other MLAs to resign and contest on Congress or trying to
bring their families in politics so that they will have a greater
leverage in the formation of the government and that they will also
enjoy immunity. Lest they should forget top Union ministers are today
languishing in jails.
That our elected representatives have made politics their business
cannot be denied. At the same to counter the illegalities committed by
our elected representatives we need to have in place strong laws to
maintain the equilibrium of checks and balances on corruption and Anna
has shown the way.
In Goa too the Law Commission has presented the government with an
effective Goa Lokayukta Bill 2011 which brings all and sundry under its
ambit. The Bill also envisages its own Investigation and Prosecution
Wings, however it was amply clear from the beginning that the government
and the Opposition included would not allow such a Bill as it empowers
the Lokayukta to investigate and prosecute anybody for their deeds of
Omission and Commission. And illegal mining under chief minister
Digambar Kamat for the past 13 years is an apt example of sins of
Omission and Commission.
Digambar Kamat saw through the Goa Lokayukta Bill 2011 and the havoc it
could play with his political fraternity and decided to place the
toothless 2003 Bill which was passed in 2007 before the House again
during the on-going Assembly Session. That apart the Congress
legislators seem to have come together which is very rare, to shield and
save their own from the M B Shah probe and from the Public Accounts
Committee report prepared by its chairman Manohar Parrikar.
Infact the Congress and MGP legislators on the panel reversed the table
on Parrikar by using his own trick. It does not require a political
analyst to realize that Parrikar submitted the PAC draft at the eleventh
hour to trick other members of the committee for their consent. However
when they refused to sign on the dotted lines as they required time to
study it, his ploy fell flat. This has been the hallmark of Parrikar’s
functioning and we saw it during his reign as chief minister.
The ruling MLAs refusing to sign the PAC draft is also another
indication that they have come together. AICC observer Jagmeet Singh
Brar must have really done some trouble shooting during his visit to Goa
last week to forge unity. Or it could also be that the Congressmen have
come together to save their own skin, United we stand, divided we fall
sought of a way.
But one thing I can say is that this would bring temporary relief to the
chief minister and all those involved in illegal mining and causing
irreversible damage to natural beauty of Goa and causing loss to the
exchequer. But how long will Digambar Kamat government last after the
Justice Shah submits his report is a question mark. The chief minister
has only one option, suggest dissolution of the assembly immediately
after the 2-day assembly session is over and go to polls. Congress party
too has its options drop Digambar Kamat and the ministers to be indicted
in the report to save face and go polls telling the world the party is
fighting corruption even though its own partymen are involved in it.
Lastly the political parties will decide what is best for them as they
want to rule, where the country is headed to or the destruction of the
nature is their least priority. It is us – the people of this country or
the state to decide how to shape our country and state and we have the
right to do it through our ballot by choosing and electing the right
candidates who has our aspiration at heart and not to promote his
business or rather to indulge in illegal businesses. If the Congress
party is serious about fighting corruption, it has to immediately sack
all its partymen including chief minister and his cabinet colleagues
involved in illegalities and also those involved in other form of
corruption or those who have accumulated huge illegal wealth during
their rule in Goa. (ENDS)
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First published in Gomantak Times, Goa - October 6, 2011
