The State government patted itself on the back on the completion of hundred days in office with a celebratory function held in the capital city on Wednesday. Given the background that the BJP-led government has had an unbroken stint since 2012, and with Pramod Sawant continuing to have a stable government with a brute majority like his first term as the chief minister, this celebration comes as a surprise.
On the occasion, Sawant highlighted the SIT probe into land scams, raids on illegal spas and massage parlours, and spoke of the schemes and welfare programmes. TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane was conspicuous by his absence at the function and hence his side of the story went untold. But besides the land issues that have taken centre stage, there’s hardly anything substantial and new that the government could take pride in.
Interestingly, Panchayat Minister Mauvin Godinho managed to conceal his embarrassment after the rap from the courts on panchayat elections, while vehemently speaking of good governance. This is the third time that the courts have intervened in local body elections and it is a disgrace, to say the least, that the government continues to treat local bodies with disdain.
The irony is that while ministers are trumpeting governance and soaking in the optics of the moment, the common man is crying for attention. It was barely 24 hours that major portions of Goa were sinking with monsoons inundating low-lying areas. We had, and continue to have, roads that are not motorable. Uninterrupted water and electricity supply remains elusive after umpteen promises by successive ministers. To top it all off, unemployment has been the single biggest issue that is threatening to change Goa’s identity. There are issues aplenty, some of which have been passed on, while others ignored.
The 100-day celebratory event did manage to showcase some of the ministers who, after an initial flurry of statements and commitments, have reclined into a slumber. The big-ticket land issues have dominated headlines so much in recent times, that non-performers have used them as a perfect cover for failures. However, there are some good initiatives and welfare schemes that have been launched by the government. But, that’s not enough, and certainly doesn’t call for a celebration, because the pain caused by failures is far overwhelming and agonising.
Hundred days of governance should ideally be a moment of introspection where the cabinet sits down and looks back while eyeing the future. It is a time when the government needs to evaluate performances and failures vis-a-vis the delivery of promises. If we may recall, Sawant had reached out to people of all walks of life at his swearing-in terming it a ‘people’s government’. The avowed objective of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ would be meaningless if people’s participation is kept out. No success story can be complete without the mandate of the people. The 100th day of governance should be a day of reconciliation and a fresh start. We hope the second stint of the Sawant government will have a lot to showcase when it completes one year.
