Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's announcement of Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia compensation to the economically weaker sections whose bread-earner has passed away due to Covid, along with the other incentives to orphaned children, are a welcome relief at a time when lives of people have been torn apart.
Goa marked its 34th year of Statehood in a state of mourning with Covid continuing to snatch lives and financial aid at this juncture is a ray of hope for many. Amid a scathing attack over Covid mismanagement and the failures to address the issues faced by the people, Sawant's initiatives of providing financial must be appreciated.
The melancholy mood that marked this day of Statehood had a huge element of uncertainty, fear and despair all rolled into one. The discourse shifted drastically, and this time it was not about maintaining Goa's identity or redrawing boundaries of Goemkarponn, but about survival. It's about making peace with the invisible enemy, about comforting each other irrespective of all boundaries of religion, caste, creed and politics. It’s about moving on.
Goa is a tiny state with a different set of contours and dynamics. We cannot draw parallels with the larger States in all spheres. The only aspect that is constant is the welfare of people, and this is where the true test of any government lies. There has to be concerted and focused approach with the singular motive towards people, especially the economically weaker sections.
In the past fortnight, Sawant has taken credible steps to provide help. The financial outreach to cyclone-hit and Covid affected citizens must be commended given the background of the grim fiscal condition the State is in and the economic slowdown that has affected the treasury. Sawant’s outlook appears positive, but the challenge is in delivery, more especially because the track record of State’s compensation disbursal has been muddied with complex procedures and inconsistent disbursement.
On the flip side, while Sawant is trying to build bridges with people, any moves to hide failures from public glare will only offset the good he is trying to do. In a recent order, the Dean of GMC Shivanand Bandekar has barred photography and videography at the newly built super specialty block, without giving any reasons thereof. It is an open secret that the facilities at the block too are falling short of expectations with citizens even struggling for water. Sawant also organized a workshop for heads of departments to train them in countering bad publicity.
In a democratic setup, transparency is the key and efforts to cover failures by silencing media, citizen journalists or affected people are not in the true spirit of democracy. Covid infection may have shown a decline, but there’s a long way to go. While there are several positives that have emerged, there have been glaring failures too which even the courts have taken cognizance of. The government cannot create an artificial environment of comfort by stifling voices of dissent.
