You can take an Alemao out of politics but you cannot takepolitics out of an Alemao. So while the mining industry is crying due tounemployment, Joaquim Alemao, the raising contractor aka Politician has begunhis comeback into public life. Firstly, newspapers last week were splashed withJoaquim’s birthday advertisements and this week, PP has learnt that Joaquimbabhas placed over fifty unemployed youth from the Sanguem mining belt as peons inMalaysia and other South Asian countries and even helped a couple of bargessail to Colombo. Some comeback spree, Joaquimbab.
Look who’s laughing
During his tenure, Joaquimbab and his pet GSUDA were in thenew for all the wrong reasons. While he changed the face of Cuncolim town, thefact remains that his efforts were always treated with suspicion. But a littlebirdie close to the former Urban Development Minister says that he has beensmiling away almost Laughing Buddha-esque. The reason, his successor Dy CMFrancis D’Souza has been able to spend just Rs 10 crore of the Rs. 153 croreallotted to Urban Development Department while Rs. 150 crore budgeted for GSUDAlies unutilised. Former UD juniors have been holidaying ever since the newgovernment came in. One even remarked ‘if there is no work there will be nocorruption’.
The curious case of the chairperson
After fumbling on multiple counts of development and scoringhigh on corruption, Mormugao Municipal Council may well emerge as a Portuguesecolony if former Vasco MLA Jose Philip is to be believed. Philip has gone onwrong record and said in as many words to PP that the Chairperson in waitingFiola Rego has a Portuguese Passport. But PP wonders why the former RevenueMinister is fighting shy of registering a case with the police or director ofMunicipal Administration. Grapevine has it that MMC may have eight morecouncilors, allegedly with the same status. A few of them from former MLAs ownpanel may also be under the scanner. Silence then is the best way to remainsafe.
Look who wants Mopa
The neo-champion of Dabolim is also a former champion ofMopa. While the battle between Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and Churchill Alemaoover who is bigger in Congress or bigger than Congress may be imminent in thefuture but a little birdie told a very interesting story to PP. Long ago beforeChurchill and Reginaldo flew the Save Goa aeroplane together, the duo were in agame of upmanship over which is a better airport. While Churchill backedDabolim, a peeved Reginaldo as Chairperson “ South Goa Zilla Parishad moved aresolution in 2007 that said Goa should have just one airport “ Mopa. Yearslater while Reginaldo finds a new hope in Dabolim, memories of Mopa fade.
