The Cholera and Dengue cases in Cutbona highlight the State government’s incompetence and negligence. The Goa government responded with a knee-jerk reaction: demanding boat owners pay Rs 25 lakhs for worker deaths and removing the Fisheries Director as a scapegoat while leaving responsible ministers unpunished. Compensation is not the issue; effective governance should include mandatory health or accident insurance schemes, as seen in better-governed areas.
Such schemes ensure compensation, potentially Rs 25 lakhs or more, for death or accidents. Goa, with its high percentage of migrant labourers, needs such a scheme to improve worker welfare. Unfortunately, given the ruling class’s poor record, effective governance remains doubtful.
