The government awards contracts worth crores of rupees to companies based in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other states for cleaning Goa’s beaches, streets and villages, but there appears to be little monitoring of their work. Recently, a company reportedly paid around Rs 90 crore to clean Goa’s beaches was found to be fraudulent, yet the government imposed a mere Rs 10 lakh fine. What a mockery of accountability! Such practices raise serious concerns about the misuse of public money and possible corruption.
Garbage has become a major problem across Goa. Roadside junctions are filthy and foul-smelling, while Mapusa is drowning in garbage despite residents paying collection tax. Meanwhile, politicians and bureaucrats remain comfortably seated in air-conditioned offices, claiming everything is fine. Goa is grappling with multiple problems: garbage, potholed roads claiming lives, poor traffic management, rising crime, inflation, unemployment, inefficient government staff and rampant corruption. Uncontrolled construction and the influx of outsiders are also putting enormous pressure on resources, threatening water and electricity shortages and public health. Villagers receive barely one or two hours of water daily, while mega projects appear to enjoy preferential treatment. Our greed and disregard for sustainable development have brought Goa to this sorry state. Roadside warning boards will achieve little without concrete action and accountability. As Mahatma Gandhi rightly said, “There is enough in our country for everyone’s needs but not for everyone’s greed.” Goa may be progressing, but everything that glitters is not gold.Diomedes Romano Pereira, Corlim
