DR. JOE D’SOUZA
The code of conduct for both Assembly as well as Lok Sabha elections is in force. Interestingly, during this period, Goa experienced two major events. The death of our erstwhile Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, and the quick swearing in of a new CM Pramod Sawant.
No sooner Parrikar passed away, there were a series of political activities, in which the Congress again came out badly bruised, hounded and pounded, as they were unable to cobble up much-needed numbers, again.
This was followed by the appointing of two deputy CMs “ one from each alliance party. However, an over-ambitious Deepak Dhavalikar tried to challenge the BJP in Shiroda and this resulted in an inevitable surgical strike where 2 MGP legislators split to join the BJP, leaving Sudin to be dropped from the alliance.
The GFP tactfully backed Joshua D’Souza, son of late Mapusa MLA Francis D’Souza. Cleverly and discreetly, Vijai Sardesai not only implemented and executed his plan B, and plan C, but invited also the wrath of Amit Shah for drumming and trumpeting about his group of six and even of nine.
But interestingly, all this was reined in by the BJP high command, although those that were denied tickets ended up finding favour with the Congress.
The Aya Ram, Gaya Ram disease is now firmly established amongst all major political parties and it is meaningless discussing it on grounds of ethics as winnability and power seems to be the only mantra.
This brings me to the question of how Goa and Goans are treated by political parties in Goa.
Look at Panjim in particular, a constituency represented by late Parrikar for the almost 25 years.
Being a permanent resident of Panjim for 45 years and visiting of and on for over 28 years before settling here, I have only seen the city degrading over the last 70 years.
The water bodies, hill slopes at Altinho, Taleigao and Dona Paula plateau have been “ripped off”. The required gradients as per TCP rules and regulations are flouted. This invites landslides, flooding and destruction of Panjim. Water bodies like St. Inez creek, or Rua de Ourem creek are totally polluted with sewage and garbage discharged by the mushrooming hotel industry and the public at large.
The Captain of Ports has completely destroyed the riverfront by allowing cruise boats, feeder boats, etc to dock in the illegal parking jetties. This has also led to the blocking of traffic on the arterial DB Marg, and the chaos has cascaded into traffic jams, crimes and accidents. The traffic police seem to make merry, as they are looked after well by the mafia controlling the gambling and cruising operations.
Not a single aspirant seeking to represent Panjim has taken up any of the issues adversely affecting it till date.
There is a CRZ violation as well as a violation to the heritage status of Panjim city. On the river front, exactly where the CoP jetty exists, there is going to be a three storied building, instead of a jetty, which is a public utility.
How did authorities permit a building on the River Front?
My inquiry with the Panjim police station on the night of 25th March going into the early morning of 26th March while piling and drilling work was going in full swing from 10 pm to 4 am, as well on the nights of 26th and 27th March revealed that the extreme noise which kept the residents up all night, was done by a Mumbai engineering firm, Kargwal Constructions Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai which worked under the direction of Manoj Pandey, from his Mumbai office.
There were 30 labourers at work at the CoP jetty. Each and every one I counted at 4 am on 26th and 27th March were non-Goans.
Sub-Inspector Rahul Naik accompanied me to the site and took into custody some of the labourers, who claimed that they were working at night as per the instructions of GSIDC officials and backed by the CoP, but without permissions from GSPCB, GSCZMA or the Heritage Management Committees.
There were no signages of the building project on the site either. The Election Commission of India too was not informed about this ongoing illegal construction of a Terminal Building of Captain of Ports which is a 3-floor structure on the Mandovi River front; jetting out into the River, and obstructing traffic flow on DB Marg.
Both BJP as well as Congress aspirants to Panjim constituency are busy milking the cash cows of the gambling industry as many of the aspirants do not live in Panjim and are disconnected with the problems and the issues adversely affecting the residents. This capital city has remained neglected and ignored by every politician, who claimed to have represented this heritage city.
Panjim is burning, residents are sleeping and the politicians are plundering the capital. Will Panjimites wake up to save Panjim or leave it to yours sincerely alone who has initiated the legal battle to save the Panjim jetty from being usurped by the gambling lobby, just as they have already done to the Fisheries Department building on the river front which is operating the activities destroying River Mandovi?
