Deepak Laad
After a hiatus of about two months, since the time the alliance government showed him the door, Vijai Sardesai of GFP broke his silence at last and spoke about the bad condition of the roads in the state “ of how the tarred roads were washed away during the rainy season. He demanded a CBI probe against the unscrupulous contractors who in the name of constructing roads had spread thin layers of tar on the existing ones. Well, their conditions were not any different during last two rainy seasons when Vijai was enjoying fruits of power - busy ‘planning’ things in the town and country planning ministry either. Now suddenly the potholes have become an eyesore.
Here is the flip side. “Vehicular accidents are caused due to reckless driving and potholes on the roads are not the cause,” preached transport minister Mauvin Godinho as he inaugurated ‘Road Safety Week’ in the state.
He spoke at length about various types of traffic violations and warned that law breakers would be dealt with strictly, but stopped short of speaking about roads that are not in motorable condition.
According to him, rain is the cause of potholes and not the concerned officers of the department who give clearance to sub-standard constructions that are regularly washed away during the monsoon.
Time and again, we have all witnessed low quality road constructions carried out in front of our eyes and one need not be a certified engineer to predict their fate, post the monsoon. So their getting fitness and completion certificates is possible only through greasing the palms of the concerned officers. Godinho after all is part of the present government and his not finding fault with the officers is understandable.
The once vibrant and active minister in the alliance government, Vijai has now started vibrating against it. And the spokesperson of GFP justifies his leader’s recent outbursts as his bounden duty playing the role of opposition MLA. Are they not part of the NDA anymore ?
Discussing corruption keeps an opposition lawmaker relevant in politics, lest he is forgotten by his supporters. Lots and lots of state revenue has been lost to scams, but the politician class selectively shows interest in those mini scams that are of use to them as political weapons to get back at their political foes.
Corruption has been smartly used as a poll plank to send the political opponent packing, the way Parrikar used the multi thousand crores mining scam to end Congress rule. But the SIT he set up later on, after coming to power, failed to recover even one percent of the scammed amount, he had been crying hoarsely about. No heavyweight scamster was arraigned.
That the state is 26% short on GST collection is a matter of concern. GST intelligence has accused casinos of Goa evading taxes running in thousands of crores, but the lawmakers wouldn’t take up this issue. Till date there is no gaming commissioner appointed for casinos.
Actually the government need ask the investigative agencies to investigate, on priority, scams that have devoured thousands of crores of state revenue. For the meantime, smaller ones can wait. The government and politicians seem to be tolerant of bigger scams.
Normally the members of a gang of thugs have no issues with one another as long as they loot together. The accusations start to erupt only when they fall apart. It happens all the time in present day politics too.
Vijai’s demand for inquiry would put his one time cabinet colleague, the former PWD minister, in the dock.
The present PWD minister has started smelling corruption in some files of late and wants actions initiated, that too might land at the door of his predecessor.
But it is clear as day to even people with average IQ that portfolios like PWD and TCP are ‘earning portfolios’ and normally gifted in return for support offered to keep an alliance afloat.
Would Deepak Pauskar have settled for some lightweight portfolio like education or women and child welfare?
Politicians living in glass houses should not throw stones. Whenever a politician throws a boomerang of charges of corruption at his opponents it comes back to hit him “sometimes with enhanced force.
Someone complained against the TCP minister and he has now suddenly discovered touts operating in the corridors of his ministry who, he says, have lost their nerve after he took charge of the ministry and now are ganging up against him fearing a clampdown. Isn’t this like casting aspersions on his predecessor “ who in extant case happens to be Vijai ?
Politicians talk of setting up CBI inquiry to investigate scams, but the credibility of the agency is at an all time low. It is now reduced to a tool in the hands of the ruling party to settle scores with the opposition. These days, it seldom ensnares anyone connected with the ruling party and that may be the reason why there is a beeline of tainted leaders from other parties eager to cross over to the ruling party to shake off the agency breathing down their necks. Politicians of the day are birds of a feather flocking together. All these tall talks of inquiries are mere politicking.
