After a long 18 day monsoon session, legislators were in a light-hearted mood on the final day, resorting to taunts and wisecracks to embarrass each other.
The wily Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief Vijai Sardesai set the ball rolling but surprised many by choosing Tourism and IT Minister Rohan Khaunte as his target.
Sardesai fired a salvo surmising that the IT minister Rohan Khaunte and TCP Minister are not on the best of terms, arguing that there would otherwise be no reason for the former to pilot the Goa Information Technology Development (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to bypass the TCP department in issuing clearances for land development and construction to IT companies and industrial entrepreneurs.
Pointing out that complaints of red-tapism and delays by the TCP department to issue licences to IT firms is a matter to be sorted out with better co-ordination between the departments and requires no legislation, Sardesai taunted the treasury benches with the claim that all is not well in their ranks.
"This clearly shows that nothing is right between Rohan Khaunte and Vishwajit Rane. I am sure that Vishwajit is not clearing any work of Khaunte. That is why this bill is being brought," Sardesai cockily blurted, prompting Khaunte to hit back and suggest that Vijai is indulging in an exercise to cleverly set the cat among the pigeons.
Many had a hearty laugh in the House, even as Vishwajit was not present and Sardesai struggled to convince everybody that his utterances were serious and not some political gimmickry.
Not many seemed convinced.
Crisis of credibility among men-in-uniform?
The ghastly mishap on the Banastarim bridge which claimed three lives, left another potentially maimed and two more seriously injured, has not surprisingly triggered an uproar, What however is surprising, or perhaps not, is the intensity with which the men-in-uniform have been facing the brickbats from all and sundry, particularly in the cacophony of social media.
What's amusing is the manner in which the men in uniform have been getting spooked by all the criticism directed at them. That the cops are spooked was evident from the lame appeal of no less than the Goa police chief asking the Goan public to desist from criticising the force on social media.
But DGP Jaspal Singh, IPS, doesn't seem to be getting any respite, left as he was to defend the indefensible: The ugly conduct of his second-in-command DIG A Koan caught on a video that went viral in which the latter is seen abusing and misbehaving with a woman at a night spot in Baga.
While Singh meekly sought to appeal to the Goan public not to defame the elite IPS cadre men by such isolated misdemeanours, he could do little to defend the petulant cop before the government which stripped the latter of his position.
Clearly, a crisis of credibility has gripped the Goa police force and Singh will have a lot more to do than merely address media news conferences to sort out the mess he finds himself and his force in.
For starters, crack the whip and get the conduct of his men handling the Banastarim to be worthy of the uniform they wear: chin up and seen to be blemishless in getting the job done.
After all like Ceasar's wife, don't the men and women in uniform have to be above all suspicion, instead of appearing as they hopelessly do. subservient to the mighty couple at the centre of the Banastarim accident probe? Good luck to the DGP.
Bonanza for the MLAs but Goans will pay
Amidst the rising cost of essentials and climbing inflation, the MLAs are set to receive a big hike in perks and allowances.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant saw through the bill which will make legislators eligible for an advance of Rs 40 lakhs (loan) to buy a personal vehicle and another advance of Rs 40 lakhs (loan) to either buy or build a house among other perks.
Former MLAs are also in for the treat as their pension will more than double.
If the VIP treatment wasn't already enough, the MLAs will now enjoy benefits that are expected to cost the exchequer a whopping Rs 19 crores but don't expect Goa's public to take to the streets on issues like these.
A majority of these MLAs are financially stable or crorepatis and these 'benefits' will more likely supplement their income rather than fulfil their wants. But ordinary Goans will have struggle to make their ends meet.
Steady hike in LPG and fuel prices, the ever heading north power and water bills, food prices, etc have for long been drilling holes in the pockets of the common man. And let's not even get into taxes...
Goans are not getting back what they pay for but certainly are getting a taste of what they voted for. Perhaps it's this guilt-conscience that is reason behind the lack of inertia to hit the streets, meaningfully?
