In and out of governments, Goan politicians have only generated false promises and dubious welfare measures of ‘Rob Peter to pay Paul’
Every Goan today is quite concerned about the economic meltdown of Goa and about the holistic and sustainable development of this agrarian, green state of ours.
K Sera Sera, a Konkani movie currently running in theatres across Goa briefly portrays Goa’s livelihood and lifestyle, wherein the director describes the two Goa’s of today - the widening gap between the rich and the poor and the growing turmoil in the state. The singing and dancing Goans and in contrast the struggling Goenkars.
In any strong and sturdy economy, the mantra is sustainability and growth based development.
Luizinho Faleiro is amongst a rare Goan breed of legislators, who reads and shares his views through newspaper articles and press briefings. In one such essay in print, Luizinho suggests that the Parrikar government has to generate employment or give unemployment dole or allowances, and that he would support the government in this endeavor of generating a dole-based economy.
A true recipe for disaster!
Since 1991, Luizinho has been dishing out policies and proposals. As industries minister in the 90s, Luizinho had proposed: “Job for all by 2000”. He became a minister again in 2006 under the Pratapsingh Rane government but nothing happened and I was provoked to write an article “Jobs for all says Faleiro’s crystal ball”?
I then had foreseen Luizinho’s utopia. In and out of governments, Goan politicians have only generated false promises and dubious welfare measures - Rob Peter to pay Paul.
Whether the newspaper botched up Luizinho’s article or it is the fault of the author, it is absurd that only at the end of the article appears a line that the mantra and the methods to generate money for unemployment allowances is with Luizinho!
Is it the cart before the horse, or it is failing to describe the role of Rama in Ramayana? Luizinho should know that taxing the hard working and the already tax-paying class, with an additional burden of payments towards unemployed youth is a ridiculous preposition. We must understand that Goans by and large are paying huge taxes on their incomes, savings, commodities they buy or sell. It is high time that those in governance now axe the taxes. Our is the highest taxed economy. Besides, we pay commissions, cess and are even made to pay under the table or facilitation charges.
The Goa government is not generating any income on the huge investments made out of public money. Our taxes are going down the drain. Huge roads airports, bridges, multilane express ways only favor the rich. The rural poor and the urban senior citizens and children have to live with the garbage gaunlet or stench of urine and commercial discards by tourists and the business class.
“Whose father’s what goes”, seems to be the Goan politician’s mantra. Generally, only 6% of the population should receive dole - consisting of the weak and the infirm. In Goa, those affiliated to political parties get Ladli Laxmi, Dayanand Social Security, Griha Aadhaar benefits which constitute 30% of the population, leaving the 6% truly and genuinely poor languishing, as they are without political patronages.
Our CM has created several corporations and government enterprises, which are white elephants involved in pleasure trips at cost of society. In countries like Singapore the government uses corporations and institutions under them to generate funds and give the citizens dividends and privileged earnings from the profits generated on a mandatory or compulsory basis.
In Goa, our municipalities continue to axe us with more taxes. Goa has been blessed with abundance of natural resources. Sadly we have squandered, plundered and polluted them all. To generate a vote bank, our politicians have made our youth parasites and dole dependent.
Goa already is in a debt trap and has no money for basic education and health. Our CM, to take care of his health had to go to USA, and other ministers run for treatment outside Goa as our health services are in shambles.
We invite polluting industries such as coal and coke, generate sewage effluents through cruise and casino boat operations and are killing the primary sector of our economy in farming and fishing since our agricultural lands are inundated or often loaded with hazardous wastes.
The enteric bacteria and the biochemical oxygen demands of our water bodies are dangerously high; catalyzing morbidity and mortality on human and animal resources. Why do you think cancers are growing alarmingly amongst our people?
The governments - local as well as at the Centre are busy in tomfoolery. All our major projects like roads, garbage plants, bridges, etc are not generating any income. Our forefathers recycled garbage, but today we have garbage all around with non-functional garbage treatment plants, which are in reality white elephants. Very few who work for Goan environment know that during the Sao Joao weekend alone, whilst Goans danced, sang and drank, there were hundreds of hill cutting and land fillings going on. But Goans do not seem to pull up their socks - they are happy with our CM dishing giant infrastructure projects and Congress opposition in our Legislative Assembly, with seniors like Luizinho Faleiro promising doles if Congress is ever voted to power in Goa.