Last year during October/November I was on vacation in Goa. During that time Goa Legislative Assembly Session was in progress. On one particular day when Assembly debate was going on, Fatorda BJP MLA Damu Naik with his thundering voice in the Assembly, addressing to the Speaker Prataphsing Rane said, "Speaker Sir, PWD is ‘looting Goa’ , looking at the PWD Minister seated there. Listening to this accusation Speaker Rane just kept himself silent with a monkey’s smile on his face while the PWD Minister did not utter a single word in his defence. Knowing his nature I thought PWD Minister Churchill Alemao will refute Damu Naik’s accusation forcefully but not. If I were in place of Churchill Alemao, I would react forcefully thus: "Mr. Damu Naik! If you are a real son of your real father then you will prove your accusation with evidence otherwise you are a Bastard". But our PWD Minister kept total silence thereby giving credence to the accusation of Damu Naik.
Among all the portfolios PWD is the most lucrative portfolio because of total corruption going on there in allotting contracts on commission basis and thus getting chance of looting Goa. During the tenure of Churchill Alemao as PWD Minister lot of stories have been going on of all round corruption there, even ordinary Peon working in this department was as alleged involved in taking bribe to carry the File from one office to the other in the same building. For this reason corrupt ministers are not only asking but demanding this portfolio. Before Churchill Alemao, Dawlikar was holding this portfolio whence lot of stories were going on of how corruption was running there for looting Goa.
In his Ministry Parrikar has again given this portfolio to Dawlikar thereby creating more corruption under the already corrupt minister. Goans conscious of their duty must keep vigil on Dawlikar and reprimand Parrikar for doling this portfolio to Dawlikar whose earlier record was very bad. There is a saying in Konkani, ‘Mazran kedna imsann soddlea?’ Known corrupt ministers will ever be uncorrupt? Never. They will never leave their bad habits. Parrikar should take care of his own credibility and maintain Zero tolerance for corruption in his cabinet.
Parrikar was brought back to power thru a very vigilant public revolution not thru bullet but thru ballot. For common men to enjoy the fruits of this revolution all the NGO’s and activists and also common people must watch if the corruption is going on and if there is it should be exposed and thereby in the bargain Parrikar’s efficiency should be also exposed. Parrikar should not be allowed to fool the Goans by accepting corruption in any of his ministries. Zero tolerance for corruption should be implemented and maintained. There should be no bribing to get government jobs as allegedly it was done in PWD earlier and there should be no commission on any services government provides. The commission business of certain percentage in allotting PWD contracts should be curbed with iron hand. PWD should be revamped. PWD is the major source of corruption that led to the destruction of Congress in Goa in the last election. This government should be clean as opposed to the last congress government of corrupt ministers.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
