FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS

FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS

Goa's flying circus will never let you down because they don't suffer from jet lag. They just keep flying. The Commissioner for NRI Affairs Eduardo Faleiro spent Rs 86,691 on trips on Kuwait and Qatar in November 2007. The Director, NRI Affairs U D Kamat spent Rs 66,930 on the same junket and Rs 58,805 in June 2007 to fly to Lisbon.

The Chief Secretary J P Singh, who tirelessly globe trots on behalf of Goa, spent Rs 2,47,719. The Chairman, Overseas Employment Agency of Goa Vice Adm John D'Silva spent Rs 66,930 on the Kuwait, Doha and Qatar junket. Evidently not satisfied with their efforts aboard, they looked towards the homeland too, with Faleiro spending Rs 3,64,565 to travel within India, while D'Silva spent Rs 78,566 and Kamat spent Rs 1,03,933.

LOW COST SUPPORT

Eliciting this information under RTI cost me only Rs 20 officially, apart from petrol money, but it gave me an insight into the life of the under-priviledged under-secretaries and clerical staff.

There is no working copier in the two floors where several under-secretaries sit. The copier of the Development Commissioner was taken away during the PM's visit and damaged. Even a joint secretary in the Finance Department whom I asked to help was embarassed to say he did not have a copier.

The door of the under secretary, Home Department, Maria Pires, designated as the public information officer under the RTI Act because strangely no PIO was appointed in the office of the Commissioner for NRI Affairs, does not shut and needs repairs.

It took all of one hour to get ten pages copied eventually. Some weeks earlier, when I went to the cabin of N.V. Prabhu Dessai, the under secretary, law, we had to talk over the jarring noise of a ceiling fan. Naturally, the story is different within the centrally air-conditioned buildings where Goa's new monarchs work. There is definitely a caste system practiced in the Secretariat.

HIGH COST LIVING

The NRI Commissioner's office spent Rs 4,64,011 to fly in seven non-resident Goans, who wouldn't care a fig if Goa disappeared from the face of the earth, except to moan over the loss of their ancestral homes and properties which they abandoned for greener pastures, to attend the Global Goans Convention, 2007.

Rs 1,39,380 was spent to fly in Wolfango Dourado and his wife from Zanzibar in Tanzania.Dourado had a sterling legal career there. In their time, all these worthies may have been brilliant, but what is the point of inviting them now?

Likewise, for Dr Damodar Sardessai of California, who cost the taxpayer Rs 87,615, who as a successful educationist ought to have offered to pay his fare. The same would apply to Dr Narana Sinao Coissoro of Lisbon (expenditure incurred Rs 76,480); Neville Roach, Sydney (Rs 67,656), Fitz Remedias Santana De Souza, Nairobi (Rs 45,920); Leslie De Melo, Vienna, (Rs 56,480) and Patricia Rozario, OBE, Kent, UK (Rs 60,480).

What was the point really? Fritz De Souza, a Goan luminary in all of Africa, retired in the 70s! Coissoro left Goa for Portugal in 1949. So, should the government has its own airline? I vote yes because then Mopa airport will have a better claim for coming up. Besides the airline would come in handy every time there is a coup (and we know that's frequent in Goa) and our MLAs have to escape to Delhi or some resort in Rajasthan.

REACH FOR THE SKY

The air fare reimbursed to the seven recipients of Global Goans Achievement Awards was Rs 5,34,011. Compare that with the miserly Rs 1.50 lakh cash the government gave to Mando Festival winners this year, up from Rs 1 lakh.

Here is more hair-raising information about the convention.Rs 5,13,000 spent on hotel accommodation for the recipients, heads of diplomatic missions in India and officers of the Ministry of External Affairs. Rs 7,04,275 spent on lunches and dinners hosted by the Commissioner for NRI Affairs. Rs 1,47,892 spent on transport. Rs 5,44,907 spent on cultural entertainment.

Rs 1,12,410 spent on trophies for the award winners. Rs 6,67,480 spent on souvenirs. Rs 1,36,300 spent to exhibit Goan art and paintings, Rs 31,893 on printing and stationery and Rs 3,62,502 on advertising and publicity. Did they miss out on something? Noticeably, it was achieving nothing after spending Rs 37,54,670.

Apart from that, the expenditure was on cue. Everyone got a free ride, dined, wined and departed with an expensive souvenir or trophy. What else did you expect?

EXTRAVAGANT SOCIETY OF GOA (ESG)

The Entertainment Society of Goa once again lived up to its name. Sealed quotations were invited ingeniously from five-star hotels close to Kala Academy, though the ESG didn't cut down on the transportation costs to make its bluff look real.

Naturally, only two hotels tendered. Cidade de Goa and Goa Marriott Resort. And guess which got the contract. Cidade further away. The hotel had 825 room nights booked against 164 for the Marriott. The hotel quoted Rs 10,120, Rs 10,670 and Rs 14,300 for three classes of rooms. The Marriott quoted Rs 10,750, but did the lowest bid win?

PROTECTING MONARCHS

A CISF company consisting of 111 men protect Raj Bhavan including 24 personnel of the Goa Police lead by a PSI. Thirty-seven policemen include a PSI and ASI each protect Digambar Kamat, 33 policemen protect Pratap Singh Rane including a PSI, 12 police protect Ravi Naik, 24 police including two ASIs protect Vishwajit Rane who in short time that he became an MLA was elevated to the status of 'Y' category.

That means 57 police alone protect the Ranes. Wasn't it Vishwajit who said on Thursday that he resigned because the government did not deliver? As taxpayers you even bankroll Luizinho Faleiro police posse because Rs 1.52 lakh was spent till December 2007. During this period, Rs 1.52 lakh was spent protecting Advocate General Subodh Kantak whom if you have been reading this column should know gets paid only in crores. Now you know why you can never get to your montris? It's because of the thick layers of khaki that hide them.

LIONEL MESSIAS
lionroars.goa@gmail.com

MORE ON NRI AWARDS.

Dear veronica,

''BRAVO'' on your excellent writings on NRI awards. I appreciate that you kept the name of Goan culture still alive as it is till today in Kuwait.

I thank you for remembering Goan brothers who work in UAE for this cause. I think you should be on the panel of judges to select people who deserve this gulf NRI awardees.

Through this episode we came to know the real worth of your works in Kuwait for the good of Goa and Goans. All your writings on NRI awards in kranti threw strong light on the rubbish NRI forum did in awarding this years awards. Your mention of Jerry Cal and Young Fernandes (Remy Fernandes) from UAE - one from Abu Dhabi and the other from Dubai is an excellent tribute for their good deeds for Goa and a direct kick on those who were given these awards not deservingly. Because of this, these awards will be henceforth known as "CHAMCHA AWARDS".
Only those who received them will take pleasure in them.

Veronica, I have read minutely all the articles you wrote in goa.kranti on NRI awardees from the Gulf and from your writings and from what I have heard, I dont think there is anybody on Goan orbit who has done so much as you have done for the cause of Goa & Goans. In particular I dont think there is any Goan who has done more than what you did for the promotion of Konkani which is the heart of Goa and Goans. All the NRI awardees should feel small in front of your contribution for the cause of Konkani. If any of them has got any shame and guts too then he will surrender his NRI award in favour of you. But I am sure, none will do this because they are all shameless and greedy for such fake honours since they never received any honour in their lifetime.

About kranti, yes, I must give full credit to kranti blog for highlighting your views very beautifully. Before kranti could come into existence, I was reading your articles elsewhere but since kranti came into being, all other blogs and websites are gone into secondary rung. People talk of kranti only these days and its popularity is gone very high much because of your articles. I dont think in Goan diaspora there is nobody who can compete with you in writings. Your writings are genuine and not cut and paste. Your writings are not borrowed from different sources. Your knowledge on different subjects regarding Goa and Goans is excellent. Very few Goans are as knowledgable as you are. You belong to the class of Goans existed in the last century with full of knowledge and wisdom. Currently, Goa and Goan world is dried of persons like you.

Keep up the good work.

In future people like Eduardo Faleiro does not deserve to be involved in public life. It is time for him to be ashamed of himself and not to select his ''CHAMCHAS AS GULF NRI AWARDEES''.
So,onceagain I thank you for all that you have done for the Goan culture and Goans in Kuwait.

Keep up the good work.

Thanks
Joaquim D'souza
UAE
dudejacky1981@yahoo.com

Re: NRI Awards

Congratulations to A. Veronica for coming out hammer and tongs against the scam regarding the NRI awards which has been in news on a global level. Relating to the NRI awards is an investigative article which I am attaching herewith which was written by a well-known Goan writer. This article will help you Veronica to expose the NRI commissioner and his cronies in a convincing fashion. So Veronica as the saying goes: Strike while the IRON IS HOT. I read your blogs very regularly.

Each and every true Goan should come out in support of a bold writer like Veronica who is fighting the AWARDS war on behalf of NRIs. I strongly implore the great Goan writer to continue to highlight this issue. This is all about investigative journalism and Veronica has risen to the occasion many a times.

Presently, he is focusing on a issue that is threatening to expose some people who have been trying to plunder NRIs in general and Goa in particular in the name of progress. Veronica should devote more time to the blogoshphere and make the articles a daily feature. I think the NRI issue has catapulted KRANTI on the global level.

I hope KRANTI will help to bring a KRANTI in the attitude of Goans, who on most occasions arrive at a party when it is on its last legs. I want this article to posted as soon as possible so that it will give the required thrust to your campaign aganist the undeserving people. The issue of sex having been used as a tool to influence certain people is an interesting angle to further investigate on. And only a writer of Vernonica's calibre can do it.

Finally, I fully agree with Vernoica that the Awardees should return their awards. What a Shame!!!

Yours Sincerely

Santan Fernandes
santan4u@hotmail.com