GOA’S FIRST HOMEGROWN WASTE MANAGEMENT START-UP
Caption: HOMEGROWN: YIMBY (an initiative of Inovativa Waste Aid and Management Pvt Ltd.) – Goa’s first Waste Management registered “start-up.” The opening ceremony had Minitster of Tourism, IT, Printing & Stationery and MLA of Porvorim constituency Rohan Khaunte as chief guest, along with MLA of Mapusa Constituency and Vice- Chairman GSIDC Joshua D’souza, and Chairperson of Mapusa Municipal Council Shubhangi Vaigankar. The main highlight of this event was the announcement of the launch of “Urban and Rural Climate Change and Sustainability Summit” in remembrance of the late Adv. Francis D’Souza. This initiative is in association with Responsible Earth Foundation, an NGO by YIMBY itself. YIMBY stand for Yes, In My Backyard!
GOOD POLICING, ANYWHERE?
THE move by Goa Police to have interactive sessions with the public is a step in the right direction. It is in line with the Mission Statement of the Goa Police to give people efficient, law -abiding and responsive law enforcement machinery. There is a need to weed out rotten apples from the police force to ensure much needed credibility. Truthfulness must be at the heart of policing and is fundamental to inspiring genuine confidence and trust in public mind.
Every is a dedicated public servant sworn to protect public safety at all times, uphold the law and never dare breach it. A disciplined police force is always desirable but this may be difficult to achieve as like all other government recruitment, many have found their way into the Goa Police either through political patronage or possibly paying for their job.
Integrity is the foundation of law enforcement. There must be Zero Tolerance to any indiscipline and discipline must flow down the ranks. Our DGP Jaspal Singh must stem the current political interference in the working of the police force and also ensure that police personnel, especially the constabulary, are treated humanely. Only then an Goa have a good policing!
–Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
MMC MISERIES
THERE is no end to the misery of customers paying house tax and other taxes to the Margao Municipal Council. The unending queue with customers standing to pay dues of the last three or more years is an eyesore. I waited for almost more than an hour on a recent Thursday.
The online Goa government municipal system to pay this tax is not working. When I tried to pay several times online there was an error showing customer details not found. The online water, electricity and BSNL payment is working fine except for the MMC tax payment system. When I enquired a staff member suggested I use the manual system since there are issues with online payments.
Looking at this pathetic condition of paying taxes in Margao, we are moving backwards. One may see elderly citizens in queues in the extreme heat of summer. Air conditioning doesn’t work and a fan has disappeared, the entire room is in a shoddy condition. And we want to make India digital! This is taking us backward!
I hope the enthusiastic and ever helpful chief officer and chairperson will look into this situation and bring relief to suffering citizens. CM and Margao MLA please attend urgently to rectify this current sad state of paying taxes.
–Jo Dias, Chandor
FAULTY ONLINE TOURISM!
TOURISM Minister Rohan Khaunte has launched a time bound online Tourism Registration Services. However, no thinking has been done on the same. Anyone without any stipulated knowledge can open eateries. Last week Saudi Arabia shut down a samosa eatery that had been running for the past 30 years! The samosas were prepared in the toilet and expired cheese and meat was being used.
What can stop a person starting similar ventures in Goa? He has no clue about hygiene or safety for serving food. A 17 year old girl died in Kerala after consuming rotten shawarma! The Online site has no checks and balances. In fact, criminals seem to be “invited” by this site.
Goa is an international tourist destination and services must be standardised. Experience is a must. Saudi eateries cannot be allowed here: There are no provisions. Let the Tourism Minister personally approve such eateries.
In Goa we’ve had instances where maize was roasted using coal from the crematorium! Merely handing over portfolios is killing Goa. If this prevails then Goans will have to go on filing PILs. Goans must inspect kitchens of any restaurant/hotel before eating there.
The government must ensure fool proof systems. It is this lackadaisical attitude of elected BJP leaders that sees Goa having more than 55% illegal massage parlours. Just last week, a coconut tree fell on a tourism resort room: Luckily, the guests were not in. The owner should have been booked for negligence and the Tourism Minister held responsible for all such incidents. Goa’s tourism industry is largely disorganised with greenhorns irresponsible and unaccountable.
— R Fernandes, Margao
COSTLY PRAMOD SAWANT!
THE swearing in ceremony of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and eight of his ministers held on March 28, 2022 cost taxpayers a whopping Rs5,59,25,805 (Rupees five crore fifty nine lakh twenty-five thousand eight hundred five). This was revealed in information obtained by advocate Aires Rodrigues under the Right to Information Act from the General Administration department at the Secretariat.
The amount does not include the rental charges for Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium at Bambolim where the function was held and the expenditure incurred on the advertisements released in the print, electronic media and on radio channels.
As per the file a note was moved on March 22 by General Administration department that the swearing in ceremony is scheduled on March 28 at 11 am at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukerjee Stadium at Bambolim and outlining 12 logistic arrangements to be made. That note was approved by all the officials including the CM and Governor on the same day.
On March 23 Shripad Arlekar, Under Secretary of General Administration, wrote a confidential letter to the Director of Information & Publicity to identify and allot the management of the swearing-in-ceremony to an appropriate event management agency empanelled under his department.
In his reply on March 24 Director of Information Dipak Bandekar informed General Administration that considering the short time left for the swearing in ceremony it would not be possible to follow the requisite formalities and was so forwarding a list of seven empanelled advertising agencies. The suggestion was that the Vasco-based Vinsan Graphics, earlier appointed as Event Management Agency for opening and closing ceremony of Diamond Jubilee Year of Goa’s Liberation and National Parliament conclaves be selected by following necessary codal formalities.
The same day, that is March 24 a note was moved by the General Administration department whether M/s Vinsan Graphics be appointed or whether to go for prescribed requisite codal formalities. The CM on March 25 approved that the management of the swearing in ceremony event be given to Vinsan Graphics, and accordingly on March 26, citing paucity of time the work order was issued entrusting the event management of the function to M/s Vinsan Graphics.
As per the documents obtained under RTI M/s Vinsan Graphics on April 13 sent their invoice for an amount of Rs4,79,11,245 (Rs four crore seventy-nine lakh eleven thousand two hundred and forty-five) which invoice was received by the government on the very same day. M/s Vinsan graphics later sent a revised invoice for an amount of Rs 5,59,25,805 (Rupees five crore fifty-nine lakh twenty-five thousand eight hundred and five) which invoice though also dated April 13 was received by the government only on April 22.
As per that invoice amongst the 32 items billed for, stage decoration cost Rs 1,87,00,000, 500 chairs for Special VIPs Rs 3,00,000 while 3,500 chairs for other VIPs Rs 8,75,000, lunch for 10,000 persons Rs 57,50,000 while special lunch for 500 VIPs Rs 4,80,000, a special buffet for 75 VVIPs Rs 5,66,250 , two arch erected at the venue Rs 16,00,000, sound system Rs14,00,000, three red carpets Rs8,25,000, erection of pandal for public Rs19,00,000 and 2,400 cut-outs placed on poles Rs68,40,000.
According to Adv Aires Rodrigues from a perusal of the documents it is very evident that there was no transparency and accountability whatsoever in the holding of the event. Alleging that the entire process of appointing the event management company was stage-managed and an eye-wash, Adv Rodrigues has stated that with the work order given on March 26 it was physically impossible to put up such a mega show in 48 hours.
Stating that this pompous function was planned immediately after the declaration of the assembly election results on March 11, Adv Rodrigues has stated that the delay in holding the swearing in ceremony was to give M/S Vinsan Graphics time to put the show together.
Further stating that the public have to benefit from all money spent by the State, Adv Rodrigues asks what benefit is there for the people of Goa with the over Rs5.5 crore needlessly squandered on an 18 minute event? He will be requesting he the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) to investigate the entire expenditure and the procedures followed in holding the gala swearing-in-ceremony.
Such reckless draining away of taxpayers’ money on a function is a criminal waste of public funds, while the poor citizens have not received their monthly dole for the last five months — on account of empty State coffers!
— Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar