By Rajan Narayan

THIS Republic Day on January 26, the name Alcon deserves to get the Padma Shri award. Not Alcon per which is the company, but its promoters – two men, Victor Albuquerque and Anil Counto (sometimes Khaunte). The company they started is called Alcon, “Al” stands for Victor Albuquerque and “Con” for Anil Counte. The two young men, junior engineers with the Public Works Department, who dared to make their dreams come true over 40 years down the road of life.
The two engineers Victor and Anil decided to give up their government jobs and start their own company — Alcon. Neither Anil Counto nor Victor Albuquerque were from an industrial family. They were both first-generation industrialists of Goa. Long ago, when I was the editor of the “OHeraldo,” Anil confided in me how in their fledgling venture both the men used to take the help of freelance typists outside the General Post Office in Mumbai to fill in tender notices for government projects.
Alcon got its first break when the then-prominent architect Relan D Souza commissioned them to build the O’Pescador beachside resort at Dona Paula in Panjim. After that there was no looking back and Alcon soon became a leader in the construction industry.

EARLY 80S
IN the early 80s, when I came to Goa, along with Kamat builders, Alcon was the biggest, most reliable company in construction in Goa. The Alcon buildings came with the guarantee of substance and style – quality. Victor Albuquerque and Anil Counto were made for each other. Victor was a perfectionist. He was the technical leader of the team, the quality assurance manager. While Anil Counto was a public relations and marketing genius.
Anil had friends in all the political parties of that time. Anil and his wife Nutan were the perfect couple, made for each other. They had apparently met when they were both performing in a “nataak” in Marathi. I first met Anil when I discovered that the newly built four-storey municipal market in Panaji could not be used because there was no staircases. I remember calling the then mayor Bashic Branco, the district collector Danny Denzponga and builder Anil Counto of Alcon to the site. The collector, who had a great sense of humour, told the mayor to take him to the fourth floor of the market.
Branco asked Anil where the staircase was. Apparently, the Panaji municipality has not acquired the land on which the staircase had to be built. So much so that while the Panaji market building was ready only the ground floor could be used. Subsequently, the building was completed. It was however demolished by Manohar Parrikar to make way for the INOX theatre on the eve of IFFI 2004.
ALCON diversified into the hospitality industry. The two major projects they were involved in were the Novotel Goa and the Dona Sylvia Resort in Cavelossim. The second resort was named after Victor Albuquerque’s wife, Sylvia. In north Goa, Alcon took over the Ronil Beach Resort. In addition they build the Hotel Delmon (now the Hotel Grande Delmon) in the heart of Panjim.
Alcon built up a reputation for integrity and quality and got several public projects. Many of the iconic old buildings in Panaji were built by Alcon Constructions Goa (now divided into Anil Counto Enterprises and Alcon Victor Group owned by the Victor’s children).
It is not widely known that the Ocean Park and Sagar colonies at Dona Paula were developed by Alcon. Unfortunately, with the generation next growing up, came conflicting interests and the two friends of old and business partners parted company amicably. Both Victor and Anil retained the Alcon brand name and so Alcon became Alcon Anil and Alcon Victor.

THE SPLIT
AFTER they split Anil diversified into several things including the manufacture of cement. He tied up with ACC, the Tata cement company. Victor set up the biggest private medical facility in south Goa in collaboration with the Apollo Group. The Victor Apollo Hospital continues to be the oldest and the biggest medical facility located in Margao in south Goa.
Anil Counte also contributed to the social development of Goa by taking over the management of the Mustifund Educational Society. Mustifund was started before Liberation with donations of a handful of rice from ordinary Goans. Musti in fact means a handful. Mustifund has developed into a premiere educational institution turning out the largest number of successful IIT entrants from Goa. Anil Counte also supports the Disha School for the Handicapped and several other charitable institutions.
Victor and wife Sylvia took an interest in the vegetarian movement from Mumbai and they became vegetarians possibly in search of health and spirituality beyond the humdrum of life. I recall Victor hosting one of the biggest International Vegetarian Conference in Goa at the Dona Sylvia Resort down south Goa.
So it is ALCON — the two former partners Victor and Anil, who richly deserve the national award of Padma Shree on Republic Day. Never mind that Victor is no longer around but his wife Sylvia Albuquerque is very much there. Anil Counto in his 70s now is vitally fit and active. In my eyes both these men were not just Goan entrepreneurs but they also built the business economy of the state and made very important contributions in the field of education and medical care.
Every state recommends nominees for the Padma Awards which are given by the president of India. These awards are announced on the eve of Republic Day celebrations. The chief secretary of each state appoints a committee to recommend names for the Padma awards. I remember that I was a member of the Goa state Padma award committee in the 90s as editor of the “Oheraldo.” Unless the State government or a powerful minister in the Central government lobbies, it is difficult to get a Padma award. This honor comprises Padmashree, Padmabhushan, Padmavibhushan awards, and the Bharat Ratna too.
However, when I was a member of the Padma nomination committee, none of the people the committee recommended, got the award. To everyone’s surprise the Padmashree that year was given to Norma Alvares who had been active in the protection of animals in Goa. Maneka Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi’s wife who was a member of the Union Cabinet, had recommended her name.

NOTABLE PADMA WINNERS
AMONG the notable Padma Shri award winners from Goa have been Lambert Mascarenhas, first editor of “The Navhind Times” and the fashion designer Wendell Rodricks. Other Padma Shri winners are Sanjay Anant Patil, a farmer from Ponda, Brahmanand Sagun Kamat Shankhwalkar, former Indian football captain, Sadguru Brahmeshanand Acharya Swami International spiritual leader, speaker and ambassador of peace, Peethadhishwar, Vinayak Vishnu Khedekar, a notable author, folklorist, scriptwriter, former Marathi journalist and polyglot, Manohar Gopalkrishna Prabhu Parrikar (posthumous), former Goa Chief Minister and Laxman Pai, painter. We honestly hope that Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant will support the Padma Shri award for ALCON to include the late Victor Albuquerque.