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* Parrikar leaves Goa mired in a mess* *Now that Parrikar has all but abandoned the ship and taken charge of India's borders, Goa may seem to be left lobbing in the midst of circling crises from mining to airport * In the light of Manohar Parrikar's ascension to the rank of a minister in the Union Cabinet it shouldn't be taken as shocking or rather surprising. If one read the CM's lips or read between the lines of his statements ever since the BJP rode to power and Parrikar assumed the CM’s post for the third time, it was clearly that something was behind his mind. So, in reality it's not a ‘ shock and awe’ moment. The CM has made it bluntly clear that he would not run again in the assembly elections. It isn't that he's tired of State politics but obviously his aim had soared to the national level with the coming of Narendra Modi. Parrikar was due to get Modi's blessing for his hospitality in hosting the BJP party in Goa that launched Modi to be the PM- designate. The rest, as they say, is history. Parrikar did play down the rumour earlier on that he was bound for New Delhi. His heart may be in Goa, or he may not want to grab the opportunity then to go to New Delhi for the simple reason that he came to power, yes again, on many election promises that are still unfulfilled. It was too early to let the people down who voted for him and the BJP to bring some solace to a troubled state that had seen corruption and mis- management of government machinery. The Congress under Digamber Kamat had committed hara- kiri, and the surge to unseat the BJP has got new impetus under Luizinho Faleiro. But the BJP, even after the hovering presence of Parrikar isn’t there, will be steady, for Parrikar will not rest easy without pulling strings from his seat in New Delhi. Now that Parrikar has all but abandoned the ship and taken charge of India's borders, Goa may seem to be left lobbing in the midst of circling crises from mining to airport. For his known astuteness and administrative ability, Parrikar has fallen short of delivering the goods. His flopping ways on government action in certain sectors, often taking a different route than what was expected or planned, earned him the obnoxious label of ‘ Master of U- Turns’ and ‘ Master Bluffer’. Parrikar leaves Goa mired in a mess, though the veil on mining has been lifted a little, the Dabolim- Mopa controversy is at its peak, and the RP 2021 is still hanging fire. One thing for sure, Parrikar wasn't fiddling while Goa was burning, but he wasn't able to put out the small flames before they became engulfing ones. His firefighting skills were more confined to inner- party wranglings and saving Caetano ( Caitu) D'Silva and Glenn Ticlo from the embarrassing hammer of disqualification from the assembly over their Portuguese passport or birth registration dilemma. His tackling of the Special Status has been a bold attempt after the Union government drove a thorn into it. It remains to be seen what his role will be in pursuing the Special Status cause within the Union cabinet to give a favourable nod to Goa's claim, whether Goa really satisfies the parameters of getting such accommodation in the federal set- up of the country. No doubt the migrant problem is unsettling for Goans, and a solution defi- nitely must be found within the constitutional framework of the country to keep Goa from being overrun by outsiders. It’s the pressing need of the day. Parrikar won the hearts of the people when he introduced populist measures, including gladdening the thirsty petroguzzling throats of the auto and bike riders by reducing the tax on petrol. The other schemes that touched the poor and the needy were in the realm of government's reach to do its best to those who are in utmost need of government's financial help. The fate suffered by the mining- dependent people following the closure of mines was expected but the mining tangle had to be cleared for Goa to get itself rid of illegality in this industry. Some shortterm misfortune must be tolerated for long- term good. It's unfortunate that the casino industry has been kept afloat though Parrikar was sworn to ship them out into the Arabian Sea, away from the eyes of the people. The Mandovi was to be free of these eyesores, which were no doubt the playground of the rich. No doubt the casino and gambling aspect is a force to be reckoned within the tourism marketplace but Goa needs to have safeguards in place to see that " bad money" doesn't give Goa a reputation that it will find hard to discard for a very long time. Sadly, the gambling industry has given Goa the prominence it currently enjoys, with prostitution and crime cropping up closely to smudge Goa’s name. Goa doesn’t need these qualifiers to spoil its fair name, earned over time as one of the best State to live and work. ( Eugene Correia is a senior journalist who worked for The Hindu and The Free Press Journal)