--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Elvidio
Nice article. Do you read my letters sometimes I send to you? Any way let us do our job as true Goan so that whatever remaining land to be preserved for the generation to come. Regards my friend Elvidio and keep it up the good work, Stephen Dias D.Paula --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- this article is written by my friend elvidio miranda for onward transaction; stephen *POLITICS NEGATES STATE’S* > *RATIONAL DEVELOPMENT* > > *ELVIDIO MIRANDA* > > Our government is a federal democracy in which the voice and wishes of the > people should prevail. However, much to the dismay of the majority of the > people, development is definitely not prudent. Consider the case of the > construction of bridges. A third bridge over the Mandovi was not an urgent > necessity. However it was a gift to the constituency of now defence > minister and previous CM of Goa Manohar Parrikar by the BJP-led central > government though a second bridge across the Zuari is a more urgent need. > The Zuari bridge is in real bad shape and even repairs may not be the > solution. > Now consider the total failure of the BJP-led government in Goa in > investigating and bringing to book those involved in the, as per the M B > Shah Commission report of the Rs. 35,000 crore mining illegalities. Mining > has ceased in Goa for 3 years and more but no action has been forthcoming > on those that have indulged in illegal mining. The Goa government has to > initiate an investigation through the Enforcement Directorate and the Union > Finance Ministry and try to trace the black money generated due to illegal > mining and stashed in banks in Switzerland, Virgin islands, Singapore and > Mauritius in order to follow the black money trail. If only the money is > recovered then should the government on merit compensate those who have > been cheated like the truck owners and the workers in the mining industry. > Then, there is the abject failure on the casino issue that the BJP-led > government has till now not found an alternative location to relocate the > floating hulks that teem the Mandovi waterfront. At least the government > could have sent the casino whose licence has expired 10 kilometers away > from the river Mandovi. This shows that the Chief Minister of Goa lacks the > will and is giving excuses that it will send a wrong signal to investors in > Goa. There is no doubt that the floating gaming houses is the cause for > several malaises affecting the people of Goa. Goa has now become like a > Macau of India and there is no doubt that this does not augur well for the > state whose populace is educated and should be involved in more noble > business ventures which are ingrained with substance. > The licences and permissions for setting up a golf course at Tiracol has > again sent a wrong signal about the urgent need to protect the > environmentally sensitive locations in Goa and Leading Hotels will cause > irreparable damage to the topography and flora and fauna of Tiracol which > is in itself a famous tourist destination with its heritage Tiracol fort. > The Chief Minister seems to be spineless when he says that he cannot do > anything since all the formalities have been legalized. This is not what > the chief minister should be saying but he should act on the matter, which > though sub-judice, is in the interests of the people. All he has done has > abjectly surrender to the Leading Hotels owners. > The case of the marinas in Goa can at least be salvaged since marinas > anywhere on the Goan coasts even in remote areas will only affect the > traditional fishermen who depend on basic use of canoes, fishing nets as > well as manual harvesting of shell fish for their livelihood. Selling Goa > to the highest bidder is an auction that stinks that the lure of the lucre > by the representatives of the people are indulged in stark contrast to the > wishes of the majority people, which should be respected. Heritage and > traditional occupations should be preserved at any cost for the good of Goa. > >