When the BJP assumed office on 9th March 2012, the then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had rightly pointed out that Goa’s exploding migrant population was a matter of grave concern and needed to be frozen. But nothing was done towards achieving that end, except for vague talk on Special Status for Goa.
Now with this pandemic which has struck the world and with Goans returning back to their land in droves there will now be no dearth of qualified Goans available. At this juncture the role of the Goa NRI Commission is to act as a vibrant catalyst in drawing avenues and opportunities to encourage Goans who have returned and also those who are currently out of Goa to come back and serve their soil. There has been a disturbing perception of the ideal Goa as seen by the average Non Resident Goan (NRG) who would have liked it to remain unchanged. The Non Resident Goans and more importantly, the youth have wanted to see changes in employment opportunities as they would have preferred to make Goa their home. The overseas Goans have not always been satisfied with what they see in Goa. They are repelled by the culture of corruption that has become a part of the Goan society and just cannot relate to the acceptance of these standards. The bureaucratic processes endemic in Indian methodology has put off many Non Residents from investing locally. Over the years International Goan Conventions have been held to deliberate on issues concerning Goa and related to Non Residents. There had been a unanimous demand for the Government of Goa to set up an NRG centre as a focal point to redress problems of NRGs and to see what role they could play in the progress and development of Goa. In response to this demand the Government set up a “NRG Commission”. We have yet to see anything concrete achieved by this outfit, which started in February 2006 with ambitious plans. Many NRGs after years of service abroad have longed to settle in the land of their origin. But for many reasons they are disheartened and give up. For someone who has never witnessed water supply shortages or power failures it is a nightmare coping with the erratic water and power supply which has been a matter of routine in Goa. NRGs also feel that the prospects of a good education in Goa for their children is bleak and this is something the Government should focus on. Good public hospitals and quality professional educational institutions is something Goa so dearly needs. Overall, if Goa’s basic infrastructure is improved it will motivate many more NRGs to come back and set up shop in the place that is so dear to them. But as always politicians want their fingers in every pie, and nothing runs professionally or free from political interference. In recent years a lot of Goan politicians have made overseas trips, ostensibly as study projects abroad. It was expected that they would bring home some ideas to improve things here. Unfortunately, these trips at taxpayer expense have in reality been shopping and sightseeing junkets for our politicians. Many Goans feel the urge to play a role in shaping the future of Goa but the authorities would have to play their role to encourage all NRGs to return and invest their skills and savings in the land of their roots. The very high level of corruption in Goa is something that every NRI detests. So a war against corruption and nepotism could be the starting point in bringing Goa closer to every Non Resident Goan looking forward to a well governed State. Aires Rodrigues Advocate High Court C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat, Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: airesrodrigu...@gmail.com Or airesrodrig...@yahoo.com You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires www.airesrodrigues.com