Who can afford to fight elections
Look at some of the personalities yearning to represent you and me in Goa Assembly Imagine their character .integrity educational merit ,social standing to understand, participate,suggest, amendments to sometimes motivated legislation that will affect every one and that should alarm bells. THE WORK OF LEGISLATORS is to legislate which suggest they should be specifically qualified and legally too. WE do not need Politicians to duplicate the work of various Govt Depts, agencies, instituted for development in every field ,staffed with qualified personnel.You will retort that ministers occupying the post are sometimes worse, but they have at least paid , highly qualified secretaries to dissuade them . .what a travesty of facts that decent and educated voters are represented by lowly qualified or non qualified persons No decent person with hard earned income can ever hope to enter the fray and win First jostling for ticket need to contribute for parry fund and keep in good humour others involveled These are unwritten laws and no secrets. The party in turn will dole out a pittance, bit of your own donations for expenses.The party bosses make sure of winability which means that candidates have enough resources to splurge and muscle power to intimidate othe candidates.The limit recommended by election commission for expenses is a joke at present times The publicity material and the army of personnel required for campaigns distribution, , to manage boots , to ferry and guide voters, their daily expenses on food ,refreshment, travel and bonus costs a bomb is untraceable as expenses to compute.Then open bars ,restaurants in places have fixed quota of amounts as give away in kind.The incentives offered to selected voters in kind and cash does not figure in the expenses.The candidates have stocked liquor ,goods and cash for distribution well in advance ,anticipating the restrictions imposed in different places and confidants to tap as and when required The choice of the candidate is forced on you and only recourse left is to stamp NONE OF THE ABOVE( NOTA) It may ensure your integrity, satisfaction but will not alter the position on the ground Candidates are enamoured to flaunt their label of so called social service as the acceptable qualification . THEY have not excelled themselves educationally or profesiinaly to make a dent of importance in their own lives in the first place Sorry to state that some have not even cleared SSC .Others have procured dubious educational certificates of external courses and non existing Colleges and defunct universities . The parties want you to cast your so called valuable and sacred votes to these scoundrels and fulfill your democratic rights The perks like Pensionary benefits, Free electricity, inverters, Postage, fuel, DA and travel allowances, subsidised food, refreshment allowances, , for days of National importance, Free driver and attendants , security, drivers, cars at ridiculous low interests at 2%, housing allowances upto 30 laks even when they have palatial houses, car loans every two year period for 2 % ,Free medical facilities in India and abroad at exchequer costs when same are available locally, Free travel by air, road , train first class including attendants ,wives and children reserved at any moment These official benefits called allowances are totally tax free, when even medical reimbursement is taxed, including all allowances. The take way for Ministers, MP, Central Ministers CM,heads of corporation is envy of highly qualified CEO Then there are hidden benefits like commissions on projects in respective constituencies ,on contracts allotted, supplies , over invoicing of tenders, liaison fees for companies , and legislations tailored to suit particular concerns , placements etc which officially cannot be confirmed as it falls in grey arrea Influence they wield to manipulate and favour their contacts at a price of course. The party hopping is at a enormous gain possibly to keep reserves for elections and also for the benefit of progeny not yet born An industrialist, businessman toils for years to gather his wealth, then how do we explain politicians turning crorepotis by dozens in a short time, from riding cycle to luxurious cars, two wheelers when as ordinary persons trudged on foot There is no doubt that profession as politicians is the shortest route to amass wealth, fame ,position and influence and is the best career option without qualification, experience , capital or efforts like an industrialists No wonder the aspirations and clamour to join politics is increasing exponentially with respects to parties and candidates The cry to have minimum qualifications, fixed period ,and strict conditions for defections ,to tax all income and rethink on pensions will always fall on deaf ears Remebered Morarji Dessai who was only dissenting vociferously on pension provisions, but quietly enjoyed the benefits all his life. Nelson Lopes Chinchinim