*Party Time -1*
They spent Rs 93,42,544 (see earlier Flying Circus series) flying over a
relatively short period of less than two years. Nobody knows why really or
what was achieved from it, except the flying was primarily to Mumbai and
Delhi, some of it to holiday destinations and pilgrim centres. The Gods must
be desperate, you’d think except your *montris* felt getting you to pay for
their absolution was okay! Next they let their hair down and partied till
the cows came home. Your *montris* of course are nonchalant, showing no
remorse in spending your valuable tax bucks for their politicking,
holidaying, dining and even when they play pilgrims. You can’t even call it
valuable any longer considering the way it’s blown up, in this the latest
example, all of Rs 72,00,144 spent to entertain so-called VIP’s between
April 2008 and February 2010. For your information, the meaning of VIPs in
Goa could be anything from a bunch of sarpanches to officials who came to
the 26th Sub-Junior National Aquatic Championships. I did say sub-junior,
that’s how underused your tax bucks are. Because you probably think your
valuable tax money, ironically called ‘revenue expenditure’ in the lingua
franca of government, is being spent on real development. You could also say
misspent, but the word misspent like the word ‘development’ too has lost its
meaning in Goa. I had almost forgotten, but there was also this little
matter of Rs 29,83,639 that the Protocol Department spent on accommodation
and food for all VIP’s visiting Goa. That’s a neat Rs 1,01,83,783 and
cooking if you add the unpaid bills (explained below).
*Let's Party Officially*
On April 3, 2009 and twice on April 4 Digambar Kamat blew Rs 3,850, Rs 3,850
and Rs 10,135 on tea and snacks supplied by Kebab Corner at his little used
official Altinho residence at what was described as “official meetings”. On
May 26 he threw that aquatic championship bash which cost you Rs 50,000. The
real shall we say beneficiary was Bhingi Caterer, Ponda. The next month, on
June 7, Kamat hosted a dinner for so-called ‘dignitaries’ of the 2nd Marathi
Film Festival, 2009 at the Goa Marriott. Cost: Rs 1,42,832. Let’s take a tea
break here and try and understand the words ‘official’ ‘dignitary’ and
‘host’. In the jargon of government, ‘official’ means all-inclusive or
all-embracing and no questions asked. ‘Dignitary’ well, if I explained that
in writing it would need parental guidance for your reading. ‘Host’, in Goa,
well, at least it does not mean someone who invites and entertains guests
and pays for it. The Goa Marriott was the venue for his next dinner (July
13) in honour of the chairman and members of the 5th Western Region
Consultation. Don’t ask. I haven’t a clue. Cost: Rs 43,705. He dined the
Chief Secretary at the Taj Exotica on July 18 spending Rs 45,437 and hosted
a “budget presentation” dinner at Taj Vivanta on July 24. Cost: Rs 23,285.
For all the talking his ministers and Congress MLA’s did during the 12
working days of the Assembly Session from July 21-August 6, 2009, Kamat
rewarded them with tea and snacks served up by Kebab Corner at a cost of Rs
72,000. He was back to entertaining the next day August 7, throwing a dinner
at Cidade-de-Goa for Narendra Jadhav, member of the Planning Commission.
Cost: Rs 62,357. Tea and snacks for god-knows-who on Independence Day at his
official residence (no, not the Margao home, that’s his unofficial official
residence). Cost to you: Rs 17,000. Provider: Kebab corner.
*Party On*
On August 30, he threw Jairam Ramesh, the Union Minister of State for
Environment and Forest and “others” a party that cost you Rs 1,00,689 at the
Cidade-de-Goa. Obviously! While, I sincerely doubt Jairam Ramesh partook of
the food with the same gusto as the “others”, I wager he was used more as a
scapegoat for the shindig. Unfortunately we don’t get to know who went to
the party but the environment must have been good. On September 1, Kamat
offered his hardworking MLA’s tea and snacks at a Congress Legislature Party
meet at Altinho. Cost: Rs 7,200. Provider: Kebab Corner. He dined Prema
Cariappa, Chairperson, Central Social Welfare Board, Delhi at the Sun &
Sand, Panjim on October 10 that cost Rs 28,153. The chosen one, the
Cidade-de-Goa was again the venue (October 12) for a dinner for the
Secretary, Information & Broadcasting. Cost: Rs 39,852. Then there was
dinner (October 28) for newspaper editors at Hotel Mandovi that cost Rs
19,491 and dinner (November 2) for Justice Swatantar Kumar, Chief Justice,
Bombay High Court at Hotel Vivanta that cost Rs 54,601.
*……And On*
Hotel Vivanta was ‘graced’ again by Kamat and his invitees on November 11,
2009, this time believe it or not, in honour of the Council of Young
Political Leaders who toted up a tab of Rs 1,16,505. Perhaps they were
unaware they were gobbling up your tax bucks. Google says this is an
organization dedicated to promoting diplomacy and mutual understanding
between cultures through exchanges such
