With Goa witnessing a rapid surge in COVID-19 cases and an increasing number of deaths, the government’s one and only priority must be to deal with the raging pandemic. After all, the most basic duty of any Government is to protect the lives of its citizens.
Given the worsening health and economic situation, it is imperative that all pending and proposed projects must be put on hold and the unending greed of the ruling politicians must end too. The Health of our citizens must be uppermost and the only priority for the Government. This means that all non-essential projects even the needless Manohar Parrikar’s memorial at Miramar should be consigned to the racks. This is a critical time for us to tighten our economic belt and use all our limited resources to focus on fighting the virus, saving lives and helping the vulnerable instead of irresponsibly wasting taxpayers’ money on vanity projects for the benefit of a few instead of the many. Health Minister Vishwajit Rane should get his act together and get the priorities right. A COVID hospital in Sattari and not an IIT is the need of the hour. It would also facilitate the hordes of the Health Minister’s flock that have to currently travel from Sattari all the way to the Goa Medical College at Bambolim for their gainful employment. With the COVID crisis in the State aggravating by the day, the government must get its very slack act together and gear up for the long haul. We are today paying a heavy price for the wrong decisions, misplaced priorities, lack of leadership and planning by this visionless government. Over the last crucial few months Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane have miserably abdicated in their duty by their flip flops in dealing with the deadly virus. For this Goa and Goans will not forgive their sheer incompetence in these crucial times. The battle against COVID-19 cannot and should never have been allowed to be a BJP political affair. A national crisis of this magnitude should have seen a concerted and determined cross-party effort following the science and advice from experts and involving every Goan to contain and combat the virus with transparency and genuine leadership and planning. Any government who fails to carry out its most basic duty to defend the lives of its citizens is unworthy to lead. Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States wisely observed; “The care of human live and happiness and not their destruction, is the first and only object of any good Government”. 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