“You just wait and watch. We are not going to compromise on this and we will see that no rave parties are organised this year”
We have heard that one before but from another minister at another time. This time it is Ravi Naik the new shooting off his mouth.
What he means probably is that this time it is his turn to be more vigilant so that he can get the maximum amount of commission for holding of maximum number of raves.
It is not as if the rave parties are going to stop. They attract a huge number of tourists. The Police get a fat cut on each party for turning a blind eye. And a good deal of the cut goes to the authorities who issue the orders.
There’s just far too much at stake here to allow a complete clampdown. People and press have tried over the years to call up and inform the police or the authorities about an ongoing rave party, but the music has played on since ‘orders from above’ have always taken precedence.
So sadly, we don’t expect anything different this season. Come November, the Vagator, Anjuna and other beaches will vibrate with trance music in a smoke-filled moonlit night.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Mission Chak-a-Chak files ‘disappear’
Last year the Panjim Municipality better known under the rather grandiose name of Corporation of City of Panjim (CCP), launched Mission Chak-A-Chak, in order to rid Panjim city of the growing menace of plastic waste.
Panjim was full of yellow banners and hoardings, with CCP going all out to make the citizens aware of the mission. They even hired some youths who went around the city on trucks with music blaring to wake the sleeping Panjimites about the danger of plastic. And there were plastic cleanup dumps in many places.
Of course, the hoopla lasted only for a short time and then died a quiet death. To be fair, the plastic menace did indeed reduce and an awareness was created.
But all this must have cost a pretty penny to the tax payer. And quite a few of those pennies must have gone into somebody’s pockets for approving the various contracts.
Because now when the time comes to check up on the expenses, the Mission Chak-a-Chak files seem to have gone missing, leaving the CCP authorities in a tizzy. Funds are unaccounted for and some bank accounts have become heavier.
So the CCP wants a vigilance inquiry of various agencies appointed for cleaning etc.
But this is just eyewash, we think this inquiry will go the way of the plastic and land up in some obscure dump in a few months.
Panjim was full of yellow banners and hoardings, with CCP going all out to make the citizens aware of the mission. They even hired some youths who went around the city on trucks with music blaring to wake the sleeping Panjimites about the danger of plastic. And there were plastic cleanup dumps in many places.
Of course, the hoopla lasted only for a short time and then died a quiet death. To be fair, the plastic menace did indeed reduce and an awareness was created.
But all this must have cost a pretty penny to the tax payer. And quite a few of those pennies must have gone into somebody’s pockets for approving the various contracts.
Because now when the time comes to check up on the expenses, the Mission Chak-a-Chak files seem to have gone missing, leaving the CCP authorities in a tizzy. Funds are unaccounted for and some bank accounts have become heavier.
So the CCP wants a vigilance inquiry of various agencies appointed for cleaning etc.
But this is just eyewash, we think this inquiry will go the way of the plastic and land up in some obscure dump in a few months.
Spendthrift politicians of Goa
The Election Commission allows upto 5 lakhs to be spent by each candidate during the Assembly elections. Most regulars in Goa surely spend much more than that.
For example Big B (Babush) is supposed to have spent quite a few crores in the constituencies of Taleigao and St Cruz, in his effort to win along with his wife Jennifer.
That his aide – who was supposed to handle the distribution of cash in St Cruz – didn’t handle the operation and got kicked out as a result is another story for another day.
Coming back to the spending limit, it appears that most winning and losing candidates have not even come close to the 5 lakh ceiling and have declared expenses around 2-3 lakhs only.
Here’s a glance at a few big names and their election spending (in Rs lakhs): Ravi Naik 2.38, Francisco Sardinha 2.49, Luizinho Faleiro 2.17, Matanhy Saldanha 2.38, Sudin Dhavlikar 3.19.
You get the idea. So is the Election Commission limit on the higher side? Or the candidates hiding the actual amount spent? Your guess is as good as ours…
Government in trouble????
With unhappinees amongst old Congress hands at fever pitch, due to the allocation of ministry portfolios and corporation chairmanships, rumours of the govt being in trouble are doing the rounds.
And sources claim that the Big Bad Boys of Goan politics, but sworn enemies, Babush Montseratte and Churchill Alemao are getting together to take advantage, and put a spanner in the works.
The unhappy Congreesmen are apparently in regular touch with the two heavyweights and regular meetings are being held at star hotels in Panjim and Calangute, with cash and booze in free supply.
But most importantly, all these jokers in the pack are unhappy with the Congress High Command and not with good old Digu.
So is Digu really in trouble? Or will the goodwill he commands from the warring and unhappy parties see him through.
Wait and watch.
‘Hot’ fish curry
With the annual fishing ban on, fish fanatics who cannot do without their daily dose of ‘humaan’ (fish curry) and rice have to fork out some real heavy bundles of cash to satisfy their daily urges.
Mackerel or ‘bangdo’, that favourite of every Goan, is currently at the top of the charts at Rs 25 per piece.
With such ‘hot’ prices, who needs to put the chilly in the fish curry?
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