Iron ore: Gimme (m)ore

So, it is all about ore!

The political rumblings in the state have got more to do with iron ore and individual cravings of the politicos rather than any issue of government and governance. Politicos, who have for decades been funded by this so called 'backbone' of the Goan economy, have become enterprising enough to themselves jump into the mining business, legal or otherwise.

And, it's this one-upmanship race to corner the 'most for myself' of the mining pie that's given shape to this obscene 'dance of democracy' currently witnessed in Goa, Mumbai and Delhi. 'G-7 in Mumbai', 'G-7 in Delhi' and 'G-7 back in Goa empty handed' are some of the classical dance steps performed in the last few weeks by these politicos.

The G17, meanwhile, prefers the tango. So, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and GPCC chief Subhash Shirodkar tango all the way to Mumbai and return back. Last week they did the same: Tango all the way to New Delhi!

Yet, there are no results. The same rotten governance and another week of speculative political reportage in the media for Goa even as the politicos meanwhile keep saying 'Gimme (m)ore'.

Sahoo’s back and haunting!

There's a bitter war on in the NRI Commission.

Sources have told us that the Secretary for the Commission, DC Sahoo has shot off a note to some heads of departments that curtails, rather questions, the 'financial powers' of the NRI Commissioner Eduardo Faleiro.

We are not sure what the provocation for it was, but Sahoo's missive for sure sent a fuming Faleiro dashing to CM Digambar Kamat to lodge a strong protest. Faleiro has demanded that Sahoo be releived and the NRI portfolio be entrusted to another bureaucrat, the source told us.

But Kamat is at his wits end how to oblige the veteran from Raia. We would suggest, he consults his former mentor Manohar Parrikar on this one. For, the last time Sahoo was unwanted, Parrikar had come up with a gem -- got rid of him not with the stick, but rather with a carrot!

In the early part of this decade, when Parrikar was a mere MLA, Sahoo as Managing Director of the Goa Industrial Development Corporation was entangled in a serious corruption case. Parrikar himself spoke of the case in the Goa Legislative Assembly but not much came of it as there was no formal complaint filed before any statutory authority. Months later, when Parrikar himself became Goa's 'Super CM' Sahoo got a huge 'promotion'. He got inducted into the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) cadre. And, when Parrikar was pushed to corner in the House by the Opposition's taunts on his U-turn on Sahoo, he came up with this gem: "It's an innovative management technique. Even Corporates follow it now-a-days. When you want to get rid of a top honcho, kick him upstairs!"

But it's Sahoo who's had the last laugh making a grand comeback to the Goa administration. This time however its not Parrikar that he's haunting, but CM Diggu's cabinet-ranked NRI Commissioner!

Ready-kar

Last week this column threw light on a certain 'Northen Paradise' on government property where rave is the name of the game. Turns out that this paradise sent the Sub Divisional Magistrate of Bardez raving after a few phone calls made by the Paradise's owners no sooner DGP Bhim Sain Bassi's surprise tour of North Goa ended up with the cops swooping down on the rocking night spot.

The phone calls made the Bardez' SDM live his name. DM Redkar 'readily' issued an 'order' (sic) directing the Anjuna Police Inspector, Manjunath Desai, to refrain from visiting the 'Paradise' for sound control purposes because, it being an indoor venue, it does not require permissions or policing for noise pollution violations.

Interestingly, 'Ready-kar's' order reached the 'Paradise' even quicker than it reached PI Manjunath at the Anjuna police station. It was the 'Paradise' that served the order on the PI rather than the SDM's office.

The order meanwhile sent the police establishment in a tizzy. But better sense finally prevailed and North Goa District Magistrate Mir Vardhan intervened to force the SDM withdraw the controversial order.

Meanwhile, GTDC which has only been threatening to act but never acted in the last almost one decade, has again gone cold on evicting the occupant of the 'Paradise'. Some 35-odd lakh of rupees is due in lease rents from the 'Paradise' which has paid the GTDC nothing over these 10 years. Cheers!

The honchos at the Provedoria, which runs the state lottery have got their Hindu Calendar all wrong. The Hindu New year began on March 16 but not for the Provedoria it seems. The institution which currently runs a pale shadow of the 'state lottery' has begun the first of a series of "GUDIPADWA" bumper lottery only this week and the first draw will be held tomorrow (April 7, 2007)!