"Goa's Chief Minister Pramod Sawant: A mirror to his own corruption?" -- By Nisser Dias

In an eyebrow-raising statement to the media, Goa’s non-Goan Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant, promised “strict action” if corruption among government servants or politicians is ever brought to his notice. But the irony is hard to miss—was Sawant making this promise in earnest, or is he hoping the public has forgotten the deep-rooted accusations against him?



Corruption Starts at the Top

It’s easy to preach about corruption in the lower ranks of government, but what happens when the allegations reach the top office? Former Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik made no small claim when he accused Chief Minister Sawant himself of corruption. As the constitutional head of the state, Malik reported these allegations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expecting action. However, instead of stepping down to clear his name or challenge Malik’s claims, Sawant wielded his influence to see Malik removed from office. For someone so eager to lead the charge against corruption, Sawant’s own actions beg the question: why not start by turning the mirror on himself?

Selective Accountability: The Case of Pooja Naik

Sawant’s recent self-congratulatory statements about exposing a woman named Pooja Naik for job fraud is another example of selective enforcement. According to Sawant, Naik approached him directly to secure a government job for another individual, and when he discovered she had accepted money for the favor, he allegedly intervened, recovered the money, and returned it to the job seeker. However, no formal charges were filed against Naik, allowing her to walk free. Wouldn’t a clear signal against corruption have been to prosecute her? Instead, this half-hearted intervention allowed her to continue her schemes unrestrained.

It is like a young college boy who starts stealing pens, pencils and rubbers from mates, continues even when warned, and is finally rusticated. However, this boy joins politics because he sees a large scope to rob. Such selective leniency—especially for first-time offenders—sets a dangerous precedent. Unfortunately, Pooja Naik’s case isn’t an isolated one.

Preferential Treatment: When Laws Bend for the Powerful

A former Director General of Police (DGP), Jaspal Singh, found himself in a controversy when he allegedly sanctioned the illegal demolition of a house without court orders. Instead of facing due process, Singh was quickly transferred out of Goa—an exit seemingly orchestrated to sidestep legal repercussions. The question is simple: if shielding allies from accountability isn’t corruption, then what is?

Similarly, when allegations of a land scam surfaced against Goa’s former Chief Secretary Puneet Goel, he was hurriedly transferred from the state. Allegedly, Goel manipulated zoning laws to benefit himself, reclassifying agricultural land to settlement zone and then purchasing it. Yet, despite the gravity of these accusations, he was spared from prosecution. This selective justice reflects not only favoritism but a willingness to look the other way for those in the inner circle.

The Kala Academy Debacle: A Case Study in Cronyism

Perhaps the most glaring example of administrative neglect and corruption is the botched renovation of the iconic Kala Academy, where Rs. 56 crore of public money was

poured into repairs that barely lasted. The academy’s open-air auditorium roof collapsed, green room mirrors came crashing down, and sections of the false ceiling fell apart. These were not mere construction mishaps but consequences of a flawed process that allowed Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude to hand-pick contractors without even issuing a public tender.

Though the Directorate of Vigilance recommended a technical probe into the renovation irregularities, the Sawant-led government chose to ignore the suggestion. This deliberate oversight shows not only the government’s complicity but Sawant’s own hand in shielding corrupt practices from scrutiny. ‘Smart City’ is another example of corruption, where one can write volumes.

Corruption Runs Deep

The story of Pramod Sawant’s government reads like a guidebook on the many faces of corruption. Bribery, favoritism, nepotism, selective enforcement, and shameless cronyism all find a place under his leadership. Whether it’s allowing allies to escape legal consequences, evading recommended investigations, or neglecting the most basic of accountability measures, Sawant’s administration has proven that corruption doesn’t merely exist on its fringes—it thrives in its highest ranks.

So, when Pramod Sawant claims to be fighting corruption, it’s hard to take him seriously. Goa deserves a government that confronts corruption head-on, not one that uses it as a tool to serve personal agendas.

Alexio Sequeira’s blame game: Deflecting Goa’s environmental destruction while politicians profit -- By Nisser Dias

Turncoat Alexio Sequeira

In a brazen act of deflection, Goa’s Environment Minister, Alexio Sequeira, has placed the blame for the state’s environmental destruction squarely on the shoulders of Goans, accusing them of selling their inherited lands to non-Goans for hefty sums. According to him, if Goans hadn't sold their land, mega projects wouldn’t have found their way into the state. But this narrative is not only disingenuous—it’s a convenient smokescreen for his own political and economic interests.

Yes, Goans are selling land. But let’s get real: there are complex reasons behind these decisions, from financial necessity to resolving family disputes over property. The truth, which Sequeira conveniently sidesteps, is that the very politicians pointing fingers at the people are neck-deep in the real estate game themselves.

Ministers or a Land Broker?

Can Sequeira deny his own role as a land developer? Can he refute the claim that he, too, has sold land for personal gain? Or that he has used state machinery—police and government influence—to suppress protests against the sale of land for massive, destructive projects? The hypocrisy reeks.

Most of Goa's 40 MLAs have brokered land deals themselves. Goan families might sell small plots to stay afloat, but politicians are the ones who facilitate the sale of acres upon acres, greasing the wheels of these mega projects. Has the political turncoat Sequeira forgotten that politicians often coerce Goans to sell their land, using both persuasion and muscle? When the carrot doesn’t work, the stick follows—threats of land acquisition for "government purposes" leave property owners with no choice but to sell.

And let’s not forget Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, infamously dubbed "Property Sawant" by none other than his fellow MLAs and government insiders, due to his deep involvement in shady property deals.

The Real Culprits: Corrupt Politicians, Not Common Goans

For Sequeira, blaming the people is easy. It's a distraction from his own dishonesty. This is the same man who swore on holy ground—at a church, a temple, and a mosque—that he would never abandon the Congress party. Yet, for the sake of political convenience, he quickly jumped ship to the BJP, betraying not just his party but the people he claimed to represent. How can Goans trust a man who can’t even keep his oath to God?

More importantly, who is issuing the licenses to these non-Goan buyers? Who is bending, breaking, and reworking the rules to accommodate these outsiders? It’s the corrupt politicians like Sequeira who shamelessly sell out their own state. If they followed the law, refused bribes, and protected Goa's interests, this environmental destruction wouldn’t be happening. But instead, the laws governing land use are constantly being manipulated to benefit the wealthy and powerful—both inside and outside the state.

Why is the "change in land use" rule amended so often? It’s certainly not to help Goans. It’s to serve the rich non-Goan investors, who not only buy the land but also the politicians who enable their destructive projects.

A Government That Sells Its Soul—and Goa’s Future

Destruction of GOA

If Sequeira and his fellow ministers genuinely cared about preserving Goa, why not introduce a law banning the sale of land to non-Goans, similar to the laws in several North-Eastern states? Instead, this government constantly seeks to shrink the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) from 200 meters to 50 meters from the high tide line. Why? To make beachfront property even more attractive to wealthy outsiders.

Why does the government push to exclude 70 villages from eco-sensitive zones? Why is the state’s forest cover diminishing year after year? Why are Goa’s hills being indiscriminately cut, and why are agricultural fields being converted into settlements, with high-ranking officials like the Chief Secretary directly profiting from these changes?

The answers are glaringly obvious: corruption, greed, and a complete disregard for the well-being of Goa and its people.

Stop Blaming the People, Start Holding Politicians Accountable

Goans selling their land is a symptom, not the cause. The disease is the corrupt, unethical, and arrogant leadership—like Alexio Sequeira—that prioritizes their personal profits over the future of Goa. It’s time to stop blaming the common man and start holding these politicians accountable for the devastation they are wreaking on the state.

Goa’s Unemployment Crisis: Empty Promises but Full Pockets -- By Nisser Dias

NON-GOAN CM OF GOA

Goa’s job market is in crisis, and the numbers speak for themselves. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation recently released a report through the National Sample Survey Office, revealing that Goa’s unemployment rate has skyrocketed to 8.7% for the 2023-2024 period—more than double the national average of 4.5%. This startling figure has ignited a fierce political debate, with the opposition lambasting the Pramod Sawant-led government for its economic mismanagement and broken promises to Goa’s youth.

Since the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government took office in 2014, unemployment has become a critical issue not just in Goa but across India. While election campaigns are filled with grand promises of job creation, these commitments often dissolve into empty rhetoric once the votes are cast. Goa is no exception. When official data, like the recent Periodic Labour Force Survey, highlights these failures, ruling governments typically respond with more vague assurances, deflecting responsibility and offering new promises that rarely see the light of day.

Non-Goan Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant who has faced widespread criticism for his governance and administrative failings, recently pledged to create 2 lakh jobs over the next two years. However, many view this as yet another “jumla” aimed at countering the grim statistics from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, as well as deflecting attention from corruption allegations surrounding massive land conversions.

But beneath these lofty promises lies a darker question: Will Goans even be able to afford these jobs? In Goa’s current political landscape, merit often takes a backseat to money and connections. There is a growing sentiment that government jobs in the state come with a hefty price tag, with merit and reservations becoming irrelevant in the face of corruption.

Another non-Goan minister in Goa’s cabinet, Vishwajit Rane demands that 22,000 jobs to be created in the next two years. Given Rane’s mercenary mindset, he sent a subtle

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