Benaulim MLA is all about bark and no bite -- By Nisser Dias

Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas recently released a video on social media wherein he is in conversation with the Airport Director at Dabolim, offering to provide wheelchairs for use by the needy fliers from the MLA’s fund. All this publicity stunt evolves from an incident, wherein a foreign tourist was made to pay Rs. 4000 for a wheelchair by some errant airport employees. Thank God, that he did not ask the tourist to eat a lobster costing Rs. 8000 and worse still did not offer to pay for it.

Viegas, in his hunger to be in the public eye or rather for cheap publicity, is making a fool of himself and the constituents, especially those who cast their precious franchise in his favour. The other voters who resisted voting for him are having the last laugh, for electing a bigger nerd than we previously had. To charge Rs. 4000 is definitely wrong, it is extortion, but to promise funds allotted to the development of Benaulim is complete hogwash. But what can we expect from a person who is a publicity hawk and on a fast track to nowhere.

Even after the Airport Director informed him that the wheelchairs are provided by the airlines, Benaulim MLA insisted on diverting the funds meant for his constituency. Benaulim constituents would have been further embarrassed had the Airport Director taken up Venzy Viegas on his offer, as the government or the Finance department would have never sanctioned the funds for the purpose. Instead of making unrealistic comments to be on social media, Viegas should use the funds for the betterment of his constituency by tarring roads, developing open and recreational spaces etc.

Benaulim legislator is all about bark and no bite, He simply makes noises, addresses press conferences, does not miss an opportunity to give sound bytes to the waiting media to be in the public eye but in reality, no work is seen done. His bark has become so hollow that even the government and its officials do not take him seriously. Benaulim constituents should hang their head in shame simply because despite the MLA boasting of having two offices of his own in the constituency, he had to park his car Illegally on the road to dial up the Airport Director.

This is indication that the social-media-MLA of Benaulim constituency was doing it to for the cameras and had no intention of rectifying the wrong. In fact, the Traffic police should book Venzy Viegas for disrupting the flow of traffic by parking his car on a public road and that too not even beyond the shoulders. If he is ignorant, he should read the traffic rules and regulations to understand that only emergency vehicles are permitted to park on the road to attend and save lives. Very soon it is going to be a year since Benaulim constituents gave a mandate to Venzy Viegas as a legislator. In that time, he has made them look like fools.

He has conducted numerous inspections with no results. We have not seen any developments. People continue to suffer from power and water woes. Government does not even seem to give a damn about his hollowing, but Benaulim MLA continues to entertain his constituents with ridiculous, impractical and nonsensical videos on social media.

Venzy Viegas is the new Marie-Antoinette - By Nisser Dias

One of the most famous quotes “if they have no bread, let them eat cake” is attributed to Marie-Antoinette, the queen of France during the French Revolution. It was the queen’s response upon being told that her starving peasant subjects had no bread. The anecdote was cited as an example of Marie-Antoinette’s obliviousness to the conditions and daily lives of ordinary people. Similarly, Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas’s reaction to taxi charges of Rs. 4000 for 65 kilometres from Mopa airport to Benaulim, people eat lobsters of Rs. 8000. Arrogance and high-handedness is writ on the face of such a statement. Like Maria- Antoinette, he seems to be insensitive to the hardship of the people. Ironically the person who paid such a hefty amount happens to be from the MLA’s constituency. If one interprets the statement correctly, it indicates that Venzy is playing a balancing game of appeasing the taxi operators for votes as well as the BJP government. Ex-MLA Churchill Alemao had the courage to openly declare his support to the BJP government during his term, but the current incumbent, coward that he is, has extended undeclared support to the BJP government. In the very recent past during the Gujarat elections, while the AAP ministers were under heavy attack from the BJP government at the Centre, Venzy – an AAP MLA was honey-mooning with the BJP ministers in Goa. Being an opposition MLA, he was attending football matches and touring his constituency in the company of the ministers. At the same time, the government was bulldozing its way to build the western bypass through catchment areas in his constituency. Benaulim MLA always wants to be in the news and on social media. Since he was elected as an MLA, he has inspected many a site in the constituency and issued directions to authorities and officials to carry out certain works, but the end result is zero.

Filthy Colva Creek

Be it the inspection of the Colva creek, western bypass, flooding of Khareband, inspection of beach stretch in Benaulim constituency with the Tourism minister and the latest inspection of the sewage treatment plant at Sirvodem. Nothing has changed or improved at these sites. For some, it might seem that he is working for the betterment of his constituency but for others, it seems it is just an eyewash, trying to remain relevant through the inspection to win the next election. June last year, he inspected Colva creek and directed the WRD department officials to cover it with a wire mesh to save it from garbage or waste being flung into it, it has not happened. Western bypass is still being constructed by reclaiming the low-lying area, even the photo-op with Union minister for Transport Nitin Gadkari has not yielded results. Viegas for another photo-op ventured into the over-flowing or flooded Khareband, but nothing on the ground has changed to de-clog the catchment areas. Hence, we can expect a repeat of flooding again the coming monsoon. Venzy himself in a recent video said that for two months he has written to all the authorities possible to plug raw sewage from the Sirvodem treatment plant in river Sal and nothing has changed. It indicates that his flustering and blustering are not taken cognizance of by the government. This reminds me of an old adage, “Barking dogs seldom bite.” Basically, meaning he does not carry weight. And how will anybody particularly the government take a fence-sitter seriously? Benaulim MLA claims he is in the opposition but leans more towards the government. Benaulim constituents had cast their franchise in support of Viegas because Churchill had disowned the voters by supporting the BJP government and its policies which were anti-people and anti-environment. The current incumbent makes it a point to be present for protests against the double tracking of rail tracks and now the Mhadei issue. But it is only for optics and social media or he could be a government mole among the protestors. Have we forgotten, Benaulim MLA was very upset when he received summons to be present in the court in double-tracking protest in Arossim which coincided with the ugly

Destruction of Khareband for western bypass

spat with the Environment minister Nilesh Cabral at Khareband? Supporting the government on taxi app rates shows his true colours, that he will forgive the government for its misdeeds for his benefit. He remains in the good books of the government and on the other side, he is mustering the support or rather votes of mercenary taxi operators for the next elections.

Jaica resevoir lying unused

Sometimes it feels that the government briefs him on when to take pot-shots at it and when to keep his mouth shut. Venzy Viegas would have done better if he had worked towards uninterrupted power supply in his constituency by overseeing the electricity sub-station was provided and equipped with the spares they require for quality power supply. He would have done better if he had worked towards the commissioning of water tanks built under Jaica. But he will not do that as the government will have to provide funds. Inspections in media glare are just a way of diverting attention and blowing hot gas, to show a section of his constituents that he is striving for their welfare. Venzy Viegas is working towards his welfare (of getting elected again) aka Marie-Antoinette.

Goa Police shamed by chief minister Pramod Sawant -- By Nisser Dias

The ‘import’ from Kolhapur who was sworn in as the chief minister of Goa, as a part of late Manohar Parrikar’s legacy, has proved once again that he is inefficient and incompetent. By handing over the late Sonali Phogat murder case to the CBI, the spineless Pramod Sawant, to camouflage his ineptness and functioning has in fact ridiculed the Goa police in the eyes of the public. The non-Goan chief minister of Goa Pramod Sawant has indeed endorsed the impromptu nickname ‘Pappu’ meaning a puppet in the hands of the powers that be in Delhi. Till recently Sawant is on record saying that Goa police were doing a good job in investigating the murder of Sonali Phogat. Like his U-turn predecessor, he changed colours. What changed overnight for CM to hand over the case to the CBI? Was it Haryana Khap panchayat pressure? Or the pressure from the daughter of the victim? Or is it the order from the Home ministry? Or has he suddenly realized his police officers are not up to the mark to investigate such a high-profile case? High profile as she was, being a member of the BJP. Or is it because the chief minister who also holds the Home portfolio is a failure in its entirety? What was the reason to hand over the case to CBI? Goa police had the main ingredients in any investigation. The victim was identified, the accused were arrested and the cause of death was determined. What the Goa police had to do was just connect the dots to present a solid, watertight case. Police had to just investigate whether the drugs were bought at Curlies, or if the accused and the victim had carried them from Haryana. Whether the victim was a willing partner or a habitual user? The motive for her personal assistant to drug her and whether the accused would be the beneficiaries of the victim’s assets? As simple. What more will the CBI do? In January 2013 with the late Manohar Parrikar as chief minister, a 7-year-old girl was raped in the school toilet during regular hours. As the police could not get a breakthrough, Goans demanded that the case be handed over to CBI. Nine months later in September of that year when the trail of the accused had gone cold, Parrikar acceded to the demand and the CBI took over the case. Probably late Parrikar’s delayed the case being handed over to CBI was because he was the person to close down the CBI office in Goa. In 2017 four years later CBI filed a closure report in court which the victim’s father challenged. Then CBI changed tracks and said that they have identified the suspect as a native of West Bengal but are yet to nab him. Let me highlight another case CBI bungled and the accused in the murder was acquitted. In 2010 Dr. Vijayraj Dessai was accused of the murder of his wife. The case was handed over to CBI. Four years later they filed a charge sheet.

GOA POLICE HEAD QUARTERS

After four years of trial, the accused who did not engage a lawyer, argued the matter himself against the CBI lawyer and was acquitted. This is an indication that CBI also does not have a 100 per cent conviction rate. In 2015 Goans demanded a CBI investigation into the mysterious death of Fr. Bismarque Dias a green activist, In 2020 RTI activist Vilas Methar was waylaid and set on fire and died of burn injuries. In 2021 19 years old Siddhi Naik was found washed ashore at Calangute beach. Again, Goans demanded a CBI probe. None were accepted by the government. But in Sonali Phogat’s case, the Goa government run by the most useless BJP chief minister Sawant accedes to the demands of Haryana Khap panchayat and the daughter of the victim for the CBI investigation. The citizens have the right to know the criteria adopted by the government to hand over cases to CBI. With all the resources available to them the CBI does not have an outstanding record of convictions. Goa police with plenty of limitations is much better than the premier investigating agency.