Manohar Parrikar failed Panjim for two decades as its MLA -- By Nisser Dias

An hour’s shower this monsoon submerged most of the main roads in the capital city of Goa. What does this indicate, obviously that its former MLA Manohar Parrikar miserably failed his constituents in Panjim for the last 20 years.

Manohar Parrikar was first elected in this constituency in the year 1994 and since then the voters have reposed faith in him repeatedly till date. So much so that after vacating the seat to become the Defence Minister he managed to get his trusted lieutenant Siddarth Kuncolikar elected in Panjim in 2014.

18th June road in Panjim city

Thus from 1994 to 2014 he did not even achieve to have a proper drainage system for his constituency and people of Goa had to bear the consequences. Most of the time we tend to criticize other MLAs sometime even without rhyme or reason. But when it comes to the IIT alumni, we consciously take a step back and talk about the bridges that he built, of having brought International Film Festival of India to Goa or he being intelligent, not forgetting his arrogance and the tag he attained of being autocratic but when it comes to development of his constituency nobody really dares to pass judgment against him.

Incidentally we should not lose sight of the fact that he was the chief minister of Goa for three times. That he never did complete his term is his own doing. In his first stint as CM he dissolved the assembly as he wanted absolute power through absolute majority. During his second stint he was toppled after huge drama in the august House where he allegedly engineered bodily lifting of ex-MLA of Velim Philip Neri Rodrigues by police officer appointed as Marshals. But he was not successful to hold on to the chair. His third stint from 2012 to 2014 was full of U-turns and hollow promises which he cut short to go to Delhi as Defence Minister and subsequently passed on the reins to his party colleague Laxmikant Parsekar.

As things stand traffic movement in Panjim is a mess, vehicle parking is in total disarray due to lack of space, lack of scientific drainage network system has left Panjim submerged, garbage collection, segregation and treatment is a mess, the list can go on.

Opposite Captain of Ports near Panjim jetty.

The reason being former or rather Panjim MLA of 20 years was more involved in  politicking games rather than development. Secondly he can never get along with anybody due to his arrogance, thinking that he is always right and only he knows everything and that it should be done only his way or the highway for the one who opposes him. With such an attitude he has brought development of the city to a grinding halt.

This man can never get along with any elected Mayor as they are not from his party. A rare exception was for a short period when his man was in the seat. And to always counteract or put spokes in the functioning of the ruling group, Parrikar would always appoint his ‘Yes man’ as the Commissioner. And for years it has been Sanjit Rodrigues. The ex-CM has stalled basic infrastructure being either put in place or upgrading it by using the commissioner. Sanjit Rodrigues not only genuflects in his presence but lies down at his master’s feet. A rather disgraced officer.

Man who supervised the destruction of
Panjim for 2 decades

The Defence minister as the CM of the State always used to say that he will have a solution for any issue, but for the last 20 years that the voters of Panjim has given him the mandate, he has not honoured it. And that is the reason collection, segregation, dumping and treatment of garbage has become the nemesis of Panjim city, drainage system has doomed the capital city of Goa.

Infact one could safely say that instead of improving the situation on land the longest serving ex-MLA of Panjim has gone on to even pollute river Mandovi further by permitting more casinos.

It seems to be high time that voters of Panjim to wear their thing caps or ‘topis’ and decide to bring about a change for 2017 elections for drastic transformation of our capital city. Panjim truly needs someone better.