Parrikar stuck in ‘promised’ land (Herald)

Parrikar stuck in ‘promised’ land July 9, 2013 GERARD DE SOUZA PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar seems to have taken people to a “promised land” of a different sort. After storming to power in 2012, he dished out promises of super fast cars for police patrols, drive-in farmer markets along highways, a new Goa Police Act and a minimum employment assurance scheme, but Parrikar finds himself falling short of living up to his ambitious announcements. It was in the monsoon budget session of the state legislative assembly held in June-July 2012 that Parrikar made a slew of promises of what his government would like to achieve, replete with time frames by when they would be completed. First on his list was the revamp of the Police Department ~he had promised a new Goa Police Bill to be introduced “in the next session of the assembly.” Also an additional eight police stations which would take the number of police stations up from the current 24 to 32, which include new coastal police stations as well as reorganising the jurisdictions of police stations, Parrikar had then said were on the anvil. That’s not all. As part of modernization efforts of the force, Parrikar had said that “The police will be given powerful vehicles which can do over 120-130 kilometres per hour for highway patrol. They would be parked every 10-12 kilometres. “By next tourist season it will already be effective. They will check for over speeding, drivers causing problems as well as drunk driving as well as other offences like dumping garbage, parking on highways, selling produce, tyres etc” he had said. Parrikar had also said that four coastal police stations beginning from Tiracol in the north and at several other locations would be commissioned with “fast patrolling boats and modern equipment” and trained divers that besides guarding the coast from terrorist activities would also keep a check on fishing vessels and fishing activity. A year later, of all the promises made, only one has been fulfilled ~ that of recruitments of police personnel. They include police sub inspectors and constables who number over 900 persons in the force over the last one year. The issue of renovating old and crumbling police stations -- especially that of Mapusa, Bicholim and Sanguem hasn’t reached fulfillment yet. On the fire and emergency services front, Parrikar had said another fire truck with a long ladder for south Goa would be brought along, with possibly increasing the number of police stations. He however didn’t give a time frame for this assurance. On the agriculture front, Parrikar had announced a concept called a Dudhgram, wherein certain 38 selected villages which have high milk output would get special benefits under an animal husbandry scheme. He had also announced the starting of two new dairies ~one at Latambarcem in Bicholim to cater to the villages of Pernem, Bicholim and Sattari talukas and another in Sanguem taluka since most of the state’s milk is produced there. While the village of Netravali has been selected to be a Dudhgram to try out the “Anand Model” successful in Gujarat on pilot basis, there has been no news of the new dairies. He had announced that “the government intends to start a rice mill in a co-operative sector at the cost of approximately Rs 3.5 crore for the benefit of farmers in the state,” which has also not materialized yet. Further, as a solution to the current dangerous practice of selling farm produce along highways, Parrikar had said he “proposed to run farmers markets in areas such as Goa Velha, Priol/Farmagudi, Verna and Barcem highways,” Parrikar said adding that he allocated Rs 4 crore for the markets. This assurance, however is more recent, it being made only this year. Parrikar, however, has delivered on some promises, including that of forming the Goa Human Resource Development Corporation, the Gaming Commission for casinos, the Goa Nursing Council headed by Mayem legislators Anant Shet, and the Krishi Card and other schemes he had promised on the farming front. When contacted, Parrikar said he would reply in detail to all the points raised, on Tuesday. http://www.heraldgoa.in/News/Main%20Page%20News/Parrikar-stuck-in-lsquo-promised-rsquo-land/76691.html