Ex-IITian and currently, a politician. Mr. Manohar Parrikar has more shades than merely his political presence in Goa. Aaishwari Chouhan gets him talking about the issues close to his heart.
“Some officers are virtually corroding the state.”
Sitting in his office at the Legislative Assembly, the first leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Goa, and also, the first IIT graduate to become the Chief Minister for any Indian state, Mr. Manohar Parrikar keeps a constant look at his watch to avoid being delayed for his next scheduled appointment. Being awarded with the Distinguished Alumnus Award by IIT Bombay in 2001, Mr. Parrikar chose to come back to his state and serve it the best he could!
Born in Mapusa, Goa, Mr. Parrikar has been the leader of opposition since November 1999 and also, the Chief Minister for the state of Goa from 2000 to 2005. As Chief Minister, he was first elected on October 2000 continuing his term till February 2002. In June 2002, he was re-elected to the assembly and was elected Chief Minister again (on June 5, 2002). Talking about Goa as a state, he adds, “Since Goa is a small state, it is easier to manage but it also sees a lot of ups and downs, politically. Money plays a big role.”
Goa was a Congress-ruled state until Mr. Parrikar got BJP to the state, effectively. He is also credited for solely getting the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) to Goa, thus creating international standard infrastructure within the shortest period of time as compared to other state governments.
During his first tenure in the assembly as an opposition member, Mr.Parrikar exposed several scams including the infamous power scandal.
Rightly called the Mr. Clean in Goa, Mr. Parrikar is associated with bringing about and implementing various schemes namely Dayanand Samajik Suraksha Yojana for senior citizens, the Cyber age Scheme for students and the CM Rojgar Yogana. Along with him came into Goa the most talented and credible managers and leaders like Dr. Anupam Saraph as the IT and Governance Advisor, and retired Chief Secretary R. C. Sinha as the SEZ Advisor. During his regime, Goa was selected as the Best Governed State in India for three consecutive years in independent surveys of the Planning Commission of India and India Today.
When every Indian state is in the run to modernize itself and thus, beautify the environment, Mr. Parrikar has a conflicting view to present. He believes, “Cutting of slopes (in Goa) can’t be beautification. By bringing townships, there is an addition of some 1300-1400 votes in that particular constituency. Political equation changes.”
Mining in Goa is as expensive and sensitive as any primary occupation can be in a state. Known for his honest and outright remarks, Mr. Parrikar doesn’t hesitate in commenting, “Mining is damaging the ecology in Goa and corrupting the political scenario here. Although the lease for conducting mining is legal, the extraction is illegal thus making the act of mining illegal. It is not easy to identify such illegal mining as the government lacks appropriate records. One can’t even hold anyone responsible as it is difficult to pinpoint . Accountability is the key!”
Demanding answers and justifications from the government in power is definitely one of the rights every citizen of a particular state can exercise. But the problem with Goa, in the words of this former Chief Minister, is accountability issues on part of the current administration. “Basic problem of Goa is the conglomeration of vested interests where making money is the only goal,” he adds.
Not really a media critique but a propagator of honesty and discipline, Mr. Parrikar adds, “Currently, Goa is in a very close to an emergency kind of a situation. There are no suppressions. But the media here reports for the government. It behaves like the slave of the ruling party.”
Not undermined by the glitches and drawbacks in the current scenario, a very ambitious Mr. Parrikar believes Goa Next will be a content society “as the term ‘rich’ is relative.” In order to make the society a content one, he says, “Cause-effect link should be done by politicians.” Addressing one of the major issues in Goa of garbage management, Mr. Parrikar is confident that if technological advances are used rightly, the problem will be completely solved by year-end.
With the six lane road coursing its way from Mapusa to Margoa, the IIT Graduate assures that within five years, Goa will be a state which can compete with any other Indian state for infrastructural amenities. In order to direct investments into the state, he suggests right to those NRIs and others interested in investing in the state.
As a piece of advice to all Goans, Mr. Parrikar says, “Be national think global.”
