Sandesh Prabhudesai
23 October 1998
With the liberalisation philosophy also taking roots into Indian politics, Goa too is getting attuned to the rule of coalitions, no matter what ideology the parties represent. The new coalition government, which unseated the three-and-a-half-years rule of the Congress in July, is considered a milestone in Goan politics, changing its fundamentalist colour of religious overtones.
To become the chief minister for the third time, Dr Wilfred de Souza, the self-styled leader of Catholic minorities in Goa, has joined hands with two Hindu outfits - the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.
The 71-year old foreign-returned surgeon from Saligao, a village near Calangute in North Goa, has come up in his political life using the communal platform and cause of minorities in the tourist state. But this is not the first time he has revolted from the Congress, though this time it is to snatch the chief minister's seat.
Way back in 1983, when he had become the minister for the first time in Pratapsing Rane's Congress cabinet, he had split the party to float a predominantly Catholic outfit - the Goa Congress - with regional sentiments. But he could succeed in winning only one seat of Luizinho Faleiro, his one-time disciple, who is today the opposition leader.
Dr Willy, as he is widely known in Goa, still takes the credit of establishing the Congress among Goan masses, by merging the United Goans Party - the regional party of Catholics which always remained in the opposition for 17 years since Goa's liberation in 1961. As the president of the then Congress (Urs), he claims to have brought the Congress to power since 1980, though they immediately jumped into the Congress (Indira), seeking Indira Gandhi's blessings.
However, due to Hindu-Catholic politics within the Congress between Dr Willy and Babu Naik, the erstwhile opposition leader, Rane was chosen the chief minister as a compromise candidate. The tussle between them is on since then, which had even sparked the historical language agitation in the state in 1986, when the pro-Marathi Rane was compelled by powerless de Souza to make Konkani Goa's official language.
Taking this as an excuse, the Goa Congress was merged into the Congress and they once again came to power in 1989 under Rane's leadership. But within three months, the Rane government was toppled by a group of MLAs waging revolt within the party, including then speaker Dr Luis Proto Barbosa and then Congress MLA Churchill Alemao, who considers Dr Willy his guru.
This brought Dr Willy back to the helm of affairs as the opposition leader, who managed to take ahead the defection games that had started with the introduction of anti-defection act. He split the MGP, which had aligned with the rebel Congress to form a coalition government. The rebel MGP leader Ravi Naik, who is the North Goa MP today, was made the chief minister in March 1991, only for three months.
But Naik manipulatively managed to continue in CM's seat for three long years, while Dr Willy had to wait to fulfil his long-cherished dream of ruling Goa till the high court upheld Naik's disqualification. The Congress high command then immediately promoted him from the deputy chief minister's post to the highest post in May 1993.
Naik however once again dislodged him in April next year, when the Supreme court struck down high court's disqualification order, in collusion with then governor Bhanu Prakash Singh. But within 10 days, de Souza managed to dismiss both - Naik as the CM and Singh as the governor, to continue till came fresh elections in November 1994.
With a hung Assembly coming to power, the anti-de Souza group within the Congress led by Dayanand Narvekar split four MGP legislators and also managed to keep out the former from being the CM once again. Rane, as a compromise candidate once again, got the lion's share while de Souza had to function as his deputy for the last four years.
Incidentally, de Souza has today managed to split the Congress with the help of Narvekar, who had refused to work under the former's leadership earlier. The opposition parties - the MGP and the BJP, have also joined hands with them for a coalition rule.
What is the different programme your coalition government has than the erstwhile Congress ?
The programme is simple. We, the dissidents within the Congress, as well as the then opposition parties like the MGP, the BJP and few independents came together to end the corruption that had reached peak during the Congress regime led by Pratapsing Rane. There was nothing one could do without paying bucks. We decided to end it.
We have one-point programme, to end corruption. We also intend to give a good government and work for the development of the state. For this, we have already brought the CBI back to Goa, to probe into corruption in high places. We have been calmly transferring the corrupt officers. We have also raided quite a number of power guzzling units, who were involved into power pilferage. Many other steps are also being taken up, which I cannot discuss here.
In what way do you plan to provide a better governance than the Congress ?
My priority is to streamline all methods of administration. Every minister is putting his department into order in his own way. It is chaos everywhere right now. I have already transferred Grade I officers, which would be followed by Grade II officers, like the deputy collectors, mamlatdars, directors etc. The police officers are also going to be transferred after paying careful attention to the local problems. Even portfolios of all the IAS officers, holding posts of secretaries, would be reshuffled.
Fine, but to achieve your third goal of development, you need funds, which Goa is short of ...
You are right, we are short of funds. But that does not mean we are bankrupt. The comparative figures of last two years indicate that our condition has improved. But the pace of development can be quickened only if we get additional funds of around Rs 150 crore, which we have asked the centre to grant us. I would use it purely for infrastructural development. We suffered a setback because of the implementation of the fifth pay commission recommendations. All our developmental funds had to be diverted to pay high salaries of the government employees.
Dr, Goa has the highest number of government employees in the country, with a citizen-employee ratio of around 1 : 24. Is it not a mistake of your predecessors to employ such a large number of manpower, which has become a white elephant now and then commit another mistake of implementing the commission recommendations when many states are yet to do it ?
Well, I don't know whether it is a mistake, but we have done it. But I have no plans to replace the staff, once the existing people leave. Besides streamlining the administration, it can be also done by privatising several government enterprises. We are in the process of privatising generation and distribution of power. Then we have on cards privatisation of water supply, the Goa Meat Complex and so on... Wherever we can, we will privatise.
Did union finance minister Mr Yeshwant Sinha agree to your request of Rs 150 crore during your recent Delhi visit ?
Our proposal is being presently examined by the secretary of expenditures. Their position is also tight. They have to find this money somewhere, where it is not being used. But I am fully optimistic that I would get the funds.
What if you don't get it ?
If not, we carry on as of today.
Pointing out at Goa's narrow tax base, the planning commission has suggested you to widen it. Your finance secretary suggests several measures like professional tax, entertainment tax, ad-valorem excise duty, ad-valorem vehicle tax etc. Would you opt for it ?
Well, I have already hiked excise duty on liquor imported from outside Goa. The finance secretary is a bureaucrat. He thinks of only money and statistics. I have to judge its political effects also. I would apply my mind from this angle.
But I don't agree with the planning commission that we have a narrow tax base. We are hardly 12 lakh population, which has also to be taken into consideration.
What about the suggestion of imposing taxes on the domestic tourists ? That's not your population...
No, I won't do it. Tourism is a goose that gives us golden eggs. I won't kill it by imposing taxes on them. The Rane government had tried it once. Now the entertainment tax could be thought of, though it would also affect the tourists who visit us. But it is not much.
Regarding the professional tax etc, I have not studied it. In any case, these are the measures to be taken up for the next budget. I cannot afford to disclose everything at this stage. But I agree that we are left with no option than to introduce more taxation measures.
Dr de Souza, for quite a long time you have been talking about upmarket tourism, especially for the international tourists. Even if you set up the required infrastructure with the funds you would hopefully get from the centre, there has been a stiff opposition locally for other requirements like golf course, casinos etc.
I am in favour of anything that would give me money. I would definitely think of golf courses or casinos in those terms.
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