At a time when every Goan has one thing in mind and that is COVID19 pandemic, here we have a political party, the ruling government and the Chief Minister whose only aim is winning elections.
Yes, this sounds strange but true, on Monday 38 people lost their precious lives due to COVID19. There is acute shortage of Oxygen and other medication in the State but yet our Government is simply taking cosmetic measures of conducting virtual meetings, photo-ops etc etc.
The Bharatiya Janata Party as usual won yet another elections in the State and what a day they chose to rejoice.
Even when 38 people died due to COVID19, the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant alongwith the Dy CM Babu Kavlekar and the BJP State president Sadanand Shet Tanawade address a press conference to celebrate a win.
What an irony? They say you get what you choose and how true this sounds.
The party celebration came a day after another Deputy CM Babu Azgaonkar was seen dancing to the tunes of “Rickawala” at a Haldi function at his relative’s place.
All these happenings put a huge question mark about the honesty of the State government in dealing with the deadly second wave of COVID19.
The Chief minister before addressing the press to celebrate the victory, should have realised that out of the 38 dead many of them were from the working age. Many of them could have been sole bread earners from the family and the Chief Minister could have done better to sympathise with them rather than celebrate a redundant victory in municipal polls. Has he even enquired about the victims? “No”.
It could have been accepted if a party president Sadanand Shet Tanawade had addressed press on victory because that is his job and he has nothing else to do but the Chief Minister and Dy CM taking stage to celebrate is simply not done.
At least the Health Minister Vishwajit Rane seems to be serious enough to agree that these are unprecedented times and require unprecedented measures but sadly his suggestions are thrown in dustbins right now.
He has been seen having meeting all along with the expert committee’s doctors etc but to no avail as finally the approvals have to come from the CM’s office and the SEC.
Surely, all the developments in last few days give us a clear indication that the Chief Minister and Health Minister are not fighting to defeat COVID19 but are fighting to outwit each other to gain one-upmanship.
While Vishwajit Rane is trying to fight COVID19 with his expert committee formed of doctors, Chief Minister’ Dr Pramod Sawant has armed himself with the State Executive Committee which takes all measure decisions.
It is worth disclosing here is that the Health Minister’s Opinion has no value at the State Executive Committee meeting.
As such his suggestions for a lockdown has been rejected outrightly.
So where is Goa heading?
With casinos open all night, film shootings underway right left and centre wherein thousands of actors and support staff in Goa from COVID19 hotspots, no compulsory testing for incoming tourists – Goa is surely heading towards a major disaster.
