The people of Goa look forward to a ray of hope with PS Sreedharan Pillai now as our new Governor. Our State having been without a full-fledged constitutional head for almost eleven long months, Governor Pillai has an arduous task at hand with the backlog of issues to grapple with. But with his track record, we may hope that he will work relentlessly to lift Goa from the morass.
Goa is currently facing so many crucial issues, besides the gargantuan Mhadei and Mining mess. The deteriorating law and order is a matter of foremost concern, along with the precarious economic condition that the Government has led us into. People of the State, the youth in particular, are rightly agitating against projects that are not in the interest of the State and of our already fragile environment.
We expect that Governor Pillai will be very proactive and analyze all issues brought before him in-depth and from all angles. He would definitely be extremely people friendly and though very knowledgeable always ready to learn. We can all expect a very patient and polite hearing from our open minded Governor who would bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India in discharging his duties, while being non-partisan and maintaining highest standards in public life.
Goa is a very small State, and Governor Pillai should be able to travel across and connect with the people to see the ground reality. It would give him an opportunity to see the plight of the people, more particularly in the rural areas in a State that is perceived to be a very progressive one. He needs to impress on the government to focus on better Healthcare facilities, schools with better infrastructure and affordable housing while ensuring good internet connectivity across the State for the benefit of all.
With the exception of Goa, all other Raj Bhavans across the country, and even the Rastrapathi Bhavan, are complying with the Right to Information Act. While the issue has been lingering in the Supreme Court, it would be befitting of his reputation as a person of integrity if Governor Pillai finds a way out to end this anomaly and to lift the veil of secrecy, by opening the affairs and working of the Goa Raj Bhavan for public scrutiny.
The Governor being the Chancellor of the Goa University, the absence of a regular Governor for so long has adversely affected the working of our Apex Temple of learning, which would now require intervention and guidance of Governor Pillai to ensure its proper functioning.
While finding ways to curtail extravagant expenditure at the Raj Bhavan, the Governor should direct that the Government at all levels should invoke austerity measures more particularly because the State is struggling with empty coffers.
We can look forward to the fact that as a no nonsense Governor he would govern with utmost integrity and with clarity in the best interests of the State and its people. With his proven leadership qualities and administrative experience coupled with that vast knowledge of law there is hope that Goa sees some light at the end of this long dark tunnel.
Despite currently having a government in power that is ruling recklessly having failed to deliver the promises made and needs of the people, let us have the trust, belief and the conviction that there is a better life, a better Goa, beyond the horizon with Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai at the helm. That hope springs eternal.
