It is despicable that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and his BJP Party are justifying the astronomical expenditure incurred on that March 28th swearing in ceremony. They claim that the Party’s big mandate justified the grand event.
Firstly the swearing in ceremony is a solemn State affair which should not be transformed into a Party mela at the taxpayer’s expense, which is exactly what was witnessed at Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Bambolim. The now cash rich BJP could have organized their own banquet to rejoice if they felt that winning 20 seats and the government now on borrowed props was a big mandate.
But the moot question is whether with the State exchequer in very dire straits and gasping for breath, should have done so. The government has squandered over 5.5 crores of taxpayer’s money on that 18 minute tamasha. Eventually, when the final costs are totalled, those expenses could add up to around seven crores. Could such an extravaganza be the priority of a Government with empty coffers? And is this the austerity measures Pramod Sawant has been trumpeting about.
Goans across the world are rightly infuriated over the wrong priorities of this government which has managed to hang on to Power by virtue of a contrived mandate by craftily dividing the votes to sneak back into office.
Those in power, must at all times act in absolute humility and never out of arrogance. It has been rightly said that Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We are today sadly witnessing all this in our great nation including Goa too.
