The circular issued by the Goa Government that all departments should dispose every file, cases and proposals within three days is a step in the right direction. But the proof of this pudding will be in its implementation. We can only pray and hope that this will not be another decorative circular consigned to the bin.
Every departmental head must be held accountable for strict compliance of this circular. Officials at all levels and Ministers too must ensure that they do not conveniently sit and drag their feet as we have seen the Town & Country Planning and the Panchayat officials willfully procrastinate on the alleged illegalities pertaining to the now infamous Silly Souls Café & Bar. It is unacceptable that files move at lightning speed only in taking action against political opponents and adversaries of the Government.
Governance by digital mode is still a far cry. Over the last many years despite crores having been spent on e-governance, we are still witnessing most government websites being dysfunctional or not regularly updated. More needs to be done so that there is proper internet connectivity to every nook and corner of Goa which is our nation’s smallest state.
Goa needs a lot of radical administrative reforms which will do away with the current needless red tapism which creates bottlenecks in preventing smooth and swift governance to which, by law, every citizen is entitled to.
