Joseph "Don Quixote" Sequeira and his grand plan to save Calangute!
Goa Police and State Government of Goa should discard his proposal to Tax, entry into Calangute - Baga by Tourists; like Toilet Paper.
Mr. Joseph Sequeira, the Sarpanch of Calangute Panchayat has mooted a proposal wherein, all those Tourists who want to twin beaches of Baga-Calangute, and do not have a prior reservation into any of the hotels in Goa would be charged a tax.
There are three types of proposals one sees around :
1. Good on Paper and feasible too.
2. Good on Paper, but impractical and not feasible.
3. Plain Stupid, which should be discarded as toilet paper.
It is a no brainer, to see, under which head the proposal of Calangute Panchayat falls.
This proposal of a Panchayat, which is perhaps the most short falling one in its mandated duty, in entire state, is very amusing and hilarious; and one needs to seriously examine the "Brain" from which it originally mooted.
There are so many "if" and "butts" that, this Post would extend to at least 9 pages.
Let's examine a few :
A.) Practically Impossible To Check Every Vehicle and It's Occupants : The Calangute Panchayat has mooted to establish 5 Check Points on major intersection which leads to the Village and the Twin beaches.
Any one who has been in and around those Roads and intersection, could easily visualise what a nightmare it could be for the traffic flow, when the Twin beaches are the most visited in entire Goa; by people of all classes.
There could be miles long que even on a weekday, and would lead to hardship to all kinds of people.
Let's say example: Checkpoints are established and Joseph Sequeira goes to visit Panjim in some official work.
While returning to his home, he would also be in a que somewhere on those 5 Checkpoints and he would have to wait for his turn.
Imagine the daily trauma for the daily commuters, on both 2 and 4 Wheelers , who are residents of VP.
B.) What happens to Taxis or Taxi Patrao, whose sole livelihood consists of making as many trips as possible, specially during the peak season?
We are not even talking here, about the insane level of Traffic which culminates during weekends and in peak season at the twin beaches.
The Tourists who have valid bookings and are tired after their travel, would have to cool their heels in the Taxi at the Checkpoints, and how soon their pain gets alleviated, solely depends on the staff manning those CP, which is a very big question mark.
C.) Understaffed Village Panchayat of Calangute cannot do, it at all :
Calangute Panchayat whose reputation is extremely maligned, due to its inefficiency of granting valid permission and being unable to stop illegal dance-bars and bars; restaurants and shacks; would have to hire a contractual agency to man those Checkpoints.
We all know, how the contractual agency works, and it won't be surprising, if this super duper brilliant idea was originated in the corrupt mind of one of the Contractors, who wants to bag this contract.
One can imagine all kinds of scenarios, let your imagination run wild. And post the scenarios in comments.
D.) Calangute Panchayat Un-necessarily pulling in already far stretched Goa Police, in their stupid money making schemes :
Any sane Superintendent of Police would throw this proposal in dustbin, immediately; and any sane DGP would concur with his Junior.
Calangute is already a nightmare for North Goa District Police; where Touts rule the roost.
Illegal activities like Dance Bars and Prostitution in the garbage of Massage Parlour are rampant (which Joseph Sequeira has been thoroughly incompetent to control, let alone eliminate). Thefts, Accidents and Unfortunate incidents with Tourists happen everyday.
Over and above, Joseph Sequeira wants Goa Police to man these 5 Checkpoints, along with the contractual agency, 24×7.
"Stupid Is, What Stupid Does"; by all means Joseph Sequeira does not consider himself to be stupid after mooting this nearly "Gobel Prize" worthy proposal; it is to be seen, how stupid Goa Police Force is?
Burdening Goa Police on this stupid proposal is outlandish, unless and until Goa Police sends it's mentioned, only after a mechanism set in to recover the full Man & Material costs from the Panchayat, daily for its services rendered to the VP.
E.) What happens to "Day Visitors" like the author who want to visit Calangute and Baga to have a nice proper Goan meal at Souza Lobo & Brittos ? :
Why do we need to pay an entry tax?
Why do we have to suffer besides the Traffic, the "Tax Cue".
The minimum parking slot at Calangute Beach is already Rs.100/- for a four wheeler, and for the receipt, one has to insist on the contractual staff.
Seems like age has finally caught up with Joseph Sequeira, and he has gone bonkers.
F.) If State Government and Goa Police agrees to the "Garbage" of Joseph Sequeira; what prevents the other Village Panchayats of Coastal Goa to enact the same rules and asking for same treatment, accorded to fancies of Joseph? :
Everyone is equal, right?
Joseph Sequeira does not have a horn on his head, like a Unicorn, despite being a bootlicker of Michael Lobo? ; and other Sarpanchs of say Mandrem and Morjim, don't?
So, Checkpoints a galore and Contractors would make a merry, in every touristic beach of Goa? And those, who mooted the proposal, would also make merry.
Land of the Rule in Goa Is : Kaddu Kateyga, To Sab Mein Bateyga !
You put a Tax on those entering Baga-Calangute; they would take a detour and then arrive at other beaches.
Those who have arrived in Goa in buses, with their own plan and scheme of things, would find a beach, of their liking and "comfort", anywhere. Then?
G.) Joseph Sequeira says the fund thus collected would be used to keep the VP General Area, clean and pristine, what has been his performance so far on this?
Has he ever detailed, how the VP has managed to keep the Twin Beaches clean, with the funds already available and what has been the efficacy of the exercise?
Where are the shortfalls? And Why?
Is it open for audit?
Money spent, quantum of garbage collected, from where and when? And how come, the quantum of garbage increased, despite the vigilance of VP Calangute?
He can't even keep the Cows and Bulls in control, who don't have a hotel reservation and openly squat on the roads of Calangute; Day and Night. What he would do with them? Who is more open to control, Indians or bovine?
H.) Joseph Sequeira, now a veteran, despite of his dyed hair and moustache; being a resident of Calangute, must have seen how, Calangute evolved from a Hippie Destination, to a "Kachra Destination" over the years.
Every new construction, new permit, has to be passed by VP, headed by him or has to be thoroughly verified in renewal, why it warrants?
He has been at the helm for too long, thanks to his Godfather, who is Standard 9th Pass.
This is the basic job of a VP and it's Sarpanch, to see that no illegally spot comes up, which maligns the reputation of the Village.
What he has done in his tenure to work on it?
From the "Fat Fish" junction; where one of the Check Points are mooted, onwards, you find all kinds of stalls, with everything available. Most of them, do a clandestine business.
Are they all legal?
If not, on how many of them, the VP has run the "Bulldozer" ?
And that's why, Calangute attracts the kind of low tourists. They know the efficiency of VP Calangute. They know, "Calangute mein sab chalta hai. Sab mileyga."
Joseph Sequeira should first make public his own "Report Card", before advocating for another crony contractor.
I.) I is for INDIA.
The way, Goa has been portrayed through Social Media, of the "Freedom" being in here; The ultimate destination to finally have some solace and enjoyment without any hindrance, has been missed altogether by Sequeira and his cronies. And the vested interests, only, promote it.
Tourism Department of Goa and multiple SM influencers hired by them, make it Goa destination, which, if an Indian, do not visit it at least once once a year; they feel like, as if, as good as none-existent.
The innumerable "festivals" so and so forth, which a poor common person sees on SM and then bangs his head, that he has not been into this paradise, due to lack of resources (read: accomodation+ food + transport);but then decides, he is an Indian and the Constitution gives her right to travel freely (which does not entails the right to improper conduct) and thus he travels with his entire family to have fun and frolic (within limited means) and thus lands only at Baga and Calangute, needs to be seen with an entirely different perspective.
Who made KACHRA of Calangute, Michael Lobo or Joseph Sequeira?
The Solution to the mess in which Calangute residents find themselves daily is so straight in the face, that only a blind man cannot see it.
If you can visualise the solution, do comment.