Will ‘judgement of error’ boomerang on Dr Pramod Sawant?
Sandesh Prabhudesai | 16 July 2020 23:18 IST
Is the verbal war between Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik and Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant limited to Covid crisis? Or could it ultimately result into a major ‘political crisis’?
It rarely happens that Governor, the head of Executive, plays a pro-active role in the affairs of the State, intruding into the functioning of Council of Ministers. And here it has happened, with the ‘differences’ between both the VVIPs going public through the media.
After holding a review meeting over Covid management, Governor Malik has publicly alleged that not locking down whole Vasco city after Covid outbreak of Mangor was an ‘error of judgement’, which has cost heavy to the state.
While Mangor-linked cases spread elsewhere in Goa, the contamination by one worker from Mangor in Tulip Diagnostics at Verna Industrial Estate spread it all across Goa. (Click here to read)
goanews.com had exposed this story ‘suppressed’ by the authorities, after which the Directorate of Health Services is now compelled to disclose Covid positive cases found in all eight units of one Tulip.
It’s 139 today and more reports are still awaited. It has spread from Pedne to Canacona, which is more dangerous than Mangor.
MEDIA AT FAULT?
The ‘excuse’ was the claim made by Chief Minister Dr Sawant, at the gate of Raj Bhavan, that Governor was not happy with the ‘wrong’ reporting of Goa’s print and electronic media.
“I don’t know what wrong things he is saying. You ask him”, Dr Sawant told the media persons.Cl
Loukik Shilkar, chief reporter of Prudent, was wise enough to follow it up. He directly contacted the Governor to seek his explanation. And surprisingly, the Governor responded.
(The whole exclusive interview is available here)
Governor Malik not only denied having blamed the media at the meeting, but he praised the role Goan media played during the whole pandemic.
He didn’t stop at that. He bluntly said that it was a grave mistake of Dr Pramod Sawant government not to lockdown Vasco, (where the MPT harbor imports coal and exports iron ore), after a major breakdown at Mangor hill.
In fact goanews.com, in its Standpoint programme (click here to watch) had exposed with facts and figures how it’s a blunder not to declare whole Vasco city as a Containment Zone.
“It was an error of judgement of not going for a lockdown in Vasco after Mangor outbreak in spite of everybody demanding it”, Mr Malik told Prudent.
In fact the Governor publicly alleged that Covid cases rose in Goa because of this blunder, due to which Goa is facing another lockdown today.
POLITICAL LOCKDOWN?
In fact the three-day lockdown and 25-day night curfew declared after the cabinet meeting held on Wednesday has raised eyebrows in the political circles.
Perhaps this is the reason, GPCC President Girish Chodankar instantly reacted to the chief minister’s comment, even before Governor’s reaction was broadcast:
“It is now clear that the defective Government headed by Dr. Pramod Sawant has lost even the faith and trust of the Constitutional Head of the State.
The local BJP government has lost it completely on all fronts and don’t deserve even a minute to continue in power which they grabbed by using unfair means.”
But opposition always picks up at such events and makes it a political issue.
The surprising things are however the sequence of events.
According to our sources from the Secretariat, a meeting of high officials chaired by the Chief Ministers on Tuesday in preparation of the cabinet meeting scheduled the next day, had not even discussed the proposed lockdown. It was not on the agenda of the cabinet meeting in terms of a report of the situation etc.
But as soon as Governor convened a meeting on Wednesday evening, the cabinet decided to go for a three-day lockdown and 25-day night curfew.
Yet another surprise. The Governor postponed the meeting the next day.
And after the meeting held on Thursday, the Governor spoke exclusively to one local TV channel and another national TV news agency, so that the news of ‘Government Wrongs’ goes in public at local as well as at national level.
It also included valid suggestions by the Governor like providing full treatment to the Comorbidity patients in Covid as well as setting up another Covid hospital in the North and taluka-level Covid Care Centres for asymptomatic Covid positive patients.
BOOMERANG?
Ahead of the meeting with the Governor, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant suddenly announced unexpected lockdown for three days and 25-day night curfew.
It’s a BIG question mark whether this was needed, which ultimately resulted into panic buying on Thursday, throwing all norms of social distancing to the winds. (Don’t blame the public if THIS results into rise of cases tomorrow, as people don’t trust the government any more in case of lockdowns and its sudden extensions)
While announcing this at the press briefing on Wednesday, Dr Sawant admitted that the cases had reached a peak due to which his government had to decide about yet another sudden lockdown.
But, as the Governor pointed out, this lockdown was an outcome of the failure of Dr Sawant government of a timely lockdown in Vasco, due to which the Covid cases rose to emergency situation.
As the Governor would obviously send this ‘official report’ to the Ministry of Home Affairs headed by Amit Shah, it is quite possible that the decision of lockdown could very well boomerang on the Chief Minister who, according to the Governor, failed to act in time.
What will be its outcome? Well, we need to watch it with our fingers crossed…
Sandesh,
Remember the way virus is ravaging it will be very hard to control its spread. Lockdown will economically impact the working class and the state as a whole. Frankly, it is not the solution.
1. Social distancing rules must be strictly enforced.
2. Sanitation , masks and PPE rules must be enforced.
3. Aged, vulnerable and elderly must be asked to isolate themselves.
The whole idea should be not to let the virus stick to you, and if at all it did. Separate and quarantine yourself. Also promote home quarantine for those who can afford.
Why Bachan and his whole family had to go Lilavati, they have enough bungalows to quarantine individually in each of those!
People in Goa should be pragmatic and learn to live with this virus for a while. But what I see is lack of seriousness among a large section of population in following social-distancing rules.
GFA, congress and other opposition leaders if they don't have anything constructive to offer should just shut up. If the Govt. is not doing it is job, it must be pointed out and criticized in the right spirit. and perspective as above Thanks Sandesh.
Who the F*** is Governor to meddle into the functioning of the Govt?
Governor should recognize his constitutional powers and act accordingly!!!