Goa Diary

Target NarvekarElections to the Goa Assembly, expected before the monsoons, could see politicians ganging up against perennial party-wrec...

Target Narvekar

Elections to the Goa Assembly, expected before the monsoons, could see politicians ganging up against perennial party-wrecker and chief ministerial aspirant Dayanand Narvekar.

Former Chief Minister Wilfred D8217;Souza told reporters last week that he was willing to take on Narvekar as a candidate supported by all non-Congress parties in the State.

What he left unsaid was that quite a few chief minister-wannabes in the Congress itself would be too glad to use him to check-mate Narvekar.

That is, if Narvekar is given the Congress ticket. After all, he is reported to have said what he thought of Sonia Gandhi in public, when the party high command sought to deny him the Finance portfolio in the short-lived Congress government led by Luizinho Faleiro.

Bureaucrats8217; Raj

With polticians out of circulation following the imposition of President8217;s Rule in Goa, the State8217;s babus are making merry.

Last week, bureaucrats persuaded governor Lieutenant General Retired J F RJacob to reopen all the files cleared by the outgoing government in its final hours. As a result, the axe fell on several populist projects, some of them in the constituency of former chief minister Luizinho Faleiro himself.

Story continues below this ad

Nearly Rs 3 crore worth of public works were sanctioned for the VIP constituency. The Governor has now ordered the department to obtain his approval before commencing work. Meanwhile, the officials are wondering what to do with the Rs 5 lakh worth of glossy posters ordered by the CM of himself, just days before quitting office.

Paper Wars

Unlike conventional marketing battles, wars between newspapers are fought on their front pages. When Goa8217;s oldest newspaper decided to celeberate its centenary by holding a children8217;s festival at Miramar beach, its competitor saw red.

The rival newspaper reported that liquor would be served to minors, prompting a citizen8217;s group to file a public interest petition before the Panaji bench of the Bombay High Court.

The matter was solvedonly when the oldest newspaper promised not to serve liquor to minors and clean up the beach after the party.

Tailpiece

Story continues below this ad

The Chief Minister8217;s residence is located on the picturesque Altinho hill, which faces the imposing Bishop8217;s palace and provides a breathtaking view of Panjim. The buzz is that the incumbent, who has extended his stay here, will make way for a bureaucrat despatched from Delhi as the Governor8217;s advisor.

That goes to show who the real power behind the throne is.