Panaji, Jan 21 (TOI): In a criticism of the government's move towards a digital economy, the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman has called it a "worrisome phenomenon" and said promoting select private business interests "under the pretext of fostering economic growth, tackling corruption and ensuring transparency through digitalization, are a disturbing development".

"The shift from the social policy of 'Roti, Kapda aur Makaan' for uplifting the poor sections of the society to an emphasis on digital and cashless policy involving smart phones, ATM cards and Paytm apps as the basic requirement for every citizen to avail of government benefits and purchase of their basic needs is a worrisome phenomenon," the Church said.

Issuing guidelines for voting to 'Catholic citizens' of Goa on Friday, the Church said in a federal structure, the elections to the state government cannot be seen in isolation from the Centre.

"Citizens have to be aware of the reality that any oppressive, discriminatory and destructive legislations and policies proposed at the national level require the collaboration of state governments for enactment and their cooperation for implementation."

The Church also said though local issues of governance were important, people should not be blind to larger thrust being placed at the national level "to undo the Sovereign, Socialist, Secular and Democratic fabric of our nation as enshrined in our Constitution".

Pointing out that undue intrusion and interference of governments in judiciary or educational and financial institutions cannot be a sign of good governance, it said, "The terror unleashed by the state and non-state actors to silence dissent or diverse opinions about governance by labelling them as anti-national or unpatriotic cannot be ignored by Responsible Citizens."

The Church also warned voters not to be "tricked by those in power" into believing that political opponents are corrupt by appointing inquiry commissions, filing criminal chargesheets which hardly ever result into a criminal conviction or recovery of losses, "more often than not, people are told years later that there was no scam involved".

It said with the state facing over Rs 10,000 crore public debt and a threat to the natural resources from unregulated and indiscriminate development, the 2017 polls will not only determine and impact their future but also the generations yet to be born. "The wanton destruction of Goa's environment and culture cannot be seen as a one-way process in our democracy; it rather points to a material and formal cooperation of the voters, who repeatedly elect insensitive and unscrupulous political representatives to legislate and govern every five years," the Church said in a two-page note issued through its Council for Social Justice and Peace.

It said the commissioning of an investment promotion board by the state government and nationalization of state's natural resources to push projects in villages and towns by undermining the constitutional powers of "the self-governments like panchayats and municipalities are in no way expected in good governance".

The Church said governance was not about a few issues alone but was much more complex. It said the citizens should be aware that corruption in governance was not merely about monetary considerations but also involved abuse of power and denial of transparency and accountability in governance policies and programmes.

Warning the citizens about the emergence of new political parties and independents, it said, "Political parties and individuals who whip up sentiments and emotions around lesser issues, while being non-committal on core issues and refusing to disclose their mind on where they stand regarding democratic principles and values which confront politics in this country, need to be treated with utmost caution".

"Citizens also should not be ignorant and careless about the fact that the cancer of communalism and capitalism craftily make their way into governments through proxy political agents, who deceive and divide the voters in an election."

The Church said citizens must elect principled leaders, "who will ensure good public policies, reflecting moral values and fostering the common good, are created". It said citizens must rise above religion, caste, creed or other selfish considerations, to vote for upright, knowledgeable, capable and sincere leaders to the government.