Panaji: Elections may bring out the worst in the political class, but it appears that Goa’s journalists don’t want to be left too far behind either.With Lok Sabha polls in Goa less than a month away, a squabble between warring factions of the SanguemQuepemPatrakarSangh, a non-registered body of mofussil journalists from South Goa’s Quepem and Sanguem sub districts, has brought out crude stories of corruption, extortion and cheating in the fraternity here.

One faction, led by PraharSanvordekar, has accused another section of journalists of extorting money from policemen, bureaucrats and real estate promoters. The rival faction led by SuhasSanvardekar has accused the former of taking money from politicians and businessmen for the Sangh and pilfering from the organisation’s bank account.

Speaking on this, Suhas said, “There is no account in the bank statement of how Rs 16 lakh which has been collected went missing. They have collected over Rs 40 to Rs 50 lakh from various people over the last few years, a lot of it in cash. No one seems to know where that money has gone”. A bank statement of the Association, which has an account with the Canara Bank, Curchorem, shows a series of withdrawals by its president PraharSanvordekarand the secretary of the journalists’ body SiddeshSamant.

Prahar’s answer is quick. The money he said was often required to be withdrawn at short notice for prize distribution ceremonies, where cash prizes are awarded by the association and for “study tours”. When asked where exactly did the journalists from the organisation go for study tours and what was the agenda for such tours, Prahar reeled out names of nearby trading towns, hillstations and beach tourism sites like Belgaum and Murudeshwar (Karnataka) and Amboli (Maharashtra).“Study tour means, we go travelling and shopping.”

These revelations of corruption within the community which concern journalists operating in two sub-districts of Goa gain significance in light of a recent controversy stoked by Goa chief minister ManoharParrikar, who accused the media of being not educated enough and linked underpaid reporters to lack of intellect.

Parrikar was later forced to express regret for his comments. But like AamAadmiParty leader ArvindKejriwal, the classic Parrikar rant against the media is common fare for reporters covering his press conferences or functions. While most of the Goa chief minister’s barbs about “paid news” are sweeping, the only time he named a media platform was in January when he called NDTV a Congress channel. A claim which was backed by no facts.“I know all their money comes from the Congress. I will even name one channel. NDTV. The whole world knows it is a Congress channel. Otherwise these channels will not work. Financially, none of the channels are viable”, Parrikar said.

It’s not just big corporate media running amok. In Goa’s dust-lined small towns, rural journalists also appear to be in the same boat.The bank statements, which have tumbled out in the open thanks to the feud betweentwo warring groups in the association, show several deposits ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh plus into the account. While Prahar did not reveal who were the benefactors who deposit big monies in their bank account, after persistent questioning, he said that the biggest deposit of Rs 1.01 lakh on April 24, 2012, came from Congressman ShyamSatardekar. Satardekar was a Congress MLA from Curchorem, who lost the elections also held in 2012.

According to Prahar, “He gave the money for tables and chairs because we wanted to set up an office”.

Prahar’s narration of extortion by journalists from the “other” faction paints an extremely sorry picture of journalists and journalism from rural Goa.“We have received complaints about journalists from our area extorting money from a police sub inspector as well as PWD (Public Works Department) engineers for lakhs of rupees. The most I have heard is one of the journalists demanding Rs 25 lakh from a real estate company by threatening them that illegalities in their projects will be reported.”He also recounts an instance of a journalist attached to a local vernacular newspaper who was beaten up on March 13, 2014 for demanding money from a real estate firm.

“It was good that the journalist was beaten. When our organisation get calls from victims who complain of extortion from journalists we ask them to beat them up and then complain to the police”,Prahar said.Extortion and blackmail by journalists he said was common in grey sectors like sand mining, real estate development and so on, especially with the iron ore mining operations closed down following a ban. Not the most promising image of media in Goa.