OHERALDOThe Voice of Goa Since 1900

PTI

LONDON, FEB 20

Indians may get up to 20,000United Kingdom visas a yearunder a deal it is negotiating withthe European Union and in returnIndia has put forward an annual4 billion pounds trade with theEU, media reported today.

Under the proposed deal,Britain will have to accept thou-sands of workers in exchangefor potentially lucrative exportdeals, despite figures showingthat the number of unemployedin the UK stood at 2.5 million,The Sunday Telegraph reported.

Negotiations for the EU-Indiafree trade agreement have seenNew Delhi lobbying for between35,000 and 50,000 visas a yearacross the 27-member States,the report said.

Quoting sources, the reportsaid Indians wanted Britain togive between 15,000 and 20,000visas to its citizens every year,compared with 3,000 for Franceand 7,000 for Germany.

Only highly-skilled workerswould be eligible for the visas.

Under the deal, Britain is pre-dicted to win about half of theproposed 4 billion pounds trade.

If the European Union acceptsthe plan spearheaded by JoseManuel Barroso, the presidentof the EU Commission, it wouldbe the first time any country hasgained access to a fixed numberof British visas every year.

Britain would be expected totake vastly more Indian workersthan the newest EU countries.

Estonia is scheduled to acceptjust 19 Indians, while Lithuaniais down for 33.

A spokesman for the Depart-

ment of Business, Innovationand Skills said: The UK stronglysupports the conclusion of anambitious free trade agreementwhich is currently being nego-tiated by the commission.

The long-term benefits forboth parties would be consid-erable and will deliver significanteconomic benefits to the UK, re-ducing both tariff and non-tariffbarriers to trade. Negotiationson the free trade agreement areongoing and we expect a con-clusion this year.

He said The governmentsapproach will be consistent withour commitment to limit levelsof economic migration to theUK. Strict criteria are being ne-gotiated to ensure there is afocus on highly-skilled andhighly qualified professionalsentering the UK temporarily.

Nearly 30,000 Indian workerscame to Britain last year, 19,000of whom arrived through theintra-company transfer (ICT)scheme, which is also exemptfrom the coalitions interim im-migration cap.

PTI

NEW DELHI, FEB 20

Putting aside its winter fiasco,parliament is all set for a smoothbudget session from tomorrowwith government telling the op-position that an

announcement on the con-stitution of a joint parliamen-tary committee (JPC) into the2G spectrum will be made onTuesday.

Leader of the house in theLok Sabha and Finance MinisterPranab Mukherjee gave the as-surance to opposition leadersat a meeting convened by theSpeaker Meira Kumar that thegovernment will make the an-

nouncement in the house onJPC on Tuesday when actualproceedings of the budget ses-sion start.

Sources said there could bediscussions between the gov-ernment and the opposition par-ties before the announcementor after it about constitution ofthe committee, representationon it for parties and the termsof reference following which thehouse is expected to adopt aresolution.

Tomorrow, the session getsa formal start with the presi-dents address to the joint sittingof both houses of parliament.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

expressed the hope that thebudget session would be fruit-ful and productive.

With the entire winter ses-sion disrupted, there was all-round criticism and expressionof concerns that led both sidesto think ways of finding a wayout of the impasse.

According to one estimate,over Rs 150 crore was spent ona session that did not transactany business.

The General Budget for2011-12 will be presented onFebruary 28 while the RailwayBudget on February 25. The pre-budget Economic Survey willalso be tabled on February 25.

Business: G20: compromise deal

to correct economic flaws Pg 13

Careers & Education: Wear

the right attitude to work Pg 10

It's time we stop giving elec-tric shocks.The new com-puterised power bills haveshocked us all!

Visit us at:www.oheraldo.in panjim, monday, FEBRUaRy 21, 2011 postal Reg. no. Goa 101 pRiCE Rs. 3.00 (air Surcharge Rs 2.00) pages 18

Sports: Jayawardene hits

fastest ton for Lanka Pg 18

Indians may get 20,000 UK visas under EU deal: Report

HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, FEB 20

The Central Bureau of Investi-gation (CBI) has said that Edu-ca t ion Min i s te r BabushMonserratte, his wife Jenniferand others were not assaultedin police custody and insteadthey suffered bodily injuries atthe time of taking them intocustody.

CBI Inspector Ashok Yadav, inhis affidavit before the BombayHigh Court at Goa, earlier thismonth, has also rubbished alle-gations of theft at Babushs Mi-ramar bungalow levelled againstthe policemen.

Monserratte had allegedly leda mob which attacked the Pan-jim police station on February19, 2008.

On the same day, Babush,Jeniffer, Prakash Oli and BabajiGadkari were arrested and de-ta ined. CBI has sa id thatBabushs son, Amit, was also de-tained in the police station for

few hours but re-leased later.

All of them sustained bodilyinjuries at the time of takingthem in police custody. Injurywas caused due to scuffle andreasonable force used by policefor effecting their arrest, theaffidavit mentions.

The CBI has also recom-mended departmental actionagainst Police Inspector SudeshNaik, Sub Inspector Tushar Lot-likar, lady police constable SavitaMorje and police constable AnilPilgaonkar for lapses in theirduty on the eventful day.

Babush, others not assaultedin police station attack: CBI

Minto Road at Connaught Place in Delhi remained waterlogged after heavy showers accompanied by a thunder squall lashed the capital onSunday evening, catching citizens unawares. For Delhites, the rains came as a welcome relief as they were experiencing relatively warmerweather for the past few days. REPORT ON PAGE 11

HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, FEB 20

The political situation in Goa isexpected to take a spin with Na-tionalist Congress Party (NCP)supremo Sharad Pawar summon-ing Goas legislator MickkyPacheco to Delhi on Monday.

NCP sources stated thatPawar, who was in Dhaka for theinaugural match of ICC WorldCup, has returned to Delhi. Hehas decided to take up the issueof Mickkys induction on prior-ity.

I t has been a lmost twomonths that the matter of drop-ping two NCP ministers -JosePhilip DSouza and NilkantHalarnkar - has been hanging

fire. Both NCP legislators haveremained stubborn and even re-fused to attend NCP State exec-utive committee meetings.

For Pacheco, the Delhi meet-ing is a do or die situation ashis reputation is at stake afterhe gave a deadline for his in-duction in the cabinet. The for-mer tourism minister had issueda deadline of last Saturday forthe party to induct him in thecabinet.

But his induction did not hap-

Parliament all set for asmooth budget session

BY JAL KHAMBATA

NEW DELHI, FEB 20

In a new embarrassing twistfor the government trying toset up a Joint ParliamentaryCommittee (JPC) on the 2Gscam, arrested former Tele-com Minister A Raja wants toattend the Lok Sabha and par-ticipate in the debate ex-pected on Tuesday on anofficial resolution for the com-mittees constitution.

Even if he is unable to par-ticipate in the debate, he wantsto exercise his right to make aclean breast of the scam alle-gations, exercising the rightunder the Lok Sabha Rule 357that a member may, with thepermission of the speaker,

make a personal explanation,although there is no questionbefore the house.

He had refrained from mak-ing a personal statement inthe house in November as al-lowed to any minister on res-ignation because that wouldhave embarrassed the gov-ernment, but he wants to ex-ercise the right as a MP now

Raja wants to attendparliament !

Prime Minister Manmohan Singharrives for lunch after the all-partymeeting in New Delhi on Sunday.

Its Pawar play: Mickkysmeeting in Delhi today

Babush, wife & son not assaulted inpolice custodyInjuries caused due to scuffle withpolice at the time of taking him intocustodyNo valuables stolen from BabushsMiramar houseNo damage was caused to the carsparked near the bungalow at MiramarBabush had collected a crowd tolaunch a protest march from Taleigao to the Panjim police station onFebruary 19, 2008

WHAT THE AFFIDAVIT SAYS...

5 vehiclescatch fire atFarmagudi HERALD CORRESPONDENT

MARCEL, FEB 20

Five vehicles which were parkednear the venue of a religiousfunction at the Goa EngineeringCollege ground, Farmagudi-Ponda, caught fire on Sundayafternoon, causing an estimatedloss of about Rs 25 lakh.

According to sources, thecause of the fire is allegedly due

Bollywood actresses MahimaChaudhary and Prachi Desai dur-ing the Tollywood Vs Bollywoodexhibition cricket match at Kun-chan Junga Stadium in Siliguri onSunday.

HIGH VALUE SWAP

Only highly skilledworkers eligible

Deal in exchange forlucrative export deals

Britain to win half of 4billion pounds trade

30,000 Indian workerswent to UK last year

(Continued on page 15)(Continued on page 15)

(Continued on page 15)

(Continued on page 15)

HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, FEB 20

Monday being the last day tofile nominations for March 13CCP elections, five more can-didates from NCP backed panelwill file their papers to-morrow, February 21.So far 179 candidateshave filed their nomi-nations for the civic elections.

NCP leader Avinash Bhoslesaid that 10 candidates from hispanel have already filed theirnominations. The panel may bebacked by NCP but they are in-dividuals who are concernedabout the city and development,he said.

The CCP elections have twomajor panels Panjim firstbacked by BJP and Babush Mon-serratte panel. NCPs Togetherfor Panjim is emerging as thethird force.

I wont say that we will winall the 15 seats. But for sure, wewill pull out 5 to 6 seats withcomfortable margin, Bhosle said.

Interestingly, social activistAires Rodrigues, contestingfrom ward number 30 is sup-ported by NCP. Aires is not

an NCP members but he is partof the panel. I had approachedhim to contest, Bhosale said.

The NCP leader said that theywill not support the Mayor can-didate of Babush Panel after the

polls. When asked whether they

would support BJPs Ashok Naik,Bhosle said, We will have to seewho gets elected and who doesnot. It can be someone else, hesaid adding that his panel wontmind supporting someone likeSurendra Furtado or some newface like Ashley Rosario, a jour-nalist.

The forthcoming CCP electionhas a blend of social activists,sitting corporators, party work-ers and journalist in the fray.There was a buzz that Goan Ob-server Editor Rajan Narayan willbe contesting from Dona Paula.But he gave it a second thoughtat the last minute.

Sources stated that like-minded citizens like Oscar Re-bello, Patricia Pinto and others

have also decided to support fewof the candidates. There was ameeting at a hotel in Panjim littlebefore announcement of theelection dates and it was decidedthat people who would work for

the good of city should besupported irrespective ofthe party affiliation, asource stated.

The meeting held over a dinneralso had BJP Mayor CandidateAshok Naik attending it. The par-ticipants unanimously decided todefeat Babushs might.

Meanwhile, the scrutiny ofnominations will be done onTuesday (February 22), andWednesday (February 23) from11 am onwards.

The last date for withdrawalof candidature would be Febru-ary 25, 2011 from 10 am to 3pm. The List of Contesting Can-didates with symbols allotted tothem will be published on Sat-urday (February 26). Poll will betaken by EVMs on Sunday March13, 2011 from 8 am to 5 pm.

Counting of votes will be doneon Sunday (March 13) from 8 pmonwards at Government Phar-macy College Panjim.

HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, FEB 20

Entertainment Society of Goa(ESG) will discuss the expendi-ture incurred on the recentlyheld International Film Festivalof India (IFFI) 2010, on Monday.

ESG sources said that the ex-ecutive committee chaired byChief Minister Digambar Kamatwill discuss the expenditure in-curred in hosting the IFFI 2010threadbare.

Some of the ESG membershave already expressed their dis-satisfaction over the delay.

We are supposed to give sug-gestions on corrective measuresas far as IFFI 2010 is concerned.If the meeting had been heldimmediately (after the last edi-tion of IFFI), we would havegiven better suggestions. Twomonths is a big time gap, a sen-ior member said.

Goa government has scaleddown the expenditure on IFFI2010 whose bill is expected tobe at Rs 6 crore.

The state will also pool in fi-nances through various spon-sors like Kingfisher, who hadused the event as their brandbuilding exercise.

The meeting on Monday is

also expected to discuss, YoungJury Award, which was institutedduring IFFI 2010 and never givento the winning director.

Delhi-based Neel MadhabPanda has won the award forhis film I Am Kalaam. It wasconstituted with the help ofnewspaper group, Lokmat.

Lokmats resident Editor RajuNayak, who is also ESG mem-ber, has said that the date forgiving award could not be fi-nalised as there was no meet-i ng he ld a f t e r I FF I . Theexecutive committee is likelyto decide on the date and fi-nances for this award.

GOAOHERALDO

Pg 2GOA, MONDAY, 21 FEBRUARY, 2011

CIVIC FORUM

PANJIM POLLS

ADELMO FERNANDES, VASCO

The man, as seen in the above picture, sells medicines that hasa cure for all types of skin diseases at the Vasco market, on aSunday. The selling of medicinal cures by the road side forvarious skin ailments, or for that matter, any other, should notbe allowed to continue in the state. Incidentally, some quackscarry out this trae in a clandestine manner. In the process, theycause obstruction to the free movement of the general public.The concerned authorities need to crack down on this illegaltrade which is usually carried out during weekends.

This is too much! INACIO FERNANDES, CANDOLIM

One senior citizen aged 85 years, hailing from Bamon Vaddo,Candolim, has been running from pillar to post since 1984, toshift the electricity poles, the wires of which, pass over herhouse. She first approached the then PWD minister Dr WilfredDSouza, Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane, the Sarpanchas ofCandolim panchayat, Tomazinho Cardozo and Tukaram Naik.Nothing has materialised. The electricity department then de-manded Rs 14,000 to shift each pole. The electric wires wererouted over her house while she was residing in Mumbai.

I have now taken up the matter with the help of village pan-chayat, but the electricity department has been demanding Rs72,000! She cannot even afford to pay Rs 72. Is there anyonein the government who can help her and get the poles shifted,so that she is saved from further embarrassment?

Navelims garbage...

Impose a crack down

RICHARD FERNANDES, NAVELIM

They say a picture speaks more than a thousand words. Theabove is a perfect example. It depicts the volume of the garbagemenace that we face in Navelim village.

This is especially true behind the church, and on the wayto Aquem-Baixo and the railway station road. But this time,the MMC is not to be blamed.

I have personally seen people drive by in their cars or ontheir motorcycles, who dump garbage indiscriminately. Perhaps,we too should start a blame and shame campaign like othervillages. People need to be educated about dumping garbageon the streets. As long as their homes are clean, they don'tseem to care about their surroundings. Also, in some placesthe garbage bins are broken. The MMC should take care ofthis. The stray dogs and cattle tip over the bins in order to getat the refuse within. As a result, the garbage gets knockedover and spills on to the road. This dog and cattle problem isalso responsible to some extent, for garbage finding its wayon to the streets. It is high time that we wake up before itturns more and more worse.

And Siolim is no betterGABRIEL D'SOUZA, SIOLIM

Various types of trash ranging from food waste, discardedtetra-packs and plastic straws stuffed in improperly fastenedgarbage bags, some of which have spilled out, are beingdumped by unscrupulous shack operators during the weehours along the Siolim-Anjuna road. This is disgusting andmost deplorable, to say the least.

Obviously, as the same is done under the cover of darkness,it is extremely tricky to nab the culprits. However, the policeon its night patrol need to be extra vigilant and keep a checkat the crossroads, in order to prevent these nefarious activi-ties.

Give 2-wheeler for postmen PRAVIN U SARDESSAI, ADPAI

The role of a postman has gained much importance in recenttimes. He has been delivering important mail at every nookand corner of the concerned locality, with great interest andresponsibility. With a sizeable increase in the number of build-ings that have come up in major cities and towns, the postmanis confronted with greater pains in finding new occupants fordelivering important mail. Travelling on a bicycle consumes alot of time and the work of every postman is delayed, to agreat extent. Many a time, he is unable to even have his lunch,as he is on his toes and battles the clock. Under these circum-stances, it would be advisable for the postal authorities toprovide two-wheelers to postmen deputed in various locations,including remote ones. This will not only expedite quickerdeliveries of important mail, but will also improve on the ef-ficiency and productivity of the concerned postman. There isno doubt that this class of people deserves a better deal, inwhich they and the common citizens, will stand to benefit.

(Dou have a complaint against some authority or service? Arethere any violations of the law that you would like to bring to thenotice of the public? Do you have any suggestions for improvementand/or redressal of services?

If you do, then write to us at editor@herald-goa.com. With theaim of improving the quality of our civic life, every Monday, Heraldwill publish the best letters on these subjects received during theweek. This is in addition to our regular Letters to the Editorcolumn.)

HERALD CORRESPONDENT

CANACONA, FEB 20

Improper management of grassfire by fire brigade personnelshowing its delinquency whileattending fire calls reportedlyresulted in destruction of partof cashew plantations in fire atKeri-Agonda, causing a loss ofover Rs 25,000 on Sunday af-ternoon.

According to fire servicessource, they received a secondcall on Sunday afternoon thatcashew plantation is engulfedin fire, after they had alreadyattended to a call just one hourbefore to put off grass fire inthe locality.

In the first case, fire services

personnel informed that theyhad doused-off fire after a callwas received from some passingmotorists on Agonda-Canaconaroad, reporting grass fire in theisolated forests/thick vegeta-tions of Keri.

However, sources informedthat soon after fire personnelleft, apparently believing theyhad brought the fire under con-trol, the fire re-started and soonengulfed vast nearby area havingfreshly flowered cashew plan-tations.

By the time fire brigade re-turned with second water tank,the thick flowered cashew plan-tations were already burnt andbadly damaged.

Fire services provided thecashew plantations ownernames as one Guresh Rane andRupesh Rane, and the antici-pated losses suffered by themas Rs 25,000.

Even as fire brigade had leftthe area second time, somepeople carrying water bucketswere seen trying to put offtraces of fire and smoke left inthe area.

When contacted, fire person-nel informed that they are notaware as to the source of fire atKeri cashew plantations, but ear-lier attended a grass fire call alittle north of cashew planta-tions fire incident at in the sameKeri vicinity.

Incomplete job by fire personnel leads to destruction of plantation

Some people with water buckets putting-off traces of fire, after fire-personnel had left the area for thesecond time without fully dousing-off the fire at Keri-Agonda. Photo by Kathy Pereria

ESG to discuss IFFI expenditure today

Five more NCP backed men to file papers today We are supposed to

give suggestions oncorrective measuresas far as IFFI 2010 isconcerned. If themeeting had beenheld immediately, wewould have givenbetter suggestions.Two months is a bigtime gap.

-- ESG member

Nilkanthrules outprojects

under PPPHERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, FEB 20

Tourism Minister NilkanthHalarnkar has ruled out takingany project by the Tourism de-partment under the Public Pri-vate Partnership mode.

Halarnkar was reacting to theprotests by the Calangute blockBJP against the departmentplans for an eco-friendly hotelin Calangute-Baga.

I agree the proposal is for-warded to the government bythe Goa Tourism DevelopmentCorporation three months ago,however, we have not taken anydecision on that, Halarnkar toldHerald.

The Calangute block BJP pres-ident Michael Lobo had said thatthey will oppose the projecttooth and nail.

He said the 52,000 sq mtrgovernment land in question isa prime land in Baga worth Rs100 crore and to boost tourism,the tourism department shouldutilise it for developing themuch-needed infrastructure likeamusement park, good aquar-ium, adventure sports, Sulabhsouchalayas and bathing rooms.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT

POINGUINIM, FEB 20

The committee members ofLoliem-Polem Panchayat, spe-cially constituted to deliberateon Regional Plan 2021, on Sun-day expressed unhappiness withthe final draft prepared for thepanchayat despite objectionsraised by them.

The committee members atthe meeting discussed that thepanchayat area has been moreso declared for no settlementzone and the committee mem-bers opined that the people re-siding in the village are livingin a nucleus set-up family andthey do not have place to getthemselves get away, if they de-sire to detach.

The panchayat is locatedwhere it is surrounded by theArabian Sea, the rivers whereno construction activity can betaken within 100-500 mtrs. Thatapart there comes the NationalHighway where no constructioncan be taken within 45 mtrs.

The forest department andthe Communidade and the tem-ple (Devalaya) have staked theirclaims, leaving little land for thevillagers to have an exodus leav-

Loliem Panchayatunhappy withdraft RP-2021

ing themselves to fight againsteach other to spread their ten-tacles for settlement for a bettertomorrow.

In December 2010, strong ob-jections were raised by the se-lect committee members withthe Town and Country Planningboard and the same recommen-dations that were made wereignored while those of themoney powered were acceptedby the board. These observa-tions on the part of the T&CPmade the committee membersto cast severe apprehensions onthe role played by the govern-ment.

It has been decided to convenea meeting on February 27 at thepanchayat and those seeking toraise any objections have beenasked to give in writing pertain-ing to any of the grievances.

The draft plan is displayed atthe panchayat for the public toascertain and to file objections.

Apart from the panchayatmembers those in the commit-tee are Subash Pagi, F Rebello,Mahesh Varik, S Prashant andAldin Fernandes to air theirgrievances if any pertaining tothe RP-2021.

HERALD REPORTER

MARGAO, FEB 20

Animal birth control programmecontinued at the dog shelterhere on Sunday despite MargaoMunicipal Council dilly dallyingon the payments to the NGO ofthe last two months.

Around 20 dogs were steril-ized at the shelter since earlySunday morning arranged bythe South Goa Welfare Trust forAnimals (SGWTA).

The NGO cou ld havestopped the programme, butwe decided to continue in theinterest of the city. The MargaoCivic body has not cleared ourpayments of the month of De-cember and January till date,said Trust member Sandra Fer-nandes.

Incidentally, it was at the ini-tiative of this NGO that the dogshelter has become a realitytoday on private land. But, thetrust members are exasperatedover the municipalitys non-co-operation in tackling the straydog menace.

Says Sandra: We have madeumpteen trips to the civic bodyfor the payments, but in vain.

We could have very walked outof the program as the delay onthe part of the Civic body hashit us money wise, she said.

Incidentally, though tacklingstray dog menace is the Civicresponsibility, the Municipal ad-ministration has till date not in-tervened to resolve the delay indisbursing the payments.

Sandra, however, said thattime is running out, adding thatthe NGO would be forced towithdraw from the program ifthe indifferent attitude of theCivic body continues.

Incidentally, another NGO,Goa Animal Welfare Trust(GAWT) had earlier withdrawnfrom the ABC program in Mar-gao due to callousness from theCivic officials towards the burn-ing problem.

As per agreement, it is theresponsibility of the Civic bodyto pay Rs 11000 per month tothe NGO to meet the expenseson manpower, comprising ofdriver and dog catcher. A dogcatching van is already beenplaced at the disposal of theNGO by the Civic body.

The NGO, however, feels that

the monthly payment of Rs11000 is a pittance, hardly suf-ficient to meet the require-ments. IN this respect, the NGOhas demanded that the Civicbody make available a full timevan driver and a dog catcher totackle the menace even afterodd hours.

20 strays sterilised in Margao

A stray dog is being sterilized at the Margao dog shelter on Sunday. Photo by Santosh Mirajkar

Yugoslavian

complains oftheft

HERALD REPORTER

MARGAO, FEB 20

Colva police has registered acase of theft against unknownperson after a Yugoslavia na-tional complained that around480 Euros have gone missingfrom his hotel room.

Police said the incident oc-curred on February 17 after thewoman realized that her moneyhas been stolen from her hotelroom at Colva.

The police have registered acase of theft and investigationsare on.

Dane held with

fake passportHERALD REPORTER

VASCO, FEB 20

Vasco Police on Sunday arresteda 27-year-old Danish national atDabolim airport on charges ofcarrying fake passport.

Immigra t ion Po l i ce a tDabolim airport detained Jor-gruiz Goldd for allegedly pos-sessing a fake passport whileboarding a flight to London.Goldd was later handed over toVasco Police for further investi-gation.

Speaking to Herald, Immigra-tion Police Inspector RajendraPrabhudesai said during verifi-cation at the departure depositcounter, Immigration Police as-certained difference in the nameimprinted on the passport andvisa. The accused was to boarda charter flight Thomson sched-uled to leave for London on Sun-day morning.

He said that the case appearsto be impersonation, as detailsin passport and visa differs. Hefurther informed that the ac-cused had arrived in Goa on Feb-ruary 6, 2011.

We are verifying other de-tails of the accused and the ac-cused has been handed over toVasco Police for further investi-gation, added PI Prabhudesai.

Vasco Police arrested the ac-cused under Sections 419, 468and 471 of IPC.

GOAOHERALD

OPg3

GOA, MONDAY, 21 FEBRUARY, 2011

HERALD REPORTER

MARGAO, FEB 20

Velim villagers on Sunday told the pan-chayat in no uncertain terms to immedi-ately write to the district Collector, Southto completely scrap the land acquisitionproceedings and the fisheries departmentproposal for the Cutbona jetty expansionproject.

At the Sunday gram sabha, membersalso demanded the presence of Velim MLAFilipe Neri Rodrigues at the next gramsabha meeting and declare his stand onthe controversial land acquisition proposal.The members pointed out that the MLAhad promised to study the matter but tilldate has not disclosed his stand on theland acquisition proposal though peopleof his constituency have been agitatingover the issue.

The gram sabha further resolved thathenceforth no agricultural land should begiven for any other purpose than farm-ing.

The issue figured at the meeting aftermembers sought to know from thesarpanch the status of the land acquisitionproceedings after the government put onhold the process last year. The sarpanchreplied that the panchayat has receivedno communication from any official orgovernment department regarding thesaid acquisition since September 1.

The issue over the sluice gates surfaced

once again after a member pointed outthat the opening and closing of the sluicegates was very important for preventionof floods. The farmers present at the meet-ing in large numbers pointed out that noamount of visits to the Mamlatdar officehad any effect on the improvement in themonitoring of the sluice gates.

They pointed out that the sluice gatesof Cutbona were shut few days ago buton inspection of the site by concerned vil-lagers, they were found once again open.Another member pointed out that themiddle portion of the gate was removedpurposefully so as to allow saline riverwater to enter the fields.

After much discussions, members pro-posed that the Panchayat call for a jointinspection of the sluice gates with theCollector, Mamlatdar , Talathi and villagersso that the villagers can explain their prob-lems when the saline water is purposefullyallowed to enter the fields and destroythem.

Valentine Rebello pointed out that heregularly prepares his fields for the culti-vation but his crops are destroyed due toinundation of saline waters, causing himhuge financial loss.

Members pulled up the Panchayat forthe poor attendance, with only three outof nine members present for the meet-ing.

On illegal land filling at Cutbona and

river encroachment by a restaurant, mem-bers demanded that the Panchayat con-duct a site inspection and file an FIRreport. The Panchayat was also quizzedon the previous complaints of land fillingat Cutbona and in the water body at Ran-galli. They were asked to follow up onthe issue of illegal land filling wuith theTCP .

Illegalities of the PDS was discussedwith gram sabha complaining that noproper dates on the availability of suppliesare displayed at the Fair Price shops. Theypointed out that absence of informationby the Civil Supplies Office as to theamount distributed to the dealers andamount available to the consumers henceit results in discrepancy of distributionfor the same product.

It was proposed that the Civil Supplies& Consumer Affair Department be in-formed of this monthly Harassment to theVillagers of Velim and an inspection beheld immediately of all the fair pricesshops in Velim. It was also requested thatthe Panchayat invite the Director and In-spector of the Civil Supplies and ConsumerAffairs to the Village inorder that the peo-ple problems can be addressed.

A member Mark Barros pointed out thatGarbage issue is mounting in Velim villageand it was time the Panchayat takes theissue on top priority and put an actionplan in place.

Velim gram sabha demands scraping of land acquisition jetty expansion

Devotees carrying the banner of St Tome proceed in procession in honour of the saint at Panjim, on Sunday. Photo by Rozario Estibeiro

HERALD REPORTER

MARGAO, FEB 20

The Below Poverty Line (BPL)scheme dominated the gramsabha of Curtorim village Pan-chayat on Sunday with mem-bers demanding that thedeserving and the needy getthe priority over others.

At the meeting held on Sun-day, members sought to knowthe fate of the names recom-mended to the RDA for inclu-sion in the BPL list. Theypointed out that in the absenceof well laid down criteria, ben-efits of the scheme should notgo to the rich and the well doto people.

Former Curtorim Zilla Pan-chayat member Santan Ro-d r igues s a id tha t thePanchayat should ascertain thebackground of the names sug-

gested for inclusion in the BPLlist. It should not happen thatthe Be low Pover ty L inescheme should not turn intoChurch i l l Pove r t y L inescheme, he said, while de-manding transparency in theworking of the scheme.

Santan sought to know thecriteria governing the BPLscheme and asserted that thebenefits of the scheme shouldfirst go to the poor and de-serving villagers.

The National Rural Employ-ment Guarantee scheme alsocame up for discussion. Itwas pointed out that peopleare coming to the Panchayatfor money following state-ments made by the RDA Min-ister Churchill Alemao thatthey can claim money fromthe village Panchayat for

BPL scheme dominates Curtorim gram sabha doing farm work.

The Panchayats annualbudget also came in for dis-cussions, with members seek-ing to know from the Chairover the meager provision ofRs 25,000 made for garbagemanagement in the village.l

Saying that the provision willnot in any way help in tacklinggarbage collection and dis-posal, Santano suggested thatthe Panchayat hike the provi-sion to minimum Rs one lakh.

A suggestion was also made toincrease the monetary provi-sion for land acquistion fromRs 5000 to Rs 50,000.

The childrens park mootedin the village also came up fordiscussion, with memberCharles Barretto demanding toknow the status of the project.He pointed out that projectwas tendered under the gov-ernment scheme, but work onthe project has still not com-menced at the site.

HERALD REPORTER

MARGAO, FEB 20

Gram sabha members of theNuvem village Panchayat onSunday cried foul over illegalbore wells and demanded atotal stop to the activity ongrounds that rampant exploita-tion of ground water for com-mercial purpose would affectthe underground water table.

In fact, the illegal bore wellissue dominated the proceed-ings with members questioningthe Panchayat body over theactivity at two places. Whenthe Panchayat maintained thatone of the bore well has the li-cense from the concerned de-partment, the gram sabhamembers said the licensespeaks of only one trip per daywhen the ground reality speaksotherwise.

During discussions, the Pan-chayat suggested to the gramsabha to deploy a local to keepa track on the number of tripsat the bore well in question,but it was later agreed by thePanchayat to depute its ownto maintain vigil at the spot.

G ram sabha memberspointed out that the Panchayatshould not entertain any moreproposals for bore well, espe-cially for commercial use, say-ing the activity would adverselyaffect the underground watertable.

The construction of a steelyard also figured prominentlyat the Sunday gram sabha, withmembers demanding actionagainst the yard for not com-

plying with the provisions oflaw. They pointed out that thePanchayat had only grantedtemporary NOC for construc-tion of a shed, but lamentedthat a pucca structure havecome on the site.

After much discussion, it wasresolved to revoke the NOCgranted to the structure, withmembers asking the Panchayatto initiate necessary action.

Gram sabha member Grego-rio Pereira told newsmen afterthe meeting that the memberspointed out to the traffic con-gestion near the Nuvem-Arlemjunction due to the presenceof the traffic police close tothe spot.

The members demandedthat the police should stationthemselves at least a kilometerand half away from the junctionto avoid traffic jams and acci-dents.

The gram sabha also delib-erated on the question of a co-operative society (fair priceshop) in Nuvem village, withmembers pointing out that vil-lagers are forced to travel allthe way to Majorda for the ra-tion in the absence of a shopin the village.

On the occasion, noted en-vironmentalist Clinton Vazmade a presentat ion ongarbage collection and dis-posal.

Nuvem cries foul overillegal bore wells

Pg4 GOAGOA, MONDAY, 21 FEBRUARY, 2011

SHORT TAKES

OHE

RALD

O

Konkani symposium heldPANJIM (HND): The Rachol Seminary, in collaboration with

Goa Konkani Akademi, organised a symposium Amchem Daiz6 - Rachol Seminary a cradle of Konknni, at the Seminary au-ditorium.

The symposium began with a prayer service and welcomeby the Rector Fr Dennis Fernandes. The chief guest was Pad-mashri Suresh Amonkar.

Dr Nelson Falcao presented a paper on the Khrista Purana,a Marathi epic of the 17th century by Fr Thomas Stephens onChrist, His life, death and resurrection. Fr Thomas Stephenswas associated with this seminary, when it was a Jesuit College.

This was followed by chanting of one chapter of the Puranaby Sri Santaji, a lay missionary in Kolhapur, and his group.Four scholastics, namely Alroy Gomes, Mario Carvalho, MelvinFernandes and Milagres Fernandes made presentations re-spectively on Frs Diogo Ribeiro, Antonio Saldanha, IgnazioArchamone and Miguel de Almeida, who in some capacity orthe other were associated with the College of Rachol.

The proceedings were moderated by Dr Madhvi Sardessai,a lecturer at the Goa University.

Headmaster felicitatedSANGUEM (HC): Our Lady of Piety School, Collem, Head-

master Fr Pio Furtado was recently felicitated by the ParentsTeachers Association for all the hard efforts put in since hisdeputation at the school.

The school despite being located in the remote area withmost students hailing from the backward communities, theSchool has excelled in the field of education, sports andcultural activities at the taluka and State level under the guid-ance of Fr Furtado.

Fr Furtado was felicitated with a memento by Member ofParliament Shantaram Naik.

In his brief address to the gathering, Naik complimentedFr Furtado for his excellent work to the community and forthe students hailing from backward communities.

Provincial Superior Fr Kyriel also spoke on the occasion. FrFurtado thanked the PTA for their gesture and assured ofkeeping up his work for the all-round development of thestudents community. Collem Sarpanch Sandeep Dessai, Cor-poration Bank Manager Vassant, PTA Chairman Ramesh Naikand Sushma Droni also attended the function.

Diabetic check-up campCANACONA (HC): Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandal, Matvem-Cola,

in collaboration with the Community Health Centre Chaudiorganised a free diabetic check-up, cataract detection andNVBDCP awareness camp.

Over 300 participants were screened for respective ailments,besides fasting blood sugar tests of about 250 people wereconducted during the camp.

Inaugurating the camp, Quepem MLA Babu Kavelekar urgedthe locals to take due health care. Health is very importantand plays an important role in ones progress, he said.

Cola ZP member Krishna Velip, Cola Sarpanch Archana Velipand few other panchas were present for the function.

CMO, NCDCP, DHS Panjim Dr Ravindra Nadkarni spoke ondiabetes and its complications, besides went on to advisethe necessity of balanced diet intake, need of regular exerciseand maintenance of other good lifestyles for healthy living.

CHC Health Officer Dr Vinod Naik, extension educatorUmesh Kholkar and SI Mahale spoke on Malaria and othervector-borne diseases.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Foundation coursePANJIM (HND): Foundation Course on Education of Children

with Disabilities Distance Education Programme under theauspices of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)will be inaugurated on February 21 at its Sanjay Schoolpremises at Porvorim at 11 am.

Valedictory functionMARGAO (HR): The Platinum Jubilee year celebrations of

Bhatikar Model high school will conclude with a valedictoryfunction on February 22 at the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao at 4pm. Former chief minister Shashikala Kakodkar will be thechief guest and Chief Minister Digambar Kamat will preside.

Environmental law workshopMARGAO (HR): The Goa State Council for Science and Tech-

nology in collaboration with Govind Ramnath Kare College ofLaw, Margao will organize a day-long workshop on environ-mental law on February 25 at 9.30 in G R Kare college audi-torium.

Member of Law Commission, Adv Mario Pinto Almeida willbe the chief guest while Prof R V Kunkolienkar of G R KareCollege will be the guest of honour.

Friday Balcao PANJIM (HND): Friday Balcao, the fortnightly discussion

event, to be held on February 25, will focus on the InternationalYear of Youth in the Goan context. It will be held at the GoaDesc Resource Centre, No. 11 Liberty Apartments, Feira Alta,Mapusa, from 4 pm to 6 pm.

The discussion will examine various challenges faced bythe youth in Goa today and possible responses to the same.

The discussion will also cover various possible activitieswhich can be conducted so as to ensure that youth take anactive part in the decision-making process in view of theforthcoming Goa Legislative Assembly elections.

Interested citizens wanting more information on FridayBalcao can email to goadesc@gmail.com.

St Estevam gram sabhaPANJIM (HND): The gram sabha of the St Estevam panchayat

will be held on February 27 in the premises of village panchayatat 10 am.

Bro Manuel Ministries visitPANJIM (HND): Bro Manuel Ministries from Mumbai will

visit Goa again on February 25 at The Emerald Lawns, Salegao,Bardez, Goa and on February 26-27 at Woodbourne ClubResort, near Tata Showroom, next to Fr Agnels Ashram, Verna,from 10 am to 4 pm.

For further information please contact on the followingnumbers +91 22 65009701/03, 9822485532, 9921016878 orlog on to www.manuelministries.org.

Performing arts presentation PANJIM (HNB): The Diocesan Centre for Social Communica-

tions Media (DCSCM) will organize a performing arts presen-tation Ho Amcho Bhavarth on the February 26 at 7 pm in theprecincts of the Holy Cross Church at Santa Cruz.

This year is a year of grace for the Archdiocese of Goa andDaman that celebrates four Jubilees, 500 years of the firstHoly Mass on Goan soil, 400 years of Rachol Seminary, 300thDeath year of Bl. Joseph Vaz and 100th birth year of MotherTeresa, states a DCSCM press note.

The multimedia presentation, to be graced by the presenceof Archbishop-Patriarch Filipe Neri Ferrao as the chief guest,will cover the four major events as moments of renewal ofevery Christian.

There will be free entrance passes available for adequateseating arrangements that will be made at the venue. However,all are invited to view the performance. The passes will bemade available in churches or at the Diocesan Centre fromFebauary 21. Further details are available at the DCSCM office(Ph: 2422653 or email: dcscmgoa@gmail.com), the press noteadds.

Trip up the MandoviPANJIM (HND): Wildtrek Adventures will organise a trip up

the Mandovi and explore the backwaters in the Cumbarjuacanal in search of Goas Marsh Crocodile on February 27 from2 pm 5 pm. Call 8796418565, 9822155805 or 9822123458for further details. Pickup and drop from Mapusa/Panjim at1.30 pm. Only 40 seats are available.

Wood crafts workshop PANJIM (HND): Government of Goa through Directorate of

Art & Culture will organise Wood crafts & carving Workshopfor Goan tribal and schedule caste youths in Goa from March3 to 11 in Pernem.

A detailed training on designing and modelling of woodwill be imparted at this workshop, which will be conductedby an expert in the field who will impart theoretical andpractical knowledge with live demonstrations. Details suchas venue, time, etc. will be informed to the participants ac-cordingly.

In total, 25 participants will be enrolled and those whohave some basic knowledge of wood crafts and carvings willbe eligible. The enrolment will be on first come first basis. In-terested participants willing to take part in this workshopare requested to collect the forms available in the Departmentof Art & Culture, Shrama Shakti Bhavan, 5th floor, Patto, Panjimon or before February 24 during office hours and submit theduly filled forms by February 28.

Biology

All fruits start off asflowers on a tree orbush. After pollination oc-curs between flowers ofdifferent plants, the fruitsstart to develop as a resultof fertilization.

We explained the processof pollination in the lastBiology quarter, so in thisarticle we will focus onwhat happens after polli-nation takes place.

Post-Pollination

Grains in the pollen erect atube on the flower thattravels all the way downinto the female part of theplant. The female part ofthe plant is at the base ofthe pistil, which houses

the developing pollen tube.The pollen tube will reactwith an ovule in the femalepart of the plant to fertilizean egg. The egg and theovary develop together,and a sheath or protectivelayer is formed around aseed.

Once the pollen is withinthe ovary, the pollen growsa tube that travels into theovule, where the spermwithin the pollen travel tothe egg cell within theovule. The sperm and eggcell unite, creating a zy-gote.

The flower petals of theplant fall off, and the ovaryof the flower starts to grow.The ovary itself becomesthe actual fruit producedby the plant. Depending onthe number of eggs perovule, multiple ovaries canbecome fruits. The seedsform on the inside or out-side of the fruit, dependingon the species.

In some flowers, there isonly one seed or one ovule,producing only one fruit ata time. Each fruit containsa protective layer, water,nutrients and a seed. Somefruits will have numerousseeds that can be plantedand harvested.

Flowers to Fruits

Female flower and fruit of Juniperus communis

a. Female amentum (magni-fied)b. Ditto at a later stage of evo-lution (magnified)c. Two ovaries; the third havingbeen removed to expose theovulesd. Fruit approaching maturitye. Ripe galbulus, seen from thevertexf. Ditto, seen from the base.

a b

e f

c

d

HERALD REPORTER

VASCO, FEB 20

Assembly polls are yet to be announcedbut the main political parties -- Congress,NCP and BJP -- have already begun jostlingeach other to take control of the newly-formed Dabolim constituency.

Mormugao taluka is one of the smallesttaluka in the State in terms of geographicalarea, but it has been delimited into fourconsistencies, Mormugao, Vasco, Dabolimand Cortalim.

In the new delimitation, Wards 9 and 10(Baina) of Mormugao Municipal Council(MMC), which formed part of Mormugaoconstituency, will now be added to Vascoconstituency.

However, Wards 18, 19, and 20 (Vaddemand New Vaddem) of MMC, which hithertowas part of Vasco constituency, will be nowin the newly formed Dabolim constituency.

The Dabolim constituency will also consistof Chicalim and Bogmalo-Chicolna panchay-ats, which are presently part of Cortalimconstituency.

It appears that the Congress is activelyinvolved in strengthen its base in Dabolimconstituency.

Election statistics of Chicalim and Bog-malo Panchayats, which are part of thenewly formed Dabolim constituency, confirmthat these two panchayats have traditionallybeen with the Congress, as I have often gotthumping lead from these places, said Cor-talim MLA Mauvin Godinho.

Considering the Congress partys activework in Dabolim, it wont be tough for Con-gress candidates to capture Dabolim consis-tency. But at the same time, we will not takeour opponents lightly, admits Godinho.

On the other hand, the BJP is also confi-dent of success in the new Dabolim con-stituency.

BJP is in no mood to leave Dabolim aswe believe that a thin lead by Congress can-didate during the last Lok Sabha electionssuggest that BJP has also got equal numberof chances, said BJP Spokesperson RajendraArlekar.

We believe in our organizational capa-bility and strategy and considering the pres-ent corrupt Congress government peoplewould certainly elect BJP candidate, saidArlekar.

However, he refused to comment whoare the persons, who are in the race for

ticket, but said he is confident that BJPspreparations are in full swing.

Revenue Minister and NCP leader JosePhilip DSouza, legislator of three crucialwards of MMC that has nearly 50 per centof the vote bank in Dabolim constituency,is also eyeing the constituency.

Let the election come, one will knowwhat Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) cando, said

I dont like to interfere in neighbouringconstituencies, but I have promoted devel-opment work in all parts of Mormugaotaluka to strengthen the NCP base inDabolim, said DSouza.

Ward 18 is represented by the NCP-backed councillor Babu Nanonskar, whilein Ward 20, our candidate got defeated bya thin margin. In Ward 19, the performanceof our candidate was satisfactory. This showsthat NCP has a very bright chance of winningthe Dabolim assembly seat.

It would be premature to comment asthe Congress and NCP are alliance partners.If there is a pre-poll alliance during the elec-tion, we will discus this issue and everythingwill fall in place once the election processbegins, said DSouza.

Political parties in race for control of Dabolim constituency

HERALD CORRESPONDENT

MAYEM, FEB 20

Bicholim and surrounding villageswere hit by acute water shortage,as workers of Padocem WaterTreatment Plant in Bicholim wenton strike on Saturday.

They are protesting againstthe governments failure to paythem since the last four monthsand the failure to provide themprovident fund facility.

Pale MLA Pratap Gawas rushedto the site and met the agitatingworkers along with some officials.He has fixed a meeting with therepresentative of workers andthe PWD at Panjim on Monday.

It is understood that about35 workers are employed oncontract basis since the lasteight years and they have beendemanding regularisation oftheir jobs, along with providentfund and other facilities.

Unhappy that the governmenthad not resolved their demands,the workers decided to go on astrike.

Gawas rushed to the spotalong with senior PWD officialsKamladini, D K Shet, Rego andBarretto and tried in vain to per-suade the agitating workers toresume work.

Meanwhile, Gawas said hewould put up the issue beforethe department in a best possi-ble manner on Monday to givejustice to the workers.

He has called upon the au-thorities to support the workersin this matter.

Meanwhile, Navelim, Bi-cholim, Mulgao and surroundingareas faced acute water shortageand it is feared that the entireNorth Goa could face a watercrisis if the issue is not sortedout at the earliest.

HERALD REPORTER

VASCO, FEB 20

Revenue Minister Jose Philip DSouza has been elected for thefourth consecutive time to head the Vasco Carnival Committee(VCC).

At a recent meeting in the Mormugao Municipal Council(MMC) Hall, other committee members elected were MMC Chair-person Suchita Shirodkar (Ex-officio chairman), Councillor LavinaD Souza and Fiola Rego along with Liby Khadapkar, AngeloNunes, Gregorio Fernandes, Cosme Mende and Joaquim Colaco(Vice Presidents).

Augusto DCosta has been elected general secretary, while JosePereira, Jonathan Fernandes, Teresa Barretto, Lino Fernandes, SebyMascarenhas and Bernadin Velho are the joint secretaries.

Other members include Ralph Trindade (Treasurer), RaymondPereira and Seby DSouza (Assistant Treasurers), Mario Pereira,Arnold Rego, Morgan Coutinho, Peter Andrade, Joe DMelloand Joseph Baretto (organizing secretaries), Councillor NannyDSouza, Councillor Jerry Fernandes, Councillor Sunita Landez,Panch Francisoc Nunes, Nikita Lobo and Douglas Barretto (co-ordinators).

As many as 20 others have been appointed as the members inthe committee.

Jose Philip to head Vasco Carnival panel

HERALD CORRESPONDENT

PORVORIM, FEB 20

Vision Care Eye Hospital Direc-tor Dr Chandrakant Shetye saideyes are very important partsof the human body and henceit is necessary that eyes arechecked at regular intervals de-pending upon the age of theperson to avoid any possibledisorders.

He was speaking after launch-ing Mukta Opticians, Mapusa,mobile eye clinic van.

Common eye problems in-clude cataracts, glaucoma andretinal disorders. Eye diseases donot always have symptoms. Earlydetection and treatment can pre-vent vision loss, said Dr Shetye.

Dr Shetye further said parentsshould get the eyes of their chil-dren examined before the ageof nine even if there is no historyof eye problem in the family.

If any problem is detected

Check eyes regularly to avoid disorders: ophthalmologist

Doctor checks a patient in the mobile eye clinic van. Photo by Anil Shankhwalker

in the child at early stage, it canbe corrected. After the age ofnine it becomes difficult to cor-rect the eye disorder in thechild, added Dr Shetye.

Dr Shetye said that the mobileeye clinic van launched has allthe modern clinic facilities likeslit lamp, streak retinoscope,opthalmoschope, tonmeter tocheck eye pressure, blood pres-sure operator and glucometerfor checking diabetes.

This mobile eye clinic willbe very useful for conductingthe eye camps in villages, wherethere are no ophthalmologists.The companies and the socialorganisations should avail theservices of this mobile eyeclinic, said Dr Shetye.

Mukta Opticians Proprietor

Kishor Sarsolker said his com-pany always believed in buildinga strong customer relationshipand delivering best service tothe people.

Whi le conduct ing eyecamps, I realized that it was notpossible to carry all the equip-ments in the car and hence theidea of mobile eye clinic cameup to my mind, he said.

This van which has all themodern equipments requiredto carry out eye examinationaccurately will have onboardOptometrist. It has got the fa-cilities to create the databaseof every patient. This mobileeye clinic van costing Rs 28 lakhhas been designed by Chinta-mani Motors, Sangli, informedSarsolker.

Man found dead in

friends roomHERALD REPORTER

VASCO, FEB 20

A 51-year-old man from Sas-mollem in Baina-Vasco wasfound dead in his friendsroom at Maimollem-Vasco onThursday morning.

According to Vasco police,Julio Fernandes (51) wasfound dead in one room,while his friends were asleepin another room.

Police informed that de-ceased was an alcoholic andhad reportedly been heavilyintoxicated pr ior to h isdeath.

Police has denied any foulplay in the death, but has,nevertheless, sent his viscerafor an examination.

Vasco police has registereda case of unnatural death andis investigating the case.

Water shortage hits Bicholim as workers go on strike

HERALD CORRESPONDENT

CALANGUTE, FEB 20

A 5-year-old boy was rescuedby the Lifeguards at Arambol onWednesday.

According to reports, the boywas with his mother in the seawhen he fell into the water afterlosing his balance. Lifeguard Sud-

hir Parab, who was keeping a closewatch on their movements,rushed to their rescue andbrought him safely to the towerwith the help of a Jet-Ski.

The boy a long with h ismother were later shifted to theTuyem Primary Health Centrefor medical attention.

Boy rescued from drowning

HERALD REPORTER

VASCO, FEB 20

A unidentified man was found dead along the railway tracks atNew Vaddem on Wednesday evening.

Railway police informed that the deceased may have beenknocked down by the Goa-Patna Express train at 7.30 pm, nearVithal Rakumini Temple, New Vaddem.

Deceased is believed to be in his forties, medium built and iswheatish in complexion. He was found with an orange shirt. In-vestigations are in progress to identify the deceased.

Man found dead on railway tracks

Olvin Antao & fly

Blame it on usB V S Priolkar, Margao

It is very unfortunate that the present breedof politicians have become shameless andfearless. They are also spineless and havebecome experts in the blame game. Theyseem to have become immune to account-ability. At the end of the term, everything isforgotten and they get another opportunity.

It is a pitiable that the PM has been blam-ing the coalition for the scams, corruptionand price rise etc. But some of the ministersare from his own party.

The situation in Goa is no different. TheHome Minister is allegedly found to be giv-ing wrong information in the Assembly andis well supported by the CM. The com-mission issue is rampant in securing gov-ernment contracts and jobs. The ACBcannot track this for want of proof.

We have to blame ourselves because weelect such politicians. There is a need torectify this error at the next given oppor-tunity.

Raise exemption limitMahesh Kapasi New Delhi

Purchasing power of the rupee is dimin-

ishing at a much faster rate. Due to this in-flationary trend, even the government hasfailed to arrest the climb. Acceleratinggrowth has made more millionaires, and aricher middle class. For those who do notearn much, it is a continuous battle and isbecoming increasingly difficult. Therefore,it is suggested to increase the exemptionlimits of income tax to at least Rs6 lakhfor all individual assessees, in metropolitanand other capital cities.

Medical expenses of all individuals is in-creasing .To simplify the tax matters, thepresent reimbursement of medical expen-diture up to Rs15,000 to a salaried em-ployee, should be raised to Rs30,000. Theyshould also not be asked to produce a med-ical bill. I hope the government pays heedto this call and also identifies a senior cit-izen at the age of 60 instead of the present65, for purposes of income tax.

O Maria a must see Lambert Mascarenhas, Dona Paula

Rajendra Talaks O Maria, is a must-seefor every Goan for its message as well asits visual aesthetics. The movie opens witha soul-stirring song by outstanding singer-musician Remo Fernandes, whose musical

score underpins this very Goan story andis the films core attraction. The film makermust be lauded for his impressive effort.The theme is the flavour of the month, inevery sphere of the media; protesting thesale of land to outsiders who corrupt Goasyouth with the lure of drugs and easy moneywhich have destroyed Goas natural beautyand identity.

The story-line though predictable, islivened up and given a very dramatic shotin the arm by the dialogue from Konkaniactivist Damodar Mauzo. For his singulareffort, I would like to say, Bravo Mr Talak!

Promises and liesJames Souza, UK

We will see a lot of schemes, both fromthe Central as well as the State governmentfor the common man. Goans should notget carried away because this is a ploy tobenefit migrants to create a new vote bankfor the Congress led government. SoniaGandhi promised the people of Goa, duringthe last election campaign at the Fatordastadium, that she would give special statusto Goa to save her identity. It looks likethe opposite has taken place, because mostof the Delhi babus have shown their greedfor Goa during the last four years, withouttaking into consideration the demands andsentiments of Goans.

Even the congress led Government inGoa has made false promises. Undoubtedly,these Goan politicians have no love forGoa. It is high time we think seriously andinsist on special status for Goa from theCongress-led government. If not, we knowby now, that it is all Promises and Lies.

Give us a breakChristine Boomer, via email

We are in Goa with our family, and ofcourse, love to go to the beach. However,our enjoyment is spoilt by people tryingto take photographs of our young grand-children. If a family wants to take photo-graphs of their own children, with ourgrandchildren, ask if it is ok and providedour grandchildren are happy to pose forthem, then fine, we have no problem. It isthe young men who do not ask and espe-cially those who try to conceal the factthey are taking a photograph we objectstrongly to. We find ourselves having towatch all the time, this intrusive behaviour.This spoils our holiday. Why do it, whenthey try to conceal facts?

Don garb to grab landSidonio Mendes, Chandor

In the memorandum on Goas claim forspecial status under Article 371 of the Con-stitution (Herald, 14 Feb), it is mentioned

how the state government too has helpedprivate parties, in the garb of investors, tograb land in Goa under the Land AcquisitionLaw. Another ridiculous travesty of law isthat a private party is allowed to encroachupon hectares of government land andthen, the same private party admitting thatthe state to be its title holder, prays forperpetual occupancy of the said land byagreeing to pay a convenient occupancyprice. Thus, the state can become thegranter and the party concerned, thegrantee.

What about litigants?Diogo Furtado, Utorda

This refers to The Letter of the day Agita-tion the right way? Herald, 15 Feb) by Ar-avind Bhatikar. In this case, it was the judgewho faced suspension and not the lawyer.Accordingly, the judges should have re-sorted to agitation because one of theirkind was suspended. If the litigants hadan association, then they could take thelawyers to task, for not attending the courts,at the cost of litigants. Who pays the liti-gants, for the delay in dispensing justice?

At the request of High Court, theSupreme Court should direct the lawyersnot to interfere with the order of HighCourt to meet the ends of justice. Eachconcerned judge has to put his case beforeSupreme Court and their judgment is final.This will ensure that litigants are not atthe receiving end.

Dum Maro DumArwin Mesquita, UAE

Whilst it might be premature to commenton the subject, as the movie is not yet re-leased, I think it is very difficult to ignorethe harsh reality of the drugs, sex and re-lated issues in Goa today.

On my recent visit to Goa, I was aghastto know the level that Goa has stoopedinto, but am I surprised because the Goagovernment comprises of a bunch of thugs,pimps, drug peddlers, smugglers and whatnot?

It is high time Goans stop living in denialof the pathetic state of affairs going onand accept that they are responsible forbringing into power, todays pathetic politi-

cians who are responsible for the mayhemthat is prevailing in Goa.

Spectacular showAdelmo Fernandes, Vasco

Bangladesh put up a spectacular show dur-ing the opening ceremony of the ICC WorldCup at the Bangabandhu stadium in Dhaka.The cultural extravaganza kept everyoneviewing the event on television, spell-bound.

It was interesting to see the laser beamshow, especially the LED kites. The aerialcricket match on a tall building near thestadium was an innovative idea. Indeed,Bangladesh has come a long way and mustbe commended for being a co-host in thisprestigious tournament.

Personal predictionStallone Souza, Canacona

The present Indian team will not win thisWorld Cup and Sachins dream will be un-successful. The chief selector should beblamed. India were winners in the Pruden-tial World Cup held in the UK in 1983.

I request the selectors to include all-rounder Stuart Binny or Robin Uthappa atleast for fielding, so that they can bringgood luck to the Indian team. This is myprediction.

Elect right candidatesAshlon A Fernandes, Nuvem

Though I am just 15 years old, I am awareof the bad situation of our beautiful Goa.We are mainly suffering from poor gover-nance.

We should be aware that we are the samepeople who voted those corrupt, and highlyinefficient leaders, who only know how tomake money at the cost of the people.

Instead of pointing fingers at them, letus educate the masses to elect the rightcandidates and encourage them not to ac-cept bribes. Let us try to eliminate corrup-tion from our society.

Iknow, I know. It is supposed to be every citi-zens fundamental duty to vote during elec-tions. Time and again, we are reminded of the

importance of our votes, how our votes count,how we can make a difference to the system byvoting correctly and how deserving aspirants can-not come into power, if we dont exercise ourfranchise.

But in a democracy, voting and not voting areboth rights. Not voting is as much of a choice,as is the right to choose among different candi-dates standing for elections. And this right canbe exercised without having the least guilt.

Why do we vote? It is to choose among differentpeople who stand for certain ideologies and is-sues. What does one do when no party or personis worth ones vote? When each one is a biggercrook or non-achiever than the other? Choosethe best among the worst? You must be kidding!

To exercise a choice among candidates andparties, there must first be a choice. But wheneach one is as bad as the other, the only realchoice then is between not voting and voting.

There is a system in our Constitution as perthe Conduct of Election Rules, 1969, in section49-O that a person can go to the polling booth,confirm his identity, get his finger marked andconvey to the presiding election officer that (s)hedoesnt want to vote for anyone. Yes, such a fea-ture is available!

The specific provision of The Conduct of Elec-tions Rules, 1961, is as follows:

49-0: If an elector, after his electoral roll num-ber has been duly entered in the register of votersin Form-17A and has put his signature or thumbimpression thereon, as required under sub-rule(1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, aremark to this effect shall be made against thesaid entry in Form 17A by the presiding officerand the signature or thumb impression of theelector, shall be obtained against such remark.

The above provision is mentioned in ChapterII of Part IV of the rules. The simple meaning ofthis provision is that any voter who wishes to ex-ercise the Right Not to Vote cannot do it by justsitting at home. This provision enables the voter

not to cast his or her vote, in favour of any of thecandidates, by registration of his/her electoralroll number in Form-17A by the Presiding Officer.The voter has to sign in front of the statementmarked to that effect by the Presiding Officer.

The newly introduced Electronic Voting Ma-chines (EVMs) as well as the conventional BallotPapers, do not provide an option for none ofthe above. Therefore, the Election Commission(EC) in the year 2001 and 2004, has recommendedfor suitable changes in Rules 22 and 49B of theConduct of Election Rules, 1961; which dealswith the form of the ballot paper, and the prepa-ration of voting machines, respectively. A petitionby the People Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL)seeking such a provision, filed at the time of therecent general election, is still pending beforethe honourable Supreme Court.

From the point of view of the argument, thatthe right to vote is an extremely precious attribute

of Indian parliamentary democracy and, therefore,the right in question, ought to be protected atall cost. In other words, the voter must necessarilychoose from the list of candidates (s)he is pre-sented with in the polling booth, and not wastehis/her vote. The two important issues involvedhere are: Is this morally right in a sovereign so-cialist secular democratic republic? And, second,is such a stand legally defensible?

The voter is free to choose among candidatesfiguring in the list of candidates (s)he is con-fronted with, in a polling booth. The choice de-pends on the decision about who (s)he thinkswill best represent the voters views in the legis-lature.

But why should the exercise of choice be lim-ited to choosing among the candidates whosenames figure in the list before the voter in thepolling booth? The electorate has nothing to dowith the drawing up of the list, and it is possible

that a voter may not approve of the idea ofsending any of the official poll contestants to thelegislature. In such conditions, if (s)he still is re-stricted to choosing among the names beforehim/her, the very principle of free choice is vio-lated. Indeed, an element of compulsion creepsinto the voting process which can be said tostrike at the very heart of the Indian republic.

What this means is that for the sake of completeconsistency, the voter should be allowed to sayno to the entire official list of candidates. Insimple terms, that would mean that (s)he is nothappy with the prospect of any of the officialcandidates representing him/her in the legislature.Certainly there is nothing morally indefensibleabout this stand. On the contrary, the elementof choice in the system of adult franchise wouldbe even better protected, making the right tovote even more precious, in a manner of speaking.

Clearly, the presently prescribed procedure forrejecting all the candidates violates the cardinalprinciple of secrecy of the ballot, which lies atthe heart of the electoral system in this country.Not only this, it indirectly makes an official dis-tinction between voters who decide to chooseamong the available candidates and those whodecide otherwise, which probably will fall foulof the provision of the fundamental right to equal-ity, granted to every citizen under the Constitu-tion.

Given the observed fact that there has beenno appreciable improvement in the quality of ourlegislators over the decades, the institution ofsuch an amendment has become pressing today,in view of the increasing possibility of a largernumber of voters than previously not approvingthe candidates nominated by the political parties.Moreover, the desired implication of the rule isnot clear.

But before propagating the right not to vote,one must remember that to make democracywork, we have to come together as a nation ofparticipants, not simply observers. Silent or oth-erwise. If we do not vote, we have no right tocomplain as well. And remaining passive in elec-tions, will not help India.

OPINIONwww.oheraldo.in

Pg6Vol No CXI No: 052

Goa, Monday, 21 February, 2011

Letters to the Editor

Letter of the Day

Printed and published by Vinayak Pai Bir for and on behalf of Herald Publications Pvt Ltd. Printed at Herald Publications Pvt Ltd, Plot No: L-135, Phase II, Verna Industrial Estate, Verna, Salcete, Goa. Published at PO Box 160, Rua Sao Tome, Panjim, Goa - 403001. Editor-in-chief: Mr R F Fernandes. Editor: Ashwin Tombat(Responsible under PRB Act). Regd Office: St Tome Road, Panjim, Goa. Tel: 2224202, 2228083, Fax: 2222475 (all Editorial); 2230535, Fax: 2225622 (Advertising); Margao: 2737689. Mumbai Office: 16-A, Bell Building, 2nd Floor, 19 Sir PM Road, Fort, Mumbai - 400001 (Tel: 22840702/22844908). RNI No: 43667/83. HOW TO CONTACT US: mail@herald-goa.com For press notes, general queries. junior@herald-goa.com Junior Herald; junioryouth@herald-goa.com Careers. heraldmirror@herald-goa.com Sunday Mirror. reporters@herald-goa.com For Reporters. business@herald-goa.com For Business news.editor@herald-goa.com For Letters to the Editor. sports@herald-goa.com For Sports news. advt@herald-goa.com For Advertisements. 2day@herald-goa.com For Herald 2day. tiatr@herald-goa.com For Tiatr Reviews and Reports. Disclaimer: Except for the editorial above, articles and letters in Heraldrepresent the views of the concerned authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Herald editor, publisher, and/or owners.

Why should the voters choice be limited to the candidates on the list, asks WENDY PEREIRA

OHERALDO

OHERALDO

Why I wont be voting

LAW-GICALLY

TV: The Myth and the RealityStraight from the Heart

How we gape at the age of the gladiators. What a horribleworld it must have been where a man was thrown into anamphitheatre with a lion, while all the rest of the folk sat

around and watched the bloody denouement as mere sport, andeveryone screaming, shouting, cheering

We say that the gladiators are symbols of a cruel and barbaricsociety. We safely distance ourselves from such a society. And yet,are our sensibilities really different? Are we really higher on theemotional quotient? Have we, as a civilisation, inculcated moresensitivity than our ancestors?

No. The prevalence and popularity of reality TV shows quite the

contrary. And it effectively proves Freuds pessimism regardingany inherent nobility in mankind.

Visual entertainment started with the Greeks, during the Festivalof Dionysius, with plays in which the chorus represented the voiceof the most downtrodden sections of society; which is on thewrong side in terms of class, caste and gender the poor womenof Thebes the lowest common denominator of that civilisation.

Thus started visual entertainment, with the impetus of bringingforth a voice to the lowest stratum a means to depict what waswrong with society and put forward a need for social change. Asthe visual drama developed, many other elements of pure enter-tainment, like romance, slapstick comedy, wit, elaborate plot,

story, etc, got added. Modern day movies and TV serials are anexample of this.

But the strangest thing is, along with all that development andtechnological finesse, we now have something called Reality TV,which adds a totally different dimension to visual art, to TV, to usand to society at large. We look at the participants in a Reality TVshow just like that audience of yesteryear watched the gladiatorsfight each other or wild animals, get seriously injured, and evendie.

We revel in the discomfiture of the participants, we marvel attheir lies and dishonesty when it is revealed on the show. We seeweddings, dating, loving, fighting like cats and dogs, breakingup, axing ones ex, and what not all on TV. And we sit and watchsmug and safe in our drawing rooms, while the participants breakdown and cry, and some even end up losing their relationships orruining their lives.

The strangest thing is that in this distinctly modern need forfive minutes of fame, people all over the world are now willing tobe the guinea pig that is emotionally tortured on TV, are willingto sacrifice the sanctity of his or her life and relationships, by ex-posing it to all to see.

We say, in our defence, that we watch because it is being aired.We say we participate in such shows because that is the easy wayto attain recognition. We say we make such shows because they

sell; that we are only giving people what they want. We behaveas if we are driven by situations, circumstance, other people and,ultimately, by society. We claim we have no choice.

But we are wrong. We all have a choice. We may not alwayshave situations under our control, but cant we have our ownmind under control? We can have our needs, our feelings, ourthoughts and what we want to watch and all of them can beunder our control. Do we really want to be that sadistic andmasochistic society that derives its thrills from watching otherpeople in real distress?

The same question can be asked in our real lives as well. Howmany of us are willing to actually put our preconceived notionsaside to really understand someone? With understanding anotherhuman being comes empathy.

With empathy comes the desire to extend emotional support.But how many of us actually care to understand? For most of us,anothers suffering is just an occasion for mirth and gossip; quitelike watching reality TV.

The human mind is a microcosm of the macrocosm that is theuniverse. It has within itself the power to both raise itself to atranscendental level and achieve empathy and oneness with every-one, or to disintegrate into a narrow abyss where one enjoys thesuffering of another, as crass entertainment. The choice? It isalways ours!

By Sajla Chawla

Endangeredspecies?

Not long after she was born, a newborn girl was stran-gled to death and dumped in a garbage bin at theMapusa Municipal Market late on Friday night. Pos-

sibly born to a desperate unwed mother, police say noculprit could be traced. But, had it been a boy instead of agirl, would this child have met the same fate?

Goa may have the highest per capital income, the highesthealth indices, and be among the more educated states inIndia, but it hides a dark secret. The female-to-male sex ratiois slipping by the year. If this was merely the overall sexratio, it would be easy to say it is caused by in-migration tothis state.

But we are talking about children born in Goa the 0-to-6 age group which has little to do with migration. The sexratio in this critical age group fell from 964 (girls to every1,000 boys) in the 1991 census to 938 in the 2001 census(the next census will be this year). It is a drastic decrease of26 girls to every 1,000 boys, not only much higher than thenational average of 18, but huge considering that the 1981Goa census had a ratio of 965. In terms of the country as awhole, only Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, HP,Uttarakhand, Maharashtra (all states notorious for femaleinfanticide) and Nagaland showed greater declines. Evensupposedly backward states like UP, MP and Bihar showedlesser declines. In terms of the overall sex ratio in this vitalgroup, Goa ranked a poor 23rd out of the 35 states andunion territories existing then.

But in the last 10 years, the situation seems to have wors-ened further. Figures cited at a recent seminar on FallingSex Ratio and the Girl Child at the International Centre, Goa,attributed to the Directorate of Health Services, say the sexratio in the 0-to-6 age group declined to 930 females toevery 1,000 males in 2008, and to 925 females to every1,000 males in 2009. Though overall the ratio is worse inGoas cities than in its villages, there are two villages in NorthGoa and three villages in South Goa that do not have a singlegirl child today!

Some speakers at the seminar attributed this drasticallyfalling ratio to a son preference, where only those whohave a girl opt for further children, while those who have aboy prefer a single-child family. There may be some truth tothis, because the states fertility rate has been assessed atjust 1.71 children per family; not only the lowest in India,but lesser than the USA and many European countries. Itdoes suggest that more and more families are opting for asingle child.

But others attributed more sinister reasons to Goas de-clining sex ratio the selective abortion of female foetusesusing prenatal diagnostic technologies like Amniocentesisor Ultrasound Scans, despite their use being banned for sexdetermination. If this is true, then a large number of femalefoetuses are being deliberately aborted in pursuance of sonpreference.

The Goa government especially the Health Department needs to take urgent cognisance of this trend and takemeasures to reverse it. Special schemes in states like Delhiand Madhya Pradesh, in which parents of a girl child aregranted financial assistance for her initial upkeep and edu-cation, have done wonders to reverse the decline in thenumber of girls being born. The Goa government needs tolook at them carefully, and develop schemes of its own.

Otherwise, the state has a dire future. In many partsof Haryana, girls have to be imported from other statesfor men of marriageable age. In other villages, one womanmarries two men. Is that what we want to happen inGoa?

Letters should be 150 words or less in length, andshould have the writers name, address and telephonenumber. The editor reserves the right to edit letters forsize and readability, and to delete any personal attacksor libellous /objectionable matter.

Smile with Smitha

The real outsider, yaar!Srikantha Rao, Navelim

This has reference to the letter Why cancel them, yaar? by Marcos Alemao (Herald,17 Feb). It is very sad to remind real Goans that people from Punjab, Haryana, Ma-harashtra and Karnataka had sacrificed and laid their life for the liberation of Goaduring 50s and 60s. Goans, who solely depend on their needs ranging from milk,vegetables, rice and other things from other states, calls those as outsiders.

During 1510 to 1600, there was lot of migration of both Hindus and Catholicsfrom Goa to Karnataka and other states, and those Konkani people still reside inthe entire coastal belt till Ernakulam, Kerala. They have also shone in all disciplines.Kannadigas never called them as outsiders till today. It is now 2011 and I requestnot to refer to other language speaking people as outsiders. Sometimes, even aGoan living in Dubai and Kuwait calls these poor people as outsiders, when hehimself is the real outsider.

Smitha Bhandare Kamat

Pg 7GOAGOA, MONDAY, 21 FEBRUARY, 2011

OHE

RALD

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a P P O I N T M E N T s

aPPOINTMENTs

HERALD CORRESPONDENT

CALANGUTE, FEB 20

A 23-year-old tourist from Ban-galore was rescued from drown-ing at Baga.

According to reports, RiteekPramod Raj was rescued by life-

guard Siddesh Paryekar at Bagabeach while he experienced dif-ficulty in swimming back to theshore. Paryekar waved for help,while lifeguard anticipating thetrouble rushed to his rescue andbrought him safely to the shores.

Tourist rescued from drowning

HERALD CORRESPONDENT

MERCES, FEB 20

With garbage menace threaten-ing to blow out of proportionand with a suitable site for awaste treatment plant nowherein sight, the Merces and Chimbelpanchayats have been burningwaste in a bid to overcome theproblem.

However, burning of wastehas its own problems since,apart from dry waste, plasticwaste also gets burnt and itposes a hazard to the environ-ment and the peoples health.

Now, realization seems tohave dawned on authorities of

both the Merces and Chimbelpanchayats who are now explor-ing alternatives to deal with plas-tic waste.

When contacted, MercesSarpanch Deepika Shirgaonkaradmitted that the burning ofplastic poses threat to the en-vironment and the peopleshealth and said the panchayatis now exploring alternate waysto deal with it.

Explaining further, Shir-gaonkar said that, as a first step,the panchayat has decided toinstall Do Not Dump Garbagesignboards at places where thepeople are indiscriminately

dumping garbage.Also, we will place a bin at

one strategic place for collectionof plastic waste, she added.

Shirgaonkar informed that thepanchayat would also createawareness among the people tosegregate plastic waste andhand it over to the labourers,who will then place it in the binfor collection by a government-appointed contractor.

Shirgaonkar also informedthat the panchayat has invitedthe contractor for talks on howto go about the process.

On the other hand, thoughthe panchayat still continues toburn waste, Chimbel SarpanchChandrakant Kunkolkar in-formed that the panchayat isseized of the problem createdby burning of waste.

We are currently looking atalternate ways to deal with it,he said.

Kunkolkar then divulged thata NGO, at the behest of the localMLA, has already approachedthe panchayat and agreed toshare information and logisticson plastic menace and how todeal with it.

Kunkolkar further informedthat he will fix a meeting withthe representatives of the NGO,wherein all the panchas wouldbe invited, and hopefully a de-cision would be arrived on thebest way to tackle the plasticmenace.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT

MARCEL, FEB 20

Rich tributes were paid to Cha-trapati Shivaji at a state-levelfunction at Farmagudi to markShivaji Jayanti.

Shivaji was leader of themasses and the State govern-ment has been celebrating thisday in all 11 talukas since thepast two years to sensitize stu-dents of his life and ideology,said CM Digambar Kamat.

The function at Farmagudiwas organised by the Informa-tion Department in associationwith Bandora panchayat.

Others present at the functionincluded Home Minister RaviNaik, Transport Minister SudinDhavlikar, Priol MLA DeepakDhavlikar, former chief ministerShashikala Kakodkar, freedomfighters, Bandora panchayatmembers and Ponda municipalcouncil members.

They offered floral tributesto Chatrapati Shivaji at the Far-

magudi fort dedicated to theMaratha warrior.

During Shivajis rule, therewas no inequality and he ac-corded high respect to women,said Kamat.

The chief minister laterhanded over financial assistanceof Rs 50,000 to the Bandora pan-chayat to maintain the Shivajifort.

In his address, Home MinisterRavi Naik said the occasion alsoave the opportunity to remem-ber former chief ministerBahusaheb Bandodkar and othernational leaders.

The idea is that our youngergeneration should know whothey were and their contributionto society. Apart from this, wewould like out people to imbibequalities of these leaders, hesaid.

Responsibility also lies onelected representatives to guidepeople in the proper path. Butis this happening? Are our

elected representatives showingright direction to people, askedthe home minister.

Transport Minister SudinDhavlikar also spoke on the oc-casion.

Sangli-based historian Dr PPatil appreciated the State gov-ernments efforts in organisingthe state-level programme,something which is not evenbeing organised in Maharash-tra.

Chatrapati Shivaji is a heronot only for the people of Ma-harashtra, but for those of Indiaas well, he said.

MAYEM CORRESPONDENTADDS: Shivaji Jayanti was cele-brated at the Chatrapati ShivajiMaharaj ground in Bicholim onSaturday.

Senior citizen Tanaji Pal gar-landed the statue of Shivaji atold bus stand.

Later at a public meeting,speakers highlighted the life andwork of Chatrapati Shivaji.

Tributes paid to Shivaji

Merces, Chimbel VPs to explorealternatives on plastic menace

Labourers install a Do Not Dump Garbage signboard near theShantaban Housing Complex at Merces. Photo by Manuel Vaz

Cows, buffalo killed in tiger

attacks HERALD CORRESPONDENT

MAYEM, FEB 20

Af ter creat ing a terror inCharawane, Shiroli and Kerimareas in Sattari taluka since thelast month by attacking a num-ber of cattle, the tiger has nowdiverted its attention towardsKankumbi village of Chorla Ghat.

It is learnt that the strippedtiger killed two cows, one buf-falo and one bull, which wasconfirmed by the forest officials.

The forest officials are mon-itoring the situation round theclock by fixing cameras in dif-ferent areas of Chorla Ghat andMhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.

Forest off icials V ishwasChodankar informed that theyhave prepared an impressionpad of Plaster of Paris to takethe foot impressions of a bigcat, which he said is moving inthe area.

HERALD NEWS BUREAU

PANJIM, FEB 20

A new monastery for Catholicnuns will be opened at Curtorimon February 22 at 4.30 pm.

Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferraowill celebrate the inaugural Massand bless the Monastery Chapel,while Archbishop Emeritus RaulGonsalves will proceed to blessthe Monastery, after the HolyEucharist.

The Monastery of the Immac-ulate Conception is the first Asianfoundation of the CloisteredFranciscan Conceptionist Sisters,founded by St Beatrice DSilva inSpain, five centuries ago.

They have today 165 monas-

teries spread worldwide. Thenew monastery in Goa will bean extension of the Ordersmonastery in Estella, Spain, ex-isting for the last 280 years. In-cidentally, the present Abbessin Estella is Mother MariaPereira, from Chinchinim, whohad joined the monastery in1991 and was elected to thepost in October 2009.

The new monastery in Goawill be headed by Spanish SisterAna Maria Ilundain, the imme-diate past Abbess, who will ini-tially have under her five Sisters,all of them of Indian origin.

The Conceptionist Sisters hadmade their first contact with the

Archdiocese of Goa in 1996, dur-ing the tenure of ArchbishopRaul Gonsalves, who welcomedthe idea of having one morecontemplative Order in his dio-cese, second only to the Clois-tered Carmel Sisters at Chicalim.

The Franciscan Conception-ists are a fully contemplativeOrder. Their mission is to praywithout ceasing for all hu-mankind and to give glory toGod, who continually blessesthe earth.

They have long hours of per-sonal prayer everyday as wellas common liturgical prayer andthe daily celebration of theMass. All are invited to join theSisters at the daily Eucharist andat other prayer time.

The Sisters earn their dailyliving by working in the garden,doing embroidery, book-bind-ing, candles, fruit juice, flowerarrangements, etc.

From within the walls of theirmonastery they can also rendertheir services to a few industrialunits, to outsource some of theirmanufacturing processes likepacking, painting, finishing, etc.

Their monastery in Goa -which will also be known asDhyanalaya, a house of contem-plation -- is built on the gener-ous help of the people whomthey serve.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT

CANACONA, FEB 20