------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | New on Goanet's website's A&E section - http://www.goanet.org | | Book in Review: A Kind of Absence - Joao da Veiga Coutinho | | POEM: SUSEGAAD - Cynthia Gomes James | | http://www.goanet.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=216 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FROM HERALD DATED 16TH JANUARY 2006
HERALD CORRESPONDENT MERCES, JAN 15 - Around 200 villagers from St Cruz constituency participated in a motor-rally organized by St Cruz Constituency Action Citizens Committee (SCCACC) and St Cruz MLA Victoria Fernandes to thank the people of Santa Cruz, Merces and Chimbel for their support in the anti-PDA agitation. The rally, which started at the residence of St Cruz MLA covered the villages of Santa Cruz, Merces and ultimately culminated at Chimbel. Announcements were made on the loudspeakers thanking the people for their active participation in the agitation and helping to throw the P(I)DA out of the villages. SCCACC vice-chairman Mariano Araujo, while speaking to this correspondent, said that without the peoples participation it would not have been possible to achieve the desired result and the committee is deeply indebted to them. However, when this correspondent pointed that there are still some villages, which have not been excluded from the PDA, he said that only those panchayats, which passed resolutions in the gram sabha demanding exclusion from the PDA were excluded. When Victoria Fernandes was questioned whether these panchayats could still be excluded, she said that first they would have to pass a gram sabha resolution and hand it over to the chief minister. She further said that she took up the issue of only those panchayats, which passed resolutions opposing inclusion in the PDA. South Goa Public Interest Action Group Godfrey Gonsalves, Merces ex-sarpanch Jyoti Palekar, Chimbel sarpanch Chandrakant Kunkolkar, Chimbel panch Vasudeo Lawande and others participated END --------------------------------------------- 200 is a very poor show of strength. In no way is it enough for the political resuscitation of Victoria. And if the rally was to congratulate and thank the MLA is it not odd that it should have started at her residence instead of culminating there. Sign of the times. Maybe Santa Cruz like many other Assembly constituencies in Goa needs someone younger, dynamic and with a vision that can deliver. Aires Rodrigues ___________________________________________________________ To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre. http://uk.security.yahoo.com