[Goanet] Re: [Secular Goa] On the banning of the Da Vinci code movie in Goa.
Well said. Fortunately or unfortunately, Churchill Alemao rose to the occasion and capitalized on the issue. We may or may not agree with him on many issues, but on this one, he certainly stuck his neck out. There is no point in fuming against him. He provided the focal point for the agitation against the filming of a clearly blasphemous film. Averthanus L. D'Souza. - Original Message - From: "Gabe Menezes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994!" ; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2006 2:22 PM Subject: [Secular Goa] On the banning of the Da Vinci code movie in Goa. I believe there is more than meets the eye, in this instance. The flexing of muscles and making a point to the Right Wing Hindus, Fundamentalist Muslims, Believers and what have you, played a part. I believe Churchill could not allow himself to be shown as being gutless! Had the Catholic Goans quietly acquiesced by rolling over, maybe tomorrow they would find themselves being the brunt of, who knows?? The point being made, is that we are not ready to be taken as lambs to the slaughtering house. -- DIE DULCI FREURE, DEV BOREM KORUM. Gabe Menezes. London, England Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~--> Protect your PC from spy ware with award winning anti spy technology. It's free. http://us.click.yahoo.com/97bhrC/LGxNAA/yQLSAA/8XQrlB/TM ~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/seculargoa/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.8.1/355 - Release Date: 6/2/2006 _ Do not post admin requests to the list. Goanet mailing list (Goanet@goanet.org)
[Goanet] Re: In small Goa, big developmental projects constantly attract local protests
Pamela needs to be congratulated for drawing attention to this growing phenomenon of pushing so-called "development" projects without adequate study and preparation. All these ventures appear to be ad-hoc and initiated by vested interests. The 18 hole golf course is an obvious example. The muddle-headed approach of the Goa government to development is clear from the fact that it still does not have a clear "tourism policy" in place. Decisions are sporadic and vaguely described. Recent newspaper items revealed that the much publicized IT Habitat in Dona Paula has not drawn any interest from the big IT players in India. It is reported that the Goa Government is now offering huge cash incentives to industries to set up shop in Dona Paula. This is simply throwing away good money after bad. The most obvious lacuna in the whole enterprise is that all these development projects are being floated without any reference to the Regional Plan, 2011. This makes complete nonsense of the process of planning. Averthanus L. D'Souza. - Original Message - From: "Goanet Reader" > Panaji, Goa: A series of high profile projects flagged by the Goa > government have run into trouble with local protestors --- largely over > perenially-contentious land acquisitions. _ Do not post admin requests to the list. Goanet mailing list (Goanet@goanet.org)
[Goanet] International Cricket Stadium at Tivim.
Dear Sir, The Government of Goa has issued a Notification (No. 22/13/2006-RD) under the Land Acquisition Act for the aquisition of land at Tivim for the construction of an "International Cricket Stadium". This is one more indication of the irrational functioning of the Goa Government. First of all, an "International Cricket Stadium" does not feature in the Final Draft of the Regional Plan for Goa, 2011. On what basis, then, is the Government planning to construct an International Cricket Stadium in Tivim? It is very disturbing indeed, that the Government itself makes decisions without any reference to the Regional Plan for Goa, 2011. Secondly, what is the basis on which land at Tivim is being acquired for this purpose? Has any feasibility study been made? How has it been established that Tivim is the ideal site for an International Cricket Stadium? The general public is not aware of any feasibility study that has been done to establish that Tivim is the appropriate place for such a Stadium. Furthermore, Goa is a very small State geographically with tremendous limitations on availability of land. Is it prudent, then, to build an "International Cricket Stadium" in Goa, when there is not enough land for housing, commerce, industrial development and, most of all for open spaces. We are already encroaching into forest areas, and rashly converting agricultural lands for residential and commercial purposes. At first sight it appears that the Government is pulling a rabbit out of the hat of a Minister/ M.L.A. for dubious purposes. Once again, we have a situation where the government first makes an irrational decision and then tries to find reasons to justify its decision. Yours faithfully, Averthanus L. D'Souza, D-13, La Marvel Colony, Dona Paula, Goa 403 004. Tel: 2453628. _ Do not post admin requests to the list. Goanet mailing list (Goanet@goanet.org)
[Goanet] Re: On Cuchorem
It is a fundamental part of the 'creed' of the BJP, which is only the political 'wing' of the RSS, to restore Bharat to its original Hindu identity. Therefore, all other religions have to be eliminated from India, and their adherents should be re-converted to Hinduism. Ghar wapasi (coming home) is the current programme which is being pursued by the RSS,BJP, VHP, HJM and other organizations. The ideology of the RSS is not only obscurantist; it is also insidious and volatile. Communal riots are a calculated part of their programme to 'drive out' Muslims, and, later on Christians, from Hindu India. Thank God, the majority of Hindus do not share this fanaticism and remain tolerant and secular in their beliefs as well as in their ordinary lives. We still live in friendship with the Hindus in general. However, we need to assertively counter the disruptive efforts of the RSS. Averthanus - Original Message - From: "Gabe Menezes" > It is now patently clear to most, if not all the People of Goa: the > BJP aided and abetted the disturbances in Cuchorem. The press did a > magnificent job; roundly condemning the BJP for their opportunistic > vile deeds. The general consensus now arrived at, lays the blame at > the door of the BJP; We can only hope that the people of Goa are not > short minded and forget these acts of the BJP, at the time of the > elections. We can also hope that the repercussions of what have > happened has sunk in and the BJP will not in the future embark on > anymore shenanigans...the fact that the people of Goa found this > totally alien and repulsive should be a lesson learnt and remembered > by the BJP and their cadres!
[Goanet] OPEN LETTER TO SMT. SONIA GANDHI.
OPEN LETTER TO SMT. SONIA GANDHI. Dear Ms. Sonia Gandhi, Re: Need for radical improvement of the Congress in Goa. As citizens of the State of Goa, we are deeply concerned about the welfare of this State, which can only be assured under a democratic, secular, transparent and accountable government.We are convinced that under the BJP, the secular and humanistic fabric of Goa will be completely destroyed. We have already had a bitter taste of this when the Manohar Parrikar government was in power.We are also convinced that none of the so- called regional parties (more realistically local parties) have the capacity to ensure the welfare of the people of Goa. Under the present circumstances, the Congress Party, under your leadership seems to be the only hope. We would like to be frank with you and state our concerns very explicitly. At the time of the last elections, the people of Goa voted the Congress Party into power in Goa in the hope that we would have clean, efficient and responsible governance. We must confess that we are very greatly disappointed with the performance of the Pratapsing Rane government so far. Kindly permit us to draw your attention to a few prominent aspects of the failure of this government. Lack of cohesive decision making. We find that the Cabinet does not apply its mind to important policy decisions, and that decisions are actually made by one or other Minister, while the rest of the Cabinet acts as a mere rubber stamp. A glaring example of this lack of cohesive decision making is the Ordinance which was promulgated to amend some sections of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1971. As reported in the local Press, even the Minister for Law was not consulted about the promulgation of the Ordinance, and is on record that he was not aware that the Ordinance was being promulgated.It appears that the signatures of the Cabinet Members were obtained by circulation, and the Governor was misled into believing that the decision to amend the Town and Country Planning Act, was, in fact, the studied decision of the Cabinet. Because of the widespread public opposition to, and strong disapproval of the promulgation of the Ordinance, the Chief Minister was forced to keep the Ordinance in abeyance (in the words of the Chief Minister himself). You are quite aware that the Constitution of India does not provide for any Ordinance being kept in abeyance. Thus, the Rane government committed a double fraud on the Constitution and on the people of Goa. Firstly by resorting to the instrument of an Ordinance instead of placing the matter before the Legislative Assembly, and secondly, by keeping in abeyance an Ordinance, which is contrary to the Indian Constitution. When a delegation of citizens met the Chief Minister on this issue, it was told that the Ordinance should be considered as if "it was dead". We would like to draw your kind attention to the fact that this Ordinance was pushed through at the instance of the Minister for Town and Country Planning, Atanasio Monserrate (aka Babush), who manipulated the entire Cabinet to suit his own personal interests. MOPA versus DABOLIM. The fact that the Congress Party in Goa is in complete disarray is clearly highlighted by the public controversy over the building of an international airport at Mopa. It is evident to anyone with some common sense that any decision to build an international airport should be based solely on a techno-economic feasibility study. Even before such a study has been commissioned, important leaders of the Congress Party in Goa have taken public stands either in favour of Mopa being the preferred site for the airport, or Dabolim airport continuing to be the site for an expanded and improved international airport. Moreover, there is no clear indication from the Rane government on whether Goa will have two international airports, or whether the existing airport at Dabolim will be decommissioned once the new international airport is made operational. The public is confused about the capacity of a small State like Goa with a population of less than 1.5 million being able to shoulder the financial burden of maintaining two international airports. It is clear, once again, that the Rane government has not bothered to commission a detailed and exhaustive techno-economic study before making its decision public. We have the unseemly and unfortunate exchanges in public between prominent members of the Congress Party, who should have acted in a more mature and restrained manner on such an important issue. In the melee, the technical, economic, social and cultural aspects of the problem have been pushed into the background by the bickering over the political advantages which will accrue
[Goanet] Taleigao: Press Release for Publication
CONFRARIA DO SANTISSIMO SACRAMENTO E NOSSA SENHORA DO ROSARIO DA IGREJA DE TALEIGAO St. Michaels Church, Taleigao, Tiswadi. PRESS RELEASE. By a Notification No: 22/24/2005-RD dated January 10th., 2006, the Government announced its decision to acquire a considerable amount of property which belongs to the above Confraria do Santissimo Sacramento e Nossa Senhora do Rosario da Igreja de Taleigaon. According to this Notification the properties are being acquired for the purpose of development and construction of a playground at Taleigao. The above Confraria which is the rightful legal owner of the properties has already registered its objection to the said acquisition on the grounds that there is no need for any additional playground in Taleigao because there exist two very large playgrounds barely 500 meters from the properties proposed to be acquired. The Dr. Remigio Pinto Football Ground is an extensive playground which is almost of international specifications. Approximately 500 meters from the proposed acquisition there is also another large playground which is hardly being used at present. Moreover, there is another "Childrens Park" in Campal, and a football field in Caranzalem, which is also not in use and neglected by the Sports Authority of Goa as well as the Government of Goa. With so many playgrounds in Taleigao, which are not being used to their maximum capacity, we wonder why the Government is so keen to acquire yet more land for the purpose of development and construction of a playground. It appears highly suspicious that the acquisition of the properties belonging to the Confraria of Taleigao for the ostensible and published reason for development and construction of a playground is not the real reason for the acquisition. It seems that the Government has launched on a massive land acquisition programme for reasons known to itself. We the members of the Confraria are disturbed that we were not consulted before the notice of acquisition was published. We deeply regret that the Government of Goa is acting in a highly high-handed and arbitrary manner. We demand that the process of acquisition of these lands, which belong to the Church, be dropped immediately. Taleigao, February 11th., 2006. Rafael Fernandes President.
[Goanet] Congratulations on your editorial
--- | 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 | --- Dear Editor, I am hastening to send you my congratulations on your editorial "Kiran's rays were too sharp for Rane's ministers" in this morning's (Jan. 17th.) G.T. It is gratifying to note that you have considered this matter to be important enough to comment on it editorially. Apart from the fact that Ms. Kiran Dhingra has demonstrated her efficiency and impeccable integrity by not succumbing to the 'illegal' and unwarranted pressures of her political bosses, the issue here is a larger one, viz. that the Bureaucracy is meant to ensure not only continuity of administration, but also to ensure conformity with the Laws of the land and the maintenance of the integrity of the government. Kiran Dhingra is an outstanding example of how a senior bureaucrat should perform her difficult task. Instead of being commended for her courage and loyalty to the rule of Law, she is being victimized by the politicians, who found her "unsupportive" of their criminal attempts to bend the rules to suit their own purposes. As a civil servant, Ms. Dhingra cannot appeal to the public conscience to prove her honesty. That is why it is commendable that you have editorially taken up the issue and brought it to public attention. This is not just a matter of Ms. Kiran Dhingra's personal honesty and efficiency; it is a larger issue of the utter contempt displayed by Rane and his corrupt ministers for the rule of Law. They have systematically hacked away at the very foundations of good government and have brought the State of Goa to the brink of collapse. The situation has become so desperate that the government of Goa is now being carried on by remote control by the AICC General Secretary from Delhi, who has shown clear signs of her lack of confidence in the ability of Chief Minister Rane to provide the leadership which a Cabinet form of government requires. She has announced that she will visit Goa once a month to 'coordinate' the work of the different Ministers - a function which should normally have been performed by the Chief Minister. The implication of this is loud and clear - if the Chief Minister cannot lead his Cabinet, he should resign and hand over the responsibilities to someone who can. From the way things are going in Goa, it will not come as a surprise to the citizens if we are in for another spell of President's ruile. It is a pity that we cannot have a permanent President's rule in Goa. Yours faithfully, Averthanus L. D'Souza, D-13, La Marvel Colony, Dona Paula, Goa 403 004. Tel: 2453628.
[Goanet] Congratulations on your support of Kiran Dhingra.
--- | 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 | --- Dear Editor, You are to be very highly commended on the exhaustive and cogent presentation of the way in which our Chief Secretary, Ms. Kiran Dhingra, has been victimized by C.M. P.R. Rane. It is very sad that the other newspapers have blandly reported that she will be moving to New Delhi to take up her new assignment. Your detailed analysis clearly shows that the Congress government here in Goa cannot tolerate an upright, honest and efficient Chief Secretary of the calibre of Ms. Kiran Dhingra. Not only is she outstanding in her function as Chief Secretary, but she has also proven to be an upholder of the Law, irrespective of the consequences to her as a person.Goa actually needs persons of integrity and courage such as Ms. Kiran Dhingra, instead of jellyfish bureaucrats who cringe before the unreasonable (and illegal) demands of the politicians.People like Kiran Dhingra are not only an asset to a State like Goa; they are also shining examples of what the Bureaucracy should be all over the country. It is a crying shame that instead of being rewarded, such paragons of virtue are victimized and demonized by our criminal class of politicians. What comes out even more starkly is the fact that our Ministers have not yet understood the role of the Bureaucracy in the system of governance. The bureaucrats are not their servants to merely carry out their illegal orders. The bureaucrats are expected to uphold the rule of Law, and to make sure that the government does not become a predator on its own citizens. Kiran Dhingra showed this independence and courage in an exemplary manner. Our politicians, on the other hand, have undermined the integrity of the system and have done grave damage to the entire edifice of government. Congratulations once again. You have the support of intelligent and courageous citizens in your battle to expose corruption in the government. Yours faithfully, Averthanus L. D'Souza, D-13, La Marvel Colony, Dona Paula, Goa 403 004. Tel: 2453628; 2451085.
[Goanet] Government by remote control
-- | Wishing all Goanetters | | a Prosperous | | and | | Happy New Year - 2006 | |Goanet - http://www.goanet.org | -- Dear Editor, It is becoming clearer each day that the so-called Cabinet of Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane is not only non-functional; but that it is also impotent. The report of the recent visit of the AICC General Secretary, Ms. Margaret Alva to Goa only serves to confirm this perception. It is reported in the Press that she has now decided to come to Goa once a month to "coordinate" the activities of the different Ministers. It is already evident to the citizens of Goa that there is no coherence in the functioning of the Rane government. Each Minister does exactly what he likes, and his priorities do not fit into any policy framework or agreed Plan of Action. It needs a Congress functionary from Delhi to provide the leadership, which should normally have been provided by the Chief Minister. It is clear that our Chief Minister is a prisoner of his own Cabinet colleagues. The Town and Country Planning Minister has undertaken projects which are in blatant violation of the Rules prescribed by the Central Government. Moreover he does this with impunity. He engineered the proclamation of the TCP Ordinance by manipulating the entire Cabinet. In spite of the vociferous protest of the citizens of Goa, this Ordinance has not yet been rescinded. C.M. Rane only tells us that it should be treated "as if it is dead". Is this the way to run a government? Now that the government is being run by remote control from Delhi by the AICC General Secretary, who is also going to "coordinate" the work in Goa at monthly meetings, it is high time that Rane dissolves his Cabinet as it has become totally redundant. Yours faithfully, Averthanus L. D'Souza, D-13, La Marvel Colony, Dona Paula, Goa 403 004. -- |Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | || | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | --
[Goanet] Violation of CRZ by the TCP Minister
-- | Wishing all Goanetters | | a Prosperous | | and | | Happy New Year - 2006 | |Goanet - http://www.goanet.org | -- Dear Editor, I took the advice of your correspondent, David A. D'Souza of Anjuna (Herald Jan. 10, 2006) and revisited the CRZ Notification S.O. 114 (E) of 19th. February, 1991 as amended on 18 Aug., 1994, April 18th., 1996, Jan. 31st., 1997 and July 9th., 1997 as well as the Supreme Court Order dated April 18th., 1996. To the best of my understanding, the work undertaken by the Minister for Town and Country Planning on the beachfront at Caranzalem between Dona Paula and Miramar is in clear violation of the CRZ Notification which explicitly prohibits : "2.(vi) dumping of city or town waste for the purposes of landfilling or otherwise; the existing practice, if any, shall be phased out within a reasonable time not exceeding 3 years from the date of this Notification." Again 2 (xiii) explicitly prohibits " dressing or altering of sand dunes, hills, natural features including landscape changes for beautification, recreational and other such purpose, except as premissible under the Notification." The work in progress, under the personal supervision of Babush Monserrate, has clearly destroyed the dune vegetation which was a feature of the landscape, and the site is being filled with mud and debris from elsewhere. It is a great pity that an (apparently) educated person like David A. D'Souza wants me to "commend a man doing good work and making his constituency (if not Goa) beautiful and livable." He seems to be living in a fool's paradise if he thinks that Monserrate is beautifying Goa and his own constituency. Babush Monserrate is hell-bent on ravaging and raping the countryside of Goa in the guise of promoting 'development'. He is selling Goa to the builders, who in turn are destroying precisely those aspects which have given Goa its unique charm. Does David A. D'Souza really believe that Monserrate is creating "affordable" housing in Goa? Wake up before it is too late, Mr. David D'Souza. Yours faithfully, Averthanus L. D'Souza, D-13, La Marvel Colony, Dona Paula, Goa 403 004. Tel: 2451085. -- |Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | || | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | --
[Goanet] Rane Cabinet bungles again
-- | Wishing all Goanetters | | a Prosperous | | and | | Happy New Year - 2006 | |Goanet - http://www.goanet.org | -- Dear Editor, Chief Minister P.R. Rane's Cabinet has got it all wrong, once again. The Notification withdrawing some 24 villages from the purview of the PDAs is an indication of the shoddy manner in which Cabinet decisions are made. There is no rationale provided for the exclusion of these villages from the purview of the PDAs. Was this done merely to placate Ms. Victoria Fernandes and her constituents? What are the criteria for the inclusion of villages in the planning areas under the jurisdiction of the PDAs? The exclusion of some villages - and not others- from the authority of the PDAs appears to be highly arbitrary and irrational. It is like shopping in the market. You just pick up the best bargains. More fundamentally, the Rane Cabinet does not seem to have realized that the Planning and Development Authorities, per se, have been rendered redundant by the 73rd. and 74th. Amendments to the Indian Constitution. These amendments make it mandatory for the Government to devolve powers, functions and authority to the Local Bodies. Planning functions have also to be devolved to the Local Bodies. It does not make any sense whatsoever that only Taleigaon remains within the purview of the North Goa Planning and Development Authority, while all the other surrounding villages have been excluded. Is this, once again, done merely to placate the TCP Minister Atanasio Monserrate?What are the 'real' reasons for these inexplicable exclusions? It is time that Chief Minister Rane pulled himself up by his bootstraps and showed signs of rational governance instead of displaying his susceptibility to political pressures from his Cabinet colleagues. Averthanus L. D'Souza, D-13, La Marvel Colony, Dona Paula, Goa 403 004 Tel: 2451085 -- |Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | || | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | --
[Goanet] misuse of powers by Town and Country Planning Board
-- | Wishing all Goanetters | | a Prosperous | | and | | Happy New Year - 2006 | |Goanet - http://www.goanet.org | -- Dear Editor, The Newspapers have carried news items in the last few days that the Town and Country Planning Minister, Atanasio ( a.k.a. Babush) Monserrate, has been personally supervising the construction of a children's park cum jogging park along the beach front on the Dona Paula - Miramar Road at Caranzalem. Monserrate is reported to have asserted that CRZ clearance is not required for a children's park or garden on the beach. This is highly disputable. However, the point to be specially noted is that the Town and Country Planning Board and the various Planning and Development Authorities are purely "planning" authorities. They do NOT have any authority to execute any projects. The TCB is not an executing agency. It can only approve plans "from a planning point of view" submitted by Local Bodies such as Municipal Councils or Panchayats. The fact that the Minister is personally overseeing the implementation of a specific project is clear evidence of a gross and blatant violation of the Law by the Minister. It is not within the competence of any Minister to implement any project. This is a clear case of a Minister running amok. Where is the Cabinet of our Chief Minister, P.R. Rane? Has it been dissolved or is it hibernating? Yours faithfully, Averthanus L. D'Souza, D-13, La Marvel Colony, Dona Paula, Goa 403 004. Tel: 2451085. -- |Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | || | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | --
[Goanet] Congratulations.
-- | Wishing all Goanetters | | a Prosperous | | and | | Happy New Year - 2006 | |Goanet - http://www.goanet.org | -- Congratulations to V.M. de Malar on a very succinct and powerful analysis of the situation in Goa and the role that the Goan Diaspora can play in energizing Goa. What we need here is not a mere tinkering with the administrative machinery, which has become completely obsolete. We need to set up a completely new administration which will be sensitive to the "real" needs of Goa - not as the criminal politicians perceive them. Averthanus L. D'Souza. -- |Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | || | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | --
[Goanet] Congratulations and thanks.
-- |Goanetters annual meet in Goa is scheduled for Dec 27, 2005 @ 4pm | || | Watch this space for more details | || -- Dear Maria Aurora, I have read, with deep appreciation, your article in the Goanet -A world famous artist. Congratulations on this excellent piece. Your articles, as always, are both very instructive as well as inspiring. Please continue to enlighten us with these well-researched and beautifully presented articles. God bless you. Our warmest greetings for this holy Christmas season, and may God continue to bless you in the New Year. Averthan -- |Goa - 2005 Santosh Trophy Champions | || | Support Soccer Activities at the grassroots in our villages | | Vacationing in Goa this year-end - Carry and distribute Soccer Balls | --
[Goanet] VISION - GOA 2010
-- |Goanetters annual meet in Goa is scheduled for Dec 27, 2005 @ 4pm | || | Watch this space for more details | || -- VISION - GOA 2010 By Averthanus L. D'Souza The Goa Government has constituted a "Knowledge Commission" to prepare a 'Vision Document' for Goa so that the State can be 'positioned in the knowledge economy.' This is, indeed, an innovative and laudable move and Goa is, (once again) the first State in India to set up such a Commission. Being knowledge deficient myself, there is not much that I can contribute to the eventual Vision Document; but being somewhat of a visionary (who isn't?) I can see a Vision already unfolding. You might be able to recognize it too. By the year 2010, Goa will have the Churchill Alemao International Airport at Dabolim to cater to the needs of the Tourism industry in South Goa, including, of course, the Taxi drivers/owners, whose rude behaviour and exorbitant fares are guaranteed to kill the tourism trade. Likewise, there will be the Pratapsing Raoji Rane International Airport at Mopa, to service the tourism industry in Maharashtra, and, incidentally, also in North Goa. Not to be left out, there will also be a Manohar Parrikar nationalist (N.B.) Airport on the Kadamba Plateau to serve Central Goa and to facilitate the quick arrival and departure of 'nationalist' RSS, VHP and Hindu Jagran Manch activists from neighbouring Maharashtra and Karnataka to destroy the heritage monuments which remind them of Portuguese colonial rule in Goa. They will also assist the local hoi polloi in damaging street name plates which bear 'foreign' names and replace them with nationalist names. They can quickly despoil art treasures, which, again, are reminiscent of foreign rule, and sell them in the international market for fantastic prices. All sales proceeds to go to the RSS/BJP promotion fund. With two international and one 'nationalist' airport, Goa will have the unique distinction of having the largest number of take-offs and landings anywhere in the world. It will feature in the Guinness Book of World Records Goa will also have, by 2010, a Skybus (courtesy of Manohar Parrikar) connecting Margao, Ponda, Panjim, Mapusa and Bicholim to transport commuters from one town to another at exorbitant prices, naturally. In addition, Goa will also have a monorail system (courtesy of P.R. Rane) running parallel to the Skybus (or above or below it ) along the very same routes to give the citizens a choice as to the mode of transport they prefer to use. With public and private buses, taxis, monorail, and skybus services, Goa will be the only State with a multi-mode transportation system unequalled anywhere else in the country - or in the world ! To promote tourism in Goa, our Tourism Department will requisition another two or three unusable ships like the River Princess (salvage them from the bottom of the Indian Ocean, if required) and position them at strategic places along the coast. These will be converted into off-shore casinos which will provide the best alcohol in the world, courtesy of the King of Good Times. These off- shore casinos will also have helipads, which will allow direct access from Mopa, Dabolim or Kadamba, so that the roads in Goa are not further stressed. These off-shore casinos, of course, will be restricted to tourists, who will have to prove that they are not resident in Goa. This will prevent the local youth from being corrupted by the culture of gambling and drinking which is the hallmark of casinos all over the world, but which the Government of Goa is committed to eradicate. Bureaucrats of the Goa Government, and Ministers, who are shareholders in these casinos, will be allowed free access to monitor their activities, to earn a few extra bucks by gambling, and, generally, to ensure that foreign exchange is 'flowing' into the State's Exchequer. As a further boost to tourism, the Goa Government will appoint Ingo Grill as the Director of Tourism, so that with his administrative and organizational skills he will set up Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night, Friday night and Saturday night bazaars in different parts of Goa. Sunday nights, of course, will be reserved to count the 'earnings' from the daily bazaars, and to distribute the profits to the political shareholders. The Director General of Police will issue instructions to the local police stations to stay away from the bazaars in order not to adversely affect the drug trafficking which is the mainstay of the bazaars business. Of course they will be allowed to intervene if the agreed percentage of profits
[Goanet] Legislating by ordinances
-- | Add your name to the CLEAN GOA INITIATIVE | || | by visiting this link and following the instructions therein | || | http://shire.symonds.net/pipermail/goanet/2005-October/033926.html | -- Dear Editor, It is not enough that the power conferred on the Town and Country Planning Department by the recent Ordinance amending the Act is kept in abeyance until the next session of the Legislative Assembly. (See report of the Press Conference held by the Minister for Town and Country Planning, in the edition of November 12th.) The problem created by the promulgation of the Ordinance is more fundamental and more destructive. If the Minister can now, under public pressure, wait until the Legislative Assembly debates the Ordinance, why, in the first place, was an Ordinance rushed through in a devious and very irregular manner?The Minister should have tabled the amendments to the Town and Country Planning Act at a normal session of the Assembly. His excuse that the Secretary, TCP was absent, is a hollow excuse. Are we to believe that the Government of Goa grinds to a halt just because one or the other Secretary goes on leave? The more fundamental problem is the growing tendency on the part of governments to legislate by Ordinances. This is an undesirable and very dangerous practice which needs to be stopped forthwith. The issue of Ordinances is, in effect, an intrusion by the Executive into the Constitutional prerogative of the Legislature. The Constitution provides for the promulgation of Ordinances only in very exceptional circumstances. The absence of the Secretary, TCP, cannot, even in the wildest imagination of the Governor, constitute an "exceptional circumstance." Moreover, the Ordinance was issued to amend some sections of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1974. The need to amend Acts, cannot be considered to be so urgent as to justify the promulgation of an Ordinance. Why was the Minister for Town and Country Planning in such a tearing hurry to acquire unfettered powers to make changes in land use patterns in Goa? What are the hidden pressures to which he succumbed? Who are the 'powerful' lobbies behind his unconstitutional actions? The citizens of Goa demand to know from him. Another matter of grave concern to the citizens of Goa is the manner in which the text of the Ordinance was processed - by circulation among the members of the Cabinet - and their signatures obtained to mislead the Governor into believing that it had the "informed" consent of all the members of the Cabinet. The Law Minister himself is on public record that he did not know anything about the content of the Ordinance. Now the Deputy Chief Minister has come out into the open expressing his unhappiness over the fact that signatures to the Ordinance were obtained by circulation instead of the Ordinance being discussed in a formal meeting of the Cabinet. Such devious and insidious methods used by the TCP Minister to push through his own personal interests is a grievous assault on the democratic functioning of the Cabinet and of the Government. It is not enough that the Minister now agrees to have the Ordinance discussed by the Legislative Assembly at its next session. His actions have proved to be erosive of the democratic process. He should be called upon to resign from the Cabinet; and if he fails to do so, he should be summarily dismissed by the Chief Minister - whatever the consequences. Will Chief Minister Rane have the courage to prove to the citizens of Goa that he is willing to take strong action, even against one of his Ministers, when the integrity of the Government is in peril? Yours faithfully, Averthanus L. D'Souza, D-13, La Marvel Colony, Dona Paula, Goa 403 004. Tel: 2451085.
[Goanet] MONORAIL OR SKYBUS - THE HIDDEN AGENDA (Part II)
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS. In any project of public transport, the first concern of the government should be the safety of the traveling public. We have already seen that the former Managing Director of the Konkan Railway Corporation, B. Rajaram, whose brain child the Skybus project was, lied to the government and the citizens of Goa about the safety of the project. He claimed that it was an already tested and proven technology, and that it merely needed the approval of the State Government to be implemented. In hindsight, studying some of the documents submitted by Rajaram, it becomes obvious that he was involved in lying and subterfuge criminal actions for which he should be prosecuted. He made unsubstantiated claims and was himself exposed by the tragic accident of September 25, 2004. In effect, Rajaram perpetrated a massive fraud on the people of Goa. Now comes the proposal to set up a monorail system in Goa, again on unsubstantiated and very doubtful grounds. It is a shame for the people of Goa that they have a government that approves a proposal without first studying it very carefully. What emerges from a cursory study of the various projects is that there are a few strong lobbies operating in India, some of them headed by influential former bureaucrats, which are jostling for permission to set up their (untested) projects in Goa as a first step to having them adopted in other cities throughout the country. They are seeking to make Goa the testing ground, the experimental laboratory, for their dubious projects. Unfortunately for us Goans, our governments have proven to be, and are continuing to be easy prey for these purveyors of Hi-tech talk. Our Government cannot be trusted to safeguard the interest of the citizens of Goa. We need to awake and come together to demand that our government be accountable to the citizens, and to take us into confidence before according sanction to any project of a public nature. JURISDICTION. Mr. B. Rajaram concedes that Basically the Skybus Metro System is a modified railway improving the safety parameters; the center of gravity of mass carried by wheels is brought closer to the railway wheel-rail guidance support point as compared to railway.Later on in his note, Rajaram states that Since Ministry of Railways do not want to classify Skybus under Railway Act, then center has no authority on the safety issue tramway act under the constitution applies and State Govt. becomes the rule making authority, even though all the rules are similar to the railway rules only, for the Skybus too because it is a 100% railway technology based system only improved to avoid derailments/and collisions which routinely occur on conventional railway systems. This is a very clever manipulation of the argument to escape the stringent safety precautions which are prescribed in the Indian Railways Act. The Tramways Act is less demanding when it comes to safety requirements for the system. Rajaram is placing the onus on the Central Government for not classifying the Skybus as a railway system. If, as he so vehemently claims, the Skybus is in fact a railway system, albeit with improved safety measures (which is now disproved with the September 25th., 2004 accident), he should pursue the matter with the Central Government to have the Skybus accepted as a railway system and brought under the Indian Railways Act. As it is, after the Margao accident, the Commissioner for Railway Safety was brought in as the investigating officer, and everyone is waiting ( anxiously ) for his report. The thing that becomes clear is that Rajaram is exploiting the lacunae in the Law to escape the scrutiny which is legally necessary before a system is authorized as safe for commercial operations. The promoters of the Monorail, to whose blandishments Chief Minister Rane (and his Transport Minister ) appears to have succumbed are following in the footsteps of Rajaram to have the monorail installed in Goa. One thing has become strikingly clear to the citizens of Goa - that is that all these promoters of mass transport systems are making Goa a testing site for their untested and unproven technologies. We Goans should put a stop to this manipulation. We have already had the unfortunate experience of the Skybus. We have the River Princess lying in the most prominent tourist location in Goa for over four years. The Goa Government is not capable of having her removed. The Skybus hangs its head in shame as a failed experiment. Goans should not allow Goa to become the cemetery for failed experiments of over-ambitious operators who want to make their fortunes at our cost. E n d. Averthanus L. DSouza, D-13, La Marvel Colony, Dona Paula, Go
[Goanet] MONORAIL OR SKYBUS - THE HIDDEN AGENDA (Part I)
MONORAIL OR SKYBUS - THE HIDDEN AGENDA. Averthanus L. DSouza. There is more to the controversy about Monorail versus Skybus than meets the ordinary eye. The Rane governments decision to call for Expressions of Interest for the construction of a monorail system in Goa, without first informing the citizens of Goa about the fate of the Skybus project, smacks of deviousness. According to the reports published in the press, the Commissioner of Railway Safety has submitted his report to the Central Government on the accident which befell the Skybus on its trial run in September 2004. However, intriguingly, the content of this report is not available to the Konkan Railway Corporation, which is responsible for the project, and under whose supervision the test was conducted. This is highly suspicious. Furthermore, we are told that an expert committee has submitted its report to the Union Urban Development Ministry on the technical viability of the project. Again, according to KRCs Public Relations Officer, Baban Ghatge: We have received directions to carry out further trails of the skybus. The directions are being implemented. According to him, the expert committee has submitted its report to the Union Government, but the KRC has no details about the findings. In spite of not knowing what the findings of the expert committee are, the KRC is going ahead with the further trials of the Skybus at an additional cost over and above the Rs. 50 crore which has already been invested in the project so far. From a purely common sense point of view this appears to be utter stupidity. To carry on further trials without knowing what the expert committee has to say about the cause of the accident which killed one KRC engineer and several workers, is highly unprofessional, to say the least. We are also informed that these further trials are proposed to be conducted before the Chairman of the Railway Board comes to Margao, Goa, to preside over the KRC Founders Day function on October 15th., 2005. In the meantime, the Rane Cabinet has given its approval, in principle, to the monorail project, which, we are informed, will be contracted out on the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) principle. This raises many issues of which the citizens of Goa are kept in the dark. In the first place, no explanation has yet been forthcoming of why the Skybus crashed on its very first trail run in spite of the exaggerated claim that it was a tested and proven system. In a letter to the Editor of the Times of India, the father of the Skybus project, Mr. B. Rajaram, claimed that With the tested and proven Skybus system, the international metro systems are obsolete. ! !. In this letter, Mr. B. Rajaram asserted that the Worlds First running Skybus test track at Goa, which Mr. Rajaram constructed and conducted the trial runs, proved all the required safety parameters to be of international standard (2004-05). ( Note that he uses the third person in referring to himself.) After the accident, Mr Rajaram, who was in Margao at the time of the accident, declared that he would personally conduct an enquiry into the accident. To the commonsense of the common man this sounds very much like asking the criminal to conduct the prosecution in his own trial. To add confusion to the already stupid pronouncements of B. Rajaram, he is quoted by the Press ( vide http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_print.asp? id=251704) as saying We did not anticipate such an accident but we definitely designed in a way to prevent it. To that extent our designing was successful as the Skybus remained suspended in the air and did not derail. However, we shall make modifications in the design to ensure that the bogey does not oscillate more than it should. Can anyone make any sense of this statement? Or is Mr. Rajaram ready to be consigned to an appropriate institution of mental health care.? As further proof of his incoherence, Mr. Rajaram, in responding to a report on the accident, has written : By Physics, the coach should not have hit the column, even at the speed of 50 kmph because by design enough clearances are provided for centrifugal action. But the coach has hit. Hence we do not have any other explanation other than, what has been brought out.Are we dealing here with a sane person, or what ? It might be useful, at this point, to remind ourselves that Mr. B. Rajaram, then Managing Director of Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. was dealing with a Chief Minister in Goa who was a graduate of the IIT, Mumbai. Is it possible that these two technocrats were communicating in some esoteric language to which the ordinary mortal is not privy, or is it that technology was used to draw the wool over the eyes of the citizens of Goa, and by
[Goanet] Mopa versus Dabolim debate.
Dear Editor, It is a good sign that a public debate is being carried on in the Press about whether Goa should have another Airport at Mopa. Let us hope that those who are to make the eventual decision on this issue will take into consideration the points of view expressed in the Press. The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee has publicly stated that it prefers to upgrade the existing airport at Dabolim to bring it on par with other international airports. However, it remains ambivalent about another airport being constructed at Mopa. The Travel and Tourism industry seems to be strongly in favour of upgrading the existing airport at Dabolim, although it is not averse to another international airport at Mopa. The politicians, as usual, are flying their kites to see which way the wind is blowing. They will make their decisions - not on the merits of the case, but on what they can 'get out of it'. In the course of the public dabate, one obvious factor, which is staring us in the face, somehow appears to be missed. The citizens of Goa should ask themselves the very pertinent question whether a small State like Goa really needs TWO international airports. With a geographical area of approximtely 3,702 sq. kms. and a population of approximately 1.5 million, will Goa be able to sustain two very large international airports at the same time? Even assuming that the capital costs of construction will come from the Central Government, the Goa Government will have to provide the basic services of electricity, water, transport, solid waste disposal etc. to maintain the airports at an acceptable level. Given the current sordid state of affairs, where the Goa Government cannot even provide uninterrupted electricity to its citizens at a constant voltage; it cannot supply uninterrupted water to the people; and it cannot manage the waste disposal problem, it is fair to assume that the Goa government (of whatever political predilection) will not be able to sustain even one international airport, leave aside two ! Even the present airport at Dabolim suffers from many severe limitations. It is highly inefficient, it is frightfully dirty and it is off-putting to most travellers. Even with a lot of financial inputs to upgrade the physical facilities, it will be necessary to spend a lot of money on daily upkeep and maintenance. It is highly doubtful that Goa can provide this. It is normal, e.g. in Mumbai and Delhi, that passengers are provided free commutes between the international and the national terminals. Since Mopa is quite a distance away from Dabolim, and assuming that one airport will be dedicated to international traffic and the other to domestic flights, will the government be able to provide similar free commutes between Mopa and Dabolim for international travellers who wish to transfer to the domestic terminal? The decision of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee appears to be a typical 'coffee table' decision arrived at after a casual and cursory discussion of the subject. It is apparent that no real thought has gone into the decision, and no expert opinion has been sought before arriving at such an important conclusion. The Rane government is notorious for its inability to come to grips with any imporotant issue facing the citizens of Goa. It simply refers the matter to the "High Command" and abides by its decision. This is called government by default. Let us hope that this government will take the bull by the horns, and, after soliciting expert advice, arrive at a decision which will not impose any further burden on the people of Goa. We have had enough of the skybus and the IFFI to last us for a long time to come. Yours faithfully, Averthanus L. D'Souza, D-13, La Marvel Colony, Dona Paula, Goa 403 004. Tel: 2453628.
[Goanet] Healthy introspection
I hope that this article is not a one shot affair, but that it heralds a wider critical introspection by Goa's newspapers and journals. Like many other (so- called) 'professions' which have abandoned their visions and their commitment to ethical values, journalism too seems to have succumbed to the commercial virus. Newspapers sidle up to those who provide the funds and the security. It has become urgently necessary for the 'Fourth Estate' to represent the voices of the citizens as against those of the political and commercial establishments. I am hoping that this article will spawn more critical reflective articles by other journalists. Averthanus L. D'Souza.
