[Goanet] CLAMP DOWN ON THE RED BEACON
The Supreme Court has given the Central and State governments time till the second week of July to take remedial measures to drastically reduce the number of constitutional authorities who can use the red beacon light on their official vehicle. The Supreme Court has warned that if the governments do not act, that it would itself decide as to who is entitled to the use of red beacons, currently being flaunted by persons as a status symbol. The Supreme Court has also suggested that the current fine of Rs 100 for unauthorized use of the red beacon be increased to Rs 10,000. Ironically while the Supreme Court is all geared to slash the use of the red beacon, the newly appointed Chairman of the Goa State Public Commission Mr. Kurapati Dwarakanath Row has now also sought a red beacon for his official car. In pursuance of powers under clause (iii) of proviso to rule 108 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989, the State Government is empowered to notify as to who is permitted to use a red beacon. In Goa by a notification dated 8th March 1994 the Governor, Chief Minister, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Ministers, High Court Judges besides the North Goaand South Goa District Judges were allowed use of the red beacon. By that order the Chief Secretary, IGP, District Magistrates and SPs were also permitted the use of a red beacon. Then after almost five years on 30th December 1999 this privilege was extended to Atmaram Nadkarni during his earlier stint as the Advocate General of Goa. Over the years the list went on increasing to include the President of the Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission, Deputy Chairman of the Goa State Planning Board, Mayor of Panaji, President of Administrative Tribunal, Presiding officer of Labour Court, Director of Prosecution, State Election Commissioner, President of Children’s Court and the Principal Secretary for the State of Goa. These are the only persons currently permitted to use the red beacon. Most of these authorities can now hope to see their red beacon washed away in July when the Supreme Court cracks the whip. Others presently high handedly flashing the red beacon are doing so unauthorisedly and illegally. The list of these offenders is long and includes the Chairman of the Goa Law Commission, NRI Commissioner, Goa Zilla Parishad Chairpersons and Chairpersons of various Municipalities amogst others. A few years ago the then Chairman of the Goa State Pollution Board Dr L.U. Joshi started high handedly unauthorisedly using the red beacon. But fearing that the law would catch up with him the red beacon soon vanished. Now with the Supreme Court having shown the red card to misuse of the red beacon we may soon see a very trimmed list of those entitled to this privilege in the State of Goa. Aires Rodrigues T1 - B30, Ribandar Retreat Ribandar - Goa - 403006 Mobile: 9822684372
[Goanet] Mining does not help Goans- goanspirit.com -by Lionel Messias
Lion Roars - 2 April 22-28, 2013Mining doesn’t help GoansThey keep telling us how the tourism industry is our savior notwithstanding our firm dependence on St Francis Xavier. They said the same about the mining industry, only we discovered that some of the biggest gainers were a few of the men who turn out as your duly elected MLAs, and particularly even those who contested and lost. The thousands that get the fringe jobs because of the mining industry are largely migrant workers. Many of the barge owners too are non-Goans or politicians with deep pockets. And that goes for the barge crew too. Point is the tourism industry really doesn’t help you and I, the real aam aadmi. In other words, we the people without the SUVs, pony tails, designer clothes, Page 3 mentions and that swagger that comes with piles of cash.Point is also, tourism has also degraded Goa to the worst extent. Only, it has never been recognized as so. With the exception of perhaps two originally Goan owned 5-star hotels, all the rest are owned by big chains based outside Goa. If my memory services me correct, no Goan has built possibly even a single 3-star-upwards hotel in Goa in the last decade. On the other hand, take the case of the shack owners who literally have to beg for a license on which the government has put a cap and which as happened this year, were issued quite late in the day. But when it comes to licensing hotels, it matters little where you want to build one.Ordinary stakeholders can’t protest evenIn fact if you are an MLA like independent Rohan Khaunte it could be a breach of privilege if you protest outside his office, as come cab drivers found out this month. The Goa Speaker Rajendra Arlekar called it an attempt to intimidate Khaunte. The first time MLA invoked the cab drivers wrath when he said in a legislative debate that taxi drivers were fleecing customers, esapecially tourists. We ask where in India do cabbies not fleece you? Might we add that in Goa, they are also rude and bully you on the road. A millionaire businessman (assets: Rs 5,87,89,835/source: Association for Democratic Reforms) Khaunte has perhaps taken few cab rides in his life, so he wouldn’t know.Neither does tourismNot really. Here is a case that passes as the best example of both environmental degradation and that Goans do not get jobs in the hotel industry. The Goan Real Estate Pvt. Ltd, owners of Hotel Grand Hyatt, were investigated on August 29, 2012 for certain violations in Nashi and Pirabhat in Bambolim. The investigating agency was the supposedly toothless Coastal Zone Regulating Authority which issued a typical show cause notice (GCZMA/TIS/BAM/12-13/01/154 dated May 17, 2012). A year later and no action has been taken. Nada. Goanspirit learns that till date the GCZMA had not even asked them to give a verbal representation of their wrongdoings.The August (pun intended) inspection (we have the report) said this: “Illegal filling up of mud and have also dumped construction material at the site illegally. Dumped mud of approx. 9,000 sq mts. Illegally constructing a retaining wall of approximately 700 m”. The inspection report confirmed that the degradation was on “on the HTL (high tide line) of river Zuari”. What transpired was the GCZMA ordered “stop work at site with immediate effect.” But no action was taken.Now the GCZMA likes to appear toothless but that it is not, clearly. It was constituted by the Ministry of Environment Forests, Government of India on the direct orders of the Supreme Court to deal with violations of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification. The additional Collector and additional district magistrate in north and south Goa are the officers responsible for executing its directives. Read that as “carrying out demolition of unauthorized constructions in order to effectively tackle the serious problem of volations of CRZ Regulations and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986”.According to the CRZ Notification of 2011, the entire belt of 100 metres from the high tide line (HTL) of the river and 200 metres from the HTL from the sea is designated as the No Development Zone (NDZ) and hence no construction of any kind is permissible on this belt. Yet at item no. 9 of the site inspection report ‘Distance of seaward boundary from river/sea High Tide Line’ – the inspectors said, “On the HTL of River Zuari”. Clearly, this is a violation because “all re-construction/construction/development/repair between 200 m to 500 m of the HTL from the sea and 100 m from the river, require the prior approval of GCZMA under the CRZ Notification of 2011. It’s crystal clear. Yet the only NDZ violations that have ever faced the axe in Goa were those committed by small-timers as happened recently in Canacona and some years ago in Baga. No big company has so far had even the most blatant infraction demolished. None whatsoever and never
[Goanet] The man who keeps wells intact - thegoan.net
The periodic cleaning of residential wells is important and Austin Nicholas and team certainly do not muck around on the jobBharati Pawaskar / The Goan 27 April 2013 It was past eight pm when Cathy’s pet cat fell in to the neighbourhood well. Sadly her soft mew could not be heard. The next morning, all that was left was a bloated body floating in the water. While Cathy felt sorry for the poor cat that lost its life, her immediate concern was to remove the carcass and get the water cleaned. Enter Austin Nicholas of Austin Enterprises from Calangute who removed the cat and cleaned the water with H2O, a neem-based water cleanser as he believes that potassium permanganate, chlorine or other chemicals are harmful. Armed with degrees in mechanical, civil and software engineering, Nicholas chose to open his own company, ‘Austin Enterprises’ in 2004. “We have cleaned more than 500 wells in the last eight years,” boasts Nicholas adding that April and May is peak season for the team.“Wells link our healthy past to our hygienic future and we must preserve them,” he declares, reminiscing that Goa had abundant water in the past and each house was blessed with a well with enough water to sustain even large families through the summer. “The increasing thirst of the industry is taking a toll on the water table which is fast depleting,” he adds.In today’s modern set up, wells are neglected. Their importance is sidelined. Many a times old wells are filled in and closed to make way for new constructions. “This disturbs the ecology,” states Christopher Prim, a supervisor at Austin Enterprises and points out that over the years, the fissures in the well get clogged, thus resulting in a reduced water yield. Also sediments like mud, muck other debris, and even fish, frogs and turtles make the well water dirty and unsafe for drinking. “It is for this reason that wells must be cleaned regularly,” states Prim, who advises against putting fish or turtles in the well as their waste makes the water unsafe for consumption.“If a well is not cleaned for 10 years, there would be around 2,000 litres of muck accumulated at the bottom of the well,” calculates Nicholas adding that sometimes people lie about when the well was last cleaned. “In such cases, and especially if the well is more than eight metres deep, we do a fire test. (See box). Extremely narrow wells also pose a problem. The first person who goes down can suffocate and even go into a coma. Oxygen cylinders are costly and we can’t afford them, so we do manual fanning and keep an extra team ready in case of emergencies,” he expounds. Goans are attached to their wells and clean them regularly. They are a part of Goan life as we know it. Hopefully, more people will come forward and maintain their wells, which will be a big step towards water self-sufficiency in the state.
[Goanet] Matanhy Saldanha Memorial Football finals 28.4.13
Matanhy Saldanha Memorial Football finals 28.4.13 T B Cunha Sports Complex, Cansaulim Wilred Leisures SC, Curtorim v/s CRC Chinchinim http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk70/8691980324/in/photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk70/8691802138/in/photostream/ A short video clip – Football Finals http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5RJ9zIYJIY joego...@yahoo.co.uk for Goa NRI related info... http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/GOAN-NRI/ For Goan Video Clips http://youtube.com/joeukgoa In Goa, Dial 1 0 8 For Hospital, Police, Fire etc
[Goanet] Arossim beach - 28.4.13 (corrected)
Arossim beach http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk70/8690681619/in/photostream/ Little bridge – access to the beach http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk70/8690679617/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk70/8691792702/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk70/8690671401/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk70/8691788932/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk70/8690668601/in/photostream/ Lifeguard and his hut http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk70/8690676849/in/photostream/ the beach http://www.flickr.com/photos/joegoauk70/8690674831/sizes/l/in/photostream/ A short video clip 28.4.13 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0WABzQNxTM joego...@yahoo.co.uk for Goa NRI related info... http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/GOAN-NRI/ For Goan Video Clips http://youtube.com/joeukgoa In Goa, Dial 1 0 8 For Hospital, Police, Fire etc
[Goanet] House for sale in Cavellossim - Goa
House for sale in Goa 170 Sq meters. close to the main road. Cavelossim For more details Pls call +919920515640
[Goanet] Off topic: The joys of offshore banking
Folks, Strangely enough, tiny Cyprus seems to be sending the correct message to all those who send their money abroad so as to escape taxes. The message is: Pay your taxes at home and let the local economy benefit from your deposits or let the tax haven banks decide what to do with your money. Mervyn1650 -- The Bank of Cyprus, the island’s largest bank said it has converted 37.5% of deposits exceeding 100,000 euros into a Class A share, with an additional 22.5% held as a buffer for possible conversion in the future. Anther 30% will be temporarily frozen and held as a deposit. So the amount of money that has been taken from the Cyprus depositors is an all practicality almost their entire accounts. Major depositors funds have now been taken in grand style. Depositors everywhere are now defined as lenders to the banks. Today is a day of financial infamy. History will see this event as serious as the flushing of Lehman Brothers The flushing of Cyprus was done to steal massive funds from depositors. The major percentage of their funds taken were replaced by worthless stock in a bankrupt bank. Up to now everything in Cyprus was speculation as no definitive action had taken place. Now it has. Are you a depositor in your bank? Then know you are now lending your money to that bank with virtually no return. So the bank earns big money and you get none of it, but assume all of the risk. If the bank goes broke because of their criminal activities, you lose your money. From Jim Sinclair 28th April 2013
[Goanet] SEQC May Quiz
Hi all, The May Quiz of the Sunday Evening Quiz Club will be held on the 5th of May at 5 pm at the International Centre Goa, Dona Paula. The quiz will be hosted by Aniruddha Sen Gupta, and is open to all. For more details, log on to www.seqc.blogspot.com. Regards, Rajiv
[Goanet] Act against ex-sarpanch, secretary: Mayem locals
-- Samir Umarye BICHOLIM: Villagers of Mayem Vaiginim on Sunday decided that there will be no discussion on panchayat budget till a police complaint is filed against former sarpanch and secretary for allegedly ‘issuing and disappearing’ several NOCs given to a mining company in 2010. During the special gram sabha, some villagers raised the query regarding earlier resolution to file police complaint against the former sarpanch and secretary for allegedly issuing several No objection Certificates (NOCs) to the mining companies. The villagers asked the secretary if he managed to find the missing NOCs and sought to know how such documents could go missing from the panchayat. The secretary was unable to answer their questions. There was uproar over the issue and the villagers said they will not allow the panchayat to finalise the budget till NOCs are found. The villagers also sought why no complaint has been registered till date despite of the earlier resolution. Later, it was resolved that a formal complaint should be filed with Bicholim Police and only then discussion on budget be taken up. Discussion on alleged murder of Dilip Naik by a villager also took central stage. It was unanimously demanded with the law enforcing body to give death penalty to the accused for murder of Naik (42) in 2011. It may be recalled that South Goa Principal District Sessions Judge Nutan Sardesai on April 12 held Janardhan Kokre guilty of the gruesome death of Dilip Naik of Poriem. Accused Kokre was arrested by Ponda Police after a long delay due to failure in identifying the charred dead body of Dilip. The murder came to light when police recovered a charred body from a burnt jeep at Borkotto-Mollem on April 10, 2011, with the upper part of the body missing. Dilip had also gone missing on the same day.
[Goanet] Petits bourgeois naïfs (or, Of callow propositions and schemata)
Sundry Sunday thought (April 28, MMXIII): In India it is a summarily “chalta hai”** towards any concern that is raised about methodology, process; heck, quality assurance, or any process. Here, in my US ambit... http://venantiusjpinto.blogspot.com/2013/04/of-callow-propositions-and-schemata.html ++ vjp
[Goanet] Ladainh (Litany) in Latin
The ongoing preparations for Holy Cross Feast on 3rd May Ladin This was captured yesterday 28.4.13 Sing along Video 3 in 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASKkrlcWcMQ I Rosa mystica, Ora pro nobis Turris Davidica, Turris eburnea, Domus aurea, Foederis arca, Janua caeli, Stella matutina, Salus infirmorum, Refugium peccatorum, Consolatrix afflictorum, Auxilium Christianorum, Regina angelorum, ... Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: P Parce nobis, Domine. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: E Exaudi nos, Domine. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: M Miserere nobis. II – Regina (after Easter) Regina coeli, letare, alleluia Qui quem, meruisti portare alleluia Resurrexit. sicut dixit alleluia Ora pro, nobis Deum alleluia III (Konkani) Vatte voilea Khursa Vhoiru badill peddo Amchea pasot Jezu,Khursa melo - 2 Ankvan Sominnim hatak gatleai nille Tini marle Khille Jezu, Khursacheri - 2 Khusa Vhoilea Jezun Manu keli ankddi Maim-i zali babddi aplea putra sorxim - 2 Ruka vhoili saulli Khursacheri pauli Kai- borem mornu Jezu seputrari - 2 More of Ladin etc http://joegoauk-pointofview.blogspot.in/2009/02/saibinnichi-ladainh-latin-ani-konkani.html joego...@yahoo.co.uk For Goan Video Clips http://youtube.com/joeukgoa In Goa, Dial 1 0 8 For Hospital, Police, Fire etc
[Goanet] Four held for rape of mentally ill Mapusa woman
-- Samir Umarye BICHOLIM: Bicholim Police on Friday arrested four persons in connection with the rape of a 20-year-old mentally challenged woman from Mapusa. It may be recalled that woman was reported missing at the Mapusa Police station on April 14. The woman had left her residence to proceed to a temple on April 13, but when she did not return home till late evening, her father rushed to the police station and lodged a missing complaint and provided his daughter’s mobile number to the police. Police sources said they managed to obtain call details of the woman’s mobile phone number and traced her calls to Pradip Malik. The police traced Malik at Latambarcem and arrested him from a house, but did not find the victim. During the course of interrogation, Malik admitted that the woman had already left for Mapusa by public transport. Police immediately contacted the Karasvaddo Police outpost and asked them to stop the bus. The police intercepted the bus at Karasvaddo-Mapusa and asked the woman to alight from the vehicle. The police later arrested another accused, Chandrashekhar Malik, in connection with the case. When the victim’s statement was recorded on April 22 in the presence of NGOs and a psychiatrist, police was informed that she had been raped by four more persons at Mayem and Ladphem on April 18, after she was taken in a car to an isolated place. Police have arrested the four accused under Sections 365, 354, 342 and 376 read with 34 of IPC. They were later remanded to four days police custody. Bicholim PSI Razashad Shaikh is investigating the case under the guidance of PI Ninad Deulkar. and DySP Gajanan Prabhudesai.
