PARRIKAR WILL CONTEST ELECTIONS FROM PANJIM ONLY

PANJIM: The leader of the opposition and the city MLA, Mr Manohar Parrikar, on Wednesday, said that he would be contesting from the Panjim constituency, and only Panjim constituency.

Refusing to react to the recent announcement by the Education Minister and Taleigao MLA, Mr Atanasio Monserrate that this time, he would be contesting from Panjim, while his wife, Ms Jennifer Monserrate would be contesting from Taleigao, Mr Parrikar said that in a democratic set up any one is entitled to contest from Panjim constituency.  “However, I can speak for myself and I am going to contest from Panjim,” the city MLA reiterated.

Mr Monserrate, on the other hand said that he is ready to contest from Panjim, subject to the Congress decision of giving him a ticket to contest in the constituency.  “And I don’t think Congress would have any problem in giving me the ticket, as the successive Congress candidates have lost in this constituency on four occasions, and hence this is not a traditional Congress constituency,” he added, pointing out that contesting from Panjim would be on his own risk.  “As regards the reason behind my decision to contest from Panjim, I want to develop the capital city,” Mr Monserrate said, adding that the sitting MLA, and the leader of the opposition has done a little for Panjim.

“He was the chief minister of the state, during certain period of his long tenure as the Panjim MLA, but could not develop the capital city substantially,” he observed.  Mr Monserrate also stated that the people would now have a choice, between him and the sitting MLA of Panjim. “The voters of Panjim will have to decide between us, looking at the choices available,” he concluded.

APPEAL TO GOANS FOR UNITY by P. Cruz, Vasco da Gama

At present there is conflict between Congress-NCP about the Ministerial berth for Mickky, and the fight seems to be dragging between two camps. Just now I was watching the News on Local Television and there was an Interview of Mickky Pacheco.

He was saying that he is at the war with the Congress leaders and he will make 30 of the congress Leaders to lose the coming election. He will put 40 candidates and is cent percent sure that he will win at least 10 seats and will make 30 congress leaders to lose the election. How far this is true will come to know when the time comes for the election result.

Picture of Merculian from Benaulim sent by Diogo Fichardo

Churchill has given a statement that he has power even to put a small boy against Mickky and make that boy to win the election. And Mickky replied to this statement saying you know Merculian from Benaulim who comes for the football match and shouts Dempo… Dempo, to pit him against Churchill and make Merculian the Minister or MLA. So these are the cross allegations and counter attacks of the politicians.

Well, now they are divided and this is the best chance for Niz Goenkar to get together and work against them to bring the olden days of Goa back, so I appeal to each and every readers of this blog to be united and stand for the cause. I have to write this as the attacks are going on like pro Portuguese and anti Portuguese, Pro Liberation and Anti Liberation of Goa. If we look at the picture I do not feel we should be ruled by the Portuguese or we should be ruled by our corrupt politicians.

So instead of fighting amongst ourselves we should unite and form our own Government, i.e. Niz Goenkar government which will work for Goa.

I understand with the Portuguese gone the corruption has erupted and soared sky high and beyond repair, some of the Goans have suffered a lot under the Indian rule or at the hands of the Goan Politicians and they have right to say that Portuguese rule was better then present government.

I appreciate the way N. Fernandes writes and expresses himself, maybe he was the victim or his family or his neighbor or friend must have been victim of these corrupt politicians but there is lot of truth and wisdom in his writing.

I also appreciate Yogesh Marathe how he has distinguished and written the articles between the Portuguese and Indian Liberation. Every body has his mindset and as per his knowledge he has written what he wants. Also the commentators have expressed themselves very well and with lot of knowledge.

But where we are now? What is our cause? The answers are we are all fighting for 2nd Liberation of Goa against Corrupt politicians, so that is our aim and we need to stick to that. I appeal to all the Goans to forget the Portuguese and the difference during the liberation of Goa.

History cannot be repeated which is written on the books but we can write a new chapter in the history books of Goa, by uniting together and showing the door to the corrupt politicians. My sincere appeal to all the commentators and the writers that at present we are Goans and a part of India, we can fight for special status for Goa and the main point is to throw all the corrupt politicians out and dump them in the dust bins and to do this we have to be united.

FILE ON GOA LAW COMMISSION GOES MISSING

PANJIM: The official file pertaining to the formation of the Goa Law Commission headed by Mr. Ramakant Khalap has gone missing. This has been revealed in information furnished by the Law department to Adv. Aires Rodrigues under the Right to Information Act.

The Law department has informed Adv. Aires Rodrigues that it came to the notice of the department that the file was not traceable on the 20th October 2010, on the day Adv. Rodrigues had sought information under RTI about the Law Commission. The Law department has also informed that all efforts to locate and trace the file were futile.

The Law department has now issued a circular to heads of all departments to see whether the file had inadvertently been received by their department with a request to return the same at the earliest.

Adv. Aires Rodrigues has today stated that an enquiry needs to be initiated to investigate how this file has gone missing from the Secretariat despite there being a computerized File Management system in place.

Adv. Aires Rodrigues has stated that the very constitution of the Law Commission, being against all established norms and practice and headed by Mr. Ramakant Khalap, with rank and status of a cabinet minister was questionable.

Adv. Rodrigues has stated that all Law Commissions in the country are required to be headed by retired Supreme Court or High Court Judges with senior legal luminaries as members.

Adv. Rodrigues has stated that for the first time a Law Commission is headed by an active politician who is also a spokesman of the Congress party as well as Chairman of the Mapusa Urban Cooperative Bank of Goa while other members of the Commission are also not Senior Advocates.

“Is this the Goa Law Commission or the Congress Law Commission ? ” questioned Adv. Rodrigues while stating that being a former Law Minister is not a qualification or criteria for heading the State Law Commission.

Adv. Rodrigues has stated that it was shocking that a total expenditure of a whopping

Rs 42, 03, 029 was incurred by the Goa Government on the Law Commission from April 2009 to Nov 2010.

The Law commission headed by Mr. Ramakant Khalap with Margao based advocates Mr. Cleofato Coutinho and Mr. Mario Pinto Almeida was constituted by an order dated 20th January 2009 for a period of one year. At the request of Mr. Ramakant Khalap for an extension to complete the work, the term of the Commission was extended for a further period of two years by a by an order dated 5th April 2010.

How can a very active politician who is also Chairman of a bank ever find time to do justice to the Law commission, queried Adv. Rodrigues

BABUSH MONSERRATE READY TO CONTEST PANJIM SEAT

PANJIM: If the Congress agrees, education minister and Taleigao MLA Atanasio 'Babush' Monserrate will challenge opposition leader Manohar Parrikar to represent Panjim in the legislative assembly.

"Yes, I am ready to contest from Panjim," Monserrate said. He said he called on AICC general secretary in charge of Goa desk B K Hariprasad on Monday and offered to contest the Panjim seat.

"I told Hariprasad that the Congress has lost the seat in the last four elections. I will take the gamble and risk to wrest the seat for the Congress, if it so desires," the education minister said.  "I have told Hariprasad that the Congress will have nothing to lose. I will try hard," Monserrate said.

TENSIONS AT MOTI DONGOR LEADS TO ARREST OF FOUR, MORE ON LIST

MARGAO: Tension prevailed at Moti Dongor in Margao after two groups clashed on Tuesday evening. Four persons have been arrested by the Margao police so far and are on look out for more.

According to the police, Basher Shaik and seven others had restrained one Makbul Shaik Sirsi near Nagesh garden at Borda and later assaulted him with ‘dando’ and iron rod. Sirsi sustained head injuries in the process; he has been admitted to Hospicio Hospital, Margao.

After assaulting Sirsi, the group led by Bashir came to Moti Dongor and entered into arguments with the family members of Sirsi and also assaulted them with iron rods and wooden logs, the police informed adding the group used a Sumo jeep while moving from one place to another.

The police said that they have arrested Anwar Shaik, Lal Sab, Amin Bawar and Nabi Sabb while the main accused, Basher and others have not been arrested and search is on. Armed policemen have been posted at the clash site.

The police said that an offence under Sections 143, 147 and 341 of the IPC for forming unlawful assembly and assault has been registered against the accused adding they have recovered weapons like iron rods and wooden logs.

The police received the information after the situation became tense at Moti Dongor and police inspector, Mr Santosh Desai along with the PSI, Mr Nelesh Daigodker and other policemen rushed to the place and shifted the injured to Hospicio Hospital, Margao.

Those injured include Movsar Sagur, Azrat Ali, Hassan Dadamani, Shaik Siddi, Bashir Ahmed, Basher Ahmed, Mustaq Ahmed, and Anwer Sahab.  The police said that statements of injured have been recorded and have attached the jeep used in the offence and more vehicles are to be seized.

RAVI NAIK SILENT ON POLICE-POLITICIAN-DRUG NEXUS

PANJIM: A Congress legislator and top cricket official in Goa on Tuesday said state home minister Ravi Naik and the police chief were mute spectators when it came to handling the investigation pertaining to the police-politician-drug mafia nexus.

Police had implicated him by booking him for criminal conspiracy, Goa Cricket Association (GCA) president Dayanand Narvekar told reporters three days after he was charged with forging his son’s birth certificate four times to facilitate his eligibility for a state level under-15 team.

”Going by this logic, tomorrow someone will demand that a criminal conspiracy case be lodged against the home minister and the DGP (director general of police) in the police-drug nexus as they were silent spectators to the happenings all this while,” he said.

Naik and the police force have been accused by the opposition and even the ruling Congress of colluding with the drug mafia and watering down cases against two Israeli drug dealers who were arrested earlier.

One of the drug dealers, Yaniv Benaim alias Atala, has also been linked to Naik’s son, Roy. Narvekar also questioned the logic behind the police booking his son for conspiracy.

”How could my son conspire when he was just a toddler? He was just two when the certificates were allegedly forged,” said Narvekar, a former vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The former deputy chief minister, his son Ganeshraj, wife Sushma and relative Ravindra Chodankar have been booked for forgery, criminal conspiracy and using as genuine a forged document. – IANS

MICKKY REJECTED BY CONGRESS FROM INCLUSION INTO CABINET

PANJIM: After days of haggling and bowing to internal pressure from rebels, the Congress on Monday outrightly rejected the NCP demand to reinduct Benaulim MLA Francisco ‘Mickky’ Pacheco into the Digambar Kamat cabinet. AICC general secretary in charge of Goa desk B K Hariprasad said, “It would be problematic for the government considering the thin majority it has.” NCP, however, has not given up its demand and still wants the former tourism minister back in the ministry.

Referring to the charges against Pacheco in connection with the death/suicide of Nadia Torrado, Hariprasad after a 90-minute meeting with PWD minister Churchill Alemao and nine other MLAs who had threat ened to topple the government if Pacheco was re-inducted said, “They are charges in connection with the death of a woman,” adding that they are of a serious nature and Pacheco had not been cleared of them as yet.

Asked why the Congress was following different norms for its ministers in that case, Hariprasad said categorically, “The Congress policy is clear. If any minister belonging to the Congress haa murder charge, he will have to go.” Hariprasad said Alemao and the other MLAs including some ministers explained the “consequences” of getting Pacheco back into the cabinet. They have asked for status quo to be maintained in the ministry, he said.

Asked how Pacheco’s induction would affect the government when Congress has 20 MLAs in the house of 40, Hariprasad said, “Goa has a thin majority and Congress doesn’t want to lose the government or even harm the government.”

Politically, Goa is a sensitive state, the Congress observer said, adding, “Goa is an unpredictable state as far as politics goes. We are very clear, we don’t want to induct Mickky and this will be conveyed to the NCP high command.” (TNN)

GOA PORTUGAL's PROVINCE TO INIDIA’s COLONY brought to you by Franco Fernandes

A year after Indian troops ended Portugal's 451-year rule over its tiny colony of Goa on India's west coast, native Goans were longing last week for the good old days of Portuguese Rule.

Under the Portuguese, Goa's virtually duty-free status had ensured it a higher standard of living than neighboring India. Goan Teachers and minor Goan Government officials, paid nearly three times as much as their counterparts in India, Goans could easily afford such imported luxuries as Belgian sausage and $2-a-bottle Scotch whisky. Field Goan laborers carried transistor radios, and peasant Goan women dabbed their ears with Chanel No. 5. A steady stream of ships carried high-grade Goan ore to Europe as well as Japan. "All you had to do to make money," said one Goan trader, "was to type a few letters."

But after the Invasion of Goa brought Goa under the control of India's austerity economy and stifling bureaucracy. About the same time, foreign demand for Goa’s iron ore slumped; production dropped from 1,000,000 tons in 1961 to 650,000 tons last year. Wage scales were adjusted downward to an Indian scale, but the cost of living climbed by 3%. Indian import restrictions abruptly cut off the flow of foreign goods, bankrupting many small merchants, and forcing Goans to pay more for Indian merchandise of a lesser quality.

Hesitant Indian officials referred even minor bureaucratic decisions to New Delhi, where they became lost in a labyrinth of red tape. It was over a year before local Goan merchants were allowed to pick up goods imported and paid for before the Invasion , by which time much of the stuff had rotted away on the docks of Mormugão harbor. Though Portugal did give Goa a considerable amount of local autonomy. Under New Delhi's rule, Goa hoped at least to become a separate state. But the neighboring Indian states of Mysore and Maharashtra, covetous of Goa's economic potential and of Mormugão harbor, which is one of the finest harbors on the subcontinent, have each begun a campaign to annex it.

All in all, morale is low. Grumbled one Goan bitterly: "Under the Portuguese we were considered a province. Under Indian Rule, to our surprise, we find we are treated like a colony."

MICKKY SAYS HE WILL NOT COMPROMISE ON NUVEM SEAT

MARGAO: Former Tourism Minister, Mickky Pacheco has asserted that he will not compromise on his decision to contest the coming Assembly polls from Nuvem constituency.  “I want to make categorically clear that in politics I will not compromise with anyone. I will contest only in Nuvem. This is my constituency as I have the right to cast my vote in this constituency”, he told newsmen on Tuesday.

The Benaulim MLA has said that his party has given him clear instructions to identify and groom candidates for all the 40 constituencies. “I am in the process of identifying good candidates who will support the cause of Goa and Goans”, he added. The former Tourism Minister said that the Congress cannot defy the NCP decision to induct him in the Digambar Kamat Cabinet.

Saying that it is the prerogative of the Chief Minister to induct Ministers in the Ministry if the government is run by a single party, Mickky reminded that the government in Goa is a coalition between the Congress and the NCP and the Congress leaders cannot refuse his induction in the Ministry. “The Congress cannot defy the NCP instructions, especially after party supremo Sharad Paward ordered my induction in the cabinet”, he asserted.

Saying that he is a loyal soldier of the NCP, Pacheco said he would abide by the NCP decision on the issue.

Refuting allegations made by Congress leaders that he is involved in a murder case, Mickky said there’s not even a chargesheet filed against him in the Nadia death case. “Where is the murder case. Nadia’s death is a suicide case. And the crime branch have only made baseless charges”, he said and lashed out at the Congress leaders accusing them being involved in a host of criminal cases.

“The whole word know which Minister is involved in extortion, attempt to murder, convicted for payment of fines et al. I need not tell the people of Goa about the antecedents of these Ministers”, he added.

Saying that he is keeping his fingers crossed over his induction, Mickky challenged the Congress leaders to ask for dissolution of the Assembly and fresh election to seek fresh mandate from the people. “If they have the guts, let them propose dissolution of the Assembly and go for fresh polls. I will tell my NCP leaders that the party should go alone by fielding candidates in all the 40 seats. God and the people of Goa are with me and they will give NCP a clear cut mandate”, he said.

Saying the Congress leaders are afraid of his growing popularity in the state, Mickky further claimed that the Congress Ministers kept him out of the Cabinet as they knew that their skeletons will come out of their cupboards once he was inside the Ministry.

“I have proved that I am not corrupt during my tenure as a Minister. These ministers are afraid that their misdeeds will come out if I am in the Cabinet”, he said and exuded confidence that people of Goa would trust him to give them a good government in the coming polls.

OWNER FOILS THEFT AT MARGAO JEWELLRY SHOP

MARGAO: Attempt by a gang of four to lift gold ornaments from a jewellery shop at Gandhi market on Monday was foiled, after police arrested one woman from the gang and recovered the stolen items found on her.

The police revealed the name of the accused arrested as Kalpana Shinde, aged about 35 years, and a resident of Ulhasnagar, Thane.

According to police sources, three women accompanied by one male member, entered the jewellery shop and began making inquiries with the shopkeeper pretending to be interested in buying some of the gold jewellery. While the rest kept the shopkeeper engaged in sales talk, Shinde pinched some jewellery and attempted to flee. Suspecting the theft of some items, the shopkeeper raised an alarm. The other three also tried to make good their escape, but the people managed to nab Shinde and hand her over to the police. The Margao town police have booked an offence against Shinde.

POLICE CAUGHT RED HANDED FOUR THIEVES

PORVORIM: In an unusual incident, police arrested four persons and recovered stolen booty even before a complaint was lodged regarding the burglary.  Porvorim police have arrested four persons in connection with theft of gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 1.24 lakh.

According to reports, Manohar Korgaonker of Porvorim and his family had gone out at about 11 am on December 27. At around 1 pm, a police team happened to be passing near the house when they noticed a man leaving the house with a bag.

Police intercepted him and during interrogations, the man reportedly confessed to the theft of gold and silver ornaments. He also disclosed the identity of his accomplices. Police immediately arrested them and recovered the stolen goods.

Korgaonker later returned home at 5 pm and noticed that the window grills had been bent and that burglars had ransacked his house and had stolen valuables. He went to the police station and lodged a complaint stating that burglars had stolen four gold bangles, a gold necklace, a ring, silver coins and silver `Attardani’, all worth Rs 1.24 lakh.

He later found out that police had already arrested the culprits and had recovered the goods, before the complaint was filed. Police has arrested Umesh Reddy, Geeta Reddy and Santosh Reddy, all from Tamil Nadu and Shanker Reddy from Andhra Pradesh in this connection.

LEGAL NOTICE GIVES GOA AG SUBODH KANTAK 48 HOURS TO COMPLY WITH RTI ACT

PANJIM: Adv. Aires Rodrigues today served a legal notice on Goa’s Advocate General Mr. Subodh Kantak calling upon him to forthwith comply with the provisions of the Right to Information Act.

Adv. Aires Rodrigues has given Goa’s Advocate General 48 hours to comply with all the provisions of the RTI Act including the designating of Public Information Officers in his office as was required under the Act or face legal proceedings.

Reminding Mr. Subodh Kantak that the RTI act was enacted to promote transparency and accountability, Adv. Rodrigues has drawn the Advocate General’s attention that though the Right to Information Act became law on 15 June 2005 that the Advocate General has not complied with the provisions of the Act for over five years.

Adv. Rodrigues has in his notice stated that the Advocate General is a “Public authority” as defined in section 2 (h) of the RTI Act 2005, being a constitutional authority constituted under the Constitution of India

Adv. Rodrigues has in his notice drawn the attention of the Advocate General that as a public authority he was required under Section 5 of the Act to designate within 100 days of the Act having become law Public Information Officers to provide information under the Act to persons requesting the same from the AG’s office.

Adv. Rodrigues has also stated that Section 4 the act required the Advocate General to publish and make public within one hundred and twenty days various information details on the Advocate General’s office.

Expressing surprise that the Advocate General had not complied with these provisions of the Act as required, Adv. Rodrigues has stated that as Advocate General holding a Constitutional post Mr. Subodh Kantak should have led by example by duly complying with the provisions of the RTI Act.

Adv. Rodrigues in his notice to the Advocate General has also stated that failure to comply with the provisions of the Act for over five years was a matter of concern given that Mr. Subodh Kantak was the First law officer of the State.

Adv. Rodrigues has also stated that not complying with the RTI Act by the Advocate General as was required was unreasonable, malafide and without reasonable cause.

EVEN THE GOVERNOR'S HAIRCUT IS PAID FOR BY THE TAX PAYER by Adv. Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar

With the Goa Governor Dr. S.S.Sidhu not complying with the RTI Act, we have the constitutional head of the State himself violating the law. Governor Sidhu who is otherwise a highly respected senior retired bureaucrat has let us all down.

If the Governor claims he is not a Public authority, he needs to tell us what he is. How does he justify the crores of rupees being spent on his upkeep and that of his official residence, the sprawling Raj Bhavan which has 136 staff in addition to the over 100 security personnel. Even the Governor’s haircut is being paid by the State exchequer. It is all digging very deep into the pockets of Goa’s Aam Aadmi.

MICKKY PACHECO HUNGRY FOR MINISTERIAL BERTH

PANJIM: Breaking his silence over the political crisis in Goa triggered by his proposed re-induction in the Cabinet, controversial NCP legislator Fransisco Mickey Pacheco on Monday said it is the prerogative of his party to make him a minister and Congress should not interfere in it.

"It's a prerogative of the Chief Minister to induct any Minister if the Government is of single party. But here in Goa, we have a pre-poll alliance with the Congress and hence they should respect the views of NCP," he said today.

The tainted MLA is in the news after a group of Congress legislators opposed his re-induction in the Cabinet on the ground that he was facing criminal cases.

Congress General Secretary in-charge of Goa B K Hariprasad has said the return of Pacheco would be problematic for the party, which is heading a coalition government.

Pacheco, who had maintained silence over the issue for nearly a fortnight, said he is surprised the way Congress legislators "ganged up" against him.

"They talk of a murder case against me. It's a fabricated case. The way everyone ganged up against me proves that they are afraid of my presence in the Cabinet," the former Tourism Minister said.

Pacheco stepped down in June after his name was embroiled in the controversy related to death of his friend Nadia Torrado. The 46-year-old lawmaker said his re-induction has been decided by NCP high command after much deliberation.

"I am thankful to NCP high command for selecting my name for Ministership," he said, adding Congress will have to respect NCP as the two political parties are allies. – PTI

POLICE TO MAINTAIN STRICT VIGILANCE ON SUNBURN FIESTA

PANJIM: Every breath blown, every move made, every step taken during the three-day Sunburn Goa electronic music fest, will be watched by men in uniform. There will be one uniformed policeman at the venue for every 10 persons dancing to the tunes of the world's best names in electronic music.

While granting approval for the Sunburn festival starting Monday, the state home department insisted that only 2,000 people at a time be allowed entry to the venue and 200 cops in uniform be posted within. Also people will not be able to smoke there as the venue has been declared a 'no -smoking zone'. Anyone wanting to light a cigarette would have to do so at a special smoking lounge at the venue which would be continuously monitored by the police.

"A police outpost should be set up near the stage for 200 uniformed policemen," the home department said. It further said, "A special smoking lounge be set up in a non-public identified area which will be continuously monitored by the police department. In all other areas "No-smoking zone" boards should be prominently installed." The permission granted on December 23 is signed by under secretary home, G P Dangui with directions to the DGP to ensure necessary security arrangements and that law and order is maintained.

The organizer's PR agents, Percept Ltd joint managing director Shailendra Singh, however, said that over three days 15,000 people are expected to participate at the festival. Of these 1,500 will be on the VIP lawn. Singh added that the organizers will try their best to stick to the law and conditions imposed by the state government. "Our unconditional endeavour is to ensure safety of the people," Singh said. Though he did not make a reference to uniformed policemen, he said plainclothes policeman along with their narcotic patrol officers and sniffer dogs will keep a check on drugs which are banned at the venue.

Earlier in a report to the government, police had advised the authorities to ensure that the organizers be granted permission for the festival only if the cops' conditions are met. Sources said police wanted to ensure there is no sale of drugs at the venue as the department was targeted last year after 23-year-old Meha Bahuguna of , who was last seen partying at the festival, allegedly died of a drug overdose after consuming angel dust, a hallucinogenic drug. Also in the wake of intelligence inputs on suspected terrorist activity in the West coast during the Christmas and New Year season, following which the police have been put on alert, the state authorities are not willing to take any chances. (TNN)