RULES TO STOP ILLEGAL MINING IN THE STATE:PAC

PANJIM: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by the leader of the opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar, on Friday, directed the department of mines to make use of its powers under Section 23(C) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, so as to formulate rules for putting a leash on illegal mining in the state, and come out with the related order or notification at the earliest.

The states around the country, under the particular Section have been given powers to frame rules for curbing illegal mining and regulating transportation as well as storage of minerals.

Addressing a press conference in his chamber at the Goa legislative assembly complex, after holding a hearing with the officials of the department of mines, the leader of the opposition said that the Public Accounts Committee is seized of the year 2005-2006 report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, which indicated a royalty loss to the state exchequer as linked to around 1 crore tonne of mineral between the period 2003 and 2005.

“This amounted to a loss of around ` 20 to 25 crore, as per the rate of the mineral prevalent at that time,” he added, pointing out that the officials of the department of mines, when asked to come out with related justification, expressed their inability to explain the gaps in the revenue by way of royalty on the mineral.

Speaking further, Mr Parrikar said that the legal mines operational in Goa are not regulated by the department of mines, and hence the DoM officials were told to enforce some regulations for the time being, until the State Mining Policy comes out.

“The moment legal mining is regulated in the state, the DoM will be able to trace the illegal mines easily,” he noted.

“The reports from the district Collectors inform about 15,000-odd trucks regularly carrying mining extract on roads in the Sanvordem-Sanguem-Rivona belt, and to make the matters worse, the conditions of these roads are pathetic,” the leader of the opposition added, stating that as per the rough estimate of the PAC, at least 25 per cent of the drivers of these trucks have no licenses.

“The committee has already directed the enforcers of the law to act sternly against such unlicensed drivers without favour or fear,” Mr Parrikar mentioned, pointing out that a review sub-committee headed by the Fatorda MLA, Mr Damodar Naik will follow up these directions. “In addition, district Collectors have been told to enforce legal provisions, as also the Deputy Inspector General of Police directed to put up a special officer for the purpose,” he revealed, further stressing that only those many trucks, which the available roads can endure, would be allowed to run on them.

The leader of the opposition also maintained that after the mineral transportation between Goa and Karnataka was banned by the Karnataka government, a number of trucks involved in this transportation flooded Goa.

“And many of the drivers of these trucks are untrained, thus turning the vehicles into murder vehicles,” he observed.

On a parting note, Mr Parrikar said that there has been definitely loss of revenue to the state government due to illegal mining, and that there was no proper infrastructure with the department of mines to control the same.

“Apart from illegal mining, the two aspects which hound the people are overloading of mining vehicles and their unlicensed drivers, which should be tackled on priority,” he concluded.  Replying to a question, Mr Parrikar retorted that the current Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat was the Minister for Mines during the Bharatiya Janata Party regime in the state.

AIRES TO RELEASE MANIFESTO FOR WARD NO 30 ON 26TH FEB

PANJIM: Adv. Aires Rodrigues has today stated that the people’s manifesto for Ward No 30 of the Corporation of City of Panjim would be released on Saturday February 26th at 5.30 pm at Ribandar.  Stating that Ward No 30 located at Ribandar which is 5 kms away from Panjim has conveniently remained neglected over the years, Adv. Rodrigues has stated that this step motherly treatment to the residents of Ribandar could not be allowed.

Adv. Rodrigues has stated that he had decided to contest the March 13th CCP polls with an endeveaour to turn Ward No 30 into the best ward of CCP.

Adv. Rodrigues has further stated that a 10 member committee of local citizens would plan and monitor the problems and development works in the ward while also ensuring quality control of every development activity carried out in the ward.

Adv. Rodrigues has stated that it would be his goal to ensure that all the grievances of the local people are redressed at Ribandar itself without the people having to travel with their problems to an already very congested Panjim.

While also ensuring that the ward No 30 becomes garbage and plastic free, Adv. Rodrigues has stated that his focus would be on zero tolerance to any corruption or nepotism at the Corporation of City of Panjim.

Adv. Rodrigues has stated that the Citizens of Panjim and Ribandar were entitled to transparency and accountability in every paisa spent from the coffers of CCP.

Meanwhile, an Independent candidate Mrs. Rima Vincente today withdrew her nomination paper in favour of Adv. Aires Rodrigues. Ward No 30 will now witness a four cornered contest.

FUNDS FOR CARNIVAL CELEBRATIONS STILL IN QUESTION

PANJIM: With tourism minister Nilkanth Halarnkar and director Swapnil Naik in US to promote destination Goa, and government funds for Carnival celebrations still in question, the successful organization of one of the industry's major attractions has come under a cloud.

Stating it will not be in a position to host this year's carnival parade in the state capital on March 5 unless it receives government funding, the Panjim Carnival Committee on Thursday asked the tourism department to deposit funds it sought by February 28.

Carnival organizers have also postponed all decisions with regard to the float parades until the government clarifies whether it will hike the funding or not. Carnival organizers in Panjim said the committee cannot take any decision as it is unsure on the budget it is working on.

"The tourism minister and director will return by March 4. The parade in Panjim is on March 5. We cannot go ahead with the tendering process for setting up the carnival infrastructure as we do not know the budget this has to be based upon. Secondly, as the government asked us to seek private sponsors, we did so and now we cannot go back on our word," the committee member said.

Last month the state government had slashed funding on this year's Carnival festivities and decided to give the Panjim Carnival Committee .Rs 4 lakh, while Margao, Vasco, Mapusa and Ponda committees were sanctioned.Rs 3 lakh each.

CASE AGAINST PARRIKAR CLOSED BY CBI

PANJIM: Opposition leader Manohar Parrikar on Thursday received a major boost as his campaign to wrest control of the state capital's civic body gathers steam.  The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has decided to close the case against the former chief minister in the alleged 2004 IFFI infrastructure scam on grounds that there is no sufficient evidence to prosecute him.

Union personnel and public grievances minister V Narayanaswamy informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday of this decision.

PARRIKAR STOPS SHORT OF LANDING A KILLER PUNCH AT CONGRESS

PANJIM: State BJP leader Manohar Parrikar seems to share the predicament of party stalwart L K Advani when it comes to stopping short of landing a killer punch on the Congress.  Advani last week apologized and distanced himself from the claims of a party task force, which suggested that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had money stashed in foreign bank accounts.

The situation could seem somewhat familiar to the politically savvy in Goa where Parrikar, who heads the BJP's good governance cell, has failed to pin the responsibility of the illegal mining scourge on Congress CM Digambar Kamat, who is also the state's minister for mines.

Parrikar has instead vigorously accused a police inspector and other mines department officials for the plunder.

When BJP's secretary in charge of the Goa desk Arti Mehra was asked-shortly after she took over the organizational position-to comment on why the party leaders in the state had failed to make the scam taint stick on local Congress leaders, she first said the issue would be looked into.

"I discussed it with my leaders here and they say the local media is not naming the ruling politicians in their reports even when our leaders are exposing scams," she said during a later interaction.

Very few people have been able to clinically dissect the scams in Goa's mining sector better than Parrikar, who has proven that nearly 18% of the 40-million-tonne ore exported from the state was illegally extracted. But he hasn't gunned for Kamat.

He has also been reluctant to name the CM (also the state's finance minister), in a multi-million rupee excise scam, wherein consignments carrying millions of litres of alcohol have disappeared.

He, instead, chose to zero in on a state civil service officer and excise commissioner Sandip Jacques for the scam. Excise Commissioner Sandip Jacques for the scam. Jacques is now posted as an officer on special duty to the CM.

Parrikar's silence on a panel of municipal corporators backed by education minister Atanasio Monserrate is telling. While the BJP leader has voiced the alleged corrupt practices of the ruling corporators in the Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP), he has rarely dragged Monserrate into the controversy.

Said a senior BJP leader, "The cadre is confused. Parrikar's inability to take on the battle to these ruling MLAs in their bastions, despite our repeated exposes in the ministries run by these people is sending wrong signals to our cadre."

GOA GOVERNOR ‘S PLEA FOR CONSTITUTIONAL IMMUNITY: VERDICT ADJOURNED TO 14TH MARCH

PANJIM: The Goa Chief Information Commissioner Mr. Motilal Kenny today adjourned to 14th March his verdict on Goa Governor Dr. Shivinder Singh Sidhu’s  plea for constitutionally immunity in the RTI case filed against him by Adv. Aires Rodrigues.

Adv. Aires Rodrigues’s complaint against Governor Sidhu follows the stand taken by the Raj Bhavan that the Governor of Goa is not a public authority and does not come within the purview of the RTI Act.

Adv. Rodrigues had sought from Raj Bhavan under the Right to Information Act details of action taken on the complaints made by him to the Governor of Goa against Advocate General of Goa Mr. Subodh Kantak.  Adv. Rodrigues had also sought copies of noting sheets and correspondence pertaining to the processing of his complaints against the Advocate General.

In his petition before the State Information Commission,  Adv. Aires Rodrigues has stated that the office of the Governor is a constitutional post within the definition of “Public authority” under section 2 (h) (a) of the RTI Act. Adv. Rodrigues has stated that as the Governor is a public authority Raj Bhavan was bound to furnish the information sought and that the refusal was unreasonable, malafide and without reasonable cause.

Meanwhile, Rashtrapati Bhavan has forwarded to the Union Home Ministry the complaint filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues against Dr. Sidhu continuing as Governor even after his five year term having ended.

Adv. Rodrigues had drawn President Pratibha Patil’s attention that Governor Sidhu was continuing in office for over 18 months after his official five year term as Governor has ended on 5th August 2009.

Adv. Rodrigues has questioned as to how Governor Sidhu continues to hang on at Goa’s Raj Bhavan on an illegal extension making it a sheer mockery of the provisions of the Indian Constitution.

FISH MONGERS OF VALPOI CAUSE NUISANCE ON THE ROAD: WOES OF CHURCH GOERS by Menino Fernandes

The biggest hazard to the Church goers in Valpoi is the Fish Market run on the road. Though there is an existing market shed the fishmongers do not sit inside it but prefer to sit on the road and sell the fish just outside the market shed. This is the only road that leads the Catholics to the church on week days as well as Sundays.

It stinks all along the road and one gets the aroma of the fish even inside the Church. The situation during the monsoons is worst; one can hardly step on the road. Repeated requests to these sellers of fish have fallen on deaf ears.

Though the shed Market exists still the fisher folk refuse to sit inside. Many complaints were lodged at the Valpoi Municipal Council, but the Municipal authorities too pay a deaf ear to the plight of the Church Goers and those walk by. A number of times the Municipal Authorities that came to the area to attend the complaint,  would take bribe and disappear. No action till date has been taken.

The fish mongers know that they can easily bribe the Municipal officials and get away with it. I myself acted many a times but all my efforts were in vain. Two days they would move in the market on the third day they would be seen sitting on the road again lined up.

In addition to this they also dump the fish waste into the Church property, inspite of several warnings not to do so.

The photographs will speak for themselves. No one seems to be bothered about this. But this plight of ours seems to be overlooked. The Valpoi Municipality which lives on bribery is least bothered.

The only closest access to the people from Ward No. 3 going to the Church is this road that is used as a fish market. As the people come to the Church from Ward No3, in fact the whole KRISTANV WADDO by the time they reach inside the Church they would smell of fish themselves. Every Chief Officer that came to Valpoi has never bothered to do away with this menace.

The elected representative or those known as COUNCILLORS are totally bribery prone. The present Chairperson Umesh Gulelkar who was previously the Vice Chairperson used to come around and take away free fish from the fish mongers there by he never allowed any action against this fish selling outside the market complex.

Umesh Gulelkar was seen taking away fish free by myself a couple of times and when I enquired with the lady selling fish if he had paid she cursed and said that he mostly does not pay for the fish he takes. But she said at least because of him they can sell the fish sitting outside the Market complex.

Such are the current Councillors who are elected to the Municipality, who cannot do away with this hindrance especially to the Church goers. Now as a chairperson I am sure that he must be enjoying abundantly, a man with little knowledge and basic education a nut that runs the Valpoi Municipality will never help the Catholics walk to the Church on a clean road, Road which is made for people to walk on is being used to sell fish despite the existing market shed.

WHERE IS GOA GOING? OR IS IT ALREADY GONE? by Fr. Antonio Rodrigues

I am not referring to the territory of GOA which, it is said, Parasuram got it from the gods by getting the Ocean to recede from the Ghats up to the line where his arrow "bann" would fall, presently known as Bannaule (Port:Benaulim), I am referring not to the territory but to the culture which is known as the Goan Culture and which actually stands for Goa.

People from all over the world flock to Goa not so much for the sake of its land and shores as the agents and some writers portray on the papers but specially foreign people and outsiders flock to Goa rather because of its culture which makes Goa different and attractive in comparison to other parts of India.

There is warm sun shine and healthy air and white sand not only in Goa. For example Chennai has got one of the beautiful white sand beaches one would admire, the Marina Beach, but one cannot go for a stroll on it neither may one sit quietly anywhere on it. Why? Because of the culture of the people who do not keep it clean and usable. There is a beautiful white sand beach just outside Goa in Karwar with lots of tube lights to illumine it but no one may take a walk nor go and sit on it. Why? Because the culture of the people there does not allow it to be used for walks, games or leisure. At Benares or Varanasi where the River Ganga gives a vast turn, in the evening the sunset is really beautiful but one cannot go to the river bank for a stroll for one is unable to walk on the bank and why? Because the culture of the people there do not keep it clean for use.

This is a serious affair and we, all genuine Goans ought to reflect seriously on it, the precious Goan culture we have inherited. When we were born in Goa the land where we were born did not make much difference. What did make the difference is the culture we absorbed from our parents, in the midst of our families. When we were born our minds were blank, we did not know a thing, we could not recognize even our mother and father, but the way we perceived the touch that cared for us, and the one who cared for and fed us and embraced us lovingly, the sounds we heard, the ways of dealing with one another we imbibed the values which were imbued into us, formed the world view and the resulting culture of Goa which finally made us to be what we are in later life.

For any intelligent observer this Goan culture is based on the Ten Commandments of God which are encapsulated in the two Commandments of love of God above all things and love of neighbour as God wants it. This is the culture, really Goan culture which is so powerful and effective that it embraced and influenced all Goans whether Hindu, Muslim or Christian. This is the culture that made the difference between the behaviour of Goans, no matter what faith they belonged to, and the non Goans living elsewhere in India. This is the culture which made us trust one another even to keep our windows open though we had no grills at the time and the doors unlocked. This is the culture which made parents who had no male siblings in the house, entrust their delicate and beautiful daughters to the care of a chaperon who took them to functions, even to dances and brought them back safe and unmolested. And this is the Goan culture which became known throughout the world for example in San Paolo,Brazil, Brazilians pointed that difference to me referring to the Goans settled there, and this is the Goan culture which made or led the foreign mothers from highly developed Nations to entrust their precious daughters to goans without any qualms of conscience. But oh shame and misery I never dreamt of! to find these mothers instead of being thanked and honoured for making us aware of what our Goan culture really was and what it is turning out today, shame and misery I say and repeat it, to find among us individuals who instead of thanking them, judge and condemn them! to the point of saying publicly that a woman is 'after all only a chunk of flesh"! How could we go so low in our standards!

If we need even more evident proof of what our Goan Culture is, we can take our 'Manddo'. Manddo is both a song and dance. We all love it. But did we ever reflect on the way the dance of Manddo takes place? How respectfully the lady is invited by the gent to the floor. The way they dance without ever coming in close contact with one another. How the lady is dressed, with a long colourful dress known as the 'pano bajoo' Compare this way of dancing to both Indian dance and the western dance and one who is a serious, unbiased observer will readily acknowledge that there are some precious values behind or rather which led the Goan people to invent this type of dancing, an evident symbol of the typical Goan culture.

Today many of us who feel unbearable revulsion from our guts upwards and are revolting and feeling really disgusted by the way our typical culture is being ruined and how Goa is being disgraced in the eyes of the whole world, instead of burying our heads in the sand or instead of trying to run away from the miserable situation, we got to get together, we are bound to gather our wits and enforce regional parties formed of genuine Goans who care, barring all others though Goans and opulent but who do not care for our culture. It is hard for me to say, but yes, fact cannot be denied that all this misery has been spawning during the last few decades when the National Parties, have been ruling Goa. Time has come to foster our own regional ones. The National Parties which have been ruling Goa for some decades now, have only promoted one way or another the decadence of our culture for apparently such Parties rule Goa from outside ignoring what Pandit Nehru had said that our Goan identity was to be preserved. Are we to close our eyes and ears when for example, the law about the Casinos is being openly flaunted: aren't these to be off shore? Are these now off shore? Instead of enforcing the law, a dock has been built to keep Casinos very near the shore. What a shame! So many Villages of Goa are being plundered by those in power, taking bribes to allow mega-projects despite genuine villagers' objections. For allowing mega-projects bribes are taken but there are no bribes to improve the infrastructure so nothing is done about improving the infrastructure for there is no one to give bribe there! What a shame! The paddy fields which are going to be most needed today specially due to the universal economic meltdown and the resulting in un- employment are not cared for. Surely just as in foreign lands, many of our educated individuals wearing their hats and boots can use a tractor and make those fields yield plenty of precious food which is becoming scarce and costly. Lawyers are being bought. Those who stand and protest the wrongs, these are being prosecuted. What a travesty of justice. All injustice is being covered up, Justice being compromised, use of drugs and free sex being promoted all because there is an inflow of hard cash. Vote-Banks are fostered. By shouting out that in Politics there are no permanent friends and foes loyalty goes unrewarded and is replaced with disloyalty. In this miserable situation I appeal to all genuine Goans who care to come forward and promote honest and straight individuals who will not bend to the allure of corruption, and reinforce the Regional Parties. Providentially we got two Regional Parties now, the Su-Raj mostly in the North and the UGDP mostly in the South and thus get ourselves ready to heal the bleeding wounds of the honest Goans and generate the force needed to bring about the needed change. Here is where gifted man Dr.Oscar Rebello with the powerful GBA movement he spearheaded can and should discover, encourage the right individuals, genuine and dedicated Goans, men and women of integrity, who will definitely bring about this change.

FR. ANTONIO RODRIGUES C.Ss.R.

ALTO PORVORIM.GOA.403 521

dasyagoa@yahoo.co.in

Introduction:

Fr. Antonio Rodrigues is a member of the Redemptorist Congregation. He lives at the Redemptorist House, Alto Porvorim. He has founded DASYA which is a Registered Society to empower women who want to work to spred God's Kingdom.It is run by dedicated women. It is a Holistic Counselling Centre where people flock in their needs. Though he is a Priest and a Ph.D. first of all he is a genuine son of Goa and the days' situation in Goa makes him cry and one result of it is the above write up. Fr. Rodrigues may be contacted at 2417586

MARCH AGAINST RAHEJA CHAMBERS TO THE RESIDENCE OF CM

MARGAO: The village groups of Goa on Thursday marched to the Malbhat residence of Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and demanded that the government stop issuing construction license for the housing project of Mumbai-based Raheja group in Carmona village.

Armed with banners and shouting anti-government slogans, the activists accused the government of trying to issue the construction license when the approach road to the project site is less than 10 meters.  They pointed out that the government’s decision to arbitrarily grant license to the Raheja’s in Carmona when the matter is before the district court is nothing but dictatorship and political hubris

Orlando Da Silva said the TCP Department has issued final NOC for the Raheja to develop approximately 88,000 odd square metres of land on the banks of River Sal, into fifteen plots with the condition that no secondary permission will be granted until and unless the required access road is acquired and developed to ten meters. “Ten villagers from Carmona whose houses and compounds are likely to be axed due to this widening have knocked the doors of the District Court as per the latest amendments of Panchayat Raj Act, challenging the final NOC issued by the Village Panchayat of Carmona based on permission of the TCP department”, the memorandum said.

Orlando said the 10-metre wide mandatory road has to be physically present at site even while granting conversion sanads, leave aside any other physical development. Moreover the same TCP department had taken a stand that no secondary development would be allowed until and unless the required access road is made available while issuing NOC for subdivision which NOC is under challenge, he added.

“It is very shameful and very disgusting to know that our government who claims to be an aam admi government has decided to issue construction license to the mega builder with the condition that the road requirement of ten metres has to be put in place before occupancy certificate is issued. Later on the same Government will say that Raheja has invested huge money and therefore the same should be regularized as in the case of Cidade de Goa Hotel”, he added. “It appears that our chief minister in order to save his government from Churchill Alemao’s blackmailing tactics has taken this decision. People of Carmona unanimously opposed this project through a gram sabha resolution dated 30.03.2007. The village Regional Plan committee also resolved to oppose widening of internal village roads to maximum 5 mts width. Activists opposing the project have made all possible representations to all concerned authorities in the government including the chief secretary, chief minister, Central and local environment ministers, environment & pollution control boards of Government of Goa and Town and Country Planning Board.

They demanded to know from the chief minister and PWD minister whether the 10-metre road will come from heaven when there is no possibility of having such a road unless and until the residents houses and compounds are razed down to pave way for the road.

They further demanded to know whether the government can acquire and broaden the existing road to 10 metres only for the benefit of the mega builder at the cost of the aam admi.

Speaking on behalf of the Villagers of Goa, Filipe Pereira said the Village Groups of Goa have come out in support of the villagers of Carmona and appealed to the people of Goa to teach the government a lesson if they don’t pay heed to their grievances.

The activists later marched to the office of the district collectorate and handed over a memorandum to the Additional District Collector, Prasanna Acharya.

Meanwhile, the PWD Minister has said that the demonstration at the residence of the Chief Minister was allegedly orchestrated by former Chief Minister, Luizinho Faleiro on the eve of the inauguration of the first of his three bridges over River Sal at Telaulim on Friday.

“Faleiro is behind the demonstration. The people who participated in the demonstration were not from Carmona, barring one or two persons. The villagers of Carmona have no objection to the project”, he claimed.

NO PROPER DRAINAGES AND PARKING SPACES: RESIDENTS OF PATTO

PANJIM: CCP’s ward number 28 (dominantly the Patto area) is crying for attention of the city fathers. The number of developments with no sense of planning here is something one needs to dwell on.  Every person entering or leaving the city touches this part which extends from Patto upto the General Post Office (GPO). The new Patto Bridge and the Portuguese-era link on the Ourem creek form parts of this ward.

Residents say development in the ward has been kept on the backburner and it lacks proper drainages and parking spaces.

Sitting corporator Suresh Chopdekar from the BJP panel had won from this area in 2006 against his political rival Vithal Naik Chopdekar, who had contested on Taleigao MLA Babush Monserrate’s panel.

Vithal said the ward has been neglected. “Everyone knows that in the CCP only for those who are in good books with Babush can get development. Whatever Babush says happens,” he asserted.

Parts of the ward, a gateway to Panjim, get completely inundated during the monsoons. The area around the Kadamba Bus Stand gets water logged. Till date the CCP hasn’t been able to come out with a clear-cut solution for this busy stretch.

Patto centre billed as the Nariman Point of Goa where tall buildings stand is in deplorable condition. The parking is in a mess. Locals feel they have received step-motherly treatment from the CCP, which was ruled by corporators owing allegiance to Monserrate.

“We can’t blame the sitting corporator (Chopdekar) alone. Being on the non-ruling side, it is very difficult for him to get funds sanctioned from the CCP,” a local said adding that despite the constraint he has managed to do developmental works with the support of local MLA Manohar Parrikar.

For the March 13 polls, Chopdekar’s wife Nivedita is contesting on the BJP-backed panel. She is pitted against Babush-backed panel’s Sujata Haldankar as the ward is reserved for women.

ORIGINAL RECORDS TAMPERED BY RANE AND MONSERRATE SAYS BUSINESSMAN

PANJIM: A 70-year-old businessman Antonio Rosario in a letter to the North Goa Planning & Development Authority (NGPDA) has alleged original records pertaining to a final sub-division of a plot at Dona Paula, currently owned by Health Minister Vishawajit Rane, have been replaced and tampered with.

The complainant, who also owns a property adjacent to the plot of Rane, has claimed that the Health Minister, along with Taleigao MLA, were involved in illegally effecting a change in the plan approved for sub-division in 1987. “An access road of 3.20 metres which figured in the original plan has been deleted,” he maintained and added, “Monserrate has acted as power of attorney on behalf of the original owner.”

Antonio further alleged that the signature of the original owners have been forged and the plan wasn’t the original sub-divided one as approved by the NGPDA. Also, the stamp of the member secretary has been super imposed, he added.

Oscar J D Souza, son of the original owner late Eslinda Pinto Souza and family, has also written to the NGPDA highlighting that as per sub-division approved by the authority on January 1, 1987, an access road of 3.20 metres was provided on the southern side of the plot of Rane, which is now missing. The sub-division was signed by Oscar’s late mother. The original plan has been replaced, he added.

When contacted Member Secretary NGPDA Ashok Kumar maintained they were in possession of the original plan and the matter has been now referred for legal opinion and a decision will be taken by the advocate concerned.

He also pointed out the final NOC for sub-division was issued on January 12, 1987, and the same did not have the access road which the compliant (Antonio) claimed was shown in the original plan.  “When permission for development was sought by the applicant Meridian Estate Pvt Ltd, through its managing director, the plan submitted by them did not have the 3.2 metres access road,” said Ashok Kumar.

But when categorically questioned whether they had referred to the original sub-division to verify the claims made by the complainant, he said, “Plans are very old but they will be there. We will locate them.”

Meanwhile, the complainant has also filed a petition in the High Court seeking justice as he claims that Health Minister was harassing him by blocking the access. He has demanded NGPDA to take action in the matter or else he would have no alternative, but to file a criminal case against both Rane and Monserrate.

DEPUTY COLLECTOR CONSITUTES PANEL TO PROBE COMBA WELLS

MARGAO: Inquiry officer, Deputy Collector Johnson Fernandes has constituted a panel to probe into the mysterious presence of oily substance in the Comba water wells and to detect the source of pollution.  The team will comprise of a professor from BITS Pilani, officials of the three petroleum companies, Margao police station incharge, Salcete Mamlatdar, Health officials and representative of the Margao Municipal body.
Johnson informed that the panel has been given a brief to conduct a joint inspection of the drinking water wells and the source of pollution. “The team will visit the drinking water wells, the petrol pumps in the city close to Comba and also inspect the water samples of the water nullahs”, informed the deputy collector.
Sources in the know said the panel of experts will not only zero in on the fuel pumps, but will also find out the source of pollution and discharge of effluents by the servicing centres and garages.
Officials pointed out that most of the oil companies have already replaced their ageing fuel pumps in the city in recent times. However, it was pointed out that the panel of experts will leave nothing to chance and inspect the pumps as well.
The Goa State Pollution Control Board has confirmed of the presence of grease and oil in the drinking water wells in Comba locality of the city.  “While the presence of grease and oil in the wells is confirmed, our probe would try to zero in on the source of pollution which have left the wells contaminated”, stated deputy collector.

OVERLOADED MINING TRUCKS TO BE DEALT WITH: CM

PANJIM: The Goa Government is working on a legislation to cancel leases of mines whose trucks are found to be overloaded with ore. Stringent measures, including cancellation of leases, are being considered in legislation to curb the increasing menace of overloaded mining trucks which create dust pollution in villages, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said.

The state has been witnessing protests on a regular basis by the locals who complain about frequent accidents involving mining trucks and dust pollution caused by overloaded vehicles transporting ore from mines.

Goa has 100-odd operational mines which export around 40 million MT iron ore annually. As per rough estimates, 20,000 trucks operate in mines across the state.

"There should be proper control by Transport and Mines Department on these trucks. There are enough powers with these departments to book erring truck operators," Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar said.

Goa Assembly's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by Parrikar, has recommended that the permits of the trucks found overloading should be cancelled immediately.  PAC has also said that the Mines Department should be the regulating authority for mining trucks, whose drivers should be registered with the Department.

"There are several truck drivers who operate without valid licence. If the Mines Department initiates a process to regulate them, everyone will have to have a driving licence," Parrikar said.

The Leader of the Opposition also alleged that several drivers with criminal antecedents from neighbouring states were operating mining trucks in Goa. The trucks carry ore from the mining sites to a jetty, where it is offloaded into a ship which carries it to a transship for export.

Transport Department Director Arun Desai said they have already started penalising erring drivers. "In the last one month alone, we have penalised around 500 truck drivers," he said, but conceded that the drive has failed to imbibe discipline amongst them.

"We need more stringent measures and that's why the Chief Minister is thinking to cancel permits of the mines or at least of the trucks, if they are found violating the rules," Desai added.

Traffic jams caused due to mining trucks has been a regular affair in the state's remote talukas. Kamat, during the last budget session, had assured to construct separate corridors that would let the trucks bypass thickly populated areas. Desai said the work on mining corridors is in process. – PTI

INSPECTION OF RIVER PRINCESS CONDUCTED BY TOURISM DEPT AND ARIHANT

CALANGUTE: A joint inspection on board the stranded vessel ‘MV River Princess’ was conducted by the Tourism Department, the contractor ‘Arihant’ and Calangute Police on Thursday morning.  The inspection team led by Deputy Director of Tourism Parsekar, Arihant representative and Calangute Police led by PSI Mahesh Kerkar were however unable to carry out a detailed survey, as the vessel was full of water.

Fermino Fernandes the Convenor of River Princess Hatao Manch expressed his displeasure over the working of the State government, especially on the urgent removal of the stranded vessel.  “The site survey onboard the vessel should have been carried out way back and not now when things were intact onboard the vessel,” said Fernandes.

“It is pointless in carrying out such site inspection or surveys at this point of time. What is however important is the work order for the contractor ‘Arihant’ to go ahead with the work while other licensing formalities can be carried out simultaneously,” he stated.

TOURISM SECURITY STARTS AFTER MASSEURS HARASSING TOURISTS ON THE BEACHES

PANJIM: The special security of the Tourism Department has started cracking whip on the vendors and masseurs harassing tourists on the beaches.  In the last few days, the security force has seized goods from vendors on found selling goods on the beaches.  The goods will be released only on the payment of fine of Rs 1000 per head.

When contacted Pamela Mascarenhas, Deputy Director, Tourism Department confirmed that they have confiscated goods from those found doing business on the beaches.  The security force which was constituted last year, have been specifically instructed to not to allow vendors, masseurs and other such elements chasing tourists on the beaches.

The department has had received several complaints from tourists especially, foreign tourists of harassment by vendors who literally followed them on the beaches, to nagging them to buy their goodies.  In fact, vendors and masseurs had a field day as tourist police, a wing of Goa Police, specially assigned the duty of providing safety to tourists preferred to look other way.