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Thursday 30th of August 2012 |
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Two Sanguem mines directed to shut shop
| In a major development, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has directed two mines operating within 10 kms of the Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary in Sanguem taluka to shut down operations with immediate effect for failing to get clearance from the National Wildlife Board. The orders have been issued on August 13 to two mining leases operated by – Gangadhar Narsinghdas Agrawal and Pandurang Timblo Industries, under section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. MOEF Director P B Rastogi in two separate orders has asked the units to henceforth stop all the project activities with immediate effect and the compliance of the directions should be reported within 15 days from the date of issue of this direction. Both the mines are in Sanguem taluka and apparently within 10 kms of Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary. [H] |
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In the News |
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Mormugao Port Trust gets Goa State Pollution Control Board notice for coal pollution
| Coal handling berths nos. 10 and 11 at Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) are causing severe air pollution in Vasco, leading to environmental degradation and an adverse impact on residents' health, Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has observed in a show cause notice issued to MPT. GSPCB, in the notice issued on Wednesday, has asked MPT to show cause, "Why order of consent to operate as issued to MPT by the board under the Air Act and the Water Act should not be revoked and why stringent legal action as stipulated under the Air Act and the Water Act should not be initiated against MPT management for carrying out coal handling operations consistently at berth nos. 10 and 11 in a manner that amounts to a violation of the board's directives and in a manner that is causing severe air pollution in Vasco town and the vicinity." [TOI]
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CM orders probe into mines dept recruitments during Cong rule
| The Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar, on Wednesday informed that he has directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau to file a first information report against the former director of mines, Mr Arvind Lolienkar, other superiors and a junior officer in a case relating to recruitment in the department during the previous regime. Talking to reporters after the weekly cabinet briefing, Mr Parrikar said a preliminary enquiry by the ACB has found that there was prima facie evidence to indicate that the mines department officials appeared to have colluded/conspired with their superiors in the selection process of the staff through forgery and manipulations. He also said that if politicians were involved in conspiracy/manipulations, they too would be punished. [NT]
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Retiring teachers can continue till close of year
| The state government has decided to allow school teachers who are due for superannuation during in the course of the academic year to continue till end of the second term. The cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposal to allow school teachers to continue after their superannuation restricted to that particular academic year if his/her retirement is due after August 1. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar while addressing media persons after cabinet meeting, said the relaxation is applicable to teachers teaching in primary schools, higher secondary, pre- primary and high schools, and it is not open for college lecturers. [H]
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South Goa zilla panchayat, Margao municipal council members back from study tours
| Returning from two separate 'study tours' to Kerala and Aurangabad recently, members of South Goa zilla panchayat and councillors of the Margao municipal council (MMC) are determined to put to use the knowledge that they gained from the trips for better functioning of the self-government bodies back here. While ZP members travelled to Kerala to study the pattern of functioning of the panchayati raj system in the South Indian state, the Margao city fathers were on a trip to Aurangabad to attend a workshop organized to acquaint the elected representatives about their role with regards to the planning and development process. [TOI]
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Vijay questions govt over delay in renewing land lease in Diu
| Posing a question to the government over the delay in renewing the land lease in Diu (land leased to the Goa Industrial Development Corporation), the Fatorda MLA, Mr Vijay Sardesai, on Wednesday, said the Parrikar-led government has deliberately delayed it to benefit the neighbouring BJP-ruled state of Gujarat. "The lease of the prime and huge land which was made for a total of 90 years from 1982 has to be renewed every 30 years. It expired on July 29, 2012. The application for the renewal, which was made by the government on July 31, was rejected by the Collector of Diu, Mr Kishan Kumar, because of the delay. The Goa government has to answer to the people of Goa for this blatant misdeed which could perhaps result in loss of prime land in Diu,’’ Mr Sardesai said while addressing the media. [NT]
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Rebello to be named Goa Board chairman
| Principal of Fr Agnel Multipurpose Higher Secondary School Jose Remedios Rebello will be appointed as the new chairman of the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. A note from the office of the chief minister has already been sent to the Secretary Education to issue “appropriate orders to this effect immediately”. The post of the chairman of the board was vacant since previous director Mervyn D’Souza relinquished the post last year. [H]
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Journalists meet CM Manohar Parrikar
| A delegation of journalists under the aegis of The South Goa Journalists Association (SGJA), led by its president, Soiru Komarpant, met chief minister, Manohar Parrikar, on Tuesday and presented him a memorandum of demands for the welfare of the journalist fraternity, for his consideration. Implementation of a special law to provide protection to journalists on duty, a group insurance scheme for working journalists, a pension scheme for working scribes, fifty percent travel concession in government buses for journalists, facilities to all taluka level press rooms, are among the major demands contained in the memorandum. [TOI]
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Changes in Apna Ghar administrative set up in offing
| The government is set to effect changes in the administrative set up at Apna Ghar by shifting the superintendent and caretakers out even as it accepted in toto the report by one man inquiry commission headed by Mr Levinson Martins, official sources said. The original caretakers have been shifted from the house to the Women and Child Department while a proposal has been moved to the government to appoint 5 new caretakers on contract basis. Sanction has also been received from the government to appoint Ms Pramila Fernandes as the new superintendent cum probation officer. The post was earlier held by Mr D Kudalkar. [NT]
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File criminal complaint against Lolienkar, CM directs ACB
| Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has directed Vigilance Department’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to file a criminal complaint against former director of Mines and Geology Arvind Lolienkar and unnamed junior and senior officials of the department. The Chief Minister while addressing a press conference at Secretariat in Porvorim on Wednesday, said preliminary findings of ACB show “gross irregularities and manipulation” by the Mines Department in job processing. Recruitment of 230 field officers who were given offers of appointment in December 2011, has become bone of contention with government alleging “irregularities and manipulation” in the recruitment process while on the other hand Congress leaders have been claiming that “no rule was by passed in the recruitment” and that BJP-led government is playing a political game. [H]
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Government using schemes to saffronize Goa: Trajano
| Lokancho Adhar president Trajano D'Mello has accused the BJP of using the Laadli Laxmi scheme and the housewife pension scheme to induce and pressurize people to join the saffron brigade. D'Mello told mediapersons on Wednesday that BJP's state president Laxmikant Parsekar's announcement that his party would enroll 3 lakh members has exposed this agenda. He said that a camp by the South Goa collector "at the behest of the government" at Gaondongorim in Canacona, where over 4,500 documents were attested/issued for availing these schemes, is a "classic example" of government machinery being used to "saffronize" the state. [TOI]
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Shirgaon villagers for speedy completion of construction work
| The Shirgaon villagers have demanded that the pending construction work at the Ganesh immersion site should be restarted soon after completing the necessary formalities, as the Ganesh Chaturthi festival is hardly 20 days away. The gram sabha of Shirigaon village panchayat was presided over by sarpanch Mr Prakash Gaonkar. Secretary Ms Resha Govenkar presented the annual budget for the year 2012-2013 and obtained the approval of the gram sabha. The villagers present for the meeting made valuable suggestions and presented their demands. [NT]
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Govt pushes final RP deadline to March 2013
| As the BJP government missed a second deadline to throw open the Regional Plan 2012 for public feedback, it pushed the final deadline for completing and notifying the plan to March 2013. For the second time now, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has missed yet another deadline over the issue, as his government continues to waver over seeking fresh public inputs on the plan. Successive meetings between officials of TCP department and Chief Minister failed to come to any conclusion on when to initiate the exercise to get public suggestions on the plan, without keeping it open for public scrutiny. Senior official from TCP told Herald that department has been holding series of meetings with Chief Minister, since last week to take a final call over RP. “But the meetings ended without any decision”, official said adding “it is for sure that government intends to seek general suggestions from people and organizations.” [H]
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CBI: Drug mafia case involves influential persons
| The central bureau of investigation (CBI) recently told the high court of Bombay at Goa that the police-politician-drug mafia nexus case needs to be investigated in a diligent manner as it relates to persons having influential positions. The special public prosecutor said, "CBI is in the process of investigating persons having influential positions and, as such, the investigations are to be carried out in a more diligent and appropriate manner." The government had transferred the cases to the premier investigating agency after a public interest litigation filed by Sunil Khawtankar in 2011. Speaking to TOI, Kawthankar said that as CBI has admitted that there are influential persons involved in the case they should be booked, no matter whether the influential person was a minister or his son. [TOI]
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PLANT SHOW AT SACRED HIGH SCHOOL IN PARRA
| As a part of the Centenary Celebrations of the second oldest surviving schools in Goa, Sacred Heart High School, Parra, will host a PLANT SHOW from 01 to 03 September, 2012, from 09.30 A.M. onwards. There will be lecture demonstrations in gardening, grafting and composting between 11.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. by Sheetal Nagvemkar, Yogita Mehra and Miguel Braganza on different days. Green Fingers, Vikas, Mahamaya and Shree Agri nurseries will have stalls selling plants, manures and garden tools. Sacred Heart High School is located on the Parra to Anjuna road, off the Mapusa-Saligao/Arpora MDR. Since Sacred Heart School, Mapusa branch, is the foundation on which St. Britto High School has been built since 1946, it becomes the "Mother School" for St. Britto HS, Mapusa. Proud of this link, the Britto 39s Old, Boys 39; Association at its Annual General Body meeting on 11 August, 2012, concurred with the Managing Committee and approved the sponsorship of the prizes for the Plant Competitions to be held at this Centenary event. The event that will include: 1. Exhibition of plants from 01 to 03 September [Ornamental, Vegetables. Spices and Medicinal plants] 2. Rangoli on 02 September, Sunday 3. Fancy Dress [Primary section] on 3rd Sept 4. Sale of plants 01 to 03 September. 5. Lecture- Demonstrations 1.Grafting ... on 01 September 11.30 A.M. 2. Composting on 02 September 11.30 A.M. 3. Landscaping on 03 September 11.30 A.M. The Botanical Society of Goa is providing the technical support to the event. Sacred Heart HS is its member institution. (Joel D'souza)
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Sports |
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Samir relishes special moment
"Winning the Dilip Sardesai award for excellence in sports is a very special moment for me and I am honoured to have received it from the Government of Goa and I thank the Chief Minister and the Sports Minister for this award," stated international footballer and Dempo SC defender Samir Naik, who received the Sardesai award from Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar at a grand function organised by the DSYA at Macquinez Palace, Entertainment Society of Goa, Panaji, Wednesday. Samir received a cash purse of Rs 2 lakh, a bronze plaque of legendary India cricketer late Dilip Sardessai and a certificate. [NT]
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Rosary HS champs
Rosary HS, Mira Mar got the better of St. Thomas HS, Aldona 3-2 to emerge champions in under-17 boys table tennis North District final organised by DSYA at Peddem sports complex, here, recently. Rosary’s Saeel Pai trounced Gaurav Raikar 3-0 in the first game, but St. Thomas came back strongly to win the next two matches as Vinay Prabhu beat Nigel Menezes 3-1 and Joshua Mendonca overcame Chandan Khatri 3-2. Rosary recovered well to win the final two matches and secure the top spot as Siddhesh Kamat defeated Kalpesh Bandokar 3-2 and in the deciding match Yash Tendulkar brushed past Subray Naik. [H]
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| GT = Gomantak Times; WE = Weekender;
H = Herald; NT = The Navhind Times, TNN/TOI = The Times of India |
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