NEWS ROUNDUP

WHAT AN AGE? Goa was liberated in December 1961 but the Directorate of Accounts seems to be unaware of the event. Otherwise they wouldn't be advertising the reservation of a post for a freedom fighter and Scheduled Tribe with the minimum age limit being 35. Scoffing at the ad, GLP general secretary Mathany Saldanha remarked that the age of the existing freedom fighters exceeds 50 years.

FIFTY BISHOPS: According to the latest edition of the "Directory of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman", nearly 50 bishops of Goan origin were appointed to the post of auxiliary bishops, bishops and even cardinals, since the early 17^th century, within India and abroad.

GOAN FEST IN EDMONTON: The Edmonton Goan Association will celebrate its 25^th anniversary on September 30, at the Delta, South Edmonton. The highlight of the day will be "Goan Village Festa", a cultural program, followed, of course, by dinner and a dance to a live band "Catalyst". (Lena Fernandes: Phone (780)481-2277, fax (780)483-1785 or e mail aht@compusmart.ab.ca)

HONOURED EVENTUALLY: Damian C Menezes, Chief Section Supervisor at the Department of Telecommunications, was honoured with the Sanchar Sarathi, at the Kala Akademy on August 16, for the tip off he provided to the Bombay Police, leading to the arrest of international criminal Charles Sobhraj at "O Coqueiro" in Porvorim, in the early Eighties.

BOILED TWO DEATH: Vividha Gaonkar, a 2-year-old girl from Velguem in Valpoi, who had suffered serious injuries when she stumbled into a vessel of boiling water at her home, succumbed to the injuries on August 15. The child's mother had boiled water to bathe her and had just kept it down from the fire, when Vividha trying to catch falling toy fell into the vessel.

MORE IAS OFFICERS: The Goa government has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Home Affairs to increase the IAS strength from 12 to 30 in the State. The move may help four to five Goa Civil Service officers to get into the IAS cadre. However, fear is being expressed that if 18 more IAS officers are posted in Goa, it may jeopardise the chances of the Goa Civil Service cadre of occupying the present posting as heads of several departments.

MASSIVE MORPHINE SEIZURE: Customs and Central Excise officials arrested Usman Mohammed Hanif Shaikh (36) at the Polem border, and seized one-and-a-half kg of morphine, valued at Rs.1.5 crore in the international market. Usman was bringing the contraband from Karwar.

SEWAGE SPILL: The Sewage Treatment Plant at Tonca spewing untreated sewage into the Mandovi river due to its 40-km choked network, a major environmental hazard looms large. The residents of St Inez, Taleigao, Campal and Miramar have been suffering stoically the nauseating stink of untreated waste for several months.

PASSPORT ACT AMENDMENT: On August 21, the Rajya Sabha passed by a voice vote a bill to amend the 1920 Passport (Entry into India) Act, stipulating more stringent punishment for those entering the India without valid travel documents.

SPLIT GAIN: The five MLAs, who split from the Congress under the leadership of Mormugao MLA Shaik Hassan, claim that their constituencies, which had witnessed little development for several years, have begun getting a face lift as the government has started clearing most of the pending proposals, within a week of the split.

ROPEWAY AT SIDHANATH: The government proposes to construct five tourist cottages and provide a ropeway (on the lines of Haridwar in UP) at the picturesque 1250-ft Shree Sidhanath Hill in Ponda.

EMINENT PERSONALITIES: Governor Mohammed Fazal presented awards to six eminent personalities for their contribution in the respective fields of endeavour at the Giants International Federation I Award ceremony at Varca recently. Those felicitated include famed cartoonist Mario Miranda, Ramnath G Kare (trade and commerce), Sandesh Narvekar (Sports), Nicolau Pereira (Education), late Lt Narendra Mayekar (Defence) and Sundar Advani (Hospitality).

COMUNIDADES BLAME ADMINISTRATORS: U D Gaitonde, the administrator of Comunidades (Central Zone), was questioned by four attorneys of the Comunidades in Tiswadi over the non-audit of the account of his office and 170 comunidades and derrama (contribution towards staff salaries and other expenses in administrator's office) collected from these bodies.

TOURISM SHIFT: The State is eventually moving to the hinterland, to exploit eco-tourism, heritage tourism, adventure tourism, rural tourism, business tourism and science tourism, rather than burden Goa's beaches any more.

DISSOLVE CALANGUTE PANCHAYAT DEMAND: The dissolution of the Calangute panchayat has been sought by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority, in view of the numerous illegal constructions going on in the beach village. Formed as a result of the Supreme Court directive, to check violations in the Coastal Regulations Zone, the panel comprises of Chief Secretary Ashok Nath, BJP MLA Manohar Parrikar, Dr A G Untawale, Dr Claude Alvares of the Goa Foundation, S Keshkamat and Dr S P Varde.

FILM STUDIO FOR GOA: Subhash Shirodkar, Information minister, said that Goa will have a temporary film studio before the next State film festival, to be held in 2002. Shirodkar also said that the State film festivals will be held every two years.

GOVERNTMENT EMPLOYEES numbering around 40,000 and owing allegiance to the Goa Government Employees Association, have resolved to launch a state-wide strike from November 14. They are potesting against the government's inaction in resolving the long pending demand over the total implementation of the Fifth Pay Commissions recommendations.

LUIZINHO UNWINDS: GPCC president Luizinho Faleiro denied the allegations that he or even the leader of the Opposition, Ravi Naik, were responsible for the defection of legislators from the Congress party to the ruling coalition. Talking to presspersons on August 29, Faleiro conceded creating the Frankesteins by admitting "professional defectors" into the Congress fold. But he is sure that these Frankesteins would finish the Sardinha government sooner or later. Faleiro also said that at least two of the defectors were compelled to take the step to overcome financial difficulties: one needed an amount ranging from Rs.10 lakh to Rs.25 lakh while the other claimed to have even pawned his wife's ornaments.

PAPER BAGS FOR SHOP KEEPERS: The Mormugao Municipal Council distributed paper bags to the shop keepers of the Vasco Municipal Market, following the decision taken by the government to ban the use of plastic bags.

SEEKING SELF-DISSOLUTION: The gram Sabha meeting of Loutolim, held on August 27, passed a resolution demanding the dissolution of the panchayat. Taking strong exception to the absence of the sarpanch and the deputy sarpanch at the meeting, the 70-odd gram sabha members said that dissolution is the only option left to the people to air their grievances.

TAXIS AND TOUR VEHICLES TAXED: Any person who is engaged in the business of renting cabs will now fit into the revised definition of 'rent-a-cab' and hence liable to pay service tax.

GOA PLAN OUTLAY REACHES: Rs.332 CR: Goa's annual play outlay for the fiscal year 2000-2001, which was finalised at the meeting of CM Francisco Sardinha with the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, K C Pant, in New Delhi on August 29, received a welcome 38 per cent boost as it has been fixed Rs.332 crore. Sardinha argued well to up the plan outlay of Rs.325 crore allocated for the State. The Planning Commission has also increased the central assistance to Goa from Rs.90.11 crore last year to Rs.127.92 crore for 2000-2001, effecting a 42 per cent increase, in appreciation of the State's performance in the field of socio-economic development. It has also pointed out Goa as a model State as far as achievement of development targets are concerned.

BARAZEN OR BRAZEN? Armed with bamboo sticks about 100 villagers of Barazen in Sattari marched to the house of Budhaji Vithal Gaonkar and set fire to it after damaging all household articles on August 29. The furious mob wanted to take revenge as Budhaji had brutally assaulted Ms Mali Gaonkar (38), whose husband Chandrakant was found dead in the house recently.

DR WILLY'S RETORT: Refuting the charges of Health minister Dr Suresh Amonkar that he was responsible for the mess in the GMC Hospital working, Dr Wilfred de Souza has demanded that Dr Amonkar be divested of the health portfolio for his failure to put the functioning of the GMC Hospital in order. The former Health minister denied that he was responsible for the appointing of Dr M N Pal as the GMC dean.

NO NEED TO SHOUT AT GOD: Supreme Court judges M B Shah and S N Phukan, while dismissing an appeal by the Church of God (Full Gospel) in India challenging the Madras High Court order to keep the use of loudspeakers at low level during prayers, has held that no community has a right to use microphones or loudspeakers to amplify their religious preaching and prayers so as to disturb others. The judges observed that in their opinion "in civilised society, in the name of religion, activities which disturb old or infirm persons, students or children having their sleep in the early hours or during day time or other persons carrying on their activities cannot be permitted".

MINOR RAPED: A minor girl from South Goa was allegedly raped by a 25-year-old lad from Pune, in Margao on August 28. The youth, who was acquainted with her in Pune, picked her up from an educational institution in Nuvem, lured her to a hotel where he committed the offence, according to the Maina-Curtorim police.

DOUBLE ENTRY: Minaxi Patre, a councillor of the Mapusa municipality, and her husband Babi Patre, were convicted by the Judicial Magistrate First Class, on August 30, for knowingly furnishing false information to the electoral officer. The Patre couple had registered their names in the electoral rolls of both Siolim and Mapusa Assembly constituencies.