GOA NETTERS TO MEET: The GoaNetters in Goa are planning an informal meet at Caritas Holiday Home, St Inez, Panjim, on December 21 (Friday), 2001, at lunchtime. If you think you could make it, please send in your name and Goa contact details to fred@bytesforall.org

WARNING AGAINST FISH CONSUMPTION: Public as well as fishermen are cautioned that dead fish washed ashore should not be collected for consumption as well as for salting and drying purposes as the same has been found associated with toxic algae, as per the report of the NIO. The public in Canacona, in particular, are cautioned not to consume any type of shell fish collected from Canacona as the tidal bloom was more evident there and the toxins are known to be accumulating in the shell fish. (NT)

COMET VISIBLE: Association of Friends of Astronomy (Goa) are keeping track of the Comet Linear C/2000 WM, for the last few days, at the public Astronomical Observatory atop the Junta House, Panaji.

TILLARI WATER RELEASE ON DECEMBER 19: The Maharashtra government has started releasing Tillari water for testing into the canals within their areas and some areas in Goa. The Minister for Water Resources, Mr Ramakant Khalap said that the official function to mark the release of the water to Goa will be held on Goa Liberation day (December 19).

BRIDGE ACROSS TEREKHOL PROPOSED: The long-awaited dream of construction of a bridge across the Terekhol river at Kiranpani-Aronda, linking Goa and Maharashtra, is likely to be fulfilled shortly as the Maharashtra government has decided to take up the construction work. Water resources Minister Ramakant Khalap had demanded from time to time the construction of the bridge.

PANAJI'S DISTINCT HERITAGE: Laced by the Mandovi river, Goa's capital Panaji is a historic city. She was the official capital of the Portuguese since March 22, 1843. Panaji showcases beautiful heritage monuments like the Adilshahi palace, old GMC, Massano de Amorim complex, police headquarters, customs house, Panaji church, Mahalaxmi temple, Mhamai Kamat house, villas on the Altinho slope.

FREEDOM FIGHTER PASSES AWAY: Roque Xavier Antonio de Monte Furtado (from Chinchinim), a renowned freedom fighter and journalist, passed away on December 5. He was 70.

27,500 FILE TAX RETURNS: A total of 27,500 persons from South Goa filed their returns in Form No.2C at Income tax Office, Margao. The Form had to be filled and filed even if the income of a citizen is below the exemption limit for the current year i.e. Rs.50,000. Any person who has not yet filed the return can still do so even now, according to Joint Commissioner of Income Tax, Margao Sr Khokate.

A TELEPHONE FOR COTIGAO: Cotigao is the only village in Goa which is yet to get a single telephone connection. At the Cotigao panchayat office, a radio tele-type phone had been installed by the Department of Telecommunications about four years ago. Though the DoT regularly issues the rental bills, the instrument is regularly out of order.

FISHERMEN OPPOSE GOVERNMENT PLAN: Miramar and Caranzalem residents, besides fishermen from Aivao, who organised a morcha, which culminated in a meeting on the beach yesterday, resolved to strongly oppose the privatisation of beach management by the State government. The ramponkars (traditional fishermen) stated that the proposed beach management plan would spell disaster for their traditional occupation of casting nets in the sea for fish, mostly mullets.

PULE POLIO IMMUNISATION: Minister for Health, Dr Suresh Amonkar, administered oral polio drops to the children at Primary Health Centre on the occasion of Pulse Polio Immunisation programme launched in Sanquelim, on Sunday (Dec 2). Dr Amonkar said that in the entire State around 1.25 lakh children, upto the age of 5 years, were expected to be immunised.

RELICS OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER: The relics of St Francis Xavier, enshrined at the Church at Bhatpal, Canacona, will be venerated on the occasion of the feast on December 3.

ABOUT DABOLIM: "There is a newspaper in Britain that does six-monthly surveys of the worst tourist destination airports in the world and Dabolim tops the list regularly." (From an interview in "Weekender" of an elderly British couple-Bill & Vera Taylor-visiting Goa 23 times.

BROTHER, SISTER HELD FOR STRIPPING A GIRL: The Ponda police arrested Sandeep Gaonkar and his sister Pramila from Shiroda on the charge of assaulting and stripping a girl at Shiroda, following an altercation over the menace caused by the cattle belonging to one of their relatives.

COPS MANHANDLE COMUNIDADE ATTORNEY? Attorney of Chicalim Comunidade Ashok Y Sankwalkar has alleged that he was manhandled by policemen and his camera damaged during an inspection of an encroachment in the land owned by the Comunidade.

'PEARL OF THE ORIENT' CRUISE: The Goa Tourism Development Corporation's new 'Pearl of the Orient' Cruise, which includes a walking tour of Old Goa, will be launched on December 11. From Panjim, the tourists will be taken on an enchanting voyage on "Santa Monica" cruise vessel along the River Mandovi.

RESORTE MARINHA BAGS GOLD: Resorte Marinha Dourada at Arpora has been awarded the prestigious gold medal for being the best Faraway Shores Accommodation by the UK-based Thomson Holidays Services Incorporated. The 3-star, 184-room, fully air-conditioned resort is the only hotel in India to be awarded the gold medal this year.

BEACHES AS TOURIST PLACES: Through a notification issued yesterday, the government has declared all beaches in the State as tourist places, which would enable it to remove the sunken ship off Candolim beach. The rules framed under the Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Act, 2001, besides the coastal belt, the Old Goa church complex and four other important churches, a mosque at Sanguem, 35 temples and ten forts are also notified.

PANCHAYATS ORDERED TO IMPOUND STRAY CATTLE: The nuisance of stray cattle to vehicular traffic has finally drawn the attention of the Directorate of Panchayats who has now instructed all village panchayats in the State to impound stray cattle, to establish cattle pounds and to appoint pound keepers.