FL GOMES STATUE KNOCKED DOWN: The statue of Dr Francisco Luis Gomes near the Comunidade Building in Margao was reduced to rubble when a heavy duty truck, laden with steel, dashed against it around noon on January 3. The statue was erected to mark Dr Gomes' death centenary.

BLUEPRINT FOR FUTURE GOA: Information technology excellence enclave, international class hospital and healthcare facility, fashion design park, corporate agriculture using hydroponics and intensive pisciculture are the projects identified by Pricewaterhouse Coopers Limited, appointed by the government to draw a blueprint for Goa's industrial development.

FILM CITY AT KERI: The Goa government proposes to set up a film city at Keri, where formerly the Nylon 6,6 project was to come up, and to promote Mormugao and a part of Salcette as a special economic zone.

OLD GOA'S HERITAGE STATUS: Old Goa is in danger of being de-listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site unless the further development of Old Goa is done only as per the long overdue heritage plans, according to Delhi-based town-planner and conservationist Prof Edgar F Ribeiro.

PRAYER PROBLEM IN SIOLIM: Several villagers drawn from all communities of Sodiem in Siolim have resolved not to permit Domnic D'Souza, a sect leader from Tropa, from conducting prayer meetings in the village. On the other hand, Domnic Fernandes has named the Sodiem sarpanch Francis Fernandes besides a parish priest and 18 others in a police complaint, regarding a group attack during his prayer meeting on January 7.

BELIEVERS BEATEN IN BENAULIM TOO: Some Benaulim villagers went on a rampage at a tiatr staged by a religious sect at the Maria Hall on January 13. The agitators damaged the furniture and window panes of the hall, which had been booked by "Believers" for a 3-day religious programme.

HELPING THE NEEDY: Francisco D'Souza from London, a member of the Help a Poor Child (HAPC) charity comanisation, distributed articles for the needy students of the economically backward classes at the Government Primary School at Azrar in Taleigao.

CAUSE OF VEN AGNELO: Rev Fr James Fitzpatrik, Postulator of the Cause of Ven Agnelo de Souza in Rome, will visit Pilar from January 17 to 19, to study the special cases and meet people who have received special favour and also to meet and discuss with doctors.

FENI'S POTENCY: Devendra Mohan said in an article in "Business India" that Goa's feni could fill the gap created by the growing demand and the rising prices for drinks like the Tequila of Mexico.

VINDALOO'S WINNING WAYS: The spicy Goan Vindaloo along with other Indian dishes and the Mughal history will charm the celebrated cosmologist, Stephen Hawking, during his four-day sojourn in the national capital beginning on January 14.

GARBAGE PROBLEM IN SIOLIM: A delegation of the Siolim Citizens Welfare Committee consisting of Sitaram Dhargalkar, Cyril D'Souza, Cajetan D'Souza, Gurudas Chari and Zilla Parishad Member Dorothy Fernandes called on the Siolim MLA, Dayanand Mandrekar, to discuss the dumping of garbage on the Siolim-Marna hill, on January 21. Mandrekar advised the delegation to comanise a morcha on the issue as he himself is helpless on the matter.

ADIL SHAH PALACE CONVERSION OPPOSED: The Gomant Lok Pox has opposed the government's move to convert the Old Secretariat building into a club/bar. The GLP has urged the authorities to turn it into a museum depicting Goa from the pre-historic to the resent times.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The major part of around 1,761 metric tonnes of raw rice and 172 metric tonnes of wheat stacked in 11 godowns in Goa since May 2000 being declared unfit for human consumption, the food grains are likely to be disposed off as cattle feed. The foodgrains, worth over Rs.2.5 crore, supplied by the Food Corporation of India to Goa and meant for sale through the Public Distribution Scheme, was priced higher than better quality product sold in the open market, and hence remained unsold.

MANTRAS TO PURIFY MARGAO: Hindu scholars from Indore, Chennai, Nagpur, Varsi and Gokarna, led by 108-year-old Shri Tatacharyaji, began a six-day Virat Somyagnya, the highest ritual according to the Hindu belief, at Aquem's Costa ground, on January 19, to cleanse the polluted Margao city and its outskirts by performing pujas and chanting vedic mantras.

FOR PAK-BASED GOANS: During the recent International Goan Convention Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had said that he would approach the Centre in connection with Goans who had settled in Pakistan (much before India's Independence and not as refugees). But so far nothing has been done to seek a solution to the complex problems faced by Pakistan-based Goans, who wish to visit the near and dear ones in their native state.

COMPUTERS COME: Under the computers for Goan schools programme, St Michael's High School in Anjuna, after a pretty long wait, eventually became the proud recipient of five computers which came from donors overseas. The Sisters, who run the school, are glad that the computers are in good working order.

HOPE IT'S NOT KAIGA: In view of the reported anomalous kidney problem in Canacona, have the Government of Goa Health Department taken steps to ascertain the extent of the area affected? Has the region adjoining Canacona, in Karnataka, experienced similar epidemic? If so, it would be worthwhile to control the levels of radio-activity in the area and how they have stood during the past 12-18 months. Kaiga may have started its contaminating emissions already. (ALFRED TAVARES in a letter to the Editor of "Herald")

THE SOOTHSAYER SAYS: The Year 2001 will witness four Eclipses, two solar and two lunar…Here in India the lunar eclipse is indicative of tensions…Earthquakes in the southern part of the country will be witnessed between January and May, September and November, and will heighten the anxiety of the people….Back home in Goa…the leadership may change after April 2001…Natural calamities and earthquakes may disturb normal life and the environment to a great extent…The smallest State's treasury will be practically empty. (That was Dr S Padmnabha Iyer, president of All India Astrologers' Federation (Goa), in an article DOOMSDAY 01 in WEEKENDER).

PEACE DAY: Peace Day celebrations were comanised by the Citizens for Communal Harmony at St Anthony's Community Centre in Siolim on January 30, with readings from Hinduism, Islam and Christianity by religious heads of the respective community. The students from Holy cross, Shanta Vidyalaya put up a cultural programme. The function ended with all the people singing "Ami Sogle Ek" with each one holding the hand of the closest person.