GOACOM.COM DAILY GOA NEWS CLIPS:: 19 MAY 2006

Meet convened to tackle shortage of milk supply
PANJIM: Taking serious note of the shortage in the supply of Goa Dairy milk in Panjim and other parts, the State government has convened a meeting with the management of the Goa State Milk Producers' Union Ltd, Ponda. The production of milk in the state does not match the demand and this has forced consumers to buy milk coming from other states, even by compromising on the quality. Goa produces about 54,000 litres of milk while about 30,000 litres of milk is procured form Maharashtra and Karnataka to meet the demand. Despite this the demand is yet to be met, it is learnt. (GT)

'HIV testing should be made mandatory before marriage'
VASCO: "HIV testing before marriage is important to save innocent women like me," emphasizes Shabnam. Even as NGOs and activists working with people living with HIV/AIDS argue that the mandatory testing policy before marriage would create a new stigmatised underclass, Shabnam believes that the policy will force people to be careful and not risk theirs as well as partner's life. "If HIV testing was made mandatory four years back, my life wouldn't have been destroyed," she said. Two years ago, her world crumbled when her husband died of AIDS soon after marriage. (GT)

Garbage dump on Assagao plateau a big hurdle to Mapusa Urban Health Centre
MAPUSA, May 18: The open dumping and burning of un-segregated garbage on the Assagao plateau is one big hurdle before the Mapusa Urban Health centre as it intensifies its pre-monsoon drive against malaria. The Mapusa UHC health officer, Dr Sachin Govekar, who travels daily to his Siolim house via the Assagao plateau road, said the dumped garbage is burning 24 hours sending acrid fumes in the air. "The residents and the Urban Health Centre are helpless in taking remedial measures against this. At least the Goa State Pollution Control Board should take note. What will happen in the rains," Dr Govekar asked. (NT)

Boost education level, State told
PANJIM, May 18: The Union Ministry for Human Resource Development has cracked the whip on the State government for low standards of education and high school drop out rates. According to the ministry, the quality level should be at least 50 per cent and an assurance has been taken from the State officials that it will raise by 20 per cent though intervention and purposeful use of funds allocated under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. (H)

'Act against teachers involved in private tuitions'
PANAJI, May 18: The directorate of education today sent a letter to a higher secondary school in North Goa, recommending the school management to take necessary action against two of its teachers who were caught conducting private coaching class yesterday, at Verla-Canca, in Bardez. (NT)

Margao handcart owners get a lesson on waste disposal
MARGAO, May 18: Omlet-pav, chicken and mutton may be a craze at Margao's mobile fastfood joints, one may say. But, the activity is posing a nuisance to the civic authorities on another front - waste disposal. Nearly a half-a-pick-up load of egg shells were found dumped in a nullah at Malbhat. Perturbed over the incident, the Power Minister Digambar Kamat told the hand-cart owners, "You maintain cleanliness and hygiene by yourself. Do not give a chance for someone to go to the courts to crack a whip on you." (H)

Ensure safety at road-works
MARGAO, May 18: The Cuncolim Civic and Consumer Forum has sought the intervention of the Sub-divisional Magistrate and Cuncolim police to enforce all mandatory safety procedures at various roadworks carried out in the town by contractors of the State Urban Development Agency. (H)

PRISM-06: A colourful evening
PANJIM: The Department of garment Technology, Government Polytechnic, in association with Kala Academy, held its annual display of clothes, designed by its final year students, on May 18: The line of clothes showcased at the event was inspired by colours and was thus called PRISM-06. The show had five different lines - Warms, Pastels, Cools, Neutrals and Darks. Warms was a western casuals line inspired by Goa with hints of the sun, cashews and waves all put into fun filled costumes, worked in tie-dye and batik. (GT)

Husband held for harassing wife
MORMUGAO police on Tuesday night arrested a 38-year-old native of Karwar - Deepak B Naik - on charges of harassing his wife for dowry. (GT)

Man hangs to death
A 38-year-old resident of St Jose de Areal, Salcete, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself with the help of a nylon rope. Police say that the deceased, Robert Nelson D'Costa, was probably suffering from depression and was an alcoholic. (GT)

46 dog bite cases reported at Ponda health centre
PONDA, May 18: The health officer of the Community Health Centre, Ponda, dr Subhas Gaitonde, today disclosed that around 46 dog bite cases have been reported at the ID Hospital for the past four months. Interestingly, Dr Gaitonde agrees that there is shortage of medicine, specially the anti-rabies vaccine at the ID hospital. (NT)

Season is not off anymore
Throughout the state, many establishments don't recognise the fact that Goa should stay closed for a certain period. In fact, the owner of a bar in South Goa says, "The reason why Goa now has an off-season is because for years, a lot of establishments used to close down for the monsoon. They created the off-season, because they felt they wouldn't make money during that period, but that's preposterous! People came here during the monsoons and the only reason why there wasn't a huge influx of people coming in then, was because they felt that nothing would be open. Luckily, all that's changing." The lush green beauty of Goa in the monsoon has many Indians ambling towards the state, season or no season! (Kurt Gidwani, GT)

BJP to relaunch 'Save Mopa Campaign'
PANJIM: Bharatiya Janata Party would relaunch its 'Save Mopa Campaign' in the state from May 20 to 31. The campaign was earlier postponed by the party following the tragic demise of its national general secretary Pramod Mahajan. (GT)

CM to inaugurate Kala Academy Film Society
CM Pratapsing Rane will inaugurate the Kala Academy Film Society today at 6 pm, followed by a three-day film festival of eminent film director and recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Adoor Gopalkrishnan at the Kala Academy complex. (GT)

DGP orders more cops for Panjim
PANJIM, May 18: The busy city Town Police Station is set to get additional manpower with the Director General of Police sanctioning 29 personnel on Thursday to tide over its staff shortage. (H)

Leela resort, Cavelossim villagers in a tug of war
MOBOR: Issuing a 24-hour deadline to stop the 'illegal' dredging work being carried out in the River Sal close to the Leela Resort, Cavelossim, Mobor, agitating Cavelossim villagers led by their sarpanch Edwin Barreto claimed the task of desilting the river bed will erode the river bank and it will affect the livelihood of the local fishermen, besides disturbing the ecological balance of the environment. (GT)

'Mormugao to get a new look'
VASCO:P Mormugao MLA Karl Vaz claimed that the constituency would soon have a new look after completion of various ongoing development works. He also said that he was in favour of cleaning the Baina beach of the hutments and added that out of the 308 huts existing along the beach, just 100 just are learnt to be legal. (GT)

Time is running out
CORTALIM MLA, Matanhy Saldanha's outburst against the Express Highway sought to be pushed through Goa is justified. Goans have lost their soul and weigh their progress in terms of highways, buildings, industries and all other rot of the modern destructive and exploitative development models. Goa, which is a 'dot' on the map, is trying to copy its neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka, which are huge 'patches'. Small and beautiful Goa with its complex and fragile ecosystem cannot afford to copy others. We must remember the popular Konkani saying, "Har veta mhonnun gaindoll gelo ani chirddun melo." (The earthworm followed what the python did and got crushed.) (Soter D'Souza, Socorro, in Letters to the Editor, GT)

'Summer Fun Day' at Bastora
MAPUSA: 'Summer Fun Day' was organised by the Woman and Child Welfare Association of Bastora as its inaugural programme at Boa Vista grounds, Bastora. Over 150 primary students of Std I to IV participated in the event. (GT)

Margao Learning Institute goes international
MARGAO: The Learning Institute, situated at Aquem, Margao, has gone international again with introduction of the prestigious Cambridge International Primary Programme through its Gold Star World School. With this the Institute adds another feather in the cap, as its pre-school Eurokids has been receiving a very good response from parents allover the state, both in margao and at its branch in Porvorim. (GT)

'Doria Degher Nach' launched
PANJIM: Ivor D'Cunha's Konkani pop album "Doria Degher Nach" (Dance on the sea shore) was released by Joaquim Alemao, Urban Development Minister, recently in Abu Dhabi. The CD consists 10 songs lyrics and music for which has been composed by Ivor D'Cunha, except for one song the lyrics of which are by Ulhas Buyao. (H)

Mediterranean food festival at Goa Marriott Resort
PANAJI, May 18: The Goa Marriott Resort has been celebrating Mediterranean Food Festival from May 14, which will last till May 28. Chef Rajat Tuli enthralls every customer with his breathtaking culinary repertoire at the scenic and vibrant Waterfront Terrace and Bar. Meditterranean cuisine is a delightful blend of Italian, Spanish, Greek, French, Lebanese and Moroccan cuisines. (NT)

MEDICAL BALL at Parra
PANAJI, May 18: The Medical Ball 2006 will be held on May 20 at Emerald Lawns, Parra, from 7.30 pm onwards. The event has been revived by the students and interns of Goa Medical College and promises to be what it has ever stood for. The Big City band and Archies would be playing. The crowing of Medical Queen would be the special attraction. Tickets are available at All Champs outlets. (NT)