THREE MEET WITH WATERY GRAVE PANJIM: Three persons met with watery grave in two separate cases of drowning - two off Dudhsagar waterfalls yesterday afternoon and one off Calangute on Friday. In the first case, two persons - identified as Anil and Ahmed - both from Hubli drowned off Dudhsagar where they had gone for a swim. In the second case, one Zubeida Kadar, 26, from Bangalore drowned off Calangute beach on Friday night. Zubeida along with her sister and three friends was picnicking in Goa since January 25. (GT)

Goa float bags second place PANJIM, Jan 29: Goa's tableau entitled 'Festivals of Goa' depicting the State's cultural heritage presented at the Republic Day parade in new Delhi last week has bagged the second prize. The tableau was designed by Francisco Martins and consisted of around 80 members including the performers and others. The tableau depicted festival of Bonderam, Zagor, Shigmo Mell, Sangodd and Ghoddemoddni. The music for the float was composed by Goa's very own Oliver sean and dance artists Jason and Silvia were also the main performers atop the float. (H)

Traffic sets off alarm bells in Panjim PANJIM, Jan 29: The first ever traffic census for Panjim conducted by the traffic police recently indicates that the capital is reeling under tremendous vehicular pressure with 34,500 vehicles entering this city on an average everyday. This is an alarming figure for experts and officials, considering the fact that on an average 40,000 new vehicles are introduced on Goan roads annually. (H) KNOWLEDGE COMMISSION WEBSITE NEW DELHI, Jan 29: The Knowledge Commission, headed by Prof Peter R de Souza, has been recently constituted by the Government of Goa to prepare a Vision Document on education in Goa. Education has long since been a topic for hot debate and quite a few of us have found ourselves mulling over questions like, why are so many thousands of Goans unemployed or under-employed? Why do Goan lag behind in competitive exams? Why can't education in Goa be more job-oriented? Why does Goa have so few opportunities such that all our bright students leave the state for foreign shores? etc. Quite a few of us have our own personal analysis and some answers too! The Goa Knowledge Commission hopes to take a critical look at education for its employment generating capacity. It wants to do this not without enlisting your thoughts, opinions, suggestions and ideas. For this it has set up a website www.knowledgeforgoa.com (DGNC)

No sign of revised telephone directory
PANJIM: Telephone directory has been the cause of discord for several BSNL landline connection holders for long. It is almost three years now, but there is no sign of a revised telephone directory, despite several demands and request to BSNL. The long overdue telephone directory tells the sorry tale of a department that promises to be customer-friendly, yet pretends to be unaffected by the inconvenience caused to consumers. (GT)

Velsao sarpanch voted out
CORTALIM, Jan 29: Lawrence Rodrigues became the third sarpanch of Velsao-Pale-Issorcim panchayat during the current term of the panchayat body to be voted out of office. As a special meeting on Wednesday, Rodrigues was voted out 4 votes in favour and 3 votes against in a non-trust motion. (H)

Woman missing from Nuvem
MARGAO, Jan 29: A 75-year-old woman from Nuvem has been missing since yesterday. The Maina-Curtorim police said that yesterday Liberata Fernandes had left her residence to proceed to church, however, she did not return home. (NT)

The Pilferage of Petroleum Hydrocarbons
Goa is running a parallel economy worth hundreds of crores of rupees based on pilferage of petroleum hydrocabons mostly motor spirits (petrol, diesel and kerosene), naptha and industrial solvents. Two years ago the Vasco harbour police had unearthed siphoning of petrol from the oil tanks. Goa police, especially the crime branch and the newly formed Marine branch need to be complimented for exposing a diesel pilferage racket at Santo Estevam. Only the tip of this mafia has been revealed. The real kingpins with powerful political connections and enviable social patronage are yet to be traced and arrested. (Nandkumar Kamat, Glimpses-NT)

Holy Hour held at Bogmalo church
CORTALIM, Jan 29: A Holy Hour in reparation for the desecration of Holy Eucharist was held at the Bogmalo Church on January 29 evening. Reference was made during the sermon to the large number of thefts taking place in the churches and chapels and the failure of the police in nabbing the culprits and also neglect on the part of the government. It may be recalled that on early Friday morning, miscreants wrenched the sacred tabernacle off the altar at the St Cosme and Damian Church and flung it on a hillock behind the church. (H)

'RAJBHAS DIS' on Feb 4
PANAJI, Jan 29: February 4 is being celebrated as 'Rajbhas Dis' by the Goa Konkani Akademi. This year the 'Rajbhas Dis' will be celebrated in coordination with the Konkani Seva Kendra, Sankhali, at the Dada Borkar Hall, Sankhalim, Goa. The inauguration ceremony will be held at 10 am at the hands of writer, Mr Datta S Naik. At 10.30 am discussion on the topic 'Antagonism and Literature' will take place, in which Mr Dilip Borkar, Mr Dharmanand Verenkar, Ms Hema Naik, Ms Sabina Martins, Mr Kasahinath Naik, Mr Gopinath Gauns and Mr Costa Fernandes will participate. (NT)