Mickky: Either I stay or Churchill
PANJIM: The verbal war between the two state ministers reached a crescendo yesterday with Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco threatening to resign from the Cabinet if his bete noire PWD Minister Churchill Alemao was not stripped of the PWD portfolio within a fortnight. "Either I stay in the government or he (Churchill). In another week or two I will ask the Chief Minister to divest PWD portfolio from him (Churchill). This is my warning. When I say, I really mean it," Mickky told reporters. He strongly refuted the allegations made by Churchill Alemao against him over the issue of the widening of the Acsona road. He alleged that both - Churchill and his brother Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao - were trying to stall developmental works in Benaulim constituency. Mickky ridiculed Churchill's charge that he was resorting to 'goondagiri' by inciting his workers to block his official vehicle. He said that he had requested the agitated villagers to give him only six months to start land acquisition proceedings to acquire the stretch. [GT]

Save Siridao; villagers beat war drums against mega projects
PANJIM: The heat generated by the battle against land sharks, which was ignited in Benaulim and Carmona recently, was felt at Siridao village yesterday. In what can be described as an uprising against two projects, villagers stormed the Siridao-Palem panchayat demanding convening of the 'Gram Sabha' on Sunday to scuttle the mega pieces of concrete work. Siridao villages are agitated over two projects; the first one overlooks the sea and is located close to the 400-year-old Jesus Nazareth Chapel - it is spoken of as the plush residence of a Margao-based mine owner. [Nilesh Khandeparkar, GT]

New offshore casino for Mandovi?
PANJIM, Apr 2: If Highstreet Cruises and Entertainment Pvt Ltd is to be believed, the Mandovi river will soon host India's largest floating casino, in May. According to a news items by Sudha Menon on livemint.com, the company is also setting up a 50-room floating hotel to accommodate the gamblers. To be called Casino Royale, it will have 50 gaming tables, over 30 slot machines, restaurants and entertainment areas, in addition to live music on its rooftop, Highstreet Cruises director Jaydev Mody says. [H]

'3% rise in cargo at MPT'
PANJIM: Mormugao Port Trust chairman Parveen Agarwal, on April 2, said that the MPT handled a cargo throughput of 35.13 million tonnes in 2007-08 as against 34.24 million tonnes handled in 2006-07, thereby registering an increase of three per cent over the previous fiscal. The total traffic registered a record figure of 35.13 million tonnes, the highest ever thoughput achieved at MPT, surpassing the 35 million tonnes mark for the first time in the port's history. Despite a record throughput, the MPT earned a provisional Rs.271 crore income in 2007-08 as against R.276 crore in the previous fiscal, with corresponding net surplus of Rs.32 crore as against Rs.40 core, due to offering of more concessions to the customers and spending more on expansion and modernisation, he said. [GT]

MPT not to develop Baina, Vasco bays
PANJIM: Mormugao Port Trust chairman yesterday clarified that it had dropped its idea of developing Baina bay and Vasco bay due to the opposition from the people even as the port administration was open to development and progress of the state. [GT]

Run for life proves fatal
BICHOLIM, Apr 2: Resident of Bicholim, Mr Anand Pandurang Kavthankar, who was in the process of cutting a coconut tree, succumbed to his injuries after he slipped and fell down while running away from the site fearing that the tree would fall on him. Kavthankar and four others were cutting a coconut tree at Varpal-Haturlim, when the sad incident occurred. [NT]

Govt has failed on every front, claims Parrikar
PANJIM, Apr 2: Claiming that the Digambar Kamat-led government has failed on every front, leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar opined there was immediate need for Centre, State Governor and the Congress High Command to intervene before it gets out of hand. Pointing to the recent law and order problem in Babush Monserrate case, Scarlet Keeling issue, the rapping of government by the High Court in four cases in one day, Parrikar said that the functioning of the state administration has collapsed totally. [H]

Vasco Gujarati panels merge
VASCO, Apr 2: Two Gujarati organisations of Vasco - Shree Vasco Gujarati Samaj and Gujarati Samaj Vasco - recently merged and will now be known as Shree Gujarati Samaj Vasco. There are about 300 Gujarati Aamaj families residing in Vasco. Industrialist, Mr Naginbhai Thakkar, was elected the chief patron of the new committee, while Mr Vishnubhai Amin was elected president. [NT]