Thursday, June 24, 2010

Goa Blog

Goa Blog

Romance with rains: Goa tells tourists

Posted: 24 Jun 2010 09:20 AM PDT

Goa’s crowded beaches wear a largely deserted look during the monsoons. At this time of the year, swimming is banned on beaches, and just as the southwest monsoon hits the coast, tourists start disappearing. But, the June-September period is also the time for a different experience. With giant sea waves hitting the shores, cool breeze welcomes tourists to the lush green landscape.

Goa Tourism

Making this the catch, the Goa government has now decided to sell the concept of rains to the tourists. They have come up with the idea of ‘raindrop tourism’ which allows tourists to romance and dance out in the open when it rains.

The Tourism Department is set to float this concept of raindrop tourism, especially to travellers from West Asia, where rains are sparse. For this, authorities are also streamlining a promotional campaign. “We lack integrated campaign. Our promotional campaigns are distributed amongst multiple agencies. Other states have a single agency doing the job,” said Swapnil Naik,Director, Goa Tourism.

Official figures suggest that, Goa tourist inflow drops to just 10 percent during monsoons. The coastal state is facing tough competition from Kerala, which has branded itself as God’s Own Country and aggressively promotes backwater tourism concept. Goa lacked this kind of branding for the monsoons which is now being compensated for.

Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), which has 13 properties, plans to introduce discount offers under concept of ‘raindrop tourism’. Themes like ‘monsoon glee’ and ‘monsoon honeymoon’ are chosen as package titles at resorts and hotels to attract tourists during this off season.

Courtesy: ndtv

Goa Drug Case: Cops to Interrogate Lucky in Sweden

Posted: 24 Jun 2010 09:03 AM PDT

After failing to get the statement of Lucky Farmhouse when she was in Mumbai, the state police have now said that, if necessary, they will send team to Sweden, to interrogate her. Lucky, ex-girlfriend of Israeli drug peddler Yaniv Benaim alias Atala, had exposed police-drug peddler nexus through a video, which she had shot on a spy cam and later uploaded on youtube. ”If required, we will send team to Sweden to interrogate Lucky. Whatever is required is being done,” Director General of Police (DGP) Bhimsen Bassi told reporters. All the seven policemen and Atala arrested for the nexus are on bail after the courts observed that there is no evidence against them.

Goa Bench of Bombay High Court had castigated Crime Branch for tardy investigation in the case. “Once we examine the issue, we will take the view,” DGP said responding to a question on court’s strictures against police. He said that court’s observations would be kept in mind while investigating the case. Lucky in her email interview to PTI had said that son of a politician was visiting Atala’s place in Goa. She had also said that she has lot more video clippings to expose the nexus.

Replying to a possibility of unearthing senior politician’s son allegedly involved in the drug trade, DGP said “we are working with open mind. Whatever evidence we have collected is being evaluated.”

Courtesy: outlookindia

Another tainted Goa politician joins Congress

Posted: 24 Jun 2010 06:56 AM PDT

Within days of admitting into the party a legislator with three criminal charge-sheets against him, Congress’s Goa unit Thursday rolled out the red carpet to Vishwajeet Rane, yet another politician facing serious criminal charges.

However, state Congress chief Subhash Shirodkar said the Congress high command had taken the decision to enroll Rane, charge-sheeted by the police in May for threatening to kill an activist lawyer Aires Rodrigues.

An independent legislator from Valpoi constituency in north Goa and health minister in the Digambar Kamat-led coalition government, Rane is the son of Goa’s longest serving chief minister Pratapsing Rane, who is currently the speaker of the assembly.

Rane resigned from the cabinet and as a legislator Thursday morning before joining the Congress. He was sworn in again as minister in the afternoon, an hour after he joined the ruling party.

‘I had spoken to the Congress president Sonia-ji (Gandhi) about my wanting to join the Congress. Accordingly, this has been done,’ Rane told reporters after the swearing-in at the Raj Bhavan, adding that he would be contesting elections within the next six months as stipulated.

Asked for reasons why the Goa Congress was welcoming tainted legislators into its fold, Shirodkar said: ‘Why don’t you ask the high command? Why are you asking me these questions?’

Speaking to reporters at the Raj Bhavan, he said that such major policy decisions were taken by the Congress’ central leadership and that the state unit had nothing to do with such decisions.

Shirodkar has, in the recent past, compared tainted legislators to ’school children’ who needed to be ‘given opportunities to improve’.

On Monday, the Congress had inducted Education Minister Atanasio Monserrate, an unattached legislator of the United Goans Democratic Party (UGDP), into the party fold. Monserrate has been charge-sheeted several times for arson, assault, extortion and other serious crimes.

Courtesy:Sify News
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