Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Goa Blog

Goa Blog

Goa’s beaches ‘are main attraction

Posted: 13 Jul 2010 06:06 AM PDT

Holidays to Goa are popular with imaginative travellers who want to escape poor weather and go somewhere a bit different.

Writing for the Sydney Morning Herald, Michael Gebicki said April is a good time to go on holidays to India as beaches and cafes will be less crowded and accommodation prices will be lower.

Goa is an ideal destination for a midwinter break and has a number of different areas that could prove ideal depending on people’s interests.

Mr Gebicki noted Anjuna, “Goa’s original hippie haven”, is quieter than the busier main resort of Calangute-Baga.

“The Anjuna flea market - every Wednesday - is a fixture of Goa’s tourist scene. For European visitors, the beaches are the main attraction,” he added.

Holidays to Goa need not stop there, with the countryside providing “one of the more sublime experiences of the subcontinent”, the travel writer asserted.

Incredible India recently advised those researching holidays to Goa to plan ahead because it can be difficult to find accommodation if left too late.

Courtesy:imaginative

Govt joins rush to make money from ore reject

Posted: 13 Jul 2010 12:17 AM PDT

Almost 1,000 million tons of very low grade iron ore in the form of reject-dumps lying neglected for decades in Goa’s mining belt have suddenly attracted interest of miners and the government alike.

With the boom in the China market for low grade ore, people are now claiming the dumps intending to export the ore. The government, too, wants to cash in on the boom and is seeking to establish clear ownership of the dumps so that royalty can be levied.

Prior to August 2009, royalty on low grade ore with iron content below 62% was about Rs 8 per ton, sources said, adding that it’s today Rs 150-160. As a result, the government’s annual collection, which used to be around Rs 30 crore, shot up to Rs 300 crore in 2009-10. It is also the first time in Goa’s mining history that the state has earned such high revenues. Director for mines Arvind Lolienkar recently projected next year’s royalty at Rs 350 crore

While that is the estimate from the exports of regular ore, royalty from the 1,000 million tons of hitherto neglected rejects will swell the state’s kitty further. Official sources said that for the last three to four decades, Goa’s cut-off grade for ore was 58% iron content. Anything below that used to be thrown out. With the boom in the China market, even ore with 45% iron has a market.

Miners were given a limited area of 100 hectares. Since they operate open cast mines, they do not have enough space to dump rejects and many discarded it outside their lease areas. Some of the dumps are in private properties, some have encroached on government land and there are many whose ownership is unclear. Since there is a market for this kind of ore, some people are now stealing from these dumps.

The government now wants royalty from this ore and has served notices to all who have claimed such dumps though the ownership is unclear. They have to file their claims before the mining department and the government will then take a decision, sources said.

Courtesy:TOI

Goa DGP assures BJPYM panel on ‘thorough probe’ into cops-drug peddlers nexus

Posted: 12 Jul 2010 11:16 PM PDT

The Director General of Police, Mr Bhim Sain Bassi told the delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha that the police have taken a serious note of the allegations of the nexus between police, drug peddlers and politicians. Mr Bassi said that the police have taken these allegations very seriously and would investigate into the matter thoroughly and would not spare the culprit.

Goa Police

The delegation was led by the president of Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha, Mr Rupesh Mahatme, Mr Deepak Naik, Mr Bhagwan Harmalkar, Mr Rupesh Harmalkar, Mr Bhavesh Zambaulikar, Mr Deepak Kalangutkar, Mr Sharmad Pai Raiturkar, and Mr Atmaram Barve of students' cell.

A strong morcha of around 200 BJPYM activists started from BJP office, shouting slogans and proceeded to the Goa Police headquarters, but was stopped near the M G Road by the police. A meeting was held there; it was then decided to meet the DGP and present him with a memorandum.

A delegation met the DGP, wherein he assured it to look into the allegations made against certain politician, in a startling revelation by  Ms Lucky Farmhouse.

The delegation argued that due to links between police, drug peddlers and politicians, the image of the state has taken a beating besides, the police investigations are with many loopholes and cases fall flat resulting in accused let free for the want of clues.

There were elaborate security arrangements — police personnel from Agacaim, Old Goa and besides a lady platoon of India Reserve Battalion were called in to handle the situation. The sub-divisional police officer, Mr Deu Banaulikar, the Panaji PI, Mr Sandesh Chodankar and Agacaim PI, Mr Vishwesh Karpe and Old Goa PI, Mr Francisco Corte besides others were also present.

Courtesy: NT
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