Saturday, July 24, 2010

Goa Blog

Goa Blog

Goa GMC threatened?

Posted: 24 Jul 2010 08:13 AM PDT

Vishwajit Rane

LIKE THE yuvraj Vishwajit Rane who is the only cabinet minister who enjoys X plus security so also institutions under the charge of the Health Minister are the most heavily protected structures in the state of Goa. Of the total of 900 odd security guards employed by various departments of the government of Goa, health institutions such as the Directorate of Health Services (DHS), Goa Medical College Hospital (GMC), Institute of Psychiatry & Human Behaviour (IPHB) and Goa Dental College (GDC) alone account for over 600 of the total of 900 odd security personnel employed by the government of Goa through private security agencies. Indeed, in case of GMC, the ratio of security guards to doctors is 1:1 and the ratio of security guards to total employees is 1:3. If the security guards employed at other district hospitals and primary health centres are also taken into consideration, the number of security guards in securing the health minister's fiefdoms may well exceed 1000. In sharp contrast, all the other important departments of the government including the secretariat which houses the offices of the ministers and the Chief Secretary and other secretaries, the district courts, the Public Works Department (PWD) and the water resources department together, have less security guards than institutions controlled by the Yuvraj.

Courtesy: Goan Observer

Goa: Ashadhi Ekadashi celebrated with traditional fervour

Posted: 24 Jul 2010 07:40 AM PDT

Devotees of Vithal and Rakhumai celebrated Ashadhi Ekadashi with traditional fervour, enthusiasm and gaiety by performing religious rituals. The day began with devotes keeping a fast on this auspicious day and offering prayers to Lord Vithal, seeking blessings for a prosperous and happy life. Thousands of devotes from different parts of the state thronged to Vithalpur-Sanquelim. The temple premise was packed with devotees who chanted 'abhagas' of great Marathi saints.

Goa: Ashadhi Ekadashi

Speaker of the state assembly and the president of the Pandurang temple committee, Mr Pratpsing Rane performed the 'abhisheka' with his family. The Minister for Health, Mr Vishwajeet Rane, Maharani of Karnataka, Ms Sushiladevi Ghorpade, and Ms Vijayadevi Rane were present too. The members of the committee and mahjans also performed abhishekas.

After the conclusion of the abhishekas Mahapuja, the mahaarati was performed, followed by the tirth prasad. Women and students took part in a special dindi. A musical programme followed next, in which vocalist Raja Kale sang devotional songs.  Kale presented bhakti geetas and abhangas on Lord Vithala. His vocal presentation mesmerised the huge gathering of devotees.

Courtesy: Navhind Times

Goa NSUI anti-drug campaigner attacked

Posted: 23 Jul 2010 10:24 AM PDT

Unidentified people Friday assaulted a National Students Union of India (NSUI) leader who had complained to Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi about the failure of the police to probe the police-politician-drug mafia nexus in Goa.

Sunil Kauthankar, the state president of the NSUI, was driving to Bicholim town, 25 km from here, when some men riding a motorcycle threw a huge stone at his car's windshield. The stone smashed the windshield and hit the student leader's face, lacerating it severely. "The incident occurred at 7.45 p.m. and the police had not reached the spot until 8.45 p.m.," Kauthankar's friend Anup Volvoikar, told IANS over the phone.

"We were on our way to an anti-drugs campaign, when the unknown persons travelling on a Pulsar bike hurled the stone near the driver's end of the windshield and it badly hit Sunil on his face," Anup said, adding that he was receiving treatment and was unable to speak. A senior police official said: "We have sent a police control van to investigate the incident. The injured person is currently under treatment."

Speaking to reporters on July 14, Kauthankar had said that the police were harassing him, a day after he had demanded a probe by a federal agency to the drug nexus, in which state Home Minister Ravi Naik's son Roy has been linked by an Israeli newspaper. Kauthankar had launched a signature campaign in Goa demanding a federal probe and on Monday had met Rahul Gandhi to inform him about the inability of the Congress-led coalition government to effectively probe the nexus.

Courtesy: sindhtoday

Goa’s floating casinos dumping sewage into river: Panel

Posted: 23 Jul 2010 09:45 AM PDT

A legislative panel has slammed the Goa government for allowing offshore casinos and cruise vessels to dump raw sewage into the Mandovi river that runs by this state capital. ’The committee is aghast by learning that the gaming vessels, casinos and boat cruises are releasing all kinds of waste into the Mandovi river thereby causing severe water pollution,’ the panel for ports’ administration said in its report tabled Friday during the monsoon session of the Goa assembly.

The committee, headed by Babu Kavlekar of the ruling Congress-led coalition, also asked the state government to initiate proper measures to dispose sewage, garbage and oil. ’The committee is surprised that the government did not take cognisance all these years of the waste that the vessels were releasing into the Mandovi river,’ the report said.

Seven offshore casinos and nearly a dozen pleasure cruise vessels ply on the Mandovi river. The report also lambasted the government for not taking any measures to prevent collisions of vessels in the Mandovi river, one of the state’s major waterbodies in which hundreds of barges ply transporting ore from the mining belt to the trans-shippers anchored portwards. The river also has a major fishing jetty, which is home to nearly 200 trawlers. ’The committee is disgusted to acknowledge that the government has not taken any measures to prevent accidents and collisions,’ the report said.

Courtesy: sify
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