Might of mites hurting Goan coconut industry badly

The state of Goa is known for its beauty which is most often showcased by swaying palm trees dotting the beaches, or even hinterland areas. Palm trees have therefore been synonymous with Goa and the Goan coconut fruit is considered to be the most delicious and the most completely utilised fruit, consumed in its entire measure, thereby supporting an industry in which thousands are also employed in Goa.

The state of Goa and its coconut farmers are however facing a plucky situation for the last so many years due to the coconut crop being affected by the "Eriophyid mite", infesting the entire chain of the coconut industry.

The ERIOPHYID Mite is one of the dreaded pests of coconut, and in recent years it has caused enormous damage to the palms in Goa.

Eriophyid mites are very tiny, and are only visible under a microscope. The Eriophyid mites are similar to worms, and are equipped with two pairs of legs. The Males and females among the mites appear identical. They are lazy crawlers and the primary source of their proliferation leading to their population increase and spread is merely by wind. 

While the government of Goa was earlier dependent on the rain to reduce the effect of the mites on the coconut, the same has not proven good enough prompting the government to devise methods and means to control this pest.

So what may be good news to Goan coconut farmers, is the agriculture department apparently attempting a new treatment which could reduce the effects of the mites and the department has already started tests at some places.These trials have been conducted on the recommendation of the Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Maharashtra

The tiny microscopic Mites, in recent times, have hurt Goan coconuts like never before and are playing havoc with the crop, resulting in deformed coconuts or the falling of premature nuts, nuts cracking within and brown or silvery colouration of the husk of the coconut. A clean environment is essential to prevent proliferation of mites which is sadly missing in most farms in Goa. After rainfall the mites tend to reduce in number but slowly re-appear after the passing of the rains.

The treatment by the agriculture department in Goa uses micro nutrients such as Zinc, neem with boron etc and the trials are already started in many fields in the state of Goa. Neem which is a natural insecticide and is regarded highly even against mosquitoes by Goans locally over the years, is used by applying the neem extract  spray on the coconut trees.

Internationally, spraying the affected palms with a mixture of 2 per cent neem oil, garlic and soap mixture has been found to be effective.

However for a consistent and effective application, all treatments are apparently best achieved if treated at the root of the coconut tree.

Goa Tiatr Academy to be inaugurated today

The long awaited Goa tiatr academy is finally going to see the light of the stage today when eminent tiatr artiste Master Vaz, a state cultural awardee, will officially inaugurate the academy at the Ravindra Bhavan at Margao Goa.

The inaugural function to be held at the Joao Agostinho Fernandes auditorium in the presence of the Honourable chief Minister of Goa Mr Digambar Kamat is also going to witness the felicitation of eminent tiatr artists for their lifetime contribution to the tiatr stage.

An entertaining cultural programme of comedy skits, songs and music by popular artists of Goa is slated to  follow. Artists who are expected to perform at the function include Roseferns, Peter-Roshan, Bab Mython, Victor, Mario Menezes, Rosy Alvares, Lawry Travasso, Joana, Comedian Edilson, Baby Rioma,Prince Jacob, Supremo Hubert, comedian Agostinho, Comedian Jesus, Comedian Selvy, Hortencio Pereira, Anil Kumar, Fatima, Rocky Dias, Baby Ziyana, Xavier gomes, Marcus Vaz, Felcy, C. D Silva, Shaikh Amir, Marcelina de Betim and ben Evangelisto. Music for the entire function is to be provided by Maestro Josinho.

The function is open for the general public free of cost.

Miss Goa 2009 ? Its Allison D'Souza!

Valentine's day in Goa was not going to go down with the memory of love alone. Beauty reigned quite decisively as well, when a young Goan lass Allison D'souza hailing from the port city of Vasco-da-Gama was adjudged the winner in a grand finale for the title of  Miss Goa 2009 at Palavra de Jardim at Nuvem, yesterday. Ms Rhonda Martins from Caranzalem claimed the first runners up position.

Emerging in a select group of 10 final contestants who took part yesterday to claim the winners crown, Allison  initially qualified from around 126 aspirants from all over Goa, who participated in the beauty pageant with the final 10 girls battling it out yesterday for the topmost beauty honours in the state.

The ten finalists taking part yesterday were Ms Anjali Motwani from Porvorim, Ms Roshisha Tivrenkar from Marcel, Ms Rhonda Martins Caranzalem, MaryLou D'mello from Benaulim, Hazel D'cruz from Raia, Crystal Campos, Socorro, Nalisha Carrasco  Mapusa , Shweta Shetye , Chicalim, Allison D'souza, Vasco and Elaine Godinho from Nerul.

The event was hosted by VJT entertainment and also had Mary Lou D'mello winning the Miss catwalk title, and Ms Hazel Dcruz bagging the Miss talent crown while Cystal Campos won the Miss smile title.

Earlier the ten finalists went through the rigours of various rounds putting up a sterling performance in the ethnic, formal and the casual rounds while being quizzed by judges Gyrmeet Chaudhury and Ms Debina Banerjee of Ramayan fame and Ms Vedita Pratap Singh runner up of Gladrags and Channel V hottest 2008.

The winner walked away with a cash prize as also precious jewellery to round off  the most memorable Valentine's day for herself.

Post - Valentine hangovers in Goa and elsewhere

And so Valentines' day passed off peacefully. Goa which was threatened by a bunch of flies from some little known fascist organisations, did not have the gall to disrupt any celebrations after all. Probably people from their own ranks were busy with Valentines celebrations themselves.

So cupid expressed himself unabashedly, painting entire towns and even some villages in Goa pitch red. The whole of Goa was doting with Love most effortlessly and the reason to be with each other yesterday, had to do with more than a mere "I like you".

Shopping haunts were packed with lovers trying to discover the best gift that could surprise his/her Valentine more than last time. Restaurants were abuzz with all their favorite foodie plans reaching their obvious conclusions. Couples were seen feeding goodies to each other as if they had forgotten how to eat on their own. Gazing into each others eyes was like a competition and everyone seemed to be a winner. Holding hands and expressing with a red rose were part of the entire process that most couples indulged in to send the powerful message across.

In many places music held sway for the lovers, dancing their hearts out in the arms of their loved ones and ensuring that the evening, rather the night ended on a high and lovely note.

The scene was not much different in the rest of the country. However it was not such a bold expression as much as it was in Goa. Nevertheless there seemed to be an outpouring of Love and people dared the 'immorally moral police" to challenge them by provocations of heart carrying individuals who seemed ready for a fight-back.

And so all the sundry Senas and the doddly tribes of culture protectors looked like a bunch of helpless villains who had been swept aside by the fever that had gripped the entire country and refuses to show a semblance of withdrawal come what may year after year.

The Pink Chaddi campaign was another pointer to the growing indignation felt against such goondaistic mentalities of such rabid groups who are as toothless as their warped imaginations. The Pink chaddi seemed to be the perfect body blow to embarrass these groups out of their cosiness of proxy culture hunting. And it worked!

You cant stop a love from flowering, you morons! Get a life next Valentine and let your hangover be directed at your own cultural prudence of kamasutra and khajuraho which is reeking with sexism of the worst order.

High Valentine spirits!

This card is a giant attempt by a marketing organisation to enable people from Mumbai to pen down their love feelings on a giant card.

The company incidentally is hoping to carve its name in the Guinness book of world records for this giant sized feat.

The Bombay electricity supply company has been generous to donate special ladders to help people to help themselves with some messages to pen up there.

What a spirit of Valentine indeed!

Curca water tests, do not bode good for garbage dumps in Goa

Water samples from six wells in Curca were analysed for preliminary bacterial analysis, alarmingly revealing the dangers of pollution in ground waters with coliform organisms being identified through the analysis. The findings of the test are expected to be public in about a weeks time.

The samples taken for analysis from six wells in Curca, Sant Anne, Telaulim and Merces which revealed the above strain of bacteria which enters the body through the water and could infect a person with diarrohoea and dysentery.

The team of sanitary inspectors which collected the samples on the directions of the Corporation of the city of Panaji (CCP), were trying to ascertain whether the pollution of the water was caused due to the garbage dump at Curca which was forcefully stopped by Curca residents from being a garbage dumpyard around 5 years ago.

Local residents of Curca have blamed the pollution in the ground water to the waste flowing from the abandoned quarries on the plateau at Curca which they claim was abused to be dumped with garbage more than its capacity to hold.

Goa ushers in Valentine's Day

Its the 14th of February 2009. Goa woke up to the red amazement of a day which is gracefully embedded in the history of Love. Its a day which has been looked forward to by people all over the world and Goans are no different. It is indeed the day of expressing Love.

Today is the day to say those beautiful words " I Do Love You" a little louder than usual. The streets in Goa are already speaking loud and clear with shops and establishments adorning their abodes with the language of love.This isn't a day only for  people romantically in love. People of all ages, even those without the special someone are planning ways to give them the special feeling.

Some people in Goa simply wear red on the occasion to show their mere solidarity with the day of Love. Red being the colour of love, it is also believed to express warmth and love is normally expressed with the presenting of a red rose to a loved one.It is the most ancient and well choreographed language of love which can instantly send the message across.

Some people in Goa simply gather with friends around them to gush each other with the special Valentine flavour which is too strong to ignore even if you are single. Some others would like to engage themselves in the love of their life which may be a hobby or an interest one pursues passionately.

Some singles have their own way in Goa to celebrate Valentine's day and meet up to have a bash on their own. They sing songs in a great camaraderie and have a big party to celebrate the love of being alone but happy, successful and single.

Many Goans would prefer to be with their parents and elders and give back some of the love that they showered on them all these years and made them into what they are today. Valentine's day gives you that opportunity to express your love and gratitude for all the things that you would like to say " I Love You" for.

Of course for Goan couples, it is the mother of all days. They have been looking forward to this like a thirsty person looks for a drop of water. This day brings in them a certain enthusiasm and gushes of Love. Love knows no bounds and chocolates, candies, heart shaped cards, teddies, bear hugs and cartloads of roses are part of this super day which " makes the day" for millions in the world.

Goa has also lined up various dine and dance occassions to invoke the passionate fire burning in the heart and to give the opportunity of swaying to music with your beloved one in your cosy arms. Its like a fever that has gripped starred hotels. Restaurants, jewellery shops, card shops, gift shops, movie theatres etc. But every year there seem to be strange entrants claiming their share of the Valentine pie. So nowadays you have car companies claiming the Valentine drive, computers and peripherals being sold with a Valentine offer, denims clinging to the Valentine threadline, music and movie tunes claiming the Valentine song and even digital cameras and power inverters wanting a click of the powerful Valentine love bite.

" A happy Valentine's day " indeed. May the love grow in Goa and make this place all the more beautiful.

Should healthcare in Goa be chargeable for non-Goans?

The above question has been thrown up some weeks back. The government as reported is doing a study on a Supreme court order on the issue.

As we can see very amply, government sponsored free healthcare is currently used in full measure by the migrant community in Goa. Both the Hospicio in Margao and the Goa Medical College in Panjim is full of them, thereby burdening the state and its health resources. One hardly sees  Goans availing the benefits of free healthcare in Goa, compared to the migrant population.

Part of the reason is the government hospitals in Goa lack proper hygiene and the hospitals are in dire straits in terms of linen and equipment which has kept most Goans away, patronising the private clinics and hospitals.

Barring the gadgets  such as scan machines, X-ray machines, etc and very good experienced doctors, these hospitals have nothing else to boast about. And currently while Goans are shying away, the rest of the Indian community is making best use of the equipment and the doctors.

While I dont think the government is planning to charge fees for resident non-goans it may be a good move to charge non-goans who come to Goa only to avail the benefits of healthcare and then return back to their home state, thereby not adding to our depleting resources but actually draining them.

However emergencies such as accidents or any other exigencies would be above this bar and should be attended immediately without being charged irrespective of where the person is from. Humanity comes above everything.

If there is a proper check and efficient measures are taken to ensure proper fund management and proper hygiene, these hospitals will once again return to their former prestigious glory in the hearts and minds of Goans thereby ensuring better utilisation of the resources for Goans and maintaining a good civic balance as well.

Stop constructions, tackle garbage in Goa first, says HC

Garbage management in Goa came for sharp introspection on Thursday by none other than the High court who instructed seven civic bodies in the state of Goa not to issue fresh licenses for multi-storied buildings within their jurisdiction untill further orders.

The division bench of the Bombay high Court comprising of Mr Justice P B Majumdar and Justice N A Britto issued the above directives to the municipalities of Quepem, Sanguem, Curchorem, Cuncolim, Sanquelim, Pernem and Valpoi since they had not complied with the courts' directives on immediate and interim measures on garbage management.

The Chief Officers of the seven municipalities were present on the occasion in response to a directive to them to be present personally before the Court to show cause as to why suitable action for disobeying its order should not be passed against the seven bodies including an order imposing fine against the seven Chief Officers to be recovered from their personal salaries.

It may be recalled that the Courts had passed a series of directions to municipal Councils for immediate and the safe disposal of garbage while asking the GSPCB to inspect the facilities of the municipal council and report to the court on the compliance of the directed procedures.

While the court gave immediate measures to manage garbage which included collection of waste to be segregated into organic waste( biodegradable) and inorganic waste(non biodegradable) it also directed the civic bodies on the final measures to be taken.

The court has therefore restrained these civic bodies from issuing any fresh construction licenses to multistoried dwelling units and adjourned the hearing till February 18

Goa tiatr academy to be a reality on Feb 16

Ravindra Bhavan Margao, will see history being made on the 16th of February 2009, when legendary and well known tiatrist Master Vaz (Jose Francisco Vaz) will inaugurate the much desired Tiatr Academy in the presence of the Chief Minister Mr Digambar Kamat who will be the Chief guest for the auspicious occasion.

Veteran Tiatrist and the former speaker of the legislative assembly Mr Tomazinho Cardozo would be the president of the Academy which has been constituted for the development and encouragement of Tiatr in Goa.

The constitution of the academy is expected to go a long way in the improvement of the Tiatr in Goa, a unique Konkani art form, which has a history of over 117 years and survived the times without help from any state machinery.

The setting up of the Tiatr academy was a promise made by the Chief Minister Mr Digambar Kamat which he faithfully honored and the tiatrists were feeling gratified for the same, while hailing the academy which was actually long overdue given the history of the tiatr in the state of Goa. However there was widespread dissatisfaction at the budget allotted to the academy being a paltry 15 lakh and demanded much more keeping in mind the wide following that the tiatr has always commanded in Goa.

More than 2000 odd tiatr's are staged in Goa every year besides also traveling abroad  to the gulf, and Europe as also Canada and America where Goans flock to watch their traditional piece of the action.

Goa government staff accountabilities

For the moment, the Chief Minister Mr Digambar kamat seems to have  sorted out the brewing confrontation between the chairperson and chief officer of the Margao Municipal council against the Margao Municipal employees in the ugly attendance impasse.

One of the greatest sicknesses plaguing all our administrations in Goa is the lack of mere will on the part of authorities in Goa to fix accountability on the staff responsible for the tasks entrusted to them.

While accountability is the essence of good responsible governance, our law makers are least interested in the same, probably due to the worry that such enforcements may bring out their own inefficiencies in the open because our rulers are themselves irresponsible and actually accountable to no one.

Municipal employees seem to have managed to scuttle another move at good governance much to the dismay of the common man. Irregularity in office being the root cause, the biometric machine was introduced by the present chairperson Mr Savio Coutinho reportedly after receiving complaints about the irregularities which had become a regular feature.

Such a system was for the benefit of all and there was no reason for the employees to oppose such a move. However in opposing this move it clearly demonstrates the fear that these employees carry about their punctuality and attendance regularity.

While this issue should have been dealt with firmly, it seems to have shown the meek side of the government despite the Chairperson holding his ground firm. This will only send a wrong message to the rest of the establishment.

Another attempt at improving governance goes down the drain. Alas Goa!

Goa govt to make healthcare chargeable for non-residents

The government of Goa in a bid to lessen the financial burden of the state is planning to charge fees for people who arrive in the state for availing treatment in government hospitals in Goa.

This is apparently for people who come specially in the state to take the benefit of health care without being residents of Goa.

The decision however seems to be subject to a Supreme Court order which the government is planning to study before taking a final decision on the matter.

Goa and the citizens charter

In the Goa of yesteryears there was hardly any "Babudom". Things  were not as bad as they happen to be today where government officials make Goans dance to their tunes for issuing any documents, passing files or certifying plans.

Many of my friends have migrated to other countries with the single frustration of "babudom" in Goa ,which frustrated their lives so much that they decided to bid goodbye to Goa for good.

Some like myself have however reconciled to be in Goa for the rest of our lives for the sole love of this place. However "babus" in various government departments in Goa have always left me indignant and angry sometimes in futility. My anger has often resulted in stalemates of various procedures due to my outbursts against these people who simply delay files, stop issuing licences , subdue documents etc or seek some unholy compensation to do the job as if their salaries were unpaid for years.

This malaise is almost across all government departments and is not restricted to some alone. It has spread like a disease and it is consuming lives of Goans most willingly.

In recent times I had an incident where I had to get a marriage certificate from the civil registrars office and the concerned clerk had set his own set of rules to issue such certificates, instructing citizens to return back for the certificates after an agonising 7 days. while I relented to his non-negotiable wishes I was in for a surprise as even after 10 days when I approached him one morning, he denied me the certificate which was already signed and in ready condition, citing his self appointed issuing time to be in the evening.

Since I needed the certificate instantly on the 10th day morning, I pleaded in asking him for a favour and issue me in the morning. But he blankly refused.

What followed next was a revolution. I was livid. But I said nothing to this " Babu". All I told him was that I would get to the bottom of the matter of issuing such certificates. In my sudden gush of anger and disgust, I left my urgent work aside and rushed instead to the office of the state registrar in Panjim and sought the citizens charter which clearly stipulates the time required of government officials to issue such certificates.

To my pleasant surprise I discovered that such certificates are compulsorily to be issued on the same day or three days maximum and there was no time stipulated to issue such documents which meant that the concerned clerk was acting on his own whims and fancies.

Armed with a copy of this citizens charter, I returned back to seek explanations from the clerk who had none to give. I brought this anomaly to the notice of the sub-registrar who himself seemed clueless with few answers. However after their profuse apologies, I dropped the matter and did not proceed on the same to the higher authorities.

I am writing this post to educate Goans about the citizens charter. It is a powerful document for every citizen not to be cowed down by the antics and useless tantrums of government employees   from all government departments  who force their own rules on citizens who dont know their rights. There is a citizens charter for every department to follow and they have to follow it. if they dont we can approach the public grievance officer of that department or use the "right to information" tool to good effect.

From the fire department, to the civil registrar, to the police and the health department every one has a guideline to follow. It is our duty to remind them that we know of these guidelines. Else they will make merry at our cost.

For those who want to know more about the citizens charter it is also available online. Just search in Google for "citizens charter, goverment of Goa"  and you will get this site : goagovt.nic.in/charter/index.htm

 Just click on that site and you will get the citizens charters you want for every government department.

Dont be fooled by these Babus.Just beat them at their own game.

Where is the Goan music gone?

We grew up with music all around us. We were given to understand that we are naturally born with it. It was something presumable in the Goan blood. If your dad wasn't a musician your uncle had to be one. Your aunt had to know solfeggio and your grand uncle could negotiate anything on the violin. This was nearly the situation in most homes of Goa.

At Church feasts, we had the brass band, at ladainhas ( litany) we had the violins, at the Saibinn it was there again, at birthdays, during christmas and new year it was never missed. Music and song was indeed a part of our everyday life.

If the Mando, the dekhni and later the delights of Lorna were not played, there used to be sing-alongs among members of the family and everyone reveled in the musicals. The "kandllam onvllam" on radio were the eager music for Goan housewives as also Goan restaurants which never failed to play the music.

However things have changed over the years. The music seems to have drained out from the Goan walk of life. The coming of the "saibinn" is celebrated in the form of song only. There is no music. The "ladainhas" have no sound of the violin and the violinists themselves have become a rare species. the brass band plays. Seldom at funerals and at feasts. But they are the last few chips of the old block with the youngsters unwilling finding those instruments huge and gawky and would rather get themselves inside a conventional Goan band .

Music is sadly no longer looked upon as a must-do in Goan homes. Newer economic interests have directed our motives in pursuit of excellence for our children. And if it wasnt for the Goan wedding bands who again have economic sense to continue, our Goan music would have been dead prematurely.

Of course there is the occasional news of some talented young Goans who surface in newspapers armed with a degree in violin and other instruments which are a small reflection of the actual talent they possess. But other than that trickle there is nothing more to cheer about the music of Goa.

Goan wedding bands and choirs in churches are the last few remnants of a musical lineage that is slowly dying. We sincerely need to wake up and infuse in us a new desire, a new enthusiasm, a new vigour to bring us back to the music of yore, that Goa was always famous for. We need to re-discover ourselves. But will we?

Goan Feni - cocktails

As enlisted in my previous posts, Goa has been synonymous with the local brew Goan Feni which has made the state famous. While the brew is to be consumed responsibly as has been done by a majority of Goans, some people from outside the state have falsely used the opportunity to label Goans as drunkards which is a myth.

The Feni is our drink for sure, but by no means are we so caught up with Feni alone that we lose sight of our senses. However we love Feni to be a pure Goan brew and we are proud of its heritage.

Goan feni is of two distinct types.The Cashew feni is produced out of the juice of cashew apples and the process is very extensive and explained here. Coconut feni is the other brew made from the toddy collected by toddy tappers. While coconut feni has it’s own following, cashew feni is preferred by the majority of Goans because of it’s nostalgic taste and flavour. Also between the two, cashew feni costs more and its process is more extensive.

We have various cocktails of Feni made in Goa. some of them are as under

(1) Sizzling Goa
55ml cashew feni
a chilled soda
juice of 1 lemon
a small piece of ginger
1 clove
2 cardamom pods
1 cashew nut ( only for garnishing)

Its simple:Put all the ingredients in a pitcher and stir them. After stirring , strain and pour into a glass. Finally garnish with a piece of cashew nut.

(2) Feni on Fire
Send some ice cubes down in a tall glass

Now send a small measure of Goan Cashew feni inside that glass

Split or rather slit a green chilli and land it vertically in the glass

Now add 7 Up to the glass and garnish with a slice of lemon/lime to serve.

(3) Amcho Fidalgo - with Coconut Feni
Ice cubes
Coconut Feni
Rum
Half lemon
Sugar
Angostura bitters
Orange juice
Nutmeg
Orange slices
Mint

Put ice cubes in a reasonably tall glass. Add one large measure of Coconut Feni, a similar measure of rum, squeeze the juice of half a lemon, add two dashes of Angostura Bitters, a teaspoon of sugar. Stir and top it up with 2 measures of orange juice, a sprinkling of nutmeg. Decorate with a slice of orange and a sprig of mint.

(4)Succegado Goenkar

50ml coconut Feni ( maddancho)
1/4 tsp powder of cinnamon
1/2 tsp sugar
250 ml soda + ice cubes
Garnishing: coconut piece

Drop all the ingredients into a blender and after blending well enough, pour the mixture into a narrow glass. For decoration purpose , garnish with a round slice of coconut and an ice cube floating in it to float onto this succegado mix of Goa

(5)Sol De Laranja

Pour a single measure of Coconut Feni ( Maddancho) into a tall glass with lots of ice. Top it up with two measures of fresh orange juice and garnish it finally with a slice of orange.

Hope you enjoy Goan Feni responsibly

Goa tourism vs Goan hardships

It has been a well debated thought in Goan minds. The state of Goa has surely been a tourist destination for long, since the late sixties. However with the rampant demands of tourism, Goans as citizens of the state seem to have also paid a heavy price for tourism in Goa.

High Living expenses
For one thing, the living expense in Goa has horrified many people from the country, who visit the state for short periods. Prices of vegetables, fish and other commodities have always been at a premium in Goa, compared to other states of the union. The prime reason for this, seems to be the acute demand for these commodities from the tourism sector which has invariably pushed up prices.

It is natural that with more demand, prices tend to shoot up. However this has affected Goan pockets very badly and the government needs to put a check on this artificial inflation existing in Goa, which has thrust the life of the common man to be very expensive. While tourism is welcome, there needs to be a regulation on prices and the flow of commodities to the public, also needs to be moderated. Else, we are heading for chaos inflicted upon by vendors of all hues and colours.

Contaminated wells
The inconvenience of tourism has also extended beyond living expenses and is a cause of nuisance in many other areas. As we now see, due to the hotel industry developing haphazardly, well water has been rendered useless in many parts of Goa, owing to the sewage of these hotels seeping in the springs and rivulets leading to these wells thus endangering human life in Goa.

Also more housing is necessisated for the employees of these hotels from outside goa thereby burdening the existing resources.

Water Shortages
While Goa has always been known to be an abode of clean drinking water and water abundance being our strength, that strength seems to be waning with shortages of public tap water in many places in Goa as a direct fallout of the oversized requirement of water of the hotels in Goa. Besides their in house requirement, their gardens and swimming pools gulp plenty of water, denying Goans their share of the natural resource.

Step-motherly treatment
Some restaurants in Goa are another big let-down for Goans in many places as restaurant owners as well as waiters in restaurants, treat Goans with near contempt simply by presumption that Goan patronage generates lesser income. Goans therefore feel like second class citizens in their own state because of the irresponsible behavior of some restaurants and their policies.

Traffic congestions
The pleasure of sightseeing in Goa by tourists has also been at the expense of inconveniencing Goans at many places in Goa where tourists flock in large numbers bringing with them buses, coaches and cars of Indian tourists creating acute traffic congestion at various places hindering the passage of people residing in colonies nearby or simply blocking vehicular traffic. This nuisance needs to be removed on a war footing and the government needs to make alternate arrangements in nearby open spaces to accommodate such parking.

In short, the government of Goa needs to address all the issues affecting Goans with respect to tourism and take preventive measures to avoid confrontations. Surely we do not want an ugly agitation in Goa against tourism next. But does the government of Goa have the foresight and the will to understand the Goan?

Goa Medical College Subway still unused

Citizens of Goa seem to be taking chances with their lives. Else how can you explain the needless risk taken by citizens on a road where 33 accidents took place last year alone? This is the ground reality at the Goa medical College hospital in Bambolim where people cross the highway by walking across the road but do not use the newly built subway to do so.

This action of the common people is a complete defeat of the purpose for which the grand subway was built and inaugurated by the Speaker of the legislative assembly Mr Pratapsingh Rane on 26th January amidst much fanfare.

The over 7 crore project of the 20m broad and 62 m long mega underground structure housing nine shops seems to be on the road to joining the league of Goan subways which are currently rotting for want of use. Currently such subways meant for similar purpose in Nuvem, Verna and Navelim have no takers and are the unsung white elephants of Goa.

At the GM C, there seems to be a frantic rush to catch the bus by crossing the road, the moment an oncoming bus is in sight thereby thrusting the lives of pedestrians at extreme risk. People therefore cross the road at any point on the highway, something which the state government needs to moderate efficiently.

Suggestions have filtered in to erect railings in such a way that the bus-stops are also located close to the subway thereby inducing or forcing people to mandatorily use the subway without resorting to shortcuts by using the highway thereby dangerously negotiating the speeding traffic. Goans are therefore risking their lives and unwittingly falling prey to accidents , causing great grief in Goan families

However there are some niggles on the side of the government as well. Although the subway was inaugurated on 26th January 2009, it is still to be fully completed and the light connections and other finishing touches are yet to be given and therefore the public is also wary of using it.

The government should therefore speed up the work to ensure that the subway does not render itself useless by the time work is actually completed. That would be a complete shame after spending so much of money on the project.

Goans turn to God to solve problems of state

It simply demonstrates the frustration that Goans are going through. The government of Goa should work in favour of Goans and should do everything for our welfare. However we find that instead, our government is channelising its energies in displacing Goans from their ancestral land be it agricultural or residential.

Some people in Navelim therefore turned to the savior, who himself made the land. God's intervention was invoked in a very novel protest against the state governments blindness in understanding the sentiments of Goans who are being asked to vacate their land in the name of every kind of destructive development.

In the above case the villagers gathered in the field opposite the Konkan railway station Margao seeking divine intervention from God to save their land from being gobbled up.Villagers here, are in danger of losing their land to accomodate migrants and others, among the displaced vendors of Rawanfond junction at Margao who are promised area on this land thereby raising the opposition from the owners .

While poor farmers run the risk of losing their sole source of livelihood from agricultural farming here, the government has already gone on record to declare this land for the displaced persons' benefit.

One wonders why the government does not re-locate these displaced people in places far away from the mainland such as Canacona or Sattari , Sanguem and other hinterland areas where vacant land may be available for such displaced vendors instead of forcing their will on hapless Goans by relieving us of our prime land.

Calangute raises alarm for rest of Goa.

All the agitations in Goa are for a good cause after all. In between all the din of the agitations one gets a dose of reality that can shake up your goanness completely and make you absolutely livid with people in the government who claim that citizens have gone a little too far with their agitation agenda.

For those who believe that megaprojects, garbage dumping and haphazard development is part of life, it is time to taste the drinking water in your area in Goa. Calangute's residents have already made the painful decision to stop drinking water from their wells some time ago due to the water rendering itself unfit for consumption. The reason? Large scale mushrooming of hotels and rampant housing projects which are almost bumper to bumper in central Calangute.

Water resources in the area as well as the coastal belt of Goa have been contaminated due to the discharge of sewage onto the ground with Calangute being the worst hit while the local population of the area is relying completely on public tap water.

This contamination of water was apparently confirmed by the World health organisation(WHO) who stated that the water in the wells of coastal villages in Goa was unfit for human consumption.

With cities in Goa already affected, the coastal villages in Goa are following suit and very soon the internal villages of Goa could be the next in line for the contaminated share, if the projects of housing and hotels are allowed so brazenly.

The rise in septic tanks in Calangute has been high in recent times owing to the  large number of housing projects and currently the ground is reportedly unable to absorb any more sewage.

The sewage leaking from the septic tanks channels along water bodies or in the streams of nullahs while sometimes directly pumping onto the ground through ring wells thereby contaminating ground water resources.

While there is a great desire to have housing projects and hotels in all coastal areas by the government of Goa,  there seems to be a toothless display as far as infrastructure such as sewage plants etc which are a necessity, is concerned.

The stand of all Goans at various gram sabhas opposing megaprojects,  alignments, housing projects, regional plans etc., are therefore vindicated by this small finding. There are probably a million other skeletons in the closet enough to take Goa to its doom unless the government of Goa shows its genuine concern for the preservation of Goa's natural resources.

Down with haphazard concretisation of Goa!

Valentine's air fills Goa as usual

The fever of the Valentine spirit seems to have caught on early in Goa t his year. Like always Goa is the most favoured destination in India, for lovers to express their feelings for each other on this love packed day which is on the 14th of February every year.

However this year, newspapers in Goa have begun the rampage of spreading the news a shade early. The competitions for love messages has already begun and there are some added attractions to woo people to publish messages by some newspapers in Goa, holding a daily draw and picking out some daily winners through lots. Just adds to the feeling that Love is being rewarded in advance.

Come 14th February and most restaurants, parks, movie halls, and almost all other places where romance is easier said, because of this day, will be generously stuffed with couples exchanging sweet somethings and many proposals between would-be lovers are bound to be more comfortably expressed than otherwise.

Card shops which nowadays make literally no business thanks to the SMS and the email syndromes, mysteriously have still got the avid lover hooked on to give the Valentine's card, which seems to still have a meaning of its own in this fast modern age.

So take out your Valentine on 14th February and join the crowd of elite people who have not limited the day only for opposite sexes to express love, but have extended the theory to encompass love between parents and children, between siblings or cousins or simply between two people who feel that this was the best day to say" I do love you"

So go ahead and paint the town red. You will cherish it. Because this day was meant to be so.

Nuvem locals spit fire at Goa's new highway alignment

The gram sabha of the Nuvem village panchayat which met on Sunday 8th February 2009, was a vociferous protest against the 4/6 lane road alignment proposed to be passing through the village.

The proposed alignment of the widening of the NH-17 stretch passing through Nuvem, is expected to displace plenty of villagers of Nuvem, especially villagers from Gorvotti ward, who are mostly engaged in dairy farming, and their livelihood is based on this traditional home based industry. Their cowsheds and also a large number of residential houses currently run the risk of being demolished to make way for the draconian alignment.

Incidentally some villagers allegedly pointed out to a larger nexus when they mentioned about a large property adjoining the proposed alignment plan being recently purchased by a private owner and the area has allegedly been marked as a settlement zone in the draft regional plan despite the same currently being part of cultivable fields.

The loud protests finally culminated in a resolution which the gram sabha passed unanimously, resolving that the Nuvem Village be bypassed in the alignment for the proposed laning of the NH-17.

Various other issues such as the megaproject issue at Pateapur in Nuvem also came up for discussion amidst heated arguments and the gram sabha members urged the panchayat members to come out clean on the entire issue.

Mumbai-Goa trip to last less than 9 hours by train

The sky-bus might be a project still rotting in unknown wrangles within the state of Goa and is probably doomed for oblivion. After its fateful disaster in its trial runs, the sky bus seems to have passed away for good.

However there is good news regarding the launching of a weekend train between the bustling metropolis of Mumbai and the succegado tourist hotspot of Goa. This train with only two scheduled stopovers, is set to be introduced on February 13th by the Central Railway from the CST station and is expected to touch the Margao Railway station in a quick time of 8 hours 50 minutes covering the entire 600 km distance with only  stops at Thane and Ratnagiri.

Presently the distance between the two stations takes around 11 hours by train while the airlines cover the trip within an hour. The distance between Mumbai and Goa by road however lasts for around 12 hours.

Train Schedule
While the superfast weekend train will travel at an average speed of 66.48 kmph, it is expected to leave only on Fridays and Saturdays from Mumbai and Goa. The train is scheduled to leave the CST terminus in Mumbai at 10.15 pm and reach Goa at 7.05 am, the next morning. Likewise the train from Margao will leave every Saturday at 8.45 am and reach Mumbai at 5.35 pm on the very same day.

On Sunday, the train is expected to leave the Margao station at 7.10 pm and reach the CST Mumbai terminus at around 4 am the next day. With Goa being a tourist destination, there is a great demand for Goa-bound trains throughout the year and an estimated 10,000 passengers are recorded to be traveling on the route every day.

Train Coaches
The weekend train is expected to have two general second class-cum-guard brake van coaches, one AC 2-tier, two AC 3-tier and eight sleeper class coaches. However currently there seems to be no provision for a pantry and only light meals with tea and coffee are expected to be available.

Train Fares
The cost of the fare will be Rs 313 for a sleeper class ticket, while an AC 3-tier seat would be around Rs 820 and an AC 2-tier trip would be around Rs 1120.

The service is expected to begin a trial run on February 13, probably as a Valentine's day gift to the state of Goa.

Name is "Goa Sadan", but are any Goans on the rolls please?

This is not irony. It seems to be a pure case of malpractice. It is time for the never-dying tribe of local language heroes of Goa to stand up. It is also time for the freedom fighters of Goa to ask questions. It is certainly not the issue for Goan activists to ignore nor is it the moment for Goa's various workers' unions to turn a blind eye.

Goa Sadan, which is a place for Goans to reside while in Delhi, seems to be the whimsical blue eyed boy of everybody from India except from its patron state Goa. The " Goenkarancho ekvott" a vibrant organisation of Goans residing in Delhi exposed a recent staffing at the Goa Sadan in New Delhi, which was in contravention of the requirements for the various positions on offer.

While "drivers "currently employed in the Sadan are alleged to have no connections with Goa, their merit it seems has been the political clout exerted by bureaucrats from the country who served in Goa on official duty at some time or the other.

The joke is that none of these "suitors" have any knowledge of the local language of Konkani and Marathi  but still made the grade despite at least five suitable Goan candidates apparently appearing for the interview. The knowledge of Konkani and Marathi is a pre-requisite for the job, which has mysteriously been waived off for these "super candidates".

It is also alleged that the candidates do not possess the basic qualifications required for the post which is a passing certificate for class VIII.

It thus seems that the recruitments at the Goa Sadan are currently being made at the recommendations of Governors, IAS officers and Union Ministers and it is feared that the case of Goa Niwas is going to follow on similar lines. Goa Niwas is being constructed to have a 20 room capacity with four dormitories on two floors besides having five suites for VVIP's at a cost of Rs 9 crore.

It is therefore the time for everyone in Goa to ask about these whimsical appointments by all and sundry and thereby deny Goans the opportunity of being employed in their own state organizations.

The time for running into excuses that Goans are not interested in such jobs has run out. Goans did appear for the interviews. Were they of a lesser merit than their Indian "super candidate" counterparts is the question. Or was it a case of favouritism, bribery or all other malpractices put together to stifle the prospect of Goan candidates?

No wonder when you go to  Goa Sadan in Delhi, you hear all Indian languages except Konkani. Will our Romiwadis and Devnagriwadis of Goa please stand up? There couldn't be a better time to be heard.

Goa needs finger scanners for all govt employees

When the dynamic Chairperson of the Margao Municipal Council Mr Savio Coutinho, introduced a new system of attendance recording to ensure a more foolproof method of attendance, he was hawked by all the employees, who even resorted to ridiculous comparisons to terrorist methods, in a bid to eject themselves from the uncomfortable prospect of falling in line.

Why the new system?
The biometric finger scan machine which was installed for daily attendance recording, was meant to regularise faulty systems of attendance registers which were known to be signed by proxies and friends within the employees' circle thereby misusing the system of recording attendance.

Lame Excuses?
What followed the decision, was a vehement opposition from the so-called employees union, which absurdly likened the method to terrorist detections and conveniently called it an anti-employee policy. It thus seems that the employees would like to continue their holiday with the attendance and are simply scared that the new system would clearly expose all their machinations.

While 7 of the employees have agreed to the attendance recording, the others are currently opposing the move and have refused to use the biometric finger scan machine despite circulars to the effect from the Chief Officer to abide by the regulation.

This defiance of the municipality employees clearly shows that they would like to continue with irregularities in their work. Goans who visit these offices regularly find the people concerned, missing from their seats and obviously doing their own jobs and surprise inspections by the authorities in this regard have proven the same.

Memorandum warning action
The Chairperson and the Chief officer have now decided to serve a memorandum on the erring employees warning them about the violation of the council's decision and cautioning them that all salaries will be paid as per the recordings in the attendance report of the scan machine.

Striving for Efficiency
The Chairperson of the Margao Municipal Council should therefore be lauded for being the first person in Goa, in a government establishment to endeavor to wipe out employee inefficiency and the employees who do not adhere to set norms of the council should be punished as per the law of the land.

The rest of the Goan establishment should take a cue from this valuable exercise and should enforce similar methods in all departments to ensure better accountability of employees thereby making the system better governed.

Goa boy Jonathan Marques given tearful adieu

It was a grief struck Siridao on Friday afternoon in the seaside abode of Goa. Jonathan Marques was finally being laid to rest in his most loved homeland of Goa after his dead body was flown here from Reading, England.

Jonathan who went missing since January 6th in England was followed by a massive manhunt and the comprehensive search of the police aided by the Reading community, which initiated a public campaign to locate the young lad eventually ended when  Jonathan who was feared to have met shallow cold waters was finally retrieved from a pond in Reading on the 26th of January.

Jonathan loved Goa very much and in fact had repeatedly urged and requested his parents to return back to his native place  where he enjoyed the sun tanned beach of Siridao either running among the waves on the coastline or swimming in the waters, something in which he reveled.

His wish was thus fulfilled by his grief stricken parents who ensured that his mortal remains found their final resting place in Goa, his beloved land called home. Well-wishers friends and relatives came from far and wide including aunts and uncles from UK , Sweden and Paris to say goodbye to the 15 year old who was finally laid to rest.

Goa's faulty education system baffling

The language issue in Goa seems to have succeeded in blinding our leaders with blinkers which only horses deserved. Its a case of a dim-witted education system prevalent in the state as a direct fallout of a pseudo romance with local languages.

While the universal language of the world is English, our state of Goa, a world tourist destination where lakhs of tourists visit every year, is wedded to its stubborness of patronising regional languages Konkani and Marathi to be the medium of instruction at the primary level upto the fourth standard.

Presently only the schools which impart education in these two languages are allowed government grants for their functioning while the English medium schools are denied such grants. The result of this has been well damaging. While it has made the life of the common man expensive, in their bid to impart English education to their children paying exorbitant fees in English schools, the ones who have reconciled to the konkani and Marathi mediums have found it extremely difficult for their children to switch over to the English medium in the Vth standard.

While retaining the regional language mediums if they so wish to, the government of Goa should show its magnanimity and mere sense, in understanding the far reaching benefits of imparting education in the English medium and allow the parents to decide which medium of instruction they wish to choose for their children. Let the parents make their own choice.

By all means make the regional language a compulsory subject in the curriculum, but do not force the medium of instruction on unwilling throats to further your stale political ambitions.

It is a known fact that while the policy of the government of Goa is towards supporting grants for schools with a medium of regional languages, our legislative leaders in Goa, who supported this doctrine vociferously, actually prefer to send their children to expensive private schools with English medium.

Preach one thing and do exactly the opposite. What an example to set.

Goa oppositions : party to anything

Its a joke. Rather tragic for Goans. Opposition parties in the state of Goa belonging to any party over the times have been toothless. Only namesake and with the sole aim of gaining political mileage by aiming to nail the ruling dispensation and not to genuinely solve the problems directly affecting the people.

While critically examining the ruling party for their policies on various matters, the opposition needs to be credible and take the government to task whenever required and similarly applaud its feats whenever called for.

However our opposition parties in Goa sing only one tune and that is only of criticizing the government of the day for anything and everything.They can even show a good event or good works of the government in bad light. They have somehow mastered this unique art. Its a case of crying wolf everytime and anytime and when the wolf actually is charging, we Goans are so numb that we treat it as the usual prank and are least concerned about its threats.

So whenever sincere inflation rises and the prices can't help but go up, they shout in the streets that the government is responsible for the misery of the common man. In their heart they know they would have done the same thing or much worse, if they were around in power.

Whenever there is a law and order problem which may be unprecedented, instead of pooling help with the government, they scream that the government is incapable of protecting the citizens. Never mind that in their time, crime was more and they actually wonder how the present government handled  this one  so well.

Should  there be an earthquake or a flood they surely would run out of ideas and since God cannot be said to be with the ruling party they would prefer to blame the rescue and relief operations and claim that they were short of requirements. They are never happy with the well carpeted roads in Goa and well lit cities in the state of Goa and feel that the government ought to  have done much more.They can find anything positive to convert it into negative while the actual negatives of the government are ignored due to vested interests. Its a tragedy.

In short our opposition parties are full of theatrical maneovres. I guess they owe it to themselves. Their petty survival is necessary to fill up news pages from time to time. Never mind whether it is in the interest of Goa.

Is Mandur Goa's next garbage destination?

A leading English newspaper reported today that a team comprising of the Chief Minister Mr Digambar Kamat, the power Minister Mr Aleixo Sequeira and the former CCP commissioner Mr Sanjit Rodrigues visited a site at Mandur in St. Andre Constituency to ascertain its utility as a garbage site in the wake of protests against the originally planned  bainguinim site.

If this happens, the fears of the villagers of Mandur would be vindicated. Mandur has been ravaged on its hills by a mining individual without obtaining licences and complaints against the concerned culprit have been met with threats and dire consequences. The villagers of Mandur have borne this humiliation as if they were destined to bear the brunt of illegal hill cutting as part of their sins.

What has resulted from this rampage on the hills has been illegal cutting for rubble and illegal stone quarrying rendering open pits in the area. These pits must be a gleeful sight for government officials with an eye to bury these places with garbage of entire North Goa. If this happens the ecology and the water table of Mandur will be completely destroyed and the residents will have to bear the foul stench for the rest of their lives.

Do not trust this government or any government of the current dispensation for any hope of doing a good job with garbage. They have not given anybody any reason to believe them. For them garbage is the least of their alarms.

Residents of Mandur have failed to stop the treacherous trucker who has devastated Mandur's hills illegally. Will they now stand up and fight against the threatening garbage menace? Or let themselves be led like a sheep led to slaughter after all sheep in Goa have given a fight?

If  Mandur fails to stand up like the rest of Goa has, it will suffer the fate of being innocently condemned to bear the brunt of everybody else's trash.

Selaulim dam and gardens - Goa's hinterland beauty

There is certainly more to Goa than just the beaches. If one goes through the hinterland of Goa numerous spots of natural beauty in Goa draw your imagination. However tourists flock lesser to these places owing to either the distance or lack of proper guidance.

The Selaulim dam is one of those places which has been wonderfully beautified by the tourism department of Goa. An important dam which is the prime source for drinking water for the whole of South Goa, the dam is located in Sanguem taluka residing amidst beautiful thick foliage and is the reservoir of rain water catering to the demands of the South Goa population.

Located around 12 kilometres from Curchorem, the Selaulim dam is away from Sanguem by only 2 kilometres and is actually located in the village called Uguem. There are therefore two routes on either side of the dam to get you there.

The place has become a picnickers' favourite over the years and part of the reason is the breathtaking garden which decorates one side of the dam where tourists flock in, for leisure and photo shoots. For tourists who fall in love with the place and would like to park a little longer there is the tourist rest house located near the dam.

However vehicles are not allowed near the dam and are to be parked outside the security cordon.

It happens only in Goa?

One wonders if this is in good fun or whether it is designed behind the curtains so that gullible Goans can go with the chatter of the street and remain happy.

As far as SEZ's go, the government of Goa made it clear some time ago that it does not support SEZ's in the state of Goa given its scarce land resources. Never mind the IDC did not follow what the Chief Minister meant and went on about its business of granting more licences to the developers of the SEZ's untill the people's movement "SEZ Virodhi Manch" decided to ask questions.

Now the joke is that despite the government declaring SEZ's as a no-no for Goa the industrial policy of the state states exactly the opposite. It welcomes SEZ's into Goa which is a stark contradiction.

The scrapping of SEZ's was made as early as January 2008. Till February 2009, does  the government of Goa have no time or foresight to change its policy? Or is it a tacit complicity with SEZ's on the sly?

Whatever it is, it shows a lack of trust and needs to be rectified either way immediately. Obviously banning SEZ's being the popular choice.

Goa assembly in "action" mode

The Goa assembly is in "action" mode. Seated inside are 40 people who were sent there for a job ,by you and me. One of them is the Chief Minister. Another is the Speaker. A third is the Dy speaker and a fourth is the opposition leader. Take 12 ministers from there. That leaves a few others as chairpersons of various corporations while some have found their parliamentary secretary job disappearing due to neighbours' envy and their own losing pride.The final tally you are left with are the rest of the "common -cause-disgruntled - brigade," which does not know when to jump, where to jump and for how much to take the plunge.

With plots and counterplots being the lustful tradition in recent times, and the common man of Goa already kept busy in the work that our leaders were expected to do for us, namely protests against regional plans, SEZ's, megaprojects, highway alignments, mining belt excesses, illegal hill cuttings, blatant conversions of agricultural lands into settlement zones and rampant land sales to one and all, garbage messes all over Goa, River princess menace etc.Goa assembly sessions have been reduced to "misleading" civics classes for students who are in for some free entertainment. However after the entertainment is over and when they get back to school their teachers are bound to have a harrowing time explaining the anomalies in the books versus the "tamasha" in practice.

In our days I wonder why our teachers never thought of taking us to watch this circus. Maybe in those days the entertainment had just begun. Its full throttle now. But it sure is killing us faster than we think.

Alas Goa!

Goans should not lose land for a song

The question of compensating land losers in Goa has been an ancient one. People have lost land for various mega developmental projects like the Konkan railway for a paltry sum. The villagers of Nuvem are the latest to join the bandwagon of people over whom the horror of land acquisition for " haphazard development" seems to be hanging like a sword of Democles on their heads.

The government of Goa should show its character by solving the problem of these people as also of all Goans who are suddenly losing their ancestral land and that too for a pittance in the name of development.

It is high time the government of Goa takes this matter on a war footing and solves this issue in the interest of Goans. Give what is due. People living for centuries in their homes are not beggars. Migrants in Goa have made great livings. Atleast be kind to your own Goans and give to us our due.

Dont make Goans homeless and poor just because of swanky roads for the rich and the mighty.

Suggestions for an efficient garbage system in Goa

The garbage situation in Goa has reached unbearable levels. With Goa's garbage bowl overflowing and with opposition to garbage dumping a routine protest everywhere, if some corrective action is not undertaken immediately and the whole system overhauled completely, Goa will be in for a man made disaster. To help the establishment I would like to present a few suggestions

(1) Corporations and Govt : First prove your sincerity
Have efficient corporation governance first. Without efficient governance every effort is bound to come to zero. Fix right people for every task related to garbage management. Qualified and dedicated individuals. Not commission hungry wolves who are least concerned about the end-result of every exercise and are only awaiting the next contract and the next contractor.

(2) Dont hesitate to roll heads
Seek accountability from every person who is given a task in the garbage management hierarchy. Monitor the progress on a daily basis and have daily or alternate day meetings to analyse faults and enforce corrective actions immediately. Dont wait for garbage digester tanks to crack and leak and cause rotten slurry to inundate lives thereby inviting public ire.

(3) Keep systems transparent and enforce legally binding Purchasing and Work order policies
Identify suitable suppliers of garbage disposal machinery/ garbage handling machinery. Identify proven people who have undertaken garbage management tasks with other corporations in the country and the world. Have a transparent system and award the contract to the most deserving in terms of not only price but also reputation, accountability etc. Seek indemnity bond for each transactions. Don't be gullible or rather willingly be fooled by verbal assurances. Make a payment schedule, corresponding to work done or machineries supplied. Hold back "retention fees" for performance guarantees for certain period of warranty time. Seek to know what are post warranty terms of maintenance and obtain legally binding assurances for future maintenance support.

(4)Have Composting drives like Anti-polio drives
For Wet garbage which can be composted Vermi-compost pits should be made most diligently and corporation people should be assigned for their functioning full time. Also awareness about vermi composting should be made in every village, every building society and every residential colony. Have road shows, explain benefits, take part in exhibitions. Just SHOUT!

(5)Dispose garbage for a profit
Dry garbage- paper, glass, metals, thermocole, rexine etc- can be recycled. Such segregated waste should be sold and dealers identified to pick such garbage on a regular basis. This will help self sustenance. Be transparent and keep atleast 4 dealers to deal with. Do not allow piling of disposable garbage. Make contracts with dealers with penalty terms for delay and enforce those terms. Don't honeymoon with their excuses.

(6)Identify garbage proliferators
To handle actual garbage be more forthright and determined to tackle garbage. Identify sources of garbage and devise ways of involving the people responsible for garbage proliferation in getting rid of garbage.

Thin plastic bags, sachets of gutkha and other sachets of shampoos, chips, biscuits and pet bottles are the major nuisance. All such manufacturer companies including edible oil companies, soft drink manufacturers, water bottlers, soaps and plastic manufacturers, milk bag manufacturers which distribute their products in Goa causing the most hazardous nuisance should be identified and should be made a part of garbage management

This may be easier said than done. However all companies of such products can be made to take back their garbage for a compensation towards its collection. For this system to function efficiently, the government should be the mediator wherein a government run agency takes back all such garbage from consumers after compensating them directly and then after segregating this garbage , the concerned companies should lift this garbage and it should be their concern to get rid of this menace.

Care should be taken by the government not to handle disposal of this garbage on their own and thereby levy a surcharge on products of such companies. Levying a surcharge will backfire on Goans as the companies will pass on this extra cost burden on the consumers.

(7)Urge consumers to return empty milk packets back to Goa dairy
Milk packets are another nuisance. Some households use around 3-4 packets on an average per day. Their addition to the garbage per month is around 100 packets. While Goa dairy already has a system ( although reasonably inefficient) to take back 100 empty bags of milk in return for a 1/2 litre milk bag, the other milk companies do not follow such a procedure and should be made to follow suit. Milk bags plastic is a nuisance and Goans should endeavour to return the packets back to the companies meticulously. Goans need to be educated on this.

(8) Ban plastic bags with all your heart
The root cause of majority of plastic menace are the plastic bags for fish, groceries and vegetables as well as for meats and other commodities. Such bags have been banned as a "colourable exercise" in the past. There needs to be a genuine ban and heavy fines levied on every part of that dirty plastic chain beginning with the manufacturers, distributors, handlers and even on consumers. The verdict should be loud and clear. It should be a genuine drive against plastic. Not a half hearted grumble.

There are more suggestions to give, but the above five should help rid most of the problems associated with garbage. The first thing is to instill confidence in the people that the corporations and the government is not lax about garbage anymore. But is there a will? If there is, there surely are many ways.

Goa garbage - Why nobody's baby?

In Goa, garbage  has caught the imagination of one and all . The state has been grappling with the problem like a sumo wrestler handling an oily snake. While citizens are using all possible means to resist the dumping ground from being their own neighborhoods, the government is finding it to be a Herculean task to identify a suitable place in the wake of all these protests.

Is the government sincere?
But the question is whether the government is sincere in its efforts to solve the garbage issue or whether it is willing to dump the onus of the garbage on the shoulders of the affected citizens to bear.

Absolute irresponsibility the cause?
It is amply clear that for long, the government has considered garbage to be the smallest of its problems, while citizens in many places such as Curca, Sonsoddo, Saligao, Patto and other garbage sites have found life unbearable.The resultant protest which started off with Curca were a result of absolute neglect which simply endangered the lives of the people residing there with water and other natural resources contaminated. How could they be expected to keep mum in such a situation. The Curca agitation clearly exposed the sense of irresponsibility of all governments when it comes to garbage handling in Goa. A site which was reluctantly allowed by Curca villagers was mismanaged and abused which was good reason for Curca to stand up. And they did.

Patto followed and this time children in schools were affected enough to march into the mayor's office( although that action from children who were obviously tutored and instigated was absolutely unjustified) and dump their sense of garbage in his office. Now Sonsoddo seems to be on the boil with no sign of the garbage fire dousing,and thereby possibly affecting thousands in the area, the residents are probably drawing battle lines.

What is the result?
There still seems to be no lessons learnt. No specific garbage management procedures are in place and we find no new techniques enforced. Any initiative taken to solve the problem is soon lost in some political muddle leaving the citizens to face the wrath of the garbage.

What could the government of Goa possibly have done?
If the government had shown some sense of purpose in proper segregation of garbage, disposing off the re-cyclable waste for a profit, selling the plastic , vermicomposting with multipits, and taking garbage site precautions by thickly soling, plastering and probably waterproofing the ground flooring to avoid seepage of water  into village wells etc besides having a complete team of workers with the latest technological machinery to handle the garbage, the problems could have been meticulously avoided. However there seems to be no sense of purpose. It is absolute blindness at work.     

And what will the citizens do?
The citizens of Goa are therefore within their rights to oppose any dumping of garbage in their villages as it endangers their natural resources to a great extent. And with an irresponsible setup of officials at the helm why should they take chances with their life?

Unless the government shows a great and high sense of responsibility in handling the garbage in Goa, proving to one and all about its sincerity, citizens will be on the warpath.                                               

Goa and "Aam Aadmi"

The Chief Minister of Goa Mr Digambar Kamat has been in the saddle for more than a year and during his early days in office, advocated the concept of the "Aam Aadmi" to the masses in Goa. The media lapped up that one phrase and coined a lot of prose to push him into a corner along with the willing opposition brigade. For a long time the "Aam Aadmi" clamour filled many pages, mostly in satire.

While the Chief Minister might have had the noblest of intentions in coining that word, he obviously was referring to the " common man". However the common man in this case seem to be an endless list of people only hovering in the realm of the seemingly poor and majority migrant population. The Goan middle class seem to be out of the purview of the common man.

Aam Aadmi so far has benefited gadda owners, taxi drivers, truckers and the like. The niz Goencar is still fighting battles in the street against megaprojects, highway alignments, SEZ's, hill destructions, coastal butchery, defacement of Goa through rampant selling of land etc. The common Goencar of Goa is only trying to save Goan identity. This act is like a favour of the common Goencar on the government of Goa in saving Goa and should have been supported unstintedly by the government and all activism should have been with the active participation of the government.

Instead the real " Aam Aadmi" is fighting a battle to save his own skin.

Goa - Delhi flight survives scare in mid-air

Three inebriated passengers on board a low cost air carrier, "Indigo" flying from Goa to Delhi, with around 163 passengers, created a major panic situation necessitating an emergency landing at the Indira Gandhi International airport in New Delhi after the unruly passengers reportedly threatened to hijack the plane.

The three passengers seem to have scared the air-hostesses when they claimed that they had arms on the plane and allegedly indicated that they had also managed to put some fliers of the aircraft to sleep.

The alarmed air-hostess is reported to have alerted the pilot who immediately sounded the alarm signal for Delhi Air Traffic Control(ATC) and landed the aircraft at the Indira Gandhi International airport at around 5.30 pm , parking it at an isolated bay and was immediately surrounded by NSG and CISF forces.

While the passengers were unaware about the whole drama unfolding even after landing and they were informed of the hijack threat only by their relatives over mobile phones after hearing the news on Television.

The aircraft doors were finally opened at 7.52 pm with 5 commandos trooping inside the aircraft and disembarking all the passengers took another three hours.

The three passengers including one woman have been detained for questioning and another 20 odd fliers were being interrogated to elicit more information on the exact cause of the alarm. The passengers were however reportedly not carrying arms, but only further investigations would make the issue clear.

Goa's six lane highway alignment puts Nuvem residents on warpath

Nuvem residents gave Margao police the jitters when over hundreds of agitated villagers assembled near the Goa Chief Ministers' residence on Friday evening in protest against the acquisition of land at Nuvem for the proposed six lane highway passing through the village which could result in the demolition of over 125 homes on the proposed stretch.

With Ms Ethel Lobo and Sanjeev Raiturcar of "Goa for Goans" leading the march, the villagers first went to the office of the Town and Country planning department of Margao to register the protest and were agitated for the failure of the town planner in keeping up to his appointment.

Subsequently the villagers decided to meet the TCP minister who coincidentally is the Chief Minister and as a result landed up at the CM's residence. The confrontation between the Police and the Nuvem villagers could have escalated but for the timely phone call from the Chief Minister not to arrest any villagers or use any forceful methods against them.

On Saturday morning the Chief Minister met a delegation of the Citizens Welfare committee who informed him that the houses in the Gorvotte area of Nuvem would be destroyed and it would be a unsustainable kind of development for the village as the proposed highway was passing through residential as well as agricultural areas of the Nuvem village. The Chief Minister assured them all help and justice in the case and was expected to call for a joint meeting with PWD officials to discuss the highway alignment after the assembly session.

Goa Police register FIR against 3 in Reis Magos fort restoration.

Armed with the directives of the Goa bench of the Bombay high Court, the Porvorim police have booked an FIR against three people on charges of altering and defacing the Reis Magos fort during its restoration.

The cases have been booked against the Director of Archives and Archaeology Manohar Dicholkar, well known Architect Gerard D'Cunha and Helen Hamlyn of the United Kingdom.

In his complaint, Mr Sainath Jalmi a Civil Contractor has allegedly accused the trio along with the workers at the Reis Magos Fort of " destroying, removing, altering and defacing the protected monument and damaging public property".

Restoration work on the 16th Century fort has been undertaken since June 2008 after the work was entrusted to Indian National Trust of Art and Cultural Heritage through the Helen Hamlyn Trust , United Kingdom, following an agreement .

The fort is a heritage structure and a strategic defence for the erstwhile Portuguese regime at the mouth of the Mandovi river , equipped formerly with 33 guns and a small garrison could easily nail down vessels trying to enter the river and proceed to Old Goa the former capital of Portuguese Goa.