Goa's "GI" list growing steadily

With Goan Feni reportedly in the bag, there seem to be a host of other contenders in Goa who are queuing up for the Geographical Indication for Goan products.

Leading the temptuos line-up is the King of Mangoes hailing from beautiful Goa, the "Mancurad". The Mancurad has been known to be a delicacy that Goans do not miss out on come April-May. and the variety is expected to make it to the list fairly easily. Though very delicious, the production of "Mancurad" is on a minimal scale and it has not been commercially exploited.

The Taleigao brinjal and its purple colour is also in consideration in the list to be submitted by the Goa science , technology and environment department besides other delicacies from the agricultural basket of Goa.The Taleigao brinjal which is a much sought after vegetable is currently grown in limited varieties as a horticultural crop and sold in local markets only.People in Goa especially north prepare various delicacies of the vegetable especially the Vaigann bhart ( a roasted brinjal dish).

So while the Mancurad and the purple brinjals of Taleigao are topping the list, the cow-peas( alsane) of Nerul and Cansaulim-Verna, some pepper and ladyfinger varieties from Ponda are also in contention.

There are some varieties of ladyfingers in Goa which are found with seven or nine ridges and this variety is only found in the state of Goa and very few other parts of the country. Also the cow peas( alsane) and some strains of pepper are unique to Goa.

There is also a variety of rice in Goa called "korgutt" which is a hardy red kernel rice which is also under consideration for GI status

Geographical Indication helps to prevent promotion of lesser quality products and protects the interests of stakeholders before the brand is captured by others . Information about these products is being compiled for the purpose of filing applications for GI status.

The endeavors to obtain GI registration is common abroad and products such as Champagne(France) , Tequila( spirits - Mexico) , Jaffa ( oranges) and Bordeaux ( wines) have obtained it. For Goa, the process for obtaining a GI tag for Feni took many years.

In India the government of Himachal Pradesh in northern India was the first to fix a policy for registration of GIs of its state products and its Kulu shawl and Kangra tea have been granted this recognition in 2005 while their government is also considering applying for the status for angoori, a special wine and red rice.

Shigmo festival of Goa

After the carnival festivities, it is the turn of the Shigmo festival in Goa and the state is slated to celebrate the festival this year for a p eriod of around 14 days beginning the 12th of March 2009.

The Goa tourism development Corporation has constituted the central committee which includes the chairpersons of the 13 municipalities of Goa which met recently to decide the dates of the float parades in the state.

Float parades are now slated to be held at Ponda on 12th March, March 13 at Curchorem, March 14 at Panaji, March 15 at Mapusa, March 16 at Vasco, March 17 at Bicholim, March 18 at Sanquelim, March 19 at Valpoi and March 20 at Pernem.

In South Goa, the float parades will be held on March 21 at Quepem, March 22 at Margao, march 23 at Sanguem, March 24 at Cuncolim and March 25 at Canacona. There have been respsective local committees appointed for the smooth functioning of the parades.

For Panjim, Margao, Vasco and Ponda prize monies are fixed at Rs 25,000, Rs. 20,000 and Rs 15,000 for the first three prizes.

CRZ violations in Goa - law catching up?

The law was clear on this one for a long time. No constructions within 200 metres of the high tide level. Yet people in Goa willingly made their own abodes of living. Some extended the old houses .Some converted them into dens of merriment and fun for tourists. Others transformed them into restaurants and eateries. Some others made beautiful guest houses to rent out to foreigners and themselves preferred to stay in smaller hutments.

It was a free for all. Not many questions were asked. No answers needed. Some even called the CRZ as their own "carelessly regardless zone". But one day the worst news came hitting hard. The high court passed an order under the CRZ rules instructing Panchayats to identify and demolish these constructions within 200 metres of high tide line from a cut-off date of February 19, 1991" (the date on which the CRZ came into force).

The whole initiation to identify and act against CRZ regulation violators began in 1996 and in July 2006 taking cognizance of a suo moto petition, the High Court directed the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) to expedite and finalise pending CRZ violations and to the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records (DSLR) to complete identification of HTL and mapping of structures in 0-200 metres No Development Zone (NDZ) from the High Tide Level (HTL) on cadastral level maps.

Subsequent to the exercise of identification carried out by DSLR and GCZMA, on the 26th of September 2007, the  High Court  directed each coastal village panchayat and municipality to identify structures in respect of which the CRZ authorities had initiated action.

The said authorities were asked to issue notices to the illegal structures and take a decision on them within 90 days of serving the notice.

However in January 2009, the High court observed the slipshod attitude of the panchayat bodies who had issued blanket demolition structures within the No development zone without considering the legality or traditional inhabitation of the structures. This prompted the high court to warn the Panchayat bodies on their slipshod action and especially for their lack of will for not heeding to the directions of the high court.

Further on 21st January 2009 the High court issued show cause notices to these Panchayat authorities as to why the proceedings under the contempt of court should not be initiated against them and pointed out that the sarpanchas and their secretaries shall be personally held responsible for not complying with the directives of the high court.

According to the CRZ Regulations, areas which fall in a zone up to 200 metres from the HTL in CRZ- III are No Development Zones’. Such areas are not permitted any permanent constructions except for repairs of existing authorised structures not exceeding existing plinth area and density.

However the unwillingness of the panchayat bodies to act against their voters seems to be the main reason for the entire problem since the panchayat bodies may themselves have members who have such structures besides many such structures receiving political patronage.

The village panchayats have been served with the onus of identifying these violators and the responsibility of demolition has also been given to these panchayats. However plenty of vested interests especially among the political class of Goa, perhaps inspired by the promulgation of the ordinance issued by the Digamber Kamat government to protect the Cidade de Goa, are attempting to subvert the orders of the High Court by infusing a sense of reluctance on the panchayats to demolish illegal structures which fall in the no development zone of the Coastal Regulation Zone.

On 16th February the high court ordered the arrest of the sarpanch and secretary of the Velsao-pale panchayat for failing to be present in the court despite its instructions on the same. It was the date of hearing regarding a suo moto petition regarding  illegal structures that have come up in the no development zone (NDZ), in violation of the 1991 CRZ notification.However the court later cancelled the non-bailable warrant issued against them after the duo surrendered and apologised to the court.

The Division Bench expressed its unhappiness that  not a single illegal construction   built in NDZ after 1991,    has been  demolished and that   coastal  panchayats are still stuck with issuing show cause notices which have been issued to all irrespective of merit.

Cidade de Goa - the great escape?

The five star resort Cidade de Goa currently seems to have got a breather. Courtesy, the ordinance of the Government of Goa which incidentally changed a 114 year old law bringing relief to the five star hotel whose partial demolition had been ordered by the supreme court of India last month.

So what exactly is the story behind the whole saga? Claude Alvares of Goa foundation who was part of the bunch of public interest petitions challenging the closure of public access to the Vainguinim beach by the hotel has written in the letters to the editor of the Herald newspaper which details the story as under:

On 20 Jan 2009, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a batch of three appeals filed by Fomento Resorts, owners of Cidade de Goa, a five-star resort. The Court found the hotel had violated the provisions of a land acquisition agreement which it had signed with the Goa government regarding the use of a plot of land the government had acquired for the hotel for creation of sports facilities for the public.

Instead of erecting the sports facilities, the resort owners had illegally extended the main building of the hotel so that it now formed a significant part of the acquired plot. The area of illegal extension is 1114 sq m. Since the hotel had constructed three storeys on the 1114 sq m, the total extension today at site is actually 4500 sq m. In this illegally built area, the hotel had installed 50 residential rooms, in addition to a convention centre, a health club and a beauty parlour. All these must now be demolished.

Outside, in the balance of the plot, the hotel had erected a laundry building, extension to the laundry building, boiler room, cluster of open air bars, sheds, store-rooms and kitchen. These must be demolished as well. Some of this construction was actually done to block a traditional access to the beach for the public, which the hotel had pledged to keep open in its agreement with the government.

The Supreme Court has upheld the Bombay High Court judgement which had clearly required the public access to be maintained. Since the appeals filed by the hotel have been dismissed, the remaining directions issued by the High Court in its judgement will also now be implemented. One of these requires the Goa government to issue a notice to the company for resumption of the land itself for violation of the terms of the agreement.

The Supreme Court has set a time frame within which its various directions in respect of the pathway and the demolition of the illegal extension must be carried out. Within one month, all obstructions to the pathway must be removed. The demolition of the structures listed in the High Court’s order and in the order of the Supreme Court must be done within three months. A compliance report must be filed by the Fomento Resorts in the Bombay High Court after the expiry of the period to indicate to the Court that the directions have been carried out.

However on Saturday, the 28th of February 2009, the government of Goa notified an ordinance which is deemed to have come into force with effect from October 15 1964 when the Land acquisition Act 1894 was made applicable to Goa. The ordinance has amended section 41 of the act by inserting four clauses in the section.

The amendment seeks to validate the development and construction done by the company as being undertaken in accordance with the agreement.

However this move to bypass the Supreme court order has brought in sharp criticism from various NGOs such as the GBA and the GGRM ( Ganv Ghor rakhonn Manch)and political parties like the BJP. The GGRM while flaying the promulgation of the ordinance, opined that it was yet another example of " absolute disregard" for processes of law and called it a double speak for the concern of the common person from Goa. While expressing its shock and outrage, the GGRM has demanded an immediate revocation of the ordinance amending the land acquisition act .

The GBA termed the governments move to save illegal structures of a city hotel as a "mockery of the law" and pointed out to the promulgation of the ordinance on the eve of the announcement of Lok sabha elections, suggesting that it had been done with the obvious motive of defeating the model code of conduct. Ms Reboni Saha of the GBA said that "the ramifications of such an amendment with retrospective effect is too shocking and flies in the face of justice".

The BJP in Goa, however chose to exploit the issue in the forthcoming elections and is using the opportunity to accuse the government of Mr Digambar Kamat as being one for the " khaas aadmi" rather than the "aam aadmi" . Strongly criticising the promulgation of  the ordinance the BJP called the government as a 5-star government and accused it of going to any extent to provide relief to the rich and the influential while turning a blind eye to the poor and marginalised in the state of Goa.

The value of the Portuguese passport for Goans

The pursuit of the Portuguese passport by Goans is sure to gain momentum with the news of the United Kingdom and the United states enforcing new visa norms aimed at curtailing the influx of Indians into these countries.

While recession is the root cause of this decision by the respective governments of the two countries, Goans pursuing the Portuguese passport, stand to gain from these new regulations.

The new regulations apply to all citizens outside the UK and the European Union.This means that whoever is outside this framework will have to abide by some tough regulations to enter these countries. However Goans with a Portuguese passport shall be deemed as Portuguese nationals and therefore be considered under the umbrella of the European union which is excluded from the new guidelines and are therefore eligible for applying for jobs anywhere in the United kingdom freely.

Apart from being eligible for all kinds of jobs in the UK, Goans will also have no competition for jobs from other Indians in the United Kingdom thereby making their market value higher than the present levels which is a big advantage. Housing and other related factors also will be a shade cheaper owing to the vacancies created by non-eligible Indians in UK.

Also the United states allows European citizens a tourist visa to enter the country and this should enable Goans to enter United states and search for jobs and thereafter legally enter the country on employers sponsorship basis

It is therefore in the interest of all Goans to apply for the Portuguese passport and follow up the process diligently as the same is a golden opportunity to tap employment in Europe.

UK, US plans to enforce visa curbs on Indians

The pursuance of the Portuguese passports by Goans will definitely gather more teeth with this news. Both the United States and the United Kingdom will lay down new guidelines for Indians seeking jobs in these countries as a part of a plan to contain local unemployment in these countries.

While Indian workers' prospects will get sour with US Congress linking bailout packages to employment of United states citizens, there are an estimated 1 lakh Indian nationals from around 1,63,000 candidates across the world who had applied for the H1-B visa and who could be stranded with the new regulations coming in force.

The US has capped the H1-B visa at 65,000 a year out of which around 45,000 normally is eaten up by Indian professionals mostly from the IT sector. However with the specter of recession, these positions could now be gobbled up by low-cost foreign workers or may be outsourced to other players around the globe.

In the UK, amidst rising unemployment, Britain is trying to put in place a new immigration policy restricting professionals from India and other non-EU countries so that existing jobs are first offered to local candidates from the UK itself.

From April, the basic requirements to enter Britain under the Tier-1 category of the points based immigration system will be raised. Around 25,000 people including many from India entered  Britain under Tier 1 last year.From April, the minimum qualification required by Indian and non-EU professionals to work in the UK will be raised to a masters degree and 20,000 pounds in salary which is an enhancement from the current requirement of 17,000 pounds and an undergraduate degree.

Only those  industries officially recognised to having a skills deficit will be allowed to recruit from outside the European Union. Other changes could include migrants families banned from Britain.

The measure seems to be part of the plans by the British government to ensure that the vast bulk of jobs are first offered to British based workers in an era of rising unemployment. New restrictions are also expected to be imposed on tier 2 immigrants who enter Britain for specific jobs and are sponsored by an employer.

Dependents of professionals are also likely to come under the scanner of the Migration advisory committee who is expected to advise the government on whether dependents of a qualified person can enter the country or not. Currently if one person qualifies for entry under the points based system, the spouse and children can also enter Britain.

Goa Board to enforce strict measures against cheats

Students cheating in examinations, as a means of getting through, are expected to find the going tough during the forthcoming SSC and HSSC exams in Goa.

Students are being forewarned about the rules of examinations in all schools in Goa along with the consequences of being caught cheating during exams and the same is printed along with the applicable punishment on the application forms for the exams while also displaying them at prominent locations in exam centers all over the  state of Goa.

In a bid to clamp down on malpractices indulged by students, the conductors of exams at all centers in Goa will follow guidelines to ask students to relieve themselves of any materials in their pockets, outside the examination halls with strict warnings before entering the  halls.

If found guilty under the prevailing rules of the Goa Prevention of Malpractices at universities , Board and other examinations act 1991, the intimidation or cheating at exams is considered to be a non bailable and cognizable offence which can be charged with a six months imprisonment or a fine of Rs 500 .

The Chairperson of the goa Board has therefore warned the students to refrain from any cheating in any form as the same could hurt their prospects in future very badly as also leading to the holding back of their examination results.

As per  the rules enforced a few years back, the unique bar code and hologram stickers on answer sheets have proven to be a deterrent in cheating with the mischievous students unable to copy by exchanging the answer sheets.

Around 17,300 students are expected to appear for the SSC exams on March 30 across 23 centres in Goa while a tally of around 13,400 students are scheduled to appear for HSSC exams all over the state across 13 centers in Goa beginning March 14.

UK opportunity of scholarships for Goan students

Scholarships for higher education in the UK may be a reality for many Goan students who will now have an opportunity to explore such options when the British council in association with the University of Goa will brief Goan students on ULK scholarships on 9th and 10th of March 2009.

The briefings are expected to be held at various college institurions in and around the state at Dhempe College of Arts and Science in Panjim, MES college of Arts and Science in Zuarinagar, St Xavier's college of Arts and Science Mapusa and Parvatibai Chowgule College of Arts and Science Margao.

Scholarships ranging from the Dr. Manmohan Singh scholarship,The Bristish Chevening scholarships, Commonwealth scholarship to the recently launched Scotland Saltire Scholarships , Popular Arts scholarships, Charles Wallace India trust and scholarships instituted by Goan trusts such as the De Souza Trust Goa scholarship and the Modu Timblo Scholarship etc will be deliberated.

The De Souza scholarship which was introduced in 1998 has granted scholarships to many Goans out of which around 21 Goans have completed their studies in diverse fields such as human rights, TV documentaries, media management, Architecture, communication systems and signal processing, law, innovation technology, music therapy, computing and design and architectural conservation.

The above scholarship provides financial assistance for Goans to study in the UK. The other Goan scholarship established in the honour of Mr Modu Timblo is the Modu Timblo scholarship which covers tuition fees either in part or whole besides arranging a UK visa for the duration of the course and all other costs are to be borne by the student themselves.

Who is a Goan ?

The question has been haunting people in Goa like a shadow in recent times. Part of the reason for this shadow is the rampant degradation of Goa due to haphazard development which has inadvertently brought in a lot of migrant settlers with no knowledge of Goa's culture or Goa's civic sense. The result has been a deep divide which if unchecked is bound to change the cultural topography of Goa. For the worst.

Some would opine that a Goan is  somebody merely by virtue of his/her birth in Goa. Others would probably attribute it to domicile while a third would rely on ancestry to support the "Goan" argument. However it is important to note that mere migration to Goa may not be sufficient to dig roots if the person does not have the natural attachment to Goan culture, Goan language and Goan traditions which have been followed for centuries.

However even if a person is born outside Goa and also reside outside  the state he can acquire his Goan roots by simply identifying to the deep sense of the Goan ethos. However the pride of being a Goan and revelling in the essence of the Goan heritage is very important. Being born of parents or ancestors who may have relocated to other parts of the world long ago from Goa, but being unable to identify with Goa or with no pride in being a Goan, would belie the attachment to Goa. The pride of Being Goan should speak loudly in your personality to be classified as "the Goan".

There are probably hundreds of facets of being a Goan which can be manifested through various connotations and actions. Some of them are through Goan music, Goan food, local Konkani language, thought processes, customs and traditions and Goan camaraderie.

Goan food as people will know is unique and every Goan takes pride in relishing it. Roots of origin are often detected with the love of ethnic tastes in a person and a true Goan will be no different. Language is another revelation of the Goan, that while he may have traces of other languages, The Konkani language is an unmistakable part and any Goan can be identified with his depth of the Konkani language as also its accent. Although this trait has also been mastered by many who have migrated  to Goa for years, it still is a revealer. It is the mother tongue and every Goan needs to be proud of it.

Goans are also known to be very affable people and a sense of friendliness is a natural trait of Goans. People from all over the world would like to repeat their visit to Goa more often for the meet up with friendly Goans rather than for the place itself. All kinds of religions and societies are wonderfully blended in the Goan sphere and thats what makes Goa so unique.

Our clothing, our music and the camaraderie of the "niz goencar" also bears testimony to our Goanness and cannot be mastered by one and all. Our celebrations of family occasions, and religious festivals is also blended to our culture and our tastes and cannot be imbibed by others easily. A complete Goan will identify with his roots in Goa.

Goa casinos to float in Aguada bay

The fate of the six floating casinos in Goa seem to be finally decided to be the Aguada bay at a distance of 5km on the west at Sinquerim from their current location in the Mandovi river and they should find themselves relocated within the next 10-15 days.

The casinos have been a bone of contention in recent times for the ruling dispensation in Goa and have been served notices to relocate their vessels. The six casinos which are in the eye of the storm are Caravela, Rio, Casino Royale, Kings Casino, Pride of Goa and Maharaja Casino.

The casino vessels are expected to be floating within an area of 2 square kilometres in the Aguada bay and will be away from the channel used by barges by a distance of atleast 500-750 metres. The spot for anchorage of the vessels will be finalised subsequent to the relocation of the casinos and after discussions with the Ports administration after an introspection of hydrographic charts and records.

However the tentative spot for the anchorage of the casinos is expected to be about 500 metres from the shoreline off the Sinquerim river mouth. Feeder boats are most likely to take the Casino clients to the casino vessels from the current usual points in Panjim.

The casino vessels have in recent times found themselves embroiled in controversies with NGO's , local fishermen and political parties gunning for their removal from the Mandovi river due to different considerations.

While the political pressures from the opposition parties is due to allegations of kickbacks and pressurized licensing policies, the NGO's are demanding a total ban of casinos whatsoever , due to the alleged gambling lure influenced on the Goan population. Also the NGO's have accused the casinos of illegally occupying footpaths and parking on the river front road under " No Parking" signboards and disposing sewage and garbage in the Mandovi river.

The fishermen in the Mandovi however have a third reason which is of the casinos causing a hindrance to their traditional movements in the river and allegedly driving away fishermen.

Portuguese Nationality for Goans

As explained before, Goans are fooled by agents of all types within Goa who claim to have complete know-how of claiming the Portuguese nationality for Goans which is the much sought after desire of Goans in recent times.

This post is an attempt to guide Goans on the simple procedure to follow while aspiring to claim Portuguese nationality.

Firstly please note that you are merely not in pursuit of the Portuguese passport. You need to claim the Portuguese nationality which has already been granted to all Goans. All that you are doing now is presenting papers and documents of the Portuguese era to claim for that nationality since Portugal asserts that it is not in possession of olden records which can prove that you are a Portuguese national by birth. We are not acquiring fresh citizenship of Portugal.

For all those born before 1961, are simply registering themselves in Portugal which is the official declaration that they wish to remain Portuguese citizens, a facility which came our way due to the alteration made in the Portuguese nationality law in 1975, wherein people from Goa were assumed to be Portuguese citizens.

The first thing to do is apply for the appointment to present your papers in the consulate in Goa. the address of the Portuguese consulate is:
Parwati House No 38/39, Fr Agnelo Road, Altinho, Goa - 403001

The telephone numbers of the Portuguese Consulate in Goa are

0832 - 2421524, 2421525, 2224004, 2229266.

( Please do not call in the mornings since the staff is naturally busy with consulate work attending to the public. Better time to call is in the evenings between 4 pm to 4.45 pm. However if you get a negative reply or even an irritated reply, be patient and call the next day. Remember the staff of the consulate is as human as you and me and can get exhausted with a hard days monotonous work . So be patient and learn to pursue your query patiently)

However, currently the Portuguese consulate in Goa does not accept physical applications for appointment directly. Instead you need to apply for it through their website. Also, earlier one could easily book appointments on their website directly, take a printout of it and then go to the consulate on the appointed date. In recent months the procedure has been modified, which means that now you need to send them an email with the details of your name, address, telephone number, Indian passport number and the date of birth. After receiving your email, the office of the consulate will send you a reply with the appointment date.

Applications for appointment for nationality have to be made at the following email address : app.nationality@goa.dgaccp.pt. The official website of the Portuguese consulate in Goa is www(dot)consuladoportugalgoa(dot)com. You need to click on English version to get the website in English. If you click on "Appointments" you will get the page which has the above email address.

After you get your appointment, you need to prepare your documentation. However do not prepare your documents months in advance as the documents have a validity ( as per the consulate regulations) after being attested by various authorities. This validity varies from 6 months to one year for different documents.

So the best thing would be to start preparing the documents around a month in advance of the appointment date. The documentation required for Goans born before 1961 is explained here. Also the documentation required for Goans born after 1961 is enlisted here.

You also need to have an original document of the Portuguese era. The type of original document you need to have is explained here.

In my next post on the Portuguese passport, I will explain the procedure for preparing the documentation.

Goa's special status : Need of the hour

The scene is getting murkier by the day and land grabbing exercises are becoming rampant all around us in Goa. However there seems to be absolutely nil movement in the respect of granting special status for Goa.

Even after a lapse of 47 years after liberation, Goans are still awaiting the fructification of the apparent promise made to Goans by Nehru to grant us special status. But there seems to be no more word on that. We are continuously bordering on the prospect of being called strangers in our own land.

If there is a real calculation of our existing land  it is a pittance. After deducting forest land, cost line area, hilly areas, agricultural land and the seven rivers, Goa is left with just around 350 sq kms of land which is completely insufficient and cannot bear the influx of migrants on a continuous basis. Rampant selling of land  and lack of jobs for our youth in Goa is a matter of big concern but our legislators seem to have only vested interests in mind instead of targeting this problem earnestly.

While Goa's scenic beauty , for which the world marvels at Goa, is gradually transforming into a concrete jungle, our politicians seem to be so shortsighted in their immediate conquests for riches at the expense of Goa, that they dont realise that they are actually killing the golden goose. Who will come to see the concrete jungles of Goa if we allow the blatant rampage on our beautiful land?

There is an enormous pressure on the existing fragile infrastructure and complete breakdown in the facilities like proper water, sewerage systems, electricity and lack of garbage disposal sites which is slowly eroding Goa and pushing it on a downslide.

Our ruling politicians should therefore wake up from their petty slumber and pull up their socks and work wholeheartedly for the most important issue of granting special status for Goa immediately

World Recession and Goa's medical tourism opportunities.

Recession has stung the world like a dreaded bee and sucked out much of the high net worth of many, into nothingness. The problem still persists and is showing little signs of abating. The whole world seems to have been walloped by this certain bug of  housing blues first originating in the mother of all economies, the United states which later unwillingly consumed the rest of the world.

Stock markets have since crashed and are showing no signs of normalcy returning to them and every day makes the rock bottom expectations of the world heading for the seemingly unending downslide.

In such times spendings have become frugal and people are searching for all cost saving mechanisms to ensure that their expenditures are cut down to a minimal. However when it comes to expenses related to medical attention, it is a tough call and people cannot do anything else other than  ensure that medical attention is given prime importance over all other.

This predicament of people in a financial crunch all over the world has opened the doors of medical tourism much wider to places like India and specifically Goa. While Goa has had its share of gloom due to the financial troubles affecting the world which hit tourism badly, the avenue of medical tourism is something that Goa needs to explore efficiently. Many opine that the recession in the US will turn out to be a boon in disguise for medical tourism for the country.

In 2007, Deloitte, the audit and consulting major released figures which showed that about 4.5 lakh patients from overseas visited India for medical treatment that year with potential for growth up to around 40% in this year. The reason for this surge is obvious. The cost of surgical procedures in India are around one fifth of those abroad.

A liver transplant operation in the United states costs around $4,00,000 ( approx Rs 2 crore). In the United Kingdom the cost would be close to pounds 1,20,000 ( approx 85 lakh). However in India , a liver transplant would cost only around $ 40,000 ( Rs 17- 18 lakh).

A heart bypass surgery in the United States costs anywhere close to $100,000 ( approx Rs 50 lakh ) whereas in India the cost is around $ 9000 (Rs  4.5 lakh ).

Such a high difference in cost is definitely very attractive for tourists all over the world to consider India/Goa as the right location to conduct such surgical operations. If one also includes the cost of travelling to  India/Goa, plus accommodation costs, the cost still remains significantly lower. Besides who would not enjoy a plush holiday in the post operation period to convalesce in luxurious surroundings like that of Goa, and still happily save a lot of money?

Anti-aging treatments such as neck lifts, face lifts and lipo-suction are currently the most sought after cosmetic procedures in India and the cost saving is around 75% over the cost of these procedures in the United states or the United Kingdom.

Dental treatment however is the hot favorite among tourists especially in Goa and all beach front areas in Goa as well as any hospitality locations are full of dental treatment facilities. Besides having qualified dentists for treatment, Goan dentists have struck a very friendly chord with world tourists who faithfully come back with more of their relatives for the finest treatment available here in Goa.

Interestingly, the Wellpoint, the largest health benefit company in the United states has added a new medical tourism product in their portfolio, aimed at helping recession hit American business houses to cut their costs of healthcare. this product significantly mentions about the option of choosing India as a healthcare destination for non-emergency procedures.

So this interest in India from medical houses abroad amply proves that India has arrived and places like Goa with beautiful ambience, clean surroundings and stunning array of holiday spots coupled with world class healthcare, is the right destination for the world tourist and the world recession may soon turn out to be Goa's gain in the long term.

Goan tiatr : Celebration time?

The 16th of February was a red letter day for most Goans who thronged in large numbers at the Joao Agostinho Fernandes auditorium , Ravindra Bhavan Margao, to witness the official inauguration of the Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG). And the Chief Minister Mr Digambar kamat did not disappoint. As promised he delivered and made this long standing demand of tiatr lovers from Goa a distinct reality. Full credit to his ethics which are very rare in today's politicians.

Over the years the tiatr has stood the test of time to remain afloat above all political considerations without any support from the government. In its 117 years of existence the tiatr has not only survived but grown exponentially without any government patronage either after liberation or before it. The only yearly tiatr festival has been organised faithfully every year at the Kala Academy since the year 1974. Such resistance of the Tiatr against the travails of time has been its strength which has been derived by the love of Goans for this konkani theatre form due to which the tiatr grew from strength to strength.

The tiatr is considered to be a lively piece of  entertainment in Goa since a long time. It is neither full of prose nor is it a musical. It is a blend of both and that's what probably makes it very appealing to audiences.

The tiatr has been known to be consisting of a full story which may be in atleast seven or eight different sections. Each section is known as the "porddo" ( curtain) in which besides the dialogues in prose, some dialogues may be delivered in the form of a mini song which is known as "canth".

While the entire tiatr may have many such "canths", in between the sections or "pordde" there are atleast two to three separate full songs known as "Cantar" ( actually derived from the portuguese word for song itself). These " Cantars" or "Cantaram" are often composed on themes which may or may not have anything to do with the main story of the ongoing tiatr and are often composed on different themes ranging from social, political or religious leanings.Therefore the "Cantaram" in a tiatr serve to deliver a message which is different from the story of the tiatr and such cantaram may be around ten to fifteen in number in the whole tiatr.

Besides the main plot of the tiatr, there is another unmistakable element which often tends to draw the crowds to the tiatr on its own merit. That element is the comedy section of the tiatr. The comedy is often related to the main story of the tiatr or it may also be irrelevant to the entire theme just like the "cantar". However the comedy element helps in entertaining the crowds to the hilt and is often responsible for the successful run of the tiatr.

The tiatrists or the actors are often gifted with the talent of spontaneity and this adds to the life of the tiatr. Melodramatic scenes also form an essential part. All these facets, make the tiatr a unique art form compared to other dramatic theatrical forms in the state of Goa and outside it.

The survival of the tiatr has been largely due to the strong bond that Goans have with the tiatr and have faithfully patronised it over the last century with thousands of shows per year and each tiatr is staged hundreds of times very often to house-full audiences. Places like Mumbai, the Gulf, UK, and even Canada and Australia where Goans have settled over time have seen the tiatr being staged regularly every year.

The tiatr has also been the unmistakable entertainer at village fests all over Goa both before liberation and after it till today. No feast is complete in its entertainment without the staging of a tiatr on the night of the feast with the village folks and the guests in the village all flocking for a piece of the traditional action.

However the tiatr now needs an overhauling. A renovation. Its standard needs improvement and various facets of its performance chain has to be analysed and developed in search of excellence. Good direction, innovative scripts and improvised acting skills need to be inculcated, with an infusion of good original music with suitable lyrics. Hence a professional attitude needs to be absorbed for such changes which are needed badly in the tiatr to increase its following.Attention to good modern stage setups , technological additions in background music, good light effects etc are needed for the tiatr to make an all round impact.

The tiatr also has to be part of a marketing campaign and merchandise can also be produced to add to the campaign while tiatrs and its songs need to be documented in books and CD's . Songs need to have a better avenue of being marketed as separate identities thus giving its composers a new platform to grow.this would encourage more talent to blossom as well.

It is also time for the Goan tiatr to showcase Goa and make its presence felt on the national scene of the country while being the ambassador for the Goan art form. till now Goa is known for sun, sea sand and Feni besides soccer. Tiatr could pleasantly add itself to that list. The Goan tiatr must therefore strive to achieve a status nationally. Presently the tiatr in Goa does not have any critical assessment. In the absence of critical assessment no art form can grow . Same goes with the tiatr. In pursuit of excellence tiatr must evolve with the complete infrastructure for its growth and that's where the Tiatr academy can play a constructive role.

The tiatr Academy of Goa was therefore a much wanted blessing and the tiatrists along with tiatr patronisers of Goa and all its lovers all around the world should contribute to the TAG in whatever way they can to help the evolution to prosper.

Casino Royale! A Goan political gamble?

The mud slinging match has begun in the Casino Royale imbroglio. The Opposition leader MR Manohar Parrikar has almost declared war on the methods of issuing licences to all Casinos in Goa and has singled out the Casino Royale as one of special interest

Amid allegations that the Commissioner of customs and central excise Mr Chandrahas Mathur was pressurized by bureaucrats and politicians alike, to grant  the licence  to operate the casino, Mr Parrikar demanded that the Chief Minister should cancel the licence within days or face a legal notice under the prevention of corruption act 1987 for misuse of power  so as to enable criminal proceedings to be initiated against the government .

The Chief Minister Mr Digambar kamat on his part has refuted all allegations and instead has indicated that he would take up the matter with the union finance Ministry to question the alleged disrepute brought by Mr Mathur to the office of the Chief Minister..

However Mr Parrikar Maintains that the Casino royale is an illegal ship possessing an illegal licence issued by the state government despite it  not being in possession of a licence from the a director  general shipping or a certificate from the Captain of Ports. Mr Parrikar also mentioned the prospect of kickbacks in the case of licences issued to Goa casinos and indicated that under the Goa public gambling act 1976 even the customers patronising the Casino Royale vessel for gambling are liable for criminal action.

How Goans are fooled by "agents" of Portuguese passport

Goans all over the world, even if they are in Australia or Canada, or in the gulf are quite interested in making their Portuguese passport, thanks to the enormous benefits that accrue simply by way of being a Portuguese citizen.

However in their bid to get it done, plenty of Goans have fallen prey to big touts who have promised the stars but delivered very few. Many Goans have spent lakhs of rupees on these dubious agents whose prime qualification it seems is merely the knowledge of the Portuguese language. So there is a beeline at their door and they have started a full fledged business out of this new found trade in the last couple of decades.With grandiose returns of course!

Like willing guinea pigs, Goans flock to these so-called agents under the presumption that their ticket to Portugal is in safe and quick hands. What a tragedy!These agents claim that they have lawyers in Portugal who can handle the cases efficiently and swiftly thereby luring Goans to shell out their hard earned money to these "facilitators'.

It is no secret that the Portuguese authorities and the Consulate in Goa detest these agents and openly advise people to approach the consulate office directly. However the beelines for the agents continue as if they have the great mantra.

So what do these agents do? First up, they tell you to do all the documentation yourself. you need to go out there and get all the documents required on your own. The agents never do it for you. (If they do, they will charge you another hefty fee for that.) So notarising, collectors attestation and that of the home department is all your job dear. Before your documentation is ready they will send a letter to the Consulate in your name and address, seeking an appointment.This should keep you afloat for around a year or two.

Every time you call them enquiring about what has happened they reply that the process is on. To the more curious enquiry, their response will be that without the appointment from the Consulate they can do nothing for you. They cannot afford to ask the consulate for an appointment on your behalf. Honestly they have hundreds and thousands of cases and so even if they have some clout in the consulate, they wont be heard.

There is another interesting problem here. Since around 5 years ago, the Portuguese consulate has been asking Goans to furnish a document of the Portuguese era, the type of which is explained here. Without this document your Portuguese passport process is considered unworthy of even being considered.

However these "agents" claim that they can "manage" this document situation. I find that an alarming statement which is either a big lie or a fraud cooking in their mind. It seems to be a case of when we reach the river we will see how to cross it. But by the time you reach the river and without the means of crossing it( the Portuguese original document) you will already be a poor man. Couldn't you have been advised properly in advance? But no they won't, lest they lose your business. And if they resort to any forgery in organising that document in their overzealous methods, then you are the one who is bound to be in trouble.

Going back to the process,  you need to pray that the appointment letter comes from the consulate. When it comes, this "agent" will tell you to go to prepare your documents and check them , prepare some "power of attorney" in the name of his supposed lawyer in Portugal and then ask you to go to the consulate and present your papers. Once presented, you now have to go back to your routine of whatever you were doing before the thought of the Portuguese passport came to your mind. Because it is going to take whatever time the normal process takes. The agent has done his first job ( actually what has he done?) .

His guy, the lawyer in Portugal has hundreds of processes to look after. He cannot look at one of them, leave alone the thousands. If you try enquiring with your agent about the process status, he has to refer to a big encyclopedia of names and process numbers of people who have entrusted their passport processes to him and then  reply to you. The normal reply is " you will hear from Portugal soon". It is almost recorded on his lips, ready for delivery.

Next is the identification parade where you need to go and identify yourself in the consulate. Some have been lucky to get an appointment to do this in one year after presenting their papers through the agent. Some in 3 years through their agent. Others have had to wait longer with their agent. There is no order whatsoever followed by the Portuguese authorities. Sometimes I feel that their system is much like what our civil registrar offices here in Goa are doing. So what is the role of the agent here? Nil is the answer.

After the identification is complete, you need to wait for your "Assento do Nascimento" ( certificate of birth). When it comes after a year or two, your process of birth registration( which is the major hurdle) is complete.

The next thing is to do the Bilhete de Identidade ( identity card) and then register your marriage( for which you have to apply for another appointment) if you are married, for the sake of your children who then become eligible to claim Portuguese nationality. All this running will have to be done by yourself by going to the Portuguese consulate. Your agent will only sit and do some translation and typing for you in that much sought after "Portuguese" language.

For this "nothing done by the agent" job you will have to cough up anywhere between a lakh or two depending on the type of agent you landed with. Some have been lucky to escape with less and some have paid even 3-4 lakhs for this miserable piece of useless advice and typing skills. Everything else is done by you. Not the agent.The process went as normal.Nothing was actually done to expedite it. Yet you paid for nothing in reality.

Some of these agents are blacklisted in the consulate and your process going through their blessings could be doomed from the start.

It is very important to note that nowadays, in the last one year,  the process for the Portuguese passport is relatively quicker. It takes around a year or two for the entire process to complete which has previously taken over 7 - 8 years. And the agents have nothing to do with the new speed of the process. It is some expediency shown by the Portuguese authorities.

Having said all of the above, there do exist a couple of credible intermediaries who do expedite the process with the help of a genuine lawyer in Portugal who does follow up on the process status. But he or she often is too busy the moment the business increases and you process loins the normal queue.

So Do it yourself is the best answer to this simple exercise. In a bid to help fellow Goans to get some ideas in claiming your Portuguese passport without the role of an agent, I shall post the tentative procedure next time.

Goa Casinos in dilemma over sea gamble

  The decision of the government to shunt out the casinos in the deep sea and out of city limits has put the owners of the casinos in a dilemma while some organizations have called for a complete ban on casinos in Goa.

There are fears within the Casino lobby that if the ships go about five miles out into the sea, the chances of the industry dying out was very much on the cards. There is another school of thought that the prospect of travelling into the deep sea through small boats might be frightening for the customers, especially at night.

Meanwhile an NGO called " Aam Aadmi and Aurat against gambling(AAAG)" seems to have sprung up with Ms Sabina Martins its convenor warning the government against adding to the number of casinos in Goa and described the decision to shift the casinos off the coastline as a "smokescreen" only to help the proliferation of more casinos and make more money.

Terming the whole exercise of moving casinos in the sea as an eyewash, the AAAG asserted that gambling in city limits would continue despite the move and casinos would venture into the city under the pretext of refuelling and repairs. Claiming that gambling was ruining people in Goa by making them gambling addicts who would then be a threat to society, Ms Martins said that casinos will have to go out of goa whether onshore or offshore.

The AAAG pointed out to the vicious circle where the economy of Goa was working towards destroying families for which money is subsequently expected to be allocated under the garb of social welfare.The casino industry in Goa is estimated to be employing around 2200 people from Goa while remitting around 75 crore to the state exchequer.

The AAAG therefore demanded a complete rescinding of the casino amendment and indicated that it would intensify its efforts to expose all irregularities regarding casinos.

Colva Beach - Queen of South Goa

The Colva Beach has been the prime spot for tourists visiting south Goa and is considered to be one of the finest beaches among the Goan beaches. Located at a distance of hardly six kilometers from the Goan commercial capital Margao, Colva beach has been the idyllic unwinding place for the South Goan population as also the avid tourist and has a wide opening towards the beach. The beachfront is a collection of restaurants, souvenir stalls and plenty of snack bars decorating the central roundabout.

Due to its convenient location and idyllic setting , Colva beach is a favourite haunt for visitors. Every day , busloads of visitors from out of Goa frolic on the beach after a paddle on the crowded foreshore. Swimming is relatively safe, while the sand, , is spotless and scattered with beautiful shells all around. Colva, gets crowded in the evenings and on weekends, it is a completely bustling place, with hundreds of visitors just parking themselves in the welcome sands of the beach.

How to get to Colva
By Air: The only airport in Goa at Dabolim is around 36 kms away from Colva and there are plenty of taxis servicing this route
By Rail: The nearest railway station is at margao known as “ Madgaon railway station” and is hardly 7 kilometres away from Colva.
By Road: The bus service to Colva is very frequent with buses plying from Colva to and fro for the whole day. Also there is a sharing taxi service from Margao which is best to be avoided as it normally exceeds the passenger limits. From Margao, one can travel to the north in Panjim which is around 35 kms away

How to spend time in Colva

Although Colva had never been regarded as a great venue for rave parties or the like, Colva can boast of a more livelier nightlife than anywhere else in south Goa, thanks to its ever-growing population of young package tourists.

For the most happening nightspots you need to move down in the dunes, south of the beachfront area where “ splash” welcomes you with a big MTV satellite screen and music to go with it, and a late bar and disco that adds extra life up around 10.00 pm.

A sandy plod just south of here, Ziggy's is armed with supposedly Goa's only air conditioned dance floor, a vibrantly thumping Indian Ragga and Techno sound system, and a social grooving terrace abounding with easy chairs. If you prefer to get lost somewhere affordable and less revealing you may want to , try Johnny Cool's midway between the beach and the crossroads of Colva

Eating Out in Colva

When the season is in full swing, Colva’s beach front hosts a lot of temporary structures known as Shacks which are restaurants serving Goan cuisine and temptuous seafood. These shacks are well equipped with good music and lighting. The rates for food in these places may be a little costlier, but the portions are correspondingly more, and standards generally high since they cater normally to the foreign tourist.

So bury your legs in the sand while feasting on delicious Goan cuisine to be washed down by some heady Goan cock-tails while enjoying the crashing waves of the vast sea in front of you   

Places To Stay in Colva

In keeping upto the rapid development of Colva as a package tour resort, Colva's increasing appetite for accommodation is well satiated in a wide range from swish campuses of hotels and swimming pools to a fair selection of ” good value for money” guesthouses, in between.

“Good living Styles” is a good place to book cheap accommodation in spacious apartments in Colva with all the amenities such as refrigerator , air conditioner, cooking gas, plush bathrooms etc. Added to this is the hygiene and the sparkling nature of their apartments which can hold good sway over any tourist. Their apartments are also located at less than a five minute walk from the beach and most of all are priced at an unbelievable steal. To book cheap accommodation in Colva in spacious apartments “click here"

Library in Colva

There is also a book front on the beach front at Colva for you and Damodar Book store, is stocked with a nice selection of reasonably priced second hand paperbacks in English. They also do exchange and subscription of books, and have the best range of postcards in the Colva area.

Places to visit in Colva

The Nossa Senhora de Merces (Our Lady of Mercy) Church is the church of Colva and is famous for its annual religious event known as the -Fama of Menino Jesus (Child Jesus)- which is celebrated since the 17th century. The predominantly Catholic community of Colva celebrates this feast on the third Monday of October every year. In the Goan This feast is very popular and is considered as one of the major draws for people from all over Goa and a big fair is held on the occasion. So visiting Colva would be complete with a visit to this historic Church

Biometric scanner removal haunting Goa Govt. employees functioning?

The Biometric scanner introduced by the Margao Municipality a couple of months back met with stiff resistance from the employees of the council resulting in a stand-off between the office of the chief officer and the chairperson on one side versus the civic employees' union on the other.

The issue was solved with a meek surrender by the council in an apparent intervention  by the office of the Chief Minister , to appease the erring employees and reconciling to their whims and fancies and thereby agreeing to their demands to continue the attendance on the muster roll which has always been known to be the prime source of all mischief with regard to attendance.

It was on Friday, the 26th February 2009, that the stand of the Chief officer and the chairperson on the use of the biometric scanner was completely vindicated during a surprise inspection of the attendance register. A group of employees were caught when the attendance register revealed that they had signed the muster roll for the post-lunch session during lunch break.

The incident came to light in the afternoon when the Chairperson, Savio Coutinho had a random check of the muster rolls, which led to the revelation that five employees had signed the rolls around 1.15 pm. This is being done despite the attendance register being kept in the Chief Officer's cabin which has failed to serve the desired purpose. This clearly showed that the muster roll was being manipulated to favour absent employees by vested interests within the council.

The issue being a serious lapse, the chairperson has now asked the Chief Officer to initiate action against the erring employees and has also reportedly instructed the official supervising the attendance register to make the relevant remarks on the muster roll so that irregularities are brought to the notice of the chief Officer.

It has been painfully observed by citizens of Margao that due to the inefficiency of the civic staff, they are compelled to make innumerable rounds to the Municipality for silly reasons and the large scale absenteeism of the staff to pursue their own interest during working hours has only added to the miseries of the common man in Goa.

The reason for the novel idea of introducing the biometric scanner and the reservations by the civic employees union are both now very clear. Law has been forcefully subverted by meaningless opposition against the bids to  enforce norms of discipline which is a prerogative of the employer. This is the saddest thing happening in full public view of Goans who are at the mercy of this staff on a daily basis. How did the government of Goa succumb to such arm twisting, is a mystery?

Goa Beaches - Anjuna Beach

The Anjuna beach has been the capital of fun in the sea of Goan beaches. Some around the world like to call it the freak capital of Goa  and there i s a reason to that kind of a connotation. It has claimed attention for its trance parties and the hippies who tried to blend the spiritual traditions the art, thoughts , ideas and visions of the East with the music of the West gave it a certain identity. Goa’s Anjuna beach is a just right refuge for all tourists and you will come across some of them who have been staying on this beach for extended periods owing to the magnetism of Anjuna.

About Anjuna

A virgin strip of land, the Anjuna beach was 'discovered' sometime in 1950's and 60's by a group of travellers and then they began to meet here in the dry season to party. It was therefore referred to as the hippie destination and was most loved by hippies and made famous by them in the sixties. Anjuna draws a horde of tourists year after year owing to its natural beauty with young and old folks making this place their unmistakable haunt in their itinerary of the Goan holiday.

The big beach that it is, Anjuna is broadly divided into three sections. The north, south and the middle beach of Anjuna. The middle portion hosts the flea market while the north is the abode of most of the hotels and resorts, the bars and the restaurants while the south is known as the Little Anjuna. Anjuna is very electric and the people who visit this place get infectious with the mood of Anjuna

Anjuna is dotted by red laterite cliffs of an olden Portuguese era and is blessed with clean white sand. An abode of thickly populated coconut palms amidst the windy breeze and the aroma of the beach filling you up, as one wanders in the soft white sand , Anjuna simply instills a glorious sense of a holiday inside the unsuspecting visitor to this great place.

Anjuna is often called the birth place and home of trance music and electronic dance music  by many famous DJ's, including "Above & beyond", who even named their record label AnjunaBeats.

The village of Anjuna is considered to be one of the twelve Brahmin communidades of Bardez taluka in the north and is situated eight kilometers on the west of Mapusa and the Church of Anjuna is known as St. Michaels' Church, which was built in the year 1595, is dedicated to saint Miguel and the locals celebrate the feast of its patron on September 29 every year. Anjuna also has three large chapels in the parish.

Anjuna’s Famous Flea Market

For those of you whose holiday is incomplete without shopping, Anjuna Beach has the perfect offer - the weekly Flea Market. Every Wednesday it’s time for shopping and bargaining at Anjuna Beach.The Anjuna flea market is as famous as the Anjuna Beach to travellers from all over the world where one can find a host of things ranging from foreign electronic goods to Indian souvenirs to trance music. Some flock here to shop for beach wears, trinkets and other assorted stuffs. You will also be able to find a mixture of good Gujarati, Kashmiri and Tibetan handicrafts. The Wednesday Flea Market is a must visit for every tourist.

What to do in Anjuna
Take a plunge into swimming which is the most relaxing water activity that can be pursued at the Anjuna Beach. Sun bathing is also the most preferred way of relaxing at Anjuna by sun starved European and Russian tourists and some also try their hand at bungee jumping
Anjuna also has a couple of landmarks which some may like to check out.

There is the monumental Mascarenhas Mansion which many consider as a must visit owing to its finery in wood work and resplendent floral etchings made on glass. The Albuquerque mansion is another place to stop and marvel. The Albuquerque mansion as old as 1920, is endowed with a beautiful border made up of the octagonal towers. Even the Mangalore tile-roof of the mansion is a delight to view.

Some tourists love to shake a leg at house parties which are held on the full-moon nights and are a major draw for the tourists.The fun and frolic around the fire are fantabulous. Anjuna is crazy for hip-hop and is abounding in facilities such as amphitheatres, dance clubs, restaurants and bars. All you need to do is just relax and rejuvenate yourself.

Where to stay
Anjuna has plenty of accommodation to choose from. Besides the expensive hotels Anjuna also has places which the common tourist can afford to stay in with some houses which can be hired at cheap rates. Contact “ Goa Living Styles” for best options for a cheap stay in Goa.

How to get there
Anjuna village that houses the beautiful beach is well connected with the rest of the places.

While the Dabolim airport located at a distance of 47 kms, the Karmali railway station is around 32 kms away to take care of the tourists who travel by train. For road transport there are plenty of bus services besides motorcycles and taxis that may be easily hired from Panjim, Mapusa or Karmali.

Precautions
Even though swimming is considered safe one must take extra precautions as the undercurrents can deceive you and before long you might be in trouble. Always ensure that the lifeguards are spotted around your area.

For any emergencies, call the emergency number 108

Goa tourism to get a 50 cr headstart

The tourism ministry in Goa is planning an aggressive marketing blitz in an international marketing campaign with an estimated budgeted spend of Rs 50 crore to woo the international tourists to come flocking to the world destination of sun, sea and sand.

The share of the starred hotels in this campaign has also been increased as compared to previous years and hotels in Goa will spend anything between 30 lakh to 65 lakh on advertising in an all cash system.

The ministry of tourism in Goa has increased its budget for this year to Rs 30 crore as against the budgeted spending of Rs 18 crore on tourism promotion campaign last year.

The state is estimated to be earning nearly 1500 crore in terms of revenues through tourism in Goa while the industry is urging the government to increase its budget allocation towards development of the basic infrastructure towards tourism in Goa..

Facilities are constantly needing upgradation at various points of tourism such as safety on beaches, cleanliness and hygiene, repairs and maintenance of roads and paths, water showers at beaches, changing rooms etc and with the world recession hitting Goa, these areas need to be leaving no room for complaint.

The Mumbai terror attacks coupled with global recession affected the tourism arrivals in Goa in the peak season. However Carnival was a big draw and most of the hotels in Goa had good occupancy during the carnival celebrations in Goa

Goa garbage management to get a boost

Goa solid Waste management Corporation is a body which is soon going to be set up by the government of Goa to take care of the solid waste nuisance plaguing the state for a long time.

The Chief Minister Mr Digambar Kamat announced that the corporation would exclusively deal with the management of all kinds of solid waste thereby resolving the vexed issue of solid waste garbage.

Asserting that a house committee visited the solid waste management corporation of Karnataka he informed that the committee had apprised itself of the functioning of the corporation.

The CM while pointing out to the solid waste disposal plant already functioning at Fr Agnel Polytechnic Verna , informed that the said plant treats around half a tonne of biodegradable waste on a daily basis. The corporation would endeavour to help village panchayats to set up their own garbage disposal facilities in an organised manner thereby ensuring that they follow exact procedures in handling waste in the proper manner.

The corporation plans to bring about a proper system in entire Goa for the disposal of garbage with special focus on the coastal regions and the rural villages of Goa and aims to carry out scientific, engineering and sustainable schemes for taking such measures to safely utilise or dispose the solid waste.

The corporation is therefore expected to act like a facilitator to assist the smooth and orderly setting up, growth and development of solid waste management services and facilities, with a view of ensuring a clean and sustainable waste free environment in Goa.

The corporation is expected to generate funds on its won strength through revenue generation methods while the land for the functioning of the corporation will be acquired under the Land acquisition act.

Goa bus fares look up as fuel prices look down

A gazetted notification issued by the department of transport raised the prices of bus fares by one rupee last week despite the fuel prices  unwinding twice in the last few months.

The notification states that the fares will be five rupees for the first five kilometres and 45 paise for every subsequent or part kilometre . The existing fare was Rs four for the first three kilometres while being the same for the subsequent part.

Though fuel price rise was the main cause to demand this hike, which was proposed during the rise in fuel prices a few months back, the current enforcement in the rates after the prices cooling down comes as a surprise.

Private bus operators argued the increase against the rising prices of spare parts and higher maintenance costs in recent times.

It is reported that in exchange for the fare increase, the bus operators have shown willingness to co-operate in printing and issuing tickets to passengers and adhere to the norms laid down by the department of transport.

Citizens in Goa have always had to bear the brunt of overcrowded buses with rules flouted including the excessive standing passengers and the buses delay in leaving the buses from the bus stands unless the bus is full of passengers.

The conductors in the buses also do not wear proper uniforms besides being rude to passengers who question their high handedness . The department of transport therefore need to show their mettle in dealing with all those bus operators and their employees who fail to adhere to the specified norms of the department.

Its fasting ,abstinence and time for prayer in Goa

Ash Wednesday saw thousands of Goans flocking to churches early in the morning, beginning the season of Lent. Most Goans will turn vegetarian for the next 40 days while some will abstain from a host of eating and other such pleasures during the entire period.

It is the season of Lent all over the world, which urges Christians around the globe to pray, fast and abstain, while preparing themselves for the biggest feast of the Christian faith which is Easter.For Christians, Easter is the day, Jesus rose from his death signifying victory over death- a day which is preceded by 40 days of penance.

Easter holds a special place for most Christians, and is considered much important and sacred than Christmas. The rising of Jesus from death after three days, brings about salvation into the lives of those who believe.

The period of Lent is drawn from other instances in the Bible including the time spent by Moses on Mount Sinai as also the 40 days and nights of floods in the times of Noah's Ark. However the penance of a physically weak Jesus in the desert, fending off Satan's temptations is the one attributed to the season of penance.

Christians abstain from various pleasures during this season and regard it as  time for self-purification. There are those who regularly fast on Fridays and Wednesdays in the entire period and religiously attend the "stations of the Cross" on those days. Meat is mostly abhorred by Christians during the entire period.

The sacrifices are most often personal in nature and may not be dictated by the Church. Christians find the sacrifices as a means to achieve God's grace through their personal actions which are only noticed by the most High..

Curtains come down on carnival in Goa

The festivities related to carnival came to a close on Tuesday 24th February 2009 with the last float parades and all other programmes in Goa coming to a close .

With the floats in Panjim , Margao and Vasco already hosted on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, it was the turn of Mapusa in the north and Curtorim in South Goa to have the last float parades in the state.

The Mapusa float parade was similar to the parades witnessed in Margao and Panjim besides some additional floats by the Aldona Royals, the St Jerome Boys of Mapusa, Lover boys, Peddem boys Anjuna, Bekar boys with a float on terorism, Nomoxint boys of Caranzalem with Goynchi Girestkai, Amigos club of St. Inez, Sangolda Boys, Discovery boys of Calangute etc.

The Curtorim village had the "festival of curtorcars 2009" at Curtorim which had the hosting of the float parade, the fancy dress competition which was a huge success besides a variety of cultural programmes. A super display of fireworks and performances by Goan tiatrists Wilmix and Sharon wound up the festivities.

25th February onwards, marks the holy lenten season in Goa just as the rest of the world, with the observation of Ash Wednesday.

Goa politicians tussle over animal-fights!

This is one unique battle which must be making animal rights activists sit up and scratch their heads in disbelief. Two Goan legislators are currently tussling on who should actually be credited for making efforts to make animals fight. I repeat, making animals fight, not fighting for animals' rights.

The tussle is currently between the former Chief Minister of Goa and current Member of Parliament Mr Francisco Sardinha and the " erstwhile save Goa party merged-into-congress MLA " Mr Aleixo Reginald Lourenco. Both the rivals from the Curtorim constituency are currently engaged in a war of words over who is more interested in the legalisation of the "DHIRIO", the so-called traditional bullfight which a section of Goans apparently love.

It seems the promise to legalise the 'dhirio" was made by some legislators to their constituents at the time of elections and with the Lok sabha elections looking up, the promises are knocking hard for answers.

On the 6th of February  the Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco introduced a  Bill in the concluding  session of the state assembly of Goa seeking an amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 . The Bill sought to nullify the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act under which the organization of bullfights or "Dhirio" is illegal.

The bill also seeks to formulate guidelines  to be framed by the government for the purpose of regulating the conduct of the "sport" in the state while mentioning that dhirio is a traditional sport in Goa which needs to be protected.

Countering the move, the Congress MP said that the bill in the Goa assembly has no meaning untill the law is amended at the centre and apparently termed it an eyewash.

On 12th February, Sardinha moved a private member's Bill in the Lok Sabha to revoke the ban on bullfights, asserting that these festivities form part of a tradition of Goa going back centuries thereby seeking a series of amendments in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960 to ensure these bull fights are regulated and the animals are protected from suffering any injuries.

The Bill is therefore aimed at the squashing of the ban on Dhirio, a kind of a traditional Goan bullfight or a game for trial of strength which is a part of the traditional festivity in Goan villages during the monsoon( and now anytime) which has been stopped for more than a decade by the animal lovers in the state by invoking the Act on the ground that the animals were subjected to cruelty in this kind of a game.

Citing the case of Tamil Nadu and Goa to be identical, In the statement of objects and reasons for moving the amendment bill, Sardinha reasoned that the bullfights are part of festivities in certain parts of the country,such as Tamil Nadu and Goa but argued the inability of having the bullfights due to the restrictions on the same.

Incidentally, organizers of "Dhirios" mint anywhere from Rs two lakh to Rs 8 lakh a fight, as bull owners and spectators bet heavily on their favourite competitor and the whole game is allegedly driven by betting.

The bill in the Lok sabha however has no meaning now as it was presented in the last session of the 14th Lok Sabha and all pending Bills collapse on the constitution of the new House which will be constituted after the election results in May 2009.