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GOACOM DAILY NEWS CLIPPINGS March 25, 2003
STATE'S REVENUE EXPENDITURE OUTGROWS PROJECTIONS: Goa's state revenue expenditure is galloping faster than expected, outgrowing its projections, and making the revenue deficit of the State grow from bad to worse. This is the news emerging from the Economic Survey 2002-03, released by the state's Directorate of Planning, Statistics and Evaluation on the eve of Tuesday's annual budget to be presented to the State assembly. Goa also has a whopping debt. It has loans of Rs 2,071.2 crore (estimates, 2003) it has to repay. Goa's "main concern", says the government's economic survey, is the State's revenue deficit. "In order to achieve a sustainable financial orbit for development, the State needs to eliminate its revenue deficit at the earliest possible," it adds. (H)
CM RULES OUT GRANTS TO ENGLISH PRIMARY SCHOOLS: Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar, told the House that the government policy was to promote primary education in Konkani and Marathi. Replying to a question by Dr Wilfred de Souza, Mr Parrikar told the House that government grants permission for opening new primary schools as per the provision in the Goa School Education Act. The government cannot grant permission to open a new primary school if the school is already existing within one kilometer of its radius. The chief minister said it was the government policy to provide grants to the Konkani and Marathi medium schools and English primary schools do not fit into the government policy. Mr Parrikar said though initially the promoters of the English schools would put in their finance but after some time they would demand government grants and this was not acceptable. The government would follow the laid down parameter and not promote English medium primary schools, Mr Parrikar said. (NT)
CM TO PRESENT BUDGET: The Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar, who also hold the finance portfolio will present the annual budget in the state legislative assembly today (March 25). The budget is expected to spare common man from the purview of additional taxes. The budget is expected to cover entire state's economy and may see some schemes like Mr Parrikar's earlier budgets. The budget may expand the scope of 'user charges', a concept which Mr Parrikar introduced in last budget. The Information Department, meanwhile, will launch its website 'www.gosinformation.org' and entire state budget will be made available on this website from 8 p.m. onwards (NT)
"NO" MORE SHACKS: Tourism Minister Francisco X Pacheco said that there are enough number of shacks on beaches in Goa and ruled out any need for permitting more. He said that in all 131 shacks had been allotted by the Tourism department in 2002-2003. (GT)
VANMUNIS TAKE EVERYONE BY SURPRISE: This rare visitor to Polem-Canacona found many visitors rushing to catch a glimpse of him on Sunday afternoon. The visitor, who happened to be an endangered Slow Lorris (Genus Nycticebus), locally known in Konkani as Vanmunis (Man of the Forest), was finally handed over to the forest department. Contrary to claims by forest officials that this animal is a rarity in this region, locals claim to have sighted this species in the Polem forest on a number occasions. Locals however believe that keeping this animal trapped in a cage at their houses spells a bad omen and cite several examples where trouble befell the houses where this animal was trapped and caged. (H)
FILM PIRACY: The Opposition today urged the state government to take action against piracy of films by video parlours, cable operators and video libraries in the state. This concern was raised by Mayem MLA Harish Zantye during question hour today. Mr Zantye said that the infringement of the Copy Rights Act was threatening the existence of film theatres in the state. He also said that the government, owing to increasing piracy, was losing revenue in the form of entry tax and surcharges. Mr Zantye urged that the police should be directed to conduct raids and seize such pirated material being circulated and sold within Goa. (H)
DEVELOPMENT OF BEACHES IN THE STATE: Mormugao MLA Karl Vaz urged the government to include Baina beach in the list of beaches being developed in the state. Replying to this, Tourism Minister Miccky Pacheco informed the House that besides Colva, Vagator, Anjuna, Baga, Calangute, Miramar, Candolim and Benaulim, Baina beach would also be included in the list. Cuncolim MLA Joaquim Alemao also raised queries on the cleanliness aspect of the beaches and sought to know as to who were in charge of this mammoth task. (H)
TIVIM LOCAL HELD: A 26-year-old man from Auchitwado-Tivim was arrested by Mapusa police on charges of violating externment orders issued by the North Goa Collector. The accused, Johnny Fernandes alias Slice, a history sheeter with a number of cases of assault and theft, was recently externed by the North Goa Collector, who prohibiting him from entering North Goa district for a period of two months. (H)
TO TAKE REVENGE...! Khantilal Dange, a 45-year-old alleged alcoholic (from Margao), who was scorned in the locality, took his sweet revenge when he jumped into the only well, which was the only source or water for the locals during the two-day stoppage of tap water from Selaulim. The Fire Services rescued him from the well. (GT)
CURTORIM GRAM SABHA: The gram sabha members of Curtorim panchayat resolved to come onto the streets in protest against the government's failure in providing a full-fledged panchayat secretary to Curtorim. "If the government does not provide us the full-time secretary within fifteen days, we will be forced to demonstrate," the dejected villagers said at the gram sabha meeting. According to the members, for the last two years they are facing this hardships. "How can a class-one panchayat like Curtorim function with just a part-time secretary ?" the irked villagers who visited the panchayat office several times said. (NT)
OPPOSITION STAGES WALKOUT: Alleging that the Speaker of the state legislative assembly, Mr Viswas Satarkar was adopting a partisan attitude, the opposition Congress members today (Mar 24) staged a walkout, protesting against the Speaker's ruling on passing a resolution seeking suspension of rule on constituting the ad-hoc committee on budget on the opening day of the budget session today. The matter came to the fore, when the Minister of Legislature Affairs, Mr Francis D'Souza moved a resolution seeking suspension of the rule 242(C) over formation of ad-hoc budget committee, immediately after the question hour and the Speaker declared it later that the resolution had been passed. (NT)
NO-TRUST MOTION: The deputy Sarpanch of Carmona village panchayat, Nesbit D'Costa, got a fresh lease of life as the Director of Panchayats, PM Borkar has set aside the proceedings of the meeting which had ousted him from office in a no-trust motion. On an appeal filed by D'Costa last week, the Panchayat Director also scrapped the process initiated to consider the no-trust motion against the deputy sarpanch. Borkar said that D'Costa was not given three clear days notice of the meeting as per the Panchayat Raj meeting rules. (H)
WRIT WITHDRAWN: MLA Dayanand Narvekar, President of the Goa Cricket Association (GCA), on Monday withdrew his petition from the High Court challenging the appointment of the Pendse commission of inquiry to look into the GCA fake ticket scam. Narvekar had prayed that a writ be issued declaring the notification issued by the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs dated October 16, 2001 appointing the Pendse commission of inquiry, and the further notification dated March 28, 2002 dealing with the same matter as null and void and to quash them. (H)
CHARGES AGAINST BABUSH: The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Panjim, has framed charges against Town and Country Planning Minister, Atanasio Monserrate (Babush), for wrongful restraint and criminal intimidation. A case had been filed against Babush on November 23, 2001 in connection with a complaint made by one Rasiklal Gangani of Panjim alleging that Babush restrained him and threatened him with dire consequences if he did not pay his dues. (H)
SOUTH GOA GOES DRY: Water supply to most parts of South Goa was disrupted today (march 24) after the Selaulim pipeline burst at Quepem in the wee hours of Monday. While the supply was maintained in Sanguem taluka, Margao and surrounding areas along with Mormugao Taluka had to go without water today. The PWD department commenced operations to restore the water supply on a war footing. Sources disclosed that the repair of the pipeline will be completed only early Tuesday morning.
NEPAL KING'S VISIT TO GOA: Nepal royal highness Gyanendra will arrive in Goa March 26 for a short sojourn. Sources informed, that some members of the Nepal royal family will be holidaying in Goa, after arriving here on Wednesday from an outing in Bangalore. Police sources informed, that the family would be staying in South Goa. The family is also scheduled to enjoy a cruise along the river on a cruise boat. A reception will be hosted for the royal highness at Raj Bhavan on March 26 evening. (H)
S P O R T S
SANGOLDA LIGHTNING UP: Sangolda Lightning crushed PVC Parra 7-0 in the final league match of the Third Division Bardez Zone in Mapusa. (GT)
GOA TO HOST NORTH KOREA, TURKMENISTAN: Goan football fans are soon going to be treated to some top class football. The first match will be an Asian Cup fixture between DPR Korea and India to be played on 30 March, and the next, a pre-Olympic fixture between Turkmenistan and India fixed for 19 April. Both matches will be played at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda. (GT)
D E A T H S
24 Mar: Sirlim: MARIA ARCANJELA PEREIRA Relict of Manuel Xavier; mother/mother-in-law of Bertha/Domnic, Richard/Antonetta, Timothy/Ubaldina, Francis/Judy; grandmother of Rodney/Bianca, Ronaldo, Lorene/Noel, Bradley, Aldrich, Evans, Nikita, Stanton; great grandmother of Warren.
G O A W E A T H E R Temp: 26.8 deg C (80.2 deg F) at 08.00 am in Assagao. Max Temp: 33.5 deg C, Humidity: 85% (Official figures for yesterday) Weather: A cloudy morning in Goa today.
Courtesy: H=Herald, NT=The Navhind Times, GT= Gomantak Times
JOEL D'SOUZA, Assagao-Goa-India. Website: www.goacom.com Goacom News Clippings at: http://www.goacom.com/news Monthly Webzine: http://www.goacom.com/goanow
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