GOACOM DAILY NEWS CLIPPINGS 21 February 2004 LEGISLATION AGAINST ILLEGAL STRUCTURES: Cutting across the party lines, members in the State legislative assembly yesterday (Feb 20) expressed serious concern over illegal structures, including roadside shrines, in the State. The government assured to bring in a legislation in the next session to deal firmly against these structures. (NT)
CARNIVAL FESTIVITIES BEGIN TODAY: The four-day festivities of Carnival begin today (Feb 21) with the King Momo set to declare his reign of fun and frolic till Tuesday. The capital city has been decked up for the floats parade led by the King and Queen Momo which will begin under the Mandovi bridge at 3.30 pm. (H) PANTHER MAULS 4 PERSONS AT AGACAIM: A full-grown spotted male panther was shot dead by Agacaim police yesterday (Feb 20) afternoon in Pequen-Mercurim (Dugrem ward) after it attacked and wounded four people including a police constable, who was patrolling the area to locate it. Those injured in the attack were Ms Dionisia Paes (60), Mr Derrick Pereira (30), Mr Freddy Vaz (28) and police constable, Mr George D'Cunha. (NT) STATE ECONOMY HAS WORSENED: The Goa government's liabilities are growing must faster than its assets, interest payments of the State have risen sharply, and government corporations and companies are losing money for the State, says the latest auditor's report. In a report that could severely challenge the BJP government's repeated claims of having managed the State's finances well, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India's findings for the year ended March 2002 raise a whole lot of critical questions about Goa' s economy. (H) GOA IS NO.2 DESTINATION FOR RUSSIA: From being an unknown destination five years ago, to being number 20 in the list of favoured destinations a few years later, to reaching number two status in the same list this year, Goa has come a long way in the Russian travel market. It is now second only to Egypt. Speaking exclusively to Gomantak Times, Valentin Ganin, General Director of Transhow-a leading Russian travel operator-said, "Just five years ago we could not locate Goa on a map. All that I knew about Goa was what I had read in British travel brochures.Goa has something for everyone unlike Thailand where Pataya caters to the young and Phuket is for more mature people. Tourists of any age can come to Goa and have a good time." (GT) INSPECTION OF HOTEL EMPLOYEES: The Health Minister, Dr Suresh Amonkar, said that the Health Department would consider carrying out regular examination of every employee of the hotels, restaurants and kiosks around the State, involved in cooking the food and carrying out kitchen-related jobs, with a view to maintain hygiene and cleanliness in the hotel industry. Saligao MLA Dr Wilfred de Souza had suggested that apart from providing health cards to the employees, their physical examination should be carried out regularly every 3 months. (NT) PARRIKAR ASSURES TO TURN BAINA INTO TOURIST SPOT: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Goa assembly that the government would come out with a solution on the Baina imbroglio by taking all the stakeholders into confidence and extended invitation to all the MLAs particularly from the Congress to join in for a meeting there on February 25. He assured Mormugao MLA, Karl Vaz, that the Baina beach would be put on the tourist map after putting in place the rehabilitation plan, within a year. Parrikar said he had made a budgetary provision of Rs.1 crore for the rehabilitation of the sex workers. They have been provided with food and the police were observing a blockade of the red light area for the last two months to prevent influx of new sex workers. (H) MORMUGAO RESTAURANTS DIRTIEST: Mormugao city leads all hotels and restaurants in Goa including ice cream parlors in violating the norms of health and sanitation laid down by the government. Inspections carried out by teams of health department in the State have revealed that 140 restaurants in Mormugao, 121 in Margao, and 65 in Panaji have violated health norms. (GT) GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT TO WIDOWS: The Opposition Congress members' bid to corner the government in State assembly over social welfare schemes like widow allowance of Rs.1200 per month and dole to unemployed youths failed as the government informed the house that it has taken a decision to provide gainful employment to widows, providing a monthly salary to the tune of Rs,3000. (NT) HOUSE ADJOURNED: The Goa Legislative Assembly was adjourned sine die on Friday (Feb 20) after transacting five-day business including passing of the vote-on-account budget and nearly a dozen bills. Among the important bills passed were Medical Practitioners Bill and Mundkar Amendment bill. Leave was granted by the House for the introduction of two separate motions by Pernem MLA Jitendra Deshprabhu seeking removal of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. (H) PANJIMITES FEAR ANOTHER DRY SUMMER: The government may have plans to improve the water supply to Tiswadi but currently the water scene in the capital city is worrisome. Several residents especially those living on high terrain are facing major problems already a month before the summer arrives. (H) WATER REQUIREMENT TO INCREASE BY 40%: The average requirement of water per person daily is to the tune of 150 litres in Goa, which is in accordance to world standard. It is expected that water requirement will increase by 40 per cent in the next 15 years. About 78 to 80 per cent of the State has potable water connectivity, said CM Parrikar yesterday (21 Feb), while adding that the famous magazine, Time, has made a mention of this achievement in its issue.Tap connections, which were 1,20,000 three years ago, have increased to 1,71,000 presently, he informed. Water provision will substantially increase in the next two/three years, he said. (GT) INDIAN SOFTWARE SHOULD GO 'DESI': Former vice chairman of Tata Consultancy Services, Dr FC Kohli, said that in order to become a name in information technology, India has not only to improve its hardware industry, but has also to increase the level of computerization in the country with software applications in the Indian languages. He was addressing the inaugural session of the two-day workshop on "The Goa Agenda-Emerging markets in IT", organised by the Goa Chamber of Commerce and industry and the Goa government, Department of Information technology.India has done something in software, it has a $15.5 billion output. However, most of it is exported and what remains in the country is only $3 billion which is very low for a country of this size. "We are basically an export-oriented software industry," he said. (H) STREET KIDS TO LIGHT CANDLE: A 10-foot candle made by homeless and street children of Goa will be lit on February 21 at Don Bosco High School, Panjim. The candle intends to express the feeling of brotherhood and community bonding and spreads the message of "The Joy of Giving". The candle also invites individuals to be a part of the noble movement, Karm Mitra. (H) S P O R T S SANQUELIM STOP TALUKA SPORTS: Sanquelim group won the general championship at the Bicholim taluka level sports festival organised by Bicholim Taluka Sports Organisation recently. (GT) D E A T H 20 Feb: Santa Cruz: ANGELICA GONSALVES, wife of Lopes Dias, mother of Julio/Rubertina (Silvassa), Helen/late Joao Baptist Pereira, William/Agnes, Monica/Godfrey, Menino/Mary. 17 Feb: Lisbon: MARIA DA GRACA FIGUEIREDO ALBUQUERQUE E DIAS, wife of Caitano, sister/sister-in-law of late Antonio/Maria de Lourdes, late Maria/late Manuel, late Jose, late Matilde, late Gerson/late Anita, late Vicente/late Luzinha, late Guilhermina, late Jose/late Vitoria, Pe Felizardo, late Agnela/late Jose Felipe, Ines and Margarida/late Alvaro. No Condolence Visits. 20 Feb: Margao: MARIA FILOMENA DAS DORES PARRAS E D'CRUZ, relict of Dr Jose Filipe Rui. No Condolence visits. 20 Feb: Panjim-Altinho: WILSON FERNANDES, son of late Basilio/Amelia, brother of late Francis, Caitan, Esmeralda and Tereza. 20 Feb: Santa Cruz: PIEDADE DUMIANA BOCARRO E ANES, wife of Joaquim, mother of Gonsalo (Kuwait), late Milagrine, Perpetua and Tony, Natalia/Alex, Candida/Peter, Estella/Cypriano, Nancy/Joe, Telma. 19 Feb: Tilamol: ROQUE ANTONIO FERNANDES, husband of Dumetina, father of Elith/Santana, John, Matilda/Victor, Anita/Anthony. G O A W E A T H E R Temp: 26.9 degC (80.4 degF) at 9.30 am today in Assagao. Max Temp: 31.0 deg C; Min Temp: 20.8 deg C; Humidity: 89% (Official figures for yesterday) Weather: Bright, warm morning in Goa today. Courtesy: H=Herald; NT=The Navhind Times; GT=Gomantak Times JOEL D'SOUZA, Assagao-Goa-India. 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