Dears, The Western Ghats Kokum Foundation [WGKF] that is facilitating the greening of Taleigao plateau, beginning with the Goa University campus, launched the Phase-3 of its BIODIVERITY PLANTATION project at a well attended annual function and ceremonial tree planting in front of the State Bank of India branch at Goa University campus.
Persons on the dais read like a "Who's who" list. Mr. Anup Bannerjee, MD of State Bank of India; Mr. N. Raja, CGM of SBI and Mr. Jignesh Shah, Chairman of Financial Technologies, a group of companies that began with the highly successful Multi-Commodities Exchange or MCX and his beautiful wife, Rupali had all flown from Mumbai specially for the event. Mr. P. K. Mukherjee, Director of Sesa Goa Ltd, Mr. Ramesh Chowgule of CIL, and Prof. Mohan Sangodkar, the Registrar of Goa University, who flew back from the UGC Vice-Chancellor's Conference at Pune, to represent the Goa Univesity in the unavoidable absence of the VC Dr. Dileep Deobagkar. The dynamo behind the project and Vice-Chairman of WGKF, Mr. P. G. Kakodkar, was the pride and joy of the event compered by Dr. Ajit Shirodkar, Chairman of the WGKF himself. that was the stature of the event attend by a host of dignitaries in the audience that included Dr.V.S. Korikantimath, Director of ICAR-Goa; Dr. D.Jayarama Bhat, Head of Botany Department in Goa University, Mrs. Mangala Wagle of the Kasturba Gandhi Trust, Mr. Mahesh Patil, GM-Environment of Sesa Goa Ltd, DGMs and AGMs of State Bank of India teaching Faculty of Goa University, Executive Board members of the WGKF and a large number of other dignitaties that packed the conference hall of Goa University prior to the tree planting. Mr. Shrikant Joshi, the WGKF Treasurer, was in his traditional role of off-stage sutradhar handling the nitty gritty of the programme from bouquests to seedlings for planting. Dr. Ajit Shirodkar welcomed the dignitaries and announced that, by the time the WGKF finishes the project's first ten years under the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Goa University before the launch of the BIODIVERSITY PLANTATION in 2005, the WGKF will erect a Glass House amidst the trees planted under the project. The programmes would be held where everyone would be able to see the trees and enjoy the view. With the type of enthusiasm seen in the very first three years of the project, he asid that there was no doubt that funds would come when the work needed it. He thanked the State Bank of India, Sesa Goa Ltd, Multi Commodities Exchange and Chowgule Industries Ltd for the support in cash and kind right from the word go. He said that with industrialisation, the urban India was resurgent. It was time to pay attention to the economy of rural Bharat, that was still lagging behind. The WGKF was promoting the Kokum tree as the tree of the future for Bharat, as Kokum juice and Kokum seed butter are finding a number of applications world wide in medicine, confectionary and cosmetics. New selctions of Kokum are being identified and multiplied and farmers of the Western Ghats, from Raigad to Kanya Kumari are being linked to benefit from this wonder crop that yields best as a mixed crop amidst other fruit trees and spices. Mr. P.G.Kakodkar, former Chairman of State Bank of India and the author of the popular book "My 40 years with SBI", said he was first introduced to tree planting under the "Innovative Banking" [now known as "Community Service Banking"] scheme of the SBI in 1974. In 1976, the SBI planted 59 seedlings and adopted 59 trees for maintenance in the jurisdiction of each of the 6000 plus branches of the bank. Indira Gandhi's birthday will be best remembered by those who planted the trees and nurtured them since 19 November, 1976. On his retirement, PGK came back to Goa and decided to devote his time, energy and money to greening the state of his birth and ancestors. His appeals to the Goa Government fell on deaf years till Ramesh Silimkhan, Chairman of PMC accepted his offer to plant trees on the Marine by-pass at Miramar with funds from SBI at the turn of the Millenium. SBI granted Rs.5.00 lakhs to plant and maintain a thousand trees. At the end of eight years, there are nine hundred trees which are more than five metres tall and Rs.3.5 lakhs is still balance. Gap filling has been done every year and sopme trees are lost every year, most of them due to human interference. He sid that people are looking at the vast land owned by the Goa University with a view to grab a part of it. this University needs land to grow. It is just 24 years old and has a long way to go to catch up with 700 and 800 years old Universities like Oxford and Cambridge, he said. All the dignitaties on the dais spoke on the occasion to recalltheir happy association with the greening of the Goa University campus and to reiterate their committment to continue as long as it was needed. The SBI presented a cheque for Rs.2.0 lakhs as it has done every year since the launch of the project. Soon the University campus will hum withthe sound of the pneumatic drills sent by Mr. Ramesh Chowgule at his cost. It is an annual feature, too. The garden around the Goa University Library and the trafic circle in front of it is a gift of Sesa Goa Ltd. Plantation beyond the Traffic Isand and SBI Fruit Park is sponsorred by MCX. Dr. Mohan Sangodkar, the Registrar of Goa University thanked everyone for their contribution. Seedlings and grafts of Kokum and mango were then planted by the dignitaries in front of the State Bank of India. The plantation and the nurturing of trees will carry on during this monsoon with supplementary irrigation there after. WGKF is working on the goa University campus 365 days of the year! I am privileged to be a small part of this movement, too. Mog asundi. Miguel -- -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-. Miguel Braganza, S1 Gracinda Apts, Rajvaddo, Mhapsa 403507 Goa Ph 9822982676 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
