A reasonable section of the NRIs and NRGs attended the penultimate day of Question Answer session.
The event was preceded by a small 15 minutes film on the just concluded International Film Festival. At the Question Answer session which began at 1104 hrs IST the Leader of the Opposition was away in his constituency and expected to return back as per Mr R (Dinar) Bhatkar ( the eyes and ears of CM)from Verem one of the two moderators Opening the session , Mr Bhatkar took a pot shot at the first days snide comments by some (tribal personality ) obviously referring to the Governor-- regarding lack of development in the rural areas--Mr Bhatkar stated that when he himself was in Nagaland for three years when the present Governor was the Chief Minister much was desired in the quality of development in urban area in Nagaland. The other moderator Mr George Fernandes ex Hoechst Pharmaceuticals and a feature writer on Goa Today monthly magazine stated that Goa needs a Tsumani effect to avert the carelessness to nature and degeneration of our culture. One should take a vow to preserve our identity and culture he said The Leader of the Opposition was absent = went to his constituency Poriem and was expected but is believed to have come to the Kala Academy midway but felt that since the session was already underway he need not participate this amounted to an insult to NRIs and NRGs who attended the session one felt. The replies of the Chief Minister on the several issues are enumerated below: On law and order: the situation was better than the other states. There are communities who tend to close the case for fear of their names being tarnished and he could not be expected to do much. He was refering to the murder of a girl a boy was supposed to marry and who carried the dead body in his car for two days. In another case the police fudged the case of a hit and run by noting wrong numbers in FIR panchanama thereby rendering the case "A finale" On taxi meters Reminded of his promise at the last session in 2004 to introduce meters to taxis to stop the fleecing of tourists the CM tried to wriggle out of the situation claiming he had not made a statement and that the meters in itself was not a solution > However the member of SGPIAG stuck to his point and when the CM stated he needs to be reminded he was told that the email was sent to him but he claimed not to have recieved. He however admitted that he does recived lenghty emails and which does not permit him the time to go through it but refers to his officers -- and requested the email be sent de novo which the questioner agreed. On a petition of President of Panjim City Forum and another resident of Miramar (CMs constituency) he assured the road would be completed by January and stated that many of the developmental works in Panaji have been stopped lest it should inconvenience the tourists still in the state. However works will commence by 15th January On garbage disposal He had a plan up his sleeves which will take shape at the next Budget if not in the session starting 10th January 2005 where the Village Panchayats will be given additional funds. Candolim Calangute and Colva are richest Panchayats but also corruption prone. He however blamed the builders who dump debris at 0230 hrs in the wee hours of the morning and the hotel lobby which disposes garbage in rivulets etc at the same time. He stated that one of the reasons was that there were no dumping sites marked therefore he has plans to mark such sites before he takes action against them. even attitude of people need to be changed in matters of garbage disposal. This would be done in two years time. Re photocopies of passports taken at airport at Dabolim which was not the practice elsewhere He got the same confirmed and found it was not necessary but if at all they take he hinted at a prominent VIP being involved in making fake rubber stamps and putting the Emigration clearance NOT required on passports of those having Emigration Clearance Required. He said probably in such cases the investigating authorites are on the track to check the racket. But he feared that politicians like Alemao should not allege victimisation. As regards degrees of Goa University not being accepted by Kuwait etc he promised action if an email was sent to him giving the facts. He gave the audience his email address as [EMAIL PROTECTED] and fax number as +91 832 222 3648 Re visas for stay in India there was some confusion as the person from Vienna an Indian citizen who posed the question could not state whether the stay was denied because he came by charter flights or otherwise. He said that the biggest achievement of IFFI was that there was family entertainment. He said today man hit the bottle in bars while the women and children have to watch soap operas on TV some of it which was so vulgar and cited that several advertisement were slipped the censor board scissors. This was appreciated by the audience with a thunderous applause. Re observing the UN water decade this year he stated that the state had already drawn a scheme of storage of water 293 lac m3 of water which would inturn recharge the ground water resources cleaning ofof ponds and repairs bandharas . Similarly on sanitation the plans are on the anvil as already stated in the Health presentation on day 2 Re: a desalination plant he said the cost of power economics was not viable he preferred smaller one but in any case he admitted that with storage retention of water 293 lac m3 there was no need of this Re power shut down in Calangute Candolim Baga belt he said new transformers were being put in place The same were not replaced for 30 years. As regards the non action of police on noise pollution he admitted that during the festive season the police too were reluctant to accept complaints or even if tells them they could act but again they would revert back. Obviously he stated what was necessary was that an entertainment zone be earmarked and some modalities acceptable needs to be worked. Re policy on bio tech research pharma he said that the same is on the anvil Re solar energy he stated that survey report indicates that there are no wind speeds of beyond 15 knots and therefore not feasible. However he admitted to the use of the solar energy in his official residence. Re Fly by night finance companies that have duped several NRIs NRGs and others he said he will definitely call a meeting of all the affected person in February and apply his mind to the entire issue de novo . Re a person having to undergo an operation but having lost all his finance due to this fake finance company he stated that the person with annual income of Rs 1,50,000 was covered under Mediclaim policy and that individual could get the reimbursement . Even otherwise he state that he himself stopped celebrating his birthday 13th Dec but received at least around five lacs to fifteen lacs in his Chief MInisters funds which he has given to deserving persons irrespective of constituencies Re Police Station at Calangute he agreed that it was almost bodering Saligao and this helped the police not to register cases he wondered who had designed this police station but assured a new one in a closer vicinity Re strenght of the bureaucracy he stated that it was 45,000 which is one out of seven families is a government servant. Therefore if they inculcate a mind set of discipline to solve the societies problems much would come about on the quality of administration Re River Princess tenders have been opened work order already alloted and the same will be towed away> He was confident that the Minister of Tourism Mr Saldhana who was the right man in the right job would do justice to the same by January end. Re problems of flatowners visavis builders non formation of co-operative societies he agreed that amendments need to be brought about to strengthen the acts and this will be done (CM was perhaps not aware that a bill by Mr Ramakant Khalap and later Mr Radharao Gracias ex MLAs was presented in around 1989/1990 but lapsed due to the dissolution of the Assembly > He could still look up this and issue an ordinance if he so desires) Re ghutka smoking spitting he said his government was sensitive to this many persons have been fined nearly 18,000 and the ban on ghutka will soon be notified Re plastics he said that due to his efforts and of others he had desired ban on use of 100 microns plastic but industry prevailed and desired a phased implementation and it now stands at 40 microns Re public vehicles operating with bald tyres and no dimmers used he agreed to look into this Re Agriculture and Communidades he promised the desired action legislation soon Re misuse of computers given to students under cyberage scheme for viewing porno sites he said the parents should be held responsible Re corruption in transport and land revenue or births and deaths he said computerisation was the solution but he had to face stiff opposition as these measures are being sabotage. He said the kiosks were running on losses due to this sabotage. Re assistance by a wine conneisure to help set up the industry in Goa if the Government offered the infra structure the CM assured full support and asked the individual to contact him on this matter Re attitude of nurses he expressed that unless one changed the mindset of discharging ones duties like Florence Nightingale not much could be expected. Re Beach cleaning involving the COmmunity and involving the BLUE FLAG organisation he said he would accept this in principal but preferred that the best man doing the job for Tourism Mr Saldhana should be approached for doing the needful. The Chief Minister seemed to address most issues this time with a philosophical attitude and rightly so. He first stated that we are turning into a sick society. The opposition criticises for the sake of criticism but what worries him is that while they do it for political puposes out of frustration being kept out of power he wonders why the public should follow those footsteps. He said often people criticise him without seeing it for themselves apparently referring to the CD of Goas freedom struggle which has since been withdrawn from circulation as per latest reports on the request of UGDP. He stated that he was often called Hitler but this did not affect him. He said he wanted the press not to adopt a negative attitude report the positive things as well. He stated that newspapers without the mention of Parrikar may not find readership because that is intended to increase the circulation of paper. Therefore unless society changes its mindset not much can be done to the day to day problems. This was a rebuttal of the point made by Mr Ashley Rosario who did not take kindly to the CMs remarks on the fourth estate the Press. Mr Aries Rodrigues Advocate and activist raised some pertinent questions on the Leader of the Oppositions absence his still holding the Chairmanship of Kala Academy the need for adopting flexitime so that departmental heads can ensure functioning of the departments in their absence. While the CM refrained from answering those directed against the LOO (Mr Rane) he said the attitude of government servants needs to be changed. He stated that the EDC has been looted and that none could contest the credentials of the upright and revered Justice Pendse. This was acknowledged by Mr Adik Shirodkar Sr Advocate Bombay High Court and ex MP of the Shiv Sena. The CM also did not appreciate the critical photographs on the persons found asleep at the Agriculture session by the Konkani newspaper Sunaparant as this amounted to just negative reporting to boost sales. He also alleged his intention to change the tourism logo quoting Tsunami free goa was misreported by the press what he intended was to ask the tourism department to capture on the shift in tourist destination towards Goa of those not being able to visit those affected states. The CM finally advised those interested to email or fax to him letters in brief for his attention and not lenghty ones as done by SDPIAG) because smaller ones are attended to by him and the rest by his officers. On an average he said 200 250 letters are attended to and in executive parlance the "pink files" are those that have his personal investigations. Mr Adhik Shirodkar stated that only Goa and Kerala had the 32% forest cover and maintained the mangroves but others that destroyed it suffered the Tsunami tragedy. He suggested the growing of the basil plant tulsi in the courtyard as this was cleaner of pollutants and the pooja performed by women early sunrise is because of the cosmic effect of the sun rays. It is only to do with appreciating nature and nothing to do with religion. Some of his witty remarks were intended to show how the press can distort news which caused a streak of humour after a rough session of question answers. Later momentos were presented to winners of the IFFI small films by young amateurs. After this the lunch session and the end of the three day affair. The NRIs and NRGs found that most of the problems will be settled but they are being dealt not in isolation but the causes and solutions are being worked out and will take time a year may be two years. The problesm are common taxi fares power fluctuations fly by night operators communidade land real estates builders and no single window to attend to grievances setting up businesses. Therefore until the next Sammelan we need to keep our fingers crossed, they said. However many confided that they felt that Mr Parrikar is a man with a mission they agreed he does not have the numbers and the CM too mentioned that but in undertones they questioned why is the CM raking up communal issues in our peaceful Goa. Meanwhile the CM has informed this writer that his promise to provide accomodation for the Goa Cultural Society which has staged the Mando Festival for several years will be finalised by 14th 15th January as he is scouting for the place. He has also agreed to look into the Anjediva issue for the next feast on 2nd February making it convenient for Goans to visit seeking necessary permissions There remained one question that is debatable could the volunteers preetily dressed in sarees provided by the organisors and to be kept for themselves use to the hours clocked in attending the Sammelan for award of marks under NSS scheme? To many this was not correct may be the Registrar Goa University needs to clarify. from the Kala Academy Complex Godfrey J I Gonsalves Borda Margao Goa [EMAIL PROTECTED] ________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your life partner online Go to: http://yahoo.shaadi.com/india-matrimony
