20-10-2013 …  In what could be termed as a loss to the state government treasury in terms of revenue generation officials of the simplex group who have bagged the contract for the construction of the infrastructure of athletic track at the upcoming lusofonia games at Bambolim have illegally sub-let an electricity connection from its premises to an illegal grocery shop outside the lusofonia premises for the past more than six months ….

For the past six to seven months a full fledged illegally grocery shop has been set up outside the upcoming athletic track at Bambolim which is being run by a native from Bengal ashok biswas which has no permission from the concerned village panchayat of st cruz as well as permission civil supplies and from the department of food and drugs administration government of goa

Not only what is more surprising is that the project in charge of the sports area at Bambolim mr mukesh singh of Mumbai-based M/s Simplex Projects Ltd who are the contractors entrusted with the task of building the athletic stadium at Bambolim and seems to have given light connection to the illegal grocery shop for which also has more than three bulbs of over 60 watts along with a fridge having been running on a single wire connection which comes from the premises of the state government area where in an athletic track is being constructed for the upcoming lusofonia games 2014

When goanreproter tried to questioned ashok biswas who runs the illegal grocery shop along the area near the upcoming athletic track at Bambolim ashok said that the site in charge of simplex group was well aware of the situation and it was on his behalf that a light connection was also given for the grocery shop illegally

Ashok said “this shop has been put up three to four months after the company simplex group had started its work of the sports infrastructure and I had taken the permission from the site incharge mukesh singh

Ashok said I know its illegal at the moment but to get the legal formalities done it would take some time no but no one takes any rent from us and we have also taken a light connection from the company too for the grocery shop as company has given us on a single cable line”

Sarpanch of St cruz village panchayat said that he was shocked to know that an illegal grocery shop had come up in the vicinity of the upcoming lusofonia games area, he mentioned “we have not given any permission for setting up of a grocery shop and today I myself was also shocked to see that an illegal grocery shop had come up and now with my panch members we could definitely carry out a site inspection of it and also take strict action on hygenie conditions too

when goanreproter tried to find out the same details from the project incharge mr mukesh singh in front of mr ashok biswas he denied that he had given permission for any such illegality and on top of that he informed that he was totally unaware as who had given the grocery shop a power connection from the premises of the sports infrastructure

“a stunned singh said “we have not given any light connection to the illegal grocery shop and said that he was not aware of anything that was going on and when ashok in front of mr singh said that “sir you had given us the connection” singh looking at ashok said “I have not given you and when did i gave you the connection but ashok asked singh as how did I got the connection from your premises and that it was after taking permission from you only that we got a light connection sir but still singh went on saying that they had not given any connection for the illegal grocery shop and I would check on it and fell that ashok had committed theft of power connection from the government premises

incident the st andre mla Vishnu surya wagh in whose constituency the infrastructure is being constructed at was shocked to see that an illegal grocery shop had come up near the sports infrastructure vicinity and said that it was sad to note that goans had to face a lot of hardships for getting permissions to put up a grocery shops while outsiders while easily running illegal shops which the state government authorities were least bothered to take a note of

it’s a shocking as how he has tried to put a grocery shop without concerned government approvals and therefore I fell that the concerned contractor must be hand in gloves with him and now sports authority of goa should take a strict cognizance of it I feel that the concerned contractor must have come together with the person for their benefits because the work is going on day and night and so many workers are staying there due to work who might be needing grocery items but that doesn’t mean that one has to put illegal structure while department should have made provision for them with temporarily license as common have to face many hardships if he has to get a grocery license but outside do such things are allowed to commit illegalities in the state and I would take up the issue with the sports minister and if possible would also take up in the assembly too

19-10-2013 … After much of speculations on where would the opening and closing ceremony of the upcoming international film festival would be held the directorate of film festivals in ints major decision for the upcoming ifi 2013 have finally decided to holding both the events at the last year venue of campal grounds instead of holding it at the newly constructed indoor stadium at Bambolim citing reasons of proper infrastructure to be ready well before the schedule dates…

It may be noted that the state government had recently announced that the opening and closing ceremonies of the International Film Festival of India at a newly constructed indoor stadium at Bambolim which has been constructed to host some events of the Lusofonia Games to be held in January next year.

The state of goa are about to hold IFFI from November 20-30, while the international sporting event is scheduled from January 18-29.

Last year the state government had put up a special air-conditioned hangar erected at the Dayanand Bandodkar football stadium, Campal, for the opening as well as closing ceremony of the forthcoming International Film Festival of India

It may be recalled that the government had taken the decision to erect a special facility at the old football stadium since the Kala Academy, which is the regular venue for IFFI opening and closing ceremonies over the years, has limited capacity of around 965 seats.

the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation is in charge of the construction of the temporary hangar, which is being erected by a Delhi-based company at the cost of Rs 1.23 crore.
and had a total capacity of around 2,700 spectators, out of which 240 seats are reserved for members of the print and electronic media.

Speaking to goanreporter vice chairman of entertainment society of goa Vishnu surya wagh said “the dff has taken one of its major decision on which the administration of goa has also agreed and that is to hold both the opening and closing ceremonies of iffi 2013 at the campal football grounds like last year though initially it was decided to hold both the events at the newly constructed indoor stadium at Bambolim but twice the committee visited and I think the officials of dff are not sure that the infrastructure would be completed by the schedule time”

Wagh said “at the same time our administration also now are pulling up its legs and they are also half hearted now about the completion of the infrastructure at bambolim well on time and therefore everyone has taken a decision to have the iffi event at the same place like last year so dff has intimated it to the esg stating that arrangements should me made for a hanger at the campal football grounds for holding ifi 2013 opening and closing ceremonies

18-10-2013 … With an aim to give water 24/7 to the rural and urban areas of the state within the next six months the state public works department would envisage its working pattern to curb down on water wastage through the help of non revenue water management monitoring committee …

The meeting was addressed by pwd minister sudhin dhavlikar along with various government officials from the pwd department who were informed about the various aspects of saving wastage water in the state ..

The pwd minister said that his pwd department had kept in mind to provide per person about 150 litres of water in rural areas while 150 litres of water is provided in urban areas with 467 mld of water being provided in to the state of goa every day presently and also to come down to around 25 percent of water wastage in the next six months..

Dhavlikar said a major project of 800 crores worth would be put up in south goa water supply division where in 100 mld water supply plant would come up in a sanguem and would be completed by 2014

Dhavlikar also stated that the calculation of water under the non revenue water was between 30%-40% where as the standard norms were up to 20% under the non revenue water management scheme 

17-10-2013 … The directorate of panchayat has received two applications from chorao-madel village panchayat in north goa and sarzora village panchayat in south under the deendayal infrastructure development scheme

It may be noted that the scheme would enable village panchayats in the state to undertake projects like construction of new panchayat ghars, parks, market complex, jogging tracks, shopping complexes, crematoriums, recreation centers etc as the scheme has been formulated with the aim to create necessary and enduring infrastructure for village panchayats in Goa.

 Speaking to goanreporter director of panchayat narayan sawant that the scheme would have only empanelled agencies would have the right to undertake the infrastructure development projects in the village panchayats under the scheme

Sawant also said that the common cardre for the state village panchayat was in the final stage and would be notified soon as possible

16-10-2013 … President of goa Pradesh congress committee subash shirodkar on Friday assured to convince his party central leaders in a hope to get special status to the state of goa as soon as possible

Speaking to goanreporter gpcc chief subash shirodkar said in the last two decades under the regime of the congress party the state had highlighted itself fantastically that today the state of goa was analyzed as no one of the developed state in the country

Meanwhile All-India Congress committee secretary and Goa desk incharge A Chella Kumar said that the present bjp led government headed by chief minister Manohar Parrikar had done nothing for the state of goa and had also put the goans in to trouble through the mining issue

15-10-2013 … The Salcete Panchayat Forum recently called on the Director of panchayats in Panjim and discussed a host of problems plaguing the Panchayat bodies, including orders issued by Collector and other authorities to the Panchayats on issues unrelated to Panchayat matters.

 A delegation of Forum led by Convenor Xavier Fernandes drew attention of the Panchayat Director Narayan Sawant the orders and memos issued by the district Collector to the BDO’s, which are turn addressed to the Panchayat bodies for action. 

 the delegation also took up the matter pertaining to a memo issued by the deputy director of Panchayats, South dispensing the role of ward member in the issuance of income certificate.

 The Forum Convenor further said that the Panchayat Director gave them a patient hearing on their request to recruit casual workers to take up civic works in the Panchayat areas. 

14-10-2013 … In what could spark more controversy towards the rising casino issue in to the state of goa the All-India Congress committee secretary looking after Goa desk, A Chella Kumar on Wednesday said that if his congress led government was in place in the state of goa it would have never allowed casinos to operate and infact would have put a total ban on it …

It may be noted that the AICC secretary looking after Goa desk, A Chella Kumar was in goa for the past two days where in mr kumar had meetings with the block presidents of the party at the Congress House and also discussed various issues of the party that had taken place within the party fold

The issue of casinos has been in air for the past few months where in even on the second day of the state legislative assembly chief minister Manohar Parrikar had assured of shifting the casinos in to the deep sea within the next few months

Speaking to goanreporter All-India Congress committee secretary and Goa desk incharge A Chella Kumar said his personnel view was that casinos should be banned in the state of goa

Mr chella kumar also said that the dictatorial attitude of the bjp led government was also seen in the ongoing assembly session where in congress mla’s were stopped from raising certain issues of the state

Meanwhile commenting over the issue tourism minister dilip parulekar said that sought to know who gave permission to casinos first as it was only the then congress government who through fixing gave permission for casinos in the state

13-10-2013 … Secretary of All India Congress Committee A Chellakumar on Wednesday said that the issue if filnig fir cases against its party former chief minister from goa was a stunt being used by the state bjp party so as to damage the image of the state congress party in the forthcoming assembly elections

It may be noted that the All India Congress committee secretary P Chella Kumar had arrived in the state on Monday to take stock of the situation where in reports had spread out of a split among the congress mla’s in the CLP over the leadership issue and some of the mla’s had asked for a change in leadership which is presently with the former congress chief minister pratapsingh rane

Commenting on the appointing of a new gpcc president Mr kumar said that there was a president already in place and if any further decision was to be taken it would be done in consultation with the central congress leaders

Meanwhile former chief minister digambar kamar denied comment anything over the issue of fir being filed against him in the mining issue

12-10-2013 … Secretary of All India Congress Committee A Chellakumar on Wednesday denied any rift among the party mla’s asking for a change in leadership which is presently with the former congress chief minister pratapsingh rane

 It may be noted that the Opposition leader Pratapsingh Rane’s “ineffective” leadership in the assembly has led to some disenchantment in the congress legislative party.

 A group of legislators led by St Cruz MLA Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate had criticized Rane for failing to expose the government’s sins of omission and commission stating that the leader of opposition had failed in highlighting a number of issues as far as the state of goa was concerned

Speaking to goanreporter Secretary of All India Congress Committee A Chellakumar dismissed reports of any split in the CLP over the leadership issue

Chellakumar said that there won’t be any change in leadership

 st cruz mla babush monsoratte said that it was wrong on part of the opposition leader to decide on whatever he wanted an sideline other party mla’s on certain issues

11-10-2013 … With a demand of asking Konkani to be taught in schools through devnagiri script only former nri commissioner educardo faleiro on Tuesday said that Konkani in devnagiri script was very important for today’s kid’s so as to informed the students about the goan cultural identity and also to have access to other India languages and to Indian culture

Addressing media persons at the party head office in Panjim former nri commissioner eduardo faleiro said that the medium of instruction in the state of goa at the primary and pre primary level should be either in Konkani or Marathi as Konkani was the officials language of the state while Marathi had been the literary language of the large segment of the goan population

Eduardo also emphasized on the need of organizing programmes for sensitizing parents as to the need for their children to learn in their native language …