22-06-2013 … With the state health department unable to give their monthly allowances of patient care for the past few months more than hundreds of drivers who are working at various state government health centres in the state on Friday met the health minister laxmikhant parsekar and appraised him of their demands asking for patient care allowances ….

It may be noted that more than four hundred drivers are working in to the health sector department of  the state government who are attached with various major as well as semi government hospitals along with health centre’s too but have been upset in the past few days since patient care allowances of over 1300 rs a month has not been paid to them while the same type of allowances has been paid to cooks, gardener’s and wardens in the health department ….

Speaking to goanreporter off the records some of the drivers from the health department sought to know as why only the drivers had to suffer while the staff from other department was being given the required benefits …

Surprisingly when the same question was put forth before the health minister laxmikhant parsekar, he said that there was no such issue in his health department and such issue was brought up after his officials had become strict on those workers who used to not comply with their duty timings as per the rule …

Meanwhile commenting over the issue of former chief minister digambar kamat stating that his erstwhile government had not given any land for the hotel project in tiracol parsekar said that though land was not given by the earlier congress government, permissions for the same hotel were given at the time of the congress government of which he had the documentary evidence 

21-06-2013 … Even though the report on panjim market illegalities was to be submitted by 20^th june evening South goa collector n d agarwal on Friday informed ccp mayor surendra furtado to submit his findings by 25 of june after mr agarwal got the clue that ruling councilors were trying to ghereo mr agarwal at his office in south goa for not submitting the final report by Thursday evening

It may be noted that the Ruling ccp councilors led by its mayor surendra furtado on Thursday 20^th june had waited till 6 pm in the evening as to see weather south goa collector n d agarwal could submit his report on the market illegalities that had taken place in to the city market but the south goa collector did not turned up with his report ….

Speaking to media reporters after the ccp meet mayor surendra furtado said that mr agarwal had promised to submit the report by Tuesday while a special ccp meet would be called in the 2^nd week of july to discuss the issue as demanded by councilor rudresh chodankar

Ccp meet also decided to go ahead with the pay parking system in the city jurisdiction once the final approval of the north goa collector was given to the proposal …

Meanwhile the issues of casinos creating a traffic nuisance was put forth by councilor kabir mhakija which was supported by over 29 councillors who asked mayor to taken an action on casino offices creating nuisance in city jurisdiction

20-06-2013 …. Even though various leaders of the state congress party has been opposing the upcoming of the airport at mopa and are in support of only dabolim as a civilian airport former chief minister digambar kamat on Friday said that the state congress party had not taken any decision over the daboblim-mopa issue till date and statements made by certain leaders might have been of their own and not of the state congress party

Speaking to goanreporter the former chief minister of goa digambar kamat said that his party had not taken any stand on the mopa dabolim issue till date as the same had to be discussed with his party high command and then only could take a decision..

On asked about his views on the mopa-dabolim issue kamat said that the dabolim-mopa issue has been going on for a long time and mentioned about the facts of the issue

On the recent tiracol hotel project kamat said that during his tenure as a chief minister his government had not acquired any land to be given for any project in tiracol

Asked on the functioning of the present bjp led government kamat said government functioning had to be judged by goans and mentioned that his party leaders have been also expressing their views on functioning of the present bjp led government

19-06-2013 … Health minister and mandrem mla laxmikhant parsekar on Wednesday slammed curtorim mla and spokesperson of the state congress party alexio reginaldo lourenco for Terming the construction of the Keri-Tiracol River modeled on the Sydney Harbour Bridge as a scam being forwarded by the present bjp led government to help the hotel giants …

it may be noted that the Congress Legislative Party spokesman Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, on Tuesday had said that the congress party was oppose to the project because as it would also facilitate the controversial golf project and therefore the congress were opposing the construction of the bridge as it would destroy the interest of the State …

congress had alleged the bridge was a scam masterminded by the Manohar Parrikar government, which would affect 35-40 families and the state government was trying to complete such projects by ignoring basic issues like delay in distributing text books to students, raincoats, uniforms and tablets as promised in the last budget.

Speaking to goanreporter health minister and mla from pernem constituency laxmikhant parskear said he would welcome the hotel project in his constituency as it would generate jobs for the locals for his constituency which was the only sources for his constituency people

parsekar said there was a need for the congress spokesperson reginaldo lourenco to clarify whether the decision of opposing the hotel project was his personnel move or it was of the state congress party

parsekar also commented over the issue of reginaldo commenting that the locals were also in oppose to the hotel project ..

18-06-2013 … Vice president of the state ncp party jose Philip dsouza and ncp spokesperson trojano demello on Tuesday criticized the dabolim mla mauvin godinho and termed him as a mole in the congress party for having stated that there was no need of ncp coalition with the congress party in the state for the 2014 loksabha elections …

 Addressing media persons in panjim ncp spokesperson trojano demello said that such statements made by the dabolim mla had only further exposed mauvin’s political games when top upa leaders at the centre are working hard to keep all the alliance partners together

Vice president of state ncp party and former revenue minister jose Philip dsouza said that the dabolim mla had no right to say anything on the congress ncp-alliance as it was up to the central leaders to decide over the coalition dharma for the upcoming loksabha elections

Meanwhile commenting over the issue of vasco ravindra bhavan Jose also stated that there was a need from the state government side to inaugurate the vasco ravinda bhavan at the hands of former vasco mla vasant joshi

17-06-2013 … Suman purshottam dhulapkar wife of former sarpanch late purshottam dhulapkar defeated chandan suresh kerkar by ten votes to win the by elections for ward no five of corlim village panchayat on Monday

The lone by elections in the tiswaddi village panchayat was held on Sunday while the counting for the same was held on Monday at the mamlatdar office in panjim

In the counting results suman polled a total of 186 votes while chandan suresh kerkar polled 176 votes while the third candidate onu dhulapkar was able to poll a mere of 65 votes after the results of counting were declared ….

It may be noted that a new panchayat body of seven panch members of corlim village panchayat was elected last year and in the middle of the five year term in january this year one of the panch member of ward no five pursohttam dhulapkar suddenly expired creating a vaccum in ward no five thus forcing a by elections in the dhulapi ward …

Speaking to goanreporter after her victory in ward no five newly elected panch member and wife of late purshottam dhulapkar suman said that her main aim would be to get the works done which were left by her husband late purshottam and would also accept the challenge of the post of sarpanch if given to her  by her group …

Incidentally with suman being elected to the post of a panch member in the corlim village panchayat, it would be a tough decision for the present ruling group as to decide on who would be the next sarpanch which is reserved for a lady as three out of seven panch members from now on would be lady panch members which would create more complications and also fear as who would be the sarpanch of corlim village panchayat in the next few days

Meanwhile congratulating the newly elected panch member for her victory deputy sarpanch of corlim village panchayat victor Pereira said that he had the support of the newly elected panch member and since the present sarpanch had already completed the over a year term victor suggested that the remaining term would be distributed among the other lady panch members of the panchayat in the few days to come …

16-06-2013 … Not using the word sex as a part of the education curriculum various educational representatives from the state have opined for making sex education a compulsory part of school curriculum.

It may be noted that a committee, recently formed by the Goa government to suggest ways to avoid offenses of rape or sexual attacks on minors in schools, had come out with a recommendation for making sex education a compulsory part of school curriculum.

The committee, chaired by MLA Vishnu Surya Wagh which was formed around two months back following the alleged rape of a school girl at Vasco town in January this year and a case of girl’s molestation by her teacher in Panaji last year had come out with an elaborate report suggesting ways of curbing such crimes.

in his report the committee had mentioned about Health and sex education to be made mandatory in the school curriculum and the department should also organise talks by resource persons, open forums, workshops, street plays and others to make students, teachers and the public aware about the sex education.

Speaking to goanreporter over the issue chief minister manohar parrikar said that though sex education in schools was the need of the hour proper modalities needed to be worked out for implementing the same

 The committee which had NGOs, social activists and education department officials as its members, has also recommended proper sensitization of children with regards to complete understanding of the human body.

 Principal of dempo college of arts and science dr yasmin modassir said though she was dealing with elder children she felt that such education was necessary for younger children in today’s life with the growing problems in the society …

 Principal of don bosco school fr avin carvalho said though the idea was good it was unfair to use word like sex education which could create a misconception in a student mind

 Meanwhile Secretary of archdiocese board of education fr joe rodrigues was also of the opinion that the word sex was a misleading word which could be taken in a wrong way though sex education was necessary in today’s world

15-06-2013 …. After the state cabinet on Friday decided to relax total ban on fishing and permit canoes fitted with outboard motor of up to 10 horsepower capacity to carry out fishing trawlers owners from across the state of goa have raised up a question in front of the chief minister manohar parrikar asking as what is the meaning of uniform ban if fishing ban was relax to a sudden limit …

It may be noted that the state has ordered a 61-day-long fishing ban that came into effect from June 1 but with relaxation given to certain fishing community trawlers owners from goa have termed the decision of the state government as a u-turn decision and mentioned that the decision was totally against the uniform ban on fishing period

Chairman of mandovi fisherman marketing cooperative society limited menino afonso said that such relation given to certain fishing community which would create more difficulties for breeding of fish during the ban period as even the canoes fitted with outboard motor of up to 10 horsepower would net fish which the fishing trawlers would do …

Menino stated that with such decision the state government had put the fishing community in to a total mess

14-06-2013 … The state government on Friday allowed fishing permissions to below 10 horsepower boats with gill nets during the ongoing fishing ban in to the state of goa ….

 It may be noted that 61 days ban on fishing I the state of goa had commenced from June 15 and would go up to July 31

 Addressing press media after the cabinet meet chief minister manohar parrikar said that fishing ban would not be imposed no those who would use gill nets with a 10 horse power below boat to do fishing in the goan sea …

  Commenting over the status of regional plan parrikar said that the regional plan would be kept open in the first week of july and villages of the state would be allowed to decide on their own development

Subject to safeguards which would allow State projects to be out of the purview of village development.

 Meanwhile parrikar also informed about the two schemes such as foster care scheme and goa training to sex workers and sexual abuse women scheme 2003 being deferred to next cabinet for further comments over the schemes

12-06-2013 … even though the state bjp led government might have spent lakhs of rupees through advertisements on the recent concluded 3day bjp executive meet in goa there seems to be no money in to the coffers of the state government to pay monthly salary to around sixty staff attached to the institute of nursing education run by government of goa till date.

 The incident which was brought to the notice of the goanreporter team by one of the concerned staff member has once again raised questions on whether the present bjp led government is running out of cash and is not able to pay money to their staff salary in concerned departments like the institute of nursing education institute situated at bambolim ….

 According to the information available from the staff members there are around sixty staff working in to the institute at bambolim which includes driver’s, servants, cooks, ward sister’s, office staff, watchman and librarian who have not yet been paid their last month salary which the staff was supposed to get by the end of 31^st of may …

The staff members went and approached the principal carol noronha of the institute who mentioned to the staff members that she was busy in some other work at the moment and would talk after half an hour time

 When the issue was raised in front of the institute of nursing education principal informed goanreporter that due to electronic clearing system the salary to staff was delayed for few days and would be put in to their accounts by the end of this week

 Ligor said that it was said to note that they as drivers were also asked by his senior staff to do othet type of work in the institute

 Not only that while the issue of salary was brought to the notice of goanreporter team around four elder ladies who work as servants in the institute said that even after being working as servants they were given additional work as cooks too to cook for more than 200 students in the institute thus working for more than 12 hours in a day …

 Goanreporter  also tried to get in touch with the health minister over the issue but efforts went futile as the health minister cell phone was unable to reach