30-04-13 … Facing a huge shortage of drinking water for the past ten years Locals from keri priol on Tuesday met the chief minister manohar parrikar asking to lay a water pipe line to their keri village in ponda constituency …

 More than forty locals from keri area on Tuesday assembles in front of the assembly gate at porvorim and later met the chief minister with their grievances and asking to lay a water pipeline from pachme to keri village from opa water treatment plant …

 Speaking to goanreporter former sarpanch of keri village panchayat rohidas kerkar said the issue of keri village has been going on for the past ten years where in locals from his village have been facing a major problem of drinking water and therefore had come in front of the chief minister asking to lay a water pipe line for drinking purpose in their village

29-04-13 …. The strike called on by the Goa Hotel and Restaurant Association received a good response with over 90 percent of establishment remaining close in support of the one day strike called on by Hotel and Restaurant Associations across India for shutting down the establishments in protest against service tax imposed on the hospitality industry.

 Most of the hotels and restaurants in the capital city were noticed close throughout the day the hotel and Restaurant Associations across India and Goa, decided to close down their Establishments to protest against the newly imposed levy of Service Tax on sale of Food in all air -conditioned restaurants including partly air-conditioned.

 Goa presently has more than 4000 restaurants and hotels located with various places of the state

 Service Tax was first imposed on banquets, thereafter on air-conditioned restaurants serving liquor and now proposed to be imposed on all restaurants with air- conditioning including partly air-conditioned.

Speaking to media reporters president of Hotels and Restaurants Association, Goa gaurish dhond said that the central government imposed service tax specially on the smaller hotels would put up an additional burden of five percent tax which would be put on a guest entering the hotel or a restaurant when there is already a vat of the state government

 Dhond said if the service tax was implemented by the central government then every customer would have to shell out five percent more from his pocket

29-04-2013 … The state ncp party has accused the state bjp party of trying to divide secular votes over the pretext of dabolim airport issue ahead of the forthcoming parliament elections …

 Addressing press media ncp spokesperson trojano dmello said that it was the ncp central leaders who had been able to get funds for the extension of dabolim airport so that the airport could exist while there were certain groups in the state which had emerged in political horizon demanding for the existence of dabolim airport due to the forth coming parliament elections

 Trojano said that there was a need for some of the state cabinet minister’s to resign as well as mla’s supporting the state bjp led government to withdraw their support from the government over the dabolim airport issues or else it would prove that the same minister and mla’s were the agents of the communal forces

 Commenting over the mopa airport issue Trojano also stated that the state ncp party felt that goa should be developed as a whole and in that process mopa should evolve by having stringent safe guards to see that dabolim airport continues ….

28-04-13 … North goa Member of Parliament shirpad naik on Saturday said that there was a need from the state government side to specify as what type of ultra modern mixed waste treatment plant was to be set up baigunim before it was implemented taking in to confidence people from all sections of the society at large …

 mr naik was speaking to goanreporter on the sidelines of the state chief minister Manohar Parrikar announcement in the recent assembly session stating that an ultra modern mixed waste treatment plant will be set up in Bainguinim to cater to the waste generated in Tiswadi and central parts of Goa

 it may be noted that the proposed plant in Baiguinim for the corporation of the city of Panaji has been delayed due to opposition from locals along with cumbarjua mla pandurang madkaikar opposing it tooth and nail and with the recent statements coming out from present ccp mayor surendra furtado appraising the state government for looking out for an alternate site for setting up a garbage treatment plant

 even st cruz mla babush monsoratte has said that the corporation could have a scientific garbage treatment plant in Taleigao itself instead of baigunim at old goa since there have been a lot of people opposing to it but there was no will from the state government side specially from the urban development minister due to the commission issue on setting up of a garbage treatment plant due to which the issue has been lying idle for years

 naik said “though right from beginning i have opposed the garbage treatment plant coming up at baiguinm, i would ask my party to give a complete report on the issue of setting up of an ultra modern mixed waste treatment plant and then would make a statement on it as if the state government has taught of making any changes in the setting up of the treatment plant and the same is accepted to the all sections of the society then only I would not have a problem on it”

 shirpad said “I want an expert to explain me or everyone on this subject as in what way it would work, how it would be good and not harmful so that everyone is satisfied and the issue is also solved once and for all as I believed that development has to take place but it should be a healthy one not creating a problem out of it”

 meanwhile as the old goa village Panchayat is about hold its gram sabha on Sunday siddesh naik son of shirpad naik has put up a query in front of the old goa village Panchayat desiring to know as what ass been the old goa village Panchayat stand over the baigunim issue after chief minister Manohar Parrikar statement in the assembly

 siddesh said “since old goa is a world heritage site, personally I am opposing the set up of a garbage treatment plant at baigunim and if as the chief minister has said that the treatment plant is an ultra modern mixed waste treatment plant with no stench even within in a distance then it could be taught off” .

27-04-2013 … Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday launched the re designed website of the nri commission titled www.nri.goa.gov.in at the secretariat hall at porvorim …

 Also present on the occasion were nri commissioner dr Wilfred mesquite, goa InfoTech chairman subash faldesai, chairman of law commission advocate narendra swaikar and others …

 The website which was launched six years back by the state government nri department has been redesigned once again and has various state governments information such as property records of goans who have settled in India or in foreign countries and would also have information on banks, airlines, railway schedules which would helps goans in India and abroad to get informed about..

Speaking at the function chief minister Manohar Parrikar praised the efforts of the nri commissioner dr wlifred mesquite and also raised apprehensions on certain vested interests sometimes who pretended to be NGOs and were creating problems in the state thus defaming the name of his government

Nri commissioner dr Wilfred mesquita also spoke on the occasion

26-04-2013 … With lack of facilities available for sewerage system in an around porvorim area Porvorim mla rohan khaunte on Saturday hoped of using night soil tankers in his constituency for maintaining proper sewerage system

It may be noted that The lack of a sewerage and drainage system in an area of Porvorim dotted with high-rise buildings has put the residents there to a great inconvenience as they have to bear the foul stench emanating from the sewage flowing from these buildings into the open drains and also in open spaces.

Speaking to goanreporter porvorim mla rohan khaunte said that the sewerage system in porvorim area was a problem in porvorim constituency being it a rocky area and hoped to solve the problem by using night soil tankers with the help of the state government

Khaunte said since the porvorim constituency was growing very fast he expected from the state government to take up the work on the sewerage part for his constituency as soon as possible

26-04-13 … While the state chief minister Manohar Parrikar has been saying that his over one year government has been able to provide one of the best medical facilities to patients entering in to the goa medical hospital at bambolim presently the oldest medical college hospital in Asia is lacking of proper basic needs of drinking water where in only one water purifier serves drinking water to the whole of goa medical college hospital daily

it was unbelievable to believe that the goa Medical College which has been striving to achieve excellence in patient care has only one water purifier for the usage of gmc patients and its relatives for the past many years who have to stand in a que to collect drinking water in plastic bottles daily in front of the water purifies which is situated close to the office of gmc medical superintendent sunanda amonkar

according to gmc reports there are three water purifiers used for water drinking purpose situated inside gmc complex from which two are situated inside the operation theatre where in patients relatives are not allowed to enter without permission while only one water purifies is allowed to be used for patient relatives or for a common man who visits the hospital daily

At present the hospital receives 1200 patients in opd while 1500 patients walk in for check ups daily

when goareporter spoke to the higher authorities it was surprising was to note that the present health minister laxmikhant parsekar, st andre mla vishnu surya wagh and the dean of the goa medical college dr v n jindal were till date unaware of the current problem where in only one water purifier was available for common people for drinking purpose in the whole of gmc complex.

Speaking to goanreporter the concerned higher authorities said that as they were unaware of the situation and that they would try and put more water purifiers in and around gmc hospital soon as possible if required..

Meanwhile the hospital has even been running of acute water shortage for the past few days due to which hygiene conditions of the hospital seems to be in a neglected condition

even the water which the gmc hospital get on regular basis is also low as per its daily usage due to which even patients and its relatives are forced to survive daily on water filled in plastic bottles kept under neat the patients ward beds while the canteen inside gmc complex are also forced to collect daily usage water in drums for its use

but when this issue was brought to the notice of the higher authorities health minister laxmikhant parsekar, st andre mla Vishnu surya wagh and gmc dean dr v n jindal has various versions over the water issue

26-04-2013 … Stating that there was no need for Goans to get panic over vegetable shortage in to the state of goa transport minister sudhin dhavlikar on Wednesday said that the state government was firm on implementing entry tax on outside vehicles entering goa …

 Dhavlikar was speaking to on the sidelines of the inauguration of the 99 addition eicher mini buses being given to kadamba Transport Corporation limited …

 It may be noted that though the problem seemed to be officially resolved after talks between Goa government and traders from Maharashtra and Karnataka arrived at an amicable solution on Tuesday evening the members of the all India motor transporters congress criticised the chambers of commerce and industry from Belgaum, Hubli and Kolhapur for agreeing to withdraw the eight-day strike against the levying of entry tax by Goa government, without their approval.

 Speaking to media reporters transport minister sudhin dhavlikar said the state government had implemented the entry tax in the good interest of goans and the same was coming up to a 4 paise per kilo on vegetable commodities …

 A total of 46 buses would be used for existing shuttle service routes, forty buses would be utilized on village potential routes in goa and thirteen buses would be utilized on interstate routes.

 Ktcl chairman carlos almeida als informed about the funds of 1.5 crore for computerization of kadamba transport corporation depo’s under the Jawaharlal urban renewal mission scheme

25-04-2013 … The issue of entry tax which has forced transporters from Karnataka and Maharashtra came to an end with the state chief minister Manohar Parrikar assuring the members of chamber of commerce’s of kholapur, belgaum, hubli and karwar of working out certain modalities such as entry passes for daily transporters to goa by the end of this month…

it may be noted that transporters from karnataka and Maharashtra had decided to stopp supplying essential commodities to the state of goa in protest of the implementation of entry tax …

The state government will charge Rs 100 from three-wheelers, Rs 250 from four-wheelers and Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 from six wheelers (for different category vehicles) as entry tax.

Speaking to media reporter’s satish tendulkar of belgaum chamber of commerce and industry said that the issue of entry tax was solved and were with the goa government

chief minister Manohar Parrikar said that the state government would try an implement monthly pass system for daily transporters to goa and the same would be done by 30^th of this month

Parrikar said that the entry passes would be given to those who had a commercial continuous link with the state of goa