Panaji: 24th Aug, 2019….The traditional Bonderam Festival at Diwar island was celebrated with great pomp and gaiety on Saturday.

The annual festival is celebrated on the fourth Saturday of August. speaking on the occasion Minister for Arts & Culture Govind Gaude who was the chief guest for the bonderam festival said that “We are happy to promote this annual festival on the Divar Island which showcases our rich Goan history and culture. There will be colourful décor, flag parades, floats, music and revelry all over the island during this time. We welcome all tourists to experience this traditional festival.”

The name Bonderam originates from the Portuguese word ‘Bandeira’, which means flag. The otherwise laid-back island of Divar comes alive on the day of the Bonderam festival. The day begins with a flag parade from the main Divar junction, which is accompanied by a brass band. After this, the Bonderam festival is officially declared open. Later in the day there is a fancy dress competition followed by the traditional float parade and a live musical performance featuring the famous music bands of Goa.

During the Portuguese rule there were frequent disputes between the villagers on the Divar Island over property issues. Thus, the Portuguese introduced a system by putting up flags to demarcate the boundaries.

Panaji: August 23, 2019 … Union Minister for AYUSH, Shri Shripad Naik (Independent Charge) visited flood affected villages in Mapusa, Pernem and Bicholim Talukas and inspected the disaster caused to agriculture fields areas recently.

Shri Naik interacted with the flood affected people and attended their grievances about losses they suffered due to flood water entering their houses and assured them to provide compensation at earliest through the Department of Agriculture. He further said that respective Zonal Agriculture Officers has almost completed their survey and soon will be sending report to head office following which disbursement of compensation will start. Minister further  urged the victims who have still not filled forms for compensation to collect the same from the respective Panchayats and Municipalities and submit to their respective Zonal Agriculture Offices so that they can avail  compensation.

Ex-MLA Tivim, Shri Kiran Kandolkar, Additional Collector-I Collectorate (North), Shri Vikas Ganekar, Deputy Collector and SDO Bardez,Shri Sudhir Kerkar, Deputy Collector and SDO Pernem. Shri Chandrakant Shetkar,Deputy Collector and SDO Bicholim, Shri  Sachin Desai,Mamlatdar Bicholim, Shri Pravinjay Pandit, Chairperson of Pernem Municipality, Smt. Sweta Kambli,Zonal Agriculture Officer, Mapusa, Shri Ragunath Joshi and Zonal Agriculture Officer, Pernem, Shri Prasad Parab, were present on the occasion.

Panaji August 22nd Aug, 2019 …. Chief Minister, Dr. Pramod Sawant urged the Photo Journalist Association of Goa to take a lead to unravel unidentified touristic spots in the State and provide due exposure to these spot so that they come in public eye to boost tourism. Goa is a Touristic destination. There are various spots in the Goa which are not shown and not highlighted in touristic map, he added.

Speaking as a Chief Guest at World Photography Day celebration organized by Goa Photo Journalist Association in the city today, Dr. Sawant appealed to the Photo Journalists Association to initiate and start Photography courses in State under the Scheme of the Directorate of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.  This will help to encourage the youth to develop hidden talents in photography among Goan youth, he remarked.

Complementing the Association for displaying the contribution to the State by former CM Shri Parrikar’s through photography in one section, recalled his tenure under his leadership. Government has decided to bring out a book on Shri Manohar Parrikar on his birthday, i.e December 13, he said and urged the Goa Photo Journalist Association to provide rare photographs of Parrikar for incorporation in that book. He appealed to the Association to engage special events like IFFI to provide photographs of such event so as to Government need not empanel any outside agency for the purpose.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Art and Culture, Shri Govind Gaude said that a picture always speaks thousands of words. Things cannot be expressed in words, emotions that cannot be explained easily. But a picture can definitely speak one’s expression and feelings, he pointed. Photography is an art and Photo Journalist has to click the photo sometimes in any dangerous situation to give the effect to the situation.

Chief Minister and Minister for Art and Culture felicitated Shri Prashant Yelekar, Shri Laurenco Fernandes and Shri Makarand Barve for their dedicated services in their photographic profession. They also gave away the prizes to the winner of the competition organized by Goa Photo Journalist Association.

Director, Information and Publicity, Smt Meghana Shetgaonkar, was a special invitee on the occasion.

President Goa Photo Journalist Association, Shri Sandeep Desai, welcomed the guests and Shri Ganesh Shetkar compered the function.

Panaji: August 18, 2019 …. Stressing upon importance of physical fitness Chief Minister, Dr. Pramod Sawant has urged every individual to be health conscious and inculcate healthy habits in life. He was speaking at an inaugural function of Late. Dr. Manohar Parrikar Memorial 52^nd Sub-Junior, Junior and Senior State Level Athletic Championship 2019 held at Athletic Stadium, Bambolim recently.

The Championship was organised by Goa Athletic Association in collaboration with the Sports Authority of Goa, and is dedicated to former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar.

While addressing the athletes, Dr. Sawant further said that, `An individual who loves his nation and aspires to contribute towards growth of the Country, he should love his own self first by staying healthy. This attitude will definitely attribute to the well being of the nation. Sports could be instrumental to inculcate such values in youngsters.

Chief Minister reiterated that the State has most of the Sports infrastructure in place to host National Games. The National Olympic Committee has now to decide about organisation of National Games. As soon as it makes decision, we will be ready to have National Games in the State, he added.

He also extended greetings to the young athletes for participating in the Championship and urged participants to give their best performance and make it to National, International level sports to bring laurels to the State.

It is informed that around 1500 young athletes from 12 talukas  are  participating in the Championship. which will continue till August 17, 2019.

Secretary, Goa Olympic Association Shri. Gurudatta Bhakta lauded the efforts taken by the State Government to improve Sports Infrastructure in the State.

President of Goa Athletic Association, Ex-MP Shri. Narendra Sawaikar, Executive Director of the Sports Authority of Goa Shri. V.M. Prabhudessai, Secretary of  Goa Athletic Association Shri. Paresh Kamat, Jt.Secretary of  Goa Athletic Association Shri. Akhil Parrikar, Vice Chairman of Goa Athletic Association Smt. Anita Rodrigues were present on the occasion.

Panaji: August 16, 2019 ….The South Goa District committee for the implementation of Maintenance& Welfare of parents & Senior Citizens Act 2007 and Goa rules 2009 under the Chairmanship of District Collector (S) at its quarterly meeting has decided to make Awarness of the Act and Rights of Senior Citizens for information to General Public at large.

The said Act came into force in the year 2007 and in Goa the Rules were framed and published in the year 2009.

As per the Act “Senior Citizen” means any person who has attained the age of sixty years or above. Under section 5 of “The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizen Act-2007” any senior citizen including a parent who is unable to maintain herself or himself from his/her own earning or out of the property owned by her/him is entitled to make an Maintenance application.

The application for maintenance has to be filed before the Maintenance Tribunal constituted by the State Government. The state Government has constituted a Maintenance Tribunal for each Sub-Division of the State of Goa presided over by the respective Deputy Collector (Sub-Divisional Officer) for the purpose of adjudicating and deciding upon the order for maintenance vide notification No. 83-9-2006-07-SDB/Part/2008/3846 dated 24/09/2009.

An application for maintenance may be made by a senior citizen/parent or, if he/she is incapable by any other person or Registered organization authorized by applicant or the tribunal may take cognizance suo motu.

As per sub section(17) of “the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007” No party to a proceeding before a tribunal or Appellate Tribunal will be represented by a legal practitioner. However a parent/ senior citizen can be represented by a Maintenance Officer appointed by the State Government if they so desire.

Assistant Director (Welfare of Differently Abled) of Social Welfare Department is appointed as Maintenance Officer for South vide notification No. 83-9-2006-07-SDB/Part/2008/3844 dated 24/09/2019 and Asstt Director (SC & OBC) of Social Welfare Department is appointed as Maintenance Officer for North vide notification No. 83-9-2006-07-SDB/Part/2008/3845 dated 24/09/2009.

The maintenance application has to be disposed off by the Tribunals within 90 days from the date of service of notice of the application to such person. However in certain exceptional cases the Tribunal may extend the said period once to a maximum period of 30 days for reasons to be recorded in writing.

The Maximum maintenance allowance which may be ordered by the Tribunal will not exceed upto Rupees Ten Thousand per month.

Any Senior Citizen or a Parent, as the case may be, aggrieved by an order of a Tribunal may, within sixty days from the date of the order, prefer an appeal to the Appellate Tribunal. The State Government has constituted the Appellate Tribunal for each District of the State of Goa which will be presided over by the respective Collector for the purpose of hearing the appeal against the order of the Maintenance Tribunal under the said Act. vide notification No. 83-9-2006-07-SDB/Part/2008/3847 dated 24/09/2009.

Panaji: August 15, 2019 …The Office of the Commissioner, Labour and Employment, has requested the Employers, Contractors, Users and Other concerned persons to file their returns in respect of applicable Acts and Rules only through online system on (www.goaonline.gov.in).

The notification in this regards has published in the Official Gazette Government of Goa, Series I No.48 dated 28/02/2019, under order                        No. 24/43/2018-LAB/98.

 As part of ease of doing Business initiative of the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, under Business Reforms Action Plan, has proposed several reforms. Accordingly, the o/o the Commissioner, Labour has accepted the mandate of filing of returns under 10  Labour Laws by online single integrated/consolidated form and maintenance of all registers/records under the Acts and Rules there under in electronic format.