02-01-2014 … The Department of Tourism along with Goa Tourism Development Corporation will be organizing the 2^nd Goa Heritage Festival at Saligao Football Ground from the 7^th to the 11^th of January.

 The festival will showcase and promote Goa’s rich and unique heritage and traditions. Addressing media persons on wednesay, tourism minister Dilip Parulekar gave more details about the festival.

meanwhile tourism minister dilip parulekar said that the state government would take all the necessary measures to rid the state of Drugs and Prostitution

Parulekar said that around five lakh tourists arrived during this festive season. He reiterated his government’s commitment to put an end to the drugs and prostitution menace.

 GTDC chairman Nilesh Cabral stated that the vigilant people in society like the reporters should intimate the government officials about any information they had with regards to drugs. He said  the journalists  should work in collaboration with the government to weed out the drug problem.

01-01-2014 … reacting to the FIR filed by the crime branch of Goa police against him,  former PWD minister Churchill Alemao has said the chief minister wants to take revenge against him for having spoken at the recent  meeting which was convened at Goa velha to condemn the attack on legislator Vishnu Wagh.

addressing media persons in Margao on tuesay, mr Alemao said that  he was invited to the meeting and spoke there as it was the first time that an attack on a sitting legislator had taken place in goa.

Mentioning the complaint of scam against him, Mr Alemao said the then president of national students of India Sunil kawthankar had filed a complaint against him out of frustration while he was the PWD minister.

Admitting that the PWD staff might have done something wrong, mr Alemao said he was not responsible for the misdeeds of the PWD staff.

Sounding defiant, He further said that he was not afraid of attempts to defame him by his political rivals.

31-12-2013 … Forest and Environment minister Alina Saldhana who Inaugurated the new Primary Health centre at Sancoale on Monday was dissatisfied as she found the Primary Health Center ill-equipped and not up to the mark.

the state government took over possession of sancoale village dispensary and converted the same into primary health centre.

The local MLA and Minister Alina Salnanha in august this year had forwarded the proposal to convert the panchayat run dispensary into PHC as the same was left dilapidated. Also the local unit of health authorities took the possession and renovated the dispensary into PHC however except for repainting and roof work, rest things at the new PHC was ignored.

Speaking to newsmen a local complained that the health authorities failed to take on renovation work efficiently and that the same can be seen with untidy bed sheet and bed spread besides broken electrical fixtures.

The former MLA of dabolim Simon D’souza also criticizes the health government officials for turning a blind eye towards health care facilities at the hospitals.

Meanwhile addressing people during the formal inauguration of PHC MLA Alina acknowledged the fact that the New PHC is unequipped and she assured to take up this issue with health department on priority.

30-12-2013 …. reiterating his stand against the forthcoming Lusofonia games in Goa, sant andre legislator Vishnu wagh has said that he would not attend the inaugural ceremony of the event even if he were invited.

The 12 day Lusofonia Games which begins on 18th of January 2014  will see participation from over 1500 athletes and officials from 12 nations.

Participating countries are founding members Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea- Bissau, Goa (India), Macau (China), Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe and Sri Lanka.

the Athletes from the 12 nations will compete in nine different sporting disciplines – Athletics, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Football, Judo, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Volleyball and Wushu.

Sources stated that the postponement of the Lusofonia Games by almost three months was not to everyone’s liking, and countries have now reacted by refusing to confirm their entries, even though the Games are a few weeks away.

Speaking to goanreporter,  the sant andre legislator said there was no use of organizing the lusofonia games in the state when the event was represented by only five to six countries out of the 12 participating countries.

Mr Wagh said though lusofonia games could be held in goa but the state or the country should not participate in such type of events as the state was not a Portuguese speaking nation.

29-12-2013 … Former Mormugao legislator Vasantrao Suburai Joshi passed away at SMRC hospital on Saturday morning.

He was 92. The mortal remains of Joshi were cremated at the Vasco crematorium at noon on Sunday. 

Joshi who was called Anna by his family members, friends and well-wishers, was a well known figure in vasco town. He was involved in various fields such as  education, business,  social service and politics. Joshi was the MGP MLA of Mormugao constituency from 1972 to 1977.

He had the distinction of being the first person to get the Ambassador car showroom in Goan, and he was also involved in Bajaj automobiles and other motor vehicle showrooms in Vasco.

Joshi founded the lone degree college ‘MES College of Arts and Commerce’ in 1972 in Vasco, which was later shifted to Zuarinagar. He also founded the Margao Hindu Samaj and also played a major role in getting Janta Vachanalay in Vasco.

Following the demise of his father, Joshi carried on the tradition of keeping the Shreefal in front of Lord Damodar Temple, which marks the famous Saptah festival in the port town. Due to his ill-health, Joshi had handed over this tradition to his son, Paresh.

Various VIPs, including chief minister Manohar Parrikar, PWD  minister Ramakrishna  Dhavalikar, MLA Rohan khaunte, BJP  state president Vinay Tendulkar, vasco MLA Carlos Almeida, power minister Milind Naik, businessman Shrinivas Dempo and others  visited joshi’s residence to pay tribute to late  Vasantrao Suburai Joshi .

28-12-2013 .. those who are involved in the assault against sant André legislator Vishnu Wagh will be charge sheeted after  thorough investigation has been done, chief minister Manohar Parrikar has assured.

sant André MLA and chairman of entertainment society of goa Vishnu Wagh was attacked by a mob of 70 persons  or so at nadoda at around 9:40 pm on the liberation day  while he was returning from a function at revoda.

Mr Wagh was beaten ny the mobsters and his  official car was damage

 The chief minister assured that investigation was going apace in the incident.

 When asked the arrested person was released,    the home minister said the person was released by the court.

 Mr Parrikar further said that people  could not be arrested on the basis of political allegations.

27-12-2013 …The Indian performing rights society limited has urged all the venue owners and event organizers who are refusing to pay the license fee for playing musical and literary works of IPRS members to pay up.

IPRS is entitled to exercise and enforce the performing rights. In one week alone, various courts have issued three injunction orders in response to cases filed by the IPRS.

: The recent addition to the list is the Goa verdict, whereby the Bombay  High Court has ordered an injunction against Alcon Resorts Holdings Ltd for events going to be held there till the 31st of December 2013.

The court has directed them to pay Rs 2, 36,250 for all the events on or before the 28^th of  December 2013. In the event they fail to deposit the amount in Court, they will be restrained from conducting any of the events or any other events in the premises of Radisson Blu.

Speaking to media persons in Panjim, senior regional licensing manager, G. G. Prasad gave more details of the same.

25-12-2013 … Large number of Christmas faithful throughout the state had thronged their places of worship on the 24^th midnight and 25^th morning to celebrate the birth of Lord Jesus Christ.

Dressed in their festive attire, the churches in the state were packed with devotees who took part in the Eucharistic Christmas celebration.

Archbishop Fillp nerri ferrao wished all the devotees a merry Christmas

Christmas is an exciting festival when the whole state of goa wears  festive look with pretty lights, lanterns and stars strung on plants or on verandahs, in towns and villages.

While shopping for Christmas, People look for new items in the market so as to have  different look from their neighbours.

In anticipation of doing good nbusiness,   Bakeries and cafés have counters filled with festive goodies and the traditional Christmas pudding, cakes and famous Goan sweets like doce, bebinca, dodol, neoreos, kal kals and more.

24-12-2013 … Former chief minister and present AICC General Secretary luizinho faliero has stated that he was not  interested in contesting the forthcoming lok Sabha elections on a congress ticket in south goa.

 Speaking to media reporters, the former chief minister who is also one of the present general secretary in the all india congress committee stated that he had reiterated that he was not interested in asking for a ticket to fight the lok Sabha elections and the same should be given to the other members  of parliament of the congress party in goa.

 Mr faleiro said that the  question of him contesting the lok Sabha elections did not arise as  the congress  party has appointed him as the AICC general secretary and has given him the responsibility of being in charge of the congress party in some states.

 Commenting  over the last four state assembly elections in the country Faleiro  stated that there was a big difference between parliament and assembly elections in the country and his party had performed well in parliament elections

23-12-2013 … In keeping with the spirit of Christmas and their annual tradition of donating to noble cause, the Goan welfare association, Qatar has donated around Rs. 2 lakh to the new retreat centre cruz de milagres at old goa.

 Along with the Rs. 2 lakh cheque President of the association simon d’silva also handed over a cheque of rs 60 thousand to the orphan children infected  with hiv who had been looked after by ‘Caritas’ goa, a charity trust  to archbishop filipe neri ferrao in the presence of former chief minister luizinho faleiro, Former Caritas Goa director Fr Valerian Vaz and present caritas director fr maverick Fernandes and others

 The Goan welfare association, Qatar has been donating regularly for charitable causes in Goa in the past few years last year and has also helped victims of tsunami, the Gujarat earthquake, children rights and you (CRY) and other organizations

  Speaking on the occasion archbishop filipe neri ferrao thanked the association for helping the church with a noble cause

 Former Goa chief minister Luizinho Faleiro also spoke on the occasion.