18-jan-2013 ….The state government finally notified the draft rules to impose house tax of only one rupee on all residential houses in Goa and is studying the process of trying to appoint a chief officer in certain state Panchayats which have higher income of revenue more than some of the state municipalities ….

Goa Panchayati Raj minister Laxmikant Parsekar said that the state bjp led government had fulfill another important promise made by his party in their election manifesto of abolishing house tax in panchayat areas …

The draft rules are proposed to further amend the Goa Panchayat Raj (Imposition of taxes, fees and other dues) Rules, 1998, published in the official gazette, series I No. 20, dated August 13, 1998.

The draft rules propose that all residential houses/structures irrespective of any size, type and period will pay tax of only one rupee per annum. The draft rules also propose that all premises used for business//commercial/residential purpose under rent back scheme for any period or premises rented for any period will pay as tax an amount equivalent to one month’s rent for each flat or each premises or each dwelling unit, per annum.

All objections and suggestions to the said draft rules may be forwarded to the director of panchayats and ex-officio joint secretary, government of Goa, at Junta House, Panaji, before the expiry of said fifteen days from the date of publication of this notification, so that the same may be taken into consideration at the time of finalization of the draft rules.

Speaking about the losses that the Panchayats would be facing due to abolishment of house tax Parsekar said that the state government would give funds as per the calculation taken out from the losses and deficit of the concerned Panchayat

Parsekar also stated that the state government was also in process of appointing a chief officer to certain Panchayat who were earning huge revenue income even more than the state municipalities

18-jan-2013 ….The Romi Lipi Action Front led by Mr. Wilson Mazarello has moved the Bombay High Court at Goa seeking directions to the Goa Government to amend the Official Language Act to include Konkani in Roman script along with the existing Devnagari.

The petition which would come up for hearing on Monday January 21^st January and the Front through Adv. Aires Rodrigues last month had served a legal notice on the Chief Secretary giving the Goa Government a 15 day ultimatum to fulfill its demand.

The Romi Lipi Front in its petition before the High Court has stated that the Goa Language Act which restricts the Konkani language to the Devnagari script was unconstitutional, ultra vires, illegal and void.

Stating that Konkani in Roman script is used by a sizable section of the population primarily Catholics who constitute a religious and linguistic minority in Goa, the Front has in its petition also submitted that in terms of Article 29 (1) of the Constitution of India, any section of citizens having a distinct language, script or culture of its own have the right to conserve the same.

The petition further states that Catholics who constitute about 30% of the population in Goa are entitled to conserve their language Konkani in Roman script and that Catholics in Goa being a religious and linguistic minority have a constitutional right for the Roman script of Konkani language.

18-jan-2013 ….Stating that the appointment of a lokayukta for goa was be done in the next few days The state mgp party member and pwd minister sudhin dhavlikar on Friday came in support of the chief minister Manohar Parrikar and said that though it might had taken some time to for the appointment of a lokayukta the state bjp- led coalition government would appoint a proper lokayukta for the state ….

After promising to institute a lokayukta in Goa 100 days after coming to power, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s government had been unable to appoint a retired judge to head the office of the public ombudsman even after 10 months.

Speaking to goanreproter pwd minister sudhin dhavlikar said that that his party was also of the opinion that a lokayukta had to be put in to place as soon as possible and were with the chief minister Manohar Parrikar for looking out for a proper person for same post …

Appointing a lokayukta in 100 days of coming to power was one of the promises of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) election manifesto.

days back following a suggestion from a senior Supreme Court judge, Justice Raveendran an eminent jurist was approached to take over as Lokayukta of Goa, but he expressed his inability to do so.

But in the past few days the state government finally announced that government had finalized the candidate for the post of Goa Lokayukta, and had decided on Justice retd- B Sudershan Reddy, a retired Supreme Court judge, as the first Lokayukta of Goa.

Meanwhile advocate aires Rodrigues commenting over the issue said that since there were a number of complaints over the chief minister Manohar Parrikar, he felt chief minister government should not interfere in to the appointment of lokayukta in goa

18-jan-2013 ….With just few months left for the parliamentary elections to be held in the country the state Maharashtra gomantak party on Thursday said that since the state led bjp government was a coalition government which also involved mla’s of the mgp party its party would go ahead with its coalition dharma and would support the bjp candidate for the upcoming two parliamentary seats in goa once the mgp central committee decides on it …

It may be noted that since the state mgp party was a part of the congress led government in the last tenure it had support the congress candidate in the last parliamentary elections where in the congress-ncp combine had fielded jitendra deshprabhu on the north goa seat and Francisco sardinha on the south goa seat …

Incidentally the north goa seat had gone to the bjp party where in present mp shripad naik was elected while the south goa seat had gone to the congress party where in present south goa mp Francisco sardinha had won …

Though north goa seat has been an easy cake walk for the bjp party to win the north goa mp seat where in the state congress party could not make it it seems even the state congress party would have a tough time to win the south goa mp seat after mgp has declared their support to the bjp party as the mgp party has three of its mla’s who do fall under the south goa mp seat …..

Dhavlikar also stated that mgp as well as bjp were together as goans had elected them to be together for the development of the state and the same would go ahead and there was no question of supporting up any other political party then bjp for he parliamentary elections..

18-jan-2013 …. The state government is trying out the modalities of extending the fishing ban activity from 45 days to 60 days provided every organization connected with the fishing activities aggress to it said fisheries minister avertano furtado on Friday …

It may be noted that in order to ensure that fish continues to be available the state has started its process to extend the ban on fishing in Goa’s sea waters to two months as the government steps up effort to stave off a fish famine while presently the ban period, is 45 days

Though earlier there has been an opposition from most of the local fishermen which had forced the department of fisheries to withdraw its proposal of extending the fishing ban period in the state from the existing 45 days to 60 days and could be observed from June 15 to august 15.

Commenting over illegal fishing in goa waters by the fisherman from other states avertano said the chief minister had promised his department of giving four high speed vessel boats through which his department would keep an eye on such illegal fishing activities

avertano also stated that they would not release the illegal trawlers who were arrested illegally fishing in goa waters

15-jan-2013 … Criticizing the incident of rape which had taken place in a school at vasco on Monday the goa state congress party on Tuesday demanded from the bjp led government for an urgent need of installing cctvs and camera’s in various schools of the state ….

Speaking at a press conference held at the party head office congress spokesperson alexio Reginaldo lourenco said that the state congress party was totally upset with the rape incident that had taken place at vasco and held the state administration as well as chief minister Manohar Parrikar responsible for it

 Reginald said there was a need for fast tracks courts to be in place and asked for all rape cases to be moved to fast track courts which could be resolved with in few months time

 Meanwhile former congress youth president and congress spokesperson sankalp amonkar said there was an urgent need from the state government side to deploy a male and female constable at every school of the state to take care of such incidents …

15-jan-2013 … Health minister laxmikhant parsekar on Monday said that the state government was in process of providing free and compulsory screening of diseases like diabetes, cardiac and cancer in all the schools in the state of goa …

Parsekar was speaking at the inauguration function of the newly opened sub health centre  betim at britonna-II  in porvorim constituency where in porvorim mla rohan khaunte, director of health services dr sanjeev dalvi along with other locals from porvorim constituency were present for the function …

The newly inaugurated sub health centre is the nineth among the aldona primary health center and would have a medical officer every Friday at the sub centre to check patients from in and around porvorim constituency …

Speaking on the occasion health minister laxmikhant parsekar said that the state of goa was much more better in health sector than other states of the country but the state was still lacking in some of the sectors where there was a need to work much more than the expected work was being done in the health sector

Meanwhile porvorim mla rohan khaunte said a sub centre for betim area was the urgent need of the hour due to which he being the local mla initiated the first priority of inaugurating a health centre in betim area …

16-jan-2013 … Goa state Captain of Ports james Braganza on Monday said that his department was in the process of acquiring two to three jetties in and around the mandovi and zuari basin which would take care of importing coal or coke for local consumption as well as for supplying the same to the neighboring states …

It may be noted that the Captain of Ports is believed to have initiated plans to make up for its loss of revenue by throwing open its facilities for coal import and is currently, working on logistics to facilitate the import of coal from the panaji port which was earlier monopolized by ore vessels.

Speaking to media reporters in panjim captain of ports james Braganza said had identified three jetties, of which two are located in the Mandovi basin, and one in the Zuari river basin.

Even Goa Pradesh Congress committee on Saturday had stated that the decision of the government to allow coal handling at the Panaji port would turn disastrous for the capital city which would be environmentally hazardous

Braganza said two to three parties had shown interest in the same and one need not to be worried on account of pollution because the coal shipments will be docked at the outer anchorage.

Meanwhile Braganza also mentioned that his department had cleared the exports of 72,000 metric tons of prime mineral ore owned by a private firm after approvals from the government and NOC issued by the Mines Department

Braganza stated that the approval for the consignment of around 72,000 metric tons has come from the government for which Mines Department had given the NOC and his department had allowed the exports through the Panjim port.

16-jan-2013 … North goa member of parliament shripad naik on Monday said that there was an urgent need to solve the mayem custodian issue as soon as possible so that the people of mayem could be free from the custodian rule and therefore would not mind to help the locals if there was any need from the centre

It may be noted that taking a dig at the delay in the act of the State government for the delay in solving the Mayem custodian issue, the Mayem Nagrik Kruti Samiti on Sunday had set January 26 as the deadline to solve the issue or else had decided to go on indefinite agitation near the Secretariat at Porvorim from January 28.

the decision on the same was taken at a a special meeting called by the Samiti at Mahamaya Library hall Mayem where in some of the speakers at the meeting came down heavily on the government for its decision to solve the issue in a phased manner.

Speaking to media reporters at the secretariat at porvorim north goa mp shripad naik said the issue had to be solved as early as possible and would not mind to help the mayem locals if there was a need of help to be taken from the centre for the issue to be solved

Bicholim mla naresh sawal said that the previous congress led government had failed to solve the mayem issue but had confidence in the Parrikar led government that the issue would be solved as early as possible

as an mla from the neighboring constituency sawal also stated that he would be behind the mayem locals and also supported the deadline given by the locals over the issue