26-jan-2013 … Even though the controversy over exhibitions and film shootings in the capital city, which were the cause of nightmarish traffic congestion were laid to rest after the ccp council resolving to a ban on all exhibitions and film shootings in the capital city members of the youth congress party on Saturday asked the state chief minister Manohar Parrikar to review the same decision stating that it would hamper the livelihood of those earning from the exhibitions and film business in goa ….

It may be noted that the proposal which was moved by Mayor Vaidehi Naik of putting a ban on exhibitions and films in the capital city had got in to a heated discussions at the ccp meet on Thursday when the CCP corporators Kabir Makhija Pinto and Rudresh Chodankar demanded to the council not to allow exhibitions in Campal or film shootings in Fontainhas, citing traffic congestions and garbage problems.

The Mayor had refused to allow any partial ban, proposing either a total ban or reject the motion. Ultimately the proposal was backed by Miramar Corporators ~ Surendra and Ruth Furtado, leading to a ban on exhibitions and film shootings till the holistic plan of Panjim is finalized.

Addressing a media press conference at the party head office in Panjim congress youth president pratima coutinho said that the youth congress was condemning the decision taken by the Panjim municipality and would ask the chief minister Manohar Parrikar to look in to the matter and change it

Pratima said that the decision had to be revoked as it was a question of a common man livelihood and also in the interest of the state tourism

On asked as what the youth congress president had to say about the locals of the Panjim city who were supporting their respective councilor’s who are mostly connected with the congress party on this move of stopping exhibitions and film shootings in their ward pratima said that one had to think in the larger interest of the state and the decision and to be revoked

The state of goa on Friday celebrated the national voters day at nenezes Braganza hall in Panjim ..

Governor of goa shri Bharat vir wanchoo was the chief guest of the function which inaugurated the function by lighting of the traditional lamp in the presence of goa state election commissioner dr m modassir other dignitaries …

The main objective of the function was to felicitate newly enrolled young voters in the age group of 18 to 19 by providing them the Epics and a badge with the slogan “Proud to be a voter-Ready to vote” and administering the oath to them.

This year 36,219 electors who have been enrolled in the electoral rolls in goa during the summary revision 2013  there are 12,171 electors in the age group of 18 to 19 years

The aim of the celebrations, upto the booth level, is the maximization of enrollment of young voters in the age group of 18 and 19.

Speaking on the occasion governor of goa shri Bharat vir wanchoo said that though the national voters day everyone had been able to deal with one of the weakest links in our electoral rolls and it I is encouraging that the enrollment of the 18 to 19 age group of goa was up to 66 % which was much higher than the national average of 40%

Meanwhile goa state election commissioner dr m modassir said that there was need to create awareness about voting in the local bodies of the state

Later prizes to state level winners as well street plays were also conducted during the function …

21-jan-2013 …Stating that strict law were needed to be implemented in various schools of the state kala academy chairman Vishnu surya wagh on Monday said that time had come for the state government to force state schools to form vishaka committee in their respective schools so that incident such as the vasco rape incident could be tackled in future and would also ask the state government for special funds for state schools security purpose…

Wagh is currently heading the Goa education department formed high-level committee who are probing into the suicide of a rape victim who burnt herself fearing her rapist will harm her.

The committee headed by Wagh had also held a number of meetings in regard to the investigation and are also investigating the role of the school in which the teacher Kanhaiya Naik, accused of raping his student used to teach.

Speaking to goanreporter over the vasco rape incident Wagh said as he along with entire committee members had visited the site at vasco he had expressed his apprehensions on the same day to the police officers on the role of the headmistress in to the entire episode who was the focal point of the incident after which she had been arrested now

Wagh said that the committee had already prepared five to six suggestions which they would asked the government to implement in every schools of the state as against the backdrop of vasco incident and also on forming the vishaka committees..

 Wagh said that the state government had to make funds available for security purposes in the schools

 Commenting over his committee progress over the kanaya naik molestation case on which even some of the congress leaders had criticized the house committee for not coming out with the report wagh said his committee was acting on a faster pace and had almost verified most of the witnesses in front of the camera in to the case

21-jan-2013 …A Division Bench of the Bombay High Court at Goa comprising of Justice V.M.Kanade and Justice U. V.Bakre on Monday issued notice to the Goa Government on the Public Interest Litigation filed by the Romi Lipi Action Front led by Mr. Wilson Mazarello seeking directions to the Goa Government to amend the Official Language Act to include Konkani in Roman script along with the existing Devnagari.

The Government has been directed to file a reply within four weeks. Advocate General Atamaarm Nadkarni appeared on behalf of the State while the Romi Lipi Front was represented by Adv. Aires Rodrigues.

Adv. Aires Rodrigues submitted before the Court that the Goa Language Act which restricts the Konkani language to the Devnagari script was unconstitutional, ultra vires, illegal and void.

The Romi Lipi front in its petition has submitted that the power given under Article 345 of the Constitution of India to adopt any language does not empower the Government to restrict any language to a particular script.

The Romi Lipi Action Front has stated that it was not averse to the Devnagari script but has demanded that both the scripts Roman and Devanagri be used side by side.

21-jan-2013 …Stating that a Greenfield airport at mopa was the need of the hour Goa Pradesh Congress Committee Working President and south goa mp Francisco sardinha asked goans not to carried away with talks from certain corners who were misguiding goans stating that mopa was not in the interest of goa and goan’s ….

It may be noted that there have been voices from various politicians raised on mopa airport who had stated that the upcoming airport at mopa was not in the interest of goa and goans and therefore were totally against the coming of an airport at mopa in pernem …

Speaking to media reporters at a press conference at the party head office in panjim south goa mp Francisco sardinha said that though mopa was not a new issue though there were sum frogs who had started to croak since 2014 parliamentary elections were near and assured that he would not do anything that would have an effect on the goans from south goa …

Sardinha stated that the dabolim airport would not get close at any cost and also mentioned that if mopa does not become a reality that the Maharashtra government was ready to come up with their Greenfield airport project at sindhudurg

Meanwhile north goa mp shripad naik and mandrem mla laxmikhant parsekar said that the airport at mopa was the need of the hour and there were some politicians who were just trying to play politics out of the mopa issue ….

21-jan-2013 … The Congress party in Goa has alleged that the state government was handling the issue of mining ban in the Supreme Court casually, which can lead to serious problems in the state.

Goa government should appoint good counsel to represent state in the supreme court on the mining issue. Last time, the counsel just accepted what SC had said without defending the case said Goa Pradesh Congress Committee Working President Fransisco Sardinha said addressing a media press conference at the party head office in panjim

Commenting over the vasco rape case incident Sardinha said that the situation was becoming grim in the state as the law and administration had totally failed which would have huge repercussion on the tourism belt

Later the south goa mp also went to azad maidan in Panjim and listened to the grievances of the mining affected people

January 19, 2013 …. A meeting of head of the institutions in and around Panjim was held today at Police Headquarters with a purpose  to formalize  cooperation between the police and the school authorities with regards to the security of the campuses, especially in preventing crimes.

A total number of 34 head and representatives of the Schools, Colleges in Panjim  attended the meeting which was addressed by the North Goa Superitendent of Police Shri Vishram Borkar, Sub Divisional Police Officer, Panjim, Shri Umesh Gaonkar , Police Inspector of Panjim Police Station Shri Rajendra Prabhudessai and Police Inspector Traffic Shri Dharmesh Angle.

Various school officials placed under serious study proposals by the police to improve security inside and outside campuses. The police insisted the installation of CCTV in all schools and colleges. There was also a suggestion from the Police side to install jammers if possible in the campuses.

It was decided that policeman will include campuses in their daily beat patrols and the time-table of the same will be intimated to the school authorities.

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.