11 Sept, Herald Publication

Page 1_Layout 1 9/11/2010 1:20 AM Page 1

O HERALD O The Voice of Goa — Since 1900 panjim, Saturday, September 11, 2010

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World: Britney denies bodyguard charges Pg 10

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Sports: Now Dilshan, Fernando Pg 18 in match-fixing row

GOA GROOvES

Police arrest 2 military men for forgery

INTO fESTIvITY

Ponda police arrested two military men from the 6TTR Regiment, Curti-Ponda, on charges of providing fake documents during recruitment in 2008.

In his complaint, Lt P S Chandrashekar stated that the duo S Kumar Amardeep and Rajnish Prakashchandra Sharma, both from Himachal Pradesh, were recruited in 2008.

“As part of their training programme, they were posted in Goa. The certificates which the duo used during recruitment were proved bogus when it was verified by Army officials,” stated the complainant. — (HC MARCEL)

HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, SEPT 10

FESTIVE FUSION: An air of festivity prevailed as students celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi and Id-ul-Fitr festivals together in Patna.

Kankavli man makes soluble Ganesh idols HERALD CORRESPONDENT SAWANTWADI, SEPT 10

Can one get more eco-friendly than this?

Pramod Vitthal Palav from Kankavli in Sindhudurg district has designed a Ganesh idol made from clay, fig tree juice, paper and glue, which dissolves in water in less than 15 minutes.

For the past three years, Palav has been experimenting with different formulae to come up with eco-friendly idols. In August, in a special session organised by the Ma-

harashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) for the benefit of Mumbai’s famous Ganesh mandals, Palav demonstrated his latest innovation. It has been certified by the Nagpur-based National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).

Palav’s idols have attracted thousands of orders for the upcoming festival. “I have sent five idols to the US and recently received a phone call from Australia asking me for two. They wanted a small version of Lalbaug’s prestigious Ganesh idol, but

I am so pre-occupied with earlier orders that I don’t have the time,” said Palav.

In fact, Palav could not accept all the orders for his eco-friendly idol, and says that next year he will start work six months before the festival. “I was understaffed and never expected such a huge response.

I made around 3,000 idols, which were sent to Mumbai, Pune and Goa. It felt really good when my experiment was appreciated by people,” he said.

Mickky grilled for 3 hours HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, SEPT 10

Trouble does not seem to end for the former tourism minister Francisco ‘Mickky’ Pacheco.

Delhi Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) – Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) sleuths questioned him for nearly three-continues hours at CBI office in Bambolim, on Friday, in connection with the illegal immigration racket.

Pacheco has been booked for allegedly using forged documents to send Goans abroad, especially United States, through his manpower recruitment agency.

Clad in his white button-down

s h i r t a n d s a m e c o l o u re d trousers, the confident looking Pacheco reached CBI office at 2 pm in his white GA-08-F-1212

Toyota car.

The 46-year-old Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator was quizzed in a closed room of the office of the Goa CBI Superintendent of Police S S Gavli, who was on leave owing to Ganesh Chaturthi being celebrated on Saturday.

Emerging out of the office at about 5.20 pm, the former minister replying to media questions said he would not interfere with the investigation. Few Goa CBI officials below the ranks of SP and DySP were also present for Pacheco’s interrogation.

Asked on whether he is the (Continued on page 10)

CBI blames it on US HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, SEPT 10

The CBI investigations in the alleged illegal immigration racket by former tourism minister Mickky Pacheco seems to be a fall out of strict cognisance taken by White House in US. Officials who quizzed the former minister at CBI office in Bambolim were heard telling him that America has taken serious cognisance of this case.

The former minister is in the dock after few Goans were allegedly found illegally trying to enter America. He is booked for sending the people abroad by

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CBI says America has taken strong cognisance of the racket run from India after few Indians were found entering US without valid documents.

Mickky Pacheco tells quizzing team that he had sent 200-odd people overseas for jobs. Says people were mostly sent on board with few recruited on land.

Claims credentials were checked before recruitment.

forging documents.

“We are doing this because the White House is after illegal immigration,” a CBI official was heard telling Pacheco even as media men were eavesdropping

discussion between CBI officials and Pacheco.

CBI sources informed that America has taken strong cognisance of the racket run from (Continued on page 10)

Stop tax breaks to outsourcing firms: Obama PTI WASHINGTON, SEPT 10

President Barack Obama on Friday made it clear that he will not relent on stopping tax breaks to American companies that ship jobs abroad and said incentives will be given to those firms which create jobs in the country.

“Let’s stop giving tax breaks to companies that are shipping jobs overseas. Let’s stop incentivizing that and let’s give tax breaks to companies that are investing right here in the United States of America,” Obama said in response to a question at his White House news conference.

His remarks came close on the heels of the Ohio state Governor passing an executive order to ban outsourcing, a development that has raised concerns in India which is often described as the world’s back office.

Obama said instead of tax breaks that encourage corporations to create jobs overseas, he was for tax breaks for companies that create jobs in the country.

“Instead of tax breaks that encourage corporations to create jobs overseas, we believe in tax breaks for companies that create jobs right here in the United States of America.

Now, Goans are gunning for arms!

HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, SEPT 10

If Goa is one of the most peaceful States with crime rate relatively low as compared to other States in the country, why is that so many of its citizens especially, those residing in rural parts feel the need to possess arms?

According to the government, in North Goa 108 persons have arms licences whereas in South Goa the number of persons holding arms licences is 138. Indications are that in most cases license for arms is applied either

for crop protection or self-protection but used for other purposes and mostly to satiate the thirst for hunting wild animals.

A few months back the Forest Department had intimated the Collectorate to observe restrain while sanctioning arms licenses for crop protection as they may be misused for killing wild animals. The officer in North Goa Collectorate, said since then they have been careful in issuing licenses even as they cannot out right reject applications seeking arm licenses.

In recent times, no new licenses have been issued for crop protection, said the officer.

Interestingly, majority of the current lot of arms license holders have arms transferred in their names either from a father, an uncle or a spouse.

This is true for South Goa that has more number of arms license holders than North Goa. While majority of the arms license holders registered in South Goa are from Salcete taluka, a number of persons holding arms licenses in talukas of Quepem and Sanguem is also

equally large. A small taluka of Canacona has 24 licensed arms holders residing in areas of Loliem, Partgal, Poinguinim and Khotigao.

Whereas in Quepem taluka some 18 persons coming from remote areas such as Cusmane, Rivona and Ambaulim have arms licenses. This throws a question whether so many persons in Goa and particularly, those residing in remote places of Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona are facing some kind of threat to their life that they are compelled to possess arms.

Even as the sky remained cloudy for major part of the day with many parts of the State receiving light to heavy showers, the festive spirit remained upbeat with people geared up to celebrate 10-day Ganesh festival beginning from Saturday.

This year Id-ul-Fitr is also celebrated on Saturday, as the moon was not cited yesterday.

The celebration mood was not affected despite the fact that food inflation touched a high of 11.57 per cent by August-end.

For ten days from Bhadrapad Shudha Chaturthi to Ananta Chaturthi (immersion day), Lord Ganesh is worshipped by installing clay idol on a raised platform in homes. A priest invokes life in the idol amidst chanting mantras and elaborate puja is performed wherein the whole household participates.

For families dispersed due to varied vocations, the festival is an opportunity for grand celebrations when brothers, cousins, young and old, come under one roof at their ancestral house.

An interesting feature of Ganesh festival in Goa is the elaborate decorations one gets to see in households. Besides, there is a dazzling fireworks that are on display at night, more especially

at the time of immersion.

Some parts of the State such as Kumbharjua village in Tiwadi taluka, villages of Siolim and Nadora in Bardez go beyond decorations. They also have idols depicting certain mythological scenes and use of electrical gimmick shows, making it more lively and entertaining.

Sometimes burning issues are picked up to create awareness as part of the celebration.

Mostly, attention is drawn towards ecological degradation.

The State has already banned sale of plaster of Paris idols.

Celebrations by Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandals (SGM) at village and taluka levels have been on a bigger scale in the last few years – various competitions such as rangoli, singing, dancing, bhajans and dramatic performances are held. The 10-day festival is also a treat to music lovers as many musical programmes are organised wherein celebrity artists are invited to perform.

In view of the various terror alerts in neighbouring states, Goa has seen a ‘change of guard’ in recent times. There has been additional security deployed at various places. On the flip side, important public places have been facing frequent traffic jams during rush hours.

Govt scheme to woo traditional hawkers HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, SEPT 10

Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has said the government is in the process of drafting a scheme to provide financial assistance to the Goan podears, chonnekars and khajekars to keep alive the traditional occupations.

Addressing vegetable, flower and fruit vendors after distributing cheques at Margao on Friday, the Chief Minister said a committee under the chairmanship of noted scientist Dr Nandakumar Kamat is working out a scheme for these traditional Goan hawkers. “The process of finalising the scheme for these traditional hawkers has got underway. Scientist Nandakumar Kamat is heading the committee to formulate the scheme”, he said.

The Chief Minister underlined

the need to extend support to the traditional Goan occupations to keep outsiders at bay from taking over these occupations.

While distributing cheques for the fruit, vegetable and coconut sellers on the eve of Ganesh Chathurti, Kamat said that his government has brought the aam admi on the centrestage since the last three years.

“No one had thought that these categories of the people will ever receive government’s support. But, my government is committed for the welfare of the common man”, Kamat said, adding that his government has not discriminated against any constituency while implementing the scheme.

Saying that the government has modified the scheme for the benefit of the common man, the (Continued on page 10)

GREETINGS The Herald wishes all readers, contributors, advertisers and distributors very happy Ganesh Chaturthi and Id-ul-Fitr festivals.

WE ARE OPEN TODAY The offices of the Herald will remain OPEN TODAY, hence there will be an edition of this paper dated 12th September.

Mumbai on terror alert PTI MUMBAI, SEPT 10

Two suspected terrorists believed to be from Pakistan and Bangladesh have sneaked into the metropolis to cause disruption at crowded places and religious congregations, Mumbai police said on Friday, setting off alarm bells on the eve of Id and Ganeshotsav festivities.

A high alert has been sounded across the city and suburbs with the police issuing an advisory to citizens to remain vigilant and watch out for the militants.

Photographs of the duo – a clean-shaven Kalimuddin Khan alias Rameshwar Pandit (28) and bearded Hafij Khijir Ulla Sarif (25) sporting a skull cap – were released by Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Roy at a hurriedly called press conference.

I can understand about my bank account but if you take away my laptop, how will I operate my facebook account?

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More than 12 countries to participate in ITM-Goa HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, SEPT 10

Participation of more than twelve countries including Singapore, South Africa, Canada, UK, Italy, Poland, Russia, UAE, Thailand and Brazil among others will be one of the highlights of International Travel Mart-Goa 2010 which gets underway on October 14.

ITM-Goa which aims to boost tourism-related business in the state is jointly promoted by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) and the State Department of Tourism, India Tourism, Travel & Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) and Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).

Important tourism bodies like

the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) and the Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI), have confirmed participation with more confirmations coming in.

Says Shyam Satardekar, Chairperson of Goa Tourism and Development Corporation (GTDC), “Without doubt, Goa is already a prime holiday destination.

Through ITM-Goa we will create a window of opportunity for the tourism sector in Goa to showcase its services to the global travel industry. “ Added Swapnil Naik, Director Tourism, Government of Goa “ITM-Goa which is one of the

only few exclusive business-tobusiness networking events organised in the countr y is committed to the cause of creating an ideal platform for marketers and customers to meet, network and create new business opportunities.”

Speaking on the initiative Nikhil Desai, Managing Director of Goa Tourism and Development Corporation (GTDC) added, “We expect to attract visitors from across India and abroad. Various state and international tourism boards, trade associations, resorts, airlines and leisure operators, MICE and tour operators, corporate travel planners and allied industries have displayed keen interest in participation at ITM-Goa this year”.

Ex-MLA recalls heroic efforts of freedom fighter Alfred HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, SEPT 10

Freedom fighter and ex-MLA Gajanan Raikar said freedom fighters fought for freedom from British and Portuguese rules for the sake of present generation so that they can freely think and act to bring prosperity to their lives.

Raikar was speaking at a specially organized function at Chaudi to mark the 24th death anniversary of Terekhol Vir Alfred Alfonso on Friday evening.

Terekhol Vir Alfred Alfonso with his brave acts had for the first time in Goa’s history unfurled tricolour at Terekhol Fort on August 15, 1954, conquering the fort for a day.

“I have been closely associated with Alfonso and we shared friendship and goodwill in interacting with each other and acting accordingly on nationalism,” said Raikar.

Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) Chairperson Shyamsunder Dessai, journalist and writer Ajit Painginkar, social worker Soccoro Fernandes also spoke on the occasion.

Nazareth Fernandes (Nazu), a footballer from Canacona taluka, and presently a football coach was felicitated by Raikar.

Earlier, Terekol Veer’s portrait was garlanded and revered be-

Pan-Asia Congress in Margao from Sept 13 HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, SEPT 10

The National Council of the Society of St Vincent de Paul will hold the Pan-Asia Congress (PANASCO VII) from September 13-17 in Goa at the Ravindra bhavan, Margao.

Addressing a press conference, President of the Council V M J Balaswamy said around 350 Vincentians from 27 countries are expected to attend the Congress. The theme of the Congress is Justice and Peace will embrace, he added.

The Pan-Asia Congress is being held for the fist time in India, in Goa. The Society of St Vincent de Paul is an international lay organization of the

fore the function commenced in the presence of Alfonso’s family, which included his son Walter Alphonso.

Alponso, who is remembered as Terekhol veer, for his matchless achievement was born in Galgibaga-Canacona on March 11, 1924, and died on September 11, 1986.

Loliem-Polem Panchcyat has named the panchayat building as Terekhol Veer Alfred Alfonso Complex, Poinguinim panchayat has named Galgibaga-Sadolxem road as Terekhol Veer Alfred Alfonso Road and erected a beau-

tiful memorial at the village market.

Besides, his lively and touching account of his momentous achievement in Goa’s freedom struggle is provided in Std III Konkani textbook under the caption ‘Terekhol Veer Alfred Alfonso’, while the State government has constructed a m e m o r i a l i n f ro n t o f t h e Terekhol fort in his memory.

Few social workers from the taluka often claimed that the memorial at Terekhol Fort at Pernem is in dilapidated condition.

Catholic Church which aims at providing a means whereby its members can practice Christianity by loving their neighbour in the person of the poor and the needy, irrespective of caste or religion. It emphasizes on a person-to-person contact and

forum proposes flyover from Nuvem-Arlem bypass to Verna HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, SEPT 10

Freedom fighter Gajanan Raikar felicitates footballer and coach from Canacona Nazareth Fernandes.

Photo by Kathy Pereira

nThe Society of St Vincent de Paul is an international lay organization of the Catholic Church which aims at providing a means whereby its members can practice Christianity by loving their neighbour in the person of the poor and the needy, irrespective of caste or religion. It emphasizes on a person-to-person contact and to see in the poor the face of suffering Christ.

The Nuvem Civic and Consumer Forum have proposed to the government to build a well designed flyover from NuvemArlem bypass junction to Agnel Ashram, Verna.

Expressing optimism that the flyover would solve the problems faced by the Nuvem villagers, Forum Convenor Olencio Fernandes said the National highway authorities would not hesitate to opt for the flyover since the financial implications will be much less than that of the Dona Paula sea link.

He pointed out that Survey conducted by NCCF in February 2009, reveals that 5,979 students (Mae dos Pobres H School 750; Carmel College and Carmel Higher Secondary 1,275; Holy Rosary Convent High School 700, I.A.M. Catering College 150; Agnel Ashram Primary KG 535; Secondary 616; Higher Secondary 331; Polytechnic 662; Padre Conceicao College of Engineering 960 – plus teachers/Lecturers plus non teaching staff and others use the highway.

He said the stretch is used by public, devotees, funeral processions, entertainment venues, business establishments – and will be used by massive My Eye

nExpressing optimism that the flyover would solve the problems faced by the Nuvem villagers, Forum Convenor Olencio Fernandes said the National highway authorities would not hesitate to opt for the flyover since the financial implications will be much less than that of the Dona Paula sea link.

Hospital once it is commissioned.

“There are 31 cross roads linked to the residences of the villagers and to the developed colonies – they find extremely difficult to have access to NH17. Moreover, in the event of emergency, there is no way to rush to the hospital”, he added.

Gifts distributed by a nationalized bank to women at Nachinola-Aldona to mark the bank’s 105th anniversary backfired, when the women protested against the sub-standard gifts given by the bank.

According to sources, a nationalized bank on Tuesday distributed 105 sarees to women and self-help groups at its branch at Nachinola.

“The women were initially excited to get the gifts few days before the Ganesh festival. But their joy did not last long, as they soon realized that the sarees that the bank had given them were substandard,” in-

formed sources.

Yogita Shirodkar of Nachinola complained that most sarees given by the bank were useless and some even had holes in them.“We were made fools and it was a joke that the bank did only to hurt our sentiments," she said.

Later, the angr y women staged a protest and demanded an explanation from the bank manager. Some women in a fit anger threw the sarees on the bank manager, much to his embarrassment.

“If the sarees were defective, they should have never provided us such material. The sarees had big holes in them and were useless,” said Sneha Narvekar.

Goans greeted on Ganesh Chaturthi HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, SEPT 9

Goa Governor , Dr S S Sidhu, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar and Home Minister Ravi Naik have greeted Goans on Ganesh Chaturthi.

The Governor in his message said that the celebrations of religious, spiritual, social and cultural festival have played a fundamental role in strengthening the overall unity and integrity of the country and its secular outlook.

Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the important festivals celebrated by the people with unique enthusiasm and religious fervor. It is an appropriate occasion for all of us to realize that peace and harmony are vital to our progress.

In his message, Kamat hoped that the Lord of the Knowledge will shower his choicest blessing on Goans.

Kamat further wished that good monsoon received by the state this year will double the joy and add to the

festivities, especially of the rural populace.

Saying that Ganesh Chaturthi is symbol of communal harmony, Parrikar said the festival is celebrated in the state with enthusiasm.

Let the Lord Ganesh bless people of Goa with happiness, peace, health and prosp e r i t y, h e s a i d i n h i s message.

Naik said that the blessings of Lord Ganesh are solicited for spiritual and material success. “The festival reminds us of the significance of imbibing the inspiring values in our lives to usher in a humane society,” Naik said in a press release.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Babush Monseratte has said that Ganesh is the God of peace and happiness and remover of obstacles and prayed that the Lord Ganesh bless Goa and its people.

PWD Minister Churchill Alemao and Mahila Congress leader Valanka Alemao have also greeted Goans on Ganesh Chaturthi.

Hope at Candolim, having 28 inmates and the Dr Alfredo Antao Home at Chandor run by t h e C o n f e re n c e s o f H o l y Spirit, Margao and O L of Belem, Chandor having 19 inmates.

Besides, the Society has a school for special children at Curtorim, recognized by the Education Department with 18 children and a Day Care Centre for Senior Citizens, where medical camps, counseling facilities, medical check ups and free distribution of vegetable seeds are being carried out regularly – a KG school at Velsao, a Medical Aid Centre at Chinchinim and a moving school at Saligao.

Digambar promises support to non-conventional energy

Chief Minister Digambar Kamat inaugurating Nuetech Solar Shoppee at Sirvodem, Navelim.

Photo by Santosh Mirajkar HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, SEPT 10

Saying that solar energy is the most important source of all the renewable energy sources, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has promised all support and encouragement to non-conventional sources of energy.

Inaugurating the Nuetech Solar Shoppe at Sirvodem-Navelim, Kamat said that solar energy is the most important source of all the renewable energy sources like wind and others. “These sources can be easily tapped for power generation and energy conservation”, Kamat said.

Former Minister, Matanhy Saldanha said that Solar Energy is

the future and every one should whole heartedly adopt Solar enegy. “Goa has a lot of potential for Solar Energy, but only a comprehensive strategy including availability of the Solar Energy Devices, User-friendly financing mechanisms, good after-saleservices will ensure popularisation of Solar Energy”, he added.

Margao Municipal Chairperson, Savio Coutinho said that the Margao Municipal Council has already started adopting Solar Energy and has installed Solar Street Lights surrounding municipal offices and in the Margao Municipal Gardens. “We will encourage large scale installa-

tion of Solar Energy Devices”, he added.

Quepem MLA, Chandrakant Kavlekar, former Quepem Municipal Chairpersons Manuel Colaco and Teresa Travasso were also present. The Solar Shoppee was blessed by Fr Francis Pereira of Navelim Church.

Owner of Neutech Solar Shoppee Ajay Pereira said the company offers complete range of top quality solar energy devises, including solar water heaters and Solar Photovoltaic (lighting) systems. The company has promised to arrange soft loan from the government to the users, besides assistance to avail subsidies.

Canconkars on shopping spree ahead of Ganesh

Bank draws women’s ire over sub-standard gifts HERALD CORRESPONDENT BICHOLIM, SEPT 10

to see in the poor the face of suffering Christ.

Founded in Paris in 1833 by a group of young men, led by Frederic Ozanam, a student of Law and was named after St Vincent de Paul, whose life had been devoted to helping the un-

derprivileged, the organization today is spread over 147 countries of the world.

“In India, it had its birth in 1853 in Pondicherry, but the Society was officially started in 1863 with the aggregation of some Conferences in Bombay.

Today, India has 6543 Conferences helping out the needy through the thousands of its members spread around the country”, he added.

Presently, there are over 150 Conferences in various parishes of the State.

The Society has various projects in Goa, outstanding among which are two Homes for the Aged: the Arc of Hope run by the Conference of O.L. of Good

HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, SEPT 10

An aerial view of Chaudi bazaar.

Photo by Kathy Pereira

fix levels of ecological degradation: researchers

HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, SEPT 10

“The marine biodiversity of Goa needs systematic study to fix the levels of degradation and some corrective measures such as conservation, preservation and restoration needs to be carried out,” says paper presented by two researchers at a seminar held at Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) Old Goa, recently.

C Monteiro and G G Phadke in their paper have expressed the need for formulation of strict laws whereas violations of existing ones (Wildlife Protection Act, CRZ, Pollution Control and Indian Fisheries Act) have to be dealt with in a more sever manner, they suggested.

Ecologically, Goa’s coast is very important and has one of the best waterways network with seven major rivers. However, like elsewhere, coastal marine diversity of the State comprising Plankton Community, marine algae, marine fungi, sea grasses, mangrove flora, sand dune vegetation, marine fish fauna and other fauna.

In a view of soil erosion, cli-

nC Monteiro and G G Phadke in their paper have expressed the need for formulation of strict laws whereas violations of existing ones (Wildlife Protection Act, CRZ, Pollution Control and Indian Fisheries Act) have to be dealt with in a more sever manner, they suggested.

mate change and sea level rise, the two researchers says the best protective measure against these processes is the retention of natural ecosystem by retreat

and appropriate set back lines.

Deforestation, land and improper land use is one of the proximate root causes of loss of biodiversity.

“Reclamation of mangrove and Khazan lands near the estuaries has huge impact on the food chain and breeding cycles of fish and shellfish, “they pointed out in their paper.

Also, development project and urbanization causing loss of biodiversity -- the biodiversity near urban areas is under tremendous pressure land development activities.

Other factors which they says are causing depletion of bio-diversity include sand dune destruction, improper cultivation methods and sewage disposal, wild life poaching, mining and quarrying Beach shack and tourism.

Beach shacks and recreation along Goan beaches though appear less damaging due to its temporary nature, the ever increasing competition has resulted in their proliferation along the 60 kms of beach length. Huge quantity of plastic left unattended at the beaches invariably finds its way into the estuaries, they said.

With Ganesh festival set to begin on Saturday, stalls and shops witnessed hectic purchases of provisions in Canacona.

The weekly Saturday bazaar was advanced by a day on Friday to meet the demands.

Residents of Canacona rushed to the commercial hub at Chaudi in large numbers for last-minute purchases as a preparation for Ganesh festival.

The market on Friday had all the needs of the festivities and with vendors quoting soaring rates it did not deter the shoppers from buying their necessary goods required for the festival.

Friday, which remained fairly a sunny day, after heavy downpour early morning, witnessed

the day was ending with dark overhead cloud bringing another heavy spell of rain, catching most of the shoppers at Chaudi off-guard.

But the evening spell did not deter the shoppers, as most of the people were seen braving rains to make their last minute purchases.

Interestingly, the rain was limited unto the municipal areas and to the southern areas, while places at Khola, Agonda, parts of Shristhal in the northern side of the taluka, remained totally dry throughout the day.

The weekly vendors, whose Saturday market was advanced in view of Ganesh festival on Saturday, made heavy sales of their goods, informed sources.

Meanwhile, it was the final

touch-up day for most of the Sarvajanik Ganeshotshav Mandals in the taluka, as almost all gave finishing touches to the huge pandals, while the set up of Ganesh idols and installation of other artifacts, was progressing behind the curtains at the mandals venues.

Two prominent Sarvajanik Ganeshosthav mandals at CharRasta and Chaudi were seen erecting massive pandals and work that had commenced since a week ago had progressed only at snails pace due to torrential rains, picked up on Friday.

The large idols had already reached at the site and its installation was going ahead behind the close curtains, the scenes which will be opened only on Saturday.

Over 2000 families given provisions by Fatorda charity HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, SEPT 10

Goa Pradesh Congress General Secretary Vijay Sardessai has said his charity foundation “We for Fatorda” has completed the distribution of provisions to 2000 needy families in the constituency before Ganesh Chaturthi as part of his attempt to alleviate the plight of those affected by the price rise.

In a press release, Sardessai said his Foundation has attempted to “do its bid” to help the needy in Fatorda in keeping with the message of the Holy month of Sravana and also Ramzan, which teaches the faithful to reach out to the underprivileged in the society.

‘Unlike the BJP in Fatorda which only showed lip sympathy to the cause of those affected by price rise by holding an ‘indoor’ public meeting, I have delivered on my public promise”, he said.

Recalling Opposition Leader Manohar Parrikar’s taunt at the

GPCC General Secretary Vijay Sardessai distributing provision to people of Fatorda on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi.

BJP meeting that Vijay Sardesai was already behaving like an MLA even before having been elected, Sardesai thanked Parrikar for the compliment, saying he was actually doing the work of the MLA of taking care of the needy voters of Fatorda when the MLA was busy holding a huge birthday bash supported by the contractors lobby which had released full page advertisements in local dailies.

In this circumstance Sardesai questioned how it would be inappropriate if one termed the Fatorda ML A as the Godfather of the Contractors Lobby?

Sardesai further said that when all progressive politicians have embarked on austerity during private celebrations, it was a surprise to see the MLA from " the Party with a difference" behaving very differently.

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19 passengers injured in Valpoi mishap HERALD CORRESPONDENT VALPOI, SEPT 10

Nineteen passengers, including four children, were injured after a minibus skidded off the road at Velus-Valpoi on Friday.

According to Valpoi Police, all the injured passengers were rushed to Community Health Centre Valpoi.

Later, 15 passengers were discharged after administering first aid, while four passengers are admitted at CHC Valpoi.

The accident occurred when the bus (GA-01-U-2078) driver was trying to avoid collision against an oncoming bus.

Police have identified the injured passengers as Urmila Gaude,Mahadevi Mashodkar, Dattavanti Rane, Devendra Chari, Manisha Kodalkar, Barkelo Gaonkar, Yugeni Gaonkar, Ganga Gawas, Sheetal Surlakar, Vassudev Gawde, Uttam Gaude, Praveen Yatekar, Vithal Gawas,

HERALD CORRESPONDENT MORMUGAO, SEPT 10

The minibus that skidded off the road at Velus-Valpoi.

Krishna Rane, Satyavan Surlekar, Jyoti Rane, Chandani Payaji, Kiran Sawant and Chandani

Photo by Ashraf Khan

Gaonkar.

Head Constable Jayanti Gawas conducted the panchanama

under the supervision of PI Shivram Vaigankar and further investigation is in progress.

One held for retired teacher’s murder HERALD CORRESPONDENT PORVORIM, SEPT 10

Mapusa Police has arrested a suspect in connection with the murder of Albert Luis, a retired teacher of St Britto High School, Mapusa, who was murdered at his residence at shetyewado on August 2.

Speaking to Herald, Mapusa Police Inspector Rajesh Kumar said the police had tracked down calls linked to the mobile phone of the deceased.

"The suspect, Mohammad Azad, was arrested at New Delhi with the help of Delhi Police and he was brought to the State," PI Kumar said.

PI Kumar further informed that Azad, who was working in a saloon in Vasco, was remanded to seven days police custody.

“Azad informed police that he had bought the mobile phone from his two friends, who are natives of Uttar Pradesh, and he was unaware about Luis’ murder at the time of purchase of mobile phone,” he informed.

One electrocuted HERALD CORRESPONDENT VALPOI, SEPT 10

A 35-year-old employee at a restaurant in Valpoi was electrocuted while operating a fan at the restaurant on Friday morning.

According to Valpoi Police, Dyaneshwar N Gawas, a native of Maharashtra, was rushed to Community Health Centre Valpoi, but doctors at the Centre declared him brought-in dead.

PSI ND Parwar conducted the panchanama and the body was sent for post mortem to GMC Hospital.

tourist rescued HERALD CORRESPONDENT CALANGUTE, SEPT 10

A 26-year-old tourist from Mysore-Karnataka was rescued from drowning by Drishti lifeguards at Calangute on Thursday.

According to reports, Shankar Nagappa was rescued by Drishti lifeguards Pradeep Halankar and Pandurang Sarmalkar while he had gone for a swim despite warning from the Drishti Surf Life team.

The lifeguards noticed him struggling in waters and rushed to his rescue.

Accused who gave cops a slip arrested HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, SEPT 10

The main accused behind the series of burglaries and who managed to give the police a slip on Thursday has been arrested in a joint operation by Colva and Agasaim police teams on Friday.

The accused identified as Michael Luis Fernandes had escaped the North Goa police raid wherein three other accomplices were arrested in combing operation at Siolim.

The gang was actively involved in crimes like dacoit, vehicle thefts, impersonation robbery and others. The notorious gangsters in August had looted atleast four tourists including foreigners at gunpoint, giving sleepless nights to police.

Agassaim police informed that Michael, said to be the brainchild of crimes, earlier stole a motorcycle from Panjim bus stand and abandoned at Mapusa bus stand. After escaping the arrest in the combing operation at Siolim market - where other accomplices were arrested from a guest house - Michael used the same bike to go to Colva.

“He hired a hut near Colva beach on a daily payment of Rs 200. However, through his telecommunications and tip-off information, we located him and arrested thereafter,” said a police official. The trio alleged accused – Raju Devar, Kalpesh Shirodkar and Yan John are remanded to police custody. The investigating teams had recovered a pistol and Maruti Zen car from them.

Meanwhile, Calangute police have seized three motorcycles, which were apparently used by the gang for committing offenses.

Scooter gutted in New Vaddem

Accordingly, a team of police officials left for Uttar Pradesh to arrest the accused, but could not trace them at the address given by Azad.

Meanwhile, Luis’ daughter has left the State and has permanently shifted to her native place at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.

Even though more than a month has passed since the murder of Luis, Mapusa police is yet to arrest the accused involved in the murder.

It may be recalled that Luis was residing in a rented house along with his 17-year-old daughter, who had left for college when the murder took place.

However, when she returned home at 1.15 pm, she found the door open and her father’s body in a pool of blood.

Luis’ body was found in a semi-nude condition and his mobile phone and laptop stolen. The accused had fired the pistol at close range, killing Luis on the spot.

A Honda Dio scooter went up in flames near the Ganesh Temple, New Vaddem, Vasco, in the wee hours of Friday.

According to reports, Damodar Vishnu Kudalkar, owner of the scooter (GA-06-C 5914), heard some dogs barking and went out of his house, only to see smoke emitting from his garage.

Kudalkar further informed that when he opened the garage, he saw his scooter charred and tried to put off the fire using water and sand.

“Luckily, my other two vehicles, a two-wheeler and an Omini car, were saved by the timely intervention of Vasco fire brigade, who helped in dousing the fire,” said Kudalkar.

One found dead in toilet HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, SEPT 10

A 43-year-old native of Chennai, Tony Daniel was found dead in a toilet at Tarriwado-Assolna.

Cuncolim police said that the deceased, who was working in the Maritime Academy, was found dead in the toilet in the rented premises he was staying.

No foul play is suspected, the police said.

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S H O RT TA K E S Tree plantation drive organised

Margao KTC bus stand Concerns expressed over low haemoglobin levels in Goans plagued by series of problems HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, SEPT 10

HERALD CORRESPONDENT MERCES, SEPT 10

Zone Chairperson Gopinath Dessai and LC Canacona President Motesinho Fernandes plant a coconut sapling at a vacant land at Chapoli dam.

Photo by Kathy Pereira

CANACONA(HND): Lions Club of Canacona organised its annual zone chairperson visit to the Club by planting trees of different varieties at Chapoli Dam. According to Lions Club of Canacona President Motesinho Fernandes, Zone Chairperson Gopinath Dessai of Lions District 324-D2 officially visited the Club on Sunday.

The day was marked for Vanamahostav celebrations and different varieties of trees were planted by Zone Chairperson Dessai at Chapoli Dam. The planted trees included coconut saplings, medicinal plants, fruit-bearing trees like mangoes and chickoos at the vacant space near Chapoli Dam. Speaking on the occasion, Dessai called for more such tree plantations elsewhere in the taluka, which will help the residents by better greenery suitable for healthy living.

Including Club's Secretary Ulhas Faldessai and Treasurer Lawrence Barretto, district 324-D2 Additional Cabinet Secretary, horde of other club members were present during the treeplantation programme, informed Fernandes.

Teachers Day at Curchorem

Stating that the Goans look healthy from the outside appearance, Directorate of Women and Child Development Secretary V P Rao expressed concern over the information that the haemoglobin levels are comparatively low among a large number of the Goan populace.

Rao was speaking at the concluding function of the National Nutrition Week celebrations in Tiswadi, organised by Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)-Tiswadi in association with Directorate of Women and Child Development, Betki Primary Health Centre and Chimbel Village Health and Sanitation Committee, on Thursday.

Speaking further, Rao said that such type of information would help the government in understanding better the problems prevalent in the nutrition intake of Goans and also help the authorities to come up with solutions to overcome these problems so that the people can lead a healthy lifestyle.

Rao also spoke on the importance of micro-nutrients like iodine, iron, calcium, etc.

“Micro-nutrients should be consumed in sufficient quantities to avoid deformities,” he added and urged the people to approach the health workers to know more about a balanced nutritional diet. He also urged the Aganwadi workers to treat every child under their care as their own and help in their healthy growth.

(From left to right) IAS officer Shivkumar, Directorate of Women and Child Development Secretary V P Rao, CDPO Varsha Naik, Bekti PHC HO Dr Mangala Tamba and Dr Palekar engrossed in watching a lively skit on nutrition by Anganwadi workers (not in picture).

Photo by Manuel Vaz

Speaking on the occasion, Health Officer of Betki PHC Dr Mangala Tamba explained how malnourishment in childhood affects the person during adulthood. She also highlighted how the home-made recipes of the olden days were rich in nutrients and urged the gathering to prepare such recipes at home and not to depend on readymade food products.

Dr Mangala further expressed happiness that the vegetable intake among the Goans has increased and she gave the credit to the awareness made by the health workers and other authorities.

Earlier, CDPO Varsha Naik read out the various activities conducted

by ICDS-Tiswadi during the nutrition week celebrations like poster competitions, recipe competitions,

RTO to crack whip against erring bus operators HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, SEPT 10

Teachers and parents participate in the game organised by students of Guardian Angel High School, Curchorem.

PANJIM(HNB): Teachers Day was celebrated at Guardian Angel High School, Curchorem.

The theme chosen by the students was 'Teacher you are great, we are grateful'. The programme began with Holy Mass concelebrated for the staff and students. Fr James Silva, parish priest of Guardian Angel Church was the main celebrant.

On the occasion, students presented various cultural programmes and the SSC students posed as teachers and conducted classes for different classes.

Headmaster Fr Walter Miranda expressed happiness and thanked the students for organising the programme in honour of teachers.

Students of Guardian Angel Primary School, Curchorem, also celebrated the Teachers Day by presenting various cultural programme. The students thanked the teachers for providing them constant support, help and making them discover themselves.

In the evening, students of Guardian Angel Higher Secondary School also celebrated Teachers Day by organising various programmes like dances and singing competition in Hindi, English, Konkani and Marathi languages.

Fr Henry D'Souza gave away the prizes in the presence of Principal Fr Frank Mendes.

JCI Salcete’s free dental camps

Doctors from Goa Dental College examining the students for oral hygiene at Navelim.

PANJIM(HND): JCI Salcete Coastal organised its five free mega dental check-up camp at Rosary High School, Navelim, Government High School Mangor, Regina Mundi High School, Chicalim, Shree Sharda English High School at Sanvordem and Konkani Bhasha Mandal Mulavi School at Margao covering around 1350 students from these various schools in the month of August and first week of September.

JCI Salcete Coastal conducted the fourth Dental camp for the year 2010 at Rosary High School, Navelim for 350 students.

The fifth dental camp was held for over 320 students of Government High School, Mangor, Vasco along with JCI Mormugao Port Trust. The sixth Dental camp at Regina Mundi High School for 280 Students at Chicalim in association with Chicalim Youth Club, the seventh Dental camp at Shree Sharda English High School, for 250 students Sanvordem and the eight one at Konkani Bhasha Mandal school for 150 students in association with Goa Dental College which benefited over 1400 students.

The Doctors from Goa Dental College thoroughly checked the students. This dental camp was organised by JCI Salcete Coastal under the United Nations Millennium Development Goals programme.

On these Various Mega Dental camps the chief guests namely Fr Joe Mariano, Manager Rosary High School, Manish Arolkar, ex chairperson MMC, Vasco, Brother Anish John, Headmaster of Regina Mundi School, Suhas Shikerkar, Headmaster of Sharda High School, Dr Hubert Gomes, renowned dentist from Margao hailed the work of JCI Salcete Coastal.

JCI Salcete Coastal felicitated Dr Myvilia Dias Sapeco, Dr Siya Dukle, Dr Godwin Clovis Da Costa, Dr Harshali Bandekar, Dr Renita Soares, Dr Jochima Cota, Dr Nabha Deshpande, Dr Aditya Kavlekar, Dr Dipti Lotlikar, Dr Pooja Ghadi, Dr Prashast Mishra, Dr Bhavya Amin, Dr Akshata Anvekar and Dr Ratna Vineela from Goa Dental College who thoroughly checked the students at the dental camp.

Assistant Director of Transport, Prakash Azavedo has said that the RTO will crack a whip against the bus operators by September end to check implementation of rules by the bus operators.

Azavedo gave the assurance after conducting surprise inspection of buses at the KTC bus stand along with GOACAN volunteers.

It came to light during inspection that the bus operators were not maintaining route wise registers, while rules relating to violation of seat reservation for women and senior citizens were found violated.

The volunteers demanded compulsory issuance of tickets on all routes, besides implementation of rules pertaining to uniforms and badges for the bus drivers and conductors.

They called for stopping the use of folding doors and display of do’s and don’t stickers in every bus.

GOACAN coordinator Roland Martins said the review of the improvements will be taken up on a monthly basis under the supervision of the Assistant Director of Transport.

The Assistant Director of Transport will be responsible to submit an Action taken report to the Director of Transport (Panjim) and Additional Collector, south, besides District Consumer Protection Officer, Margao.

“Let the Ganesh festivities get over by next week and the RTO will crack a whip on the erring bus operators by the month end”, he said, adding that the RTO would cover 50 per cent of the bus routes in the first phase of operation.

Financial assistance provided to needy in Pernem taluka HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, SEPT 10

Financial assistance amounting to Rs 6.15 lakh was disbursed on Thursday to 101 beneficiaries of Pernem taluka under the Kanyadhan Scheme and Rajiv Awas Yojana.

The financial assistance was disbursed at the hands of Panchayat Minister, Manohar Azgaonkar and MLA Laxmikant Parsekar at a function organized at Pernem.

The Kanydhan Scheme is being implemented by the Directorate of Women and Child Development. Each beneficiary was given Rs 15,000 under Rajiv Awas Yojana while Rs 3.75 lakh was disbursed to 60 beneficiaries to undertake house repairs as the first installment. The amount each beneficiary was given Rs 6,250.

Speaking on the occasion, Azgaonkar said, the government was committed to work for upliftment of the weaker sections of society and overall development of the state. He appealed to the masses to come forward

and avail benefits of the schemes. The Panchayat Minister said the Kanyadhan scheme is aimed at providing financial assistance to economically backward section for marriage of their daughters.

Azgaonkar said, he favoured the proposal for setting up the Mopa airport and the Sports City at Dhargal. The projects once completed would give a face lift to the entire taluka and will create avenues of employment, he added.

MLA Laximikant Parsekar said, the government is working to give Pernem taluka a new look and said that people representing various groups should join hands in the development of the state.

Surangi Harmalkar, ZP Member, was also present on the occasion. Tushar Harmalkar, BDO welcomed the guests and Govekar CDPO proposed the vote of thanks. Bharat Bagkar compered the function. Later, Azgaonkar also inaugurated Saint Tukaram Sarvajanik Library at Nagzar in Pernem taluka.

MP promises bi-monthly train to Vailankanni HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, SEPT 10

W ith the direct train to Vailankanni evoking good response from Goans, South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha has now promised to petition to the railway authorities to run the train between Goa and Nagapatinam bi-monthly.

“I will take up the matter with the Union Railway Minister and officials to ensure that Goans can get a direct train to visit Vailankani at least twice a month”, Sardinha told newsmen during his visit to the district Collectorate here on Wednesday.

Commenting on the National highway project, the South Goa

MP said that government should try to approve an alignment after taking note of the sentiments of the people.

He admitted that the delay in the alignment of the highway would cause a delay in the construction of the three bridges at Zuari, Talpona and Galgibaga, but exuded confidence that work on these three bridges should hopefully commence by December end.

The MP reviewed works under the MLPAD scheme during his visit to the collectorate and said that stress would be laid on education while implementing the scheme.

awareness programmes, BMI assessment, haemogloblin level estimation, etc.

On the occasion, a lively skit was also presented by the Anganwadi workers, which highlighted some of the aspects of nutrition.

Later, the winners of the poster competition and recipe competition were awarded at the hands of the guests. The winners of the poster competition were Nikita Mahale from Panjim (first), Kritika Borkar from Old Goa (second), Diksha Vengurlekar from Ribandar (third), Succorine Fernandes from Mandur (fourth) and Reema Haldankar from Chincholem-Bhatlem (fifth).

The winners of the recipe contest were Mohini Sawant (first), Gauri Vernekar (second) and Deepa Vaigankar (third).

IAS officer Shivkumar, Dr Palekar and Chimbel deputy Sarpanch Hazel Fernandes were present on the occasion. Meena Phadte compered the function and mukhiya sevika Vijaya Vernekar proposed the vote of thanks.

It’s not just piling garbage and the stinking toilet block that has given a bad look for the Margao KTC bus stand.

The canteen lie in an unhygienic state, with leaking roofs, broken toilet doors and an overflowing soak pit just behind the premises poses a health hazard to the customers and KTC employees alike.

Margao Urban Health Official, Dr Geeta Kakodkar admitted that the canteen does lack hygiene and needs measures to put the hygiene in place.

What has come as a shock to the authorities is the fact that sewage waters had accumulated at an open space just behind the canteen premises. Inquiries has revealed that the soak pit has been overflowing for quite some time, but the authorities have not bothered to empty the septic tank for reasons best known to them.

Incidentally, the situation at the rest room for the KTC bus drivers was no better with the employees forced to take rest on the floor in the absence of any sitting or resting facilties.

Another interesting fact that came to light at the canteen premises is the parking of two wheelers all along the corridor in violation of the rules.

Meanwhile, inspection of the KTC bus stand has unraveled the worst situation with mounds of garbage strewn all over the stand. The authorities saw for themselves the stinking toilet block as they inspected the premises on the request of NGO GOACAN. Senior officials from the Directorate of Health Services were part of the team which

The kitchen room of the KTC canteen.

inspected the bus stand. And, they expressed their unhappiness over the state of affairs.

Says Margao Urban Health Officer, Dr Geeta Kakodkar: “There should be coordination between the Margao Municipal Council and the KTC management over the disposal of garbage. The

Food and Drugs Administration should also be called to work out a solution”.

Dr Kakodkar said she would call take up the matter with the deputy Collector, Margao to convene a meeting of all concerned agencies for coordinated action at the Bus stand.

‘Govt scheme has benefitted farmers’ HERALD CORRESPONDENT VALPOI, SEPT 10

Claiming that Goa is first State to offer a scheme to procure local vegetables and sell it through their outlets, Agriculture Minister said the scheme has promoted rural small scale farming and farmers in the state.

He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the vegetables procurement cum retail outlet of the Goa Horticulture Corporation at Krishi Melava at Laxmibai memorial hall, Valpoi.

Others present at the function included Chairman of Horticulture Corporation Sankalp Amonker, Director of Agriculture

Satish Tendulker, Orlando Rodriques, VMC Chairperson Gulzar Bi Khan and former MLA Ashok Parob.

The minister said wholesale vegetables would be available at the retail outlet, which is an effort by the State government to curb inflation.

Earlier, a cheque for Rs 8000 was given to a mahila mandal which had taken up the cultivation of local vegetables.

Cheques for support price of sugarcane were also distributed to farmers.

Earlier, Orlando Rodriques welcomed the gathering, while Zonal Agriculture officer Sanjeev Mayekar later proposed the vote of thanks.

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Sweepers in police dept earn salary on par with jail guards!

VIBHA VERMA PANJIM, SEPT 10

In what seems to be apparent step motherly treatment given to prison staff, the salary earned by a jail guard is equal to that of salary paid to sweeper in the police department.

The comparison of pay scales between both the departments, which are in handling crucial issues and notorious persons, reveals that the police department is having an upper hand over the prison staff.

Almost half a dozen petitions over the anomaly in payscales have been filed in the Bombay High Court at Goa. “The salary of jail guards has 5,200 basic and 2200 plus 1800 grade pay even after the sixth pay commission implementation. This is the salary earned by a sweeper level

One rescued at Colva beach HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, SEPT 10

A LDC attached to the Margao police headquarters was rescued by the life guards and locals at the Colva beach after he went deep into the waters at Colva beach on Wednesday morning.

Locals informed that the LDC came to the beach on his motorcycle and after parking his two-wheeler walked into the sea. “We raised an alarm after the LDC ventured deep into the water and alerted the life guards, who rushed into the waters and rescued him”, informed a local resident.

Dhristi said the LDC was caught by rip current and was pulled inside, even as lifeguard Rocky Fernandes rushed towards the victim with a rescue tube and finally secured him on the shore.

After he introduced himself as an LDC working in the police department, the Colva police rushed to the beach and took him in their custody.

DySP Umesh Gaonkar said the LDC was slightly in a disturbed frame of mind and had joined duties only two days ago after proceeding on long leave.

Dr Moraskar is Mapusa Ganeshotsav chief HERALD CORRESPONDENT PORVORIM, SEPT 10

Dr Ramachandra Moraskar was elected president of Mapusa Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav 2010.

Other committee members elected are Umesh Dhavajker (vice president), Pandurang Sawant (secretary), Sreepad Yende (assistant secretary), Jaiprakash Poblekar (treasurer), Vasudev Amonker (assistant treasurer) and Anan Kitarmekar, Jaimesh Chari, Suraj Dangui, Harish Nasnodker and Prakash Dumal (members).

The organizing committee will organise various entertainment programme and competitions for nine days commencing from September 13 till September 21.

On September 13, businessman Suresh Kolvaker will release the Souvenir at 5.30 pm, followed by programme of devotional songs 'Swar Tarangini', on September 14 at 7.30 pm, there would be programme of films songs, gazals and Lavani 'Bhaktitarang' and on September 15, Pandit Shekharbuva Uyas will deliver Kirtan at 6 pm.

Comedy dramas 'Bajirav Mast Me' and 'Chehraferi' will be staged on September 16 and 17 at 10 pm respectively.

Ganeshotsav Mandal will also organise elocution and Kathakathan competitions for the students of high schools in Mapusa on September 18 and on September 19, students from Mapusa, who secured highest marks in SSC and XII examinations of Goa Board and the degree examination of Goa University will be felicitated by Registrar of Goa University Dr Mohan Sangodker.

Prashant Damle Fan Foundation will stage drama 'Bahurupi' on September 20 at 10 pm and on September 21, dance programme 'Lakh Lakh Chanderi' will be held at 10 pm. The Ganesh idol will be immersed on September 22 in the evening.

person in police department,” a prison official said.

Whereas the salary earned by a police constable is Rs 5200 basic and Rs 2200 plus Rs 1900, which includes 13th month pay and weekly off.

“The jail guards’ duty is full of tensions and they have no time to breathe. Even if you get hours break between the duty hours, they are asked to take out the prisoners which is a tremendous risky job,” a senior jail officer said.

The jail officials undergo severe training par with Goa police at Police Training school at Valpoi. Despite such rigorous training and filtered recruitment which is difficult to pass, the jail guards when they are posted are given a lesser treatment.

“Police are given salary for 13 months annually while for jail staff, the salary is only of 12 months with no incentives of whatsoever,” he said.

The duty in jail, at times, is horrendous considering the suicidal tendencies and aggressive behaviour of the inmates. The recent survey has indicated that the aggressive and violent behaviour is on rise in state’s jails.

The jail guards feel that a statement by their former Additional Inspector General of Prisons, Vasant Bodnekar has added to their woes. The High Court had asked for de-

tails from the ‘Prisons’ department in response to the petitions filed by assistant jailor, jailor, jail guard, warder, lady warder and others.

“Bodnekar in the reply to High Court had said that jail guards are having two hours duty and four hours free time which subsequently follows throughout any working day.

Based on this submission the pay scale was left low by the authorities,” a senior officials stated.

The jail staffers, who do not want to come out fearing disciplinary proceedings, said that they don’t want a break of four hours which is just for name sake.

“Even during the break we are made to slog. Our job demands to look after the prisoners and take them out of the cell for fresh air or even doctor’s treatment which is outside the secured walls of the jail…Even inmates who are either remanded or sentenced and pushed behind bars, the duty is yet again with the jail authorities,” he said.

The recreation, reformation and rehabilitation job of the prisoners is also done by the jail guards. When contacted the Inspector General of Prisons Mihir Vardhan said that he is carrying out an inquiry in the matter.

Psychiatrists stress on proper counseling to prevent suicides HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, SEPT 10

While Nadia Torrado’s suicide case shook the state couple of months ago, there are several other suicidal cases which have gone unnoticed with no proper counseling at hand available.

Nadia death case had exposed the use of lethal dose ‘Ratol poison paste’ to kill oneself. Subsequently, after the case attained limelight, there were incidents of more suicides by using the Ratol.

In recognition of the World Suicide Prevention Day on Friday – September 10, counselors urge that public awareness should embark at the grass root level and any fidgety emotions ought to be discussed.

The psychiatrists see that absence of proper counseling leads to suicides, which can be averted with the help of family members and psychiatrists/counselors.

“Cases of suicides come day in and out. Important is to create awareness at every stage of life right from school level to help one in long term,” said Dr Brahmanand Kunkolienkar, Medical Superintendent of Institute of Psychiatric and Human Behaviour.

Goa has seen stable number of suicidal deaths in last few years. The data available from Goa police indicates that 287 suicidal deaths were reported in 2008 while a total number of 278 suicides were reported in 2009. The statistics for 2010 till date has not been compiled yet.

Of these total suicide cases majority were by hanging com-

prising of 162 and 160 suicides in 2008 and 2009 respectively, followed by drowning.

Whereas, deaths due to poisoning and insecticides, have been calculated to 25 and 21 in the same respective years.

The MS said that proper counseling is obligatory for a person with the world under-

going modifications every moment. Stressful life including competitions either in education or securing jobs, even relationships ‘psycho-sexual problems’, health issues and other matters results in abnormal tendencies in many sans proper guidance.

The doctors underscore the

importance of counseling to a person in depression. There are several who talk suicides seriously and many have survived suicide attempts. “All depressions can be treated by counseling but grave depression needs medication. If a person shows repeated suicide attempts or life threatening, an

immediate treatment to is shock therapy,” Dr Kunkolienkar further said.

The latest trend especially among the youngsters is suicide, which they believe is the ultimate solution. Those who survive have an opportunity to regret but not all as some lose their lives.

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College management refuses to reinstate lecturer PTI THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPT 10

Unfazed by wide criticism of its action, the management of a church-run college has refused to reinstate dismissed lecturer T J Joseph, whose hand was chopped off by activists of radical group PFI, but the government said it might step in, if necessary.

As Joseph made a plea to the college to reinstate him, the college bluntly told him his explanations were not convincing at all and any relaxation of disciplinary action would be based only on the court decision.

According to church sources, Newman College manager Fr Thomas Malekkudy has responded to plea of Joseph, who was attacked by alleged activists of Popular Front of India on July 4 for preparing a question paper with alleged derogatory references to Prophet Mohammad.

Mahatma Gandhi University Syndicate had described the ac-

tion on Joseph as a ‘naked violation’ of the relevant provision of MG Act and asked the college to revoke the dismissal order, which involved “gross violation” of procedures.

Ignoring the public outcry against its action and the syndicate directive, the college maintained that Joseph had never admitted to his serious mistake in his reply to the letters sent by the management.

Speaking to reporters at Thrissur, Education Minister M A Baby said the college management did not follow due procedures while dismissing Joseph and if necessary, the government would intervene if the management was not willing to reconsider its decision.

“The management’s decision was like sentencing a person to life imprisonment for a minor crime. The government will watch what steps the college management is going to take on the syndicate’s directive,”

Baby said.

He said Joseph’s dismissal did not augur well for a healthy academic atmosphere nor was it in tune with democratic spirit.

Joseph was first suspended in March for preparing the question paper which raised the hackles of Muslim outfits and was sacked on September 1.

The management in its letter refusing to reconsider its decision, also accused Joseph of trying to shed personal responsibility and put the blame on the college principal and the management after the controversy erupted.

The decision to sack Joseph had led to public outcry with several intellectuals, writers, activists and others rallying behind him and condemning his dismissal.

Two days ago, Joseph made a personal plea to the college management to reinstate him as his family relied on his income.

People selecting from the collection of Lord Ganesh idols on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi in Jaipur on Friday.

Delhi on edge as Yamuna water level crosses danger mark PTI NEW DELHI, SEPT 10

Delhi was on edge today with the water level in Yamuna rising one meter above the danger mark, threatening to flood the nearby low lying areas even as Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit appealed to people not to panic.

The water level in the river touched 205.88 meter at 3 pm and is likely to rise further in the evening when water released from Hathanikund Barrage in Haryana reaches the city, a Flood Control Department official said.

Yamuna had crossed danger level of 204.83 metres yesterday, prompting authorities to evacuate hundreds of people living in the low lying areas. Seventy-four boats and 68 divers have also been pressed into service.

Dikshit, asking people not to panic said though Haryana has released nearly 9 lakh cusec of water in the last three days, there may not be much threat to the city as water has dispersed due to breaking of embankments along the route.

“I was told that at 10 am today somewhere along the route embankments have broken and the water has dispersed. We were expecting around 3.5 lakh cusec water to reach Delhi. Now

n The water level in the river touched 205.88 meter at 3 pm and is likely to rise further in the evening when water released from Hathanikund Barrage in Haryana reaches the city, a Flood Control Department official said. it may get reduced,” she said.

“With this, the kind of threat we were anticipating may not be there,” she said.

Flood Control Minister Raj Kumar Chouhan said over 100 booster pumps were fitted along the banks of the river to pump out water which may enter the low-lying areas.

“We are constantly monitoring the situation and ready for any eventualities,” he said.

“Haryana released nearly one lakh cusec of water today,” an official said.

Last month too, the water level in the Yamuna rose above the danger level, prompting authorities to shift a large number of people to relief camps.

Concert to create awareness on Millennium Development Goals PTI NEW DELHI, SEPT 10

Indian percussionists and musicians will stand up and make a noise, literally, to create awareness about the Millennium Development Goals ahead of a review meeting at the United Nations General Assembly Summit.

In a special concert at Purana Quila here on September 18, an ensemble of around 100 drummers and string musicians from across the country would let the crescendo of their music do the talking to highlight the urgent action needed to meet the MDGs. “The event is part of a global campaign to create awareness about the MDGs that various governments had made a commitment at the UN in the year 2000 and has to be achieved by the 2015,” Mandira Moddie, an UN official associated with the millennium campaign in India, told PTI. Partnered by various civil society organisations such as Oxfam and Save the Children, the concert in Delhi as well as an ensuing photo exhibition, will be one of thousands of strategic “Stand Up, Take Action, Make Noise” events

around the world from 17-19 September that seeks to advocate for more urgent action by governments to meet the developmental goals by next five years.

“This year the UN is hosting a General Assembly to review what progress the various countries have made so far as well as to strategise to accelerate action to meet the goals. Internally various civil society organisations in different countries are doing various activities to raise awareness.

“The Indian leg of the global campaign will be the concert through which we hope to create visibility for the MDGs,” says Moddie.

Deliberately shorn of celebrated names, the concert, however, brings together composers Sharat Chandra Srivastava from Delhi, Mayanglambam Mangangsana from Imphal and Shri Ganesh from Tamil Nadu to conduct the orchestra for solo pieces that merge together in a grand finale.

Sanjeev Bhargava, Director Seher, which is organizing the concert, says, “We have not included any celebrities because the idea is to conceptualise an event that will move ordinary

men to stand up and make a noise and prompt their government to achieve their goals set by the UN charter.

“Apart from Africa, India is perhaps the only country in the world which has such a diverse set of percussion instruments all over the country and we thought a percussion concert will also make the essence of India stand out.”

The concert in Delhi scheduled to be telecast on Doordarshan and Zee TV will also be made into a film to be shown at different venues, he adds.

World leaders will meet for a three day summit at the UN headquarters in New York beginning September 21 to review the eight MDG goals set in 2000 aiming to be reached by 2015.

The goals include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDs, malaria, and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development.

OHERALDO

OPINION

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O HERALD O Vol No CX No: 231 Goa, Saturday 11 September, 2010

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Harbinger of happiness

oday is the Goan festival of ‘Chovoth’. As the name suggests, it is the fourth day of the Shukla Paksha (fortnight of the brightening moon) of the month of Bhadrapad in the traditional Hindu lunar calendar. This is the day when all of Goa goes home. The streets of cities fall silent as Goans return to their native villages to welcome and worship Lord Ganesha. This elephant-headed deity is the best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon.

‘Sukhakarta’ (creator of happiness) and ‘Dukhaharta’ (dispeller of sorrow), Ganapati is the God of intellect and wisdom; his name – Shree – is taken before performing any task.

Every cultural performance begins with an invocation to Ganapati, the remover of obstacles. Apart from the Indian sub-continent, his images have been found as far away as in Cambodia (Angkor Wat), Indonesia (Java) and in Tibet.

Today, there will be traditional ‘aartis’, ‘bhajans’ and firecrackers. The sweet smell of vegetarian cooking in ‘tup’ or ghee will fill the air, as people make the traditional ‘Chovoth’ meal – with five varieties of vegetables and bhajia – and prepare sweets like ‘nevryo’ and ‘modak’.

This is the time when – as Catholics do at Christmas – Goan Hindus from all over the country and the world come home to be with their families and worship together. Village houses, closed for much of the year or inhabited only by the aged, come to life and resound with the patter of children’s feet, as joint families once more come together.

Three and even four generations together pay homage to this quaint-looking but lovable deity that has the head of an elephant, one broken tusk, a huge pot belly tied with a snake, rides on a mouse and loves eating sweets.

This child of Lord Shiva, says one story, was made by his consort, the Goddess Parvati, using the grime from her body and infused with life to stand guard and let no one enter while she had a bath. When Lord Shiva came home, it is said, young Ganpati refused to allow him in, as instructed by his mother. A furious Shiva cut his head off, only to fall afoul of an incensed Parvati, who wanted her loyal guard brought back to life. Shiva promised to cut off the head of the first creature he saw and restore Ganapati to life. That’s how he got his elephant’s head and one of his thousandodd names, Gajanana (elephant headed).

He is also called Vakratund (crooked face), Lambodar (potbellied) Shurpa Karna (ears like a winnowing fan), Raktavarna (red skinned), Ekdanta (single toothed) and so many others.

Ganapati is fond of the colour red, and is offered red flowers in worship. He is non-sectarian, worshipped by all castes and denominations, and practically in every corner of the country. Ganapati grants success, prosperity and protection against adversity.

Today, in the morning, a clay idol of Ganapati will be brought home and placed in a ‘matov’ with a beautiful ‘mattolli’ above, decorated with bunches of betel nut, coconut, bananas, mango leaves, banana flowers and other produce of the season. A puja will be performed, followed by an ‘aarti’, after which the food will be first presented to the deity in a ritual called ‘naivedya’. It is only after this that members of the household will sit down to eat their special ‘Chovoth’ meal.

An ‘aarti’ is then performed every afternoon and night, till it is time for the ‘visarjan’, when the idol is taken in a procession with great fanfare and immersed in a pond, well, river, lake or in the sea to shouts of “Ganpati Bappa Morya” and the lighting of firecrackers. Most households keep the idol only for two days, while a few keep it for five, seven or eleven days.

‘Chowoth’ in Goa is unique, and quite unlike anywhere else in the country. Lord Ganapati has truly blessed this land and its people. We only wish he would bring wisdom and enlightenment to its rulers.

Save Hinduism from HJS Jerry Fernandes, Saligao I strongly condemn the Goa government headed by Digambar Kamat for pampering non-Goan extremist groups like the ‘Hindu Janajagruti Samiti’ and the ‘Sanatan Sanstha’, allowing them to terrorise our artists. Dr Jose Pereira is a renowned Sanskrit scholar who has thoroughly studied Hindu scriptures. He can recite passages from the holy books of Hinduism, including the ‘Bhagwad Geeta’. Even a devoted Hindu will not be able to do so.

No one should be allowed to threaten Goan greats like Dr Pereira by spreading fabricated lies. Non-Goan extremist groups

100 Years Ago

PRIMEIRO DIARIO NAS COLONIAS PORTUGEZAS

11 September 1910 Paddy crop wilts

The paddy fields in the South of Goa are drying up due to scarcity of pluvial water. But all is not lost; the early morning mist is a consolation, with its muchneeded morning wetness.

Roosevelt allergy

M Zimmerman from Cincinnati, USA, father of the Duchess of Manchester, publicly stated that should Mr Roosevelt be elected the next President of the USA, he would renounce his American citizenship, travel to Great Britain and pledge his support to King George V!

Deputies’ Election

The Official Bulletin published the Decree where various providential measures are delineated to be undertaken in question of the next election for the State’s Deputies.

Literary Society set up

Some Hindus have established a Portuguese Literary Society in the Deulwaddo ward of the City.

Homosexuality: Cultural advance, decay or both?

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in portugal, homosexuality can be traced back to the roman occupation, says tEotÓnio r DE soUZA

he Biblical references in the books of Deuteronomy, Kings and St Paul’s letter to Romans chastise in strong terms and with dire consequences the ‘sodomites’. ‘The Abject Sin’ (“Pecado Nefando” in the Inquisition files) was also defined in the Buggery Act of 1533, approved in England under Henry VIII in 1534. The State was thereby taking away the jurisdiction of the Church in this respect. Infractions were punishable with hanging, a penalty that was only abolished in 1861. It was only in 1967 that English law excluded from punishment homosexual acts among adults, conducted privately and with mutual consent.

Apart from converted Jews – the so-called ‘new Christians’ or Cypto-Jews – in the Portuguese Inquisition (including its Goan extension) sodomites were the most watched section of the population and also the most penalised, with torture and burning at the stake. Condemnations were based upon inherited Judeo-Christian morality, which considered sexual acts among persons of the same sex as contra natura and as the most abject, dirty and dishonest sin, which was bound to provoke divine anger and put humanity at risk.

Floods, famines, epidemics and other disasters were attributed to such divine wrath. The crime of sodomy belonged to the common jurisdiction of kings and the Church, and as a result of the fear, tears and different forms of subterfuge were commonly resorted to by the accused.

In 16th century Portugal, the sodomites (fanchonos) were imprisoned in the secret cells of Rocio and other prisons of the Inquisition in the continent and elsewhere in the empire. Most victims had their goods confiscated, were whipped in public, exiled to stations overseas or condemned to hard labour in the galleys or the gunpowder manufactory of Goa. A few dozens were burnt during autos-da-fé.

The need of hiding themselves from public discredit gave rise to a culture of cypto-sodomites, equivalent to the crypto-Jews. The ‘fanchonos’ were bolder characters who did not care for anonymity or their reputation being tarnished.

Today we would classify them as ‘assumed’ gays.

The most recent case of paedophilia in Portugal ended in the conviction of six accused after a long-drawn judicial process that lasted nearly six years, with much media-attention worldwide. A house in Elvas was frequently mentioned as a meeting point where the accused sexually abused children from a state-run edu-

HistoricAl ExplorAtions cational institution.

Curiously, the records of the Evora Inquisition in 1621 describe the case of Domingos Fernandes, from Elvas, also accused of paedophilia. He confessed his sin when threatened with torture, but denied everything later. None of the accused in the present-day scandal are associated with the clergy, but the records of the Inquisition include all categories of clergymen among the accused and those punished.

O Barão de Lavos (1891) is a novel by the Portuguese author Abel Botelho, who was influenced by the writings of Émile Zola. The author presented his novels as analysing the Patologia Social.

He wished to denounce a social malady that affected his country at the close of the 19th century.

The Baron of Lavos, Sebastião Pires de Castro, was obssessed with persons of the same sex, and ended up destroying his married life as well as the fortune he had inherited. Homosexuality is presented as an inherited disease. Nineteenth century scientific ‘naturalism’ defended Judeo-

All-new ball game

Tongue in Cheek

I

n the past week or so, we were bombarded with news of balls.

First there was the episode of Pakistani bowlers bowling noballs at a premium. Then, there was the case of tar balls making their presence felt on our beaches. But the news that really grabbed the headlines was the disappearance of the alleged drug peddler Atala. It seems that the cops made a gotala of the Atala case.

It seems that crime in Goa is now being carried out in partnership, where even more than parties are involved. We have the politician-police-drug nexus. This probably proved to be a profitable partnership business venture, where everyone had their (hash) cake and ate it too.

Did someone say something about ‘Bolting the stable door after the horse has bolted?’ Well the Atala case seems to be just that.

Atala was here with the police and now he has disappeared into thin air. Was it a case of ‘fixing’ just like the match-fixing that is in the air? Well don’t blame the cops. Atala knew too much for their (the cops’) comfort. So, no Atala means that the police and politicians

like the HJS and Sanatan Sanstha misguide our peace-loving Hindus with pseudo-nationalist lies to disturb Goa’s communal harmony. They should be banned immediately. These two publicity-hungry extremist groups have been maligning this great religion and dividing Goans. Let us ban them, protect communal harmony and save Hinduism.

Don’t burn the Book Michael Vaz, Merces It is outrageous that a little known evangelical Christian Church in the US plans to burn copies of the holy Quran on the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attack. No right thinking person, irrespective of religion, would ever approve.

Islamic extremists may have been responsible for the 9/11 attack on the twin towers. But can burning the holy Book of the Muslims ever be a solution? It can only trigger further animosity and hate. There cannot be a more un-Christian act. Christianity preaches love and forgiveness. Two wrongs can never make a right.

Teachers felicitated Lodovina Menezes e Fernandes, Velim The felicitation of teachers of schools scoring 100 per cent results during 2009-2010

by Rajhauns, held on 22 August at Hotel Mandovi, Panjim, was a unique event, with no media and no politicians, thanks to Rajhauns publisher Prabhakar Bhinde and his team.

They realised the efforts and hard work of SSC teachers. It is said that appreciation is the most positive force, if given at the right time. Rajhauns did this, when it should have been the Education Department, which sends memos when the result is less than 30 per cent, but is silent when the results are 100 per cent.

About Portuguese media Antonio Lobo, Mapusa Frederick Noronha’s ‘Peepli (live) comes to Goa’ (Herald, 1 Sept) contained an allencompassing comment that Portugueseera media “had been discredited, thanks to its close links with the colonial power”.

Christian morality on a different basis, maintaining that procreation is the natural and only legitimate goal of sexual activity.

His O Livro de Alda (1898) is moulded on similar lines, but represents lesbian tendencies. We should not forget that Abel Botelho was a member of the state-appointed committee that designed the national flag of Republican Portugal.

He wished to convey the ideals of the Republic for the regeneration of the nation. This consideration will be particularly interesting in the background of the first centenary of the Portuguese Republic, to be commemorated later this year. The judgment on the paedophilia scandal in Portugal gains greater significance in this context.

On 8 January 2010, the Portuguese Parliament approved gay marriages with the support of the Socialist and Left parties. On 17 May the President of Portugal ratified the legislation, making Portugal the sixth European nation to do so.

In Portugal, homosexuality can be traced back

to the times of the Roman occupation. Portuguese historian A H Oliveira Marques has studied homosexuality in medieval Portugal, and Brazilian historian Luiz Mott continues to provide us extensive research on homosexuality and pederasty in modern Portugal.

I would suggest to those interested in this subject to start reading the classic plays of Gil Vicente, a court dramatist and a social critic of early 16th century Portugal. His Auto da India (1509) is particularly interesting, with his sarcasm about wives and lovers who pretended sadness about the departure of their menfolk to India.

The Portuguese Discoveries continue to be celebrated as the beacon of national glory, but the massive (within the limits of Portuguese population figures at the time) exit of menfolk contributed to the promotion of sodomy overseas and lesbianism at home. That is precisely what provided grist to the mills of the Inquisition.

What Abel Botelho was exposing as a social pathology in his novels was the national pathology, a result of a long-term disequilibrium of the malefemale ratio in the population at home and abroad during five centuries of the Portuguese empire.

The effects have come to stay, and the recent paedophilia sandal, which involved all levels of the Portuguese bourgeoisie, is certainly not a stray incident.

On 2 July 2009, the Delhi High Court decriminalised homosexual intercourse between consenting adults throughout India, holding that Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) violated the fundamental right to life and liberty and the right to equality as guaranteed by the Constitution of India. As for paedophilia, Goa has yet to clear the bad reputation it gained as a paedophile paradise, despite the first life sentence for paedophilia in India for Anglo-Indian paedophile Freddy Peats in Aguada jail in 1996.

I do not think we had no paedophiles in traditional Goan villages and within our families. Unfortunately, I have sad memories of paedophilia in a Goan seminary, where the senior inmates abused younger ones. It was called ‘pokodpiação’ (a mix of the lusitanised vernacular expression).

I could name some of the violators, but I wish some of my contemporaries would come forward and confirm this sad reality in an institution that trained future priests. It is curious how such shameful practices – and they were not isolated instances – continue to belong to the realm of silence.

can breathe easy.

Has Atala left India, or has he been eliminated and left the world? That’s the big question. Now it’s an all new ball game.

And, indeed, the ball is in the police’s court. They should have considered themselves lucky, as Lucky Farmhouse, Atala’s ex-girlfriend, was in India and could have been interrogated by the cops.

But the police chose to ignore her. Now they are planning to interrogate Lucky Farmhouse in Sweden, where she probably owns a farmhouse. These cops should consider themselves ‘Lucky’.

Imagine interrogating a model as good-looking as Lucky in her own Farmhouse! Be that as it may, it remains to be seen which way the case goes.

That brings us to a new theory in cricket. It pays to bowl a noball. After the no-ball controversy, where the Sri Lankan bowler Randiv denied Indian batsman Virendra Sehwag the luxury of a century by bowling a no-ball, there have been more controversies surrounding no-balls, as far as Pakistani cricket is concerned.

By Adelmo Fernandes Imagine being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds (by bookies) to bowl no-balls… From now on, bowlers will practice only one thing – bowling no-balls – since there is such a lot of money to be made doing it. Provided, of course, that you do not end up in a fix (for match-fixing or spot-fixing).

The latest news making the rounds is that cricket bosses are thinking of legalising betting in cricket. So while batsmen bat in the middle, people in the stands can bet. Cricket will never be the same again. It will be an all-new ball game.

But then, there is nothing new about the tar balls that keep rolling on to our once-beautiful beaches. These tar balls seem to be growing by the day. People have been suggesting that these tar balls should be used to tar our pot-holed roads. Look out for contractors heading to the beaches, not for sand extraction but to extract tar balls. This will be an all-new ball game for these contractors.

And what ball game are our politicians playing? Well they certainly are finding it very difficult to set the ball rolling…

Letters to the Editor Letter of the Day

A tale of two towns

Eric Pinto, Porvorim

The degeneration of Mapusa is palpable. A once well-planned town is falling to ruin.

South of the nallah that demarcates the old town, a concrete jungle has sprouted that defies definition. No roads; just buildings, dark entrances and offices that reek of subterfuge rather than business.

Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar lives in Mapusa, where his colleague Francis D’Souza is its MLA. In focusing on Parrikar’s expertise as a smart questioner in the Legislative Assembly, we forget to ask what he has done for his hometown when he was CM, because that town’s problems span over a decade.

If councillors are always to be blamed, then pray, what is the role of the MLA? Or the CM? Silent bystanders…?

Let us look at Panjim’s Nariman Point – Patto Plaza – it is almost a Mapusa, with roads that lost their tar topping two years ago, crumbling gutters and footpaths, haphazard parking… Do we only blame the councilors?

If Panjim’s city centre looks a little better, it is due to the efforts of citizens like Patricia Pinto and others, who set the agenda with their activism. Mapusa lacks such people and that has been its bane.

This ignores courageous journalists who suffered at the hands of the dictatorial regime.

Even then, the media protested in a peaceful manner; portions of articles ordered to be deleted by the censor were left blank, often infuriating the authorities.

The article ignores the role played by the ‘Portuguese’ media from 1962, which took up the fight against Goa’s proposed merger with Maharashtra.

It also protested against systematic absorption of Maharashtrian civil servants, police, teachers, surveyors, etc, brought to Goa as deputationists to destroy the existing government cadre manned wholly

by Goans. It fought Chief Minister Dayanand Bandodkar’s bid to rename Vasco as Sambhaji Nagar.

If the Portuguese media died, it was from extensive migration of Portuguese readers from 1962 onwards, and the end of Portuguese education in Goa. After Liberation, pro-Indian writers (as opposed to pro-Portuguese) such as the late Dr Carmo Azevedo, Dr Carmo Noronha, et al, dominated the Portuguese media, which included this paper. I am sure they must be turning in their graves after this article!

Mickky framed!

James Moraes, Cuncolim Now, Mickky Pacheco is being framed by the CBI. It is common in India to suppress people’s voices. It is clear that some Congressmen are all out to suppress Mickky Pacheco, but why?

Things turned bad from the day he commented on the drug nexus in Goa, and bad days have followed. Mickky may have committed some sins, but at least he was out to expose the drug nexus in Goa. Mickkybab, fight till the end. You will be rewarded in the next election!

Comunidade calumny Chateaubriand Rodrigues, Cavelossim The letter ‘Despotic attitude’ by Joao Felipe Pereira (Herald, 6 Sept) says the Revenue Minister has given oral orders not to disburse jonos/dividends to Gaunkars. As ex-Secretary of Administration of Comunidades, South Zone, Margao, as well as a Gaunkar of the Comunidade of Cavelossim, I wish to inform him that after the approval of the Comunidade budget by the administrator, he cannot refuse the payment of dividend/jono, and the payment must be disbursed.

Moreover, once approved, the administrator has to fix dates for payments by a notice published in the Official Gazette (read Art 489 of the Code of Comunidades), failing which any aggrieved party can file an appeal in the Administrative Tribunal under Art 126 of the code.

Paths of Wisdom

Naresh’s killers Arwin Mesquita, Abu Dhabi Is Naresh’s murder case 100 per cent solved? In my opinion, things still do not add up. I hope the Goa Police come up with strong evidence to support their case.

I hope all the people involved are identified and charged.

Persecuting the innocent John A Fernandes, Margao Santosh Bale’s letter ‘BJP & criticism’ (Herald, 9 Sept) ignores the fact that there is no proof of any Muslim involvement in the Godhra train burning. The Ahmedabad-based Forensic Science Laboratory concluded that the fire started inside the train and was not activated by a mob from outside.

The investigative weekly Tehelka, which conducted a six-month sting operation on some Sangh Parivar leaders in Gujarat, showed that the entire episode was preplanned. Justice Banerjee’s report attests the same.

In Orissa, it was the Maoists that claimed responsibility for the killing of the VHP leader, but the Sangh Parivar maliciously blamed the Christian community, torching thousands of their houses and churches.

Providentially, the malicious plans of Sanatan Sanstha activists misfired at Margao and Sancoale, otherwise there might have been a bloodbath in Goa. Letters should be 150 words or less in length, and should have the writer’s name, address and telephone number. The editor reserves the right to edit letters for size and readability, and to delete any personal attacks or libellous /objectionable matter.

The Boy who watered the Root

by Sri Swami Sivananda

A father wanted to test the intelligence of his two sons. He allotted each of them the task of looking after a mango tree, promising to reward the boy whose tree yielded the best fruit in abundance. The foolish boy discovered that the leaves were withering off and that flowers were coming up at the end of the branches.

Promptly, he went up the tree and carefully watered every leaf. The leaves withered still more and the tree eventually died. The wise boy on the other hand, went on watering the root; the tree was green and healthy and yielded delicious fruits in abundance.

Similarly, God gives human birth to man to test the evolution of his intelligence. The foolish man, eager to get the reward of Eternal Peace and Immortality, seeks to pay attention to the satisfaction of his sense-cravings, and to the acquisition of worldly knowledge, for he thinks that it is the right way. He dies the miserable death of an ignorant man. The wise man, on the contrary, devotes himself to the contemplation of God, the Root of all Creation, and thus obtains all the wealth and knowledge of the universe. God is well pleased with him and bestows upon him the reward of Immortality and Eternal Bliss.

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OHERALDO

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GOA, SATURDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER 2010

OPinionatEd How to protest & fight injustice

BY AIRES RODRIGUES

In the 1970s, bandhs, morchas, stoning government vehicles and deflating tyres was a common mode of agitation to build momentum on an issue. Public meetings and hunger strikes now have no effect on authorities, as they have become insensitive to people’s concerns. However, today there are many alternatives to highlight issues and seek redress.

To ensure good governance and proper administration, the Right to Information (RTI) is not the only tool available to vigilant citizens. RTI is one of the many potent weapons for demanding proper implementation of laws and rules. In challenging established ways of doing things and for unleashing community forces for change to alter bureaucratic perception and behaviour on various issues, it is not just a matter of filing a single RTI application. It involves developing and using a wide variety of lawful and non-violent tools for getting action on issues concerned. These are powerful tools, which must become part of every thought-process seeking changes in governance and administration.

In taking up any issue, one has to do groundwork by gathering documentation backed by data. It is necessary to collect the necessary documents, facts and figures, to get a solid understanding of the problem from different angles, and to also build credibility before the authorities and the public at large.

Every demand and allegation made should be backed up with facts and figures, and supported by relevant laws and rules.

For gathering documents and data, RTI is one way. Newspapers are an important source of information, as is networking with other concerned citizens and internet-based research. It is very important to study the relevant laws, rules, guidelines and departmental circulars, and cite them in correspondence and meetings.

Writing representations and filing formal complaints is a foundation step for a citizen to seek change or action from government departments. It is important to write a factual statement outlining issues in a very clear manner. A brief of not more than two pages dealing directly with the subject using factual precision always helps. Endorsing a copy of the complaint to higher authorities is a good way of bringing pressure from above. Complaints can be filed against the wrongdoers, as well as authorities that deliberately ignore wrong doing.

After writing letters, it is often necessary to build up pressure on the authorities by meeting them armed with all the previous correspondence, as well as a fresh letter stating the main problem in a few lines. Meetings are also to be gradually escalated to higher levels if the desired progress does not happen. A formal written commitment must be sought at each meeting.

The commitment should ideally have target dates for clear actions to be performed. It is important to create records of every meeting and every communication with the concerned authorities. Issuing a legal notice helps in establishing locus standi, in case the matter is taken to court. It also forcefully conveys to the authorities that you are willing and able to take the matter to court if necessary.

Approaching like-minded organisations working on the same issue or similar issues can result in pooling of energies. Various issues can be publicised and public-support can be garnered by distributing pamphlets. Posters can also be used to spread awareness on an issue and bring together like-minded people for joint action.

Signature campaigns can be undertaken to make large numbers of individuals commit to a certain stand on an issue. To convince the authorities, it is good to have a number of photographs taken from different angles and at different times that clearly show the problems and the people affected. In fighting against injustice, photos, videos and audio recordings of wrongdoers in action are invaluable. The use of personal cell phone cameras to photograph the collection of ‘hafta’ by government officers and posting those photos on the internet may act as a strong deterrent.

One could also approach the Anti Corruption Bureau and set a trap for corrupt officials and wrongdoers. An FIR can also be lodged with proper evidence under the Prevention of Corruption Act and other relevant Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections.

If any government official’s inaction or wrong action falls within the ambit of criminal law, a police complaint can be made and an FIR registered through the police station. Redress can be sought through a magistrate if the police refuse to act.

Organising seminars and workshops, and inviting officials, ministers and political leaders to speak on the issue and make public commitments can be useful. Conducting Social Audits could help mobilise public opinion, by gathering information and creating pressure on authorities to act.

Approaching the High Court through a Writ Petition or a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is also an option. It is, however, a last resort, as it is necessary to prove to the court that you have exhausted all other available remedies. It involves technical and legal inputs, a lot of preparation and very high legal costs.

At times, getting results of any kind in Courts could take years.

Besides, dismissal of a petition could invite imposition of heavy costs on the petitioner. So, it is a path that one has to tread carefully.

In conclusion, there are many ways to fight against injustice and undo wrongs committed by the authorities. The fight can be cumbersome. We would have fewer battles to wage if we had elected the right persons as our panchas, councillors, MLAs and MPs. As long as that does not happen, we are holed up for a long battle for justice. Having to risk your fingers and even your neck from being chopped should not deter your spirit to fight for what is right.

(The writer can be contacted at airesrodrigues@yahoo.com or 9822684372)

Mallika Sherawat moves HC PTI NAGPUR, SEPT 10

Bollywood actor Mallika Sherawat has approached the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court here to withdraw criminal cases filed against her by a social worker.

Rajnikant Borile had filed an application before the Judicial Magistrate First Class at Pandharkawda in Yavatmal district, seeking registration of offences under IPC Section 291 (continuance of nuisance after injunction to discontinue) against Mallika on April 8, 2009.

The same court issued summons to Mallika on April 3, 2010 but she failed to appear before it.

Borile had alleged that the actress had performed “obscene acts” in films like ‘Shaadi Ke Pehle’, ‘Murder’ and ‘Maan Gaya Mughal-e-Azam’ which were affecting the society and younger generation in particular, he said.

Since the actor was performing for gaining money, she should be booked under IPC Section 291, he contended. Mallika was accordingly booked.

Justice P D Kode, Judge at the HC Bench here yesterday, while declining to postpone the hearing, issued notices to State Government and the respondent Borile, asking them to file reply by September 23.

Police officer killed in Maoist encounter

Less rains hit fish seeds production PTI BERHAMPUR, SEPT 10

PTI DUMKA, SEPT 10

A police officer was killed while two of his colleagues were injured in a fierce encounter with Maoists in the hilly jungles of Jama block in Jharkhand’s Dumka district today.

“The officer-in-charge of Jama police station Satanand Singh died on the spot when a bullet hit him in the head during the gunfight,” Deputy Inspector General of Police B K Pandey told PTI here.

Two others, including a constable of Special Task Force, Ravi Shankar, were injured in the gunbattle and have been airlifted to Ranchi for treatment.

The gunfight began at about 5 am when the police went to the spot after getting a tip-off that Maoists were in the jungles, Inspector General of Police (Operation) R K Malik told reporters in Dumka.

Jharkhand police Chief Neyaz Ahmed, Inspector General of Police (Operation) R K Malik and IG D K Pandey flew to Dumka and held a meeting with the deputy commissioner and the police officers to discuss the Maoist presence in the Santhal Pargana districts.

“Anti-Naxal operations will continue in the areas of Amrapara, Litpara (Pakur district), Kathikund and Gopikandar (Dumka) until all the Maoists are dead or leave the place. Two or three additional companies of forces will be involved in the operation,” Malik said.

Many claimants for berths in Munda cabinet PTI RANCHI, SEPT 10

BJP’s Arjun Munda will take over the reins of Jharkhand for the third time when he is sworn in as Chief Minister tomorrow to head the eighth government in 10 years and leaders of two alliance parties are also expected to take oath along with him.

“The oath-taking at 11:00 am is restricted to two leaders besides Munda as there are too many claimants for ministerial berths,” a senior coalition leader, who did not want to be named, told PTI here today.

The leader mentioned the names of AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto and JMM leader Hemant Soren—son of JMM supremo and former chief minister Shibu Soren. Mahto and Soren are tipped to be deputy chief ministers.

With Governor M O H Farooq having directed Munda to prove his majority in the 81-member assembly within a week after being sworn in, the leader said the Cabinet may be expanded after the floor test, which might take place on September 14.

Munda, who will become chief minister of the mineralrich state for a third time, can have a maximum of 12 ministers in his cabinet including himself.

Renowed film director Maniratnam who received 'Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award ' in Venice, Italy, being felicitated by his fellow director Vikraman at a function, in Chennai on Friday.

SC stays HC order in Rizwanur case

PTI NEW DELHI, SEPT 10

The Supreme Court today stayed the Calcutta High Court order for a fresh probe by the CBI in the sensational Rizwanur Rahman murder case.

A bench of Justices P Sathasivam and B S Chauhan also stayed all consequential proceedings arising out of the order of the High Court which had also directed CBI to register a murder case against Rahman’s fatherin-law and prominent businessman Ashok Kumar Todi in connection with the case.

The apex court asked Todi and others to file fresh bail bonds before the trial judge and posted the matter for final disposal to October 5.

The court passed the order on an appeal filed by the CBI challenging the High Court order directing it to conduct fresh investigation and registering a FIR against Todi.

Appearing for the CBI, Solicitor General, Gopal Subramanium said the High Court order

was unheard of and in blatant contravention of the Criminal Procedure Code since the agency had already filed the chargesheet in the matter.

He submitted that High Court’s direction had consequential effects as the trial had come to a stand still and all the accused were discharged.

The apex court said that it will hear CBI’s appeal along with the appeal filed by Todi, who has also challenged the division’s bench direction.

Todi had on May 28 moved the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order.

The division bench of the Calcutta High Court had on May 18 directed the CBI to treat as an FIR the complaint filed by Rukbanur Rahman, elder brother of Rizwanur, on September 21, 2007.

The bench had observed that Justice Soumitra Pal in his earlier order had only directed the CBI to investigate the cause of the death and file a report to it and had not authorised the agency to investigate the alleged crime.

Haryana slammed for delay in nabbing Hissar culprits PTI NEW DELHI, SEPT 10

The Supreme Court today slammed Haryana government for delay in arresting 60 accused in the killing of two Dalits and torching of houses allegedly by upper caste people at Mirchpur village of Hissar district and said the authorities will have to answer more questions.

“We will ask you (state government) more questions on the issue,” a Bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly said when Haryana

government said it has arrested all the accused in compliance with its August 26 order.

The Bench said it will ask questions to authorities as they swung into action only after the intervention of the apex court.

“Why did you arrest the culprits pursuant to the order of this court and not before,?” the Bench said adding it would like to know from where the accused persons were arrested.

“From where did you arrest the accused? From their village

MP sets 24-hr power supply target by 2013 PTI BHOPAL, SEPT 10

The Madhya Pradesh government has inked MOUs with as many as 28 major private power companies with an aim to supply 24-hour electricity to rural areas in the state by 2013.

“The government has set a target of 24-hour power supply to rural areas by 2013 and for this purpose it has already signed agreements with 28 private power producers for the generation of 40,000 MW of electricity,” Energy Department Secretary, Mohammad Suleman told PTI. The government has also formulated a new Madhya Pradesh (Investment in Power Generation Projects) Policy, 2010 for the purpose and assigned the job of moni t o r i n g t h e p ro g re s s o f implementing the MOUs to the State Energy Secretary, he said.

The new policy will be applicable to Independent Power Projects (IPPs) with whom MOUs have been signed and also the future IPPs, he said.

It has also set a timeline (612 months) for submitting Detailed Project Report (DPR)

The CBI had then in its report concluded that Rizwanur’s death was a case of suicide and recommended initiation of an abetment to suicide case under Section 306 of the IPC. Rizwanur, a computer graphics teacher was found dead near railway tracks in Dumdum area of Kolkata on September 21, 2007, just a month after his marriage on August 18, 2007, to Priyanka Todi, daughter of industrialist Todi.

Todi, owner of the Rs 200crore Lux Cozi hosiery brand, his brother Pradip and brother in-law Anil Sarogi are accused in the case along with senior IPS officers then serving in the Kolkata Police.

The GRP was first entrusted with the investigations following which the state government ordered a CID probe.

After this, the state instituted a judicial probe by a retired high court judge, which was withdrawn after the CBI probe was ordered by the Calcutta High Court on October 16, 2007.

comprising technical and commercial feasibility studies, water allocation, land acquisition and environment impact details, the Secretary said.

Currently, the power projects in Madhya Pradesh which are in different stages of implementation are : Bina Power Supply Company, Bina (Sagar district), Essar Power, Baidhan (Singrauli district), Jaiprakash Power Ventures, Nigri (Singrauli) and BLA Power (Narsinghpur district), department sources said.

The Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Company has also commenced work on 1200 MW Singaji Thermal Power Plant in Khandwa district for which Rs 292 crore has been allocated during the current fiscal.

Work on 500 MW Satpura Thermal Power Plant at Sarni has also got underway. Madhya Pradesh will get 242 MW power from National Thermal Power Company (NTPC) Seepat plant in Chhattisgarh and 150 MW power from the unit at Moda, sources said adding an agreement has also been signed with West Bengal-based Damodar Valley Corporation for 300 MW power.

The state will get 400 MW of power by December from the Maheshwar Hydro Power project, work on which re-started recently after a long gap.

An MoU has been signed with BHEL for establishing a 1600 MW thermal power plant in Khandwa district, they said.

NTPC has signed an MoU for setting up a 2640 MW power plant at Gadarwara in Narsinghpur district and the state has urged the Centre to allot 80 per cent quota of power from this plant to Madhya Pradesh, the sources said.

The NTPC is also setting up a 1320 MW power plant in Khargone district for which the state government has agreed in principle to provide 1750 acres of land and 55 cusec water, they said.

Besides, it is also setting up a 4000 MW thermal power plant in the Bundelkhand region of MP, sources said.

Since power was a major issue during polls in 2003 and 2007, the BJP-ruled government is not taking any chances on this in 2013, which is an election year, the sources added.

or from your own state or from Rajasthan or Punjab”, the Bench said when the state government counsel submitted that all the 60 accused have been arrested and it has taken necessary steps to supply two quintals of rice to the affected family in compliance with its orders.

While concluding the hearing, the Bench said “these are ageold problems prevalent in large areas of the country and it will take time to change”.

It asked the counsel for victims Collin Gonsalves to respond to the report of Harayana government.

The Bench wanted to fix an early hearing but the state government’s counsel sought eight weeks time as a cooling up period.

However, the Bench said all the required replies and rejoinders have to be completed within four weeks and posted the matter for October 25.

Deficient rainfall is not only affecting agricultural operation in Orissa but has also hit fish seeds production.

The spawn production in the state is likely to drop by about 25 per cent due to the deficient and erratic rain falls during the monsoon. Spawn is the early stage of the fish-seed.

“Erratic rainfall is having an adverse impact on fish seed production which is likely to fall by around 25 per cent this year,” secretary-cum-commissioner of Fishery and Animal Resources department Satyabrata Sahu said here.

Worried over the development, he asked the fishery officers to maintain quality of fish seeds in stock in the reservoirs, so that fish production in the state would not be affected due to deficient and erratic rainfalls.

APPOINTMENTS

OHERALDO

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US House passes $600 m border security bill Reuters WASHINGTON, AUG 10

The US House of Representatives voted today to bolster security along the Mexican border, grappling withthe flow of illegal immigrants that has become an explosive issue ahead of November congressional elections.

Democrats hope the measure will be a first step toward comprehensive immigration reform.

They ignored Indian outsourcing companies' protests against higher visa fees, which would be imposed as part of the bill to finance the plan.

The Obama administration has urged passage of the 600 million dollar programme. Republicans also have been calling for a stronger border controls

as well as a crackdown on illegal immigration. The bill passed the House on a voice vote. But because of a legal technicality, it will have to return to the Senate, even though that chamber has approved an identical measure, before President Barack Obama can sign it into law. The Senate, however, is in its summer recess.

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat, said it was hoped the bill could be passed by “consent” by the end of this week.

Such a process would mean the entire Senate would not need to return to Washington, so long as party leaders agree.

The money will fund 1,000 new border patrol agents and

UK town approves new Sikh temple

250 customs and border protection officers at points of entry along the southwest border, advocates say. It will also pay for over 250 special immigration enforcement agents, investigators, and intelligence analysts.

Border drones: The money would also expand the use of unmanned drones to monitor border activities, improve communications among federal agencies and help fund investigations of illegal drug activity at the border.

“This funding is urgently needed to counter the pressures our law enforcement agencies and our border communities currently face,” Representative David Price, a Democrat, said.

Obama and many fellow Democrats back a comprehensive reform of immigration policy to tighten border security but also allow the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants working in the United States to get on a path to citizenship.

But House Republicans ac-

cused Democrats of bringing up the bill for political gain before the November elections. Representative Jerry Lewis, a Republican, also said it would be paid for by “questionable” taxes on specific companies.

The bill funds the new measures by raising visa application fees on a select group of companies that operate in the United States. Schumer last week said they were targeted because they take advantage of US law to import workers from abroad.

Senate aides said four companies from India would be affected: Tata, Infosys, Wipro and Mahindra Satyam.

In India, the chief executive of one of the companies said the fees would be passed on to customers. Infosys Technologies' chief executive Senapathy Gopalakrishnan said he felt “sad and disheartened” by the bill.

Some immigration advocates blasted lawmakers for passing the bill, saying the southern border had never been safer.

Pak govt will complete tenure, army poses no threat: Gilani

Britney denies bodyguard charges

PTI LONDON, SEPT 10

The dream of Indian origin residents in the east Midlands town of Leicester to convert a disused industrial unit into a gurdwara may soon come true with the local administration likely to give its approval for turning the place into a Sikh temple of worship.

Residents and councillors hope that the new temple would help regenerate the area of Leicester. Some residents opposed the plan on the ground of potential and traffic problems, but this has been rejected.

“This will make use of a building which would otherwise be empty, so I'm in favour of it. It will increase footfall in the area and could have a domino effect in getting other empty buildings nearby back into use. I respect the views of residents who have objected, but I can see no reason why this shouldn't be approved," Regen-

eration chief and ward councilor Abdul Osman said.

“Although no on-site parking is proposed, I do not consider that a refusal on lack of parking could be justified. The applicant has demonstrated that most of the users are living in the walking distances and the area is well served by public transport.

I consider that the proposed change of use is acceptable,” a local council planning report said.

The report stated that under planning guidelines, the “places of worship need to be close to or within the catchments area of the community they serve provided the activities do not cause unacceptable disturbance.”

The plans are expected to be approved by councillors at a meeting on Monday. The twostorey industrial unit has been empty for three years and is surrounded by homes and a social club.

XINHUA BEIJING, Sept. 10

Pop star Britney Spears denied a former bodyguard's accusations that she sexually harassed him and mistreated her children, media reported Friday.

Fernando Flores, who began working for Spears in February, filed a lawsuit against the pop star on Wednesday.

Spears posted a statement on her website to respond to the incident the next day.

“This lawsuit is another unfortunate situation where someone is trying to take advantage of the Spears family and make a name for himself,” the statement said.

"The Department of Children and Family Services conducted a proper investigation surrounding Mr. Flores' accusations and have closed the case without further action."

“Ms. Spears and her attorneys have every expectation that this matter will be dismissed by the courts," her statement said.

Flores' lawsuit claims Spears made repeated, unwanted sexual advances, summoned him to her room to expose her naked body and "engaged in numerous sex acts" in front of him.

Flores is seeking unspecified damages.

PTI ISLAMABAD, SEPT 10

Pakistan's elected government will complete its tenure as there is no threat to democracy and the army has no intention of coming to power, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said.

“The army neither intends to come to power nor will it come to power. The judiciary is independent and pro-democratic,” he told journalists at his official residence yesterday.

There is no threat to democracy as the civilian government came to power after making numerous sacrifices and winning the 2008 election, he said.

Pastor ‘rethinks’ move not to burn book PTI WASHINGTON, SEPT 11

In a dramatic turn of events, a US pastor, who drew global outrage for his plans to burn copies of the Quran on the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, today said he was “rethinking” his decision to call off the proposed act.

Within hours of his announcement about cancelling his plans to burn 200 copies of Quran on anniversary of 9/11 attacks tomorrow, pastor Terry Jones said he was “rethinking” his decision as a Florida Imam had "lied" to him that a planned Islamic centre and mosque near Ground Zero in New York would be moved to some other place.

“I am actually very disappointed and very shocked because if this turns out to be true, he clearly, clearly lied to us,” Jones said.

He made the remarks after Imam Muhammad Musri, a Florida Muslim leader, said that there was no deal on relocating

the site of the Ground Zero mosque, which Jones had claimed. Musri had earlier in the day appeared with Jones at a pressconference.

Jones said the church “put a temporary hold” on the Quran burning event after he had been told by Musri of a deal to move the New York mosque and that

he would be headed to New York City over the weekend for talks.

But the news of the deal was strongly refuted by Musri and Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf of the Islamic Centre.

“I am glad that pastor Jones has decided not to burn any Qurans. However, I have not

spoken to pastor Jones or Imam Musri.

"I am surprised by their announcement. We are not going to toy with our religion or any other. Nor are we going to barter. We are here to extend our hands to build peace andharmony,” Rauf said in a statement.

US issues global travel alert PTI WASHINGTON, SEPT 10

The US has issued a global travel alert asking its citizens to exercise caution in the wake of a Florida pastor's plan to burn copies of Quran on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, warning that it could trigger violent protests in many countries.

"The Department of State is issuing this travel alert to caution US citizens of the potential for anti-US demonstrations in many countries in response to stated plans by a church in Florida to burn Qurans on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks,” the travel alert said.

Demonstrations, some violent, have already taken place in several countries, including Afghanistan and Indonesia, against Florida church's pastor Terry Jones' plans, the travel alert noted.

“The potential for further protests and demonstrations, some of which may turn violent, remains high,” it warned.

“We urge you to pay attention to local reaction to the situation, and to avoid areas where demonstrations may take place.”

The 'travel alert' expires on September 30, the statem e n t s a i d a n d re m i n d e d American nationals of the continuing threat to US interests and citizens posed by various terrorist groups, as outlined in the department's worldwide caution.

“US government facilities worldwide remain at a height-

ened state of alert. These facilities may temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their security posture,” the alert said.

It said the US embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to US citizens.

“US citizens abroad are urged to monitor the local news and maintain contact with the nearest US embassy or consulate,” the travel alert said.

The US administration was seriously considering the option

of directly reaching out to the Florida pastor to call off the planned Quran burning on the anniversary of 9/11 attacks tomorrow, amid growing fears it will unleash a wave of violence.

The pastor yesterday announced that he was abandoning his plans, but within hours said he was “rethinking” his decision as a Florida Imam had “lied” to him that a planned Islamic centre and mosque near Ground Zero in New York would be moved to some other place.

FROM PAGE 1 Mickky grilled for 3 hours

victim of Goa politics, Pacheco pushed the ball in the media’s court. “You take it either way,” was his pat reply.

Even as CBI raided his house at Betalbatim on Wednesday, froze his bank accounts on Thursday, it was informed that three mobile phones in the name of the legislator was also seized by the sleuths on Friday evening.

“My accounts were frozen even in the past. What difference does it make,” Pacheco said who has seen a bad phase since the death of his close friend Nadia Torrado in May. CBI officials meanwhile said that they will call upon the former minister as and when required for the case investigation. They denied having detained or arrested him, as yet.

CBI blames it on US

India after few Indians were found entering US without valid documents.

The former minister meanwhile told the quizzing team that his recruitment agency has sent 200-odd people overseas for jobs but the functioning of the agency at present has stopped as it did not have a license.

“I am the proprietor of the agency and the agency addresses are mine. Usually, we recruit people on-board but few are recruited on land. We check each person’s credentials before recruiting,” Pacheco in his high-pitched voice was heard telling CBI sleuths.

The CBI also sought details of various offices run by Pacheco in India and abroad. Pacheco, in the past had said that he along with his estranged wife Sara started ‘manpower recruitment agency’ somewhere in 1998, while its license expired in 2000.

After separation from his wife, according to Pacheco, he stopped handling affairs of the agency. Whereas Sara at a press briefing earlier said, that Pacheco forged documents to send people abroad.

Govt scheme to woo

Chief Minister said that the government has raised the income limit to Rs 1.5 lakh so that more and more people engaged in selling flowers, coconuts and vegetables avail benefits under the scheme.

OHERALDO GOA, SATURDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER, 2010

Indian-origin man held in biggest US cocaine bust PTI WASHIINGTON, SEPT 10

A 29-year-old Indian-origin truck driver was arrested by US authorities for allegedly trying to smuggle drugs worth nearly USD 3.6 million, in one of the largest cocaine busts in the country's history.

Canada-based Ravinder Kumar Arora was arrested as he appeared “extremely nervous” during primary questioning when attempting to leave the United States at the LewistonQueenston Bridge on the USCanadian border. As a result, he was targeted for an outbound enforcement examination, according to federal officials.

Lewiston-Queenston Bridge is an international bridge between the United States and Canada.

Authorities examining the empty commercial trailer, which was headed for Canada, found the floorboards of the truck had

been tampered with. Officers noticed that “non-factor y screws” had replaced originals in the floorboards, Buffalo News reported.

When the boards were removed, authorities found the cocaine packed into 97 vacuumsealed bricks.

Authorities seized 239 pounds of the drug from his possession.

Buffalo Port Director Joseph J. Wilson called the cocaine seizure the “largest ... to date in the Port ofBuffalo.”

“This interdiction demonstrates Customs and Border Protection's dedication to securing our borders and safeguarding our country from the dangers of inbound and outbound narcotics smuggling,” Wilson said.

Arora, who was arrested on drug possession charges, was being held in custody pending federal court action.

Iran offers to help Lebanese army Reuters BEIRUT, AUG 10

Iran has offered support to Lebanon's army, a week after a deadly cross-border clash between Lebanon and Israel which prompted US lawmakers to block funding to the Lebanese military.

The offer from Iran, which supports Lebanon's militant Shi'ite group Hezbollah, could fuel Western concern that Tehran is increasing its influence near Israel's northern border.

Israel said it had complained to Washington and Paris about funds to the Lebanese army after a skirmish left two Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese journalist and a senior Israeli officer dead in the worst border violence since a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas.

Iran's ambassador to Lebanon met Lebanese army chief Jean Kahwaji yesterday and said Tehran was ready to “cooperate with the Lebanese army in any area that would help the military in performing its national role in defending Lebanon.”

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to visit

Beirut next month.

The State Department said Iran's statement underscored the need for continued US outreach to Lebanon.

“We think that activities, directly or indirectly, by Iran actually compromise Lebanese sovereignty,” Crowley told a news briefing. ''The statements

by Iran are expressly the reason why we believe that continuing support to the Lebanese government and the Lebanese military is in our interest.”

Two US Democrat lawmakers said they were holding up 100 million dollar that was approved for Lebanon's army but not yet spent.

A senior House Republican, Eric Cantor, said future funding should be stopped too, pending an inquiry into the clash.

Cantor said the lines between Hezbollah, the Lebanese military and the government had become ''blurred.''

The Lebanese army is seen as woefully underequipped compared to Hezbollah, which is believed to have been rearming since the 2006 war with Israel.

Polish prez vows to aid flood-hit town Reuters BOGATYNIA, AUG 10

Poland's new President Bronislaw Komorowski today promised aid to the southern town of Bogatynia, cut off by floods which killed at least 15 people in central Europe last weekend.

On a visit to the town, Komorowski told its 18,000 residents they could count on the State's support.

“I have seen with my own eyes the damage and I can say that the rescue services know what to do,” Komorowski told a news conference. “I can say that Bogatynia is not, and will not be, alone.”

Heavy rain caused a river to burst its banks and damage more than 200 houses. Three bridges were swept away in and around Bogatynia.

Three people, including a fireman, were killed in the town during the weekend flooding

and more casualties were reported in Germany and the Czech Republic.

Poland's parliament will meet on Thursday to approve a bill providing for swifter response to such disasters.

Komorowski said he would sign the bill into law as soon as possible so that aid could reach the town quickly.

Also today, Prime Minister Donald Tusk promised investment in flood barriers to prevent such damage in the future.

“Everything points to the fact that this region of Europe is exceptionally experienced with dramatic climate events this season. This means we must improve the effectiveness of our actions in the future,” Tusk told a news conference in Warsaw. “'Our dikes are not ready for that amount of water and this requires serious investment,” he said.

Spider-Man set to open on Broadway Reuters NEW YORK, Aug 10

The long-awaited Spider-Man musical withmusic by U2 members Bono and The Edge, will open on Broadway in December, the show's producers said today, after being caught in financial problems.

Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark,' which has been in the making for several years and was originally due to open earlier this year, will begin preview performances on November 14 with opening night set for December 21, the show's producer Michael Cohl said in a statement.

Inspired by the Marvel Comics hero that has also been turned into a series of Hollywood films, the musical will spin a new take on the story of teenage science

geek Peter Parker, who is bitten by a genetically-altered spider and wakes up the next morning clinging to the ceiling, the producer said.

The musical is expected to the most expensive in Broadway history, with local media reporting it to cost up to 50 million dollars to stage.

The title character will be played by actor and singer Reeve Carney, who fronts rock band Carney and appeared in the film, Snow Falling on Cedars.

Jennifer Damiano of the Broadway musical Next to Normal has replaced Evan Rachel Wood to play Mary Jane Watson, and Patrick Page from The Lion King replaces Alan Cumming to play ormon Osborn/The Green Goblin.

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July factory output nearly doubles at 13.8% PTI NEW DELHI, SEPT 10

Growth in industrial production almost doubled to 13.8 per cent in July from the yearago level on robust expansion in capital goods, and doused fears about any slowdown in demand.

The stellar numbers, the Planning Commission believes,

would help the economy beat the government's overall growth projection of 8.5 per cent for this fiscal.

But analysts disagree. In fact, most analysts had predicted factory output to fall to single digit in July as a result of waning demand.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said he expects av-

TALK BUSINESS

Athwal motivates audience to 'Unleash their DNA'

Reg Athwal conducting the workshop.

PANJIM (HBD) -- Rotary Club of Bicholim in association with Sigma Plus Training organized a series of transformational workshops in the city recently.

The workshop was conducted by Reg Athwal, from London who is an approved expert resource and speaker to the world's most influential and private CEO organizations to include Vistage Internation, The Academy for Chief Executives (ACE), The Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), The Youth Presidents organization (YPO) and the World Presidents Organization (WPO) and The CEO Clubs.

His personal success story, his business case studies, best practices, methodologies, tools and extensive research have been shared by Oxford University, The University of Chicago, Hult Business School, Cranfield University, SP Jain Institute of Management, MIT College of Management and hundreds of other schools and colleges The first workshop, entitled "Unleash Your Leadership DNA", targeted all the top Corporate Leaders of the state. Over 100 prominent CEOs and top managers of the state attended the workshop.

The second day-long workshop entitled "Unleash Your DNA" was attended by top executives, entrepreneurs, professionals, parents and students. Reg Athwal helped the audience find a difference in perception and understanding of the operations and success strategies of each business. He helped understand the Concept of Building a "Dream Book" and "Dream Team", thus giving each individual a greater focus and clarity in their organization and other areas of life. One of the more interesting sessions held later in the evening, where Reg Athwal helped the audience recognize the sensory power of their "Super Brain" and tap into the 97 per cent of the mind power, most people never use in their lifetime.

Earlier, Rajkumar Kamat, President of the Rotary Club of Bicholim welcomed the gathering and appraised the gathering of the innovative achievements of the Rotary Club of Bicholim. He spoke about the successful, adoption of households in Bicholim affected due to natural calamities and how they rebuilt their lives.

The Traditional Lamp was lit on the occasion by the Chief Guest of the occasion Asst. Governor Rtn. Gaurish Dhond, along with the other dignitaries. Manoj Patil of Sigma Plus Training introduced the Speaker for the day, Reg Athwal. He also spoke about the tremendous support he received to organize this event, from the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Cidade de Goa, Business Goa, Kingfisher Spring Mineral Water, Prudent Media, Best Goa Deals and Team Inertia Technologies

Kaydence Media Ventures, Web18 sign deal PANJIM (HBD) -- Kaydence Media Ventures and Web18, the Internet division of the Network18 Group, have entered into a cross media promotion agreement. This agreement extends to Kaydence Media Ventures’ new, globally positioned and marketed online product on Goachronicle.com (Goa’s global online mall of news, information, communication and services).

With this alliance, Goa Chronicle will now be able to provide its visitors with national and international news on current affairs, business, sports, movies, technologies and politics with text and video feeds from IBNlive.com; live stock market updates from Moneycontrol.com; songs, movies, games and much more from In.com.

Savio Rodrigues, MD, Kaydence Media Ventures, said, “The aim of Goachronicle.com has been to provide its visitors with the best of news from Goa, India and the international markets, while adding value to visitor experience with songs, movies, games or business interests like stock markets. While catering to the Goa market for news, information, communication and other services is part of the company’s core competency, Web18’s product offerings such as Cricketnext.com, Tech2.com, Commoditiescontrol.com, Poweryourtrade.com and CompareIndia.com will help provide our visitors with a more holistic experience of different services under one roof at a state, national and international level.”

erage industrial growth this fiscal to be between 12 and 13 per cent, given the good showing of the labour-intensive manufacturing sector.

Manufacturing sector output grew 15 per cent in July against 7.4 per cent a year ago and mining by 9.7 per cent compared to 8.7 per cent.

But it was capital goods used by the manufacturing industry - that mainly fuelled growth, as production rose by a strong 63 per cent in July against just 1.7 per cent a year ago.

Consumer durable goods production was also up 22.1 per cent, the same as in July 2009. But electricity generation grew at a slower 3.7 per cent against 4.2 per cent a year ago.

Industrial growth stood at 7.2 per cent in July, 2009 and was 11.4 per cent during the first four months of this fiscal, against 4.7 per cent in the

year-ago period.

"These July figures, I would say, are better than what I had expected. On the whole, taking together April-July, it thus suggests that we are on track at least to achieve the growth rate target... In fact, there may be a good case to marginally increase it (GDP target)," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia told reporters here.

"This is almost double the market expectations," Crisil chief economist D K Joshi said.

However, experts are not as enthused, saying that the July figures may not sustain and could prove to be a blip.

Said Joshi, "I don't see the IIP growth beyond 9 per cent this fiscal. These high numbers are not sustainable."

To a query from reporters on whether the Reserve Bank may further tighten rates in the face of rising inflation, the Finance

Minister said: "The government and RBI are watching. Let's see.

We will take actions as the situation demands."

The Reserve Bank is slated to review its monetary policy stance on September 16, amid expectations that it may raise key rates to tame near doubledigit inflation.

Renowned economist Rajiv Kumar said, "(It is) too early to revise the GDP figures upwards. I expect that there will be slowdown in industrial activity in the coming months."

Economy grew by 8.8 per cent in the first quarter of this fiscal.

In terms of specific industries, 12 out of 17 groups showed positive growth in July.

The industry group 'Machinery and Equipment other than Transport equipment' has shown the highest growth of 49.9 per cent, followed by 31.1 per cent in other manufacturing industries and 24.9 per

cent in transport equipment and parts.

On the other hand, wood and wood products showed a negative growth of 9.4 per cent followed by 2.1 per cent in beverages, tobacco and related products.

The robust growth of 63 per cent in capital goods augur well for future industrial production. However, if demand does not increase proportionately, it might create only inventories, analysts said.

It was mainly industry and services which had borne the brunt of the global financial meltdown during 2008-09.

This prompted the government to provide stimulus by cutting duties and increasing public expenditure.

This fiscal, the government partially withdrew stimulus by raising excise duty by two per cent to 10 per cent. Even after that, industry is showing signs of robustness.

Govt to boost Engg goods exports: Sharma AGENCY BANGALORE, SEPT 10

The government is taking proactive measures to lower transaction costs and upgrade infrastructure to make Indian exports competitive, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said Friday.

'Creating an enabling environment, lowering transaction costs and upgrading port infrastructure remain the corner stone of a successful export promotion strategy and we will do everything possible to give our exporters the competitive edge,' Sharma said at an event organised by the Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) here.

He said exports grew 32 percent in the first quarter of fiscal 2010-11 despite difficult times in the global economy.

India targets to increase its exports to $200 billion in the current fiscal.

Sharma called for value creation in Indian products, especially engineering goods.

'Indian engineering products reach almost 200 countries but many of these items are low valued-added products. We must therefore, move up the value chain and be able to command a price that reflects the inherent strengths of our products,' Sharma added.

Exports of engineering products fell sharply in fiscal 2009-10.

EEPC Chairman Aman Chadha stressed the need for favourable export regulations for the sector, which accounts for over 20 percent of India's total exports.

To cut debt by half, India Steel to sell its land PTI MUMBAI, SEPT 10

With a view to unlock value from its real estate and use the proceeds to reduce its debt, India Steel Works, said that it plans to sell its 2-acre plot in Navi Mumbai.

"We have a secured debt of Rs 70-crore which we intend to reduce through sale of this land. We are eyeing over Rs 35crore from the sale," India Steel Works' executive chairman, Ashwin Gupta, said.

The company has a downstream finishing facility of 1,000 tonnes per month (tpm) at this site which it will now merge with its Khopoli plant. It has already completed the voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) at the Navi Mumbai plant.

Gupta said that with real estate prices increasing, the company wanted to cash in on this and "knock-off half our debt.

We plan to bring down our

India eyes 10% growth in 2012-17 AGENCY NEW DELHI, SEPT 10

India will target nearly 10 percent growth in the 12th fiveyear plan (fiscal 2012-17), even though growth may fall short during the current plan period, said Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

'Our GDP growth target during the 12th plan will be somewhere between 9 to 10 percent. I think 10 percent target is quite feasible,' Ahluwalia said, adding that during the current plan period GDP growth is likely to remain 8.1 percent.

The planning commission has set 9 percent GDP growth target for the 11th five year plan (fiscal 2008 to 2012). However, in the first three years of the plan, growth has fallen short of the target.

'Because of the crisis in the global economy, we will not be able to achieve the growth target during the 11th plan. I hope we will achieve overall 8.1 percent growth in the current plan, which is quite good,' Ahluwalia said here Thursday.

debt to Rs 35-crore."

The company intends to complete the sale-deal in a few months.

India Steel Works (formerly known as Isibars Limited) manufactures stainless steel products which are used in the construction and food and dairy industries, manufacture of electronic items and capital equipment.

At Khopoli, the company has a 15,000-tpm (installed capacity) plant. Downstream finishing will now be integrated at this plant and the company will make a small investment financed entirely through internal accruals to construct a few new buildings and purchase some balancing equipment, he said.

India Steel Works had earlier been referred to the corporate debt restructuring (CDR) cell.

Once in the CDR ambit, a company needs to repay its debt and become debt-free before it

can bring in fresh debt, Gupta said.

Presently, the company's interest outgo is around Rs 50lakh per month.

"Once we become debt-free for which purpose we are selling-off our Navi Mumbai land, we can raise working capital and drive up our turnover. We hope to make a profit in FY 12," he said.

The company had clocked a turnover and net loss of Rs 105-crore and Rs 16-crore, respectively, in FY 10.

The company's strategy now is to modernise and consolidate its business and reach its full capacity of 15,000 tpm (from the present around 8,000 tpm) in two years, he said.

Recently, a Dubai-based conglomerate, the ANC Group, bought a 10 per cent stake in the company for Rs 19-crore.

Consequently, the promoterholding in the Indian company declined to 48 per cent.

High stocks, Eco gloom to temper food inflation REUTERS HONG KONG, SEPT 10

Rising prices for a wide range of agricultural commodities are stirring fears of global food-driven inflation, but there should be no repeat of the crisis seen in 2007/08 unless governments start to panic.

Analysts cite much higher global stocks of staples such as wheat and a more challenging economic environment as factors which should temper any prolonged rise in food prices.

Some governments have already begun to respond. Egypt, the world's biggest wheat importer, quickly refilled its order book after drought-hit Russia banned exports in a bid to avoid shortages and a rerun of violent protests seen in 2008.

Analysts say, however, governments need to avoid inflaming the situation. Export bans and stockpiling, can help keep a lid on domestic prices but also risk global market turbulence.

"We could see behaviour by governments which would put us in a more difficult situation," said Karen Ward, Senior Global Economist at HSBC Bank.

Riots in Mozambique, in which 13 people were killed, showed the potential dangers for governments if domestic prices are not kept in check. A 30 percent rise in the price of bread -- linked to soaring global wheat prices -- had to be quickly reversed.

Surging agricultural commodity prices in 2007/08 led to a sharp rise in the cost of basic food staples, sparking riots in several countries. In some cases, governments responded by banning exports in a bid to stem food price inflation.

It took a global economic downturn to end the crisis.

BUYING FRENZY Wheat futures in Chicago raced to a two-year high of $8.41 a bushel in early August after Russia, suffering its worst drought in more than a century, banned wheat and flour exports.

The rally ran out of steam, however, well short of the peak of $13.34-1/2 a bushel set in February 2008, partly due to abundant global stocks.

The International Grains Council estimates global wheat stocks at the end of the

2009/10 season (July/June) were 197 million tonnes, up more than 60 percent from two years earlier, following the two largest crops in history in 2008 and 2009.

"The situation is totally different from 2007 as, following the very good harvests in 2008 and 2009, there are significant global and European stocks," Roger Waite, agriculture spokesman for the European Commission, said.

Prices for another food staple, rice, have been climbing after the worst floods in history damaged more than 30 percent of the rice crop in Pakistan.

They remain, however, far below 2008 peaks.

The benchmark 100 percent B grade Thai white rice prices are trading around $490 per tonne, less than half the record $1,050 in May 2008 when fears of global shortages drove the market higher, stoking food inflation.

Traders said prices were not expected to climb much further even if Pakistan banned rice exports.

EXPORT CURBS

"Pakistan is still going to export rice but there was some talk that they may be looking at imposing restrictions," said a trading manager with an international trading company in Singapore.

"Even if they do have a ban on exports, prices are not going to move up anywhere close to 2008 level. The price might go up to around $550 a tonne if there is no rice coming out of Pakistan."

The US Agriculture Department said last month that U.S. food prices in 2010 could rise at their slowest pace since 1992 despite the recent surge in raw commodities prices.

Some private analysts, however, said the forecast may be too conservative, with meat prices particularly firm.

The average U.S. wholesale pork price hit a record high last month amid strong exports and six-year low pork stocks.

Beef prices are historically high amid the smallest July 1 cattle herd on record.

"The meat supply is smaller and demand is coming from both exports and a lack of imports and the US consumer

seems to be coming back, demanding more meat," said Len Steiner, a principal at the food consulting firm Steiner Consulting.

"As this economy turns around all of a sudden we could see the meat prices go flying up," he added.

Analysts said a thus-far tepid US economic recovery could hold back food inflation a bit as cash-strapped consumers, worried about high unemployment, spend less.

But the developing world is increasingly steering commodities markets, they cautioned.

"Everybody is pretty gloomy about the U.S. numbers. But a lot of the developing countries are seeing decent strong GDP numbers and they are the market-makers right now in a lot of these commodity markets," Michael Swanson, agricultural economist with top agricultural lender Wells Fargo, citing Brazil, China, India and other fast growing economies.

BOARD MEETINGS Arvind Intl Midpoint Soft Source: Indiainfoline.com

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Inflation will dip to 5-6%: Montek AGENCY NEW DELHI, SEPT 10

Good monsoon will help bring down inflation to the range of five to six percent by the year-end, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia has said.

'The current level of inflation is not acceptable. I hope the inflation will come down to an acceptable level by the end of this year,' Ahluwalia said.

Asked what level of inflation is acceptable, Ahluwalia said: 'We at planning commission feel 5 to 6 percent inflation is quite acceptable.'

He said good monsoon would bring down food inflation substantially by the end of this year.

Annual food inflation surged to 11.47 percent for the week ended Aug 28 from 10.86 percent in the previous week. Food inflation has remained in the double digit during the most part of this year.

Row to be resolved in a week: Insurers PTI NEW DELHI, SEPT 10

Public sector insurers today expressed hope that the dispute over cashless treatment will be resolved within a week, but large hospitals do not seem to share the same optimism.

While the chairman and managing director of state-owned New Indian Assurance Company, M Ramadoss, said the issue CASHLESS TREATMENT would be sorted out within a week, Max India chairman Analjit Singh had earlier said there was "zero consensus" on the issue.

The four public sector insurance companies and healthcare service providers are locked in a battle over the rates for treatment of patients covered under the cashless insurance scheme.

The dispute has been going on since the withdrawal of the cashless treatment facility in large hospitals by PSU insurers New India Assurance, United India Insurance, National Insurance and Oriental Insurance since July 1 over allegations of overbilling. The two sides have been trying to work out standard rates for treatment under the cashless scheme at large hospitals.

"Within a week, we will be able to arrive at the package rates of the big corporate hospitals. (They) have given us their own rates (and) based on that we will arrive on a uniform rate structure," Ramadoss told reporters here today on the sidelines of a CII Health Summit.

Singh had said yesterday at the same function, "The differences continue. I would say there is zero consensus on the issue... The real issue is of cost. If you want better treatment and facilities, you have to pay more."

Expressing a similar opinion, Apollo Hospitals Group Chairman Pratap C Reddy said the issue is far from over.

"Somebody has to bear the cost. The current structure is not sustainable," he had added.

However, according to Ramadoss, more hospitals would be added to the cashless treatment network once the insurers and hospitals finalise package rates for treatment under the cashless scheme.

LAUNCH PAD

Alibaba.com’s customer service operations in India PANJIM (HBD) -- Alibaba.com Limited, the world's leading small business e-commerce company, announced that it is investing in India, with the launch of its local customer service operations here to better serve the vast Indian small business community.

With a service office in Mumbai, Alibaba.com will primarily focus on providing dedicated customer service to its Indian Gold Supplier members during a crucial time of growth for the small business community here. Alibaba.com’s Indian arm will house a core customer service team including a dedicated staff that will focus on customer training programs. This team will eventually grow and expand to multiple offices across India to provide local, hands-on support to Alibaba.com’s rapidly-growing member-base.

The announcement comes at a significant point, where Alibaba.com is witnessing strong growth in the Indian market with an average of 30,000+ new users having registered per month in the first half of 2010 (as of 30 June, 2010). As of the same date, more than 1.45 million users from small businesses in India were using Alibaba.com’s services to reach out to more than 13.6 million registered buyers and suppliers on its international marketplace. Since the first Indian entrepreneur joined the site in 1999, Alibaba.com has continuously strived to better understand the ever-changing needs of its Indian members.

Alibaba.com provides small businesses with a platform to explore global opportunities in various industry verticals including minerals & metallurgy, agriculture, chemicals, food & beverage, manufacturing & processing machinery, construction & building materials, apparel, textiles & leather products, packaging & printing, etc. India is currently the largest supplier market outside of mainland China and the second largest buyer market of Alibaba.com. Alibaba.com’s expansion in India has been supported by Infomedia18, Alibaba.com’s local channel sales partner since June 2008. The new customer service team will support Infomedia18’s local sales efforts.

BSNL ready for mobile number portability

AGENCY NEW DELHI, SEPT 10

State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) Friday said it is ready with the infrastructure to start mobile number portability (MNP) by the scheduled Oct 31 deadline.

MNP will allow users to re-

tain their mobile telephone numbers even if they switch their operators.

'We are ready with the infrastructure and will meet this deadline,' said Gopal Das, officiating chairman and managing director of BSNL. But there are apprehensions

that the MNP implementation will be deferred again. It has already been delayed four times.

Initially, MNP was to be implemented by December 31, 2009 in all the metros along with the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The deadline was then changed to March 31, 2010 and then to June 30, 2010. The June 30 deadline was again deferred as operators were not ready with the infrastructure to provide the service.

The latest hurdle could be US-based Telcordia Technolo-

gies which, reports said, could move court to protect its MNP business ambition through joint venture MNP Interconnection.

The telecom department has served MNP Interconnection a show-cause notice, asking it why its licence should not be

cancelled, after the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) rejected its proposal citing security concerns.

Besides MNP Interconnection, the other licencee is Syniverse Technologies India, which has got approvals to implement MNP in India.

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Holy Creations driven by Passion and Devotion

f i is a time o h rt tu a h C a h Ganes eeper erald takes a d ions H . n o ti ra b le e c it stivity and trad look into the fe Hindu friends ur followed by o

BY JANICE RDRIGUES HERALD FEATURES he states lining the Konkan coast are in celebration of, undoubtedly, the greatest feast of the Hindu community in these areas. Chavath or Ganesh Chaturthi as it is more commonly known is celebrated with great fervour in all Hindu homes. With the merriment and enjoyment of the festival, like any other, goes in a lot of meticulous preparations and traditional observances that have been followed through the ages, carrying the age old charm of our ancestral life.

The various traditions followed by our Hindu friends speak something about the life they led in the past and this feast of the elephant god is one good instance.

Traditionally the observances start from the day before the day of the festival, with the Tay or the Gauri Puja, “The parents of Lord Ganesha are first worshipped, and here it is not the idols that are worshipped but the pictures of Lord Shankar and Goddess Gauri that are worshipped,” says historian Prajal Sakhardande. The Ganesha idol which is although brought into many houses house is wrapped in paper and is not opened till the day of Chaturthi. “In Goa, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated only in the ancestral houses and not in individual flats,” says Prajal.

One tradition unique to Goa is that of sending the Voje to the married daughter’s house. “The voje consist of sweets like mysore pak, besan ladu, neurios, shankarpadi, dudh peda, pithyacho ladu, chonache halwa. This tradition continues for life and the voje is distributed among the in-laws of the house,” says Prajal.

The day of Chaturthi calls for an early start, with the puja and the preparation of food, the household needs to wake up with the rising sun. Everyone is expected to have a bath before any of the rituals start, and while the men are getting ready with the rituals, the womenfolk are concentrating on their creativity in the form of the rangoli. “The Ganesha idol is unwrapped and placed in the makkar and the Matoli is tied up, and all the males of the family, dressed in the traditional clothes, that is the Dhoti, have to be present at the puja which follows,” explains Prajal.

The Bhramins have to wear their holy thread around their torsos. At this puja, 21 blades of grass called ‘Dudhva’ and some red hibiscus flowers that are said to be the favourite of Lord Ganesha are presented at the makkar. “Then the arti is done with the puja thali, which contains the mud lamp or diya and flowers,” says

Fashion

Dr Gauri K a n e k a r.

While the arti is on, the whole family joins in the singing the various hymns dedicated to Lord Ganesh.

Another integral part of any festival is the food, and each festival has its special culinary itinerary. On the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, the food is served, traditionally on the banana leaf or the patravios and is placed on the ground, where the whole family is expected to dine. “But before anybody can eat, the food is served to God and only after that, the people will be served,” says Prajal. And before the meal is started, each person sprinkles a little water around their plate to avoid the dust from rising into their food.

The food throughout these days is strictly vegetarian and is made from vegetables that are only grown locally or indigenous to the region. The food served includes a variety of dishes, “Khatkhatey, which is a dish made of 32 local vegetables and without onion or garlic,” says Prajal. The other dishes include moogachi ghat, varan, sar, and about three varieties of dry vegetables, the meal is ended with a drink of the solkaddi. The meal is followed by the sweets which are also place in front of the idol of Ganesha, like the purnachi neorios and modaks; patioios are also made for this festival.

And in the evening, it is time to prepare to welcome the family members, “in the evening, of Chavath, relatives will visit one another’s house, while on the second day, the friends and neighbours visit,’ says Prajal. As night falls, the fireworks are lit and the entire family celebrates the joyous feast of Lord Ganesha.

Besides the lovely traditions associated with the festival of Ganesh, it is a time to explore your creative side. Using clay, his imagination and everything brought down from tradition Suriakant Rane brings his clay creations this festival

The Trance and Dance Experience

BY CLARON MAZARELLO music. Apart from ‘popular public perceptions’, ith popular trance artist John 00 the truth remains that one can do a drug and Flemming playing to a packed Riviera dance to any type of music. “Think about it. de Goa alongside Goan DJs who did No artist would like their music to be called ‘drug music’,” is a justice to the other genres of electronic B e s i d e s b e i n g a t t a c k e d f o r i t s view from a music dance music, trance derivativeness by other music artists, producer - Simon truly seems to have the musical genre of trance is also Phosford from the successful internacome of age and are entering the com- wrongly associated with drug abuse. tional music act Shwhose In spite of this, it has maintained a p o n g l e mercial stream.

The biggest break fan following and has grown creatively influences are also rooted in trance this year for trance music. “Ultimately it happened in the blockbuster 3D hit movie ‘Avatar’. Its soundtrack album has a trance is about ‘accepting’ other tastes in music,” track. In Goa, the legacy of trance music has he adds.

Besides Karate and aerobics instructors also withstood the test of time in spite of all the unreasonable derogation. Ironically, the sce- increasingly using this type of music in their nario is akin to a point in time when ‘Hotel high energy work-out sessions, trance music California’ by the Eagles was taboo or even is also vastly used in the ad and promo world when rock music was looked down upon as as well as background score. ‘Dance is an ‘the devils music’. And today these are possibly active form of meditation and the use of trance one of the most popular songs and genres on music is a way to redefine the ancient tribal ritual for the twenty-first century,’ quotes inthis planet respectively.

Now let’s get real. A question in one of the ternationally acclaimed trance DJ, DJ Goa Gil dailies that asked if the influx of drugs into who traces the origin of Goa Trance to Goa the state would stop, if there was a clamp way back in the early seventies.

Well, talking about dance, a recent European down on trance parties, had three out of four answers in the negative. The fourth reply here study found that men who move their necks from an SP focused on the phenomena of a and trunks more to the beat are most likely people gathering at party venues to do drugs. to attract women. Well then, go find some And these happened to be playing trance electronic dance music and break that leg!

W

­H­O­R­O­S­C­O­P­E Your skills help you, but they can also help someone else. Share your knowledge now.Your en(21 Mar – 19 Apr) ergy is turned inward today, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Make sure that you block out some time for meditation, worry, or whatever it is that you need to do on your own.

Efforts you put into things now will pay off tenfold.

Roll up your sleeves and go! Work issues are pop(23 Sep – 22 Oct) ping up all around you today -- even if you're not on the clock! That just means you can score bonus points by saving the day with your hard work and brilliant thinking.

Live with all your senses today -- slowly and methodically take in new experiences. You're feeling (20 Apr – 20 May) much more sensitive today, which could be a boon or a major hassle, depending on what's going on. You may even need to excuse yourself from the action if it gets too rough.

Fresh ideas will come from a surprising place today -- keep your ears and eyes open. You can (23 Oct – 21 Nov) feel an old wound healing up as if it had never happened - in fact, you may feel somewhat stronger than before! Your energy today could not be better suited to your needs.

Something in your life is growing and expanding too quickly. Pull things back a bit. You're feeling (21 May – 21 Jun) a bit more like an evil genius today, though you're probably still a ways off from full-on evil. You can still make big plans with the best of them, and you should know all the details cold..

Whatever conflicts arise today will better prepare you for challenges down the road. Your imagina(22 Nov – 21 Dec) tion is quite active today, and you may find that you're dreaming up new ideas with a passion.

Your friends and colleagues can only look on in amazement as you brainstorm all day long!

Having trouble getting started today? Point things in the right direction and wait. Feel free (22 Jun – 22 Jul) to say no all day long. If you're not totally sure that a person or project is a good match, then you need to trust that instinct and walk away. You do need to say yes eventually, though!

You have a keen eye.

Today use it to help someone avoid making a big mistake. Today is (22 Dec – 19 Jan) all about hopes and desires -- but that doesn't mean you feel frustrated! If anything, your practical nature ensures that you can make some good headway by the end of the day.

Today the decisions you make will have a longterm effect. Don't act too hastily. Try to take a (23 Jul – 22 Aug) second look at the situation -- you need to get a deeper sense of what is really going on.

Yourinsightful energy can help you get a good sense of the underlying issues.

Today offers you a big chance for change, as long as you're willing to risk things. If you don't (20 Jan – 18 Feb) feel like a part of society, you just don't feel right today. You may want to ring up a friend or go all-out and volunteer with an important community organization, but you need to do something.

If a family member is unwilling to change, you will have to accept it and move on. Your emotional (23 Aug – 22 Sep) energy is pushing you in an odd new direction today, but you don't mind at all -- in fact, you might love it! Even if it seems weird, hang on for a while and see where it decides to take you.

You might not have everything you want r i g h t n o w, b u t y o u have enough. Enjoy (19 Feb – 20 Mar) it. You are in a really good position to make new agreements with partners and customers -- so go ahead and sign! Your good energy is subtle, but should ensure that you get treated fairly, to say the least.

I

BY BROTHER CARSON DOURADO t is Ganesh Chathurti and all our Hindu sisters and brothers are in a festive mood. Why not? It is undeniably a great occasion where families come together.

Besides other thing the necessity is the idol of Lord Ganesh. No doubt money can buy it, but it cannot posses the talent behind its creation.

Suriakant Rane possesses the rare talent of making these very idols. Hailing from the paradise of the village of Bhirondem in Valpoi, Sattari, he learnt the art from Sada Mauxekar. He also learnt from Vellinkar School in Valpoi. He has been making these idols for the past thirteen years.

The work begins two months ahead of the festival. The idols are made of mud which is brought from Bicholim, strained, and then given the shape of Ganesh. For some he uses mould but the others are completely home made.

For this season he has made around hundred statues in various shapes, sizes and positions as according to the need of the devotee. The devotees flock from all round the neighbouring villages. Most of the idols are ordered well in advance while others are bought on the spot.

He is helped by his three sons who are also learning the art from him. Commenting on his work he says, “It is the devotion to the Lord that helps me practice this art.

He has blessed me with this talent and I give glory to Him through this art.”

This also helps him monetarily. His idols fetch him good deals. A medium sized statue has the price tag of Rs 600.

Besides working in clay, Rane loves acting and has participated in many ‘nataks’.

Priyanka and Deepika share‘Dreams’

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ishal Bhardwaj is almost done with the shooting of ‘Saat Khoon Maaf ’ and has already started to weave new ideas for his next film. The buzz was strong that he has signed Saif Ali Khan with Deepika Padukone for his next and is not keen on repeating Priyanka Chopra with whom he has done two films on the bounce.

But Vishal has signed Priyanka once again for the film and hasn’t said good bye to Deepika as well. The film titled’ Dreams’ needs two actresses. However, the cast has another change too - its main lead Saif has walked out from the film apparently because he didn’t like the script. Strange!

Here’s a new twist to the tale. Bollywood was rife with rumours of Saif walking out of Bhardwaj’s flick because the actor was unhappy with the script. However, the real reason why Saif quit maverick Bhardwaj’s flick was one of their recent meetings. Buzz has it that Saif told Vishal that he would work in ‘Dreams’ only if Bhardwaj would direct a film for his production house Illuminati Films. Saif also added that he would choose the script for the film to be directed by Bhardwaj.

Commenting on this new development, Bhardwaj said, “How would I commit to a film whose script I have not even seen! I wouldn’t mind doing the film, provided I approve of the script first.”

However, an adamant Saif did not budge from his stance and as a result; he walked out of Bhardwaj’s film.

Now for ‘Dreams’, Priyanka and Deepika are on. According to a source, “There are two heroines in the film. The male lead will now be either a fresh face or a well established star.”

Saif proved his acting mettle with his Langda Tyagi character in Vishal’s ‘Omkara’. Saying no to such a director doesn’t seem a wise decision.

For all those who are wondering as to what went wrong between Saif Ali Khan and Vishal Bhardwaj, here’s the real reason why the chote nawab chose to walk out of Bhardwaj’s upcoming project ‘Dreams’.

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SPORTS GOA, Saturday, 11 September, 2010

Betalbatim Sporting oust Wilred Leisure verna panchayat cup HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, SEPT 10

Betalbatim Sporting Club defeated Wilred Leisure Sports Club, Curtorim 2-1 to storm into the semi-finals of Verna Panchayat Cup inter-village football tournament organised by Verna SC at Verna ground, on Friday. Betalbatim were leading 2-0 at the breather.

Betalbatim dominated the opening sessions with their forwards and midfielders working in tandem to put the rival defence under tremendous pressure.

Their persistent forays paid off when striker Allwick

Fe r n a n d e s p u n i s h e d t h e rival goalkeeper with snap shots.

The early goal spurred Betalbatim to mount pressure on the rival citadel and were rewarded when Denzil Rogtao slotted past the rival goalkeeper with Allwick’s assistance.

Crossing over, Betalbatim slackened their pace but did not allow their rivals any space to manoeuvere inside the rival territory and kept their citadel intact.

W ilred Leisure were in full cr y during the last ten minutes and scored the consolation goal through Peter Pereira who punted the ball to the far corner of the net.

Salgaocar rally to beat Sesa HERALD REPORTER VASCO, SEPT 10

Goan boxer Santosh Harijan, who claimed a gold medal at the Dual Country championship between Sri Lanka and India in Sri Lanka.

Santosh got a call for the Indian team due to his consistency. Earlier, he had to settle for a bronze at the recently concluded Senior Nationals and was also a part of the core group for the Commonwealth Games.

Anurag in 2nd spot HERALD SPORTS DESK PANJIM, SEPT 10

Anurag Mhamal tallied seven points as he beat Pratik Patil of Maharashtra in National Sub-Junior Open chess championship.

Anurag is joint second position.

Omkar Damledrew with Lochan Kumar Das of Orissa, Sayani drew with Sai Srrija 1585 of A.P. Aishwar ya Thorat beat Nivedita of Jharkhand and Rajas Chari beat Kabir Sachdeva of Delhi. Gauri Hadkondar and Sonali Kerkar are on 3.5 points each. Rajas Chari is on 3 points.

Salgaocar came from one goal down to overcome Sesa Football Academy 2-1 in GFA Kingfisher Pro League at Tilak Maidan, here on Friday. The teams were level 1-1 at half time.

Sesa opened the account in the 21st minute through Rakshak and Salgaocar came up with the equaliser in the 30th with Subash Singh being the scorer.

With just two minutes to go for the final whistle, Salgaocar managed to get the match-winner with Syed Farid clinching the issue.

Salgaocar players in full cry against Sesa FA at Tilak Maidan, Vasco on Friday.

PY Nuvem move into quarters HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, SEPT 10

Parish Youth, Nuvem defeated Sao Jose de Areal Sports Club 1-0 to move into the quarter-finals of 29th Gold Silver Rolling trophy inter-village football tournament organised by Navelim Sporting Club at Rosary ground, Navelim on Friday. There was no score at half time.

Both Parish Youth and Sao Jose displayed attacking football with both teams’ strikers testing the goalkeepers with well meas-

ured sorties but the keepers were hard to beat under the bar.

Parish Youth nearly broke the deadlock midway in the opening session, but Albino Pereira was the culprit as he spurned the easiest chance with only the rival goalkeeper at his mercy as he shot wide from five yards.

At the other end, Sao Jose came close in surging ahead but Marian Mascarenhas shot wide from hand-shaking distance.

Crossing over, Parish Youth put up an improved display and

went all out in search of the match-winner and found success soon after resumption, when Neves Noronha bulged the net after he received a pass from his colleague from the top of the box.

Stung by the setback, Sao Jose made valiant attempts and went out in search of an equalizer but the rival rearguard was too strong and did not allow their rival attackers any space to penetrate inside the rival territory.

Mount Carmel emerge champs

Walkover for Navelim

MARGAO (HC) -- Navelim Sporting Club gained a walkover as their opponents Raia Sporting Club failed to turn up at St Joseph Festival inter-village football tournament at Dramapur ground on Friday.

Vijay Sardessai giving away the prize to Mount Carmel player in the presence of Sankalp Amonkar, Savio Coutinho, Pratima Coutinho, Janardhan Bhandari at Colmorod, Margao.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, SEPT 10

Mount Carmel, Telaulim beat St Khuris in the tie-breaker to win the Happening Boys of Colmorod 3-a-side tie-breaker football tournament at Colmorod ground, Margao recently.

Mount Carmel bagged Rs. 8,888 while St Khuris had to be content with Rs 6,666.

In a single side tie-breaker contest Telaulim Boys ‘B’ defeated St Khuris. Telaulim Boys were richer by Rs 2,222 while St Khuris received Rs 1,111.

Vijay Sardessai, general secretary, Goa Pradesh Congress (I) committee and Sanklap Amonkar, State president of Goa Pradesh Youth Congress (I) com-

mittee were the guests. Both Sardessai and Amonkar distributed prizes in the presence of Savio Coutinho, chairperson of Margao Municipal Council, Adv. Pratima Coutinho, vice-president, GPYC, Janardhan Bhandari, president of South Goa Youth Congress and Jitesh Kamat, president of North Goa Youth Congress.

Sirvodem trounce Navelim HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, SEPT 10

Sirvodem Sports Club thumped Navelim Sporting Club 5-0 in GFA’s Third Division league at Sinquetim ground, Navelim on Friday. Sirvodem led 2-0 at half time.

Sirvodem started the game in right earnest with their forwards repeatedly raiding the

rival citadel with snap shots. At the other end, Navelim were struggling to contain the rampaging Sirvodem forwards as their defence went in disarray.

Lazarus Fernandes put Sirvodem into the lead in the 27th minute. Osbert Rodrigues doubled the lead at the stroke of half time.

In the second session, Sirvodem continued with their onslaught and pumped in three more goals. Arif Shaikh and Osbert Rodrigues scored twice in the reminder period.

At St John Baptist ground, Be-

naulim, St Anthony’s Sporting Club came from behind to hold Don Bosco Oratory, Fatorda to a 2-2 draw. Don Bosco were leading 2-0 at the breather.

Don Bosco enjoyed total domination in the opening session when Avelino Faleiro struck twice for Don Bosco.

St Anthony ’s came back strongly in the second session, with umpteen forays. Ronnie Hilario reduced the margin soon after resumption off a pass from Rose Fernandes. Manford Fernandes restored parity late in the second half.

Jungle Boys top

Jungle Boys receiving the cup from Mickky Pacheco after the finals of interward football tournament organised by Brazilian Boys of Gandaulim.

colva interward football HERALD SPORTS DESK PANJIM, SEPT 10

prizes. Jose Fernandes, panch was the guest of honour. Rafael Fernandes and James Fernandes welcomed. George D’Costa proposed the vote of thanks.

Jungle Boys of 4th ward Colva defeated Grande Ville Boys of Vanelim in the interward Colva football tournament organised

by Brazillian Boys of Gandaulim.

The score was 2-2 at normal time.

The first half was ruled by Jungle Boys who scored two quick goals through Anthony and Filipino while Grande Ville Boys fought back to equalise in the second half through Joston and Conrad.

In the penalty shoot out Jungle boys proved to be the winners.

Jungle Boys took home Rs. 8,888 plus the trophy, while Grande Ville Boys had to be content with Rs. 6,666 plus the trophy.

Mickky Pacheco, MLA was the chief guest and gave away the

GFA’s Third Division football: Enfermos SC v. UC Telaulim, Navelim ground, 4.15 p.m.

Gold Silver Rolling Trophy soccer: Navelim SC v. St Rock’s Youth Club, Majorda, Rosary ground, Navelim, 4.30 p.m.

St Joseph Festival Soccer: Curtorim Gymkhana v. Varca SC, Dramapur ground, 4.30 p.m.

29th Sao Jose de Areal Panchayat cup soccer inaugural: United Club of Benaulim v. Fr Agnel Youth Club, Paroda, Pardibhat, Sao Jose de Areal, 4.30 p.m.

SPORTS

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GOA, Saturday, 11 September, 2010

GOA DIARY Pool tournament at Cortalim

PANJIM (HSD) -- MS 13 Boys of Kesarval will organise their AllGoa Pool tournament behind Kesarval Resort, Cortalim on September 12 at 10 a.m. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners and runners-up along with surprise individual prizes. Details may be obtained from Mubarak on 9823696760 or Errol on 9923668800.

5-a-side soccer at Ponda

PANJIM (HSD) -- Mount Carmel Youth, Ponda will organise their 1st All-Goa 5-a-side soccer tournament at Forest ground, Shatinagar, Ponda on September 12 at 10 a.m. The winners and runners-up will take home Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 3,000 respectively alongwith individual prizes. Spot entries will be accepted.

Singles TT at Sancoale

PANJIM (HSD) -- Blessed Joseph Vaz Boys of Sancoale will organise a one-day singles table tennis tournament at Blessed Joseph Vaz Sanctuary on September 12 at 10 p.m. Only Sancoale villagers are eligible. The winners and runners-up will take home Rs. 1,500 and Rs. 1,000 respectively. Spot entries will be accepted. Details may be obtained from Frazier (9673188969) or Cady (9545476970)

Goa referees meeting

PANJIM (HSD) - The annual general body meeting of Goa Football Referees Association will be held on September 26 at PJN Stadium, Fatorda at 10 a.m. Referees have been asked to pay their annual fees before September 20 to Jayendra Nagvenkar on 9326126605 (Bardez), Osvaldo D’Costa (9823028820) (Salcete), Blair Rodrigues (9423056860) (Mormugao) and Gregory Estrocio (9850455057) (Ilhas).

Tie-breaker at Ilhas

PANJIM (HSD) – The Seven Eleven Sports, St. Agostinho, Ilhas will organise a 2-a-side football tie-breaker on September 12 at St Agostinho ground, near the chapel at 11 a.m. The winners and runners-up will be awarded Rs. 7,000 and Rs. 5,000 respectively.

Details may be obtained from Gilbert (9881663232 or 9881777575).

Tie-breaker at Taleigao

PANJIM (HSD) – The St Michael Parish Youth will organise their 3-a-side floodlit tie-breaker on September 11 at the church square at 5 p.m. The winners and runners-up will be awarded Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 3,000 respectively.

Aiming at last eight in 2011 Asian Cup, says AIFF chief AGENCIES NEW DELHI, SEPT 10

Praful Patel, president of All India Football Federation (AIFF), paid his first visit to the headquarters of FIFA on Thursday as a member of the FIFA Standing committee on Legal Aid. Following the meeting, Patel had a short discussion with FIFA president, Sepp Blatter on matters concerning India.

Sharing the discussions that took place between the two presidents, Patel said, “This is my first visit to FIFA and my meeting with Blatter since I was appointed a little less than a year ago.”

“I congratulated him (Blatter) on his leadership and on the success of World Cup 2010. I told him it was a magnificent event and very well organized too.”

India has managed to qualify for 2011 Asian Cup after a gap of 24 years and sharing his objectives on the possible target for the Indian national team, the AIFF president was quoted saying, “Our team is already hard at work. We've qualified for the first time in 24 years and we intend to make a good impression.

The players have an eight month training schedule. We are not

Praful Patel with Sepp Blatter in Zurich on Thursday.

lacking in ambition and I would like to see us reach the last eight because the popularity of football across the country depends on having a strong National team. That's also the reason why we are going to bring the U-19 team (AIFF XI) into the I-League for the next five years. It will toughen them up."

Sepp Blatter had visited India back in 2007 and since then, not much has changed in Indian football as unprofessionalism continues to haunt it at all levels.

“We discussed about Sepp Blatter’s last visit to India in 2007. I was the vice-president of the federation and we set up the `Win in India With India

programme’, which is now taking shape. As a part of this project we are having eight artificial pitches under construction across the country as well as three football academies in Bangalore, Sikkim and Andaman Nicobar Island.”

“We are working very hard on developing football at the grassroots level, which is another vital aspect to increase the appeal of the game in India.

We know that our infrastructures are too weak and we have now set ourselves specific objectives.

For example, we are aiming to build five or six good quality stadiums in the next three years,” added the president. (Goal.com)

Snows football trials

PANJIM (HSD) -- Snows Football Academy will conduct selection trials for their U- 14 football team for GFA U-14 football tournament on September 13 at Manora ground at 4.30 p.m. Those born on or before 1.1.1987 are eligible. Those interested may report to coach Cosme Oliveira on 9850456654 or team manager, Morris Pires on 9822179784 or Anthony Pango, secretary on 9822124919.

Assumpta trophy soccer

MARGAO (HC) -- Sarzora Sports Club will organise an All-Goa dawn-to-dusk U-17 inter-school football tournament for Assumpta Trophy on September 26 at Government Village ground, Sarzora at 9 a.m. Rs 4,000 and Rs 3,000 will be awarded to the winners and runners-up respectively besides trophies. Details may be obtained from Joe Manny Furtado on 9921448901.

Ronaldo returns to Real line-up AGENCIES MADRID, SEPT 10

Cristiano Ronaldo has recovered from an ankle injury to make Real Madrid’s squad for Saturday’s league game against Osasuna.

Ronaldo was expected to be out three weeks after hurting his right ankle in the seasonopening 0-0 draw at Mallorca

on August 29, but coach Jose Mourinho included the forward in his team for the match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

Ronaldo missed both of Portugal’s European championship qualifying games while recovering from the injury, including a 1-0 defeat at Norway and 4-4 draw with Cyprus.

Sarpanch Domingos Dias, president of the club, Carmelino Machado, general secretary, Savio Pinto and Mario Noronha, sports secretary along with the winners and runners-up of interward football organised

by Pax of Nagoa.

Mount Mary lift Pax Trophy HERALD SPORTS DESK PANJIM, SEPT 10

Mount Mary defeated Sonarvaddo 3-0 in the interward 7-aside football tournament organised by Pax of Nagoa SC.

Mount Mary were awarded a glittering trophy and cash prize donated by VP of Nagoa.

The village sarpanch was the chief guest and gave away the prizes.

International yoga gold medallist Nhehern Acharya, Goa University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dileep Deobhagkar, Registrar Dr M M Sangodkar, DSYA director, Dr Susana de Sousa, Milton Fernandes (Goa University), SAG’s Asst Secretary Navin Acharya, Chetan Kavlekar and others holding the Queen’s Baton at Mira Mar junction, Panjim on Wednesday.

Gambhir to lead Board President's XI AGENCIES CHENNAI, SEPT 10

A fit-again Gautam Gambhir will lead a 14-member Indian Board President's XI against the touring Australian team in a three-day practice match from September 25 in Chandigarh.

The BCCI's selection panel met in Chennai at the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association headquarters at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday and selected the team for the match which precedes the two-match Test series starting October 2 in Mohali, Board Secretary N Srinivasan said.

Gambhir, who was nursing a knee injury, is the only senior player in the team. The batting line-up features promising names such as Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha along with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.

The pace attack would be spearheaded by S Sreesanth with R Ashwin and Abhimanyu Mithun for company. The slower bowling department would be led by Piyush Chawla.

Serie A players to go on strike AGENCIES ROME, SEPT 10

Italy’s association of football players announced a strike Friday for the weekend of September 25-26 due to a contract dispute.

The dispute centers around a proposal by club presidents to limit players from refusing transfers, as defender Fabio Grosso recently did with Juventus following an offer from AC Milan.

The strike coincides with the season’s first high-profile match, with AS Roma scheduled to host Inter Milan on Sept. 25 in a meeting of the top two clubs

from last season.

The clubs’ proposal stipulates that when a player has a year remaining on his contract, he must accept a transfer to another, equally competitive club that guarantees the same financial treatment. If the player doesn’t accept the transfer, he must come to a mutual contract resolution with the club, according to the proposal.

The strike was announced in a statement read by AC Milan defender Massimo Oddo, signed by the captains and union representatives of all 20 Serie A clubs.

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SPORTS

Aiming at last eight in 2011 Asian Cup: AIFF chief Pg 17

Santosh bags gold Pg 16

GOA, SATURDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER, 2010 www.oheraldo.in

Highveld Lions tame Mumbai Indians AGENCIES JOHANNESBURG, SEPT 10

In a huge upset early on underdogs Highveld Lions beat favourites Mumbai Indians by nine runs in the opening (Group B) match of the Champions League played at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday.

Chasing an impressive, if not improbable, target the visitors eventually managed only 177 for six in their stipulated quota of overs. This despite a having a solid foundation to build upon.

The bowling and fielding were the departments that proved to be the difference between the sides. If MI's performace in the said departments was shoddy, the Lions' effort was commendable to say the least.

Sachin Tendulkar carried forward his impressive Indian Premier League form into the Champions League, top-scoring for the Mumbai Indians with a master ful 69. The Master

Blaster's 42-ball knock was inclusive of nine hits to the fence.

Shane Burger was the most impressive bowler for the Lions, taking the crucial wickets of Tendulkar and Kieron Pollard (19).

The MI captain and his opening Shikhar Dhawan (32) put on a solid partnership for the opening wicket - of 83 runs - to give the innings the foundation it so desperately required.

The visitors started on an aggressive note, racing to 46 without loss after six overs with

TODAY’S MATCHES Warriors v. Wayamba Elevens, 5 p.m.

Chennai Super Kings v.

Central Stags, 9 p.m.

Dhawan being the aggressive partner. However, the Master Blaster cut loose soon enough, hitting Aaron Phangiso for successive boundaries in the eighth over.

He was fortunate to survive in the same over though when his opposite number Alviro Petersen dropped him at cover.

But his opening partner wasn't as fortunate, hitting a Phangiso delivery straight to Cameron at short third man.

Ambati Rayudu (3) was run out in the next over. And when JP Duminy (30) was dropped off his own bowling by Cameron, it was a few monents of nerve for Mumbai Indians.

However, Tendulkar and Duminy did combine well thereafter, putting on 42 runs (of just 22 balls) for the third wicket.

Duminy cut loose in the 14th over, bowled by Cameron, hitting two boundaries and topping it up with a maximum over deep midwicket.

Now Dilshan, Fernando in match-fixing row

PTI LONDON/COLOMBO, SEPT 10

Match-fixing scandal that has cast its shadow over the Pakistan cricket team moved to Sri Lanka today with reports that its top batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan and fast bowler Dilhara Fernando had been investigated by the ICC's Anti-corruption and Security Unit (ACSU).

Dilshan, who has played 63 Tests and 188 ODIs for the island nation, had been monitored by the ACSU for alleged links with a bookmaker, London's 'Daily Mail' claimed today.

With regard to Fernando, a Sri Lankan newspaper 'The Island' alleged that he had been under ICC investigation for almost two years now.

However, the Sri Lankan Board stoutly denied involvement of its players in match-fixing, saying the charges against Dilshan were "character assassination", while insisting that Fernando had voluntarily disclosed an approach by the bookies to the ICC. The 'Daily Mail' had claimed that Dilshan was the player named in a Sri Lanka Cricket report to ICC's ACSU last year after he was allegedly spotted with a suspected illegal bookmaker in a London nightclub.

But the SLC rejected the report with spokesman Brian Thomas saying in Colombo that there were no allegations

against Dilshan.

"A far as we are concerned, there are no allegations against Dilshan. If there were allegations, by now the ICC would have informed us and a proper inquiry would have been held. As far as Sri Lanka Cricket is concerned, can I call it character assassination. We know our players are innocent," Thomas said.

Sri Lankan Captain Kumar Sangakkara also jumped to Dilshan's defence and said none of his teammates were suspected of "fraternising with shady characters".

"All these stories going around about Dilshan are absolutely baseless. No Sri Lankan player to my knowledge is in suspicion of fraternising with these so called bookies by their team-mates nor by team management and Sri Lanka Cricket Board. As far as I know there was no report to SLC or ICC's Anti-corruption Unit," Sangakkara said.

'Daily Mail' had reported that Sri Lankan team manager filed a report to ICC's ACSU after Sangakkara informed him about suspicions among team-mates that Dilshan had been seen with the bookie during the Twenty20 World Cup in England in June last year.

Sangakkara refuted it and said he had never passed any such information to the management.

"I have never reported against any player specifically. All the

Rooney returns campaign, scoring 14 goals without conceding. Next up is a trip Manchester United striker to West Ham, which is without Wayne Rooney can expect a hos- a point and has conceded three tile reception when he returns goals in each of its matches. to Goodison Park on Saturday Tottenham manager Harry for a Premier League match Redknapp was busy as usual on against former club Everton. deadline day, signing NetherAllegations about Rooney’s pri- lands midfielder Rafael van der vate life have been dominating Vaart and Croatia goalkeeper the headlines, even though he Stipe Pletikosa, and both players returned to form on England duty. could make their debuts in the The 24-year-old striker should match at West Bromwich Albion On SATURDAY start against the on Saturday.

Arsenal v Bolton club that sold him Second-place to United in 2004, Fulham v Wolverhampton Arsenal, which is despite the likeli- Newcastle v Blackpool l e v e l o n s e v e n h o o d o f a b u s e Man City v Blackburn points with United, West Ham v Chelsea from home fans. is at home to Wigan v Sunderland United manager Bolton.

At 7.30 p.m.

Alex Ferguson reElsewhere on fused to discuss Saturday, ManOn SUNDAY Rooney and the chester City hosts Everton v Man Utd player’s off-field isBlackburn, WolverAt 6 p.m. sues in a pre-match Birmingham v Liverpool hampton WanderAt 8.30 p.m. news conference, ers is at Fulham, instead opting to Newcastle is at On TUESDAY focus on the threat home to Blackpool Stoke v Aston Villa posed by an oppoand Wigan hosts At 1.30 a.m. nent which has Sunderland. picked up just one point from its On Sunday, Liverpool could give debuts to new signings Raul opening three matches.

Rooney should again partner Meireles and Paul Konchesky the in-form Dimitar Berbatov up when it plays Birmingham, front while Ferguson must de- which has yet to lose this seacide whether to recall England son.

On Monday, Aston Villa plays center back Rio Ferdinand, who is available after recovering from for the first time since the club appointed Gerard Houllier as knee injury.

Chelsea is the only side to manager, succeeding Martin have won all three so far this O’Neill.

AGENCIES LONDON, SEPT 10

players are very open in communicating with me and team management. No one including me have voiced our suspicion over any of our team-mates at any time nor reported specifically to the team manager or SLC," he asserted.

"If there is any report of any suspicion on any player, then it is better to ask the SLC and the team management about that but as far as I know ,there is no such thing," Sangakkara said.

Sangakkara also ruled out any Sri Lankan player intentionally mixing up with illegal bookmakers.

"Any of the players upto my knowledge have not fraternised with any of these shady characters. The only thing is you never know who is sitting at the chair next to you or who is taking photograph with you at a hotel or somewhere," he said.

SLC Chief Executive Ajith Jayasekara also dismissed reports of Dilshan being under the ICC scanner.

"We don't go by speculation or what any newspaper wants to say. We don't want to go by such reports. The Anti corruption Unit of the ICC has not reported any such involvement of any player. We cant go by speculation. This has not been brought to our notice by the anti-corruption unit of the ICC. There is no evidence against any Sri Lankan player," Jayasekara told PTI.

England beat Pak by 24 runs REUTERS DURHAM, England, SEPT 10

England beat Pakistan by 24 runs in the first one-day international today. Scores: England 274 for six (41 overs); Pakistan 250 for nine (41 overs).

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Bopanna-Qureshi end runners-up PTI NEW YORK, SEPT 10

Guning for their first Grand Slam title, Rohan Bopanna and Aisamul-Haq fought their hearts out but had to be content with a runners-up trophy at the US Open as the Indo-Pak Express lost the men's doubles final 67(6) 6-7 (3) to Americans top seeds Mike and Bob Bryan here today.

Bopanna and Qureshi, 16th seeds, did not look like a team playing their first ever Grand Slam final as they made the world number one pair work hard for points and played enthralling tennis for more than one-and-a-half hours.

It was nevertheless a dream run for the two players as for the first time an Indian and a Pakistani player combined to reach the final of a Grand Slam event.

They might have failed to win a title but Bopanna and Qureshi were successful in sending the message loud and clear that sport can help dissolve the boundaries and India and Pakistan can watch, play and earn glory.

They wore the t-shirts with slogan -- stop war start tennis -- to send the message of peace in the two countries, at loggerheads since the partition days.

For Bryan brothers, it was their second Grand Slam title of the season and also a revenge victory, having lost the Washington quarter-finals to the Indo-Pak team.

For the Bryan brothers, this title was their ninth men's doubles crown.

World number one Rafael Nadal, seeking his first US Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, advanced to the last four by defeating eighth-seeded Spanish compatriot Fernando Verdasco.

Nadal, who has not lost a set in the tournament, rolled 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 and will play for a finals berth on Saturday against Russian 12th seed Mikhail Youzhny, who ousted Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 3-6, 63, 6-3.