[Goanet-news]24 JULY 2004: GOACOM DAILY NEWS CLIPPINGS

[joel3 at goacom.com]

GOACOM DAILY NEWS CLIPPINGS
24 July 2004

    GOACOM VIDEO NEWS
    http://www.goacom.com/news
    GoaNEWS-19 Jul 04:
    H I G H L I G H T S:
   * CM assures all support from government to SSI * Media has become
image-building tool: Noted journalist K. Ketkar * All Goa ranking
badminton.

CENSUS PAINTS SORRY PICTURE: Census 2001, the date of which was released
in Panjim on July 23, has confirmed Goa`s alarming decline of agriculture.
Of the 13,47,668 that the Census pegs Goa`s population at, only 41,520 are
involved in cultivation - a meagre 3.08 per cent. Chief Secretary DS Negi,
who released the data and also launched the census website - 
www.goacensus.nic - at a function held on the occasion of Data
Dissemination Day attributed this decline in agriculture to a similar
national and global trend. (H)

HIGH RISE IN MARGINAL WORKERS: The primary census abstract of the
Census-2001 reveals that the present population of Goa stand at 13,47,668
- 6,87,248 males and 6,60,420 females - while there are 2,94,812
households in the State. The population growth rate in Goa over the four
decades has been steady at 11,69,793 in 1991, 10,07,749 in 1981 and
7,95,120 in 1971. (NT)

ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS
--HOUSE FOR FOREIGN HELP: The Goa Assembly on July 23 unanimously passed a
resolution urging the government to seek assistance from foreign agencies
to pinpoint the root cause of chronic renal failure in Canacona taluka and
to declare its high incidence there as an epidemic. The resolution was
moved by Poinguinim MLA (Congress) Isidore Fernandes and later supported
by Canacona MLA (BJP) VijayPai Khot. Highlighting the cases of chronic
renal failure in the taluka, Fernandes said the government needs to
seriously investigate the cause as the disease is affecting hundred of
people. (H)
--`TAINTED MINISTERS` ISSUE: While the issue of tainted ministers rocked
Parliament on July 24, its repercussions were felt in the Goa Legislative
Assembly when the Opposition boycotted two `tainted` ministers during
question hour. The questions enlisted for replies by Ministers Dayanand
Mandrekar and Francis D`Souza were not raised by the Opposition who
expressed their disinterest while Luizinho Faleiro said, "It is a part of
our decision not to ask tainted ministers any questions." (H)
--POLICE STATION FOR CALANGUTE: The Assembly passed a resolution to set up
a police station for Calangute to take care of the increasing crime there.
Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes, who move this resolution, stated that the
existing police station, which is located on the Saligao-Calangute border,
is inconvenient for the people of Calangute, where crimes have increased.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar assured the MLA that a full-fledged police
station will be set up in Calangute. (H)
--WINDING UP OF CO-OPERATIVES: Liquidation exercise for the 15
co-operative societies from Pernem, which have failed to submit documents
for audit purpose, will be completed within 24 months, said Chief Minister
Parrikar while replying to a starred question from Pernem MLA Jitendra
Deshprabhu. (GT)

SLEEPING OVER MARGAO FLYOVERS: Two flyovers approved for Margao around two
years ago to ease acute traffic congestion at the busy Comba railway
crossing are merely on paper. Similar is the fate of two footbridges
planned over the railway tracks to link the city to Calcondem and Pedda.
(H)

BHAJIYA FESTIVAL: The popular Bhajiya Festival has started at Hotel
Delmon. On offer are Patra-na bhajiyas from Gujarat, mirchi bhajiyas from
Rajasthan and bondas from south. Fusion bhajiyas like sandwich bhajiyas,
pohe bhajiyas, noodle pakoras, paneer pakoras are also available. (GT)

IT`S HOLDUP RAILWAY STYLE: Trains are a boon to interstate travellers,
however, going by the chaos witnessed at the railway crossings, (in
Margao) they have proved to be a bane to office goers, students, public in
general and the tourists. (GT)

FIRST MALARIA DEATH IN MARGAO: C Almeida, 55-year-old woman from Borda, is
suspected to have died of malaria at the GMC hospital, Bambolim, a few
days ago. Officials at the Margao Urban Health Centre maintained that the
deceased died due to health complications, but admitted that she was
tested positive for Plasmodium Falciparum. (H)

NO BUSINESS SANS TOURISTS: Touted to be one of the best beaches in Goa
along with its twin sister Colva, the Calangute beach presently cuts a
sorry state of affairs. Once teeming with tourists during the peak season,
it now lies virtually isolated in the monsoons. This has had a snowballing
effect on the business here...The Calangute belt is home to 35 starred
resorts and about 40 lodgings. While the occupancy is health 90 to 95 per
cent during the season, it touches it nadir in the monsoons with the
occupancy hovering anywhere between 20 to 25 per cent. (GT)

COW ELECTROCUTED: A died at Fatorda after it came in contact with an
electric pole. Incidentally, the pole is located adjacent the main road
leading towards the Nehru stadium. (H)

ON CORRUPTION: A 12-member delegation of the Citizens Action Group, led by
its convenor Premanand Lotlikar, will soon call on Goa Governor SC Jamir
and apprise him of the alarming and rampant corruption in the State. CAG
spokesman Adv Aires Rodrigues stated the delegation would urge the
Governor to order an immediate inquiry into the disproportionate assets of
some Ministers and certain senior government officers. The CAG would also
urge the Governor to look into to the `malfunctioning` of the Goa Public
Service Commission, besides placing before him the details of the
vandalism at Panjim on June 18 and the failure of the police to take
action as per law. (H)

HOTEL INSTITUTE AT AGNEL ASHRAM: The Goa government has approved the
establishment of Agnel Institute of Food Craft and Culinary Sciences. This
institute will conduct a three-year diploma programme in Hotel Management
and Catering Technology besides other value added courses. The institute
is also in the process of signing a Memorandum of Understanding with
Algonquin College, Ottawa, Canada, for seeking technical expertise for
these programme. Rick Reid, dean of the Hotel management Institute of
Algonquin College will visit Goa in September to assist in areas of
curriculum development, laboratory layouts, staff training, etc. (H)

`FAMILY VALUES ON DECLINE`: Noted Konkani writer and activist Uday Bhembre
expressed deep concern over the declining family values in Goan society,
which he said is reflecting adversely on the new generation. Addressing
the parents at the PTA meeting of Guardian Angel Higher Secondary School,
Curchorem, he cautioned the parents against consumerism, which has made
the children undisciplined, having the least regard for social, moral and
ethical behaviour in society. (H)

BIG FOOT TRUST PROGRAMME: The Big Foot Trust organised its third annual
felicitation programme for achievers from schools in and around the
village of Loutulim at the Casa Araujo Alvares recently. Three students
from each school were awarded cash prizes and gifts. (GT)

CAN GOA GET INVENTORS: Is Goa`s educational system really educative or
will it exterminate the thought process in Goa? Looking at the present
system, it is not surprising that it is not conducive in passing out
scholars. Judging by the number of failures that keep rising, with each
successive board exam it appears that there are serious fallbacks in Goa`s
educational system. And with no clean education policy in mind and the
government eager to make changes in the current system it appears that the
educational system is once again in for another setback. (Edit in Herald)

HINDI PLAY: Kala Akademy`s Rangmel will stage its new Hindi play Kumar Ki
Chaat Par, written by Madu Ray, on 29 and 30 July at 6.30 PM. Pratibha
Agarwal has translated the play from the original Gujarati version.

S P O R T S

ST ANTHONY`S AHEAD: St Anthony's, Duler, scored a 5-4 tie-breaker victory
over Holy Cross, Siolim, in the inaugural match of the Under-14 Subroto
Mukherjee football tournament, at Peddem grounds in Mapusa. Filton
Fernandes opened the account for Siolim in the 39th minute when his
free-kick hit the crossbar before entering the nylons. (H)

D E A T H S
   23 July: Bainguinim-Old Goa: IGNATIUS FERNANDES: husband of Lourdes,
father of Luigson and Yeltsin.


G O A   W E A T H E R
   Max temp: 30.4 degC; Min temp; 26.7 degC; Humidity: 85% (Yesterday)
   Rainfall so far: 1018.9 mm
   Weather: Frequent light showers continue. The weather wears a rainy
look this morning.

  Courtesy: GT=Gomantak Times; NT=The Navhind Times; H=Herald;
WE=Weekender; TOI=Times of India

JOEL D'SOUZA
Assagao-Goa-India.