Goa SEZ: Govt to take final decision in July [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 03:49:13 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (0) ] As the face-off between Centre and Goa over SEZs continues, the government on Wednesday said it will take a final decision on the coastal state's four formally approved tax free zones in July after getting the state government's comments on submissions made by the developers.
Commerce Secretary G K Pillai who is also Chairman of the Board of Approval (BoA) for SEZs, today heard views of developers of the four zones in the wake of the state government's recommendations to cancel the tax-free enclaves.
The BoA could not take a final view on the fate of four SEZs as there was no representation from the state government at the meeting of the board, Pillai told reporters in New Delhi.
''We will refer the submissions made by the developers to the state government and would take a final view on the issue in a next BoA meeting in July,'' Pillai said.
Faced with political opposition, the Goa government had decided to scrap all 15 SEZs in the state last year. Of these, three -- Cipla's Meditab Specialities; Peninsula Pharma Research Centre and K Raheja Corp -- were notified, while four -- Paradigm Logistics and Distribution Pvt Ltd, Planetview Mercantile Company Ltd, Inox Mercantile Company Ltd and Panchbhoomi Infrastructure Pvt Ltd -- were given formal nod.
Goans in Melbourne celebrate MAY QUEEN BALL with style [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 05:00:59 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (2) ] Goans – the people who claim descent from the tiny former Portuguese enclave nestled in Western India, have made their presence felt on the 17th of May, 2008 when they all gathered along with their Aussie friends at the lately refurbished and elegant St. Kilda Town Hall, for the first ever, May Queen Ball, 2008, with memories of the Goan Carnival (Carnaval). The hall was fully packed!
Amidst the beautiful décor, it was truly an enchanting night. As the guests made their way to the hall, they were greeted by nostalgic Konkani music that brought back the memories of old for many a Goan who has been here for long. Besides the Konkani music in the background, the organisers had also put up a slide show on the massive screen, depicting sceneries from Goa. That was very touching and indeed brought back memories of Goa as well as helped us to promote Goa amongst our Australian friends. And to top it up, Newton Marques sang the Konkani song “Molbailou Dou” (words by late C. Alvares) that brought out many Goan couples on the floor!
Kick started by the Goan Virtuoso Newton Marques, sharp on the dot of 7.15 pm as announced, the night began with lilting music presented by the band; “Replay – 6 with Sandra” . This time, there was a brass section led by Dallas Achilles included in the band and that made a whale of a difference at the venue. Dallas led the fantasy introduction to the traditional Goan ‘Marcha’. Incidentally, the ‘marcha’ has become a trademark highlight of functions organised by Melgoans. Here, after a couple of rounds hand in hand, couples were steered into two concentric circles, facing each other. Each time the music stopped, the couples were encouraged to introduce themselves in the local Goan style, and that was a hit. It was great to see Australians and others speaking Konkani along with fellow Goans by their side! In addition to promoting Konkani, this was a true ice breaker, and soon the very mood in the St. Kilda Town Hall changed. Now everyone had a new friend, and you know how that goes on!
The sumptuous buffet promised by Silver Platter [D & S Caterering] was thrown open sharp at 8.30 pm and what a spread that was! Traditional Goan dishes like Sorpotel and Xacuti were listed among the many other mouth watering dishes that just made every one feel transported back to sunny Goa, the land of their dreams. No sooner the buffet was done with, everyone was back on to the floor enjoying the night to their hearts content. Twenty five hopefuls for the May Queen contest were nominated by the judges and given badges. While most couples enjoyed themselves tapping off on the dance floor while some were busy catching up with old friends or meeting new ones, was heard the fanfare of King Momo who made a regal entrance accompanied by his consorts. The king just won everybody’s hearts on the night with the contestants circling around the King! This really brought back memories of the Goan Carnival.
The May Queen Contest which was one of the highlights of the night was exciting. With so many beautiful damsels on the floor, it was a hard ask for the judges to zero in on twenty five only from the many on the dance floor. From the Twenty five, seven were chosen for the final round and it was a nail biting moment as the tallies were done under the watchful eyes of many. And after a real pregnant wait, the final results were announced by the Master of Ceremonies, Newton Marques. The May Queen 2008, Ms Giselle Sequeira, a student doing her masters in Finance and Accounting at Deakin University, all the way from Dubai, was crowned by Member of Parliament, Rob Hudson who graced the occasion along with other dignitaries, including Dympna Beard who was the first member of Parliament who spoke about Melgoans and the Goan community in the House.
The first runner up was Andrea Noronha while the second runner up was Lisandra Carvalho. It was a very close contest, and well, they were all queens on the night!
Mr. Oscar Lobo, Co-ordinator of the event said that he was overwhelmed with the turnout at the event and thanked everyone present. Mr. Lobo echoed Mr. Rob Hundson’s words to the Victorian Multicultural Council “Melgoans events are show pieces of integration” and this was surely seen around the hall. Mr. Lobo also mentioned that “We all need to work together to make union perfect” to borrow the words of Senator Obama.
Our special thanks to Mr. Chris Burrows – ANZ Mortgage Franchise for giving away the first prize of Return Ticket to Sydney to the May Queen and this was supplemented by a beauty hamper provided by Ms. Rohini Ram of Roop Rani Herbal Beauty Saloon.
We would also like to extend our thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Garvin & Margaret of Highett Tattersalls, management of Cinnamon Club and Hindustan Spices for giving prizes for this occasion. The spot prizes as well as door prizes were given by Melgoans.
With the May Queen Ball, 2008 just gone by, all eyes are now set at the next upcoming function which is the annual World Goa Day, slated for celebration on the 23rd of August, 2008, at the Springvale Town Hall, Springvale. Please mark this date on your calender. Detailed plans will be released shortly. Many people left their bookings for the last moment and were unfortunately disappointed that they were unable to attend our May Queen Ball. Therefore the team at Melgoans urge you to book your seats as soon as you see our flyer in Bharat Times or if the flyer is sent to you via e-mail. For further enquiries of the forthcoming event, you may want to contact Mr. Oscar Lobo on 0404 848 345.
"The services are to be organized from various points in Goa, from different parishes and institutions." says the church announcement.
The counseling could possibly for personal, family problems to health and religious issues. The services are to begin with churches at Mapusa in north Goa, Chinchinim, Mormugao and Bom Jesu.
An announcement published in Renewal, the magazine of the Goa Church says, "there are some areas in Goa” which have more “husbands and fathers” work as seafaring workers, “for example, the well-known AVC belt of Assolna-Velim-Cincolim"
The church prepares itself to cater to these people. There are also special retreats being organized on the third Thursday of every month in Sarzora and on the last Tuesday in Chinchimin.
The church named the services as Stella Maris Coounselliing Services. It also plans to caters to the visiting sea farers through the port church in Mormugao.
The services are to be organized from various parishes, institutions and thus the archdiocese would be playing the role of a hub through the Laity Centre and the Family Service Centre.
Tuesday June 03, 2008
A Goan tiatr on Scarlett Keeling's memory [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 07:36:04 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (2) ] THE MURDER case of the British teenager, Scarlett Keeling in Goa did send the world media into frenzy for covering the mysterious death and subsequent cover-up in detail. Almost three-and-half months later, the interwoven facts and mysteries of her death, inspired famous Goan tiatrist, Roseferns, to release a play called Goenkara –Tum Ragar Zainaka (Goan – You do not get angry) in her memory on June 1.
The tiatr (a popular form of folk-drama for Goans) story is based on Keeling, the 15-year-old British girl whose half-naked body was found at the Anjuna beach in February this year.
The protagonist’s role in the tiatr is played by Antonette de Maina. The play has many people, dancing to the trance music scenes. It explores the supposed plot on her immediate life before her murder. It shows the issues of drug overdose, physical intimacy with two men; her losing of consciousness, and her body, being dumped into the sea and attempts, made to treat the case as drowning or suicide etc.
The director, also known as ’King of Centuries’, for his roles in popular hits, which have crossed the 100 mark on numerous occasions in the past, has used the typical Goa beach shack scenes as backdrop to his tiatr.
Roseferns’ family has been entertaining Goan audiences with his popular folk-plays for the last three decades.
Incidentally, a Bollywood film, ‘Rave Party’, is to be produced by Prabhakar Shukla and set for release in October this year, if everything goes according to the plan of the director, with leading actress Katrina Kaif, likely to play the role of Keeling.
Flats in upcoming projects in the Caranzalem area with an uncluttered view of the sea are going for a minimum of Rs 1 crore.
The price spirals as one moves up the floors. Those with a clear view of Miramar beach are pegged at Rs 1 lakh per sq m.
Flats at Gera's Astoria and Models Mystique under construction near the Caranzalem petrol pump cost Rs 40,000-60,000 per sq m on floors that don't have a sea view. But climb to Astoria's 7th and 8th levels and it's a whopping Rs 1.59 crore for the 159 sq m three-bedroom flats on offer.
The six-storey Mystique offers a view of the sea from the second level upwards and is priced similarly.
An yet to be named project under construction near Goa Science Centre is believed to cost a minimum of Rs 1 crore per flat. It will have a view of the sea from the third floor onwards.
"Since the Regional Plan 2011 was scrapped prices of flats have increased tremendously," said Nitin Kunkoli-enkar president of the Goa Chamber of Commerce. "The heavy shortage of flats in Panaji has led to a minimum pricing of Rs 50,000 per sq m. Some projects have even touched Rs 1 lakh per sq m," he said.
indiatimes.com/Cities/Goa/Caranzalem_flats_shatter_Rs_1cr_barrier/articleshow/3091596.cms">Read More
The airline will add six more flights to two more Indian cities Goa and Pune from Dubai Airport's Terminal-2 effective from June 17 and 18 respectively.
This would mean 75 weekly flights from Dubai and Sharjah to 15 Indian Cities. The flights to the popular tourist city of Goa from Dubai on a thrice-weekly basis will be launched from June 18, 2008.
The flights operating on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Mondays, will depart Dubai at 0245 hrs. (LT) and arrive Goa at 0720 hrs (LT). On the Goa-Dubai leg, the flights will be on Tuesdays, Fridays & Sundays departing Goa at 1555 hrs. and arriving Dubai at 1740.
The committee, on Friday afternoon, recommended to expedite the land acquisition process for the greenfield airport at Mopa in north Goa, bordering Goa-Maharashtra.
"It was recommended to proceed for the land acquisition proceedings for the airport and complete the project expediously," Goa's lone Rajya Sabha member Shantaram Naik, who is also a committee member, told reporters here.
Mopa airport, planned in the northermost border of Goa, had met stringent opposition by the South Goa politicians including then Member of Parliament and current state minister Churchill Alemao.
History written by Carmel's beacon of stars [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 05:34:48 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (0) ] It was a fabulous Friday. Students, parents and teachers were glued to the net anxiously awaiting the Class XII CBSE results. As the first results began trickling in, Carmelites were thrilled, seeing their achievements being reflected in the high marks. As minutes passed by joy turned to elation! Their results viewed in wider perspective revealed that theirs was indeed a performance of unprecedented magnitude.
The First Four positions in Kuwait were clinched by five Carmelites! Moreover the first place in Physics in the Gulf and Kuwait was also secured by Carmel!!
Tears of joy freely flowed and there was indescribable jubilation in the homes of Carmel's Famous Five - Coral, Shreedhar, Muriel, Christabelle and Varghese. They were a true breed of Carmel as they have been nurtured by Carmel from L.K.G/Primary to the XII.
PERFORMANCE IN THE SCIENCE STREAM
1. Coral Winona Pais (Ms Carmel,an epitome of humility and grace ) - 94.6% 2. Shreedar Anant Hardikar (Master Carmel Runner Up ,our suave and systematic scientist ) - 94.4% 3. Muriel Belinda Mascarenhas ( Ms Carmel Runner Up ,meticulous and dignified)- 93.4% 4. Christabelle Santos and Varghese Rosh Pyyampallil( Charming and standing tall,both knew their priorities well) - 93.2% 5. Juby Joseph Ninan ( Bright, content with a happy go lucky attitude)-91.8% 6. Shobek Sam Attapurath (Known for being obedient and respectful ) – 90%
PERFORMANCE IN THE COMMERCE STREAM
1. Devyani Upadhyaya (Possesses a great zeal for life, she balances every facet of academic life well )-90% 2. Eton Bosco Pinto( Our quiet thinker with a beautiful heart and mind) -88.4% 3. Nelicia Lourdes Cleta Braganza (With a diligent and cultured personality)-88.2% 4. Deepti Damodaran (She is perseverance personified) -85% 5. Sheryl Dmello (A responsible and consisitent student)-82.2% 6. Rhyma Raizelle Ferrao (Admired for being vivacious and intelligent) -81.8%
The police dismissed Constable Hemant Kankonkar saying he had indulged in a criminal act of a severe nature showing that a protector of the law has turned criminal and tarnished the image of the force by his misconduct.
TOI had brought the issue to light by reporting on Tuesday that duty free goods had been found abandoned on the airport roof. On Wednesday, the constable was arrested.
indiatimes.com/Goa/Constable_loses_job_for_theft_at_Goa_airport/articleshow/3081842.cms">Read More
A high-level meeting of BJP leaders, along with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) legislators and two independents was held in Mumbai on Sunday to discuss the strategy to topple the government, the sources said.
However, when contacted by PTI, state BJP leader Manohar Parrikar declined to comment on any toppling bid.
The Digamber Kamat-led coalition government, which is yet to complete one year in the chair, has already faced two unsuccessful toppling bids.
Main coalition partner, NCP, had earlier expressed its dissatisfaction with the government.
Trapped by the holiday toyboy sex industry [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 11:59:40 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (5) ] A British divorcee falls in love with a holiday toyboy - then realises he just sees her as a meal-ticket. So far, so depressingly familiar. But Sarah's story has a sinister and utterly unexpected twist.
Duped: Sarah Matheson with her Indian lover Farouk, who conned her out of £80,000 Farouk's soulful brown eyes looked deeply into those of his girlfriend's as they sat at a beach bar, the waves of the Indian Ocean lapping feet away.
'I cannot get a loan here, and the money will safeguard our future,' he said to her. 'I will be able to build up my business and then I can take care of you for ever.'
Without hesitating, Sarah Matheson handed over a cheque for £60,000. This was money from a loan secured against her detached four-bedroom house in Surrey.
But home, for the divorced 54-year-old IT systems analyst, seemed a very long way away at that moment.
At the time, Sarah, who has three grown-up children, was renting out her house and had taken a sabbatical from her high-powered career.
Against the advice of her children, she had flown to Calangute, in the northern part of Goa, India, to spend time and plan her future with her Kashmiri boyfriend, Farouk.
He had told her he was in his mid-30s. In fact, she found out later when she looked at his passport that he was 29.
'I know everyone reading this will be shaking their heads and thinking: "How could you be so gullible?"' she says. 'But imagine my position. I was a divorcee who had been on my own for ten years. I had a reasonable amount of money, my own stylish home and a great career.
'But I was bored stiff. My children had left home, and I was looking into a bleak and lonely future. This beautiful young man offered an escape. . . Not just to passionate sex and attention, but also the chance of a new life.
'I could live here in this stunning place, with the sea and the sun, for the rest of my days. He painted such a vivid picture of our future together that the fact he needed money seemed so unimportant, so trifling.
'He was so very persuasive and plausible, saying that it was almost impossible to borrow money in India and that this money would not only secure our futures but that he would pay me back in full. I was in love, and looking through rose-tinted glasses.'
A harsh home-coming
But Sarah was about to become one of the thousands of mature British women falling victim to young foreign men who prey on them in holiday destinations around the world.
Today, she is back home, alone, in Surrey. There is no lover with the soulful eyes and promise of a sun-drenched romantic future.
Instead, she has letters from her mortgage and loan company telling her that she must pay the arrears or she will be evicted from her home.
In tears, she says: 'I cannot believe I fell for this. It is a scam, an absolute con. The reason I am speaking out about what is a deeply shameful episode in my life is that I desperately want to warn other women like me that you must not fall for this trick.
'It will ruin your life. If I could, I would put leaflets on the planes flying to holiday destinations like Goa, warning women to beware.'
Since Sarah's world came crashing down in May of last year, she has been fighting with the Goan government and legal system to try to bring a case against Farouk.
But her British solicitor has warned her it will be virtually impossible and potentially very costly. Not only that, but she has been in contact with five other British women who have been scammed the same way by Farouk's friends, and is keen to begin a campaign to stop this happening to anyone else.
Read MoreCalangute gives wake up call [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 08:18:48 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (3) ] A surprisingly high turnout of over 1237 men women and children gathered at the St Alex Church square Calangute this Sunday evening at 5.00 p,m to the call of the Calangute Front for Responsible Tourism (CFRT) whose convenor Anthony D Souza of Clangute painstakingly organized.
Geraldine Fernandes Chairperson of the Benaulim Citizens Action Committee appealed to the people of Goa to unite under one banner to save Goa . She stated that the Ganv Ghor Rakhan Manch was a forum to cover all villages in Go and that the collective efforts would stop the rampant destruction going on.
Ms Adolphine Thamm an activist from Sinquerim highlighted the issue at Sinquerim plateu way back in 200 when the Taj Group of hotels intended to open up a three and a half lac recreation park with cine houses swimming pools and hundred houses . This was opposed tooth and nail until the Management took the Directorate of Panchayat to Court and pursued the matter for six long years.. With the help of the Parish priest of Sinquerim Fr David Filinto the issues of sewage waste etc they pursued the matter with the authorities. It was an unfortunate experience for all Sinquerim residents that the historic fort would be declared out of bounds and eventually visitors would have to take passes to visit the Fort. How can the state permit such things when there is no sufficient power water supply and garbage strewn drown the hills or even sewage at their door step
Pravin Sabnis GBA sang a beautiful primer – "My Goa lies over the mountains , My Goa lies around the rivers Bring back oh bring back my Goa to me to me" He complimented the people ofr Chandor Mr Lincoln Fernandes and others who had brought out the Chandor Village Deelopment Plan and is now a basis for all other to follow. Recently Ms Vinita Coelho took time out and did the Moira Village Development Plan. He reminded the people that while Government does development to satiate its greed the people should make out one for their needs To achieve this he said the Goans should have to put in p,ace a moratorium of no fights with one another, visit the villages themselves and make an inventory of the things around the village and then have a development plan. Mr Sabnis was shocked that a Minister for Panchayati Raj was taking an unconstitutional stand declaring that he would permit mega projects if Panchayats through the Gram Sabhas opposed them . This runs contrary to oath sworn by him to protect the Constitution. As the 73rd Constitutional amendment had in 1992 given full powers to village development plans and the gram sabhas. He warned the Police officials at Orlim that the people of Goa would take the law in their own hand if they continued to harass the peaceful agitators. (Referring to a large number of people from Orlim who had attended this meet.)
Ben Evangelist tiatrist from Benaulim wittingly spoke about his own social background that he came from the family of "Kharvis" and that during his youth fhe would see the Rampons along the beach now where stand the starred hotels declared out of bounds for locals . The traditional fishermen went to trawl at 5 fanthoms into the sea and now the motor boats have replaced the purseiners along the beach. His quoted late Chirs Perry from Margao who had a love for Goa's tourism cradle Calangute and said he would roll in the grave to see Calngute destroyed and warned Goans to wake up and safeguard our lands. He blamed the Bhatcars of Goa (some of whom were on the crowd for selling the land to non goans and now partaking in such movements.
Mr Shyam Subder Naik from Advalpale in Bicholim narrated how his village which was named as a jungle area was being destroyed . Mining had stopped in 2000 but the slag flowed from the pits from the mined earth (remember fore every 1 part of ore there are three
Parts of rejects. Now with the China demand for low grade ore There are several leases being opened and the field have been destroyed.
Ramesh Gauns from Bicholim activist (Mining areas ) reminded people that the Government was like the blind men who were feeling the elephant. They do not know what they are doing . He said the people of Calangute are affected by Assonora for it is from her that their water needs are met He said that there are nearly seven water networks of which five are in the area of mining belt which is spread along 95 kms . There are 42 tributaries and four rivers and these will be saturated with over 610 leases oif mining being permitted. There are nearly 40, 000 traditional fishermen etc who would be affected with the saturation of water . There will be no tourism. (Incidentally the Carambolim lake has suddenly dried up baffling all )
Soter D Souza an activist on Panchayati Raj urged the people to demand a social audit on development during the last 20 years and the benefit to Goans . He asked the people to urge the government to carry out rural based housing industries etc iostead of mega projects
Anthony Veronica Fernandes from Candolim recalled that he as an activist had always kept the interest of Goans in mind. Though thirty years in Kuwait he had always held the Goans interest at heart . He likened the Goan issue to Palestines who were fighting for their homeland. He said Candolim in the early 1970' started to be the hippies bastion. He had protested their presence because of drughs . Today they have come in a high profile life styles. He pledged full support for the agitation.
Fr Maverick Fernandes, Council for Social Justice and Action reminded the large gathering that article 21 of the Constitution not only safeguarded the right to life but also to decent living. Are we being permitted decent living ? he questioned.. He said that there was no need for the government to take action against the will of the people . He said the 73rd amendment had already allowed gram sabhas to decide what is best for the village. Hence if every Goan is concerned with the future of Goa and they love their children then they should spare some time to put in place village development plans. The issue of Free Port the issue of Regional Plan SEZ and several other movements Nylon 6 6 Meta strips Konkan Railway and now the casinos were all agitations which were led as the Government actions were against the will of the people.
Rajan Korgaonkar from Baga was surprised to see how the development had changed . He stated that there was an occasion when there was a person from south who visited north Goa and was shocked that narrow by lanes drains lakes were destroyed . He could even not identify prominent landmarks. A number of foreigners who came to Goa in the early seventies were surprised at the changes and said this does not auger well for the Goans. We need to spare time for the future of Goa .
The following resolution were read by Anthony D Souza Convenor and passed with a few additions
Freeze the sale of land and the approval of new projets until the necessary village development plans have been prepared with the active involvement of the villagers
Information of all ongoing mega project including all correspondence should be made available to the Gram Sabha
All objections by the Gram Sabha should result in public inspection and immediate action
All new building projects should have mandatory provisions for rain water harvesting garbage management etc
The basic needs of water electricity and the other basic needs of the village must be addressed on a urgent and priority basis
Traditional houses repaired / reconstructed in CRZ should be regularized
Total ban on massage parlours. No combined ladies and gents parlours
Ban on noise pollution should be strictly observed and necessary action to be imposed on the violators
We oppose all forms of irresponsible tourism based on sex and drugs
The additions
Stop all gambling casinos and rampant mining activities in the Statte.
The other highlights of the meet
a) the prayer song and dance was invoked by small children
b) there was skit showing how parents lured by the tourism activity neglected their children who were eventually weaned away to night clubs massage parlours drigs and prostitution. The act of the participants earned the cheers of the audience
c) Mr Herman Abreu of Raia who now lives in Sinquerim sang a beautiful composition of Bob Marlee --- urging Goans toi stand up and act . The audience stood on its feet and then clapped and sang in unison at the beat.
d) Some of the posters on the walls were Responsible tourism no noise pollution no mobile towers in residential ares
Clean tourism no garbage , no mega projects
e) Rape of Goa was presented by Rajan Parikar describeing the destruction along the coastline from Polem to Patradevi.
It may be recalled that the tourism industry began with the arrival of the hippies in Candolim/ Calangute and now it seems it has turned full circle. There are more non Goans at every corner and to those who remember the nights of the Simla beat contests during the summer seasons they will need to do something to revive this. The ground swell is visible and the moment to strike is well nigh . This seems to be the underlining message meanwhile the elected representatives need to stand fore warned that they are being selected for ostracization in their villages if they act against the will of the people.
The landowners are also warned that they would have to be cautious in their land dealings . Their insatiable greed for crores instead of lacs has been the cause of the sucess of the megsa projects and nongoan arrivals. Cong, BJP shared seats in Mangalore [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 04:07:55 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (0) ] Mangalore , May 26: BJP and Congress have shared equal seats in Mangalore constituency. The winning candidates came to the street with their supporters, soon after the official announcement of their victories. Despite of restrictions from the Election Commission, candidates and their supporters were found celebrating their victory. Mangalore North: J Krishnapalemar(BJP) won by 14,263 votes against B A Moihiuddin Bava( Congress). I expected to win this time with a leap of 25,000 votes. I have strived hard for three and half year and served to prove myself. This has been appreciated by the voters and they supported me. He assured that he will solve all the problems of farmers, work for the development of the city and avail with basic facilities. Mangalore City: U T Khaddar (Congress) won by 7,200 votes against Padmaanabha Kotari (BJP). People and supporters have trust on me and made me taste the win once again. This is the victory of the people and supporters. In the region supply of drinking water and coastal problems would be solved soon. Previously I had been in charge for three months and did my best and will do the same now.
Mangalore South: N Yogish Bhat (BJP) won by 8,760 votes against Ivan D’souza( Congress) He has won for the 4th time from the region. Previously also he won against Congress in 1994, 99 and 2004 also.
Sullia: S Angar (BJP) won by 5,300 votes against Dr B Raghu( Congress). Inspite of continuous blames by Congress, people placed their trusts and made me win for the fourth time. He thanked the people and supporters for it. The roads, drinking water, electricity problems would be given much importance he said.
Hema Sardesai demands special status for Goa [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 02:38:05 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (0) ] Panaji (PTI): Renowned playback singer Hema Sardesai on Sunday demanded special status for Goa to save the state from being sold outright to the land sharks. The Goan origin singer has decided to launch a movement along with the like minded people for special status demand.
"Once Goa gets a special status, all the issues would be settled. We need not launch agitations to save state's land being grabbed by land sharks," Hema said. Goa, having a population of 14 lakh, is facing tryst with the massive land grab especially green zones. The increasing land conversion has been an issue hotly debated in this state on the western coast.
"Acres of land is being sold to the builders. What is being sold are our hills and paddy fields. There is manipulation of land records," Hema said. The Bollywood singer who gave hits like Awara Bhanvre and Badal Pe Paon Hai (Chak de India) was on the forefront to oppose draconian regional plan 2011 which feared to rob Goa of its beauty. The plan was subsequently dropped after massive public agitation.
The project will be executed on public-private partnership (PPP) mode," State Finance Minister Dayanand Narvekar said.
He said that the project will help government departments like Police, Excise and Sales Tax to keep a check on the vehicles.
With these cameras being installed on major spots, entire vehicle moment can be tracked," Narvekar said. Once the project materialises, Goa will be the first state to have such kind of facility which will help the investigating authorties in their job.
Narvekar said that in the past police faced difficulty to detect movement of the vehicle involved in crime. "These camera will capture movement of every vehicle on the road," the finance minister said.
Saturday May 24, 2008
Goan Beauties make a splash [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 04:46:08 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (0) ] The Young Goans Club Splash May Queen 2008 beauty pageant was held last night at the Marina Club's poolside, Manama. Twenty-one contestants of different nationalities took to the catwalk to face a panel of five judges. Participants included May Queen contestants from the Kuwait-based Goan Welfare Associations, Summer Queen contestants from the Qatar-based Goan Cultural Centre and contestants from Saudi Arabia.
Contestants competed in casual or sports wear, formal wear and a question and answer round.
The women also had the chance to win Best Smile, Best Hairdo and Miss Photogenic awards, in addition to the crown.
Club member Kevin D'Cunha was the choreographer, while G R Crasto was master of ceremonies.
Radio Bahrain DJ Krazy Kevin hosted the pageant, which also featured cover band Aryan Fame and DJ Alfie of Music and Lights.
Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty was the chief guest.
Winners stood a chance of winning prizes including jewellery, air tickets, beauty product hampers, electronic items and gift vouchers.
Sponsors included Splash, Oman Air, Home Electronics and KIMS Bahrain Medical Centre.
7 Mumbaiites perish in Goa highway crash [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 04:25:46 AM ] [ Category: India News | Comments (1) ] Eight people, including a six-year-old boy, were killed and 18 injured when a Toyota Qualis collided with a state transport bus on the Mumbai-Goa highway early on Friday. Six of those killed belonged to two families from Tardeo and Andheri, while the driver of the Qualis was also a Mumbaiite.
The accident took place at Loharmal village near Poladpur, in Raigad district, 250 km from Mumbai.
Pratap Digavkar, superintendent of police, Raigad, told Hindustan Times that all those killed in the accident were travelling from Goa to Mumbai in the Qualis. Those injured were passengers of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation bus going to Goa from Mahad.
Those killed are Amit Shinde (26), Avdhoot Shinde (28), Shobha Shinde (45), Saili Bhukam (41), Sahil Bhukam (6), Surekha Bhukam (45), Manoj Patel (40) and Ravindra Salvi (40). While Patel was driving the Qualis, Salvi was from Kankavli in Sindhudurg district.
The accident took place at 3 am when Patel tried to overtake a truck. The car, which was in the wrong lane, rammed into the bus heading in the opposite direction.
Police said Patel’s body was mutilated beyond recognition and it took time to identify him. A case of negligent and rash driving would be registered against him.
If you thought that drug abuse is a youth problem, think again. The study reveals that even children aged 12 years abuse drugs orally and by the time they are in their twenties, take to intravenous drugs.
Many start by smoking cannabis when at school and later shift to ecstasy and even heroin and brown sugar to get a ‘definite high’. The study also states that some drug users work as peddlers, motorbike pilots, guides/masseurs or barmen in shacks. Incidentally, a majority of them also report high-risk sexual behaviour. The mean age for sexual debut is estimated at 19 years of age, with some having their first sexual experience at the age of 17 or below.
Hema seeks special status for Goa [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 08:14:04 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (2) ] PANAJI: Hema Sardesai, the sonorous voice of Goa, has advocated a special status for Goa on the lines of Himachal Pradesh and said that such a status would prevent purchase of lands in Goa by foreigners and land sharks who want to make hay while sun shines on Goan lands.If required, I am ready to come on the street in support of this demand, she added. œIf required, I am ready to come on the street in support of this demand, she added.
Concerned about Goa and its culture, the singer who is known for her chartbuster songs like ‘Aawara bhanwre’ and ‘Badal pe paon hai’, told ‘The Navhind Times’ that whoever brings ill to Goa should be treated as the enemy of the state even if he or she is a native Goan.
The enemy of Goa can be anyone who promotes slums in the state for developing vote banks or otherwise, she observed, adding, The enemies can also be those who cut down the hills and bury the paddy field to raise concrete jungles over them, those who run the drug and paedophiliac operations in the state, especially in the coastal belts, and those who long for Portuguese to return to Goa to restart the colonial rule, she stated.
If the state is given a special status, then we would be able to preserve the unique Goan culture, and showcase it before outsiders, Hema said, predicting, “Or else, every other culture will blend with the Goan culture and our own culture would turn into a ˜Bhelpuriâ culture.
Tiatro "Maim Tuzo Upkari Aum" a grand success in Dubai [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 06:28:46 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (9) ] Dubai:A Tiatr " Maim Tuzo Upkari Aum" by Roseferns and his troupe staged in Dubai at Al Nasr Leisureland on 10th April 2008 was a huge success with packed hall which ran housefull.It was a disapointment for many konkani lovers who could not get tickets to view the show and had to return home.
The show was presented by Rafael Rodrigues & Anthony Fernandes from Dubai who has been instrumental in bringing some of the top shows to UAE.
Jose Rod and Micheal DSilva from Kuwait were the added attraction but the star of the evening turned out to be Baba Maythan a 3 ½ years old kid who entertained the crowd with his singing.
Sunday May 18, 2008
Kaif may play British teen [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 05:17:33 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (1) ] AN Indian director is hoping that Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif will play the role of Scarlett Keeling – the 15-year-old British girl whose bruised, half-naked body was found on a beach in the western state of Goa in February – in his new film.
Prabhakar Shukla said he wanted to show the seedier side of India’s beach paradise through the film titled Rave Party.
Fiona McKeown, Scarlett’s mother, expressed her reservations about the proposed film, which she feared would portray Scarlett in a bad light, rather than highlighting her killers and the police who allegedly tried to cover their tracks.
A British newspaper quoted McKeown as saying recently that it was far too soon to be thinking about a film about Scarlett’s life. “She hasn’t even been buried yet,” she had said then.
Scarlett’s body was found on Feb 18 on the popular Anjuna beach.
Scarlett Keeling on the Anjuna beach in Goa, India, a few days before her death in February after an all-night drinking and drug session. – AFP Shukla, however, defended his project.
“The film will, of course, be commercial in the Bollywood sense. Singing and dancing always enhances the story. But the moving story of Scarlett’s death will also be there.
“I want to show the public what is happening in Goa – the drug racket that’s going on at the vacation spot, and how people are slowly getting addicted and ruining their lives,” he explained.
He hoped that Bollywood leading lady Kaif, 23, who grew up in London and whose mother is British, would play Scarlett.
Saturday May 17, 2008
Goan Beach Shack Owners Seek Resolution [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 04:17:16 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (2) ] Panaji: "Do Not come to Goa, there is chaos in Goa." This is the draft of the message that the all-Goa shack owners association (AGSOA) is planning to insert as an advertisement in a couple of English dailies to draw attention of the English tourists. The message is intended to draw attention and garner support over the sun-beds issue, a tangle, which the government must resolve before the next tourist season begins in October in the tourist-resort state of Goa.
"If the row of sun-beds is not resolved by the government that is one of the options the association is toying with," says its president Cruz Cardozo.
Goa beach shacks are temporary pal-leafs covered structures, which get seasonal permission from the government from October to May.
In April this year (2008), the state government placed, before a division bench of the Bombay High Court in Goa, a policy pertaining to the allotment of sun-beds and beach umbrellas for 2007-2008.
"The policy came in the wake of the strong stand taken by the court over the failure of the tourism authorities to curb illegalities. Now, only five pairs of sun-beds and five beach umbrellas will be permitted for each shack and if more than the permitted deck beds and umbrellas are found, these would be confiscated," the Hindu reported.
The shack owners fear that the same yardstick will be implemented next year.
"We need permission for twenty sun-beds per shack. But before taking a decision, the tourism department should undertake a survey and arrive at the carrying capacity of particular beach areas. The hindrance to tourists, on account of the excessive sun-beds on the Baga-Calangute belt, is certainly bad. But then, categorising the entire coastal belt on the same line is not good for the trade. The foreign tourists come to sun-tan and lesser number of beds will not be fair for tourists," said the president of the association.
"Foreign tourists come to Goa because of the shack owners," says the president of the association.
Justifying his point, he said that last year, on account of government’s failure to issue beach licences at the start of the season in October, many foreign tourists were forced to cancel their trips to Goa and opt for another location.
"The delay of one-and-a-half month caused many a confusion in the mind of the tourists," he added.
Taking a dig at the government, Cardozo said, "Goa has all the natural resources to be the number one tourist spot. But besides the natural beauty, our government has done nothing to upgrade and maintain the beach side tourism. The tourism marts to promote Goa in foreign countries are a big farce and a sham, which our ministers and officials attend. They do nothing to promote tourism. They are only interested in the foreign jaunts and carrying huge shopping bags back to Goa."
Pointing towards the financial aspect, the president said, "The revenue generated from the beach shacks should be ploughed back in improving infrastructure on the beaches. We pay Rs 30,000 as yearly fees but we do not get value for the money paid to the government."
The association, in the meanwhile, is gearing up to move to the Goa bench of the Mumbai High Court over the sun-bed issue. It will also resolve to get an assurance from the government that licences for the coming season will be issued by the first week of October.
Cardozo asserted that everything needs to be regulated in the tourism trade and for that, all the stake holders need to work together and bring out a blue-print for tourism in the state. He warned that if it does not happen, other tourist destinations will overtake Goa in the coming years.
Talking about the areas of concern, he said, "Garbage is the biggest headache and the local panchayats have been unable to lift garbage from the beaches for lack of dumping grounds. Sewage water has been released by some people in nullahs, like in Colva. We need to stem the rot in the form of Lamani men and women loitering on the beach and harassing locals to buy their dress materials and fake jewellery.
"A first-time visitor returns to the country with the impression that locals are harassing the tourists to buy things. We need to demarcate bathing zones and areas for water sports. Safety of the tourists should be the prime consideration. We need to have more parking facilities near the beaches. Lack of proper illumination of roads is another concern. Construction of changing rooms for tourists is also needed.
"We need to promote our sports, cultural, hinterland and backwaters tourism to add to beach tourism."
All these loose ends of the tourism trade will be handed over to the tourism director, Elvis Gomes, by the association. It will be forwarded in the form of memorandum.
With monsoon due to set at the end of the month, the curtains will come down on the peak tourist season and all the traditional shacks along the beach will wind up their business. Taking advantage of the seasonal break, the association is planning to meet in the first week of June to forward a list of proposals to the government highlighting the grievances of the shack owners. It is also thinking of suggesting measures needed to stem the rot, which has set in the tourism trade.
The president of the association remarked, "The tourism mart, which ministers and officials attend in foreign countries are a big drain on the government funds and are worthless."
He lamented that in the days following the Scarlett murder (British teenager, who became a victim of drugs, sex and ultimately death in north Goa on February 18), almost all the shacks were targetted by the police to close down and all the shack owners were painted in bad light by the media.
Defending the shack owners he said, "It is not fair to blame all the shack owners for all the ill happenings on the beach. What has happened in the Scarlett case is bad. But why is police doing nothing to find out where she was before 3:30am and the persons who were with her during the period. That needs to be investigated, as it was after 3.30am that she came to the Lui shack in Anjuna."
He agreed that they have some bad people among the 250 odd shacks, which frequent the beaches. Some, who are into sub-letting the shacks to non-Goans and foreigners.
Friday May 16, 2008
Goa netas on Cannes junket [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 07:13:52 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (1) ] PANAJI: Once again, a team made up mostly of politicians from Goa will be leaving for the Cannes film festival. According to information from the Entertainment Society of Goa, which organises the International Film Festival of India, the government will be spending lakhs of rupees on travelling and other facilities for the team. Sources said the chief secretary was to be in the group but his name was cancelled in favour of an NCP politician at the last moment. Following this, irked bureaucrats delayed the file and sent it to the Centre for only on Tuesday. Though the team was to leave on Friday, the Centre’s approval had not come in till late Thursday.
This is the fourth year that a Goa delegation will be going to Cannes. According to ESG insiders the state spends lakhs of rupees on these tours annually. Last year the ESG shelled out Rs six to seven lakh on the tour, but the previous two years saw a much larger expenditure, to the tune of approximately Rs 15 to 20 lakh. "Year 2005 and 2006 was a total holiday tour for the members with huge bills to be paid by ESG and this year as more politicians are joining the tour the expenditure is expected to be higher," commented an executive member of the ESG. The air ticket to Cannes itself costs approximately Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 40,000.
Saturday May 10, 2008
A Big Thank You: Indian Airlines resume direct flights [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 03:33:46 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (5) ] RadioGoa Team would like to thank all our listeners who filled in the petition or took part in the signature campaign in the UAE.We have proved once again that Together We can Do it.Anand Pandey, country manager of Indian Airlines told Gulf News "We were receiving a lot of requests from Goan expatriates. We pressed our headquarters to resume the flight and our request was granted,". Special Thanks to Remy & Friends for the initiative and support and Cynthia for the publicity.
Direct flights will operate from Dubai to Goa, instead of Sharjah. Flights will operate twice a week, every Thursday and Saturday. Goa should act fast on new airport, says Patel [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 03:09:15 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (4) ] PANAJI: Union civil aviation minister Praful Patel has expressed strong dissatisfaction about the Goa government’s tardy pace of work on the new airport. Speaking to TOI, Patel said, "I wish the Goa government would act fast on creating a new airport. Our policy is to create more airports in the country. Goa has an issue about keeping the old airport in Dabolim operational and this can be discussed at length. But work on the new airport and land acquisition must start." The airport at Dabolim belongs to Indian Navy and is getting busier with the number of flights increasing. The government has selected Mopa in North Goa as the airport site. Patel said there have been enough meetings on this issue and he wanted action from the Goa government. He said that by adding a new airport, Goa can give a big fillip to tourism.
Tuesday May 06, 2008
Indian Airlines to restart UAE-Goa service [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 08:08:35 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (2) ] Dubai (PTI): Indian Airlines has decided to resume its direct flight between UAE and Goa from next week, four months after it stopped the services between the two destinations, a senior airline official has said.
"IA will operate flights direct from Dubai to Goa from next week," Abhay Pathak, Regional Director Middle East and Africa of Indian, told PTI.
Indian Airlines used to operate two direct flights to Goa in a week from Sharjah until March 30. Last December, Air India completely stopped its once-a-week Kuwait-Dubai-Goa flight.
More than 50,000 Goans live in the UAE. IA operates 110 flights a week from the UAE.
“The study would be conducted in collaboration with the Kerala-based Centre for Development Studies, Goa’s Department of Planning and Statistics and a private institution - Xavier Centre for Historical Research,” Commissioner for NRIs, Eduardo Faleiro told reporters here.
He said that the purpose of the study is to collect data of migration from Goa and analyse its impact of the social and economic situation of the state.
Unofficial statistics revealed that more than three lakh people have migrated from Goa, mostly in Middle East countries - Kuwait has 60,000 Goans, Abu Dhabi 10,000 and Bahrain 9,000.
Faleiro, who is also a former Union External Affairs Minister, said that the study will also scan impact of migration on social sectors such as education and health and will contain special reports on the elderly, women and children left behind.
“The study will also address the problems encountered by emigrants in the countries of their destination,” Faleiro added.
Government has decided to conduct comprehensive survey of households throughout Goa to measure the volume of migration and to analyse its socio-economic consequences.
Faleiro said that the study will span over the year and final report will be submitted to the state government.
Shirley Dias crowned GCC's Summer Queen 2008 [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 05:18:12 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (1) ] Miss Shirley Dias was crowned the ‘Summer Queen 2008' at the glittering dinner dance social organized by Goan Cultural Centre (GCC-Kuwait) at Crowne Plaza on Friday 25 April, 2008. The first Runner-up was claimed by Afreen Dastani while Monalisa D'Costa was the Second Runner-up among a number of contestants that included different nationalities. Shirley was crowned by Mr. Dastani Nasir, special guest on the occasion. Mr. Agnello A. S. Fernandes and Glen D'Souza did the honors for Afreen and Monalisa respectively. Afreen Dastani also won the best hairdo and Monalisa bagged the Best Costume. The awards were presented at the hands of Suresh Naik and Carmo Santos respectively.
The beauty pageant was one of the main highlights of the show that imbued a sense of delirium among the audience. Giant screens on either side of the stage enabled the audience to catch the proceedings live. The contest was based on physical beauty, personality, grace and intellectual insight as the judged criteria. Mr. Sunny Nazareth, President of Goa Heritage Foundation, Ms. Shirley Marshall, a former beauty queen herself, and Mrs. Selly Furtado were the select panel of judges.
The winners were awarded with cartload of valuable prizes and gift hampers. The event was sponsored by Mughul Mahal, Payal Gold & Diamonds, Emirates Springs Company WLL, Club Mahindra Holidays, Al Marai, Air India, Indian Airlines, FCC-Nokia and a number of other prominent corporate houses. The three beauties will participate in the May Queen 2008 to be held on May 22 at the Marina Club in Bahrain. Young Goans Club, Bahrain has sponsored an expense-free trip to the winners to stake their claim for the crowning of Gulf Goans Queen 2008.
Aqua Flows Earlier, India's top band Aqua Flow, specially brought in for the event, lit the evening with pulsating music. Expressive vocals by Krystal Ferrel, female singer of the group, added sparkle to the evening. Stepping Stones, Kuwait's topmost band enlivened the crowd to a groovy ambiance. DJ Mario and DJ Fred too kept the audience in high spirits till the very end. The night was hosted by Kuwait's fluent Master Compere Lloyd D'Souza. The program and floor coordination was excellently managed by Conchita Cardozo and Melanie Trinidade. The guests who attended were showered with fabulous prizes. Mr. Usman Pa won the first prize of Kuwait-Goa-Kuwait air ticket for the lucky entrance.Ms. Nadine Dias took the second prize of 7 days stay at Club Mahindra Resorts, India. The Novelty prizes were won by Kiana Ameer (Kuwait-Goa-Kuwait air ticket), Arcanjo & Suzy Pires (4 days stay at Cairo), and Leena Dalgado (Gift vouchers from Hassan Opticians and Payal Gold & Diamonds).
Release of Souvenir A colorful souvenir, with messages from well wishers and sponsors, was released to mark the event at the hands of Mr. Mario Rebello Vice President of Kuwait Konkani Kendr. Suresh Naik, President of the Goan Cultural Centre in his welcome address highlighted the significance of holding the Summer Queen. The chief guest Mr. V.K. Mahajan, First Secretary, Education & Information, Embassy of India showered praises on the organizers and wishes success for future events. Surendra Kumar, Air India country manager was the guest of honor and Krishan C. Bhar, Air India Manager for Kuwait & Cyprus was the special guest. Carmo Santos, Chairman of GCC and recipient of Goa Government's Leadership Award for community Service expressed happiness on the success of the nite and thanked everyone for making it a great success. Goan Cultural Centre seized the occasion to honor well-known Goan writer Shri Lino Dourado for writing and publishing 101 poems in Konkani language. He was honored at the hands of Mr. V. K. Mahajan. Lino is also the recipient of many other awards back home in Goa. Agnelo Dias (Aggy) of Stepping Stones, who would be leaving Kuwait shortly also received a plaque at the hands of V.K. Mahajan for his contribution to music and dance during the last 28 years. Mr.Agnelo Dias of Stepping Stones was also honored for his contribution in live music for the last 28 years in Kuwait at the hands of Mr.V.K.Mahajan.
Konkani Book Released Another remarkable feature of the program was the release of a Konkani book titled "Zoit ani her Kovita" (Victory and other poems) by Walter Menezes (Quepem, Goa). The book was released at the hands of Mr. Ashley Rigde-Cooke. This is the second year in succession that a Goan author/poet's publication has been released in Kuwait at the Summer Queen.
Goan Cultural Centre - Managing Committee Mr. Carmo Santos – Chairman Eng.Suresh Naik - President Ms.Conchita Cardozo – V.President Ms.Melaine Trindade – Gen.Secretary Mr.Simplicio Fernandes – Treasurer Mr.Ramdas Revadkar –Joint Treasurer Mr.Cajetan Pinheiro – Cultural Secretary Mr.Martino Afonso – Sports Secretary Ms.Meena Dias - Auditor
Scarlett, 15, from North Devon, was raped and murdered in a resort in Goa in February. Her semi-naked body was found on a beach.
Earlier this month a third post-mortem examination revealed that some of her organs had been removed.
Her mother, Fiona MacKeown, is in India to collect the body parts for burial.
She has said she wants to bury her daughter on her land near Bideford, North Devon, but had refused to do that until her daughter's uterus, kidneys and stomach were returned.
Ms MacKeown met with Dr V N Jindal, the dean of the Goa Medical College and Hospital, where Scarlett's organs are being held.
The hospital has agreed to release them to her, but undertakers in Goa have told her she will not be allowed to take them out of India without a certificate authorising repatriation.
Fiona McKeown says her family talk about Scarlett 'all the time'
They have told her this could cost hundreds of pounds.
Scarlett had been staying at the resort of Anjuna with a friend while the rest of her family travelled further afield.
Initially, police said she had accidentally drowned but later opened a murder investigation under pressure from Ms MacKeown. Ms MacKeown has alleged police officials have covered up evidence over her daughter's death to protect the tourism trade and drug dealers.
Thursday May 01, 2008
High steel prices make Goa a mining hub [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 08:14:31 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (0) ] NEW DELHI: Here is a consequence of rising global steel prices that has made even the bad quality of iron ore in India as precious as gold: tourism hotspot Goa, more known for its clean sand beaches on the edge and the verdant greens on the inside, is turning into a red-iron ore mining zone. More than 70 mining leases have been given environmental clearances in less than 2 years to mines covering 66.9 sq km of the state's forested areas in the hills have been leading to a crisis in the state.
Though Goa has been well known since the time of the Portuguese for its iron ore deposits and some of the well known Goa-based football clubs are run by mining giants of the state but the spurt in global demand, especially fed by the Chinese consumption levels, has begun to turn the state red with iron ore mines.
The clearances to the leases have now become subject to the decision of the Supreme Court in an ongoing case. In addition, different local groups and villages have gone to the Bombay High Court against the problems caused by unregulated mining. A mapping exercise carried out by NGO Goa Foundation, also the litigant in the apex court case, found that several of these mines are operating within one km of wildlife sanctuaries in the state in contravention of the Supreme Court orders. One mine was found to be operating in the heart of a wildlife sanctuary and work has been stayed on the orders of an apex court committee.
Several others are operating within 3 km of the wildlife reserves in the Goanese portion of the Western Ghats — a global biodiversity hotspot.
"Under SC orders, the state was forced to assess these mines for their environmental clearances. It ended up clearing all of them," said Claude Alvares, director of Goa Foundation and member of the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee on Hazardous Waste. Goa has become the biggest exporter of iron ore in India, providing 60% of the exported low-grade ore from India.
Sesa Goa rose 4 percent to 3,854.80 rupees, the highest since Jan. 2, at 10:29 a.m. after climbing as much as 6.6 percent to 3,950 rupees.
Net income rose to 7.98 billion rupees ($198.5 million) in the three months ended March 31 from 2.52 billion rupees a year earlier, the Panaji, Goa-based company said in a statement posted on its Web site late yesterday. Sales at the iron-ore unit of Vedanta Resources Plc more than doubled to 16.4 billion rupees.
Sesa Goa expects to increase production 20 percent in the year started April 1 as prices climb, Managing Director P. Mukherjee said in an interview in Mumbai late yesterday. Rising demand from China, the largest user and producer of steel, has pushed up iron ore to a record, with prices rising as much as 71 percent for the year that began on April 1.
Sesa Goa said it will give shareholders one share for each held and will split each share into ten. It will pay a final dividend of 30 rupees a share for the year ended March 31, according to the statement.
Sales of iron ore climbed 14 percent to 12.4 million tons in the year ended March 31. Exports increased by a third to 10.2 million tons, Mukherjee said. The company's average earnings per ton of ore exports rose 72 percent to $69.62.
Sesa exports 93.5 percent of its output to steelmakers in China and Japan.
Saturday April 26, 2008
CBI denies taking over British teen murder case [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 06:48:21 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (1) ] The Scarlett Keeling investigation has hit a state of limbo with Goa Police claiming the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) has taken over and the CBI stating they have not received any instruction to take the case.
The result is that there has been no investigation since the Goa Government and police claimed they had called in the CBI on April 2. Key witness Michael Mannion, a British national, is also forced to stay in India indefinitely after a Look Out Circular (LOC) was sent to all ports, despite deposing his witness statement on March 18.
“We have not taken over the Scarlett Keeling case and have received no instruction regarding it so I cannot possibly comment,” said G Mohanty, CBI spokesman. The Goa Police gave a similar response. “The case is no longer with us so we cannot comment on the LOC for Mannion. The CBI have taken the case,” said Inspector General of Goa Police, Kishan Kumar.
There are doubts over whether the Goa Government followed the correct procedure when applying for the CBI to take over the case.
“The Goa Government should have issued an official notification demanding the CBI immediately take over the case, but all they did was send a request letter,” said Keeling family lawyer Vikram Varma. “It has been over three weeks and we are still waiting.”
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat was not available to comment.
On the other hand, Mannion says he has done all he can to assist the police case and is desperate to return home to London to his sick father and job.
“My life is on hold and I just want to return home,” Mannion told HT. “I have nothing to hide — if I did then why would I have come back to Goa in the first place?
“My father in London is unwell and his health is deteriorating. I am also running out of money and need to get back to work.”
Mannion told the police he saw the main accused, Samson D’Souza, on top of Keeling less than two hours before she was found dead.
Vikram Varma, who is also representing Mannion, will submit an application to the High Court on Monday to lift the LOC on Mannion.
Meanwhile, Keeling’s mother Fiona MacKeown is due to return to Goa this weekend to continue her fight for justice.
A month ago two college girls had allegedly committed suicide in Ponda, but the police had not registered a case then.
Following a demand from opposition leader Manohar Parrikar, Ponda police registered a case only on Sunday against unidentified persons for abetting the suicide and snapping of obscene pictures of the girls.
Parrikar alleged that the two girls committed suicide following blackmail and circulation of their obscene pictures through MMS mode.
Since one of the two girls was below 16-years-old, the case was also registered under the Goa Children's Act.
Parrikar had told a news conference that he had submitted a CD comprising the obscene MMS to Director General of Police B S Brar and Chief Secretary J P Singh and demanded an investigation into the crime.
Parrikar had alleged that both the girls were being blackmailed for sexual favours.
Incidentally, both the girls had participated in a beauty contest. Parrikar had also said that he was suspecting the role of a travel agency in the crime.
Crime branch sleuths said that Rohit Trivedi, a Nagpur-based youngster had been operating from Goa for the last two years along with Uzbek woman Gulnova Jureau, who allegedly ran an international sex racket.
"We are looking out for Rohit who is basically from Nagpur and operating from Goa for last couple of years. We are keeping a track on his activities," police inspector Sandesh Chodankar, attached to crime branch, told PTI.
Police has already issued a look out notice against Jureau who is involved in the racket along with Rohit.
"Initially, we had no information about the woman. It was only after four Uzbek girls were arrested for flesh trade, we managed to get the information about her," Chodankar said.
Goa's crime branch sleuths busting an alleged international sex racket had arrested four Uzbekistani girls Nigora Mahrapova (28), Rizavea Nargiza (23) Elvira Yusupova, (33) and Rakhimova Nurhon (35) in the capital city of Panaji.
Obscene MMS clip forces two Goa girls to suicide [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 07:40:27 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (0) ] Panaji: Close on the heels of the Scarlette Keeling murder case and the news of an international sex racket, two college girls - who were allegedly blackmailed through an obscene MMS clip purportedly featuring them - have committed suicide in Ponda town.
The incident occurred a month ago but went largely unreported. It was finally taken up by the state opposition BJP that sought an intervention from the National Commission for Women.
"I have handed over the (MMS) CD to Director-General of Police B S Brar and Chief Secretary J P Singh," Leader of the Opposition in the assembly Manohar Parrikar said.
He said the party women's wing will be approach the NCW to take up the case.
The girls hailing from the temple town of Ponda - the constitutency of Home Minister Ravi Naik - reportedly committed suicide on March 26 after being blackmailed for "sexual favours" by some travel agency personnel.
The coastal state considered a tourist haven has recently been in the news for the death of British teenager Scarlette Eden Keeling who was drugged and raped and her body was found on Anjuna beach.
An international call girl ring allegedly being run by a Uzbekistan woman was also busted in the state last week.
They also expressed concern that her organs, found missing during a third autopsy in Britain, may have been illegally traded.
Scarlett's bruised and semi-naked body was found on the sea shore of Goa's Anjuna beach just before dawn on February 18. Initially, Goa police said the 15-year-old had drowned. However, Scarlett's mother Fiona MacKeown accused the Goa police of malpractice and campaigned for a second post-mortem, which concluded that Scarlett had more than 50 bruises and that she had been given ecstasy, cocaine and LSD on the night she died. Police then announced she had been raped and murdered.
Swedish autopsy expert Per Arne Schedin said: "It is not just incredible, but absolutely illegal, the way they (Indian officials) have proceeded in their 'modus operandi' of obducing the poor girl's body."
"During my service I have carried out more than a 100,000 autopsies in Sweden and other countries. The standard procedure is, from the most initial incision, to speak into a recorder every detail resorted to and most minutely observed.
"Where electronic recording is not available, an assistant takes notes during the process, dictated by the obducent. This protocol is the vital part of the eventual investigation and its accuracy cannot be exaggerated," said Schedin, a 35-year veteran at Sweden's world-renowned Karolinska Hospital's Ratts Forensiska Avdelningen (judicial forensic department).
"What the Indian pathologists claim is most confounding. With present forensic advances, easily available in India, that they should find it so difficult to determine the results with greater accuracy is simply incredible.
"I confine myself to the professionalism in the case and do not wish to comment on the oversight of exterior signs of violence on the body that was reported from day one of this death," Schedin added.
The Daily Mail reported Monday that Scarlett's mother, who had taken her body back to Britain, said some internal organs were missing. MacKeown was furious because nobody in India had sought her permission to remove Scarlett's organs.
The missing organs - said to include kidneys, uterus and stomach - were reported after British forensic scientists conducted a third autopsy on the body.
Authorities in Goa said that taking parts of the body for tests was a part of the post-mortem procedure, the paper reported.
Schedin said: "When removal of organs is involved, if prior permission is neither possible nor feasible, those we are responsible to - mostly the police authorities - are duly informed. And any organ extracted for purposes of forensic investigation is meticulously restored into the body or, as and when required, otherwise preserved.
"We followed this procedure strictly in Thailand after the horrendous tsunami. I carried out over a thousand autopsies. Even in cases in a far state of decomposition, all organs and matter extracted was duly restored or returned with the corpse."
A colleague of Schedin, who did not wish to be identified, said: "In the face of grave reports of illegal organ transactions in some countries, we are concerned that highly coveted organs of young, healthy people who have succumbed to tragedies may command tempting lures."
"There have been cases of Swedish deaths in India. Their mutilated bodies have been returned after apparently nonchalant autopsies. Even cases of distinct unnatural deaths have been certified as natural ones. Swedish authorities have been duly notified in every case. What steps they have then taken we do not know," he added.
Tuesday April 15, 2008
Russian tourist found dead in Goa [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 02:29:34 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (20) ] Panaji: Even as the Goa Police grapple with investigations into the alleged alleged rape and murder of 15-year-old British national, Scarlette Keeling, another murder has come to light in state.
Police said on Monday that a Russian tourist was found dead in a guest house at Vagator in north Goa's coastal belt.
Twenty-eight-year-old Kabanov Valdimir from Mockobckar city in Russia, had been touring Goa since beginning of April and had checked into the guest house on April 11.
Anjuna Police, who is investigating the case, stated that Valdimir had been found dead in the guest house on Sunday afternoon.
"The door was locked from inside and we went to the spot after receiving a call," a police official was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
The death of another tourist can all but mean bad publicity for Goan authorities who are already under the scanner for an alleged cover up in the Scarlette Keeling case.
The British teenager's naked body was found on Anjuna Beach in February. The Police had earlier stated that she died of a drug overdose, but it was later discovered that Scarlette had been sexually assaulted and murdered.
A two-seater convertible called Storm built by San, a manufacturer based in the Indian state of Goa, is to be shown at this year’s British International Motor Show, before being offered for sale by the Sussex-based specialist sports car retailer Dream Machines.
Priced from £9,995, it will be cheaper (and slower) than the Lotus, Marcos and TVR cars offered by Dream Machines. The company will according to Automotive News Europe seek to appoint 10 UK retailers for the San brand this year, and 40 by 2013.
Dream Machines says the San Storm is powered by a Renault 1,147 cc 60 bhp engine; its emissions qualify the car for a £35 VED rate, and it does 68 mpg on the urban cycle, with a GVW of 820kg.
(www.dreammachines.org.uk)
U.S. award for Goa-based NGO [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 05:17:26 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (0) ] PANAJI: Sangath, a Goa-based public health institution focusing on child development, adolescent and family guidance and behavioural and mental health services, is one of the eight organisations from six countries that have won the 2008 MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.
The award was announced on Thursday by Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The MacArthur Foundation is a private, independent grant making institution dedicated to building a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world.
“Sangath is a leader in providing direct services to benefit Goa’s 1.4 million people and conducting research to generate evidence to influence policies to promote the health of over 400 million children and adolescents in India,” stated the Foundation’s press release, issued while announcing the award on Thursday.
Expressing great satisfaction at “the recognition received by the institution’s creativity, energy and breadth of vision,” chairman of Sangath Vishram Gupte told The Hindu here on Saturday that the institution would utilise the award grant of $350,000 to build a new centre for its expanding clinical, training, and research activities.
Misconceptions
Dr. Vikram Patel, founder of Sangath, said Sangath had run training programmes on child and youth health and mental health, emotional or behavioural health problems.
Considering the reality that for many Indians behavioural health and mental health was still a taboo, this recognition would help to dispel misconceptions on the mental and emotional health still prevalent among many Indians, he said.
Saturday April 12, 2008
International sex racket busted in Calangute [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 04:17:29 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (0) ] PANJIM, APRIL 10 – In a swiftly planned operation, the Goa Police Crime Branch have busted a first international sex racket in the State, run by a Russian lady in the North Goa coastal belt. Four girls in their early 20s who are from Uzbekistan were arrested by Crime Branch sleuths under sections 345 and 8 of the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act 1956 on Wednesday evening in Panjim. Crime Branch Police Inspector Sandesh Chodankar told reporters that the arrests were the result of their three-month-old smoothly planned operation of the Goa Police. After zeroing down on the kingpin and the girls, police Wednesday night sent the decoy to lure the girls in the trap. The racket was run from coastal belt of Calangute and the girls were called at a multiplex in the capital where they were arrested by the police team led by police inspector Sunita Sawant, he said. Chodankar stated police have launched an intensive search for the Russian lady, who is the kingpin in the racket and a resident of Porvorim. “This is an international prostitution racket run by a Russian lady. We are on the look out for the lady who will be arrested anytime,” Chodankar said adding that “The racket was run through mobile phones.” He also indicated that there more arrests are on the cards. “We will execute more arrests soon and our main target is the lady who had brought these girls from Uzbekistan,” Chodankar added.He said the girls charged Rs 7000 per hour and Rs 25,000 per night for their services. He said that their customers were mostly posh Indian tourists. Meanwhile, the Judicial Magistrate First Class has sent the four accused girls to five-day police custody.
The government had recently given green signal to the tour by the chairmen of corporations.
The three include Mr Agnelo Fernandes, the chairman of Economic Development Corporation, Mr Gurudas Gawas, chairman of Goa Handicrafts, Rural and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation and Mr Shyam Satardekar, chairman of Goa Tourism Development Corporation.
While Mr Fernandes represents the Calangute constituency in the state assembly, Mr Gawas is from Pale constituency. Mr Satardekar represents the Curchorem constituency.
All three of them have been sulking on being ignored by the government and this tour appeared to be a step to please them and keep them in good humour ahead of induction of Mr Atanasio Monserrate in the cabinet.
Wednesday December 31, 1969
Goan Beauty Wins Miss India Earth [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 10:00:00 PM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (5) ] Harshita Saxena emerged as Miss India Earth at the Femina Miss India 2008 event. Simran Kaur Mundi (Miss India Universe), Parvathy Omanakuttam (Miss India World) and Harshita Saxena (Miss India Earth) emerged winners, from amidst 29 contestants, at the Femina Miss India 2008 event, held at Andheri Sports Complex on, Saturday evening, 5th April.
Femina Miss India contest is one of the most hoped-for yearly events, saw India’s top 29 beauties competing for the three most honored titles, Miss India Universe, Miss India World & Miss India Earth, at the glittering function.
All the three achievers will symbolize India at the international beauty pageants during the year
Saturday April 05, 2008
Drugs cocktail killed Ripon tattooist in Goa [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 02:55:36 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (0) ] A FATAL combination of ketamine and morphine killed a 38-year-old Ripon man in Goa, India, an inquest has found. The body of tattooist Andrew White, 38, of Church Lane, was discovered in a Goa guesthouse in January 2007.
Mr White, who had a tattoo shop in the city, had been on a working holiday in India, the Harrogate inquest heard last Thursday.
His family said they believed he had bought the drugs in Goa, adding: "He wasn't into heroin in any big way."
Though Mr White had taken street drugs prior to 2001, he had no recorded problems after that time, and a post-mortem showed that he had not regularly injected heroin.
The ketamine in his system had been taken previously, with possible additional sedative effects, the report concluded.
Recording an open verdict, coroner Geoff Fell said: "There is no evidence to indicate how Andrew came to be intoxicated by the drugs."
The full article contains 162 words and appears in Ripon Gazette newspaper.
Thursday April 03, 2008
Largest haul of Sandalwood in Mangalore [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 04:24:31 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (0) ] MANGALORE: The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and the customs department today in a major haul have caught Sandalwood valued at Rs. 5 crores being smuggled out of the country. The "exporters" were stuffing about 28 logs of sandalwood into the three different containers which was set to sail out of India in two days aboard a ship bound to Panama. According the highly placed sources in the customs department in Bangalore this was the largest haul ever in the history of Karnataka.
The DRI however have probed deep into the matter and have linked the haulage to a number of sandalwood theft in the campus of Indian Institute of Science and many other places that have been reported all over Bangalore and some in Mysore. Investigations from the DRI in association with the Forest department is on in Bangalore, Mangalore, Mysore and check posts at Gundia, Sampaje and Charmady.
According to sources in the New Mangalore Port the container was supposed to carry a consignment of tiles from a local company and the container shipment was hired by Gurupur Obedullah and Sons which was cleared and forwarded by their agents Hasan Haji and sons of Panambur. The logs of even size of 4 feet with a girth of 20 inches circumference have been cleverly concealed underneath the boxes of tiles. The clearing agent's declaration to the customs had notified that the container with tiles.
On receiving news of this act of smuggling Sandalwood traders in Mysore and Bangalore were enquired by the authorities, but none of the dealers were able to confirm the origin of the logs. The customs, the DRI and the New Mangalore Port Trust have lodged separate complaints with the police at Panambur station while all the three organisations were carrying on with investigations at their levels.
Inspector General of Police Kishan Kumar confirmed on Wednesday that the Goa police registered a rape case on Monday evening based on a complaint forwarded by the Delhi Police.
According to the complaint, the 52-year-old woman was allegedly raped by an unknown male in the room of the hotel on March 7. Mr. Kumar said that while they had started inquiries at the hotel, they were awaiting more information from the Delhi police who told them that after the complaint was lodged, the woman was not traceable at the given address.
He said that according to the Delhi police, the complaint was lodged by the woman through a hospital in Delhi.
A spokesperson of the hotel on Wednesday confirmed that the Goa police informed them about the complaint, but declined to comment arguing that it could hamper police investigations.
Last December, Air India stopped Kuwait-Dubai-Goa flight, which operated once a week.
With no direct flights to their state, Goans in the UAE said they are being given a step-motherly treatment by their own national airlines.
More than 50,000 Goans live in the UAE and under the current circumstance are left with no other choice but to fly via Mumbai to Goa.
A senior Indian airlines official said recommendation to resume direct flights has already been made.
Anand Kumar Pandey, country manager of Indian airlines, said: "We are more than interested in resuming our direct flights. Official recommendation has already been submitted from our side."
Report of "scam" in Goa [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 02:50:48 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (2) ] London: Young Western women are being targeted in a "terrifying scam" on the beaches of Goa, a newspaper reported on Monday as the mother of murdered teenager Scarlett Keeling left for Britain, vowing to return to Goa to expose collusion between criminals and politicians. "I've got to come back and see it through," Fiona MacKeown said, vowing to return to the tourist haven to continue her campaign to expose the "nexus" of politicians, police and drug dealers. MacKeown also said she wants a third post-mortem examination done on the body of her daughter, a 15-year-old who was raped and murdered on Goa's Anjuna beach in February.
She said that if the state government turns down her request to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), she would challenge the decision at the high court.
She left after a 40-day campaign to find the killers of her 15-year-old daughter, who was raped and murdered on Anjuna beach in February - a crime that drew the world's press to the Indian beach resort and exposed the seamier side of the one-time hippy paradise.
Two men have been charged with the rape and murder of Scarlett.
Meanwhile, a British newspaper on Monday quoted people in Goa as saying young Western women have been the target of a "terrifying scam" to extort money and sex and that there had been 17 such cases in the past year alone.
Dealers tempt young female tourists to buy drugs at "a ridiculously low price" - say Rs 20 for a bag of hashish - before policemen acting in collusion swoop down and threaten to arrest them for possession of drugs. The tourist would be let off only in exchange for cash and sex, the Daily Mail reported.
These women, it said, may not have taken drugs before "but people are openly smoking hashish in the beach-side shacks and it seems harmless enough".
The blackmailed tourists will pay up to $3,000 (around Rs 1.2 lakh) and "force themselves to submit while the officers have sex with them", the paper said.
One Goan said: "We know it's happening because the officers involved boast about it afterwards in the bars. They have rooms at the back of the shacks, which they use for the assaults. I've heard there have been about 17 cases in the past year."
The paper quoted unnamed sources as denying reports that the Russian mafia were involved in the Goan drugs trade: "It's run locally but, whenever things get a bit hot, those involved start talking about Russians or Israelis to divert attention.
"The drug mafia cannot survive without protection from the police. The police collect huge amounts of money in bribes. The officers in turn are protected by the politicians. It goes right to the top."
It said photographs of Scarlett's body taken by her mother after a first post-mortem show 25 bruises inflicted before death, telling "a harrowing story".
"Heavy bruising on her forehead indicates she was punched and her head smashed against the ground. A severe bruise on her lower leg is indicative, sources say, of an injury inflicted by a lathi (stick)... carried by policemen," the paper said.
"One of the most telling indications of the brutality of the crime is the absence of Scarlett's toe ring on her right foot. This type of wire ring - favoured by hippy travellers - is virtually impossible to remove and suggests that someone tugged at her foot with some violence."
In its preliminary report on the teenager's death, Commission member Nirmala Venkatesh said "police are trying to hide the facts of the case and close it. We will never allow this to happen." Venkatesh claimed that Scarlett was injected with morphine. "She was raped by four to five persons by gagging her mouth. There are nail marks on the body and several marks which indicate that more than one person was involved in sexually assaulting her," she said.
Venkatesh, during her two days visit to Goa, went around Anjuna beach and met Fiona Mackeown, Scarlett's mother and senior police officials investigating the case.
"Police investigation in this case was completely misleading and evidence in this case was destroyed by police themselves," she said.
The NCW member said that they will continue to fight for justice and will brief Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi on the police attitude in this case.
The NCW member clarified that the preliminary report is based on her interaction with the agencies concerned and they will come out with the final report subsequently.
State law minister Daya-nand Narvekar, presenting the new legislation in the house, said the government has taken a policy decision to "ban foreigners from buying properties in the state". Goa has recently witnessed an unprecedented rush by foreigners to buy land, reportedly violating the stringent Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
The state government, which has come down heavily on such violations, on Friday amended the 100-year-old Indian Registration Act, enacting a new law for the state named the Goa Registration Act.
The ongoing state legislative assembly passed the law with the state government expressing its willingness to take back lands found to have been illegally purchased by foreigners.
"We can even acquire properties which were sold illegally to foreigners," Narvekar told the assembly while presenting the law.
He said that no registration authorities will be allowed to register the sale deeds of such lands sold to foreigners. "We will hold the sub registrar responsible for such an action," he added.
Most of these foreigners come on tourist visas and not business visas, the law minister pointed out. The sale of land to foreigners had become a contentious issue in Goa, with the state government unearthing 400-odd cases of sale of agricultural property to foreigners.
I won't be able to relax until then. I won't feel happy until that inquiry. I still feel there has been a cover-up and the independent inquiry is the only way of getting to the truth.
The people from the Central Office of Investigation (CBI) won't take bribes from anybody. They aren't related to anybody here (in Goa).
The guys here have been involved with each other for years and there are all sorts of ties, family ties, business ties, all sorts.
I feel like I am making tiny steps forward but I am really suspicious about what the police are saying. I think if I went home and just didn't come back, the CBI inquiry would just be washed away and the whole thing - Scarlett's murder, her rape - would be forgotten.
I do have worries about leaving Goa even for a short period. I'd love to see the whole thing through but I miss my children. They need me and I need them and I have to go back to England.
I want to come back to Goa to follow it through but I will make it as short as possible. I will find it difficult to pay for all of this but I am prepared to sell my ponies and my livestock, even the family pets to pay for it.
I haven't been in Britain but I have been really upset about what some people have been saying about me. I stopped reading the papers because so much of it wasn't true.
None of them know me and they were making comments about me which weren't based on fact.
A couple of times I have been really angry because it is so irrelevant to the case. I find it really upsetting when they print things like: 'How could she leave her daughter alone for weeks on end in the middle of Goa?' I didn't do that, but people don't seem to accept that.
Right from having my children I have been criticised: 'You shouldn't have so many children,' they said.
People even suggested I should have abortions when I was pregnant and I was on my own but I decided I could manage and I don't regret it.
I wouldn't change what I have, not for anything. I really believe life gives you what you are meant to have. I couldn't live with myself after having an abortion but that's my choice.
I don't condemn other people for making their choices and I don't understand why they feel they have to pass judgement on me.
I sort of understand why people criticise me because they must be unhappy with themselves. When people put others down it's usually to make themselves feel better.
When people say: 'She should have her other children taken away, she was responsible for Scarlett's death', that does hurt.
I wouldn't be normal if I didn't feel upset. But this is from people who don't even know me. If one of my best friends said it, I would be heartbroken but these people don't even know me.
I try not to defend myself all the time, because I think 'What is the point?' It just takes up so much energy when I need it for other things which are more important, like fighting for justice for Scarlett.
I don't want Scarlett's death to be treated like it was nothing. It was a hideous, serious thing which happened to her and by trying to cover it up they are saying her life was worthless.
If I just went away it would be like I was agreeing with them. If I could stop it happening to someone else, it would make it worth it.
The beaches in Goa felt like a safe place to be when we first arrived but they weren't. If I could make the Goan government make the beaches safer then it would feel like some good had come out of something so horrible.
I don't like the normal standard of education in Britain. I think it's too rigid and they don't allow the children to be individual. That's why I moved to Devon.
The first school I moved the kids to when we moved to Devon was a nice, tiny school with about 25 kids in each class as opposed to 40 previously.
But I have taken the children out at certain times when they were unhappy going to school. They would complain about being shouted at because they weren't wearing the right clothes for instance.
I didn't just wrench them out straight away. I went to the school and had meetings with the head and explained it to him and they just didn't take me seriously.
I approached the education authority and they said they would come out after three months to see how we were getting on because I was home-schooling them. Then after that they came out every six months. And they were perfectly happy.
It was difficult teaching so many different ages and it was expensive getting so many books but I really think the children benefited from it because they were not being so criticised for being different. They could be individuals and they could do things at their own pace.
For instance, Isis (aged 10) loved maths and we spent lots of time doing that but she found reading difficult so we went slower with that.
When they are at school they have to feel good about themselves otherwise they don't learn. You can't force a child to learn. They have to want to learn.
I have always made sure they can learn. They always have books and pads to write on for a start. Education is important to me but you can't shove education down a child's neck that's why I like the Small School so much.
(The Small School is the alternative school in Hartland, Devon, where three of the children including Scarlett attended. It has approximately 26 pupils in total.)
They are like a family there. They eat organic food and it's vegetarian. They do have rules but the main ethos is to combine spirit.
Soul and body - that's what they say they want to provide. They offer yoga and meditation there as well as geography, history, Latin and French and the children there are doing GCSEs.
People have said 'Why wasn't Scarlett at home doing her GCSEs?' Well she was knocked back a year because she had been home-schooled so she was a little behind with the curriculum by the time we got her into the year.
I got nine GCSEs but I've never used them. I don't think it's a necessity, especially at that age.
I don't have ambitions for my children. I want them to do whatever makes my children happy. I don't believe in having fixed ideals for them.
My second oldest son Silas (17 years) is studying law at college and could end up being a lawyer but I'd be happy if any of my children decided to be a traveller or absolutely anything. I just want them to be happy. They could spend the rest of their lives in a gypsy caravan just so long as they are happy.
Scarlett's death has made me much more protective over the other children. I am not a controlling person in general but I think I will be a lot more worried about them in future.
I regret letting Scarlett go that day but I don't think I made a wrong choice in trusting Julio (the 25-year-old tour guide Scarlett stayed with) to look after her.
Scarlett went back to Goa and I wish I'd kept her with me. We were talking of going home (to see my eldest son in the UK who had had a car accident).
I wish I could turn back the clock and say no, don't go back. She was going back to see a friend whose mother had died and she wanted to take flowers. Four days later she was dead.
The last message ends 'Love U'. That's what she was like, very affectionate and very vocal about it and that's what she was like with the little ones. We'll all miss her.
Life goes on and I have the other children to keep me going but we will never forget her. The children talk about her all the time and they really miss her. As the oldest girl she was very caring. She'd take over from me and read them stories and play with them.
The worst thing I have to do now is talk to her friends. She didn't want to come and I made her and they know I made her. She didn't want to leave her boyfriend or her friends. I don't know what I am going to say to them.
I have got postcards she'd written and was intending to send which say she was having the time of her life and there's not enough space on the card to say how great India was.
So at least I know the last few weeks she was having a good time.
Thursday March 27, 2008
Liquor to cost more in Goa [ Posted by: radiogoa | Time: 06:48:59 AM ] [ Category: Goa News | Comments (1) ] PANAJI : It s bad news for tipplers and tourists alike. Consumption of liquor other than beer and local wine in Goa will now cost more. The state government, in its budget for 2008-09, has increased the excise duty on Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) for other than wine and beer from Rs 9 per bulk litre to Rs 15 per bulk litre. State has also levied excise duty of Rs 200 per proof litre for liquor that cost Rs 1,000 or more. “Any person drinking expensive liquor can always afford to pay more. This is our way of taking from the rich and giving to the poor,” said state finance minister Dayanand Narvekar after presenting the state budget on Wednesday. All foreign liquor entering Goa will also have to pay an import fee of Rs 200 per bulk litre for a 750 ml bottle costing up to Rs 1, 500, while more expensive liquor will be charged an import fee of Rs 300 per bulk litre.
Licence fee for sale of IMFL in shops and in hotels has also been increased. The state has also doubled the import fee on wine to Rs 100 per bulk litre. The state will also charge an additional fee of Rs 1 lakh on hotels having a casino that want to serve alcoholic beverages. However, in an attempt to ‘protect local industry’ (read Goan feni that is facing threat with increasing import of wines) the government has done away with the existing excise duty at 4% per bulk litre on all wines manufactured by fermentation of fruits alone.
The mother of 15-year-old Scarlett Keeling, whose bruised corpse was found on Goa's popular Anjuna beach last month, has accused police of shielding politicians and drug dealers during the investigation of her daughter's death.
"We are willing to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as Scarlett's mother has been demanding," Chief Minister Digambar Kamat told the state assembly late on Monday.
"We want to clear suspicions raised about Goa's police and politicians," he said.
An aide to the chief minister confirmed on Tuesday the state was writing to the federal agency to ask them to formally take over the case.
"We're writing in the next two days," said the aide, declining to be named.
The announcement came after Goan police on Sunday rejected a new forensic report that said Scarlett was forcibly drowned and not left to die in shallow water after being raped and drugged as police had alleged.
The report by Dr Silvano Sapeco said Scarlett was held under water for up to 10 minutes and the alcohol and drugs in her body were "not enough to cause coma and death."
Multiple bruises on the body and other findings were consistent with a "(text) book picture of homicidal drowning," the doctor added.
The move to hand the case to federal authorities also came after her mother Fiona MacKeown was put under guard after expressing fears of retaliation from the drug mafia or other quarters, saying she had stirred up a "hornet's nest."
Earlier this month, Goan police arrested Samson D'Souza, 29, a bartender, on accusations of murder, and alleged drug dealer Placido Carvalho, 29, on conspiracy to murder.
The police allege D'Souza conspired with Carvalho to give Scarlett a cocktail of illegal drugs and then repeatedly raped and later dumped her unconscious in shallow water where she drowned.
A top politician, one of several local leaders that MacKeown, 43, has implicated in the alleged cover-up, said he welcomed a federal probe.
"We're ready for a CBI inquiry as allegations have been made about me and my son being involved in the drug trade," said Goa home minister Ravi Naik.
"Let the CBI inquiry prove those allegations are false and baseless."
MacKeown has repeatedly alleged authorities are shielding more important people involved in her daughter's February 18 death.
The case has already led to the suspension of one police officer, and scores of beach bars have been forced to close early.
The teenager's mother came to Goa from Devon in southwest England last November with seven of her nine children for a six-month stay.
MacKeown has come in for accusations of neglect for going on holiday in another part of India, leaving Scarlett behind in Goa after the teenager declared she did not want to accompany the family.
Kick started by the Goan Virtuoso Newton Marques, sharp on the dot of 7.15 pm as announced, the night began with lilting music presented by the band; “Replay – 6 with Sandra” . This time, there was a brass section led by Dallas Achilles included in the band and that made a whale of a difference at the venue. Dallas led the fantasy introduction to the traditional Goan ‘Marcha’. Incidentally, the ‘marcha’ has become a trademark highlight of functions organised by Melgoans. Here, after a couple of rounds hand in hand, couples were steered into two concentric circles, facing each other. Each time the music stopped, the couples were encouraged to introduce themselves in the local Goan style, and that was a hit. It was great to see Australians and others speaking Konkani along with fellow Goans by their side! In addition to promoting Konkani, this was a true ice breaker, and soon the very mood in the St. Kilda Town Hall changed. Now everyone had a new friend, and you know how that goes on!
Ms Adolphine Thamm an activist from Sinquerim highlighted the issue at
PANAJI: Union civil aviation minister Praful Patel has expressed strong dissatisfaction about the Goa government’s tardy pace of work on the new airport. Speaking to TOI, Patel said, "I wish the Goa government would act fast on creating a new airport. Our policy is to create more airports in the country. Goa has an issue about keeping the old airport in Dabolim operational and this can be discussed at length. But work on the new airport and land acquisition must start." 
A two-seater convertible called Storm built by San, a manufacturer based in the Indian state of Goa, is to be shown at this year’s British International Motor Show, before being offered for sale by the Sussex-based specialist sports car retailer Dream Machines.