Target Goa

Target Goa Target Goa Miner-builder Dinar Tarcar has declared wealth of Rs 211 crore http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3482
Babush Monserrate probably has his own few hundred crores. It would be interesting to see the purchasing power both have, but the voters of Santa Cruz constituency can easily write their own cheques. Not only that, MGP could have fielded 40 candidates all over the state with Dinar bankrolling them.

Dinar looks at the narrow roads and old houses and says he is ready to "bring development to Santa Cruz". Will the last laugh be on the Santa Cruz voter?

Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has compiled a list of interesting point on the 215 candidates contesting for 40 seats in the State Assembly of Goa.Nirmala Sawant is the second wealthiest contestant with assets worth Rs 36.30 crore, followed by Congress MLA, Mr Joaquim Alemao - Rs 31.26 crore. Pratapsing Rane - Rs 25 crore. Atanasio Monserrate has Rs 23 and his wife Jennifer has the exact same amount. Only 3 candidates have income of less than Rs 5 lakh.

ADR compared figures of today with that of 2007 and has calculated that the average assets of the sitting MLAs in 2012 is Rs 8.10 crore, a nearly 200 per cent increase from Rs 2.70 crore in the previous assembly elections.

Then there are the criminals. In 2007 18 percent had criminal cases against them. In 2012 23 percent have criminal cases against them.

The Congress has given tickets to the maximum number of criminals. The BJP have some and the Trinamool Congress too. The criminal charges are serious, attempt to murder, theft, extortion etc. Mickky Pacheco heads the list with nine cases against him including extortion and abetment to suicide.

]]> Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Mapusa citizen requests Transport Department to clean its act http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3475
The letter requests the Director of Transport to see who is helping bus owners to get fitness certification without testing or proper inspection of the vehicles. He has asked the Director to see that proper testing and inspection of old vehicles is done by the Director.

Gadekar requested the Director to check the Emergency Exit doors of all the buses, some exit doors don't work and some buses do not have any emergency exit doors.

He requested the department to cancel permits of all buses which complete 15 years.

To insure the safe journey for bus commuters the letter said the Transport Department must conduct surprise inspections of all public transport buses .

Finally to check all the vehicles which were given fitness checks without inspection of buses in the last 6 months.]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 FRIDAY BALCAO: menace of misleading ads and their impact on consumers http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3476
Complaints about advertisments which have exaggerated and grossly unrealistic claims of benefits are quite common. These advertisements treat the consumer as a gullible buyer of the product or service.

What are the options to control this menace? Will harsh regulation serve the purpose? What is the line between control and discipline? Creativity and sensitivity? Ethics vs commercial interest of the client? Is the exisitng monitoring and control mechanism at the State & Central levels sufficient or should there be more teeth with a regulatory authority? These and other related issues will be covered in the discussion.

Friday Balcao will be from 4pm to 6pm at the Goa Desc Resource Centre No.11 Liberty Apartments Feira Alta, Mapusa and is open to members of the public.

Interested citizens wanting more information on Friday Balcao can email to goadesc@gmail.com]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Israelis and Russians take over villages http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3477
The Israeli onslaught has become so predominant north of Arambol, that a team of 11 seminarians wrote a book about the Israelis - a documentation of sorts of their activities in Goa. “Claiming The Right To Say No: A Study Of Israeli Tourist Behaviour And Patterns In Goa”, has been authored by 11 seminarians or priests-in-grooming. It has been published by the Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP), an arm of the Roman Catholic church in the state.

The seminarians went undercover and documented the Israelis moving from Anjuna to Arambol. The seminarians have written about the narcotics, trance music, drugs, alcohol, kissing and groping and switching partners. One reason why Israeli youth make a beeline for Goa is because they have easy availability of drugs and they can party till the cows come home. Young boys are trained to become killers and the government sends them to Goa to relax.

The Israelis are loud, brash and involved in 'monkey business'. Tel Aviv beach of the nineties is now known as Israeli beach.

Tourists from Israel, along with those from Britain, Russia and Germany, top the number of tourists arriving in Goa every tourist season. Out of the two million tourists coming to the state each year, nearly 450,000 are foreigners.

Some foreigners enter into businesses in partnership with local residents. The Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) would be interested in them.

Officially released by the Goa archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao Sunday, the book critiques the behaviour of Israeli tourists. Its copies are available for sale at several church-supported outlets.

Naik said to protect Goa’s land, a constitutional amendment would be required, and therefore, all sections of the society have to co-operate in this endeavour.]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Goa has reason to be grateful to four little drowned girls as High Court steps in http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3478 suo motu cognizance of Goa's traffic management and is cracking the judicial whip on the State of Goa through the Transport Department and Superintendent of Police (Traffic), both the Collectorates, and Kadamba Transport Corporation. Notices have been sent to all respondents. One wishes though a tougher advocate was selected to be amicus curiae instead of Advocate M S Sonak. One also wishes the Court had added the Disaster Management Team specifically, instead of only the Collectors.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit S Shah and Justice F M Reis after reading vast media coverage on the Calvim river tragedy decided that the High Court should take up suo motu public interest litigation on the issues relating to public transport vehicles, school buses and traffic problems.

It says much that the Transport Department convulses itself over High Security Registration Plates, but turns a blind eye to the mess on the roads, which spills over into hospitals and morgues. It took four innocent and beautiful schoolgirls, a woman and a man to die a horrible and painful death in muddy water a few metres away from people standing and staring.

If you are just coming into this narrative. Goa mourns the deaths of four little girls, Diana, Elvina, Priyal and Nagle, who drowned along with a woman and a man in the muddy waters of River Calvim at Aldona. They were travelling in a bus that was to drive on to the ferry crossing. The bus drove down the ramp, overshot it and was instantly submerged in the water and the deep muck that is common to most rivers in Goa.

The driver and conductor jumped out of the bus and saved themselves. Though there were people around, they claimed they did not know how to swim and were reduced to helpless onlookers. Local fishermen in canoes dived down to extricate the passengers, but it was too late.

The police reached the spot but were quite useless since they had no diving gear. The fire service took an hour to reach because the road was already blocked by people who had flocked to the site, who were as useless as the cops since they could do nothing in the situation. The Army and Navy were called in since it was presumed that there were 15 to 20 passengers in the bus. One Navy diver rappelled down from the helicopter swam to the shore and went to converse with the fire services people. The spectators were angry, because the fishermen had already begun removing the dead bodies and the authorities pretty much provided only local colour. The Navy finished the job, even collecting the children's school bags, but it was all too little too late.

The bus driver was arrested. He said his brakes failed, but the Transport department quick to absolve itself of any illegality in giving permits to a 17-year-old mini bus to ply, stated that those buses had fail safe brakes. They conclude that the accident was due to human error. That the driver stamped on the accelerator instead of the brakes. Three of the children were buried along with the woman victim who was an aunt of two of the girls.

There was so much that was wrong with the Calvim tragedy. So much that was avoidable. A driver-owner of a 17-year-old bus who allegedly stamped on the accelerator instead of the brake; onlookers who did not even try to swim and save the victims, no disaster management to speak of in terms of the authorities. But we have faith that the High Court of Bombay, Goa Bench will see it through. They have the best help possible. Four little angels pushing them on.

FOREVER GRATEFUL TO OUR ANGELS TURNED SAVIOURS OF GOA

]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Clean-Up-The-Judiciary Aires seeks HC's dismissal of judge of Panjim JMFC http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3479
His complaint informs the High Court that though Mrs. Shabnam Shaikh has been a Judge from 17th July 2000 her performance has deteriorated.

Adv. Rodrigues has stated that over the last 12 years the legal fraternity and the public at large have been witnessing and perhaps been victims of Judge Shabnam Shaikh’s gross incompetence as a Judge

Stating that Judge Shabnam Shaikh lacks even basic knowledge of law and is unable to conduct herself as a judge, Adv. Rodrigues has urged the High Court to assess her lack of knowledge of law and incompetence as a Judge.

Further stating that it was a sheer travesty that such a person has been continuing as a Judge while making no effort to improve her knowledge of law and enhance her performance, Adv Rodrigues has stated that Judge Shabnam Shaikh in addition has a very high level of rudeness and uncalled for arrogance.

Drawing the High Court’s attention that Judge Shabnam Shaikh would miserably fail if made to undergo a test on even basics of law, Adv. Rodrigues has stated that the proof of her judicial incompetence is seen from the fact that she has not been promoted despite all her batch mates having long been promoted.]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Ask your candidates how they plan to reduce the burden of fiscal deficit waiting in the wings http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3480 BEVINDA COLLACO ] The manifestos are out. Most are repeats of past years but no one has addressed the bogey of the fiscal deficit which is waiting in the wings to hit us first and then cripple future generations of Goans.

When political candidates come to your door begging you to give them a chance to rob you for the next five years, so that they can buy the latest cars for their ugly children and priceless jewellery for their fat wives ask them this one question: How do you plan to reduce the Fiscal Deficit of Goa?

No matter how many government jobs they may have guaranteed you and your family and friends. Do not be fooled by the handouts, there are no free lunches.

They may have fixed things in the neighbourhood, like an old streetlamp that was not working, or filled a pothole or cleaned a gutter. That is not a favour to you; that is your right. You are paying them to do that job. It is your money they are using to fix things in your locality.

Ask him how he plans to remove or reduce the Fiscal Deficit. Chances are he will not know what the fiscal deficit it, leave along how much. Neither do many of those reading this. Fiscal Deficit will rise and rise and it is the next generation that will have to pay Fiscal Deficit is how much loans the government borrows in your name and mine to pay salaries of government servants. And more than 50,000 government servants on the payroll, much more than that on contract, the future looks especially bleak for Goa if this army of disgruntled government servants, decides to go on strike, or take to the streets.

There will be no funds left over for development, or maintenance. It will be a modern Greek tragedy where like the Greeks refusing reforms, Goa too will learn the pain of spending more than we earn.]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Fall In Love - first Konkani pop song album http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3481
The album was released at the hands of Ms. Mary Silveira, President, Quebec Goan Association, Montreal-Canada in the presence of the lyricist Wilson Mazarello, Music Director Mukesh Ghatwal and the Singer Sharon Mazarello and a wonderful audience of Friends, Wellwishers and Konkani Music Lovers.

VALENTINE'S GIFT TO GOA - Sharon Mazarello with her latest offering

Ms. Mary Silveira congratulated Sharon for this new achievement and wished the Album all success. Mr. Wilson Mazarello the lyricist who compered the function said this is the First Konkani Pop songs album of Sharon Mazarello and the Music as well as the songs are different from the Tiatro songs normally seen on her other albums.

All the songs are based on “Love” with a song each dedicated to Valentine’s Day, Friendship Day and one for the Carnaval Day. The title song ‘Fall in Love’ is the song for Today’s youth.

The album is priced at Rs.200/- and is packed in an attractive CD cover. The album is produced by Shamaz Films [Goa] and is available for sale at selected outlets in the major cities of Goa with ‘Rhythm House Music Shoppee at Margao, being the major outlet. It can also be downloaded online on www.payloadz.com

FALL IN LOVE released by Mary Silveira (centre) President Quebec Goan Association

]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Congress makes another snafu - promises to build a bridge in Neura village which has no river http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3471
Subhash Shirodkar did a little fire-fighting and admitted that it must have been a mistake and they probably meant Cortalim.
]]> Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Final Supreme Court hearing on petition against Vishwajeet, Feb 22 http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3472
Senior Counsel Mr. Shyam Divan is appearing on behalf of Health Minister Vishwajit Rane. At the last hearing it was prayed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues that the petition against Health Minister be expeditiously heard as Mr. Rane was an influential politician who had manipulated and influenced the police authorities.

In his petition before the Supreme Court, Adv. Aires Rodrigues has challenged the Bombay High Court’s order which had quashed the charge sheet against Health Minister Mr. Vishwajit Rane in the threat to kill case.

A Division bench of the Bombay High Court at Goa comprising of Justice A.S. Oka and Justice F.M. Reis while quashing the charge sheet against Health Minister Mr. Vishwajit Rane had held that an offence under Sec 506 ( threat to kill) of Indian Penal Code was non-cognizable.

Adv. Aires Rodrigues has in his petition before the Supreme Court challenged that decision of the High Court which had held that the Goa government had no powers to issue a notification making Sec 506 cognizable.

Initially Sec 506 was made cognizable by a notification issued by the Goa Government in 1973 when Mr. Pratapsingh Rane, father of Mr. Vishwajit Rane was the Law Minister. Over the years hundreds of persons have been charge sheeted and prosecuted under this section.

However when the Old Goa Police charge sheeted Health Minister Mr. Vishwajit Rane under Sec 506, the Goa Government suddenly took a stand that the section was non-cognizable. A controversial proposal was hurriedly moved by Advocate General of Goa Mr. Subodh Kantak to instruct all Public Prosecutors to withdraw all cases filed by the police under Sec 506 of I.P.C as the section was non-cognizable.

The 73 page charge sheet was filed by the Old Goa Police against Health Minister Mr. Vishwajit under sec 506 of Indian Penal Code for allegedly having threatened on 31st July 2007 to kill Adv. Aires Rodrigues. The Old Goa Police in their charge sheet against Mr. Vishwajit Rane named nine witnesses including his own wife Mrs. Divya Rane.]]> Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Calvim tragedy could NOT have been brake failure http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3473 AARON D'MELLO ] It was a real tragic incident which took the lives of four innocent children. I am referring it as an incident not as an "accident", because this tragedy could have been avoided had the
transport authorities done their job as it should be done.

The driver is trying to get away by giving the same lame excuse, which is given every time an accident involving a bus takes place. Having done my Diploma in Automobile engineering having worked for Ashok Leyland, I know that brakes "failing" on the newer buses (as old as 15 years, as was the case in this Aldona bus) is almost not possible.

These buses are fitted with air-brakes which is the best brake system in heavy vehicles. In fact many bus owners who have old buses have replaced the brake system on their old buses with this new "air brake" system. The only way these brakes can "fail" is due to lack of maintenance overloading of
buses when the brakes become inefficient.

Even if the air leaks from the system, it does not happen within 5 or 10 seconds, which again points to a negligence or ignorance of the driver. Even if all the air goes out, then these buses have a system in which the rear wheels will "lock", though the front brakes will be free.

I have written this detailed explanation so that the general public are made AWARE of the lies about "brake fail" which have been told to them. I hope strict action is taken against the driver and the transport authorities (for being soft on the private bus operators) are taken, so that the lives of the four innocent children, two adults, don't go in vain.]]> Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Court declines Kantak's plea to summon editors http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3474
Adv. Aires Rodrigues strongly objecting to Advocate General’s plea submitted before Judge Joshi that the editors were not relevant and required witnesses as the publication of the news and its content was neither denied nor in dispute.

Stating that it was only a gimmick to delay the case, Adv. Rodrigues submitted to the Court that Mr. Subodh Kantak could only be summoning witnesses who could testify that he was competent and had a character that was defamed.

Adv. Rodrigues further submitted to Judge Joshi that it was over three years since Mr. Subodh Kantak had filed the case and that even the recording of evidence had not started as Mr. Kantak himself was repeatedly adjourning the case on one pretext or the other.

Judge Joshi has directed Advocate General Subodh Kantak to keep his witnesses present on March 6th which is now the next hearing. Incidentally March 6th will be a crucial day for Mr. Subodh Kantak with the counting of votes scheduled for the ensuing Goa Assembly elections. If the ruling Congress party looses Mr. Subodh Kantak’s exit is certain but if the Congress party wins Mr. Subodh Kantak could hope to continue as Advocate General of Goa.

Over the last five years the opposition BJP as well as the ruling coalition partners the MGP and NCP along with UGDP, Shiv Sena had all been demanding Mr. Subodh Kantak’s removal. Even a section of the Congress MLAs had expressed concern about Mr. Subodh Kantak’s performance and competence as Advocate General.

After Adv. Aires Rodrigues highlighted the exorbitant fees being paid to the Advocate General, Mr. Subodh Kantak filed a defamation case seeking Rs 15 crores by way of compensation from Adv. Aires Rodrigues. Mr. Subodh Kantak has vowed to use that money for charitable causes like old age homes, orphanages and towards the welfare of animals.

Mr. Subodh Kantak who had been accused by Adv. Aires Rodrigues of being the country’s highest paid Advocate General has been paid by the Goa Government by way of fees over Rs 5 crores during the last five years. Ironically two disciplinary proceedings of professional misconduct are pending against Advocate General Mr. Subodh Kantak before the Bar Council of Maharastra and Goa.]]> Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 First we go to the site then decide what to do, says SP North http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3469
Aldona villagers are still trying to come to terms with the horror of the accident. They felt the bus driver had ample time to realise that his brakes were not working and he could have driven the bus into a fallow field or a low village wall. He could have saved precious lives if he had only turned the busaway from the headlong rush to the ramp of the jetty.

The authorities finally called off the search for the seventh dead body.

Meanwhile Aldona MLA Dayanand Narvekar is going to have a tough time getting elected this time round. The general uselessness of the government agencies to deal with the disaster quickly and efficiently has been laid at his door. In his manifesto the last time round he promised that by the end of the five year term the Calvim bridge would be a reality. His term is nearly ended and he had not even put a speedbreaker on the sloping road.

A Maruti car had plunged into the river a few years ago. There was no speedbreaker or barricades placed to prevent such an accident. They have also warned the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat not to show his face in the village. Parrikar who visited the accident site as soon as he heard the news, assured the villagers of Aldona that if he came to power, the Calvim Bridge would be up within a year of his taking office.]]> Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Now Congress has a 'mechanism' to allow only legal ore via MPT says Shantaram Naik http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3470
He was releasing the manifesto of Mormugao Congress candidate Sankalp Amonkar at Baina and said that the government had already worked out a mechanism under which only the ore cleared by the State Government for export, is to be allowed to be shipped for export.

He says that the Congress Government has now prevailed upon Mormugao Port Trust to co-operate. He did not speak of the Public Accounts Committee that blew the lid off his partymen's involvement in illegal mining, but he did say that the BJP is a party which is destructive and that their approach towards development has always been negative.

Shantaram Naik also stated in his press release that the BJP is strongly in favour of privatisation of beaches and, if the people of Mormugao want to save Baina Beach, they should knock out the BJP from the constituency. No, he did not elaborate on PPP that his government is desperate to bring into the health sector.]]> Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Correction: 6 bodies recovered from River Calvim, 4 children, 2 adults http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3465
Another point to be noted is that the the approach road to the accident site was completely blocked by large crowds of people. This hampered recovery operations too. Locals used two canoes and tried to rescue the drowned passengers, to no avail.

Diasaster management teams should have been on hand keeping the approach routes clear. The onlookers merely stood and stared while the fishermen in the canoes actually worked to rescue the passengers.]]> Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Final hearing of cheating case of lawyer fixed for March 15 http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3466
In his petition before the Sessions Court Adv. Aires Rodrigues has challenged the order passed earlier this month by Panaji Judicial Magistrate First Class Mrs. Sarika Faldessai declining to direct the Panaji Police to register and investigate the cheating case against Advocate Amit Desai and Adv. Ashwin Bhobe for having allegedly cheated the State exchequer by five lakhs.

Judge Faldessai in her order had stated that the matter was of a civil nature and that the Goa Government had already initiated the process to recover the five lakh from Adv. Amit Desai.

In his petition Adv. Rodrigues stated that besides recovering the money from Adv. Amit Desai the Police should also prosecute Adv. Amit Desai and Adv. Ashwin Bhobe for committing offences of cheating, misappropriation of property, and breach of trust under Section 420, r/w Sec 34 & section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code.

Adv. Rodrigues has alleged that Advocate Amit Desai had billed the Goa Government Rs 3,75,000 for appearing before the Bombay High Court at Goa on 26th, 27th and 28th November 2008 and another Rs 1,25,000 for an appearance on 13th Jan 2009 but that the Court records do not show his appearance on those dates.

Adv Rodrigues has further alleged that Adv. Amit Desai’s raising the bills was a clear act of cheating, while Adv. Ashwin Bhobe criminally conspired and corroborated in the act by submitting those bills to the government inspite of knowing that the bills were falsely raised.

Meanwhile, declining to be influenced by the legal opinion given by two retired Supreme Court judges, the Goa Government’s Law department has stuck to its earlier view that fees per appearance would necessarily mean appearance in Court.

The Law department has communicated this opinion to the North Goa Superintendent of Police who had sought the law department’s opinion in the cheating case against Senior Advocate Amit Desai andAdv. Ashwin Bhobe.

Acting on a complaint filed by Adv. Aires Rodrigues, the Superintendent of Police North Goa had by a letter on 21st October last year directed Mumbai Senior Advocate Amit Desai to urgently refund the five lakhs that was erroneously paid to him under a bonafied belief that he had appeared for those four hearings before the Bombay High Court at Goa in the Ryan Fernandes confirmation of death sentence case.

The Goa Police later sought the Law department’s opinion after Adv. Amit Desai while declining to refund the five lakhs had submitted in his defence the legal opinions of two former Supreme Court judges Justice B.N.Srikrishna and Justice S.N.Variava to support his case.

The two retired Supreme Court judges in their written legal opinion had stated that the term “per appearance” does not mean must necessarily mean “appearance in Court”and could be “appearance in Goa”.

Adv. Amit Desai in his defence had also stated that he had an oral understanding with Advocate General Subodh Kantak that he would be entitled to a fee of Rs 1,25,000 for each day he was required to be in Goa either for meetings or preparation for the case.

The Law department has now in its opinion reiterated that Adv. Amit Desai was entitled to fees per appearance before the Bombay High Court at Goa and not to any conference or other fees.

With the Law department sticking to its earlier opinion the decks have now cleared for the Goa Police to recover from Adv. Amit Desai the five lakhs that was paid to him for four hearings he never appeared for before the Bombay High Court at Goa.

Adv. Aires Rodrigues has accused Chief Minister Digambar Kamat of trying to shield Adv. Amit Desai and Adv. Ashwin Bhobe by hushing up the case.

Adv. Rodrigues had also alleged that the one of the retired Supreme Court Judge had personally intervened and attempted to pressurize the Law department officials to save Adv. Amit Desai from having to refund the five lakhs.

It may be recalled that the Chief Justice of India SH Kapadia recently in the case relating to the Chief of the Army Staff strongly deprecated the manner in which retired Supreme Court Judges were tendering legal opinions. And there were factually no such court appearances by Adv. Amit Desai.]]> Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Team Anna will be camping in Goa from Feb 28 - March 1, looking for Goan volunteers http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3467
Justice (retd.) Santosh Hegde, Ms. Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal, Maulana Shamoon Qasmi, Manish Sisodia, Kumar Vishwas, Sanjay Singh, Mayk Gandhi will be in Goa from February 28 to March 1 addressing public meetings, interacting with activists under the auspices of India Against Corruption(IAC), Goa in a comprehensive voter awareness and education programme.

According to a press release issued by Advocate Satish Sonak, Goa coordinator of IAC, between February 28 to March 1, the first phase programme of meetings at Panaji, St. Cruz, Margao, Banaulim and Vasco has been finalised. Preparations are being made to organise second phase programme at Marcel, Ponda, Bicholim , Valpoi and Sanguem.

The series of public meetings will expose the commissions and omissions of opponents of Janlokpal bill. Besides, the meet the activists programmes will offer guidance on proposed future course of action.

The IAC , Goa has appealed that those desirous of actively participating in organising these programmes should enroll by e-mail to Mr. Dinesh Waghela at babatile@yahoo.co.in or SMS to him on his cell no. 9422443390 .(eom)]]> Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 If BJP has to take outside support to form the govt, I will NOT be Chief Minister, says Parrikar http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3468
He said that perception that Christians had about the BJP being overly communal was fast changing, why would so many Catholics be approaching us for tickets then? I can tell you categorically I am more secular than any Congressman in the state and in the country too.

targetgoa.com brought up the problem of the fiscal deficit which is getting out of control. Parrikar it was nothing to worry about. He would just plug the leaks and curtail wasteful expenditure."I'm good at mathematics," he said.

There was the question of BJP Member of Parliament Shripad Naik who had been really eager to enter local politics. Was there any friction between Parrikar and Shripad Naik? Parrikar said he could not answer for the national leadership of the BJP. Generally when the BJP allowed their MPs to re-enter state politics it was so that they would be the Chief Ministers of the state. This would not be the case with Shripad Naik and possibly the BJP national leadership did not want to set a precedent. "For the record," said Parrikar, "it was I who put forward the proposal to the national BJP leadership that Goa and the state BJP would benefit greatly from Shripad's presence in the State government."

When asked about his closeness to Babush Monserrate, he said that he has not seen or spoken to him since their Christmas visit with the Archbishop and for a couple of days during the Assembly session. Do not listen to rumours. These are being spread by candidates' supporters. Men are paid to just sit in a bar and talk nonsense, denigrating the BJP.

A Muslim in the group asked about his stand on the kabrasthan or burial ground for Muslims. Parrikar said the decision must be arrived at after taking into account several factors, equitability, legality and justice.

He said the BJP could not hope to match the money power of the Congressmen in Goa, but the parent BJP party in Delhi was funding the candidates in Goa, a couple of BJP candidates were actually funding themselves. The family raj has to be stopped in Goa, said Parrikar. They are destroying the state and if they are elected again, Goa will be to all intents and purposes - gone.

But if he becomes Chief Minister and runs this state, he will undo the mess caused by the Congress Party. The slums that are already here will be allowed to exist, but new slums will not be tolerated. Zero tolerance for new slums coming up.

If he can run the state for five years, he will not stand for elections the next time round, but he says the next elections will not be fought on money strength, the next elections will be fought on truth and integrity. He says illegal mining will be stopped, the Lokayukta will investigate the mining and the Lokayukta will be an independent body as far as investigating corruption goes. Parrikar undertook to make every citizen in Goa feel safe. "Every woman in Goa will feel safe," he said to applause.]]> Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Dry days March 1-3, 6 http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3459
Licensed bar and restaurant eateries may keep the restaurant open for serving food only. The bar counter will be closed on all these days. No liquor shall be allowed to be served on the above mentioned days. The owner of licensed premises having bar and restaurant shall also display a board in the premises stating that no liquor will be served.

March 7 onwards, it's business as usual.
]]> Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530 Centre refuses to waive Goa's growing fiscal deficit http://targetgoa.com/newsd.php?id=3460
Fiscal Deficit is a measure of the Government's spending beyond its means.It then resorts to borrowing and becomes indebted..Revenue expenditure increased by 23 percent which was Rs 802 crore over the previous year.

Salaries, interest payments and pensions add up to almost 49 percent of Goa's revenue expenditure.Pension payments during 2009-2010 increased by an unbelievable 59 percent, the hgiest ever increase over the previous year.

The deficit will continue rising and our elected representatives keep spending like there is no tomorrow. But there is a tomorrow. A debt does not go away. It has to be paid and it will be left for the next generation to deal with.]]> Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0530