May 12,2011

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Sports: Gayle spanks Rajasthan Royals Pg 16 IN BRIEF Rajaratnam guilty in trading case Raj Rajaratnam, the main accused in the largest hedge fund insider trading case in US history was Wednesday found guilty on all 14 counts of securities fraud and conspiracy. Sri Lankan-born Rajaratnam, 54, founder of the Galleon Group, face jail for up to 25 years. A 12-member federal jury here convicted the billionaire on all 14 counts. – PTI

PM for Kabul Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is off to Kabul Thursday morning, though his visit is still being kept under wraps officially for security reasons.

His visit takes place in the backdrop of killing of Osama bin Laden and talks of early US pullout from Afghanistan as well as Afghanistan President Hamid Karza showing inclination to buy peace with Taliban and Pakistan. He had earlier put off his Kabul visit on the American request. – (Delhi correspondent)

TIDES TODAY High Tide: 0534; 1805 Low Tide: 1129; --

Business: Economy unlikely to grow at 9% — Pranab Pg 9

Rahul Gandhi arrested in UP amid high drama PTI GREATER NOIDA, MAY 11

Rahul Gandhi was arrested tonight by the UP police after he joined the land war here, pledging full support to farmers fighting against acquisition while lambasting Chief Minister Mayawati.

“Rahul Gandhi has been arrested under Sec 151 CrPC and will be presented before a SubDivisional Magistrate tomorrow,” Inspector General of Police (Meerut Range) Rajnikant Mishra said.

Gandhi was taken away from the dharna site in Bhatta Parsaul Village in a grey Tata Safari to an undisclosed location.

The Amethi MP smiled to the large battery of media before getting into the vehicle along with AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh and Firozabad MP Raj Babbar.

“We will continue to support the farmers agitation,” Singh said as he was pushed into the vehicle.

Congress promptly attacked Mayawati for Gandhi’s arrest with AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi saying UP has witnessed “the cruellest rule of several imperialistic regimes”.

“UP government’s action in arresting Rahul Gandhi proves that Mayawati is digging her own grave,” Dwivedi said.

“If any sense of justice is left in the government, judicial inquiry is the minimum that the state government should order immediately,” he said.

Sneaking into Batta Parsaul village, the epicentre of the ag-

AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi after his arrest by the police during a dharna in support of farmers at Bhatta Parsaul in Greater Noida on Wednesday.

Arrest no solution to issue: Cong

NEW DELHI: Congress tonight dubbed as “autocratic” the arrest of its leader Rahul Gandhi, who joined the farmers antiland acquisition agitation near Greater Noida, and said Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh “is digging its own grave” by taking such action.

Senior party leader and Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said the arrest of Rahul Gandhi was an “autocratic action and I condemn this”.

(Continued on page 8) itation in Western Uttar Pradesh, in the wee hours riding pillion on a motorcyle, Gandhi sat with the agitating farmers throughout the day in scorching heat to empathise with their cause and women who lost their men.

“I feel ashamed to call myself Indian after seeing what has happened here. The (state) government here has unleashed atrocities on its own people,”

he told the farmers.

Even as he sat on a dharna, a war of words erupted, with BJP terming it as a “drama” and wanting to know why the UPA government was still not acting on his earlier promise of bringing Land Acquisition Bill in Parliament.

The Congress, on its part, said it was keen to get on early passage of the bill in Parliament.

Goa’s Heartbeat: My role in Barfee is most challenging Pg 4

mEdIUm of InSTRUcTIon

Date with Centre on May 18 HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 11

May 18 is being touted as a red letter date, wherein all stakeholders and Chief Minister Digambar Kamat will meet Union Human Resource Minister Kapil Sibal and others in Delhi to hammer out a solution to the medium of instruction imbroglio.

Subhash Shirodkar, President of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) told a press conference on Wednesday that this meeting will occur on May 18, wherein representatives of opposing sides have been invited to Delhi to have discussion with Sibal and AICC General Secretary Oscar Fernandes.

Salman Khurshid, Minister for Minorities is also likely to remain represent for the meeting.

If warranted some educationist will also be invited for the meeting, he said. Replying to a question whether the State Government has failed to handle the problem effectively, he said, it is not the case but there’s no harm in taking assistance from the Centre as it was done in the past.

To another question whether the decision taken at this meeting will be binding on Goa, he said, it will be a consensus decision since all stakeholders will be part of the meeting.

PAGE 2 New group warns stir over medium l Churchill hits back at Willy l Father, mother and MoI baby l

Mopa locals stall survey HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 11

via

Around 50 irate villagers hounded out survey officials who visited Varkhand village for valuation of land, to be acquired for proposed Mopa International airport, on Wednesday.

Officials from Land Survey, Agriculture and Forest Department had gone to evaluate land, fruit bearing trees and forest areas respectively when they were asked to stop and return home by villagers. They were in the process of marking trees and land in Simeche advan

Bhopal gas: SC refuses to alter verdict

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Wednesday refused to alter its 1996 judgement diluting charges in the Bhopal gas disaster case but left it open to the Sessions Court there to consider restoring stringent charges against the accused, who had got punishment under lighter provisions.

Holding that the 1996 judgement that diluted charges against the accused was “not binding”, the apex court dismissed a curative petition filed by the CBI.

Vinny Madhu : 09372810847 Rajesh Ghatwal : 09011992941

vaddo of Varkhand, in Pernem taluka, at around 11 am, when the trouble broke out.

Speaking to Herald, Sandeep Kambli of Mopa Vimantall Xetkari Piditt Samiti accused the officials of driving fear into the minds of the gullible villagers.

“They were busy marking trees, people’s fields and lands and such things. When the High Court is yet to decide on legality of the acquisition, how can they do this? This creates a psychosis in the minds of naïve villagers, who fear their lands are all but gone,” Kambli said.

“They told us that they are doing only what they have been told to do and have nothing to do with the acquisition,” Kambli said.

The officers then left the place fearing for their safety, promising to come back only when the land acquisition officer himself was present.

Our Pernem Correspondent adds: Three government officials, two from the survey department and one from the forest department, along with six workers visited the proposed site and began work to mark

the trees.

News of their activity spread like wildfire and about 60 farmers rushed to the site and confronted the government team.

Protesting against the government’s decision to go ahead with the proposed international airport despite objections from the locals, the agitating farmers stopped the government team from marking the trees.

Villagers from Varkhand, Casarvarnem, Chandel, Ugvem, Amerem and Poroskadem have formed the Mopa Vimantall (Continued on page 8)

drugs in Goa since 1984: new dGP HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 11

Goa’s new Director General of Police Aditya Arya said, that Goa has been facing narcotics menace since 1984, but stated that the State was neither a transit point nor production centre for drugs, while addressing his first press conference on Wednesday.

“Even in 1984, youth coming from good families from Panjim city had fallen prey to drug abuse. Then, children would get tit-a-bit of drugs for consumption,” Arya, who took over as the new DGP, told reporters.

In stark contrast Bhim Sain Bassi, who has just laid down office of DGP a day prior, had labelled the drugs scene in Goa as ‘insignificant’ and said, that Goa is not Columbia which is known for its powerful drug cartels.

Despite major crackdown on the drug trade, record number of narcotics seizures made by the ANC and the police-drug nexus exposed a year ago and the arrests of two international drug lords in the state, Bassi, in his last press briefing had reiterated, “The drugs scene in Goa is insignificant. We are not in Columbia.”

The new DGP, recalled how his friend’s son’s life was saved from the clutches of drug addiction, some 26 years ago when he was deputed as Sub Divi-

Goa’s new Director General of Police Aditya Arya (front) being escorted by outgoing DGP Bhim Sain Bassi to his chair.

Photo by Sachin Ambadoskar

DGP ADITYA ARYA:

Even in 1984, youth coming from good families from Panjim city had fallen prey to drug abuse. sional Police Officer, Panjim.

“One of my friend’s son was admitted in the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (IPHB), at Altinho (now located in Bambolim). My house was next to the IPHB. One day, he jumped off the fence and landed at my door step.

“He was with us for nearly 25

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EX-DGP BASSI: The

drugs scene in Goa is insignificant and the State is not like Columbia which is known for its drug cartels. days,” Arya narrated while giving out names of families who struggled to save lives of youth trapped in the drug addiction.

DGP Arya even recalled that a woman from Campal would sell heroine in small packets to children, following which police took action against her and (Continued on page 8)

India lists 50 ‘most wanted’ in Pak PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 11

Stepping up pressure on Pakistan, India Wednesday came out with a list of 50 “most wanted fugitives” from law here hiding in Pakistan that includes under world don Dawood Ibrahim, 26/11 mastermind and LeT founder Hafiz Saeed and dreaded terrorist Zaki ur Rehman Lakhvi.

The list, which was given to Pakistan during the Home Secretary level talks between the two countries in March, has Hafiz Saeed on top followed by Major Iqbal, a suspected serving ISI officer who also figures in the FBI indictment in a Chicago court in connection with the Mumbai attack.

The release of the documents comes two days after the government made public the names of five Pakistanis who had figured in the second chargesheet in the Chicago case of having taken a leading part in the Mumbai attack conspiracy.

It also comes in the midst of acute discomfort for Pakistan which has been tying itself in knots over the charge of sheltering al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, who was killed in a unilateral US special forces action in Abbottabad.

Interestingly, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik Tuesday had said that Dawood Ibrahim was not living in his country.

Today’s list of 50 fugitives also includes Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar, the principal accused in the

HIT LIST

Hafiz

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Lakhvi

Hafiz Mohammed Saeed Zaki Ur Rehman Lakhvi Sajjid Majid Syed Hashim Rehman Major Iqbal Illyas Kashmiri Major Sameer Ali Dawood Ibrahim Memon Ibrahim Chota Shakeel

Dawood LeT founder 26/11 accused 26/11 accused Pasha 26/11 accused Suspected ISI officer transnational crimes accused 26/11 accused 1993 Mumbai bombings accused Dawood associate Dawood associate

US slaps sanctions on Haqqani

WASHINGTON: The US Wednesday slapped sanctions against Badruddin Haqqani, a “dangerous” commander of the Pakistanbased terror outfit Haqqani network, in its bid to check the flow of financial and other assistances to him.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton slapped sanctions on an operational commander of the militant network, which is a Taliban-affiliated group that operates from North Waziristan Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan.

2001 Parliament attack after his release in exchange of hostages in the Khandhar hijack episode in 1999.

Another big name that figures in the list is Illyas Kashmiri, who is accused of transnational crimes and conspiracy to commit various terrorist acts in India and who figures in speculative reports as the one tipped to become al Qaeda chief after the

killing of Osama bin Laden.

Others in the list are close associates of Dawood, Memon Ibrahim alias Tiger Memon, Shaikh Shakeel alias Chhota Shakeel, Memon Ayub Abdul Razak, Anis Ibrahim Kaskar Shaikh, Anwar Ahmed Haji Jamal and Mohammed Ahmed Dosa, all involved in the 1993 serial bombing in Mumbai.

(Continued on page 8)

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New group warns stir over medium HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 11

In an interesting development, a group comprising of Benaulim MLA Mickky Pacheco, Adv Radharao Gracias, Margao-based doctor Dr Ajit Kantak along with South Goa Zilla Panchayat members have come under one banner to intensify the agitation in support of English as the medium of instruction (MoI) if the government fails meet the demands of parents by May 20.

Benaulim MLA has warned that no more time will be given to the government, saying anything can happen any day after May 20. “We have come under one banner not to oppose the Forum for the Rights of Children’s Education (FORCE), but as a political response to the government indulging in politics over the MoI issue”, asserted Pacheco.

The former tourism minister demanded the resignation of PWD Minister Churchill Alemao if he is seriously supporting the

Cong govt run by migrants from BJP HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 11

Adv Radharao Gracias has said the present Congress government in Goa is run by migrants from the BJP, while speaking here on Wednesday.

Radharao said the government is implementing the policies of the BJP. “We have a government run by BJP people such as Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Home Minister Ravi Naik and Panchayat Minister, Babu Azgaonkar, who joined the Congress after coming out from BJP”, he said.

Rider dies in mishap HERALD CORRESPONDENT CALANGUTE, MAY 11

A man from Virnoda-Pernem died in a road mishap when his motorcycle skidded off the road near Viegas Super Market at Nagoa-Arpora early Wednesday morning.

According to Anjuna Police, Gauresh Dattaram Dhargalkar, who was employed at Calangute, was returning home on his two-wheeler (GA-06-J1550) at around 5 am, when he skidded off the road and sustained grievous injuries.

He was rushed to the Candolim PHC, from where he was shifted to the GMC at Bambolim.

Dhargalkar succumbed to injuries later in the day.

Benaulim MLA Mickky Pacheco, Adv Radharao Gracias and Dr Ajit Kantak addressing the media to announce its plans on English MoI. Photo by Santosh Mirajkar

demands of parents.

“The time has come for the Minister to stop talking and start acting. Otherwise, quit your position and join the movement”, he dared. “It is time to come out unitedly and give justice to the parents demanding grants to English along with Konkani and Marathi”, Pacheco added.

Adv Radharao Gracias said that the group would wait for the government decision till May

20 to solve the demand of parents, warning that the group will come out and mobilize the people to teach the government a lesson.

Replying to a question, Radharao said the United Goans Democratic Party has not taken a decision on the medium of instruction, adding that members might have expressed individual opinions on the controversy.

Raia Zilla Panchayat member Domnic Gaonkar said that

Konkani medium of instruction has left the Scheduled Tribes backward and lamented that children of ministers and high class people are studying in English medium of school by paying huge donations and fees.

“If Konkani continues the medium of instruction, then the Scheduled Tribes will continue to remain bac k ward ”, he added.

City-based doctor Ajit Kantak came out strongly in favour of

English as the medium of instruction saying there is no nothing wrong in giving grants to English if grants can be provided to Urdu, Kannada and other regional languages.

He said one can see the real difference along the coastal areas of the state, with Salcete leading in development compared to Canacona and Pernem.

“Studying in English at the primary level gives an advantage to students. The difference is

Churchill hits back at Willy HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 11

PWD Minister Churchill Alemao on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on former Chief Minister Dr Wilfred de Souza on the medium of instruction (MoI) row by demanding to know why de Souza did not give grants to English medium during his tenure as chief minister.

Alemao also charged Willy along with Adv Uday Bhembre for supporting Konkani in Devnagiri with an agenda to keep the poor and downtrodden backward.

Reacting to Willy’s tirade against him on MoI row, Alemao

told newsmen that Willy has singled him out because PWD had undertaken repair of Saligao market by overruling objections raised by the former Chief Minister.

“Dr Willy was against market repairs and had asked me not to go ahead with the work. But, being a Minister, I cannot discriminate between ruling and opposition constituencies. Since the former Saligao MLA could not digest the market work, he has targeted me”, Alemao said.

PWD Minister said Dr Willy has only used the community for his selfish political interests,

CB seeks help in locating illegal mining HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 11

Crime Branch sleuths investigating the illegal mining scam allegedly involving NCP leader Jitendra Deshprabhu and top bureaucrats, have sought assistance from mining experts to locate the illegal mining operation.

Sources said that the investigating team has approached Mines department and local Panchayat office for assistance in the probe. “Since the complaint letter had only mentioned survey number, we decided to seek assistance of experts to locate

mining areas,” said an officer.

Crime Branch on Tuesday registered an offence against Deshprabhu, son of a senior cabinet minister and top bureaucrats in the illegal mining scam worth Rs 50 crore.

Prior to this, Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Pernem on Saturday had directed police to register an FIR based on a complaint by a group of activists.

The complaint letter named Director of Industries and Mines, Director of Transport, Chairman of Goa State Pollution Control Board, Chief Conservator of Forest Department and other officials from the concerned departments and Korgao village Panchayat as being involved in illegal mining scam.

They have been booked for conspiracy, corruption, cheating and others sections of Indian Penal Code, various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, TCP Act, Mining and Minerals Act, Goa Prevention of Illegal Mining and Transportation and Storage of Mineral Rules, Forest Act, and other offences.

NGOs seek Goans support during Anna’s visit to Goa HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 11

The Village Groups of Goa and Goenchea Rakhondarancho Awaz have said they are looking forward to Anna Hazare and his anti-corruption team’s visit to Goa to mark the beginning of a nation wide tour to create awareness.

In a joint statement, VGG spokesman Joao Filipe Pereira and spokesman of GRA Croydon Medeira said both the VGG and GRA are local NGOs, who have a common agenda and one of them being the implementation of the Lokayukta bill in Goa with immediate effect.

They said the visit of Anna Hazare to Goa on May 13 will give their fight against corruption a tremendous boost and hoped that people of Goa will rise up to the occasion of shunning corruption in their day to day lives and instead be whistle blowers to any corrupt acts either

by Bureaucrats or elected representatives.

The two NGOs have appealed to their supporters, well wishers and public at large of Goa to join in welcoming Anna Hazare and his Anti Corruption team to Goa and appealed to all Goans to come out in large numbers and attend the meeting at Azad Maidan on May 13.

but never did any good work for the community.

“I had once approached Dr Willy during his tenure as Chief Minister with regard for a work of a school in Benaulim, but he did nothing. Finally, the matter was resolved by then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar”, he said.

Accusing Dr Willy of trying to make a political issue out of the medium of instruction, Alemao said he along with other Ministers and MLAs are trying to secure the interests of the future generation by asking the government to give grants to English along with other lan-

Will Cong reject tainted candidates?

HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 11

Will Congress deny party nominations to candidates with criminal background in the next assembly election which are likely to held later this year or early next year?

At least, at this juncture Subhash Shirodkar, Goa Pradesh Congress President (GPCC) has no affirmative answer to this question. When reporters corned GPCC President on this at a press conference, on Wednesday here, he tried to evade the question saying they have not enrolled candidates with criminal background.

But when prodded further, he said he is not the sole authority to decide ‘tickets’(nominations) for the candidates even as he stated that they have started cleansing the party of criminal elements. However, he refrained from making any categorical statement that “criminal background of candidates will be an issue in the assembly election and they would not give ticket to persons with tainted background.”

guages.

“I am not the government to take a Cabinet decision on the issue. There are many other Ministers in the Cabinet”, he said, adding that he is supporting English as the medium of instruction since it is the demand of the parents as well as of the Diocesan Society of Education.

Replying to a question, he said a delegation of Congress leaders, including Ministers would proceed to Delhi in connection with the MoI row and exuded confidence that the party would fulfill the demands of the parents.

again felt if one compare the remote taluka of Sanguem with Margao”, he added.

Demanding that the government leave the choice of medium of instruction to the parents, Colva ZP Member Nelly Rodrigues demanded to know why the issue has to be resolved in Delhi, and urged the people to support the regional parties to protect the interests of the locals.

Father, Mother and MoI Baby HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 11

Reacting to statement of former CM Wilfred D’Souza, statement questioning the propriety of the high command in resolving the Medium of Instruction issue, PWD Minister Churchill Alemao said the Congress party has a father in Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and mother in Congress president Sonia Gandhi, adding that decision on the issue will be taken by the high command after consulting all concerned.

GOA, THURSDAY, 12 MAY, 2011

Mickky appeals in JE assault case HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 11

Two weeks after the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao convicted and sentenced him to one year simple imprisonment for assaulting electricity Junior Engineer Kapil Natekar, Benaulim MLA Mickky Pacheco on Wednesday challenged the order in the South Goa District and Sessions court.

After completing legal formalities, Pacheco told waiting newsmen outside the Sessions court that he has full faith in the Judiciary and vowed to come out clean. “I will certainly get justice from the judiciary”, he said while declining to comment on the JMFC’s order.

In his appeal petition, Pacheco prayed to the Sessions court to quash and set aside the JMFC’s order dated April 27 and acquit him from the charges. He also prayed to Sessions court for a stay on JMFC’s order pending the final disposal of the appeal petition.

Pacheco’s lawyer, Adv Srikant Nayak said there was no question of Junior engineer discharging his official duty when it was a holiday. Adv Nayak said there was no evidence that he was traveling from electricity office to Pacheco’s Betalbatim residence on that day.

The appeal petition pointed out that Judicial Magistrate has convicted Pacheco on mere suspicion, saying the trial court arrived at a wrong conclusion as regards commission of offense.

“The JMFC has passed the order in excess of its jurisdiction and has wrongly and illegally convicted the accused. JMFC sought to have seen that evidence on record does not make out any case for conviction of the accused”, the appeal said.

The petition said JMFC has failed to consider that there was nothing on record to show that witness traveled

Plans are afoot to set up ward sanitation and health committees in municipal areas to clean gutters, community wells and to conduct sanitation drives.

If implemented, Goa would be the first State in the country to have the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) project extended to urban areas.

The Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) was briefed on initiatives by the NRHM to form health and sanitation ward wise committees in the municipality.

A joint meeting was convened

by Mormugao Deputy Collector Levinson Martins on Wednesday to discuss the issue in the pres-

Goa Marathi Film Festival will be held in Panjim on June 3 and 4, which will premier Nagesh Bhosle’s flick ‘Adagule-Madagule.’ ‘Bal Gandharv’ by Ravi Jadhav will be the opening film of the festival.

The festival, which will be entering its fourth year, will also have section on tribute to regional cinema in which Tamil

MARGAO, MAY 11

Benaulim ML A Mickky Pacheco on Wednesday said he would serve a show cause notice on the crime branch (CB) seeking to know why action has not been initiated against PWD Minister Churchill Alemao till date on his complaint on alleged irregularities in PWD tender modalities.

Pacheco told newsmen that the show cause notice would be served on Crime Branch since no action has been initiated by the investigating agency against PWD Minister. “If the Crime branch still fails to act on his complaint against Alemao, I would be forced to knock the doors of the high court for justice”, he said.

The former tourism minister had alleged a fraud in PWD tendering process by implementing a circular after Alemao took over the reigns of office. Alemao, however, has vehemently denied any fraud or corruption and dared Pacheco to prove the charges. to residence of the accused in connection with discharge of official duty, adding that no offence under section 353 of the IPC was made out.

“The JMFC was absolutely wrong in holding that entire testimony of complainant has not been shaken in respect of the incident which took place in office of the accused in respect of the assault. JMFC ought to have seen that the entire deposition of the complainant on all three pages was absolutely new and not as per complaint filed by him or evidence in the chargesheet”, the petition added.

Says there is no legislation against corruption HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 11

The Pilerne Citizens Forum, has hit out at both the government as well as the opposition for not tabling Lokayukta Bill in the State assembly, while addressing a press conference, Wednesday.

“The government enacts ordinances overnight if needed and the opposition, which disrupts assembly sessions, have not made any moves to enact Lokayukta bill in Goa since it is not in their interest,” Adv Yatish Naik, speaking on behalf of the forum said.

“Currently we have no legislation against corruption. The Public Man’s Corruption Act was withdrawn in favour of a proposed Lokayukta Bill. But, today there is neither the Lokayukta Bill nor the PMC Act. This is exactly how the government wants it,” Naik added.

They have called on the people of Goa to attend the meeting of Anna Hazare, scheduled in the state on the evening of May

Adv Yatish Naik addressing a press conference.

Photo by Sachin Ambadoskar

13.

“We express our full support to the India Against corruption movement. Goa like the rest of the country is reeling under high levels of corruption,” Naik added.

He hit out at the politicians for shying away from making statements in support of the Lokpal bill.

“Not one of our political leaders today, is willing to stand up and speak against the issue of

corruption. This only goes to show what kind of leaders we have. The people should think before casting their votes and show these leaders their rightful place at the time of the elections,” Naik said.

Anti-corruption crusader Anna Harare, who mobilised the nation against corruption with his fast against corruption, is due to visit the state on May 13 and address a large gathering of people at Azad Maidan on that day.

ence of Urban Health Centre officer Dr Vikash Kuvelkar MMC Chief Officer, councillors and NRHM state manager Dr Preetam Naik.

So far, NRHM has exclusively focused on rural areas in 18 States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Orissa, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarkhand and Uttar Pradesh.

"The NRHM is a government scheme aimed at providing valuable healthcare services to rural households all over the country.

However, this has been extended to urban areas and Goa

will be the first state to have this facility," said Dr Preetam Naik.

"There is hardly any major difference between rural and urban areas in Goa. Besides, urban areas are more affected with health and sanitation problems and hence, this scheme was needed for urban areas," said Dr Naik.

Under the project, Municipality area ward sanitation and health committees are to be formed and each ward would be sanctioned Rs 10,000 to carry out cleaning of gutters, community wells and other sanitation drives, Dr Naik added.

Dr Naik briefed the councillors on the scope and modalities

to avail the service and other programmes carried under this project.

Councillor Manesh Arolkar felt that the project is a "positive initiative which would certainly create awareness among people.

"The monitory help would be utilized to clean the surroundings and conduct the sanitation drive," Arolkar said.

Deputy Collector Levinson Martins claimed that there are many scheme and programmes set up by the State and Central governments.

"However, elected representatives have failed to utilize such schemes mainly due to lack of awareness," Martins said.

Marathi film festival at Panjim on June 3,4 HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 11

HERALD REPORTER

Pilerne Forum takes on govt, opposition over Lokayukta Bill

National Rural Health Mission may be extended to Goa’s urban areas HERALD REPORTER VASCO, MAY 11

... warns CB

and Kanadda films would be showcased.

The festival is organized by Vinsan Graphics, Department of Art and Culture, Entertainment Society of Goa, Department of Tourism and Department of Information.

The festival celebrates the art of filmmaking by setting the stage for independent filmmakers to showcase their talent to the world.

The organizers said that entering its fourth consecutive year, the Goa Marathi Film Festival has rapidly become a well-known avenue for writers, producers, actors, directors and other film buffs t o s c re e n a v a r i e t y of independent short and feature length film categories.

“It has been also involved in organising workshops and in-

teractive sessions with industry stalwarts for filmmakers and film enthusiasts alike,” the organizers said.

This time, as a part of the festival, a concise seminar based on film production, wherein experts will debate limitations of regional films (especially Marathi), technology, mostly pertaining to post production, will be showcased for film makers.

Other activists who are part of the India against corruption movement, will also be present in the state on that day.

Previously, anti-corruption crusader and Karnataka Lok-Ayukta Justice Santosh Hegde caused a storm after he was made to share the dais at a seminar, with politicians, some of whom had questionable credentials.

When Hegde learnt that the event was sponsored by a member of the tainted mining lobby, he refused to be hosted and bore all expenses (Air travel, local travel, hotel) himself. He even refused to join at lunch.

The organisers however denied that the event was sponsored by an owner of a mining company.

When asked if they expect a similar ‘sham’ to recur, with politicians taking stage and speaking against corruption, Adv Naik said that it was ultimately for the organisers to decide, but politicians on stage is not acceptable.

Now ‘big brother’ to watch MMC employees HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 11

Plagued with employee absenteeism and public complaints Margao Municipal Council has finally proposed to install Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) cameras at its premises.

Taking serous note of the absenteeism of employees from duty, Margao Municipal Chief Officer, Prasanna Acharya has told the Municipal engineer to invite quotations from prospective parties to install CCTVs covering all sections of the Civic body. If Acharya is to be believed, the CCTVs will be hopefully installed within a month.

“We have been closely examining the proposal to install CCTVs in the municipal building for quite some time. Now, the Civic body has finally decided to go in for the cameras”, he added.

Replying to a question, Acharya said the Civic body would also explore the possibility of reviving the bio-metric finger scan reader to record attendance of employees. The scan reader has been lying unattended at the entrance to Municipal building since last three years, but has not been utulised following strong reservations expressed by employees under the banner of Goa Municipal Employees Association.

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Thousands duped in investment scam HERALD CORRESPONDENT BELGAUM, MAY 11

Thousands of investors from Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have allegedly been duped in an online investment scandal involving crores of rupees here in Belgaum.

The director of the company, involved in the scandal, is reportedly absconding since last month.

According to sources, an online company based at Kapileshwar Road, here, had lured customers to invest amounts in multiples of thousands, assuring then handsome interest per month.

"An investment of Rs

nThough the exact date when the company was established is not known, the investments were received since the beginning of last year.

22,000 would fetch the investor a monthly interest of Rs 1,700 per month while an investment of Rs 1 lakh would fetch Rs 8,900 per month," said the source.

Though the exact date when the company was established is not known, the investments were received since the begin-

ning of last year.

Customers were happy as they kept receiving their instalments of returns regularly in the initial stages.

However, trouble began when the monthly returns suddenly stopped since the past six months.

Aggrieved customers have filed a complaint in the Market police station here.

According to police, the company's director was arrested in December 2010 and was sent to Hindalga prison in this connection. However, lack of cooperation from investors forced authorities to release the director.

He had allegedly invested a

huge sum at a dairy farm with 2,500 buffaloes near Vantmuri, here, which he showed to the investors in a bid to lure them to make investments.

It is understood that investors from Belgaum, Goa and other states have invested an amount between Rs 20,000 and Rs 2 lakh in the company.

Following a fresh complaint, Belgaum police is on hot pursuit of the absconding director.

Meanwhile, police officials are surprised that citizens have not learnt a lesson, despite a number of online investment rackets that have rocked the city in the recent past.

Mines may have to ply trucks on specific days only HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 11

Putting the brakes on illegal and excess movement of mining trucks, the state Mines and Geology department, has recommended giving specific days for each mine to ply their trucks so as to reduce traffic congestion along the mining belt, as part of a series of measures enlisted in a proposal forwarded to the state government on Wednesday for its approval.

A senior official said that the department has come strong against illegal mining and its related activities along the mining stretch. “One of the best ways to reduce congestion is to curtail the number of trips per day.

Apart from that we are also planning to specify one particular day for each mine for movement of their trucks,” official said.

In a high level meeting held on Monday, state government bodies had proposed to restrict number of mining truck trips to 600 per day, per route, so as to avoid pollution and traffic chaos.

The official said that the proposal also speaks about one colour for all the mining trucks, which will help in identifying illegal trucks involved in the business. “The final decision will be taken by the government. The

proposal of unique colours will separate these trucks from rest which will enable the department to curb irregularities,” official said.

The Department’s an action taken report submitted to PAC, last week, had suggested to allot stickers to trucks enlisting their details such as those of owner, driver etc.

Official confirmed that department has already received the data from various mining firms and the process of distribution of stickers will start soon after government nod.

The department is likely to begin registration of mining trucks as per Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation (MMDR) Act from next week.

Meanwhile, a high level meeting is scheduled tomorrow to discuss issues pertaing to the public agitation against mining trucks in Cavrem. The truck traffic on Columb-Rivon-Kapse and Cauvre-Maina-Kapse routes has been blocked by agitating locals.

The drive against rampant truck movement by state Transport Department along the mining belt failed to give much respite to locals here, despite having issued 1000-odd challans in last one and half month.

Goa employment exchange short staffed HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 11

It is most ironical, that Goa employment exchange should face shortage of staff even though number of unemployed registering at the exchange has skyrocketed and its workload increased manifold. All Goa Government Employees Union (AGGEU) while highlighting this fact has demanded the government should initiate immediate remedial measures.

Important sections of the department which are required to play pivotal role such as vocational guidance sections and employment marketing information section

have remained under staffed.

“The Government had sanctioned staff strength of 51 for employment exchange but only 31 employees are physically working there,” pointed out Ganesh Chodankar, President of AGGEU. He also alleged that the department has been given step motherly treatment and functioning of most sections of this department has been paralysed.

According to AGGEU, this department urgently needs more staff to run it efficiently and smoothly and hence the government should take action to weed out lethargy prevailing here, adds AGGEU President.

EVMs may be used for VP polls HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 11

Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) may be used in May 2012 panchayat elections, instead of ballot boxes, if panchayat elections do not coincide with assembly elections.

State Election Commission (SEC) is contemplating use of EVM for panchayats election due in 2012, sources said.

There are 189 village panchayats with 1750 polling stations which means the department would require at least 2000 EVMs. Currently it has got only 600 EVM and plans to procure additional EVMs from Maharashtra and Karnataka. “We have already written to them,” sources from SEC said.

Election of Goa Assembly is due in June 2012, but political developments indicate that it might be held much earlier. If assembly elections are held in June 2012, then SEC will not able to use EVMs for panchayat election since EVMs once used in an election cannot be reused for another six months since the data has to be retained in case contestant seek re-counting, it was informed.

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UPCOMING EVENTS Special prayers at Sancoale PANJIM (HND): Holy Mass for the sick with special prayers for a Miraculous Healing will be held at the shrine of Blessed Joseph Vaz, Sancoale on Friday May 13. The service will begin at 7.45 am followed

by Mass at 9 am. The sick will be prayed over for a Miraculous Healing through the intercession of Blessed Joseph Vaz, the Patron of the Archdiocese of GOA and Daman.

Mass for the sick with special prayers for a Miracle is organized on every 2nd Friday of the month. People with all kinds of sicknesses are welcome for the service.

Friday Masses are as follows: 7 am and 8.45 am at the Sanctuary and evening Mass at the Oratory of Paternal House of Blessed Joseph Vaz at 4 pm. Terminally sick are prayed over on every Friday from 10 am to 12 noon. Childless couples and pregnant mothers and kids are prayed over on every 3rd Sunday of the month at 9 am. Sunday Masses are held at the Sanctuary at 7 and 9 am. and weekday at 7 am. Priests are available at the Sanctuary on Wednesdays for confessions and spiritual guidance from 9 am to 12 noon.

Dance workshop at Vasco PANJIM(HND): Dance workshop for kids and teens will commence on May 12 at Vasco. Learn hip hop, modern, freestyle, contemporary, Bollywood and other styles by trained instructor Pragya Jain of a recognized Institute of Performing Arts Mumbai at Simply Ballroom Dance studio Alto Dabolim, Vasco. For details contact on tel: 9923323611, 9423057191 and 9822150348.

CME at GMC PANJIM (HND); Medical Education Cell of GMC in coordination with Radiotherapy Unit of GMC will organise a CME on Recent Advances in Oncology-Combination of Targeted Therapies and Role of Cyberknife on May 13 in Library Auditorium GMC from 3 pm to 4 pm. The guest faculty for the lecture will be Consultant Radiation Oncologist from HCG, Bangalore, Dr Kumaraswamy. This would be followed by free OPD camp in which Dr Kumaraswamy will be available for consultation on May 14. CME activity will be coordinated by Dr S M Bandekar, Prof and in-charge of Medical Education Cell and OPD camp would be coordinated by Radiotherapy Dept. For appointments call Vishwanatha Shetty on 9657734262.

Clube Nacional picnic PANJIM (HND): Panjim's oldest club, Clube Nacional, will hold its traditional Member's Day Out, ‘Picnic’, on May 15 from 10 am onwards at Bambolim Beach Resort. Band Purple Rain, will be in concert and there will be games and lots of other entertainment as well. Snacks, lunch and tea will also be provided. Members and guests may register their names in the Clube Office latest by 5 pm of May 13. For further details call Clube Nacional on 2225316.

Chapoli Dam’s water level sufficient to meet needs

Book on Pope John Paul II in Konkani HERALD NEWS BUREAU PANJIM, MAY 11

Now you can read the life of Blessed Pope John Paul II in Konkani.

A book written in Roman Konkani by Bro. V Eusebio V. Miranda, sfx 'Tornatteancho Papa, Bhoktivont Zata' (Father of the Youth, becomes Blessed) will be released at the Black Box of Kala Academy, Panjim on May 12.

Valanka Alemao will release the book at the award ceremony of Vavraddeancho Ixtt at 10.30 am.

Bro. V Eusebio V Miranda, is currently working as sub-editor of Vavraddeancho Ixtt, a Konkani weekly. Vavraddeancho Ixtt is celebrating 78 years of vernacular journalism.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT MAYEM, MAY 11

Suicide prevention course The Chapoli dam in Canacona.

tional at Shristhal," the source added.

Chapoli Dam's full storage capacity of 38.75 RL covers a total catchment area of up to 1122 hectares/metre, whereas the present 29.30 RL covers about 340-350 hectares/metre.

To meet the needs in those areas with low water pressure and no water taps, the PWD

HERALD NEWS BUREAU PANJIM, MAY 11

Photo by Kathy Pereira

(Water supply) is supplying potable water through seven vehicles, a departmental tanker and six other hired vehicles, to various localities of Canacona taluka.

About 30,000-32,000 litres of water is supplied daily to various parts of Loliem-Polem, Gaondongrim, Cotigao, Agonda and Khola.

The counselling cell of the Nirmala Institute of Education will conduct a one-day 'Suicide Prevention course' for counsellors interested in ser ving in a 'Helpline' from May 25 to June 3 from 9.30 am to 5 pm.

Those wanting to register should contact the NIE office (Ph: 2225633)

by May 20. Only 30 seats are available, states a press note issued by the Principal, Dr Rita Paes.

Baina fishermen compensated for losses during cyclone

Revenue Minister Jose Philip D'Souza hands over a cheque to fishermen from Baina, in the presence of Councillor Pascoal D'Souza and Mormugao Mamlatdar Rajesh Azgaonkar. Photo by M Prabhav HERALD REPORTER VASCO, MAY 11

Revenue Minister Jose Philip D'Souza on Tuesday distributed compensation to fishermen

Literature and Language

from Katem Baina, who had suffered heavy losses during the Cyclone Phyan in 2009.

Around 22 cheques were distributed to the beneficiaries, who had lost their canoes,

trawlers and fishing equipment when Cyclone Phyan had wreaked havoc along the Ratnagiri coast of Maharastra.

It may be recalled that D'Souza along with Mormugao Mamlatdar officials had carried out an inspection along the Katem-Baina coast, to survey the damaged fishing canoes which were anchored along Katem Baina shore.

"We had assured that fishermen who had suffered losses due to the cyclone would be compensated. As part of this effort, we have distributed 22 cheques to the affected fishermen," said D'Souza.

He regretted the delay in compensating the beneficiaries and admitted that this should have been done much earlier.

ormally only living organisms can be considered either living or dead, but languages can die as well. A dead language is one which is no longer learned as a native language. Because they form a part of human history, some dead languages are topics of study because of their cultural, linguistic, or social importance. People mistakenly believe that dead languages have no speakers, and are therefore considered ‘dead’, but some dead languages actually have more speakers than those of modern or ‘living’ languages -languages which are learned as native tongues.

Well-known examples of dead languages include Coptic, Ancient Greek, Latin, and Sanskirt; however there are numerous other dead languages from regions around the world - including huge numbers of Native American languages which died out with European colonialism. The most common process leading to language death is one in which a community of speakers of one language becomes bilingual in another language, and gradually shifts allegiance to the second language until they cease to use their original language. This process may be voluntary or may be forced upon a population, through colonization.

Speakers of some languages, particularly regional or minority languages may decide to abandon them based on economic or utilitarian grounds, in favor of languages regarded as having greater utility, prestige or even convenience.

The process of transmission is essential for the survival of any language. This process occurs when the children are initiated into the language by their parents/ teachers. Once a language is no longer a native language, that is, if no children are being socialized into it as

their primary language - the process of transmission has ended and the language itself will not survive past the current generation. This is rarely considered a sudden event, but a slow process of each generation learning less and less of the language, until its use is relegated to the domain of traditional use, such as in poetry and song, or prayer even. Typically the transmission of the language from adults to children becomes more and more restricted, to the final setting that adults speaking the language will raise children who never acquire fluency. And the following generations may never learn the language at all and the language is officially considered dead.

You can learn a lot about a certain culture from the language spoken by its people. This holds especially true in the modern sense; although several mysteries about ancient cultures were revealed through dead languages. In instances where written languages were developed, knowing a dead language allows people to read contemporary accounts of historical events. However many academics are conflicted over the specifics of a dead language, which is to be expected considering that a point of reference would be difficult to find.

The study of the structure of a language can provide clues into how people see the world, and their relationships with other people, animals, and objects and why they acted a certain way. It reveals cultural secrets and differences and also throws light on how certain modern languages came to be. This is why the study of dead languages is interesting to so many people, and sometimes can lead to heated debates over personal views and standpoints.

Comments or queries? Bouquets or brickbats? Talk to us!

Email Junior Herald at junior@herald-goa.com or join our Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/Herald.Jr. Our readers are invited to rave, rant, chat or even contribute. No message will go unanswered!

Namdev Sawant and Pundalik Gauns.

PANJIM (HND): Namdev Sawant was elected president of Taleigao Tribal Welfare Association (TTWA) at the recently held Annual General Body Meeting of TTWA at the International Center Goa, Dona Paula. The other elected members for a tenure of 3 years comprise of office bearers which include Vice President – Dinu Gawas, Secretary – Pundalik Gauns, V Secretary – Bhaskar Gauns, Treasurer – Premnath Gawas, V Treasurer – Madhu Kunkoleikar, and members Deepak Shirodker, Kamalakant Shirvoikar, Popat Gauns, Hanuiv|ant Narvekar, Dyaneswar Shirodker, Madev Kuttikar, Narayan Kunkoliekar, Ishwar Gauns and Nani Diukar.

A special resolution was also passed to keep open membership for which forms are available with President/Secretary of the Association. It was also decided at the meet that Samaj certificate fees will not be charged for students. It was also decided to felicitate students who obtain 75% or above in any stream.

Viola Pacheco felicitating veteran Konkani Singer Antonio Souza of Cansaulim, at Summer Bonanza programme organised by Youth of Cansaulim, at Cansaulim recently in presence of ZP Nelly Rodrigues. The show was organized by Miguel Rodrigues. Cansaulim Sarpanch Minguel D’Costa was also present on the occasion.

‘Kiteak Upkarta’ VCD released

PWD Minister Churchill Alemao releasing the Konkani film VCD Kiteak Upkarta in the presence of Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao and producer Steffi Goes. Photo by Santosh Mirajkar.

Chodal-Maddel Panchayat members submit a memorandum to Health Director Dr Rajnanda Dessai.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT OLD GOA, MAY 11

Chodan-Madel Panchayat has petitioned the health department to provide a full-time doctor at the Chorao Health Centre.

A delegation comprising Sarpanch Salvador D'Cruz, Deputy Sarpanch Requeta Col a c o , Pa n c h a s N i l i m a Kalangutkar, Madhuri Kubal, Shreejaya Haldankar and Prasad Chodankar, submitted a memorandum to Health Director Dr Rajnanda Dessai.

They informed Dr Dessai of the various difficulties faced by residents of Chorao in availing medical services at the Health Centre in the absences of the full-fledged doctor.

The issue had been raised in the recent Gram Sabha of the panchayat and residents had forced the panchayat members

to forward their grievances to the health department. The residents asked the panchayat members to respond to their demands during the next Gram Sabha.

They pointed out that a parttime doctor visits the health centre only for two hours and that too, only on Tuesday.

On hearing their grievances of the panchayat members, Dr Dessai explained to them that the health department currently faces a shortage of doctors.

"Once news doctors are recruited by the department, we will make attempts to post a full-fledged doctor at the health centre," Dr Dessai said.

In the meantime, the health director assured to dispatch a doctor to the health centre on alternate days.

MARGAO(HR): VCD of Konkani film Kiteak Upkarta produced

by Steffi Goes was released by PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao on Tuesday, in the presence of Urban Development Minister, Joaquim, Alemao, Navelim Panch Santarita Coelho, noted tiatrist Menino de Bandar, former ZP Chairperson Cleofacio Dias, besides Steffi Goes.

PWD Minister congratulated Steffi for producing the Konkani film VCD and assured his full support in her future endeavours.

“You will succeed in this field if you devote more attention”, he advised Steffi, while saying that he would offer his wholehearted support to her to bring out VCDs every year.

Steffi thanked her cast, parents and friends, besides the PWD Minister and Navelim Panch member, Santarita (Babush) Coelho for the support extended to her in her venture. She also thanked Johnny Pereira for giving her encouragement to produce the Konkani film. The VCD has a cast comprising of Roma, Dolla, Mathew, Franky, Willy, Agnel, Bushka, Jr Reagan, Comedian Janet, Sally and Selvy, besides Steffi.

Candle-making camp held at Chorao

POWER SHUTDOWN MAY 12

PORVORIM: From 9 am to 2 pm. Areas affected are Resicom Home Elite, Sabnis Park, Gauri Apts, Khana Khazana, PDA Colony, Tarun Bharat, part of Teen Building, O’ Coqueiro and surrounding areas.

PORVORIM: From 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm. Areas affected are Pundaliknagar, Majestic Hotel, Journalist Colony, Sai Service and surrounding areas.

RAIA: From 9 am to 2 pm. Areas affected are Arlem and Vetinary hospital in Village Panchayat Raia.

MAY 13

Contact Us:

Sawant is TTWA Chief

Chodan-Madel p’yat petitions for full time doctor at Chorao centre

What is a Dead Language?

N

S H O RT TA K E S

A family had a lucky escape when a mango tree got uprooted and damaged the house of Sanjay Tulshidas Falkar from Sakaili Fal in Kudne-Bicholim recently. Members of the Falkar family managed to save themselves and escaped in time, before the tree damaged the house. A Bicholim fire brigade rushed to the site and cleared the debris.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, MAY 11

With water supply to irrigation activities already stopped, the present water level at Chapoli Dam's reservoir is sufficient to meet the needs of residents in Canacona, even if monsoons are delayed.

According to local irrigation sources, the Chapoli Dam reservoir presently hold 29.30 RL (reduced level) of water, which is higher than the previous year.

Last year, the Chapoli Dam reservoir had recorded 28 RL during this time of the year.

"Incidentally, water supply for irrigation purpose has been stopped and water is presently supplied only for treatment purpose at the Shristhal treatment plant," informed a source.

"We have sufficient stock of water in the dam's reservoir to meet the requirements of 15 MLD (5 + 10 MLD) water treatment plants presently opera-

Tree collapses on Bicholim house, inmates escape

BRITONA: From 9 am to 2 pm. Areas affected are Britona, Virlosa, Haliwada, RND-Slipway, Malim Tourism Complex, Ice Factory, Malim and surrounding areas.

SALAI: From 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm. Areas affected are Paithona, Salai-Quitla, Ekoxim, Donwado, Britona Manas and surrounding areas.

CURTORIM: From 8.30 am to 3.30 pm. Areas affected are VP Curtorim, VP Macazana, Colleadongor, St Xavier, Backhbhat and Uddo in Raia.

Instructor Rekha Borkar imparts skills on candle-making to women of Chorao.

OLD GOA(HC): Jai Hanuman Self-Help Group of Chorao recently organised a five-day candle-making camp at the Maddel Primary School in Chorao.

Twenty women took part in the camp and gained skills on various aspects of candle-making and candle designs.

The camp was inaugurated by social worker Chitra Kshirsagar and others present at the function included Panch Shreejaya Haldankar, President of Jai Hanuman Self-Help Group Suyasha Khandeparkar and instructor Rekha Borkar.

In her address, Kshirsagar urged the women to be financially independent so that they could get more respect in society.

"Self-employed women can also improve the financial position of the family," she added.

Rekha Kundaikar later proposed the vote of thanks.

The programme was sponsored by Women's and Child Development department.

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Rahul gives police a slip, sits on dharna to support farmers

PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 11

PTI GREATER NOIDA, MAY 11

Joining the farmers' agitation against the Mayawati government, Rahul Gandhi sat on a dharna at the epicentre of recent violence in this district after he entered the village riding pillion on a motorcyle giving the local police a slip before dawn today.

The Congress general secretary, who landed at Bhatta Parsaul village in this Delhi suburb at about 4 AM, demanded a judicial inquiry into the firing incidents following violent clashes between police and farmers protesting Uttar Pradesh government's land acquisition and compensation policy. Four persons including two policemen were killed in the violence last Saturday.

Rahul, who was also joined by party colleague Digvijay Singh, sat on a day-long dharna at the Choupal at Parsaul village after he heard villagers for several hours narrate the alleged atrocities committed on them by the UP police.

SDM Vishal Singh met Rahul and asked him to end the dharna in view of the potential security risk to him in view of the situation in the area. Vishal Singh also expressed inability to provide security as he had come without intimation.

But the young Congress leader told the official that unless their demands are met he will not leave the village.

The demands also included release of detained farmers.

A special CBI court trying the 2G spectrum case today allowed DMK MP Kanimozhi to skip the proceedings for two hours to approach the Enforcement Directorate for postponement of appearance before it in relation to its probe into money laundering aspects of the scam.

Along with the 43-year-old daughter of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar also sought exemption from personal appearance from 11 am to 1 pm today.

"Accused Kanimozhi and Sharad Kumar are exempted from personal appearance for two hours, that is, from 11 am to 1 pm, for appearing before the ED, New Delhi," Special CBI Judge O P Saini said.

Kumar moved the plea seekAICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi meeting villagers of Bhatta Parsaul in Greater Noida on Wednesday three days after the bloody clash between the police and the agitating farmers.

Digvijay Singh said till a judicial inquiry submitted a report no action should be taken against the farmers in respect of FIRs lodged against them. He also demanded that all arrested farmers be released and that there should not be any forcible land acquisition.

IG Police Rajni Kant Mishra was in constant touch with top state government officials in Lucknow to seek directions on how to deal the tricky situation arising out of Rahul's dharna.

The strong police force deployed at the Bhatta Parsaul vil-

lage apparently failed to notice Rahul when he reached there in a mobike in the dark.

It was only when he began meeting farmers and heard their grievances that the policemen recognised the young Congress leader, who has often slipped out of his security cordon in the past to meet people. The identity of the driver of the mobike was not known immediately.

Senior officers told Rahul that the state administration too has requested the villagers to return home as there was no fear for innocent farmers. Police was

Adarsh panel issues summons to Deshmukh, Ashok Chavan PTI MUMBAI, MAY 11

The inquiry commission probing the Adarsh Housing Society scam has issued summons to former Maharashtra Chief Ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh and Ashok Chavan to appear before it as witnesses.

The two-member commission, which summoned Union Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde last week, issued summons to Deshmukh, presently Union Minister for Rural Development, and Chavan yesterday.

Chavan, who had to step down as the state chief minister last year following the Adarsh controversy, has been named among the 14 accused by the CBI in its probe into the scam.

Chavan, the then State Revenue minister, is accused of recommending 40 per cent allotment of flats in the Adarsh Society, originally meant for Kargil war widows, to civilians.

His relatives allegedly got flats in return.

Deshmukh as Chief Minister had dealt with files pertaining to the high rise in upscale Colaba.

Both the ex-CMs have now been added to the list of 17 witnesses summoned last week.

The list includes State Minister for Water Resources Sunil Tatkare, Adarsh Society's General Secretary R C Thakur, former

M’rashtra govt never approached us for land: Army PTI MUMBAI, MAY 11

The Maharashtra government never approached the Army seeking possession of the land where the controversial Adarsh Housing Society building stands, an Army official said while deposing before a commission set up to probe the case.

"The land belongs to Army and the state government had never asked the Defence Ministry to hand over the possession to it," Brigadier Deepak Saxena of the Army headquarters (Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Goa) told the Commission of Inquiry set up to probe the alleged scam.

However, the army is yet to submit records to show that the land where the 31-storey Adarsh building stands in upscale Colaba, belongs to it. The Ministry of Defence has relied upon two 'development plans' showing the Army was in possession of the land even prior to 1937.

"All lands owned or under possession of the Army are entered into the Military Land Register. However the Adarsh plot does not exist in the register," Saxena had earlier told the commission.

Saxena refuted Adarsh's advocate Satish Maneshinde's contention that the state government had transferred a part of the land to the Army after taking over an Army property in suburban Santacruz. "Army was always in possession of the land and hence the question of state government transferring part of the plot or seeking to hand over the land does not arise," he said.

Principal Secretary of Urban Development department Ramanand Tiwari, Congress leader K L Gidwani, former Collector of Mumbai, Pradeep Vyas and former Under Secretary of Urban Development department P V

Deshmukh.

The Commission is presently recording the evidence of first witness, Brigadier Deepak Saxena of the Army Headquarters (Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat).

EC gears up for counting of votes on Friday PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 11

The results of the Assembly polls in five states are expected by noon on Friday when the counting of votes would start at 839 counting halls spread over Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

An elaborate three tier security arrangement has been put in place for the exercise, which would start at 8 AM involving 43,982 officials and nearly 17,700 central security personnel keeping a hawk eyed vigil.

"By early lunch", was the response of Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi when asked when the first result is expected of the keenly contested elections.

The entire exercise, which would decide the fate of several political heavyweights, would be videographed to prevent any malpractice, the CEC told reporters.

"Efficient and secure arrangements are in place for counting and declaration of results", he said, adding that a computer centre would be functional within the counting hall.

Kanimozhi allowed exemption from appearance for 2 hrs

Quraishi said that counting would take place in 142 counting halls in Assam, 140 in Kerala, 11 in Puducherry, 234 in Tamil Nadu and 312 in West Bengal.

Elaborating the massive exercise of conducting the polls in five states with "all time record turnout in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal", the CEC said a total of 14.16 crore electors exercised their franchise which was 20 per cent of the total 72.8 crore electorate.

Quraishi said that Assam saw a voter turnout of 76.04 per cent, an increase of 0.36 per cent over the 2006 Assembly polls and Kerala 75.12 per cent, a jump of 3.79 per cent and Puducherry 85.57 per cent, an increase of 0.13 per cent.

Tamil Nadu and West Bengal witnessed the "highest turnout in history" of 78.80 per cent and 84.46 per cent respectively, an increase of 11.26 per cent and 3.04 per cent over the 2006 assembly polls, he said.

Except Assam, women came out in large numbers to exercise their franchise in Kerala, Puducherry, West Bengal.

Referring to the menace of

money power in elections, Quraishi said the Commission and the Income Tax authorities jointly seized a total of 74.27 crore unaccounted money in these elections.

Tamil Nadu alone accounted for Rs 60.10 crore, followed by West Bengal Rs 8.35 crore, Assam Rs 5.20 crore, Kerala Rs 62 lakh.

The CEC said that "inducement of voters through distribution of money and in kind", paid news, voter apathy specially among youth and urban educated and security arrangement in Naxalhit areas were some of the major challenges that the EC encountered in these elections.

There was no appeal on communal or caste lines, no provocative speech to incite voters and there was no serious hate speeches this time, he said while thanking the political parties for their cooperation.

Quraishi said for the first time 4,639 Overseas Voters, out of 8,820 registered, exercised their franchise in the assembly polls in Kerala and one of them even contested from Thodupuzha in Idukki district in the state.

only targeting the anti-social elements who had fired at police team and caused rioting, they said.

Some of the villagers also showed Rahul injuries inflicted on them allegedly by the police.

They all claimed that all young males have either been detained by police or have left the village out of fear. The villagers claimed they were holding peaceful demonstration since January 17.

Digvijay Singh alleged that while farmers are being given land compensation of just Rs 600 to Rs.700 per sq m.

‘Depiction of Goddess images on swimwear inappropriate’ PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 11

India has conveyed its "deep concern" to the Australian High Commission over the issue of depiction of images of Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear, for which the swimwear label company has apologised to the Hindu community for hurting their sentiments.

In the recently concluded Rosemount Australian fashion week in Sydney, a designer Lisa Burke, had displayed certain swimwear costumes carrying Indian religious images "inappropriately", the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement here today.

The Ministry has conveyed its "deep concern" to the Australian High Commission, asking that all concerned be apprised of the Indian religious sensitivities in the matter, it said.

The issue was similarly, taken up by our Consulate General in Sydney with the fashion designer, the MEA said.

"The designer has promptly apologized 'to the Hindu community' and assured that the range has been withdrawn and will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlet anywhere in the world and has stopped production of the swimwear in question," the statement said.

EC: No party bias, went by regulations during elections PTI

CHENNAI, MAY 11

The Election Commission, which had come under repeated attacks from DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, had "no party bias" and it only followed rules and regulations, a top state electoral official said today.

"Only rules and regulations are being implemented. There is no party bias," state Chief Electoral officer Praveen Kumar told reporters here ahead of Friday's counting of votes for the Assembly elections held on April 13.

Kumar said the EC did not show any bias towards or against a particular party and it was only going by the book as regards conduct of elections.

The DMK president had accused the officials of EC, which had taken tough measures to prevent money-flow and other malpractices, of behaving like in emergency times and had suggested clipping its powers.

ing personal exemption through his counsel who submitted that they have to appear before the ED for the "purpose of filing an application for adjournment" for his questioning on May 13 in connection with the scam.

Kanimozhi's lawyer also submitted the same in the court and she was allowed to appear before the ED today for two hours.

The court had yesterday exempted Kanimozhi and Kumar from personal appearance for May 12 and 13 to appear before Chennai Income Tax Office to respond to summons for alleged tax evasion.

The court had imposed some conditions on both the accused saying "they shall not try to contact or influence any witness or tamper with evidence while in Chennai."

OHERALDO

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O HERALDO

An Indian Summer

Vol No CXI No: 131 Goa, Thursday, 12 May, 2011

Mashelkar’s dream and India’s reality

E

minent Scientist Dr Raghunath Mashelkar, who heads the Goa Golden Jubilee Development Council, has enunciated five wonderful principles as a vision statement for the state till 2035. Sundor Goem (Beautiful Goa), Somrudha Goem (Prosperous Goa), Sontulit Goem (Balanced Goa), Sushant Goem (Peaceful Goa) and Sontuxt Goem (Content Goa) is how all of us would like to see Goa over the next 25 years. As he said, Goa can achieve remarkable success in all spheres of life if the state preserves its natural beauty, ensures economic growth, strikes a balance between development and environment and ensures peace and happiness.

However, his optimistic assertion that India would be an ‘affluent country’ by 2035 needs much closer examination, especially in the context of developments in the Supreme Court at New Delhi, the very Tuesday on which Dr Mashelkar was conferred with the Lokmanya Matrubhumi Award by eminent nuclear scientist Dr Anil Kakodkar at Margao.

India’s Planning Commission told the apex court that no urban Indian spending more than Rs578 a month on all their basic needs – less than Rs20 a day – can be termed ‘poor’. Those who have the capacity to spend more would not receive subsidies from the central government for BelowPoverty-Line (BPL) citizens.

According to the Commission, a city dweller cannot be termed ‘poor’ if (s)he can spend more than Rs31 per month (one rupee per day) on rent and conveyance, Rs18 per month (60 paise per day) on education, Rs25 per month (85 paise per day) on medicines and Rs36.50 per month (Rs1.25 per day) on vegetables. These amounts, it said, were the average monthly expenditure levels per person to determine the official ‘poverty line’.

When the minimum bus fare is Rs5 and the minimum train fare is Rs4, how can a person go to work for Rs31 per month, even assuming that (s)he lives on the pavement and therefore pays no rent? And this is for city dwellers. In rural areas, any villager who can spend more than Rs15 a day is not ‘poor’, says the Planning Commission.

Though these figures are at 2004-05 prices, and will be a little higher now, it is doubtful whether these levels of consumption would even constitute a realistic ‘starvation line’! Even based on these grossly improbable consumption levels, the Planning Commission finds that 41.8 per cent of India’s rural population and 25.7 per cent of its urban population is poor, and needs subsidised food, shelter and benefits. These consumption levels have been calculated keeping in mind the overall ‘cap’ of 37.2 per cent that the Planning Commission – which is headed by the Prime Minister – has placed on poverty in this country. This means that in its wisdom, the government has decided that no more than 37.2 per cent of India’s people can be ‘poor’.

Can poverty be legislated away? Is this the way India will achieve ‘affluence’ by 2035 – as Dr Mashelkar said – by simply declaring that its people are no longer ‘poor’, because they are above the official ‘poverty line’, no matter how low it may be?

A

Most corrupt?

nti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare will kick off his nationwide campaign against corruption from Panjim on 13 May, with a public meeting at Azad Maidan at 5pm. Swami Agnivesh and Arvind Kejriwal will address a meeting at Margao that same day at 10.30am, while Kiran Bedi and Manish Sisodia will speak at Vasco at 3 pm.

Why Goa? Does this confirm that ours is among the most corrupt states in the country?

Have mercy on our necks Edward Fonseca, Porvorim This is with reference to your article ‘Over 100 traffic offences recorded every day in North’ (Herald, 4 May).

I am beginning to wonder whether we are going to see the statistics ploy being used to enforce helmets on ‘all roads’ as per terminology of the traffic cell.

The helmet model is good for highways as traffic has become fast and dangerous.

It would not be suitable for the slow city traffic and narrow village roads.

100 Years Ago

PRIMEIRO DIARIO NAS COLONIAS PORTUGEZAS

12 May 1911 Thread ceremony held

In the presence of the brother of the Raja of Kolhapur and many other aristocratic guests took place the Thread Ceremony of Vassudeva Atmarama Porobo Dessai Desprabhu, the eldest son of the Viscount of Pernem.

Spy executed in France

A female spy was executed at Laneville in France accused of being in communications with the Germans.

Amendments to Election bill

At the time when the Mail left Lisbon a great political excitement prevailed in the Democratic Centre due to promulgation of the amendments introduced to the Election Bill.

Resolution passed

The Lisbon Municipal Corporation has passed a resolution refusing to abide any order issued by the present Cabinet.

Peace and order enforced

The Premier of Portugal has announced to the Democratic Leaders his decision to enforce peace and order in the country at all costs.

OPINION

B

The prettiest flowering trees bloom in our deciduous forests, during summer, says fReddY diAS

y all accounts, the sub-tropical Indian summer is a terrible time of the year. As the mercury rises, the demand for air-conditioners, water coolers and soft drinks skyrocket.

And to add to all the heat-woes is the soaring humidity, upto 80 per cent and more in coastal areas such as Goa. Under such extreme conditions of weather, while the human frame of mind is pathetic enough despite so much that technology has to offer today, it seems to be a big miracle as to how creatures in the wild cope up with such weather tantrums. What must their plight be?

Actually, both plants and animals (and this includes birds, insects; and the rest) have learned to manage quite well in such extreme weather conditions.

Despite the steamy summer months, an Indian summer is a terrific time for wildlife watching.

This is because the jungle is so open at this time. The first easily observable sign of the hot season is the almost complete disappearance of leaves.

This is particularly so and most typical of our Indian jungles; the dry deciduous forest.

At this time of the year, the trees here are almost completely bereft of leaves. This is no great loss as may be imagined, but is in fact, a remarkable proof of nature’s ingenuity, deprived of chlorophyll, that all-important pigment of life, the leaves are shed, as a measure of economy by plants.

Water is hard to come by during summer and leaves, those countless million segments of foliage, prevent a surface area of water loss by evaporation.

Shedding leaves, therefore, helps plants conserve that all-too-valuable resource -- water.

To anyone interested in the wilderness, particularly in observing wild animals and birds in the jungle, walking in the woods during the dry season with the floor littered with a dense layer of fallen leaves, must seem like a nightmare.

The mayhem created by the crunch of dry plant matter is a sure giveaway of human presence.

Needless to add, most animals would bolt for cover, thanks to the sound made by feet on the desiccated carpet.

These slight inconveniences notwithstanding, the shed leaves perform a very important bio-

Sound of Silence logical function.

They help in conserving the soil moisture, and also in providing vital nutrients to the soil. They also support insect life.

Amidst this leaf litter that is itself beautiful to look at, with its myriad shades of browns, reds and yellows, resides a legion of organism.

Countless tiny insects, centipedes, lizards, snakes and a plethora of other minute creepycrawlies spend the long dry months in the sheltered web of these fallen leaves.

Many of these creatures are spending the summer in a torpid condition as opposed to ‘hibernating’ which implies spending the winter, especially in the cold regions, in a secluded dormant or near-dormant state.

How else does one explain the sudden emergence, almost magical, mythical, of swarming hordes of bugs and beetles, grasshoppers and

Facts of Life

Sea for yourself

I

have never found anyone who does not love gazing at the sea.

Why is that?

From my vantage point, the smooth sand spreads mildly before me like a flat brain wave. A few dune grasses whisper together like insect wings. Drowsiness seeps into my limbs like cotton. The breeze is cool silk brushing my cheeks. Pure heaven, sea for myself!

The ocean’s tranquility is also intense, more than just peace. It is peace raised to the level of brilliance, peace shining and sparkling in the sun. Watching it from a distance is like watching life from a manageable view point, with all the advantages of distance and perspective.

This morning, I walked along the beach which seemed to be full of God’s aroma. Sky, sea, sand, they were alright, splash and dazzle, sparkle, shimmer, dancing in a celebration of love.

I walked along the beach, my feet sinking into the loose, dry sand that slithers underfoot. I paused to collect a few seashells from their scattered numbers along the shore, each one different from its neighbour, varying slightly in size, shape or hue.

I suspect high volume of fines in the north may be due to the large number of tourists on whom, the traffic cell pounces on with great delight and enthusiasm.

We Goans have been good men and women on the highway.

Let our necks have some rest on ‘other roads’.

Stop selling Goa Jovita Fernandes, Margao Nowadays, everyone dreams of owning a property in Goa, be it celebrities, businessmen etc.

The same people then tend to exploit Goa and put the blame on Goans. The government of Goa should put restrictions on the sale of properties in Goa to outsiders.

It is rightly said, ‘A stitch in time saves nine’ and if nothing is done, it won’t be long when the whole of Goa will be sold to outsiders and Goans will be strangers in their own land.

Heritage preserved!

Ayres Sequeira, Salvador do Mundo In May, all the heritage crosses in Salvador do Mundo get decked up for the annual Khursachi Ladainha (litany). The tradition which binds the villagers together is maintained and practiced in memory of our ancestors. Irrespective of their creed, all join in to sing the litany and pray for personal favours, unity and prosperity of the village.

FFs feign ignorance Octavio Goes, London The people who really fought for Goa’s freedom are long gone, yet the government manages to dig some new ones every year.

Some common criminals who were incarcerated at Aguada at the time of “Liberation” also got the title of “Freedom Fighters”.

Naguesh Karmali past and present comments have revealed that he is a known communalist. It’s not the Portuguese that he dislikes but Goan Catholics.

Most of all I am surprised by the ignorance of Prabhakar Sinari. According to Goan voice UK, Mr Sinari says that the Portuguese were more barbaric than British.

spiders and other small insects, almost simultaneously with the first showers of the monsoon rains that mark the end of our India summer?

Many of these little creatures spend the dry months either as nymphs (young), eggs or, in some cases, in an adult form. Many do not feed at all, subsisting instead on bodily reserves built up in the season of plenty.

And believe it or not, some of the prettiest flowering trees bloom in the early part of, and during the hot summer.

While many of the trees in the deciduous jungle have shed leaves, those that bloom now, at the peak of the heat, lend a riot of colour to the otherwise golden brown and roasted yellow landscape.

The Flame of the Forest (Gulmohar), Silk Cotton, Indian Coral and Indian Laburnum are just some of the well-known Indian trees that mass-flower

between February and end-May. Not only do they add colour - red, orange, coral and pastoral yellow,- but these trees also provide vital proteins to birds, squirrels, butterflies and several other creatures that revel in the nectar, at a time when most insects and other small life is hard to come by.

The birdlife is also very stunning during summer. When we see the feather folk panting in the heat, we are often induced to say ‘poor creature, how much must it be suffering’.

It is not too easy to guess whether animals and birds are suffering in this stifling heat or not.

The panting is just one of the ways of losing body heat, the same function that sweating performs in human beings.

Out there in the wild, creatures have, over many millions of years, undergone remarkable modifications to cope with and adjust to the extreme conditions of weather.

They never need fans, air-conditioners and cold drinks during scorching summer, umbrellas and rain-coats during the rains and woollens and blankets during the winter.

They just carry on and face the challenges, the trials of life, using their own often subtle techniques.

Most birds are nesting during the summer season, between end-April and end-June. ‘Bulbuls’, orioles, shrikes, woodpeckers, barbets and crows are some of the birds that are now either sitting on eggs, or feeding their young.

As a rule, it is observed that in many species, the laying of eggs is so timed that the hatching and emergence of young coincides with (more or less) the onset of the monsoon, which is when the countless insects too emerge to be feasted upon.

Nature’s ways are really so amazingly simple, yet so highly organised. And you do not need to travel far to observe the summertime activities of different aspects of natural life. Most of these can be easily seen here in the heart of Goa, particularly at various wildlife sanctuaries.

To see a typical deciduous forest is equally easy. The closest we have is right within Goa’s boundary, at Bondla wildlife sanctuary. Pay a visit to this place at this time of the year and discover for yourself the almost magical ways the wilderness has of facing the heat head-on.

A little boy on the beach is running with his kite just like my children used to do at Miramar. I remember their squinty, touching concentration on the dancing, coloured dot in the sky. That time is with me now.

It’s hard to beat the age-old offerings that come from the sea.

It’s most obvious product, salt. Extracted from the sea, this precious mineral can cleanse and smooth the skin and even soothe the soul. It is one of the best possible natural antiseptics and marvellous for healing small cuts and grazes and making the skin feel clean and tingling with health. Take a dip in the sea, if in need of a health miracle, the unique properties help in muscular ailments.

And what about the slimy seaweeds that collect along the shore, that are packed with vitamins and minerals; the list goes on and on...

Elderly folks come to bathe. Salt water and gentle slaps of rolling waves not only put their minds at rest and soothe and invigorate their aches and pains, but from that day on, things get turned around and the complaints amazingly, even temporarily, disappear. The early morning outdoor time is physical therapy, when communion with my God is foremost in all that I see and

By Marc de Souza hear. It is the time of praise and petition. Most of all, it is a time of thanksgiving. This evening, I watched a small boy and girl building a sand castle. When they had nearly finished, a big wave reduced it to a heap of wet sand. I expected the children to burst into tears. Instead, they ran up the shore laughing and holding hands, then sat down to build another castle. Truly, all the structures we spend so much time and energy in creating, are built on sand.

At any time, a wave may knock them down. When that happens, the person who has somebody’s hand to hold will be able to laugh, and start over, with a song in his soul and hope in his heart.

As the sun goes down in a blaze of light, a hush falls over the heaving sea. The ocean sleepy now, caresses the shore as its softly swishing waves lap out a lullaby. This ocean constantly changing now holds a suggestion of peace.

No matter what any written deed says, one cannot own the seas, or even the shores of life. All we can do is stand in our human poverty as with a cup beneath a waterfall, and daily, wave and wave, offer our mortal limits as gifts, recklessly trusting that they will be swept up and transformed by the sea-changes of endless love.

Letters to the Editor Letter of the Day

Private school teachers must unite

Allwyn George, Carmona

The judiciary in Goa had brought relief to the striking primary school teachers as the salaries were made on par with government primary schools. The teachers of Diocesan schools at that time were paid very less for their services before the historic verdict. While today primary teachers of aided schools are paid handsomely on par with government primary schools, their counterparts in the unaided English medium schools are paid a paltry salary and are exploited by the management of these schools.

These teachers from private unaided schools need to unite under a common banner and fight for their rights so that their salaries are on par with aided schools.

In spite of the high fees and donations taken from parents for their trusts, the teachers in these private schools are victimised as their services are not regularised and their salaries are not on par with others.

The private schools lobby have to realise that they also have a rebellion brewing in their backyard.

Has he forgotten that thousands of Indians were killed by the British forces? Is he also ignorant or he has been feigning ignorance of the Jalianwala Bagh Massacre? Does he forget that the British have taken a lot of treasure from India? On the contrary, the Portuguese gave back the gold that Goans had pawned with Banco Ultramarino. If he dislikes the Portuguese so much, why is his daughter settled in Portugal and married to a Goan Portuguese?

Goa cuts a sorry figure Bonita Maria Menezes, Vasco Cheers Folks! English is side-tracked and Konkani is highlighted, this is a brilliant joke played by our so-called leaders who send their own children abroad to study in Universities and Management colleges. How long will this audacity go on?

I was witness to the poor parents who shouted for justice recently, and what I saw brought tears to my eyes.

Our leaders give importance to Konkani and yet they go about side tracking Konkani speaking Goans to

get jobs. In the process, they encourage and highlight the rich migrant. Such is the sorry state of affairs in Goa.

Why this additional force?

Stephen Dias, Dona Paula The recent suggestion made by ex-DGP Bhim Sain Bassi that Goa needs at least 10,000 police personnel to take care of crimes, rapes, mining and drugs activities makes interesting reading. May be, he was planning to have a police force for each minister, mine owner, bureaucrat and other VIPs for protection.

The additional 10,000 police personnel will certainly help our politicians when it comes to protect them during family ceremonies, children’s weddings, and all other kinds of receptions.I foresee that the high rate of crime, rapes, drugs etc will continue to flourish abundantly.

Securitymen galore Pachu Menon, Margao Security covers for VIPs in our country have been hotly debated topics. More than

the need for the protection to be extended, it has been the profligacy associated with the whole exercise that has earned the public’s ire and criticism.

But have things reached such a stage here in Goa that our political leaders are weary of their own surroundings?

So what prompts this senseless deployment of policemen around them giving one the feeling that our leaders are an ‘endangered species’ and need to be guarded fiercely?

It is a typical case of the ‘overprotected VIPs leaving the common man without cover’. An ominous scenario indeed!

Not ‘susegad’ Flavio Lopes, Old Goa ‘Be susegad’ we have often heard this term many a times from others.

On many occasions, we utter it ourselves.

It now appears that Bollywood movie makers have borrowed it from us.

Goans are not at all that susegad. Our lifestyles suit our people and everyone lives in peace and harmony. Every Goan must be proud to be a Goan.

Goa has gained its status over the years through hard work put in by the people and not by luck.

People who call Goans ‘susegad’ need to be reprimanded.

The life of a Goan is that of love, peace, harmony and not ‘susegad.’

Dangerous signal Jonas Correia, Aldona The government’s decision to promote all students to higher grade up to Std VIII is a dangerous signal.

Instead of educating them, it will only create robots.

The government should, as a first step, appoint counsellors in all schools to guide weak students.

Very often these students are victims of one or two subjects which they cannot grasp.

The exam system should also be modified and question papers must include answers which the student can match rather than writing parrot type replies from memory.

Paths of Wisdom The Buddha’s Advice Once Buddha was walking from one town to another town with a few of his followers.. This was in the initial days. While they were travelling, they happened to pass a lake. They stopped there and Buddha told one of his disciples, “I am thirsty. Do get me some water from that lake there.”

The disciple walked up to the lake. When he reached it, he noticed that right at that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy, very turbid. The disciple thought, “How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink!”

So he came back and told Buddha, “The water in there is very muddy. I don’t think it is fit to drink.” After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake and get him some water to drink. The disciple obediently went back to the lake.

This time too he found that the lake was muddy. He returned and informed Buddha about the same.

After sometime Buddha asked the same disciple to go back. The disciple reached the lake to find the lake absolutely clean and clear. The mud had settled down. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.

Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said,” See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be…. and the mud settled down on its own - and you got clear water.

Your mind is also like that! When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don’t have to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is effortless.”

(Source : Spiritual stories)

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INDIA

GOA,THURSDAY 12 MAY 2011

Activists sore over SC order in Bhopal gas tragedy PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 11

Social activists fighting for enhanced punishment to the accused in the Bhopal gas disaster today expressed dismay over the Supreme Court's order dismissing the CBI's curative petition and called it “another black day”.

“The Supreme Court today has heaped yet more injustice on victims who have already suffered it earlier -- in 1989 on settlement (for compensation) and in 1996 after dilution of penal charges against the accused.

May 11 is another black day in the history of Bhopal,” social activist Satinath Sarangi told reporters soon after the apex court delivered its verdict.

Sarangi alleged that the State organs, including judiciary, were not keen on justice to Bhopal gas victims.

“Why should people suffer because the CBI has not done its job well? The government machinery is not inclined to give justice to victims and this includes judiciary. It (court) could

The SC today has heaped yet more injustice on victims who have already suffered it earlier -- in 1989 onsettlement (for compensation) and in 1996 after dilution of penal charges against the accused.

-have seen that 1996 judgement equated the corporate massacre with a meagre traffic accident.”

“The message you are sending out to world is that you can come here, kill us and go back,” he added.

A five-judge constitutional bench, headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia today dismissed a curative petition filed by the CBI, seeking recall of the apex court's September 1996 order which had diluted the stringent charges of culpable

homicide not amounting to murder against the Bhopal gas leakage tragedy accused and had ordered their trial for milder offence of causing death by rash and negligent acts.

While the offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder entails up to ten years of jail term, the offence of causing death by a rash and negligent act fetches a maximum of two years' jail term on conviction.

The leakage of the deadly

Sky gazers to get visual treat from four planets PTI

The planetary parade of Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter- bunched together- can be seen low in the east direction. in conjunction with Jupiter.

Conjunction, a term used in positional astronomy means that as seen from the Earth two celestial bodies appear near one another in the sky. The event is also sometimes known as an

appulse.

However, Saturn is the lone planet that can be seen in the evening sky, he added.

On May 30, the moon as a very thin crescent joins the planet party.

court could have seen that the concept of curative petition came in 2002 only and more evidence from the US federal court surfaced only six months beck.

New evidence makes things clearer.”

Activist Madhumita Das also lamented that “people have to suffer for mistakes committed by the governments”.

"I am shocked. After so many years there was hope for Bhopal victims. For the mistakes of the government and the CBI, the victims have to suffer again,” she rued.

"The Supreme Court could have taken a more pragmatic view. It is the second time that Supreme Court has failed them (victims),” she said.

Another activist Rachna Dhingra said, “At the end of the day, the victims have to pay for CBI's unwillingness and incompetence. As the next step we will seek to have day-to-day hearing of the case in the Sessions Court and seek trial on graver charges in light of the new evidence.”

SC issues Centre notices on Sarabjit’s sister’s petition PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 11

NEW DELHI, MAY 11

Venus, Jupiter, Mercury and Mars will form spectacular shapes in the pre-dawn sky offering a visual treat to sky gazers for a month beginning from today.

The quartet can be easily seen in the sky theatre monthlong with naked eyes as they form spectacular shapes, N Sri Raghunandan Kumar, General Secretary of Planetary Society of India told PTI. The planetary parade of Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiterbunched together- can be seen low in the east direction.

Venus and Jupiter would appear close to each other today night as the two planets are in conjunction, he said.

The two will be seen shining through the eastern twilight only half a degree apart, he said.

Also, Mercury and Venus are

methyl isocyanate gas from an Union Carbide plant at Bhopal on December 2-3 night in 1984 has left over 15,000 dead and tens of thousands others maimed for life.

Additional Solicitor General Indira Jai Singh, however, saw a silver lining in the apex court's verdict and said, "The judgement very categorically says that Sessions Court in revision case pending, can go ahead and frame charges under section 304-II (culpable homicide not

amounting to murder or the unintentional killing) on the basis of the new evidence that has surfaced now. In that sense, it is positive.”

“The court has opened the door for prosecution of accused under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder (304-II of IPC).... It is now up to the Sessions Court to decide and frame charges," she said.

She said that “two years punishment (awarded by the trial court earlier) is not enough”.

Bhopal gas activist Sarangi, however, expressed dismay and anguish that the 1996 judgement was not set aside.

He said, “Last year when the trial court heaped this injustice, the whole country had voiced its outrage. Now the Supreme Court has put its stamp of approval on it. This is disgusting.

I am disappointed. We have no other way than to go back to the people and for the victims to speak and express their outrage again.”

Saranagi pointed out that "the

The Supreme Court today sought to know the Centre's stand on a plea for direction to it to take steps for release and repatriation of Indian death row convict Sarabjit Singh languishing in a Pakistani jail for the last 21 years for his alleged role in a terror act there.

A bench of justices B Sudershan Reddy and Surinder Singh Nijjar issued notices to the Ministry of External Affairs and the Union Home Secretary on a plea

by Sarabjit through his sister Dalbir Kaur.

"The Union government has failed to take appropriate steps for his release," said Kaur, adding “her letters and representations have not even been answered by the External Affairs Ministry and the Home Ministry despite several attempts.”

Dalbir has sought the court's directions to the government for immediate and necessary

steps for Sarabjit's release from Lahore's Kotlakhpat Central Jail.

Dalbir said “It is the duty of the government of India to ensure and guarantee the fundamental rights of its citizens and take appropriate measures for early release of Sarabjit who was illegally detained by the government of Pakistan.”

In her petition, Dalbir also accused the government of doing precious little “for release of Sarabjit and other Indian citizens, illegally detained in Pakistan, despite the fact that most of them have completed their jail term after conviction.”

Kaur claimed “courts of Pakistan have wrongly convicted Sarabjit and sentenced him to death due to mistaken identity.”

Arrested on August 28, 1990,

by Pakistan police for his alleged involvement in a serial bomb blasts a month earlier in Lahore and Multan that killed 14 people, Sarabjit was awarded death by a Lahore anti-terrorism court in October 1991. The death sen-

tence was upheld by the Lahore High Court and later by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2009.

Sarbajit was, however, given mercy by the then Pakistan president.

“Sarabjit was not present at the time of the said incident which took place on July 28, 1990 in Pakistan”, Sarabjit's sister Dalbir said in her plea to the apex court.

“The case, which was registered by the Pakistani authorities, was in the name of Manjeet Singh, alias Sarabjit Singh, son of Mohanga Singh, though he has no link with the said person as evident from the documents regarding the identity of Sarabjit Singh," said Dalbir.

She pointed out that “he was tried in the name of Manjeet Singh alias Sarabjit Singh, son of Sulakhan Singh, which makes it clear that the petitioner was wrongly implicated in the case while the fact was that the petitioner had crossed the border of Pakistan and was arrested for spying.”

Ex-legislator in custody for murder case

Former Samajwadi Party MLA Khalid Azeem, prime accused in BSP legislator Raju Pal murder case who was arrested recently after eluding UP police for nearly four years, was today remanded in police custody for two days by a court here.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Man Raj Singh remanded Azeem alias Ashraf, who was arrested on April 30 from Greater Noida and subsequently brought here, to police custody till April 13.

Ashraf had been absconding since July, 2007, shortly after the Mayawati-led BSP came to power in the state when a number of fresh cases relating to alleged intimidation of witnesses in Pal's murder were slapped against him and his elder brother Ateeq Ahmed - then a Samajwadi Party strongman and MP who was later expelled from the party. (PTI)

Aspirants seeking pass port for Hajj pilgrimage waiting outside the CID office in Srinagar for verification on Wednesday.

Hearing on former judge’s plea adjourned to May 18 PTI CHANDIGARH, MAY 11

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today adjourned to May 20 the hearing on a petition of former Judge Nirmal Yadav in connection with the 2008 cashat judge's-door case.

Yadav is now expected to appear in person before a lower court here on May 18.

A day after Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia of the High Court recused himself from hearing a plea of its former judge Yadav challenging the summons issued to her for May 18 by a special CBI court, the petition came up for hearing before Justice Permod Kohli, who fixed May 20 as the next date of hearing on the Justice (retd) Yadav's plea.

Yadav had, in her application, sought quashing of the summons directing her to appear in person on May 18 and of the charge sheet filed by the CBI against her and others in the Special Court here on March four.

Special Judge Ritu Tagore had issued summons against Yadav on April 30 directing her to ap-

nIt is well-settled that request for sanction to prosecute once rejected upon due application of mind by the authority competent to grant or advise sanction cannot be reviewed or reconsidered, unless there is any fresh material necessitating such fresh look at the earlier order.

-- Counsel pear in person.

After Justice Ahluwalia had recused himself, her counsel requested Acting Chief Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel to place the matter before another judge.

A request was also made to

fix the case for hearing on May But, “to the utter surprise of 20. the petitioner, on March 1, sancYadav's counsel, in her peti- tion for her prosecution was tion, has claimed the “sanction granted by the president of for her prosecution was granted India,” the petition said. by the President of India without The counsel said, “It is wellthere being any fresh material settled that request for sanction placed before the competent to prosecute once rejected upon authority by the CBI requiring due application of mind by the review of the earlier order de- authority competent to grant clining such sanction.” or advise sanction cannot be reThe counsel said the then viewed or re-considered, unless chief justice of India directed there is any fresh material neclosure of investigacessitating tion against the pe- CASH AT JUDGE’S such fresh DOOR CASE titioner and refused look at the to grant sanction for earlier her prosecution. order.”

The name of Justice Yadav had Elaborating, the counsel said the then Secretary, Ministry of surfaced in the cash at judge's Law and Justice D R Meena, ad- door step as the alleged indressed a letter on December tended receipt of Rs 15 lakh 7, 2009, to then CBI Director which had erroneously landed in the house of another High Ashwani Kumar.

Meena wrote that the case Court Judge Justice Nirmaljit of the petitioner was discussed Kaur Court who reported the by the minister for law and jus- matter to the Chandigarh Police. tice with the then chief justice A case in the matter was iniof India. He observed no action tially registered by the Chandiwas required and the case pa- garh Police. The investigation pers relating to the petitioner was later handed over to the be returned to the Department CBI which registered the case of Personnel and Training. in August 2008.

The other accused presently on bail are Delhi hotelier Ravinder Singh, former Haryana Additional Advocate General Sanjiv Bansal and property dealers Rajiv Gupta and Nirmal.

The 25-page charge sheet against Yadav and the others was filed on the day of her retirement in the court of the Special CBI Judge here under various relevant sections of the IPC. In a rare move against the higher judiciary, the other charges for which Yadav was booked included fabricating false evidence and destruction of evidence.

The money was allegedly delivered by Parkash Ram, a clerk of Bansal.

The chargesheet against Justice Yadav was filed after Presid e n t P r a t i b h a Pa t i l g a v e clearance for her prosecution.

The CBI had also attached the three-page sanction letter issued by the President with the charge sheet.

Yadav had denied the allegation that the money was meant for her and proceeded on leave after the case surfaced.

Doc escapes kidnap bid Unidentified persons allegedly tried to kidnap a surgeon in Ghaziabad .

Sanjay Goel was returning home in his car last night when another car bumped into his vehicle, after which Goel got down to question them. As soon as the doctor got down, he was held hostage at gunpoint by criminals who were present in the other car. The doctor, however managed to jump off the car, police said. (PTI)

APPOINTMENTS

APPOINTMENTS

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Egypt to lift restrictions on building churches AFP CAIRO, MAY 11

Egypt's caretaker government said on Wednesday it will prepare a law within a month to ease restrictions on building churches while banning protests in front of places of worship, after attacks on Cairo churches.

The cabinet's justice committee, formed after 15 people died when a Muslim mob attacked two Cairo churches on Saturday, said in a statement that it would "decisively stand against incitement to hatred and sectarianism."

The committee was tasked with "studying the project of

unifying laws for the construction of places of worship, to be completed within 30 days."

It also decided to "ban demonstrations and gatherings outside places of worship," it said in the statement on the cabinet's website.

Under a law dating back to Ottoman times, Christians are required to seek the ruler's permission before building churches. They also have to obtain permission to renovate or repair churches.

The decision is usually delegated to governors, who often consulted security services on the possible reaction of Muslim residents to having a church in their midst.

Building churches has some-

times led to sectarian clashes with Muslims. But Saturday's violence began after Muslims surrounded a church in the poor district of Imbaba claiming a Muslim convert was being held inside.

The statement also said the government would enforce a ban on using religious slogans in elections.

The country is set to vote in September in its first parliamentary election since the overthrow of president Hosni Mubarak in February.

Islamist groups such the formerly banned Muslim Brotherhood movement, which has established a new party, say they are forming an alliance to contest the election.

Pak aims to block lawsuit against ISI chief in US court PTI ISLAMABAD, MAY 11

Pakistan is preparing to block a lawsuit in a US court that alleges complicity of its spy chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha in the audacious 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, on the grounds that it will pour "gasoline on the fire" of Indo-Pak relations.

The country's military-run ISI has roped in American lawyers, who are moving to quash the lawsuit in a Brooklyn court by arguing that if the case proceeds, it "will fuel violence and extremism" that will threaten Pakistan government and pour "gasoline on the fire" of relations between Pakistan and India, NBC News reported.

The lawsuit, filed last year by relatives of two Jewish victims of the Mumbai attacks, alleges that Pasha and his predecessor Nadeem Taj helped the LeT conduct the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people, including six Americans.

It charges that the ISI provided "critical planning, material support, control and coordination" of the Mumbai attacks under the leadership of Pasha and Taj. This allegedly included providing funding to David Coleman Headley, a Pakistani-American who has pleaded guilty in a US federal court to conducting surveillance for the Mumbai attacks under the direction of an ISI case officer, whom he identified only as "Major Iqbal".

The lawsuit is based in "large part on evidence developed by the FBI linking the ISI to the operatives of the LeT terror group who are charged with conducting the operation", the report

said.

According to a brief filed last week by lawyers Kevin Walsh and Allen C Wasserman on behalf of the ISI, the Pakistan government "regards any assertion of jurisdiction over its high officials" by a US court "as an intrusion on its sovereignty, in violation of international law".

The brief argues that Pakistan is a "wartime ally of the United States" in the fight against alQaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and that the lawsuit will damage that alliance.

The two American lawyers are with the Dallas-based firm of Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell, whose lobbying arm, Locke Lord Strategies, represents the Pakistan government in Washington.

The firm reportedly was paid over two million dollars in fees since it signed a contract with the Pakistan government in 2008. The chief of the firm's Pakistan lobbying account is Mark Siegel, a close aide of slain f o r m e r p re m i e r B e n a z i r Bhutto.

James P Kreindler, the lawyer who filed the lawsuit against ISI on behalf of relatives of the victims of the 26/11 attacks, said recent developments, including the indictment in Chicago of Pakistani-Canadian businessman Tahawwur Hussain Rana and the aftermath of the US raid on Osama bin Laden's Abbotabad hideout, had made his case "many times stronger".

As a result of those developments, "the Pakistanis have no credibility and they're playing a double game", he contended.

Britain plans to scrap visa appeal right AFP LONDON, MAY 11

Britain is considering scrapping of the right of appeal for relatives of British Asian families, who are refused visas to visit them each year, a controversial move likely to impact thousands of Indians, a media report said on Tuesday.

Quoting a leaked Home Office policy paper, the Guardian newspaper reported that officials have been warned that the move is highly controversial, particularly within the Asian communities and legally risky. Home Office ministers have been told they need to "warm up colleagues in government for these potentially controversial changes."

Rebels corner Gaddafi’s troops at Misrata airport AFP MISRATA, MAY 11

Libyan rebels cornered Moammar Gaddafi’s troops at the airport in the western city of Misrata Wednesday amid fierce fighting witnessed by an AFP correspondent at the scene.

Battles Tuesday night and Wednesday morning left rebels in control of the northern, eastern and western perimeters of the airport compound, leaving only the south where Gaddafi’s troops would face fierce resistance if they wanted to fight their way out.

Insurgent forces captured 40 Grad rockets from the regime

troops, whose mortar fire injured 13 rebels, the AFP correspondent said.

It was unclear if any regime fighters were killed or wounded, but rebels said they had captured one Mauritanian mercenary in Gaddafi’s employment, although AFP could not confirm this.

Rebels had been firing on Gadhafi’s forces from a prison in the airport compound, having already gained control of the African market also in the enclosure.

They were reinforced by fighters returning from the front further west, which rebels told AFP

was quiet after they had pushed government forces about 15 kilometres from Misrata.

The insurgents were advancing to Dafnia, and were readying to move on Zliten, the next major town on the road to Tripoli.

Misrata has been besieged by Gadhafi forces for close to two months, during which time the only route in or out of the city, Libya's third largest, was by sea via the port.

Should the rebels capture the airport, the humanitarian situation could be eased for the city's 500,000 population, who have been running out of supplies.

British boy wears skirt to school in protest AFP LONDON, MAY 11

A 12-year-old British boy wore a knee-length skirt to school in protest against a school uniform policy banning boys from donning shorts during warm weather, according to a report Wednesday.

Chris Whitehead also addressed more than 1,350 pupils at morning assembly wearing the black skirt, which boys are permitted to wear due to a loophole in the policy, the Daily Telegraph reported.

He said that forcing boys at Impington Village College, near Cambridge in eastern England, to wear long trousers during the summer months has a detrimental effect on concentration and their ability to learn.

"In the summer girl students are allowed to wear skirts but boys are not allowed to wear

shorts," the schoolboy said.

"We think that this discriminates against boys. I will march in a skirt with other boys waving banners and making a lot of noise.

"I will be wearing the skirt at school all day in protest at the uniform policy and addressing the assembly with the student council, wearing a skirt."

Chris marched to school through the village alongside half a dozen pupils waving banners.

His mother Liz Whitehead, 50, has praised her son for standing up for "what he believes in".

She said: "I am really proud he is brave enough to wear a skirt to school for what he believes in and back him all the way."

Head-teacher Robert Campbell said the ban on shorts was imposed two years ago follow-

Obama to deliver speech to Muslims AFP WASHINGTON, MAY 11

President Barack Obama will deliver a speech reaching out to the Muslim world, in the aftermath of the killing of Osama bin Laden and amid ongoing unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Obama is preparing a wideranging address to be delivered as early as next week in which he'll make the case that bin Laden's death, paired with popular uprisings sweeping the region, underscores the US view that the Al-Qaeda extremist group is a spent force in the Muslim world.

Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser at the White House, told the newspaper that the speech was likely to be delivered before Obama departs on a five-day trip to Europe on May 23 -- not quite three weeks after bin Laden's demise in a US commando raid in Pakistan.

"It's an interesting coincidence of timing -- that he is killed at the same time that you have a model emerging in the region of change that is completely the opposite of bin Laden's model," Rhodes told the newspaper.

Officials said that the president will make the case that bin Laden represented a failed approach of the past while populist movements brewing in the Middle East and North Africa represent the future.

The president has stressed outreach to Muslims during his tenure in the White House, and plans to describe the Islamic world as at a crossroads, US officials told the Journal.

The speech comes at a time of great tumult throughout the Muslim world, with popular uprisings overthrowing longtime dictators in Tunisia and Egypt, and unrest threatening governments in Libya, Bahrain, Syria, Yemen and Jordan.

US lawmaker introduces bill to cut off aid to Pak PTI WASHINGTON, MAY 11

A key US lawmaker has introduced a legislation in the House of Representatives to stop American aid to Pakistan, saying the killing of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad has made it clear that Islamabad concealed, protected and enabled him for many years.

"We can no longer afford this foolishness," Congressman Dana Rohrabacher said after introducing the 'Defund United States Assistance to Pakistan Act of 2011' in the House of Representative. "The time has come for us to stop subsidizing those who actively oppose us. Pakistan has shown itself not to be America's ally," he said.

The bill says that terrorist outfits based in Pakistan, especially Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has been responsible for terrorist strikes inside India including the Mumbai terrorist attack in November 2008, in which 166 people including six American nationals were killed.

Rohrabacher is a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

The bill outlines several accounts of Pakistan's duplicitous behavior toward the US including recent reports of Pakistani leadership lobbying Afghan President Hamid Karzai to move

away from "imperial" America and to embrace Communist China, said a statement issued by the Congressman.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen said the Pakistani intelligence service has had a long relationship with the Haqqani terror group that is right now "killing Americans" in Afghanistan.

In 1998, Pakistan's military and intelligence services facilitated the transfer of an unexploded American Tomahawk missile recovered by Taliban to China.

The Chinese were then able to reverse engineer the missile and dissect its components allowing them to learn its vulnerabilities and defeat its capabilities.

During last week's raid in Abbottabad, a specially configured stealth US Special Forces helicopter crashed and even though US soldiers attempted to destroy it, the tail was left intact and recovered by the Pakistanis.

Rohrabacher demanded immediate return of the debris for fear of American military secrets being compromised.

"If this is not done immediately, it is probable, given Paki s t a n ' s h i s t o r y, t h a t o u r technology has already found its way into the hands of the Communist Chinese military that is buying, building, and stealing the necessary military technology to challenge the United States," said Rohrabacher.

ing consultation with parents, pupils and teachers and was "typical" of most schools in the area.

"Chris is a very bright and articulate student and we have got a very strong student council," he said.

"I know he wants to go into politics and has got strong principles," said the head-teacher, before joking: "So maybe parliament is not the best place for him."

From Page 1 Arrest no solution to issue

“Arrest is not the answer. Rahul Gandhi went to Batta Parsaul, to empathise with the farmers there and it is unfortunate that such an action has been taken by the state government instead of solving the main problem”, he said.

Moily said Rahul Gandhi was not taking up the farmers’ cause as a political issue. “This is a livelihood, natural and farmers’ issue.

He reached out to the farmers. By arresting him, the state government has acted in a most irresponsible manner”.

Congress General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi said UP has witnessed “the cruellest rule of several imperialistic regimes. UP government’s action in arresting Rahul Gandhi proves that Mayawati is digging her own grave”.

“If any sense of justice is left in the government, a judicial inquiry is the minimum that the state government should order immediately,” he said.

50 ‘most wanted’

Chief of Hizbul Mujahideen Sayeed Salauddin, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front founder Amanullah Khan, Punjab terrorists Lakhbir Singh, Paramjit Singh Panjwar, Ranjit Singh alias Neeta and Wadhawa Singh were also named as most wanted fugitives.

Names of Mumbai terror attack case accused Sajid Majid, Major Sameer Ali, Sayed Abdul Rehman alias Pasha and Abu Hamza were included in the list of fugitives.

Key Dawood gang members Javed Patel, Salim Abdul Gani Gazi, Riyaz Abu Bakar Khatri, Munaf Abdul Majid Halari, Mohammad Tainur, Khan Bashir Ahmed Ainul Haq Khan, Yakub Khan, Mohammad Shafi Memon, Irfan Ahmed Gulzar, Feroz Abdul Rashid Khan, Ishaq Atta Husain alias Ali Moosa, Sagir Sabir Ali Shaikh, Aftab Batki find mention in the list of India’s most wanted fugitives.

Rashid Abdullah alias Abu Rehan, involved in 2008 Bangalore blasts, LeT commander Cheema Azam, Syed Zabiuddin Jabi, who was involved in 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case, Indian Airlines IC 814 hijacking case accused Ibrahim Athar, Azhar Yusuf, Mistri Zahur Ibrahim alias Bhola, Sayeed Shahid Akhtar, Shakir Mohammad alias Ram Gopal Verma, Abdul Rauf are also included in the list.

Sufiyan Mufti, prime accused in the Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya murder case, three accused in the 2003 explosion in Mumbai’s Mulund railway station – Nachan Akmal, Khan Wazhul Kamar and Chaneparambil Mohammed Bashir –, Yaqoob Khan Pathan, involved in recruitment of Indian boys for terrorist activities and Amir Khan, who was involved in transnational crime, also included in the list.

Mopa locals stall survey Xetkari Piditt Samiti to oppose the controversial project in the area.

Local farmers have claimed that the government should not acquire cultivable land for the international airport, especially when the matter of land acquisition is pending in the court.

Incidentally, many villagers have not accepted compensation cheques from the government and are determined to oppose the project, fearing that it could displace thousands of villagers from their lands.

“The government has been ignoring directions of the ICAO and is going ahead with the airport. How can the government go ahead with the land acquisition without environmental clearance and other permissions,” asked Sandeep Kambli, one of the leaders opposing the proposed airport.

“As such, we objected to the visit of the government officers today and we will do so in future as well,” warned Kambli.

Meanwhile Special Land Acquisition Officer for Mopa Airport M K Vasta, confirmed the developments and promised that he himself would be present the next time.

“A mob of 50 people came and threatened the officials, forcing them to return. This is a time bound job and it has to be done. Tomorrow I will go there myself,” he told Herald.

The Mopa Vimantall Xetkari Piditt Samiti has in the past directly hit out at Vasta accusing him of being a ‘goonda’ of the government who was hell bent on cheating poor villagers.

Currently a public interest litigation petition filed by villagers challenging the acquisition is pending before the Bombay High Court at Goa, with the court granting a stay on government taking possession of the land, while allowing it to go ahead with valuation of land and resources therein.

Drugs in Goa since 1984 seized all materials.

Arya informed that then associated with a society called ‘Drug Abuse Prevention Program’ and even expressed his desire to linkup with that NGO once again to clean the drug menace.

“In case of drug abuse, the recovery rate is five per cent but we have been able to help the children recover…We want people to understand ill effects of drugs. We need cooperation from locals in educating others to keep away from such menace,” he added.

The officer however refrained from replying to questions on controversial issues like the police-drug mafia nexus expose. “I have just landed in Goa. I will get back to you once I am briefed on the matter. Nonetheless, we will not tolerate corruption and neither will shy away from taking action against any illegalities,” he said.

Arya took over the charge from Bhim Sain Bassi, who now stands transferred to Delhi Police.

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Economy unlikely to grow at 9%: Pranab

The Reserve Bank has been trying to bring down inflation by increasing repo (lending) and reverse repo (borrowing) rates. It increased these rates again early this month, the ninth time since March 2010, by 50 basis points at its annual credit policy.

Headline inflation (WPI) for March stood at 8.98 per cent, while food inflation was at 8.76 per cent for the week ended April 16.

CII projects GDP growth at 8-8.5%, says inflation a worry PTI MUMBAI, MAY 11

India’s GDP is projected to grow at 8-8.5 per cent in 201112 though inflation remains a concern, a leading industry body said.

“We estimate the GDP growth at 8.0-8.5 per cent in 2011-12. Even with moderation in growth, India will remain one of the fastest growing countries in the world,” Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) President, B Muthuraman, told reporters here today.

In 2011-12, agriculture is projected to grow by 3-4 per cent, as against 5.4 per cent growth estimated in 2010-11, the CII said.

The industrial sector is projected to grow by 7-8 per cent during 2011-12, as compared to 8 per cent estimated in 2010-11. The services sector is projected to accelerate by 9.59.8 per cent during 2011-12, it said.

Earlier, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), in its latest monthly review, projected the GDP to grow at a brisk pace of 8.8 per cent in

PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 11

n Due to volatility in international commodity prices and other supply constraints, it may not be possible to achieve the growth rate of 9 per cent (0.25 per cent) for the current financial year

PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 11

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said it would not be possible to achieve the targeted growth rate of 9 per cent in the current fiscal because of rising global commodity prices.

However, he said, inflation would moderate to 7-7.5 per cent from about nine per cent currently.

“Due to volatility in international commodity prices and other supply constraints, it may not be possible to achieve the growth rate of 9 per cent (0.25 per cent) for the current financial year”, Mukherjee said while addressing the probationers of the Indian Economic Service (IES) here.

Indian economy grew by 8.6 per cent during 2010-11.

Referring to rising prices, the Minister said, “the inflation is likely to be in the range of 7 to 7.5 per cent.”

Hyundai Motors launches new version of ‘Verna’

2011-12.

CII said that high oil prices are a risk to the global economic recovery and sovereign debt problem continues in some European countries and even in the US. “Inflation remains a concern and downside to growth. Inflation has to be contained, monetary policy alone will not contain inflation. We need to improve supply-side measures and look at productivity improvement,” Muthuraman said.

Global commodity and oil prices have led to higher price rise in manufactured goods.

This could prompt a more aggressive stance from the RBI, he said.

CII has suggested that Government put implementation of 100 mega projects on a fasttrack and set a timeline for implementation of the identified projects.

“We advise the Government to improve the investment climate and allocation and pricing of natural resources which would help achieve a 10 per cent growth,” he said.

According to Mukherjee, one of the major challenges faced by India is to “achieve sustained GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth at the rate of 9 to 10 per cent with fiscal prudence and moderate inflation”.

High growth, he said, was also essential to raise resources for funding social sector schemes like MGNREGA, Right to Education and the proposed Right to Food Act.

Models pose for pictures during the launch of Hyundai Motors’ new car ‘Fluidic Verna’ in New Delhi on Wednesday.

SC to pass interim order on Endosulfan on Friday PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 11

The Supreme Court today posed some serious questions to the government for continuing with the manufacturing and production of pesticide Endosulfan and decided to pass an interim order on Friday.

The apex court expressed concern over the alleged harmful affect of the pesticide and health hazards including genetic disorder among the population where it was widely used.

“Stop manufacturing it.

Then there would be no question of using it by aerial spray,” a bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia said when it was informed that the government was not taking action to ban its use despite its harmful affect reflected in the research.

The apex court further wanted to know how many industries apart from Keralabased PSU Hindustan Insecticides were manufacturing Endosulfan.

Senior advocate Krishna Venugopal, appearing for the petitioner, CPI-M’s youth wing Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), informed that

around 70 per cent Endosulfan was manufactured by the private sector.

Meanwhile, senior advocate Soli Sorabjee, appearing for Endosulfan manufacturers, submitted that the court should not pass any such order banning the pesticide, without

hearing the producers.

However, the bench said if interim order was not passed on it then it would be difficult to take a corrective measure after the damage.

“If we proceed and later we find that it is harmful, then we can not put the clock back. Today, if we do not do it and not pass any order, then the damage would be irreparable,” the bench, also comprising justices K S Radhkrishnan and Swatanter Kumar, said.

Solicitor General Gopal Sub-

ramanium said before considering a ban on Endosulfan, government has to look for an alternative as farmers are likely to suffer.

“We must consider paucity of the pesticide. Whatever reports we have till now on Endosulfan are inconclusive”.

He requested the court to wait till the outcome of a committee, which will be formed by experts from Indian Council for Medical Researach and National Institute of Animal Health and some epidemiologist and immunulogist and list the matter in July after the summer vacations.

However, the court said,” all the years, you did not find anything. And you are making investment in these units (producing Endosulfan)”.

Subramanium further submitted that before banning the production of Endosulfan, the government would also have to provide an alternative to the farmer.

“We do not want farming and agricultural community to face any disadvantage. The committee would look into its alternative,” said Subramanium, seeking time till July.

IOB records 35% growth for FY 11 HERALD busInEss DEsK PANJIM, MAY 11

Models posing with ‘Honda CBR 250R’ sports bike during its launch in Kolkata on Wednesday.

India’s 12% remittances come from UAE PTI DUBAI, MAY 11

The UAE’s expatriate employees remitted 11 percent more dirhams in 2010 that they did in 2009, official data has revealed.

According to the Central Bank of UAE’s annual report, employees’ transfers abroad (remittances) increased from USD 9.5 billion (35 billion dirhams) in 2009 to USD 10.5 billion (38.8 billion dirhams) in 2010, an increase of 10.8 percent.

According to a news report quoting UAE Central Bank figures, one reason for the growth in outward remittances during a year that saw continued uncertainty amid job losses and no noteworthy salary hikes for employees in the country could be the slide of the US dollar, to which the dirham

is pegged.

A decline in the dollar against one’s target currency means that one would have to send more dirhams to remit the same amount of home currency.

While the US dollar fell 7.2 per cent against the New Zealand dollar, a massive 14.7 percent against the Japanese yen and 14.1 percent against the Aussie dollar during 2010, it also fell a more modest 4.3 per cent against the Indian rupee and 6 percent against the Philippines peso, arguably the two biggest receivers of UAE remittances, the Emirates 24/7 report said.

India is the largest recipient of remittances in the world, receiving USD 49 billion annually and USD 6.2 billion, or 12

The country’s second largest car maker Hyundai Motors India on Wednesday launched the new version of its sedan ‘Verna’, in both diesel and petrol options at an introductory price between Rs 6.99 lakh and Rs 10.75 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

“We are confident that all new ‘Verna’ will create a new benchmark and raise the bar for the upper mid-size car in India.

“The launch today further reinstate our commitment to provide the best in class, design, quality and technology to our customers,” Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) Managing Director and CEO H W Park told reporters here.

The company will offer the car in 1.4 litre and 1.6 lire engine variants with both petrol and diesel options.

The company had first introduced the Verna brand in India in 2006.

percent of that amount, comes from the UAE, a Standard Chartered Bank report said last month.

The flow of funds from the UAE to India is one of the most important corridors of funds flowing into India.

According to a MasterCard report, the booming global remittances market provides banks with an opportunity to capitalise on their strengths in global payments and harness new banking products and technology.

“By leveraging internet service and distribution capabilities, the low-cost infrastructure afforded by reloadable prepaid cards and mobile technologies, as well as their access to superior foreign exchange rates, banks can gain share,” it added.

The Indian Overseas Bank recorded a growth of 35.20% for FY 11 as its total business grew from Rs 191577 crore as on March 31, 2010 to Rs 259020 crore as on March 31, 2011.

In the same year, the total deposits also grew from Rs 110795 crore to Rs 145229 crore recording a year on year growth of 31.08%. As also, the gross advances increased from Rs 80782 crore as to Rs 113791crore registering a growth of 40.86%.

Similarly, the operating profit registered a growth of 55.08% to Rs 2860.63 crore from Rs 1844.62 crore for the preceding year.

The net profit of the bank rose to Rs 1072.54 crore as against Rs 706.96 crore, posting a growth of 51.71% The total income recorded a growth of 17.01%. The increase was from Rs 11389.03 crore to Rs 13326.56 crore.

The interest income increased to Rs 12101.46 crore from Rs 10245.77 crore - an increase of 18.11%. Interest income from advances registered an increase of 15.52% from Rs 7659.31 crore to Rs 8848.57 crore.

The net interest income increased to Rs 4208.03 crore during 2010-11 from Rs 3167.86 crore during 2009-10, an increase of Rs 1040.17 crore (32.83%).

The non interest income was Rs 1225.10 crore during 201011 as against Rs 1143.25 crore in 2009-10.

The interest expenses increased by 11.52%. The interest expense was Rs 7893.44 crore as against Rs 7077.91crore for the year ended March 31, 2010.

Defence Ministry objects to AP’s oil-gas project in K-G PTI HYDERABAD, MAY 11

Andhra Pradesh’s plan of making a foray into the oil and natural gas sector seems to have hit a roadblock as the Defence Ministry has raised objections about two of the four blocks of Krishna-Godavari basin as they come under ministry’s missile testing range.

As a result, oil and gas major ONGC might have to give up two of its blocks- KG-OSN-2009/1 and KG-OSN-2009/2-in which ONGC holds 80 per cent and 90 per cent stakes respectively, while Andhra Pradesh Gas Infrastructure Corporation (APGIC) holds 10 per cent in each block. The APGIC, along with ONGC and others had won four blocks in the last NELP bidding.

However, fearing objections, the British Gas India (BGIPL), a

member of the consortium, had written a letter to the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) requesting it to procure a green signal from the Defence Ministry, before conducting a seismic survey in block- KG-DWN-2009/1. APGIC has 10 per cent stakes in this block as well.

The KG-DWN-2009/1 block was jointly won by B G Exploration and Production India Ltd (30 per cent as operator), Oil India Limited (15 per cent), ONGC (45 per cent) and APGIC (10 per cent) in the NELP-VIII round.

However, since there was no response from the DGH, the BGIPL tried to approach the Defence Ministry directly, sources said.

“Though the Seismic survey has been conducted in these

two blocks, in the absence of the Defence Ministry approval, the ONGC could not go ahead with the project,” sources said.

A senior ONGC official said, “We might have to pay a hefty fine if we do not stick to the schedule.”

According to a senior ONGC official, the defence officials have asked them to suspend work in the river basin during the aircraft exercises in the vicinity.

Meanwhile, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had also requested the oil ministry to restrict the operations at the K G Basin as it is close to its missile testing range. The oil ministry in turn requested the DRDO to shift the testing range to some other place along the coast.

India will have to depend mainly on coal, hydel power: Ramesh PTI MUMBAI, MAY 11

India will have to depend mainly on coal, hydel and nuclear power for the next twothree decades to fulfill its growing energy demand, Union Environment minister Jairam Ramesh said here today.

“We have to depend largely on coal, hydel and nuclear power for the next two-three decades,” he said.

“We simply cannot afford absolute cuts in emission levels at this juncture of our development and given the huge unmet demand for electricity in particular,” Ramesh said in his address on the occasion of convocation function of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) here.

Ramesh also said that a bill on setting up of an independ-

n We have to depend largely on coal, hydel and nuclear power for the next two-three decades --- Jairam Ramesh

Airport dues: MIAL warns of barring Kingfisher ops PTI MUMBAI, MAY 11

The Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) has threatened preventing Kingfisher Airlines from operating from May 14 if the cash-strapped carrier does not clear the dues towards airport charges or at least opt for a cash-n-carry mode.

“We have written to Kingfisher Airlines about the Rs 105.7-crore dues towards airport charges. Their response is satisfactory. Therefore, we have decided to put them on a cash-n-carry mode from May 14 and if they don’t agree, then they will be banned from operating from our airport,” a senior MIAL official seeking anonymity, told PTI here today.

However, the official did not specify about the terms that Kingfisher has put forth, saying “those are business matters which cannot be shared with the public.”

When reached for comments, a spokesperson for Kingfisher, which is sitting on a debt pile of Rs 6,900 crore even

after the recent debt recast plan, said, “as a matter of policy, we do not comment on or discuss supplier and partner relationships in the public domain”.

Even after six years into operations, the liquor baron Vijay Mallya-led Kingfisher is yet to turn profitable and its cheque to MIAL towards airport charges running up to Rs 105.71 crore bounced recently.

Industry analysts say that the airline will post losses in the fourth quarter too, as oil prices have been on the rise for quite some time. Fuel costs constitute over 40 percent of the operational costs of an airline.

According to reports in a section of the media, MIAL, in a letter dated May 7, has warned withdrawing the credit facility for Kingfisher which has been enjoying since December from May 14 and sought payments latest by May 25.

This would mean that the airline would have to pay for the airport services on a cashn-carry basis.

ent nuclear regulatory authority would be introduced in the Monsoon session of Parliament.

India could actually reduce its emissions intensity even while maintaining a 8 to 9 per cent growth trajectory, he said.

Meanwhile, some of the students, who were scheduled to participate in the convocation ceremony, ‘boycotted’ it as a mark of protest against the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF)’s nod to proposed 9900 MW Jaitapur nuclear plant in coastal Konkan and the POSCO steel project in Orissa.

Besides boycotting the function, some students protested by wearing black bands, carrying placards and posters and sporting anti-nuclear t-shirts and caps.

ICICI Bank, Sampath Bank launch fund transfer service PTI MUMBAI, MAY 11

India’s largest private lender ICICI Bank has tied up with Colombo-based Sampath Bank PLC to launch an online crossborder money transfer facility between the two countries.

Money2SriLanka (M2SL) is a web-based online platform which facilitates the sending of remittances from various geographies to beneficiaries in Sri Lanka in a convenient and economical manner, ICICI Bank said.

“We remain committed to extend expertise in the cross border payments business and the online tracking service for money transfers is the first step towards creating a remittance platform for Sri Lanka,” an ICICI spokesperson said in a statement here.

The remittance received through M2SL is available for account holders of ICICI Bank Sri Lanka and Sampath Bank instantly on the day of receipt of funds and the remittances received on behalf of account holders of other banks in the island nation.

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Oil prices, monsoon Revoking suspension: Pilots union demand Minister’s intervention will have impact on fiscal deficit: Gopalan PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 11

PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 11

International oil prices and the behaviour of monsoon rains will have implications for the Indian government’s finances, Economic Affairs Secretary R Gopalan said here Wednesday.

The Reserve Bank had expressed concern earlier this month that if domestic retail prices of petrol and diesel are not aligned with international market, “the fiscal deficit will widen”.

Widening of the fiscal deficit would counter the steps taken to moderate demand and arrest inflation, the RBI had said in the monetary policy.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a Ficci event here, Gopalan said crude oil prices and the behaviour of the monsoon rains would be the key factors in determining the fiscal deficit.

“The Finance Minister had told very clearly that if the international oil situation re-

mains the same as it is today (about USD 120 a barrel) and if the monsoon is not going to be responsive, obviously numbers will have to undergo a change,” he said.

The fiscal deficit for the current financial year has been pegged at 4.6 percent of the Gross Domestic Product.

However, he said the government would strive to stick to the fiscal deficit target set in the Budget 2011-12.

“We will certainly maintain fiscal deficit as much as we have prescribed,” Gopalan said.

Earlier this month, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had also expressed concern over high crude oil prices, saying any further rise in prices may pull down India’s economic growth to 8 per cent in 2011-12 from a projected 9 percent.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the country is expected to receive normal monsoon rains this year.

Sensex up 72 pts PTI MUMBAI, MAY 11

The BSE Sensex ended 72 points up at 18,585 on buying in realty and auto counters as investors found some solace in the government move to postpone a meet to hike fuel prices and firm global cues.

Hero Honda, Tata Motors, DLF, State Bank of India, Tata Steel and Infosys recorded smart gains.

The 30-share Bombay Stock Exchange index, Sensex, opened higher at 18,572.61 - after closing on a flat note in the last two sessions.

It moved between 18,622.44 and 18,454.93 and ended at 18,584.96, up 72.19 points or 0.39 per cent over yesterday.

The Air India pilots’ union, which spearheaded a 10-day strike, today sought the Civil Aviation Ministry’s intervention in revoking suspension and termination of nine pilots.

The union alleged that the airline management was dragging its feet on revoking the suspension and termination even after five days of withdrawal of strike.

“We regret to inform you that despite explicit agreement in writing that all erstwhile Indian Airlines pilots terminations or suspensions would be revoked with immediate effect as soon as the strike was withdrawn, the management of Air India has yet to revoke the terminations or suspensions of all the nine pilots,” Rishabh Kapur, General Secretary of Indian Commercial Pilot’s Association

Datacraft Asia rebrands itself as Dimension Data

(ICPA), said in a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi.

Demanding removal of Air India CMD Arvind Jadhav, the ICPA said “his continued presence at the helm of affairs is a sure recipe for disaster for Industrial Relations and the very future of our beloved National Carrier.”

“This is the reason ICPA had asked for the ouster of the CMD, Arvind Jadhav,” Kapur said.

Demanding pay parity, removal of Air India CMD and CBI probe into various irregularities in the airlines, the ICPA went on a indefinite strike from April 26 midnight.

The strike lasted for 10 days and was withdrawn following intervention by Civil Aviation Ministry on May 6, in which it was decided that the management would immediately revoke the suspension or

Pro-Posco group wants demands met by May 15

PTI MUMBAI, MAY 11

PTI BHUBANESWAR, MAY 11

Infotech solutions provider, Datacraft Asia, has re-branded itself as Dimension Data with effect from yesterday, and is set to launch its ‘One Cloud’ service along with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) through a revenue sharing venture within three months, a top company official said.

“There will be no equity participation by BSNL. It will be purely a revenue sharing model. We have invested USD 50-million to set up six data centres at BSNL locations at Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Ludhiana. BSNL will provide the land and the fibre optic backbone, while Dimension Data will build these facilities,” Dimension Data’s CEO, Kiran Bhagwanani, told PTI here.

The company will sell this service to its clients using the utility pricing model, where clients will be charged as per their usage,” Bhagwanani said.

On re-branding, Bhagwanani said “the key difference that rebranding brings is our enhanced ability to help our clients accelerate their business goals”.

Client companies will be able to avail of the ‘One Cloud’ service through three-five-year contracts, enabling them to save around 20-30 per cent costs in terms of space, power consumption and information technology infrastructure, he said.

The company plans to provide access to restricted data through virtual desktop infrastructure, to around 300 clients in sectors like financial services, large public sector enterprises, telecom service providers, information technology-enabled services as well as manufacturing companies.

Though the Orissa government is set to resume land acquisition for Posco at villages near Paradip from May 18, people supporting the project refuse to co-operate unless their demands were met by May 15.

United Action Committee said this to Ersama-Balikuda MLA Prashant Muduli to finalise the matter by May 15 or face non-cooperation from the villagers.

“We will not cooperate with land acquisition unless our demands are fulfilled,” UAC president Anadi Charan Rout said today.

The state government, he said, should have consulted people before taking a decision, he said.

“We support the project.

That does not mean people will accept whatever the government and the company decide,” said Rout.

Demanding at least one job in the Posco project for each displaced family, the UAC

Aban Offshor, 612, 622.85, 609.5, 618.8 Abb Ltd., 862, 912.9, 851.7, 891.75 Abg Shipyard, 359.7, 372, 355, 370.25 Acc Limited, 980, 991.5, 977.9, 988.4 Adani Enterp, 629.3, 631.6, 622.2, 627.4 Aditya Birla, 836.1, 836.1, 816.85, 822.15 Allahabad Ba, 202.25, 204, 201.55, 203.65 Alstom Proje, 590, 596.3, 585, 587.65 Ambuja Cemen, 137, 137.25, 135, 136.35 Andhra Bank, 142.1, 143.5, 141.15, 142.3 Ashok Leylan, 48.45, 49.1, 48, 48.7 Asian Paints, 2691, 2725, 2637.1, 2672.1 Axis Bank Li, 1225, 1244.75, 1224, 1228.25 Bajaj Hindus, 70.95, 71.2, 69.55, 70.55 Bank Of Baro, 892.2, 896.8, 880, 885.4 Bank Of Indi, 405.35, 410.8, 397.2, 400.25 Beml Limited, 670, 670, 657.9, 660.95 Bharat Elect, 1800, 1808.95, 1735.65, 1755.7 Bharat Forge, 350, 352, 344, 348.15 Bharat Petro, 649, 662, 640, 658.9 Bharti Airte, 366, 367.9, 363.55, 366.2 Bhel, 2044, 2063.9, 2040, 2058.9 Bhushan Stee, 462.35, 464.8, 448.05, 451.9

termination of services of nine striking pilots.

Kapur said that Air India management was blatantly violating the terms of the agreement, signed by the ICPA and the Government of India.

“We have informed Prashant Sukul, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation about this blatant violation of the terms of the agreement on May 9, and despite his intervention, the management continues to drag its feet,” complained the ICPA general secretary.

Earlier, the ICPA wrote a letter to Air India CMD on the issue asking him to revoke all the termination or suspension orders issued during the strike period with immediate effect.

ICPA also wants all the office orders to be withdrawn, as agreed upon in their meeting on May 7.

n We support the project. That does not mean people will accept whatever the government and the company decide --- UAC president Rout sought revision of the price of homestead land. The state government and Posco had fixed Rs 17 lakh per acre of agricultural land.

“While land losers in Paradip for Essar Steels are getting Rs 19.10 lakh per acre, the state government has decided to give Rs 17 lakh per acre to land losers of the Posco project.

How can the value of agricultural land and homestead land be the same?” he asked.

He demanded increase in the price for both homestead and agricultural land and also increase in compensation for labourers working in betel vines.

Earlier it was decided at the Rehabilitation and Peripheral

Cairn Energy may extend Vedanta sale deadline again PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 11

Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy Plc may have to once again extend the deadline for concluding sale of 40 percent stake in its Indian unit to Vedanta Resources as a ministerial panel vetting the deal is unlikely to meet before next week.

A desperate Cairn Energy Plc Chief Executive Bill Gammell Wednesday met Oil Minister S Jaipal Reddy to press for a decision before the May 20 deadline his firm and Vedanta have set for concluding the USD 9.6 billion deal.

Gammell, who could not get an audience with Reddy Tuesday, “expressed deep concern” on missing the deadline, a source privy to the deliberations at the meeting said.

Reddy on his part expressed helplessness as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is the one who has to convene the meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM). Moreover, the deadline was internal to Cairn and Vedanta and had got nothing to do with government.

Cairn Energy spokesperson David Nisbet could not be reached for comments immediately.

“There is no indication of the GoM meeting being held this week. Finance Minister’s office has inquired of availability between May 17 and 19 and it is very unlikely that the meeting can take place before that,” the source said.

It is not clear if the GoM would take more than one meeting to vet the proposal,

Biocon Limit, 360.3, 366.95, 360.2, 364.1 Bombay Dyein, 349.85, 358.35, 347, 351.55 Bosch Limite, 6697.7, 6860, 6665, 6833.75 Brigade Ente, 90.5, 91, 89.05, 90.1 Cairn India, 343.5, 345.7, 338.35, 340.05 Canara Bank, 584, 586.7, 573.5, 583.6 Central Bank, 128.1, 128.9, 127.4, 127.9 Century Text, 331.65, 334.9, 328.15, 329.75 Cesc Ltd, 284.5, 290, 284.5, 285.95 Chambal Fert, 83.1, 83.1, 79.25, 80.7 Chennai Petr, 214.8, 214.8, 211, 212.4 Cipla Ltd, 304.95, 307.1, 303.6, 304.5 Colgate Palm, 909, 928, 882.3, 923.15 Container Co, 1123, 1144.7, 1112.1, 1128.05 Crompton Gre, 240.9, 247, 239.1, 246.1 Cummins Indi, 700, 706.9, 687.7, 700.2 Dabur India, 101.4, 101.65, 100.4, 100.8 Deccan Chron, 80.65, 80.85, 78.3, 78.65 Dish Tv Indi, 68, 68.6, 67.5, 68.4 Divi’s Labor, 703, 725, 696.2, 717.8 Dlf Limited, 223.2, 227.95, 222.8, 227.2 Dr. reddy’s, 1598.75, 1603.6, 1581.3,

n The GoM, which besides Mukherjee, Reddy and Moily comprises of Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, is split right in the middle on the issue of giving approval to the deal. after which it has to go back to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) -- the final approval authority in this case.

The GoM, which besides Mukherjee, Reddy and Moily comprises of Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, is split right in the middle on the issue of giving approval to the deal.

Law Ministry and Planning Commission have backed Reddy’s first option of giving clearance to Vedanta only if it agrees to ONGC being allowed to recover the Rs 18,000 crore the state-owned firm is liable to pay in royalty on behalf of Cairn India in the all important Rajasthan oilfields.

Finance Ministry is in favour of Reddy’s second option of government giving consent without any pre-condition and taking appropriate decisions to protect ONGC’s interests.

1598.9 Edelweiss Ca, 34.55, 35.35, 34.3, 34.85 Educomp Solu, 444.35, 444.8, 436.2, 440.05 Eih Limited, 84.05, 86.6, 83.5, 84.75 Engineers In, 280.1, 285.5, 280, 283.55 Essar Oil Lt, 131.3, 132.9, 130.55, 131.65 Essar Shippi, 100.1, 105.4, 96.15, 98.15 Exide Indust, 155.8, 160.4, 152.55, 159.6 Federal Bank, 423.1, 435, 419.05, 433.65 Financial Te, 825, 837.95, 822.5, 827.75 Gail (india), 461, 462.8, 454.55, 460.95 Gammon India, 106.9, 107.9, 105.3, 105.8 Glaxosmithkl, 2301, 2343.95, 2281, 2334.2 Glenmark Pha, 284, 284, 262, 270.15 Gmr Infrastr, 37.25, 37.5, 37, 37.35 Godrej Indus, 189, 191.35, 188.3, 188.95 Grasim Indus, 2370, 2379, 2343, 2360.8 Great Offsho, 238, 243, 234.35, 241.45 Gtl Infra.Lt, 35, 35.4, 34.85, 35.25 Gujarat Mine, 138.1, 142.9, 138.1, 141.65 Gujarat N R, 48.9, 49, 48.15, 48.9 Gujarat Stat, 97.45, 98.85, 96.1, 97.4 Gvk Pow. & I, 22.75, 23.25, 22.75, 23.05 Hcl Technolo, 501.6, 507.8, 501.6, 505.35

Hdfc Bank Lt, 2260, 2268.9, 2221, 2261.05 Hdfc Ltd, 665.1, 668.1, 656, 666.1 Hero Honda M, 1714, 1800, 1714, 1776.15 Hindalco in, 203.65, 205.95, 202.8, 204.85 Hindustan Co, 32.85, 33.5, 32.7, 33.3 Hindustan Ma, 60.35, 60.7, 59.8, 60 Hindustan Pe, 384.95, 391.25, 379.3, 387.4 Hindustan Un, 297, 301.9, 294.05, 300.2 Hindustan Zi, 135.95, 136.8, 135, 136 Housing Dev, 146.95, 153.75, 145.65, 150.15 Icici Bank L, 1078, 1081.7, 1061, 1076.7 Idea Cellula, 66.65, 67.05, 65.25, 66.25 Ifci Ltd, 49.5, 50.15, 49.4, 49.75 India Cement, 91.45, 91.5, 90.4, 90.5 India Infoli, 77.35, 77.4, 75.7, 76.6 Indiabulls F, 162.5, 164.45, 161.3, 163.15 Indiabulls R, 118.5, 121, 117, 119.6 Indian Bank, 231.5, 235.5, 230.15, 233.4 Indian Hotel, 79.7, 84.9, 79.25, 83.1 Indian Oil C, 341, 351.4, 338.2, 348.85 Indian Overs, 154.25, 156.3, 153.45, 155.6 Indus Dev Ba, 135.5, 137.15, 134.2,

Development Advisory Committee meeting that labourers working in betel vines would get 20 per cent of the cost of the value of the betel gardens.

“We demand increase of 30 per cent,” Rout said, adding local youths should be employed instead of outsiders.

Rout, who is a close relative of senior BJD MLA Damador Rout who was recently dropped from the Naveen Patnaik cabinet, said: “Though we are unhappy over the development, it has nothing to do with the Posco project.”

Land acquisition was halted on August 6, 2010 following an order by Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).

It subsequently accorded forest land diversion clearance for the project on May 2.

The project requires 4,004 acre of which 2,900 acre has been identified as forest land.

Meanwhile, Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), the CPIbacked fishermen’s body, also said it would oppose the acquisition of land for Posco.

Ericsson plans to hire over 1,500 in India by year-end AGENCIES NEW DELHI, MAY 11

Telecom equipment maker Ericsson today said it plans to hire more than 1,500 people at its global delivery centre in India by the end of this year.

Currently located in Gurgaon, the centre has close to 3,500 people and is Ericsson’s largest delivery centre globally.

“India is a very important market for us and is growing.

Demand continues to be good and if all goes as per plan, we would add more than 1,500 people by the end of December this year,” company’s Senior Vice-President and Head of Global Services Magnus Mandersson said.

Ericsson’s Global Services portfolio includes consulting and system integration, network roll out, customer support, learning and managed services. “The demand environment in India remains robust and we are very focused on the Indian market. The talent pool in India is also good, which helps us service our customers globally through the Indian centre,” Mandersson

added.

Ericsson has three global delivery centres (apart from India) in Romania, China and Mexico and has more than 45,000 people in this unit. Asked about the opportunities in the Indian market, he said, “The deployment of 3G is still on.

While 2G has been deployed already, there are upgrades that have to keep happening, operators are looking at smarter solutions.

Ericsson is the leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators.

It provides 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies, and provides support for networks with over 2 billion subscribers and has the leading position in managed services.

The company’s portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, telecom services, software, broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and the media industry.

The Sony Ericsson and ST-Ericsson joint ventures provide consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.

All high-value M&As will need CCI nod from June 1 PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 11

All high-value merger and acquisitions with combined turnover of Rs 4,500 crore or more will require approval of competition watchdog CCI from June 1, with an object to safeguard interest of consumers and promote industrial growth.

“We have exempted routine merger and acquisition deals from seeking CCI nod. 95 per cent of the deals will be cleared within 30 days and the rest we will do in 180 calendar days,” CCI Chairman Dhanendra Kumar told reporters after notifying the regulations.

The regulation -- Competition Commission of India (CCI) (Procedure in regard to the transaction of business relating to combinations) Regulations, 2011, will take into account only those deals which are trig-

gered after June 1.

“All M&A deals prior to June 1 will be excluded and only those which are triggered post June 1 will require CCI nod,” Kumar said.

The notification will provide legal certainty and clarity to corporate entities regarding mergers and acquisitions, he said, adding, it is “big positive”.

Under the regulations, if the joint asset and turnover of the merging entities exceed Rs 1,500 crore and Rs 4,500 crore respectively, the companies will have to seek approval of the CCI. In case the asset and turnover of the target company exceed Rs 250 crore and Rs 750 crore respectively, the merger would come under the purview of CCI. “The objective of CCI is to safeguard the interest of con-

sumer and ensure freedom of trade,” Kumar said, adding rules and regulations pertaining to corporate M&A would help accelerate growth and promote FDI inflow.

The regulations follow the notification of Section 5 and 6 of the Competition Commission Act, 2002, dealing with mergers and acquisition (M&A) in March by the government.

The regulations said that category of business transactions such as acquisition of stock in trade, assets or investment in ordinary course of business, bonus issue, stock split, would be exempted from seeking CCI clearance.

Also the mergers happening entirely outside India with insignificant local nexus and effect on markets in India would not be required to file notification.

Hike in savings rate would hit NIM by 15 bps: PNB Country’s second largest public sector lender Punjab National Bank (PNB) today said an increase in savings interest rate to 4 per cent would hit its Net Interest Margin (NIM) by 15 basis points.

“Definitely... one third of our total deposits are savings... 0.5 per cent hike in saving interest rate will make an impact of 15 basis points on NIM,” PNB Executive Director Mohan V Tanksale said here, while replying to a query that whether hike in savings rate would hit the bank’s margin.

Tanksale, who was here to attend state level

bankers’ committee meeting, said that PNB has total deposits of Rs 3.12 lakh crore and out of which, Rs 90,000 crore are savings deposits.

Bank’s NIM stood at 3.96 per cent in 201011. NIM represents difference between yield on loans and the interest paid on deposits.

RBI in its annual monetary policy review had raised the interest rate on saving deposits from 3.5 per cent to 4 per cent.

However, he said increase in saving rate will help in maintaining its present level of CASA (Current Account and Saving Account).

He further said following the 50 basis points hike in repo rate by RBI, the cost of borrowings have gone up.

136.85 Indusind Ban, 248, 254, 248, 251.55 Infosys Tech, 2882, 2924, 2879.95, 2906.05 Infra. dev., 135.4, 135.55, 131.6, 133.2 Ispat Indust, 23, 23.4, 22.8, 23.15 Itc Ltd, 185.6, 186.75, 184.4, 186.35 Ivrcl Infras, 76, 76.75, 75.3, 75.65 Jai Corp Lim, 161.5, 164.15, 161, 162.3 Jaiprakash A, 86.65, 87.9, 85.7, 86.9 Jet Airways, 477.5, 481.45, 470.6, 475.45 Jindal Saw L, 190.6, 191.9, 189.3, 190.1 Jindal Steel, 633, 644, 633, 642.3 Jsw Steel Li, 890.15, 920.55, 884, 917.9 Kotak Mahind, 427, 427, 418, 423.7 Lakshmi Mach, 2298, 2299.4, 2250, 2256.45 Lanco Infrat, 34.5, 35, 34.4, 34.5 Larsen & Tou, 1541.1, 1546.65, 1518.5, 1522.65 Lic Housing, 211, 215.5, 210.25, 214.7 Lupin Limite, 427.75, 427.8, 418.35, 420.6 Mahanagar Te, 45.4, 45.8, 44.7, 44.95 Mahindra & M, 697.1, 704.55, 692.3, 698.1 Maruti Suzuk, 1236.4, 1245.8, 1214.15, 1222.85

Reliance Ene, 1045, 1048, 1045, 1047.5 Reliance Ind, 596, 606.7, 594.15, 596.6 Reliance Ind, 954, 958.4, 943.5, 955.45 Reliance Pow, 116.3, 117.25, 115.5, 116.2 Rolta India, 135, 137.3, 135, 136.55 Satyam Compu, 74.7, 78.1, 74.4, 77.15 Sesa Goa Ltd, 298.3, 304.15, 296.2, 303.25 Shipping Cor, 106.65, 108.4, 105.6, 107.35 Siemens Ltd, 855, 864, 851, 858.8 Sintex Indus, 184.8, 185.4, 179.7, 180.8 Sobha Develo, 280, 280.05, 246.4, 269.65 State Bank O, 2637.4, 2688.7, 2612, 2675 Steel Author, 155.3, 157.8, 155.2, 156.45 Sterlite Ind, 174.1, 177.8, 174, 177.15 Sun Pharmace, 425, 434, 423.75, 430.2 Sun Tv Netwo, 410.35, 410.35, 397, 401.95 Suzlon Energ, 50.5, 51.85, 50.25, 51.6 Tata Communi, 222.25, 227, 221.55, 222.4 Tata Consult, 1139, 1151.7, 1126.1, 1140.25 Tata Motors, 1186, 1215, 1181.25, 1211.65 Tata Power C, 1243, 1254.5, 1218.3, 1224.65

PTI CHANDIGARH, MAY 11

Max India Lt, 167.6, 176, 166.35, 174.75 Moser-baer (, 42.7, 44.45, 42.3, 44.2 Mrpl, 74.85, 76, 74, 75.55 Nagarjuna Fe, 30.2, 30.6, 29.85, 30.35 National Alu, 88.5, 89.9, 87.65, 89.35 Neyveli Lign, 102.9, 104.4, 102.3, 103.9 Ntpc Ltd, 180, 180.75, 175.95, 176.75 Oil And Natu, 302, 306.4, 298.2, 300.3 Omaxe Limite, 132, 134, 131.4, 133.25 Oriental Ban, 333.55, 333.55, 325.55, 330.5 Pantaloon Re, 248, 249.85, 243.5, 245.6 Parsvnath De, 42.5, 42.7, 41.65, 41.9 Petronet Lng, 134, 138.55, 134, 137.95 Power Fin Co, 215, 218.9, 213, 217.95 Power Grid C, 102.15, 104.5, 102.15, 104.15 Praj Industr, 75.35, 75.6, 74.45, 75.1 Punj Lloyd L, 63, 63.85, 62.75, 63.4 Punjab Natio, 1092, 1093, 1071, 1079.95 Rajesh Expor, 87.6, 89.4, 86.25, 88.7 Ranbaxy Labs, 460.3, 479.65, 453.85, 477.9 Rashtriya Ch, 82.1, 84.4, 81.6, 82.25 Reliance Cap, 523, 524.5, 518, 521.95 Reliance Com, 91, 92.35, 90.75, 91.6

Tata Steel L, 590, 597.4, 588.5, 594.2 Tata Teleser, 16.75, 17.3, 16.65, 17.05 Tech Mahindr, 675.05, 684.9, 675.05, 678.6 The Ge Shpg., 276.4, 283.9, 272.65, 282.1 The Phoenix, 209, 213.5, 207.25, 208.2 Thermax Ltd, 619, 619, 593.05, 595.1 Titan Indust, 3903, 3954.35, 3881.6, 3943.2 Torrent Powe, 253.15, 254.75, 238.3, 245 Triveni Engg, 40.25, 41, 39.05, 39.4 Tv18 India L, 79.9, 83.05, 78.75, 82.1 Uco Bank, 98, 100.4, 97.5, 99.85 Ultratech Ce, 1050, 1053, 1036.05, 1048.7 Union Bank O, 319.9, 322.4, 312.05, 321.3 Unitech Ltd, 35.7, 36.6, 35.7, 36.4 United Phosp, 159, 161.75, 158.5, 160.85 Videocon Ind, 192.55, 192.8, 190.6, 191.45 Vijaya Bank, 74.7, 75.9, 74.5, 75.55 Voltas Ltd, 168, 172, 166.5, 170 Wipro Ltd, 439.9, 442.9, 435.25, 439.15 Yes Bank Lim, 297.85, 305.5, 295.8, 302.4 Zee Entertai, 132.8, 134, 131.8, 132.4

OHERALDO

Pg 13 GOA, THURSDAY, 12 MAY, 2011

EU mulls new Syria sanctions AFP STRASBOURG, MAY 11

The EU is to look at fresh sanctions this week against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime after already honing in on his inner circle, EU diplomacy chief Catherine Ashton said Wednesday.

Asked by members of the European Parliament to explain why Assad's name was not on a list of 13 Syrian officials hit by European Union sanctions, Ashton said "we started with 13 people who were directly involved" in cracking down on protests.

"We'll look at it again this week," she added.

"I assure you that my intention is to put the maximum po-

litical pressure that we can on Syria."

The 27-state EU on Tuesday issued a range of sanctions including an arms embargo along with a travel ban and assets freeze targeting Assad's brother, four of his cousins and others in his inner circle.

Ashton had warned the Syrian leader that he could be next.

She faced a barrage of hard questions from Euro-MPs in the parliament over why the European Union had spared Assad.

"Who in Europe is against putting Assad on the list? Which are the countries opposed to the EU taking the only decision possible? Tell us!" said Greens leader Daniel Cohn-Bendit.

"There will be a solution in

Syria only once Assad has quit office in Syria, so it's clear that Assad and his entire family must be put on the list not tomorrow, but today," he added.

Ashton said there had been "lots of debate" among the 27 states and that there were "lots of different views" but that she could not give the MEPs a list of countries for or against including Assad on the sanctions.

Former Belgian premier Guy Verhofstadt, of the liberal-democrat group, said "Let's be honest, Syria is an Arab Tiananmen," with Assad "the world's most brutal dictator."

In a statement issued this week as the EU sanctions took effect, Ashton had said the measures aimed to achieve an

Relatives of missing students pray at the Okawa elementary school in the tsunami-devastated city of Ishinomaki, Miyagi prefecture on Wednesday. Many of the students were killed or are still missing in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Ban seeks fast reforms in UNSC PTI GENEVA, MAY 11

UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon today called for accelerated negotiations to achieve a much-needed reform of the UN Security Council.

He asked the member states to "expedite the text-based negotiations" for urgent reform of the Security Council so as to "determine the exact modalities," noting that India is one of the aspirants for the permanent membership.

"As a SG I will coordinate and try to create the atmosphere so that the member states can accelerate their negotiations," he told PTI during a press conference at the end of his visit to Geneva.

"I know that India is one of the aspirants for the permanent members of the UN Security Council," he said, emphasising that members states must expedite the text-based negotiations.

"The third draft text has been submitted and has become the subject of negotiations," said Ban, arguing that "as for the modalities, and exact modalities, this is something that member states should determine through the negotiations".

He said there is growing support among the member states for the urgent reform of the Security Council which should be "reformed and expanded in a more democratic and more representative and more transparent manner".

Ban said "significant changes in the international political scenes during the last six decades" call for an urgent reform of the Security Council without further delay.

Asked to comment on the growing opposition from the people in India to nuclear energy and setting up of new nuclear plants, the UN chief said governments must revisit their nuclear safety standards all over again.

"I have been urging the world leaders for a while that the nuclear safety rests with the individual governments and they should revisit their nuclear (safety) standard," Ban argued, emphasising that strengthening of the nuclear safety standard should be done at the national level and coordinated at the international level.

Referring to the danger of nuclear material and technologies slipping into terrorists' hands, he said "there is very serious problem and the nexus between nuclear safety and security and we have to be vigilant against any possibility that the nuclear materials and nuclear technologies could slip into wrong persons, wrong governments, and terrorist groups".

China wants peek at US copter Pakistan has hinted that allweather friend China wants a peek at the US' secret stealthmodified helicopter abandoned during the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden, according to a media report.

ABC news reported Pakistani

officials are interested in studying the remains of helicopter and they suggested that the Chinese are interested as well.

The apparent Pakistan and Chinese interest was reported even as a key US lawmaker demanded immediate return of the chopper debris .

immediate change of policy, ending the cycle of violence and swiftly introducing "genuine and comprehensive political reform."

"Failing that, the EU will consider extending the restrictive measures in light of the developments, including at the highest level of leadership," she said.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle had warned Syria it would face stronger EU action if the brutality does not end.

"The sanctions decided are a first step," he said. "If Damascus continues its crackdown, we will step up the pressure."

Israel blocks money meant for terrorists AGENCIES GAZA, MAY 11

In a calculated move to starve Hamas terrorists, Israel has blocked the money donated to the Palestinian Authority, including a donation by the European Union of about $100m.

This is because while Hamas and Fatah signed a unity deal, Israel is refusing to give any money to a government that includes Hamas terrorists.

In 2006, Israel similarly refused to hand over money designated to the Palestinian Authority.

SPORTS

Pg14 GOA,Thursday, 12 May 2011

Thanks to:

Dempo qualify U.K./ Raia

l Al Ansar beaten 1-2 l Beto, Ranti score

HERALD SPORTS REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 11

Indian champions Dempo survived anxious moments as they moved into the knock-out round of 16 of AFC Cup 2011 as runners-up of Group A. The Goan giants defeated Lebanon's Al Ansar 2-1 in Pune while Nasaf hammered Al Tilal 7-1 to ensure Dempo's passage to the knockout stages.

Needing a win to keep their round of 16 hopes alive, Dempo raised their game to beat Ansar thanks to first half goals from Beto and Ranti Martins.

Armando Colaco's side was reduced to ten men in the second half when Mahesh Gawli got sent off after getting the second yellow with more than 30 minutes to go and also conceded a late goal but in the end held on for a narrow win, which was enough to take them to the last 16 where they will face Group C winners Duhok SC from Iraq.

Dempo started slowly but became dangerous once Beto and

Martins started combining.

It was Al Ansar, though, who were the first to threaten when Brazilian Edson Luis Nascimento breezed through but was brought down at the expense of a free-kick by experienced defender Gawli.

Al Ansar continued to threaten with Edson and Ali Nassereddine being denied by Dempo goalkeeper Subhashish Roy Chowdhury three times.

Dempo finally calmed the nerves by taking the lead in the 23rd minute. Beto knocked a Peter Carvalho ball between the legs of skipper Nabil Balbaki and then hoodwinked two defenders to place his shot past the outstretched hands of goalkeeper Hassan Moghnieh.

Dempo then made it 2-0 min-

utes before the break. It was Beto again who was at the heart of the action as the Brazilian’s through-ball was picked up by Martins who finished it off clinically for a comfortable lead at the break.

Early in the second session, Beto’s attempt in the 52nd minute rocked the upright but a minute later, Gawli was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Having a player less meant extra pressure on Dempo’s defence but the back four stood their ground despite relentless pressure from the visitors.

Al Ansar only managed to break through in the first minute of added time when Bellah found the mark. But with just three more minutes of added time to be played, Dempo held firm.

Sporting down Lajong HERALD SPORTS REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 11

GFA U-18 First Division: Brasil FA v. Dempo SC (Jrs), Tilak Maidan, Vasco; Goa United SA v. Sporting Clube de Goa, Duler Stadium, Mapusa; Betalbatim SC v. Salgaocar SC (Jrs), Cansaulim ground; Sesa FA (Jrs) v. Churchill B ro s S C , Po r i a t g ro u n d , Calangute. Kick off 4 p.m.

GFA U-18 Second Division: Davorlim SC v. Salcete FC, Rosary ground, 4 p.m.

Siolim Sodiem Super soccer: Candolim SC v. Nagoa SC, St Anthony’s church ground, Siolim, 4.45 p.m.

St Anthony Super Soccer: St Anthony’s Club, Colva v. Cana Benaulim SA, Colva ground, 4 p.m.

6th Frank Pires memorial soccer: Guirim SC v. Ambelim SC, Siridao church ground, 4.30 p.m.

Sucaldem Cup soccer: Durga SC v. Sucaldem ‘A’, Sucaldem ground, Chinchinim, 4.45 p.m.

Ambelim Soccer Cup: Cuncolim Union v. Davorlim SC, Ambelim ground, 4.45 p.m.

Curtorim Panchayat Cup soccer: Betalbatim SC v. S J de Areal SC, Curtorim ground, 4.45 p.m.

V M Salgaocar soccer: Sai Avtaar, Anjuna v. Nerul SC, Saligao Sporting ground, 4.30 p.m.

All-Goa 2-a-side soccer tiebreaker organised by Friends Circle of Mascarenhas, Goa Velha, 7 p.m.

Andrew Julio Fernandes memorial volleyball semis: Stars of Molloca v. DJ Boys, Molloca court, Merces, 8 p.m.

Sporting Clube de Goa proved too good for local giants Shillong Lajong FC when they defeated them 3-1 in a 2nd Division I-League match in Shillong, Wednesday, to throw open the qualifying race to next season’s I-League.

Sporting’s win infuses more drama into the final round of the qualifiers scheduled to be held on May 13.

As things stand now, four teams – Shillong Lajong, Sporting Clube de Goa, Vasco SC and United Sikkim each have a mathematical chance of making it to the I-League.

A draw for Lajong against Mohammedan Sporting and a win for Sporting, Goa against Royal Wahingdoh in the final round

will see them through.

Much to the disappointment of a hostile home-crowd, Adil Khan put Sporting in the lead in the 27th minute when he tapped in a rebound after Lajong goalkeeper had failed to collect Freiman Peixoto’s shot.

Peixoto made it 2-0 in the 48th minute off a direct freekick and Eldon Maquemba made it 3-0 in the 63rd minute.

Lalhlimthara scored a consolation goal for Lajong when he converted from the spot in the 71st minute.

In the other match, Bhaichung Bhutia’s presence as a striker created ripples in the Ar-Hima defence as the local side failed to hold on to a 2-goal lead and eventually settled for a 2-2 draw against United Sikkim Football.

Candolim pip Goa Velha CALANGUTE (HC) --Candolim defeated Goa Velha 2-1 in Saligao United Cup soccer 9-a-side inter-village football at Saligao Seminary ground, Tuesday.

Candolim forged ahead in the 10th minute through Manuel Crasto.

Goa Velha fought back and restored parity in the 25th minute through Joyston Lorenzo off Vishant Pednekar.

Candolim again took the lead in the 45th minute through Joelif Simoes.

Saligao trounce Pax CALANGUTE (HC) --Hosts Saligao Sporting Club trounced Pax of Nagoa 6-0 to qualify for the semi-finals of 20th Salgaocar Trophy inter-village football at Saligao ground, Tuesday.

Saligao went ahead in the 3rd

minute through Allan Gonsalves.

Johnny Menezes doubled the lead in the 10th minute.

Changing over, Saligao scored four more goals through Govind Mahale, Uday Naik, Sarman and Johnny Menezes.

Carmona conquer Verna MARGAO (HC) -- Carmona came from behind to defeat Verna 31 to make it into the quarter-finals of All-Goa Ambelim Soccer inter-village football at Ambelim ground, on Wednesday. Carmona were trailing 0-1 at half time.

Verna went ahead through Eusebio Fernandes. After resumption, Carmona put up an improved display with Alex Rodrigues netting a brace with Shawn D’Costa being the other scorer.

St Anthony sail into finals PANJIM (HSD) -- St Anthony Sports Club, Colva defeated United Club of Nerul 4-3 via the tie-breaker to sail into the finals of 15th Holy Cross inter-village football in memory of Albert J Fernandes at Vodlemoll Kakoda

ground, Wednesday.

In the tie-breaker, Clyde Pacheco, Nelson Gomes, Dulio Andrade and Macber Fernandes were on target for St Anthony while Alexander Cardozo, Philip Dias and Pankaj Fondekar scored for Nerul.

Pg 15

SPORTS

GOA, Thursday, 12 May 2011

Ronaldo’s trick keeps Barca waiting

Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring Real's fourth goal during the Spanish League football match against Getafe at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid.

AGENCIES MADRID, MAY 11

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-

trick to lead Real Madrid to a 4-0 home win over Getafe on Tuesday, denying leaders Barcelona the

chance to win the La Liga title without kicking a ball.

Real cut the lead on their archrivals back to five points with two games left to play, which means Pep Guardiola's Barca side can wrap up their third consecutive league crown with a draw in their game in hand at Levante on Wednesday.

Champions League finalists Barca have 91 points to Real’s 86 and hold the head-to-head advantage over Jose Mourinho's team should they finish level on points next week.

Getafe slipped closer to the relegation places in 17th with 40 points, one ahead of 18thplaced Real Zaragoza, who visit

fellow strugglers Real Sociedad (41) on Wednesday.

Deportivo Coruna's 2-1 comeback win over Athletic Bilbao pulled them out of the bottom three up to 14th with 42 points.

Racing Santander also recovered to win 2-1 at home to Atletico Madrid to go ninth on 46 with Malaga were one point behind them in 10th after a 2-0 win at Sporting Gijon.

Ronaldo closed to within two goals of Real Madrid's club record of 38 for a season, held

by Hugo Sanchez, with his seventh goal in four days having bagged four in Saturday's 6-2 demolition of Sevilla.

The Portugal forward out-

jumped two defenders to head the opener in the 24th minute from Mesut Ozil's superb curling cross with the outside of his left boot.

The German playmaker also laid on Ronaldo's second after a swift counter-attack in the 57th.

Substitute Karim Benzema then guided in Xabi Alonso's long pass before Ronaldo sealed his hat-trick with a penalty in added time, taking his league tally for the season to an unrivalled 36 goals, ahead of Barcelona's Lionel Messi with 31.

"I'm in good form. I am fighting to win the top scorers' award but I am not obsessed with it," Ronaldo told Spanish television.

FIFA seeks evidence in fresh bribery scandal AFP ZURICH, MAY 11

FIFA on Wednesday asked England's Football Association and The Sunday Times to provide evidence of fresh allegations of corruption at world football's governing body, saying they were of "extreme concern".

The move follows widespread

media reports in Britain on Wednesday which brandished officials "sleazeballs" and "rotten to the core".

FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke sent a letter to the FA asking for a report from former England 2018 chairman Lord David Triesman.

In testimony to a parliamentary hearing in London on Tues-

day, Triesman named four FIFA executive committee members who had requested cash and a knighthood in exchange for their votes in the 2018 World Cup ballot.

"In his letter to The FA, the FIFA Secretary General expresses the extreme concern of FIFA and the FIFA President (Sepp Blatter) at the latest al-

legations questioning the integrity of some FIFA Executive Committee members in connection with the bidding procedure for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups," a FIFA statement said.

Valcke asked the FA for a report from Triesman and any documentary evidence "to be in a position to examine the situa-

Harikrishna, Harika make it an Indian double AGENCIES THERAN, MAY 11

Grandmaster P Harikrishna and double GM norm holder D Harika rose to the occasion and made it a grand Indian double for India in the Asian Individual Chess Championships in Masshad (Iran) as they clinched the gold in both the open and women's section respectively.

Harikrishna defeated Zhao Jun of China in the last round to emerge as the champion.

He was little lucky too as overnight sole

leader Yu Yangyi of China suffered a defeat at the hands of Nguyen Ngoc Troung Son of Vietnam. It was a similar story for Harika as she too needed to win her last round game against Chinese Tan Zhongyi with black and everything went according to plan.

It turned out to be a three-way tie at the top in the open section with Harikrishna, Yangyi and Son scoring 6.5 points apiece but the Indian won the gold with the best tiebreak score. Yangyi got the silver while Son had to be satisfied with the bronze.

For the record, Harika finished clear first on 6.5 points and it was a five-way tie for the second spot in which Padmini Rout finished sixth overall.

Apart from the medals here, both Harika and Harikrishna also made it to the next world championship cycle by virtue of securing a seat from here. Besides the three co-winners, Rinat Jumabayev of Kazakhstan made the cut defeating former world champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan in the final round.

Board, SAG agree on 15 marks

BY JOVITO LOPES PANJIM, MAY 11

The Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education agreed to implement the Merit Marks scheme under the Goa Sports Policy as it was implemented in 2009-10, wherein 15 marks will be allotted to those playing at recognised State level championships under the State level associations. The proposal of allotting just 5 marks for these events under the new circular has been finally shelved.

The ultimate change of heart came after the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) and Goa Olympic Association (GOA) officials presented the case exposing the history and background of the Sports Policy at the meeting with the Executive Committee members of the Board at Porvorim, Wednesday, which was also attended by an official of Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs.

“All doubts and apprehensions have been removed. Board

Chairman Merwyn D’Sousa, vice-chairman Farrel Furtado and the other members were provided the insight of awarding the merit marks and the mechanism involved wherein mass participation is the main objective at the school stage, so that excellence will surface later in only those who are serious in pursuing sports as a career,” disclosed SAG Executive Director V M Prabhudesai.

“Sports is an integral part of education. They go hand in hand. There is a need of developing sports culture and that needs to be done from the young age. Firstly, we need to attract children to be involved and then to stay involved in sports. From quantity, we shall have quality. The role of the school is vital in promoting sports with the DSYA having a direct linkage in the matter. But the role of associations and clubs cannot be underestimated, for these are responsible for making of a future champ,”

explained Prabhudesai.

“Sports promotion and its upliftment calls for a multi-disciplinary approach. The dynami c s w e r e e x p l a i n e d . We established the right channels of communication. The issue was understood in its totality.

And all agreed. The Board readily and in a most cooperative manner agreed to withdraw the clause concerning the associations wherein it was proposed to allot five marks at state level events. The Board was quick to appreciate the SAG and GOA stand. Ultimately consensus prevailed, the winner being the sport,” claimed Prabhudesai.

“All is well that ends well. All misunderstandings have been cleared. What was needed was a sincere dialogue. The way was charted out with the guidance of Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Sports Minister Babu Azgaonkar, Education Minister Babush Monserrate, Education Secretary V P Rao, Sports Secretary T M Balakrishnan, Director of Education

Dr Celsa Pinto, DSYA’s assistant director R Tari representing director Dr Susana de Sousa, GOA president Subash Shirodkar and secretary Gurudatta Bhakta who represented the associations. But above all, it was the magnanimous gesture on the part of Board chairman Merwyn, vice-chairperson Farrel, secretary Parab and the EC members that untangled all the unnecessary knots, ultimately leading to a sporting solution,” summed up Prabhudesai.

The SAG agreed that the scheme has to be revisited and that a high-powered committee had already been set up. “It will re-examine the salient features and remedy loopholes or drawbacks. Certainly a review is necessary and the Board will have a great say in the matter, no doubt, after all there is nothing permanent in this world and change is the need of the hour.

All the stakeholders views and recommendations will be taken care of,” the SAG official pointed out.

Brasil FA North Goa U-16 champs HERALD SPORTS REPORTER MAPUSA, MAY 11

Soham Shinde and Sahil Tavora netted a brace each as Brasil Futebol Academia stormed home to a 6-1 win over BAFF in the GFA’s U-16 North play-off finals at Duler Stadium, here, Wednesday. Brasil led 2-0 at the interval.

Brasil dazzled fans with feats of extraordinary skill which ruffled their opponents. BAFF were off the pace and out-muscled throughout.

“I am ofcourse delighted, the boys played well especially in midfield and we are now looking forward to the next round,” stated Brasil coach, Rodrigo Mendes Silva.

“We did not get into our usual rhythm, conceding an early goal cost us dearly. Our wing play today did not work out and we were caught on the break a few times,” remarked BAFF coach, Sunil Nanodkar.

Brasil took the lead after just five minutes, when Sahil Tavora

was in the box to head home a free kick taken by Shubam Shetgaonkar.

Eleven minutes later, Soham Shinde doubled the lead with a fierce drive from the edge of the box.

Nine minutes into the second session, Saddam Bannari fired in, after receiving a corner from Shubam.

Two minutes later, Soham smashed in another explosive shot from outside the box.

In the 56th minute, BAFF

Verna squeeze past Oratory Adarsh thump HERALD SPORTS DESK lemon break.

FC Siolim PANJIM, MAY 11 Verna opened their scoring

Verna Sports Club walked past Don Bosco Oratory, Fatorda, 21 in 6th Frank Pires Memorial Soccer at Siridao church ground, Wednesday. Verna led 1-0 at the

in the 25th minute.

Changing ends, Verna doubled their lead in the 40th minute. Don Bosco netted their consolation goal in the 50th.

Fatima oust Sirlim HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, MAY 11

Fatima Boys, Baida defeated Youth of Sirlim 2-0 to enter the quarter-finals of Sucaldem Cup football tournament organised

by Sucaldem Youth Club at Sucaldem ground, Wednesday. Fatima Boys led 1-0 at half time.

Faitima Boys went into the lead through striker Nickson Rebello.

On the other hand, Sirlim tried their best but failed to get past the rival rearguard.

Fatima Boys doubled the lead when Jaison Fernandes fired home to troop out worthy winners.

HERALD SPORTS REPORTER MAPUSA, MAY 11

Adarsh Yuvak Sangh swept aside FC Siolim 2-0 in Siolim Sodiem Super soccer, at St Anthony’s church ground, Siolim, Wednesday. The score was 1-0 at the lemon break.

After 25 minutes, it was Minguel Fernandes who opened the scoring for Adarsh with a power packed shot from 25 yards out.

Adarsh netted five minutes from the end through Mauvin Britto, who collected a pass from Thomas Colaco.

Wilred Leisure enter finals HERALD SPORTS DESK PANJIM, MAY 11

Wilred Leisure Sports Club, Curtorim got the better of Parish Youth, Nuvem 5-3 via the tie-breaker to storm into the finals of St Anthony Super Soccer at Colva ground, Wednesday. The teams were locked 1-1 at the breather.

The teams attacked from the start but Wilred Leisure dominated the entire proceedings with Peter Pereira and Bruno Fernandes combining well to produce the best of passes.

Nuvem shot into the lead when Wilred Leisure’s

defender Seby Martins mistakenly put the ball into his own nets.

Stung by the setback, Wilred Leisure mounted tremendous pressure and Equalised when Sertorio Monteiro found the nets off a feeble cross. Crossing over, the teams were unable to hit the target.

In the tie-breaker, Bruno Fernandes, Nickson Castana, Peter Pereira and Seby Martins converted for Wilred Leisure while Neves Noronha and Remy Colaco netted for Nuvem.

Nuvem’s Remy Colaco was adjudged man-ofthe-match.

got their act together momentarily as Karan Hoble crossed for in-form striker Somesh Gawas to pull a goal back for BAFF. In the 64th minute, Hari Parab did well to turn inside a crowded box to net his fourth goal in three matches for Brasil.

Tw e l v e m i n u t e s f r o m time, Sahil steered Brasil home to a famous victor y after hitting the ball on the half volley off a Binatone Singh cross.

tion thoroughly and with clearsightedness."

He also asked the Sunday Times newspaper "to submit as soon as possible any other piece of evidence that it may be in possession of and which has not yet been sent to FIFA," especially on "a whistleblower who had worked with the Qatar bid."

City earn first Champions spot AFP LONDON, MAY 11

Manchester City clinched a topfour finish in the English Premier League with a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday and secured at least a place in the

Palermo end Milan’s double hopes AGENCIES MILAN, MAY 11

Serie A champions AC Milan’s double hopes ended in a 2-1 Coppa Italia defeat at Palermo on Tuesday in which midfielder Mark van Bommel was sent off.

Giulio Migliaccio and Cesare Bovo, with a penalty, scored in the second half of the semi-final second leg as the Sicilians completed a 4-3 aggregate win.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic replied in stoppage time for AC Milan who clinched the Serie A title on Saturday.

Bovo was sent off almost immediately after his goal for a high kick on Alexandre Pato as Palermo reached the final for the third time, having lost the previous two.

Akhil enters semis AGENCIES SYDNEY, MAY 11

Indian boxer Akhil Kumar outpunched Nauru's Maakal Dj to enter the semi-finals and assure himself of at least a bronze medal at the Arafura Games in Darwin, Australia on Wednesday.

The former Commonwealth Games gold-medallist won the bout 19-14 to make the lastfour stage in the biennial event where India is participating for the first time.

The 29-year-old would have won by a bigger margin but for a couple of warnings he got in the final round of the bout.

Nadal survives scare, Djokovic cruises AFP ROME, MAY 11

World number one and undisputed clay king Rafael Nadal survived a scare on Wednesday at the clay Rome Masters as he overcame a sloppy start to beat Italian qualifier Paolo Lorenzi 67, 6-4, 6-0.

But there were no such difficulties for man of the moment Novak Djokovic who took his winning streak this year to 33 matches with an embarrassingly one-sided 6-0, 6-3 destruction of Pole Lukasz Kubot.

On Tuesday, Men's world number four Andy Murray sent off Belgian veteran Xavier Malisse 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.

Fifth seed Robin Soderling was also involved in a titanic tussle with Spaniard Fernando Verdasco before reaching the third round with a 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 success.

Maria Sharapova made short work of her second round opponent Ekaterina Makarova 61, 6-1. Stanislas Wawrinka battled all the way to reach the second round overcoming Italian Fabio Fognini 6-7, 6-2, 6-4.

Francesca Schiavone had few problems in seeing off American qualifier Christina McHale 6-3, 6-1. Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm lost 7-5, 6-2 to Czech Lucie Safarova and Chinese Zheng Jie was beaten by Italian wild card Alberta Brianti 6-4, 7-5.

Akhil led 6-3 in the opening round and made it 12-7 in the next three minutes before closing it off at 19-14. The Haryana boxer will face Australian Ibrahim Balla in the semi-finals on Thursday.

Earlier, Vijender Singh won his quarter-final bout in the light heavy weight (81kg) division yesterday to set up a clash with Sam Rapira of New Zealand.

Among the women, Pooja Rani (75kg) and Meena Rani (60kg) are already through to semi-finals to assure themselves of medals.

However, rookie Ajay Kumar (75kg) lost in the quarter-finals to crash out of the event.

Champions League qualifiers next season.

A first-half own goal by Spurs striker Peter Crouch handed City victory, an irony not lost on the jubilant home fans who only a year ago watched him score the winner to give the London side a Champions League playoff spot at their team's expense.

T h e w i n g a v e Ro b e r t o Mancini's expensively assembled outfit their first crack at the Champions League and ended Tottenham's hopes of another season in Europe's elite club competition.

"I'm happy because this was our first target," said Mancini.

"I think we deserve the Cham-

pions League because we were in the top between first and fourth position all season.

City could still finish higher than fourth to go straight into the Champions League group stage. If they end the season in fourth place, which would be their highest ever Premier League finish, they will face an early-season two-legged playoff.

With two games left, Mancini's side have 65 points, two behind third-placed Arsenal and five adrift of Chelsea, who are second. Their neighbours Manchester United (76 points) need just one point to secure a record 19th English league title.

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Hail Gayle PTI JAIPUR, MAY 11

Chris Gayle scripted yet another victory of Royal Challengers Bangalore with an unbeaten 70-run knock as they spanked Rajasthan Royals by nine wickets to jump to the second spot in the Indian Premier League, here today.

Chasing a modest 147, Bangalore coasted to win with three overs to spare and spoiled Shane Warne's last game at home as the Australian will retire from the league after this season.

Tillakaratne Dilshan though made his last outing at the IPLIV memorable as he scored a quick-fire 38 to contribute in his side's easy win while stand-in skipper Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 39. Rajasthan frittered away a good start to settle for a modest 146 for six after being invited to bat with opener Rahul Dravid (37) topscoring for them.

Bangalore now have 15 points from 11 matches while Rajasthan's play-off hopes have dipped as they will Chris Gayle celebrates half-century.

have to win remaining two matches and hope that some other results go in their favour. They remain at fifth spot despite defeat.

Kohli led Bangalore in the absence of injured Daniel Vettori and the 22-year-old Indian became the youngest captain to lead an IPL side. It was Bangalore's sixth win in a row while Rajasthan suffered their third straight defeat.

Gayle was dropped by Warne when he was in 13 but did not give them any chance after that as he smashed 10 boundaries, including four sixes in his 44ball stay at the crease.

When the Bangalore chase started, all the eyes were on Gayle because of his scorching form but it was Dilshan who stole the thunder initially by hitting a flurry of boundaries.

He did not spare any bowler as he hit Shane Watson in the opening over for two fours and extracted boundaries at will when Johan Botha and Pankaj

Singh were operating.

Warne committed a blunder by dropping Gayle off Botha when the Caribbean was on 13, making his own job more tough.

Dilshan on the other end continued to punish the bowlers as he creamed Siddharth Trivedi for two more fours as Bangalore raced to fifty in just five overs.

Gayle, who was playing second fiddle by then, lofted Botha for a six to make his presence felt but Dilshan fell to Warne while attempting a six in the mid-wicket region.

Gayle was not his usual aggressive self but was still scoring at a fast pace, running hard between the wickets along with Kohli and finding a boundary here and there.

But soon the scene changed as the left-hander from the West Indies hit Botha for a six to raise his fifty and then made Warne repent for his dropped catch by launching him for a six over longoff and followed it with a four.

Rajasthan Royals: Shane Watson c AB De Villiers b Arvind 34, Rahul Dravid c and b Arvind 37, Johan Botha c Karthik b Aravind 19, Anjikya Rahane run out 17, Ross Taylor c Kaif b Longeveldt 13, Ashok Menaria c Kaif B Gayle 8, A Raut not out 5, DishantYagnik not out 2. Extras:11.

Total: 146 for six. Fall of wickets: 1-73, 2-73, 3-102, 4-122, 5-124, 6133.Bowling:Zaheer Khan 4-0- 23-0, S Aravind 4-0-34-3, C Langeveldt 4-0-26-1, Chris Gayle 3-0-23-1, Virat Kohli 3-0-17-0, A Kazi 2-0-21-0.

Royal Challengers: C Gayle not out 70, T Dilshan c Taylor b Warne 38, V Kohli not out 39. Extras: 4. Total: 151 for 1. Fall of wickets: 1-68. Bowling: S Watson 2-0-19-0, J Botha 4-0-42-0, Pankaj Singh 2-0-23-0, S Trivedi 2-0-12-0, S Warne 4-0-26-1, R Taylor 1-0-11-0, A Menaria 2-0-16-0. Man-of-the-match: S Aravind.

ICC for DRS in all matches AFP LONDON, MAY 11

The controversial Decision Review System (DRS) should be used in all international matches, the cricket committee of the International Cricket Council recommended on Wednesday.

"The committee, while recognising the need to take account of existing (television) contracts, unanimously recommended the system be used in all Test matches, oneday internationals and Twenty20s," committee chairman Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain, told a news conference here at Lord's following the conclusion of a two-day meeting.

He added teams should be restricted to one unsuccessful challenge per innings in one-day and Twenty20 games, rather than the current two to stop what Dave Richardson, the ICC's general manager for cricket, called the 'tactical' use of reviews.

"What we are trying to eradicate is the bad decision, not the fifty-fifty one," former South Africa wicketkeeper Richardson said.

Richardson insisted: "The level of believ-

ability in ball-tracking systems has improved.

Hopefully, member boards and the India board will take cognisance of that.

"We need consistency. It confuses the players and viewers if one series has DRS and the other not. Let us use it in every series possible."

The committee also recommended two separate balls, one from each end, be used in the course of a one-day international innings, rather than the current system whereby the ball is changed after 34 overs of a maximum 50 overs per side match.

They also suggested one bowling and batting powerplay from overs 16-40, putting both into the middle block of overs where there has been a complaint that one-day games can become staid.

At present the bowling powerplay is invariably taken after 10 overs with the vast majority of batting powerplays coming near or at the end of innings.

And the committee called for a captain to be suspended for one match if his side were twice found guilty of a slow over-rate in the same format during a 12-month pe-

riod rather than in three matches, as is presently the case.

They also said injured batsman should no longer be able to call for a runner in international matches.

But with regard to floodlit Test cricket, the committee said more research into the durability of coloured balls that would be used under lights was required before they could give the go-ahead.

Non-Test nations should be given the chance to qualify for the World Cup, the committee said.

Richardson told they would be recommending a qualification series.

"The committee resolved to pass on the recommendation that it favoured a system of qualification for the World Cup," he said.

"That it was not restricted to the 10 Full Members and that there was an opportunity to qualify."

The cricket committee's recommendations must be approved by the ICC's main board before they come into force. The board's nest meeting is in Hong Kong from June 26-30.

Pak stun India 3-1

PTI IPOH (Malaysia), MAY 11

Defending champion India's hopes of retaining the Azlan Shah Cup hockey title virtually ended today as they suffered an embarrassing 1-3 defeat against arch-rivals Pakistan in a highvoltage match here.

India squandered the lead gained through drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh in the 23rd minute as Pakistan rallied with penalty corner goals from captain Muhammad Imran and Sohail Abbas in successive minutes midway through the second session.

India enjoyed an edge in the first half but lost the plot after change of ends with Asian Games gold-medallist Pakistan turning the tide in their favour by dominating the entire second

session.

Arjun Halappa-led side were unlucky as the referee disallowed a goal early in the match.

They also wasted a few open chances in the first session which could have changed the complexion of the game.

The loss also snapped India's four-match winning streak against Pakistan since last year.

With the loss today, India, outright winners in 2009 and joint champions with South Korea in 2010, slipped to the fourth spot in the round-robin league standings with seven points from five matches. Pakistan moved up to the third place with nine points in five games.

World champions Australia are leading the standings after their 4-2 victory over South

Korea today to secure to 10 points in four matches, while Britain are second on nine points from four outings.

New Zealand bagged a lastminute 3-2 win over hapless hosts Malaysia to give the Kiwis their first victory at the tournament.

The hard-earned win puts New Zealand on four points and coach Shane McLeod said he hoped it would give his side vital impetus for tough two games, against India tomorrow, in the round robin league and old rivals Australia.

Each side play six matches in the seven-team competition.

The top two sides in the standings after the round-robin league will play in the summit clash on May 15.

Viru’s absence blow for us: Shipperd PTI CHENNAI, MAY 11

Admitting that losing captain Virender Sehwag is a big blow for the struggling Delhi Daredevils, coach Greg Shipperd said they face an uphill task as they take on a formidable Chennai Super Kings in an IPL match at Chepauk on Thursday.

While Delhi struggled for a major part of the tournament, whatever little they achieved was due to Sehwag's brilliance, and the big-hitting opener's absence would surely be felt.

"Viru's absence will be a huge loss for us as he is the holder of Orange cap. He fired in each of the matches that we won. He would be missed both as a captain and a key player," said Shipperd in a pre-match media conference on Wednesday.

"It is going to be a very tough assignment for us to beat the Super Kings in their home ground. We know that they have got special skills in all three departments of the game. It would

be tough for us to raise our game and play best cricket against a side, which is in great form at the moment. They will surely pose a big threat to us," he added.

While title contenders Chennai Super Kings would look to consolidate their position and

Today’s fixTure

Chennai Super Kings v.

Delhi Daredevils 8 p.m.

virtually seal a play-offs berth.

The Super Kings peaked at the right time, and the convincing away win in their last match against Rajasthan Royals will only add to the confidence of a team seeking to defend its title.

A second spot in the standings with 14 points from seven wins are indications enough of Chennai's form and their urge to win at any cost.

Apart from the in-form Chennai players, the struggling visitors will also have to cope with the vocal home crowd at the MA Chidambaram stadium.

Making good use of the depth in batting and the solid starts, the Super Kings came out with flying colours on all the seven occasions they had batted first.

Compared to the other teams in fray, the Super Kings toporder was one of the best in the tournament, often providing the team the start it needed, and which went a long way in maintaining a healthy record.

Modi backs spot-fixing claims AGENCIES MUMBAI, MAY 11

A few days after raking up a controversy over the pitch at the Sawai Man Singh stadium in Jaipur, former IPL chairman Lalit Modi hogged the limelight again by backing an investigation by Sports Illustrated into rampant spot-fixing in the subcontinent.

"Some of the incidents described are factual. Quite an accurate story. Well researched I must say," Modi wrote on his Twitter page on Tuesday.

FIH mulling IPL-style league in India PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 11

Inspired by the huge success of IPL, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) is mulling on launching a franchise-based professional league in India in collaboration with Hockey India from 2013.

With the success of last year's World Cup and the Commonwealth Games here, the world body also initiated a "FIH Project Chake De" in India, which will witness the country playing host to five major international hockey events from 2011 to 2014.

India has been given hosting rights of the Champions Trophy (December 3-11), men's and women's Olympic Qualifiers (February 12-26, 2012), men's and women's World Junior World Cups in 2013, men's World League Finals in 2013 and the women's Champions Trophy in 2014.

"We will be holding a World Club Championships in 2013 which will be an annual event," FIH president Leandro Negre told reporters here.

"Together with Hockey India, the FIH will organise a professional league in India and the champions of that league will participate in the World Club Championships," he said.

Ronaldo’s trick keeps Barca waiting Pg 15

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Sharath suffers shock defeat in World TT AGENCIES ROTTERDAM, MAY 11

Olympian Achanta Sharath Kamal suffered a shock defeat to lower-ranked Chen Chien-An of Chinese Taipei in the first round and bowed out of the World Table Tennis Championships, here, Netherlands.

World No 54 Sharath, the country's best bet in the prestigious event, struggled throughout his first round match against the world No 106 before losing 1-4 in the men's singles main draw.

Sharath, after winning the opening game, lost 11-8, 9-11,

8-11, 7-11, 9-11. Sharath had a direct entry into the men's singles.

The other Indians in the fray -- Soumyadeep Roy, Abishek Ravichandran, Anthony Amalraj and Subhajit Saha -- lost in the qualifiers at different stages on Tuesday.

In the men's doubles, the Commonwealth Games doubles gold-winniar duo of Sharath and Subhajit Saha also failed to live up to reputation and were defeated by the North Korean pair of Kim Nam Chol and Ri Chol Guk 4-11, 12-10, 13-15, 7-11, 7-

11 in the first round.

The other Indian pair, Amalraj Anthony and Soumyadeep Roy lost 11-7, 5-11, 8-11, 5-11, 5-11 to the second seeded Chinese pair of Wang Hao and Zhang Jike. In the women's singles

event, Madhurika Patkar, Mouma Das and Poulomi Ghatak failed to get past the first hurdle and lost to higher-seeded opponents.

All three made it to the main draw after winning their respective qualifiers on Tuesday.

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Eves’ Talk

Dying of the Eternal Symbol of Grace and Style

BY CHRISTINA VIEGAS HERALD FEATURES hat is India’s most iconic garment for women? Without batting an eyelid, you would reply, the sari. Yet, this sensual and beautiful garment is gradually dying. The sari has always been linked with a lot of fantasies, both by men and women: young men dream of coping with the sari’s complicated folds in a romantic clinch. Or of getting stranded in a lonely spot in a heavy downpour as he admires his sexy partner, looking sexier in a drenched sari that accentuates her every curve. Or he gives her a drop and just while getting off his car, her sari gets entangled in the strap of his watch and voila – sparks fly. For women, fantasies revolve more around that passionate wedding night where the young man painstakingly and delicately removes his partner’s every piece of jewellery, caressing and stoking her every passion as she sits demurely draped in a red and gold sari.

But somehow, a personal favourite for me is when a mother gently places her ‘palu’ lightly over her infant as she lovingly and tenderly breastfeeds the young one or when a mother snugly fits her little one onto to her back within her sari as she works on the hill slopes and fields, or maybe even when she makes a sari hammock and rocks her little one to sleep as she croons from her heart. This mother-baby bonding is truly perfect. There have also been great fun moments.

Can we ever forget the first few times we draped a sari around our girly bodies and giggled like idiotics as we tried hard not to step onto our sari folds with our stilettos which would have resulted in great embarrassment? I mean, there is a connect between your

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Women taking on the Tech World

emotions and the sari you wear.

It is really unfortunate that we do not see the sari aroundmuch in present times. Even more unfortunate that women think they are not empowered when wearing a sari and many even feel that people look down on them. Yet, there was a time when women in India wore the beautiful handloom saris – the simple cotton saris, day in and day out whether cooking, cleaning or boarding a bus to work. But today, chat around and you will get people laughing at you. “Who can wear a sari to work today?” is what they ask, continuing with, “If I do wear one, it is only for special occasions.”

But the ones most people wear today are the designer saris in sheer fabrics made on power looms, not the traditional hand-woven silks like the ones in their mothers' cabinets. So if they do wear one, they do so with the skimpiest of ‘cholis’ and a lot of skin show. It is really unfortunate that majority of women feel it is fashionable and gutsy to show a lot of skin as only then they look sexy and can get heads to turn. Somehow, somewhere we have failed to understand that it takes greater guts to drape yourself appropriately and still look sexy and sensuous, where heads will turn inevitably.

Traditional weavers lament that the industry is facing lots of difficulties. They enlighten, “This is primarily because the sale of fake Banarasi saris made in power looms has been picking up and also because of the sale of cheap imports from China. The government is not stopping this, and our trade is suffering.”

Even in South India, where saris are much more popular than in the north, weavers are having trouble finding a market. Kanjeevaram saris, made in the town of Kanjeevaram, near Chennai, are made by cooperative weaver societies. According to recent statistics, in 2004, there were 22 weaver societies in Kanjeevaram, but only 13 are left today.

As for Goa, once popular with the women working in paddy fields, the sari was originally worn by Kunbi and Gawda tribal women who were basically paddy field workers. The vanishing Goan fabric is raring to make a comeback in style. We have the inimitable Wendell Rodricks to thank. His initiative in reviving the Kunbi sari fabric should be lauded. The fabrics and designs created waves at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week some months back, and it is being used as a tool to empower rural women.

We also have to thank the elderly Goan Hindu women who continue to keep the sari tradition alive.

Today, it is a fact that we prefer our jeans over a sari for comfort and because we do a lot of chores considered manly in days gone by, but it would do good to understand that there is nothing demeaning in wearing this lucid and elegant garment and we need to embrace it and revive the garment at least in the modern context.

Are Goan Women Eating Right?

BY NOMRATHA FERNANDES HERALD FEATURES echnology is usurping every other human skill.

If one is not acquainted to it, one lags behind. In a time and age when the sky is the limit and opportunity is abound for the most part, young girls and boys are making the most of it, using the fulcrum of technology. While men dominated the tech scene in its initial years, women formed a noticeable part of it at a later stage. The fact that their number was smaller in comparison allowed most to wrongly conclude that women are not as techsavvy as men. There is a difference in ratio, true, but more and more women are becoming tech-savvy. Sources at Arena Animations, a web designing training studio in Panjim, state that the number of girls joining their classes is the same as the number of boys. “These girls all show keen interest and innovation when it comes to the task at hand,” said the source, only proving the earlier statements.

On the same lines, one sees the rise in the number of girls into photography. The CMYK Photography Academy in Mapusa has a number of young girls signing up, girls who know the ins and outs of their cameras, lens, zoom and maintenance.

Speaking of maintenance, plenty of mobile and computer showrooms and maintenance shops have women at the desks.

These women not only give one detailed presentations of the items on display but also solve problems related to technology.

Bite Me, a gaming café in Mapusa occasionally sees a girl or two, assisting the majority male players. This shows an initiation of interest of girls into gaming. A regular at the café, Allister says, “A bunch of guys was challenged by a 13-yearold girl. They took it up assuming it would be easy. They were slaughtered,” he chuckles. While more girls are looking to technology for entertainment and hobbies, more women are taking jobs that throw them into a sea of technology, which they manage to surf extremely well.

From remote fights to console fights, girls, as much as boys, love technology.

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BY DOLCY D’CRUZ HERALD FEATURES hen it comes to food, women always place their family before themselves, often underestimating their dietary requirements and hence compromising on nutrition. Goan cuisine has a very high content of vitamins, proteins and calcium which should features daily in a woman’s diet. Sheryl Afonso e D’Souza, a dietician and Centre Manager at VLCC, speaks about the health benefits each simple day-to-day ingredient can have on a woman’s diet “Goan vegetables like tambdi bhaji, padval, gosale are very rich in vitamins, iron and magnesium. Khatkhatte, which the Hindu community usually eats as curry, is a pulse-vegetable preparation that is very healthy as it contains proteins, iron and calcium. Tizann is very healthy as it is prepared with ragi or nashne which is rich in iron, and milk which has proteins and calcium. Ragi can also be eaten in the form of bhakri.

Fish, which is a staple ingredient, has proteins and calcium too.”

She further adds, “Kokum has health benefits and that was the reason why it was used excessively in Goan curries. Now, it can be consumed as a drink or eaten as a fruit. It has been scientifically proven that kokum helps decrease cholesterol levels and helps in digestion. Red rice or ukdde tandul, which has more fibre and B Complex vitamins, can be eaten regularly as kanji. In the summers, tender coconut pulp and juice is cooling and has potassium content.”

To add more fruits to the list, Sheryl says, “Papayas have vitamin A and fibre while bananas have resistant starch which makes you feel full and also helps in putting on weight. Watermelon is very refreshing while mangoes are low in calories and high in dietary fibre and contain beta carotene. A mango everyday is more than enough.

Cucumbers have water soluble vitamins and can substitute a salad when eaten with salt. They have water content and are cooling. Cucumbers are also good for diabetics and patients with heart problems and even for obesity.”

Better options for breakfast and evening snacks will be fermented snacks like koiloyos and poyes which are very filling and healthy, but when it comes to breads, try going in for whole wheat bran bread or chapattis instead of white slice bread.

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Service to Humanity Photo by Siddesh Mayenkar

BY JANICE RODRIGUES HERALD FEATURES caring touch may not cure completely but it will surely ease the pain and suffering, and in a clinical scenario, it is the healing touch of a nurse that facilitates a speedy recovery. When we think about this selfless service, the image of Florence Nightingale comes to mind and it is on her birth anniversary, May 12, that the world observes International Nurses Day. It was Nightingale who revolutionised the concept of being a nurse through her selfless acts of service and, with the aim of finding Nightingale’s selflessness within them, the nurses of today too have dedicated their life to the service of humanity.

Being in the shadow of the doctors, nurses often go unnoticed for their con-

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tributions and there are very few patients who will turn back and thank a nurse. In fact, just pay a visit to any ward in a hospital and you are bound to notice that the nurses are the ones who spend the most amount of time with the patient. Nursing their wounds, changing the dressing, checking on the glucose, administering the injections, even feeding them, nurses do it all without a fuss, often without a break as they move about

from one bed to another.

But caring for the ill can be physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting, often taking a toll on their health. And exposure to many sicknesses often puts them in a vulnerable situation, but as nurse, Sr Bernadette D’Souza (names changed for confidentiality) says, “We have been blessed with immunity from God.” Another nurse, Sr Lida Gomes, says, “We have to be careful about our health because if you are not healthy, how can you take care of someone else?”

There have been cases of the nurses contracting Chikungunya when the epidemic broke out a couple of years back, but Sr Fatima Fernandes insists that there have been no other cases where the illness has been transferred from the patients.

“Even if we do get any illness or a cut from a used scalpel or prick from an injection needle, we are immediately sent for treatment to avoid any chance of contracting any disease,” says Fernandes.

The nurses insist that if a nurse falls sick it is often because of the overload of work schedules, which can be seen in many large wards, in many hospitals where it is not uncommon for two nurses to be seen handling 30 patients. When asked about such situations, Sr D’Souza replies, “Oh yes, we do have many days when we are overworked and have to handle much more than we can manage. We try to give it our best but then even we are human and we too get tired, and that takes a toll on our health.”

With the number of nursing institutes in the state and the number of nurses completing the courses, it might come as a surprise to find that the profession is frequently understaffed. Probing further into the issues some nurses open up about the reasons for this. They inform that this is mainly because of the rush for overseas jobs as well as the specifications of Child Care Leave which entitles a nurse a period of 3 years spread out till the child is 18.

“I feel that the system should change especially when some nurses go on leave for 6 months and the others get overworked,” says Sr Fernandes. On other occasions, the nursing profession also has some people who tend to resort to absenteeism, this often angers the other nurses who have to make up for their absence. “Being a nurse is a calling and we have to work towards the service of humanity, keeping in mind the patients as well as the other nurses,” concludes Sr Fernandes.

Moon

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Thursday, 12 May 2011

WHAT’S UP IN GOA??

‘Right to Information (RTI)’, will be the topic of the workshop organised by Asha Family Responsibilities and Rights Association in collaboration with Lions Club of Aldona, to beheld on May 15 from 4.30pm onwards at Aldona Parish Centre Hall, Aldona. E-mail trustasha@yahoo.co.in.

Call 9822166876.

The Summer Shopathon will be held on May 12 from 10am to 8pm at The Mapusa Residency Hotel, Mapusa. Call 9822160275.

‘Pogo Mad’ and ‘Smart Potato’, live summer workshop for kids will be held from May 9 to 29 at Kids.Com Playgroup and Counselling, Vagator-Anjuna. Call 9923393844 or 9158528453.

Film-Making workshop with Oscar nominated director Ashwin Kumar, organised by Art Chamber will be held in July at the Art Chamber, Calangute. Registration is open. E-mail artchamber @gmail.com. Call 9823217435.

‘People’s Preparedness and Participation in Disaster Management in Goa’ is the topic of this fortnightly Friday Balcao session, to be held on May 13 from 4pm to 6pm at the Goa Desc Resource Centre, No11 Liberty Apartments Feira Alta, Mapusa.

E-mail goadesc@gmail.com.

‘Art is all around us’, an art and craft workshop will be held from May 23 to May 28 May at Chinchinim.

Registration closes on May 19. Call 9766374445 or 9860082466.

Collector’s Day will be celebrated by the Museum Of Christian Art on May 15 at the Museum. It will allow collector’s to showcase their collections. Registration closes on May 10. E-mail museumofchristianart @gmail.com. Call 2285299.

Sons of Babur, the first play written by Union Cabinet Minister Salman Khurshid and directed by Tom Alter will be staged on May 12 at the Kala Academy, Cam-

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HOROSCOPE pal-Panjim. Call 2420452.

Free public sessions on rhythmic breathing, organised by the Rhythmic Breathing Club, Goa will be held in the month of May. Registration is open. E-mail veebee200303@yahoo.co.in. Call 9422443421.

Dance classes, organised by Dr Martin and Dance Illusions will be conducting dance classes in Margao, Vasco and Panjim on May 12, 13 and 14, respectively. Call 9823014397.

Free Summer Special animation classes, organised by Arena Animations will be held during the course of May at MGM Animations Academy, Panjim. It will cover creative art and sketching and computer fundamentals. Registration is open.

E m a i l mgmanimations@gmail.com.

Call 2225153, 9823013484, 9823611824, 9423885224 or 7709425857.

Yoga sessions, organised by the International Centre Goa, Dona Paula will be held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday beginning from May 3.

There will be two batches. Batch I will take place from 6am to 7am and batch II from 6pm to 7pm. E-mail prog@incentgoa.com. Call 9766015762 or 2451363, 9765404391 or 245280510.

The image of the 7th century saint, Saint Dymphna, patroness of mental health, epilepsy, sleepwalking, incest victims, etc will be kept open to the public on the feast day which is May 15 from 8.30am to 11.30pm at the house of Lida Joao, Bainfol, Assolna.

Call 2773333.

‘Suvadik Konkani Git’ a Konkani musical programme produced and directed

by Tomazinho Cardozo will be staged on May 13. It will begin at 7pm.

Know Thy King, a 12-hour journey through some of Goa’s best King Cobra habitats, organised by Herpactive will be held on May 22. E-mail ophidian_nirmal@yahoo.co. Call 9822586918.

Quality is more important than quantity right now, so pre21 Mar - 19 Apr pare people for a wait. Frustration starts to set in today, as you find that people you thought you could count on leave you holding the bag. As long as you can cope with the details, you should be okay to keep up with the flow.

Taurus U s e c r i t i c a l thinking -- be suspicious of things that seem 20 Apr - 20 May too good to be true. Your affectionate nature is out in force today, which should make life a lot more interesting for you.

See if you can get your friends to see how special they really are -- it's not that hard!

An interested Gemini (and attractive) person wants to get to know you better, so let 21 May - 20 Jun them. Today is all about taking care of the little stuff, like bills and invoices. Once you've moved past the basics, you should find that your mind is much clearer and better able to take on the big stuff.

To d a y y o u ' l l have time to explore whatever has been piquing your curiosity.

22 Jun - 23 Jul Though you may trust your intuition more, on a day like today, you need to fall back on the left side of your brain. Analysis gets you much further than hunches, so break things down and see where they lead.

Your tools are more flexible than you realize, so experiment and see what 24 Jul - 23 Aug happens. You are feeling quite thoughtful today, so much so that you might end up missing an appointment or forgetting a birthday because you're so caught up in your own musings. Make it up later.

The status quo is not for you - your natural urge will be to 23 Aug - 22 Sep go against the grain. Now is the perfect time to take care of all the little business that has been holding you back lately. Your good energy is just right for cleaning house in every possible way, so make your space look brighter.

You need to get active, get involved and do something! Put 23 Sept - 22 Oct t o g e t h e r a group event.

Your social energy, which is usually quite strong, feels like it's getting ready to peak. Now is a great time for you to step out and see who is ready to mix it up with you, romantically or otherwise.

Scorpio Once all your time issues are settled, your vision will be23 Oct - 22 Nov c o m e m u c h more vivid. You need to get someone the info they need -- and you can be quite persuasive with your sources! It's easier (and more fun) than usual to dig up dirt on almost anyone, so have a blast!

Sagittarius You will have to

Capricorn R i g h t n o w your mind is hungry to process unfa22 Dec - 20 Jan miliar ideas, so just let it. You ought to reconnect with an old friend or estranged family member -- that kind of communication is quite auspicious right now. Old conflicts seem silly, and it's easy to rekindle old flames.

Aquarius A storm may blow over your group. Run for cover if you 21 Jan - 19 Feb must, but have faith too. Someone isn't being totally clear about their agenda -- but that might not be such a bad thing.

See if you can get them to reveal themselves using your crafty ways, but you may need to wait them out.

What you have wanted is finally coming -- you just have 20 Feb - 20 Mar to make sure to wait for it.

That left hemisphere is working overtime, which is great for any work projects that require careful analysis or rigorous logic. It's a good time to push for smarter business and domestic planning.

Aries

Libra

play the grown up role today and keep things 23 Nov - 20 Dec more serious.

Your last nerve is almost gone as soon as you wake up this morning, so it may be a good day to isolate yourself to avoid exploding over the littlest things. Someone close does need attention, though.

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Pisces

DID YOU KNOW? The man behind Lipton tea

effloresce Pronunciation EF-luh-res Function Verb Meaning 1: to burst into bloom; blossom 2: Chemistry to change either throughout or on the surface to a mealy substance upon exposure to air or as a crystalline substance through loss of water Example Sentence Angie was worried that due to absence of adequate water and sunlight, her favourite flowering plant would fail to effloresce this winter.

LAFFS

Lipton was created at the end of the 19th century by a grocer, Sir Thomas Lipton (May 10, 1848 – October 2, 1931), in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1893, he established the Thomas J Lipton Company, a tea packing company with its headquarters and factory in Hoboken, New Jersey. Lipton teas were an immediate success in the US. Thomas Lipton was knighted by Queen Victoria, who made him Sir Thomas Lipton in 1898 at the age of forty-eight. But not many know that this Scottish-born English merchant who built the Lipton tea empire put almost as much into his pursuit of yachting championships as he did into his tea plantations. He failed in five attempts to win the America’s Cup yachting trophy, but was so well-liked by the American public that, after his final loss, he was awarded a special trophy for the ‘best of all losers’. A self-made man, Lipton didn’t have the social status required of the gentleman’s class in the UK and was only included in England’s Royal Yacht Squadron shortly before his death.

WIZARD OF ID

Funny Quote

“I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.”

– Lily Tomlin DAILY GROOK QUICK COMIC

by Francis Rodrigues he can succeed first try in a comedy stand-up act, yes, that's my pizza guy whose delivery's perfect!

GARFIELD

MIND BENDERS

SUN MOON TIDES

Tongue Twister Thursday 33° C | 25° C Dawn 05:45

Partly Cloudy

Sunrise 06:07

Sunset Dark 18:56 19:19

Moon rise 13:56 High 05:50

Low 11:23

Hot heat hit hatted hairy Henry’s head

18:00 Daava 21:00 Vijaypath

09:45 11:45 14:00 16:45 16:30 21:00 22:45

Serious Moonlight Bride Wars Night at the Museum 2 The Rocker Blue Streak Shooter You Don't Mess with the Zohan

Problem Child 2 The Taking of Pelham Spanglish Paws Cape Fear Anacondas Trail of Blood House of Wax

09:00 12:00 12:30 16:00 20:00

Daud Skystar Tum Se Achcha Kaun Hai Pataal Bhairavi Chachi 420

12:15 14:25 16:00 18:25

The Messenger El Mariachi A Few Good Men Urban Legends

Tere Mere Sapne Hamari Devrani Sapno Se Bhare Naina Chaand Chupa Badal Mein Navya Maayke Se Bandhi Dor Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai Sasural Genda Phool Saath Nibhana Saathiya Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya Navya Saath Nibhana Saathiya Sasural Genda Phool Maayke Se Bandhi Dor Gulaal Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai

12:00 Adaalat

Last ‘Riddle Me This’ Answer: A coat of paint

20:25 NBA 2010/11 21:00 Redline 23:15 Charlie's Angels

10:00 14:00 15:00 19:00 20:00 23:30

08:00 12:00 16:00 20:00

11:45 Bal Hanuman 2 13:50 Mere Baap Pehle Aap

13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:15 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:45 20:30 21:00 21:30

What has to be broken before it can be used?

High —

D Tide timings are for Mormugao Harbour. For Panjim/Calangute add 20 mins. For Colva add 30 mins

11:05 12:55 14:50 17:00 19:05 21:00 23:30

Riddle Me This

Moon set 01:39

TIDES High Low 18:05 —

13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 17:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 22:30

11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 17:30

Chhajje Chhajje Ka Pyaar Krishnaben Khakhrawala Saas Bina Sasural C.I.D C.I.D Classics Krishnaben Khakhrawala Chhajje Chhajje Ka Pyaar Surya: The Super Cop Saas Bina Sasural Kismat

Pavitra Rishta Chhoti Si Zindagi Yahan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli Choti Bahu Pavitra Rishta Sanskaar Laxmi Chhoti Si Zindagi Preet Se Bandhi Yeh Dori...

Sanjog Se Bani Sangini Shabaash India Yahan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli Pavitra Rishta

SUDOKU 856

Beta IPL 4 H/ls Dushmani IPL 4 Extraaa Innings Indian Premier League 4 IPL 4 Extraaa Innings

Baat Ban Jaye Jaadugar Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman Journey Bombay to Goa

16:00 16:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30

Ring Wrong Ring Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Mrs. Tendulkar Gutar Gu Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo Gili Gili Gappa Papad Pol Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo Mrs. Tendulkar Lapataganj FIR

12:00 12:30 13:00 13:22 13:44 14:06 14:28 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00

Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani Dhoond Legi Manzil Humein Yeh Ishq Haaye!!

Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani Dhoond Legi Manzil Humein Geet Rang Badalti Odhni Dhoond Legi Manzil Humein Rang Badalti Odhni Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani Yeh Ishq Haaye!!

Dhoond Legi Manzil Humein

IDIOT BOX 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30

Bhagonwali Apno ke liye Geeta ka Chhoti Si Zindagi Choti Bahu Yahan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli Pavitra Rishta Preet Se Bandhi Yeh Dori...

Sanjog Se Bani Sangini Sanskaar Laxmi

11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30

Mrs. Tendulkar Lapataganj Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Mrs. Tendulkar Papad Pol Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo Lapataganj FIR

17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30

Geet Yeh Ishq Haaye!!

Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani Rang Badalti Odhni Geet Yeh Ishq Haaye!!

Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani Dhoond Legi Manzil Humein Geet Rang Badalti Odhni Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani

11:25 Most Daring 12:20 Guinness World Records New Zealand 13:15 Supernatural 14:10 Criss Angel Mindfreak 15:05 Fear Factor 16:00 Sports Crash 16:55 Caught on Camera 17:50 Criss Angel Mindfreak 18:50 Fear Factor 19:55 Most Daring

21:00 Caught on Camera 21:55 Guinness World Records New Zealand 22:50 Supernatural

11:30 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:30

12:00 16:00 18:00 18:30 19:30 20:00 23:00

The Simpsons Dexter The Bold and The Beautiful Friends Las Vegas The Good Guys Community Family Guy Dexter Las Vegas Community Family Guy Two And A Half Men The Simpsons Las Vegas Dexter Community Family Guy

Chhota Bheem Marathon Pokemon M.A.D Chhota Bheem Lohe Ka Wars Gadbad Gadbad Thomas & Friends

10:30 Internazionali Bnl D'italia 15:00 Barclays Premier League 2010/11 17:00 Fleet Racing Tour 2011 18:00 TNA Sikander 19:00 Internazionali Bnl D'italia 20:30 Mobil 1 The Grid 21:00 Score Tonight 21:30 TNA Sikander 22:30 British Touring Car Championship 2011 H/ls : Round 2 23:30 FEI Equestrian World

09:30 Barclays Premier League 11:30 World 10-Ball Ch’ship 2011

16:30 Uca/uda College Cheerleading Ch’ships 17:00 Goals!

17:30 Football Crazy 18:00 Winter X Games 14 Classix 19:00 Football Crazy 19:30 Premier League World 20:00 Sportscenter India 20:30 Sportscenter Asia 21:00 Bpl Express 22:00 Sportscenter India 22:30 Sportscenter Asia 23:00 Goals!

23:30 Global Football 10:00 NBA 2010/11 : Conference Semi Final: Game 5 12:00 La Liga 2010/11 H/ls 13:00 UEFA Europa League H/ls 13:30 WWE: Raw 15:30 ATP 1000 Masters 2011 21:30 WWE: Raw 23:30 ATP 1000 Masters 2011

08:00 English News 08.30 Jazz Gospel Concert 09:00 English News 09.30 Quermesse 10:00 Angos Musical Show 10.30 Wiz Biz Quiz 11:00 English News 11:30 Mapusa Dance Competition 12:00 Sunset Symphony 12:30 English News 13:00 Lorna Rocks 13.30 English News 14.00 Clown Fiesta 14:30 English News 15:00 Angos Musical Show 15.30 Art of Living 16.00 English News 16.30 Indradhanush 17.00 Wiz Biz Quiz 17.30 Kids Club 18.00 English News 18.30 Jazz Gospel Concert 19.00 English News 19.30 Lorna Rocks 20.00 English News 20.30 Quermesse 21.00 English News 21.30 Indradhanush 22.00 English News 22.30 Wiz Biz Quiz 23.00 English News Note: Subject to change

Instructions for Sudoku 9 x 9 letter: To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in each of the nine vertical columns, in each of the nine horizontal rows and in each of the nine boxes

SUDOKU SOL 855

HERALD CROSSWORD - 856 Across 1- Lacking interest; 6- Came to; 10- Melt; 14- Brightly colored lizard; 15- Elevator man; 16Network of nerves; 17- Turkish palace; 18- Baptism, e.g.; 19Dog star; 20- Beverage commonly drunk in England; 21Yielding milk; 23- Agave fiber; 24- Norse god of winds; 26More adorable; 27- Whatever person; 29- Icons; 31- Actress Moore; 32- Total; 33- Appropriate; 36- Empiricism; 40- Advanced degree?; 41- Godly love; 42- Commedia dell'___; 43Foremost part; 44- Place of confinement; 46- Navy, e.g.; 48Mock; 49- More cunning; 50Confiscate; 52- Actress Charlotte; 55- Rind; 56- ___ boy!; 57Frothy; 59- Anger; 60- Endure; 61- Free laces, say; 62- Belgian river; 63- Organization to promote theater; 64- City in West Yorkshire; Down 1- Immense; 2- Pulitzer winner James; 3Bridesmaid; 4- ___ little teapot...; 5- Ancient Greek divinity; 6- Earth; 7- Auricular; 8- Acquaintances; 9- Compass pt.; 10- Characteristics; 11- "Siddhartha" author; 12- Essential oil; 13- Well-being; 22- Anger; 23- Roman general; 25- ___ de vivre; 26- Young male horse; 27Mideast gulf; 28- Immediately following; 29- All thumbs; 30- Hamlet, e.g.; 32- One-named supermodel; 33- Excellent; 34- Analogy words; 35- Revenuers, for short; 37- Less common; 38- ___ Rhythm; 39- Reclined; 43- Tentacle; 44- La ___, Bolivia; 45- Expressing regret; 46Circus performers?; 47- Feudal lord; 48- Jewelled crown worn by women; 49- Agile; 50-

Type of gun; 51- Coup d'___; 53- Among; 54Baby blues; 56- Attorney's org.; 58- Single unit;

SOLUTION - 855

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h

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g

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Thursday, 12 May 2011

First Ever Mr Goa Pageant to be held soon HERALD FEATURES n a first of its kind event, NRB – Kaleidoscope is presenting the Mr Goa 2011 pageant the auditions for which will be held at the HQ Hotel on May 21, 2011. NRB Kaleidoscope, an event management company, is organising this pageant with the aim of searching for the man with matchless wit, incomparable style, endearing charm and haunting elegance; and a true ambassador for Goan culture, tourism and lifestyle.

Kaushik Ghosh, a fashion model, fashion choreographer and internationally renowned model trainer who has worked with celebrities such as Priety Zinta. Arjun Rampal and Sushmita Sen will be grooming the top 12 contestants. Mr Goa will be holding a lot of outdoor activities like portfolio shoots, reveal parties, makeovers, media hype, Mr Photogenic at Inox, Mr Talented at Caculo Mall, and much more.

Contestants should be unmarried and citizens of India. The grand finale will be held on June 10, 2011 at the Taleigao Community Hall from 6:30pm onwards.

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d e B r e n g i s e D Linen by s k c i r d o R l l Wende HERALD FEATURES xclusive bed linen designs by ace designer Wendell Rodricks are available in Victorian Vintage, White Light, Art Nouveau and Technique Graphic at all the Bombay Dyeing retail outlets and all malls. These super soft, sateen weave sheets are in pure cotton.

Great for gifting and perfect for a sublime night’s sleep, a set of these Bombay Dyeing sheets includes one king-size bedsheet and two pillow cases. The high end includes an additional two cushion covers.

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Bollywood dazzles at Goa Event

HERALD FEATURES A collection of Bollywood entertainers gave a song and dance performance at the recently held SpeakAsia-organised event. These entertainers included Rani Mukherjee and Neha Dupia who danced to a medley of Bollywood songs from their respective movies and singer Mika Singh performed some of his popular numbers for over an hour. These rousing performances got the crowd to their feet, moving to the peppy melodies.

Lok Ayukta Workshop held at Margao HERALD FEATURES sha Family Responsibilities and Rights Association recently conducted a workshop on Prevention of Corruption and Lok Ayukta, at Grace Church Complex Hall, Margao. Rui Da Gama, Convenor of Asha NGO, submitted two sets of papers on ‘Prevention of Corruption’ and ‘The Need of a Lok Ayukta in Goa ’.

The participants were explained the difference between the Jan Lokpal Bill and the Lok Ayukta Bill. The participants voiced their grievance against the Government of Goa withdrawing the Goa Lok Ayukta Bill which was passed in the year 2007. They also stated that amendments could be made to the same Bill and the Government should withdraw the Bill.

The participants demanded that the Lok Ayukta be appointed along with one or two Upa Lok Ayukta for implementation of the Act. The people present requested Gama to have more of such workshops on prevention of corruption and Lok Ayukta to create awareness of the rights of people around Goa. Some of the participants volunteered to help Asha NGO to conduct more of such workshops in other places of Goa .

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Neha Dupia

Kubra Sait

Rani Mukherjee

Parenting

Meenal Jain

Tarakh Bajpai and Sanjeev Mehta (below)

Minoti Parekh and Yasmin Sait (below)

Ayushman Khuranna (right)

Photos by Siddesh Mayenker

Mika Singh

Parleen Gill (right)

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Thursday 12 May 2011

My role in Barfee is by far the most challenging: Priyanka

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Parenting

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Emily Deschanel Pregnancy poses Problem for Bones

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fter creditably essaying seven looks in 7 Khoon Maaf and 12 different characters in What’s Your Raashee?, Priyanka Chopra will be seen as a mentally-challenged girl in her upcoming film Barfee, which she describes as “by far the most challenging role”.

“I have started shooting for the film, have shot nearly five days till now. I must admit that it is quite a difficult task,” said Priyanka, at the launch of a wedding collection by a popular jewellery brand.

“There is a very thin line between caricature and real. But surely, this role is by far the most challenging that I have come across,” added the 28-year-old who is reportedly spending time in a mental asylum to get into the skin of the character.

The film is being directed by Anurag Basu and it features Ranbir Kapoor as a deaf and dumb person, while Ileana D’Cruz is set to play a narrator.

opular televison series Bones actress Emily Deschanel has said that the show’s producers are struggling to work around her pregnancy. Deschanel, who plays main character Dr Temperance ‘Bones’ Brennan on the series, announced in March that she was expecting her first child with husband David Hornsby.

The actress admitted that it is still uncertain how much her pregnancy will affect the series when it returns for a seventh season this fall. “I image you’re going to see Brennan behind a microscope a lot next season,” Deschanel joked. “I think there are going to be a lot of close-ups of Brennan.”

“I said I’d work through my hiatus, but we didn’t have a pick up until now, and they have to write before we shoot,” she explained. “It’s a whole situation.”

Deschanel added that they are unlikely to solve the issue by including it as part of her character’s storyline. “I am not going to say no, never say never, I guess. But I think it’s unlikely,” Deschanel revealed. “I feel like that would change things so much.”

Daniel Radcliffe is the Richest Actor Under 30 in UK

Shaan pledges to fight Tobacco Menace

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ollywood singer Shaan has been appointed the tobacco control ambassador for the ministry of health and family welfare to promote the message of tobacco abstinence.

Shaan also released his new music single Life se panga mat le yaar, a track targeted at youth, urging them to lead a tobacco-free life.

The launch event was organised by the health ministry in association with Salaam Bombay Foundation at the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital here.

Shot in Kala Chowki slum area of Parel in central Mumbai, the song has lyrics penned by Rekha Nigam.

The video shows Shaan dancing with children and encouraging them to take problems in their stride instead of worsening the situation by consuming tobacco. ”Tobacco use is a panga (problem) they can live without.

The entire video has a very pro-life stance, is youth centric and speaks of their dreams and aspirations,” an official said.

The official added that smoking and tobacco consumption kills 1.6 million people worldwide every year.

Tourism

H

arry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has been named the richest actor under the age of 30 years. Radcliffe is estimated to be worth £48 million. He is reported to have earned £28.5 million in the last two years alone. The list also places fellow Potter star, Emma Watson at the 12th position with an estimated value of £22 million.

Radcliffe’s wealth means that he is fifth in the overall rich list. The list is headed by fashion mogul Thomas Persson who is believed to have a total fortune of £700 million. Robin Arora comes second with less than half of that amount. The retail guru is estimated to be worth £343 million while the property tycoon family, Fawn and India Rose James, are ranked third on the list with an estimated net worth of £302 million.

Arthur Landon comes fourth with personal worth of £200 million.

The royal brothers, Princes William and Harry are found in the general list mainly due to the inheritance they received from their late mother, Diana.

I

magine an insect repellent thousands of times more potent than DEET – the key ingredient in most commercial mosquito repellents – and which also works against all types of insects, including flies and ants. The discovery of a new class of insect repellent was made in the lab of Laurence Zwiebel, Vanderbilt University professor of biological sciences and pharmacology.

“It wasn’t something we set out to find,” said David Rinker, graduate student who performed the study along with graduate student Gregory Pask and post-doctoral fellow Patrick Jones. “It was an anomaly that we noticed in our tests,” Rinker added.

The tests were conducted as part of a major interdisciplinary research project to develop new ways to control the spread of malaria by disrupting a mosquito’s sense of smell.

“It’s too soon to determine whether this specific compound can act as the basis of a commercial product,” Zwiebel cautioned. “But it is the first of its kind and, as such, can be used to develop other similar compounds that have characteristics appropriate for commercialisation.”

The discovery of t h i s re p e l l e n t i s based on insights that scientists have gained about the basic

Make Sure your Soap is Clean!

S

oap is good at keeping bacteria off but being careless with it can be worse, a new study has found. The researchers studied soap dispensers at some elementary schools in Ohio. The study revealed that the number of bacteria on the hands after washing with contaminated soap increased dramatically. The findings present a challenge to the science community. For years, doctors have urged that people should wash their hands as a way to stay healthy. They however recommend that people should choose their soap and dispensers carefully.

There have been previous suggestions that bacteria can grow near soaps. The scientists still suggest that people should continue washing their hands with soaps. One way that bacteria are spread is through contact so health officials recommend the use of dispensers that have replaceable nozzles.

The research was led by a microbiologist at Gojo Industries, Carrie Zapka. Zapka and a group of researchers decided to commence investigation when they got a soap with a mould growing on it. When they put the soap under the microscope, they found bacterial contamination.

The researchers added bacteria to two soap dispensers and asked the participants to wash their hands with them. When their hands were tested, it was found that the bacteria count was higher than before they washed their hands with the soaps.

A Potent New Tool to smoke out Mosquitoes

nature of the insect’s sense of smell in the last few years. Vanderbilt University has filed for a patent on this class of compounds and is talking with potential corporate licensees interested in incorporating them into commercial products, with special focus on development of products to reduce the spread of malaria in the developing world.

Courtesy: Agencies

Teens cherish Online Tagged Photos more than Actual Ones

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or young people a digital photo that friends have tagged, linked and annotated is more meaningful than a photo in a frame or a drawer. “A digital photo is valuable because it is a photo but also because it can be shared and people can comment on it,” said John Zimmerman, associate professor of human-computer interaction and design at Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII).

The very fact that virtual possessions don’t have a physical form may actually boost their value, researchers at CMU discovered in a study of a group of teenagers. A fuller appreciation of the sentiments people can develop for these bits of data could be factored into technology design and could provide opportunities for new products and services, they said.

One of the teenagers said she always takes lots of photos at events and uploads them immediately so she and her friends can tag and dish about them.

“It feels like a more authentic representation of the event,” the

Editor –in-chief: R F Fernandes. Editor: Ashwin Tombat. Chief Editor-Features: Christina Viegas.

16-year-old told the researchers. “We comment and agree on everything together... then there’s a shared sense of what happened.”

The penchant of people to collect and assign meaning to what are often ordinary objects is well known. But a lot of stuff that often is cherished – printed books, photographs, music CDs – is being replaced by electronic equivalents, such as e-books and iPod downloads.

For their study, William Odom, Zimmerman and Jodi Forlizzi recruited a group of girls and boys, aged 12-17, from middle and upper-middle-class families who had frequent access to the Internet, mobile phones and other technology. The researchers interviewed them about their everyday lives, their use of technology and about the physical and virtual possessions that they valued.

The online world, in fact, allowed the teenagers to present different facets of themselves to appropriate groups of friends or to family.

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