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The Voice of Goa — Since 1900 panjim, monday, december 13, 2010 postal reg. no. Goa 101 price rs. 3.00

News: Katrina voted world’s sexiest woman again Pg 14

The best way to keep your friends is to never owe them anything and never lend them anything.

— Paul De Kock

Business: PM wants Germany to ease export control laws Pg 13

Swiss to share black money details: govt UNI NEW DELHI, DEC 12

The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that it has achieved a major breakthrough in black money trial since Switzerland and nine other countries have agreed to share information pertaining to secret bank accounts being operated by tax evaders and Hawala operators.

The Centre in its affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on December 10 has submitted that the Indian government has signed a protocol with Swiss agencies on August 30 this year, under which Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) has been amended and now information can be shared with India.

The DTAA provided protection to secret bank account holders as the foreign banks were not bound to reveal the details of the secret bank accounts.

According to the petitioners,

BLACK & WHITE

The Indian government has signed a protocol with Swiss agencies under which Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement has been amended. This will now allow info to be shared with India. which include former Union Law Minister and eminent jurist Ram Jethmalani, former Punjab DGP K P S Gill and former Secretary General of Lok Sabha Subhash Kashyap, Rs 70 lakh crore of

black money has been illegally stashed away by tax evaders from India.

The Union Finance Ministry has started investigations against 100 secret bank account holders from India.

The Union government has also stated in the affidavit that it was also negotiating tax information exchange agreement with 22 other countries where either there was no tax or low tax regime.

Secret bank account holders have parked tonnes of black money in these tax havens.

According to the petitioners, if the black money is brought back to India then every family in the country can get Rs 2.5 lakh.

A bench comprising Justices B Sudershan Reddy and S S Nijjar while fixing January 14 as the next date of hearing, asked the government why even showcause notices issued to two persons, including Hassan Ali, have been kept in sealed covers.

(air Surcharge rs 2.00) pages 18

Sports: Saina Hong Kong Pg 18 Open queen

Rs 300-cr project on cards near Sal HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, DEC 12

While social groups and residents are cr ying hoarse against mega housing projects citing basic infrastructure in villages, it is reportedly learnt that a leading real-estate developer has launched a Rs 300-crore high-end project in Goa. According to Sunday’s web edition of The Economic Times, the project will be developed across 9.3 acres in the picturesque landscape of the State having 36 luxury villas. It is slated for completion in the next two to three years in a bid to grab a substantial share of the growing luxury real-estate market, the report states further.

A statement made by Nitesh Estate’s Chief Operating Officer Ashwini Kumar mentions the project will be located on the banks of river Sal and the same was close to pristine white sandy beaches in South Goa.

MICKKY DARES CONG Says NCP can field candidates in all 40 seats, form next govt

The report states further that international architects CPG and interior design firm Warner Wong have designed the project named Nitesh Fisher Island, targeted at premium-end customers.

According to the home page of the website of Nitesh Estates the company was the real estate arm of the Nitesh Group and an integrated property development company headquartered in Bangalore, with presence across 4 asset classes.

Further it introduces Nitesh Estates as developers of stateof-the-art homes, hotels, office buildings and shopping malls. In barely 6 years of operations, the company has more than 18 million sq ft of premium living, retail and work spaces under various stages of development, the website states.

Kumar states in the report the natural scenic beauty of the location in South Goa was

HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 12

Sending a message loud and clear to the Congress leadership not to take the NCP for granted, NCP MLA Mickky Pacheco has asserted that he and the party has the capacity to field candidates in all the 40 constituencies and form the next government if the Congress don’t want to have any truck with the Sharad Pawar-led party in Goa. In another development, president of the Goa unit of the NCP Prof Surendra Sirsat publicly declared at Betalbatim that the party’s national and State leadership would stand solidly behind Pacheco at all times.

Addressing thousands of his supporters at the Betalbatim football grounds on Sunday on

the occasion of his birthday celebrations, Pacheco made it loud and clear that the NCP can go alone in the next hustings and form the government with the love and support of the Goan people. “If the Congress continues saying they will go alone in the coming polls, the NCP is also ready to go alone in the hustings. I have the capacity and if the NCP leadership is with me, we can field candidates in all the 40 seats and form the next government”, Pacheco thundered at the Betalbatim grounds amidst cheers from his supporters.

Saying that there are many parties in Goa, including the Congress, BJP and NCP which would fight the coming polls, Pacheco said the NCP can also

field candidates in all the 40 Assembly constituencies.

Profusely thanking the people of Goa for rallying behind him in the last seven months when politicians harassed him on trumped up charges, Pacheco said “you have stood by me when I needed you the most. I promise you that I will give a good government in the next five years if you continue to repose your trust in me”.

Without taking any names, the Benaulim MLA said he has been harassed and humiliated by the politicians in the last seven months. “Three different agencies have raided me in the last six months. My accounts stand frozen for the last six months to cripple me financially.

(Continued on page 14)

Singapore diplomat called India ‘stupid’: WikiLeaks PTI SINGAPORE, DEC 12

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A top Singaporean diplomat described India as “stupid”, saying the country was “half in, half out” of the ASEAN grouping, according to leaked US cables.

The whistle-blower website WikiLeaks released several US State Department cables that contained controversial comments by senior Singaporean foreign affairs officials on India and other Asian allies like Malaysia, Thailand and Japan.

The cables containing comments made during Singaporean diplomats’ meetings with senior US officials such as deputy secre-

Singapore’s envoy Tommy Koh was merciless towards India, describing his ‘stupid Indian friends’ as ‘half in, half out’ of ASEAN. tary of Defence for East Asia David Sedney between 2008 and last year were exclusively leaked to

Australia’s Fairfax Media Group.

In one of the cables, Singapore’s Ambassador at large Tommy Koh called Japan “the big fat loser” in the context of improving ties between China and ASEAN. According to Australian newspapers which carried the contents of the cables, Koh attributed the relative decline of Japan’s position in the region to its “stupidity, bad leadership and lack of vision.”

Koh was “equally merciless towards India, describing his ‘stupid Indian friends’ as ‘half in, half out’ of ASEAN,” a leaked cable said.

HERALD NEWS BUREAU PANJIM, DEC 12

Ten persons, including nine family members, were killed while six others were seriously injured when a Tavera SUV and a Goabound bus collided with each other along the Mumbai-Goa highway at Ratnagiri-Maharashtra in the wee hours of Sunday.

According to reports, the mishap took place near Udhale village at about 4 am when the Tavera, driven by Suraj Jadhav (22), collided with the oncoming inter-state Volvo bus near Khed.

Jadhav reportedly lost control over the vehicle while negotiating a sharp turn and hit the bus coming from the opposite direction.

Nine members of the Khetle family from Ratnagiri as well as Jadhav were killed in the mishap.

The bus driver M Fernandes (31) and five other passengers were injured in the mishap and were rushed to a nearby government hospital.

(Continued on page 14)

Barge sinks at Capxem HERALD CORRESPONDENT CURCHOREM, DEC 12

A barge sank in the river at Capxem-Sanvordem on Sunday evening.

There were no casualties as the five-member crew managed to escape from the barge before it could sink.

(Continued on page 14)

Bollywood stars Riya Sen and Amrita Rao felicitating former Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco on his birthday celebration at Betalbatim on Sunday.

10 killed in Ratnagiri mishap

Excellent, well done guys, keep it up!! Now tell me when we will have next one??

OHERALDO

GOA

Pg2

GOA, MONDAY, 13 DECEMBER, 2010

CIVIC FORUM

Stir against MPT’s seashore plans gain momentum Now, Siridao locals rise up in opposition

HERALD CORRESPONDENT MERCES, DEC 12

Resolve the congestion VISHAL D’COSTA, CUNCOLIm

Vehicles are parked everyday on the footpath in front of the Bank of India, Margao branch. This causes great inconvenience to pedestrians. Some of the vehicles belong to the employees of the bank and the adjacent shops. Traffic police cell would be well advised to keep the footpath clear.

Secondly, it was unwise to allot the place in front of the old pickup stand, only for two wheelers. Traffic gets congested due to this as customers stop in front of Royal Foods and Borkar’s Super Store delivery counter, while waiting for deliveries. City buses also use this as an unauthorised stop. The authorities must conduct a thorough study and not just harass people by implementing decisions to please the rich and mighty. No alternate place for parking of four wheelers is suggested. There is a need to resolve the problem of congestion.

The agitation against the MPT's seashore plans is gaining momentum by the passing day as Siridao locals have now ganged up in opposition to any plans of wiping out the traditional fishing activities of the villagers.

It may be recalled that on December 5, the Nauxi locals had voiced their opposition to MPT's 30-year lease deed with M/s Kargwal Constructions Pvt Ltd for construction and operation of marina on the Nauxi waterfront.

Stating that MPT's plans to develop the coastal areas of villages coming under his constituency namely Nauxi, Siridao, Goa Velha and Agassaim, will spell doom for the traditional fishing activities, local MLA Francis Silveira said it is high time that all the villages come under

one banner and fight for the rights that they have been enjoying for centuries.

"MPT has also claimed ownership to the land falling within 50-yard of the high tide line in these villages," Silveira informed and added that it will affect not only the fishermen but also the locals whose houses come under the said boundary.

"If we keep quite today, then there will be nothing left for our future generation," he said and gave a clarion call to the Siridao locals to forget their political, ideological and religious differences and join hands to fight the evil designs of the MPT. Silveira further told the locals to drive away any persons who come in the village to conduct survey work and said that he has already spoken to the CM, who in turn has assured that

police would be asked to cooperate with the villagers.

He also urged the Siridao panchayat to move a resolution at the gram sabha voicing their opposition to the MPT claims and send copies of the same to the Centre, Governor, CM, MPs and other authorities.

On the occasion, youth leader Vincent Afonso urged the villagers to rally behind the local MLA and the Siridao VP in the crucial fight and prepare themselves for a larger agitation, if need be.

Stating that strength lies in unity, Vincent then called upon the locals to forget their differences and together work towards victory against MPT. "If we do not rise today, a time will come when we will not be able to set foot on our beaches," he added.

Siridao Sarpanch Sushma Kankonkar said that the panchayat will always stand by the locals in this crucial hour and not allow MPT to snatch away the livelihood of the fishermen.

Later, speaking to Herald, Sushma said that the panchayat body has already passed a resolution opposing MPT's plans and has forwarded a copy to the MPT. Siridao Church parish priest Fr Lino, Tiatrist Anton D'Souza, fishermen Caitan Vincent and Assumption also spoke. ZP member Antonio Silveira, Siridao Deputy Sarpanch Pandurang Mangueshkar, ex-sarpanchas Minguel Fernandes and John D'Souza, Siridao SC president Anton Gracias, panchas and other prominent citizens of the village were present for the meeting.

Canine nuisance HOWARD GREENBERG, CANACONA

I have been a regular visitor to the most beautiful Patnem Beach in Canacona for several years now. There have been many changes. Some are good whereas some are bad. We have security guards that roam up and down the beach in their ridiculously dark uniforms and keep away beggars, sellers, and touts. I think this is unique in Goa. Unfortunately, they also chase the cows away.

I have been witness and hear of complaints and attacks, by dogs, hasn't anything been done about this problem? (not unique to this beach or Goa for sure)? These dogs have been biting, attacking, and scaring visitors away. Some may never think of returning again. Is this the image of Goa, you want to project?

They howl and bark all night. A good night’s sleep is impossible under such conditions. Most of these dogs do have owners, and it is their responsibility to ensure that there are no untoward incidents. Let us enjoy the beach as we should.

Indian Coast Guard ship ICGS Varuna anchored at Berth 8 of Mormugao Port.

Fast Petrol Vessel catches fire HERALD REPORTER VASCO, DEC 12

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Fast Petrol Vessel 'Varuna' caught fire on Saturday evening at Berth 8 of Mormugao Port, while on her visit in the State for an inspection by IG Commander Coast Guard (West) SPS Basra.

There were no casualties in the incident, but the fire tenders took nearly an hour to extinguish the fire which broke out in the cadets mess.

The ICG Commander, Goa, DIG N V Narasimha confirmed that fire erupted in the cadets mess of vessel at around 10 pm.

The crew on the ship immediately swung into action to combat the fire, he said.

Narasimha added that the ship had arrived in the port at about 5.30 pm, as IG Commander Coast Guard (West) SPS Basra was scheduled to inspect the ship.

Basra was attending the commissioning function of 'Vijit' in

Vasco on Saturday morning.

Narasimha said since vessel was anchored in the port, they summoned fire tenders from the port and Vasco Fire station.

"We have constituted a board of inquiry to study details of the incident, which is routine process in the defense," said Narasimha. Narasimha said that the reason of fire is unclear, but it is suspected that it could be due to a spark in electricity wires in the cadets mess.

"The damaged is not severe and it expected that the vessel would sail back by tonight or tomorrow," said Narasimha.

Sources at the Vasco fire station said fire fighters faced some difficulty in extinguishing the fire due to heavy smoke in the vessel. "A few dormitory beds were burnt and some wires have caught fire in the ship," the source said.

The ICGS Fast Petrol Vessels was indigenously built and designed by the Goa Shipyard Limited.

Incidentally, the incident oc-

curred when Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju along with Director General Indian Coast Guard, Vice Admiral A K Chopra, FOGA Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai, GSL CMD Rear Admiral (Retd) Vineet Bakhshi, IG Commander Coast Guard (West) SPS Basra and IG Commander Coast Guard (North West) S P Sharma, were present in the State to commission the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) ship 'Vijit' on Saturday morning.

boutique burgled HERALD CORRESPONDENT CALANGUTE, DEC 12

Burglars broke into a fashion boutique at Sangolda and stole cash and other items worth Rs 72,500.

According to reports, the burglars broke open a safe containing cash of Rs 70,000, besides items worth Rs 2500. PSI Chimulkar is investigating.

Media student pens perfect script, crowned Navy Queen ADELmO FERNANDES, VASCO

The black coloured car as seen in the above picture is one of the several cars parked that blocks the entire pavement along the Swatantra path in Vasco. This makes it difficult for pedestrians to use the pavement. People have no other option but to walk on the roads, which could prove dangerous.

Avoid dangerous situation PRAVIN U SARDESSAI, ADPAI

Branches of an adjoining tree have been touching the live electrical wires at the turn adjacent to Udupi Coffee house near old bus stand in Ponda. The situation is quite dangerous and as the branches grow further, it could turn catastrophic.

Strong winds can cause a short circuit. In order to avoid any major tragedy in the near future, the Electricity department should trim the branches of the concerned tree. I hope some positive action is initiated at once in public interest.

Implement meter system SImON CARVALHO, NAVELIm

The taxi and auto rickshaw owners should be allowed to increase their rates, but on a strict condition that they will operate their auto rickshaws and taxis by meter only. The RTO should strictly implement the meter system in Goa as is elsewhere in the country. The autos and taxis fleece the tourists and the local population at will.

Dou have a complaint against some authority or service?

Are there any violations of the law that you would like to bring to the notice of the public? Do you have any suggestions for improvement and/or redressal of services?

If you do, then write to us at editor@herald-goa.com. With the aim of improving the quality of our civic life, every Monday Herald will publish the best letters on these subjects received during the week. This is in addition to our regular ‘Letters to the Editor’ column.

The meeting called by the Sancoale villagers on Sunday to decide on the SEZ land allotment fiasco crticised the government handling on the SEZ issue and called for punishment of the guilty.

Speakers demanded that since the land allotment to SEZ promoters have been set aside by the High Court, the government should revert back the land to the original owners.

Other speakers demanded that the government should not allow the SEZ promoters to take the land even for general industrial use and no compensation paid from the state coffers since they (SEZ promoters) had not come with clean hands and had managed to get the land through fraudulent means.

Franky Monteiro and Arvind Bhatikar who also addressed the meeting said that all the guilty involved in the scam should be punished.

Rector of Blessed Joseph Vaz Sanctuary, Fr Erimito Rebelo appealed to the government to allot the land to mull Goenkars residing in the village.

"This can be done through the gram village panchayat by developing plots and handing over them to the native tribes

HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 12

P L FERNANDES, OLD GOA

Black car hindrance

HERALD CORRESPONDENT CORTALIM, DEC 12

of the village," Fr Rebelo said.

Council for Social Justice and Peace (CSJP) Executive Secretary Fr Maverick Fernandes who spoke about global warming said that coastal areas will be inundated in few years time.

"Water level will rise from 1 meter to 3 meters due to melting of the ice and the people of the coastal areas will have to be shifted on the hills and therefore it is necessary to preserve the hills for future Goan people," Fr Maverick informed.

Touching on other issues concerning the village, Lawrence Fernandes said that the marina which is proposed in the village will destroy the livelihood of the people particularly the fishermen. It will also destroy mangroves which are highly protected habitat, he said.

Fernandes who has worked in the Gulf for decades said that in the Gulf marinas are built in the oceans and not in the back waters (like rivers) and called upon the people to oppose the marina project at all cost.

Sancoale Panch Tulshidas Naik spoke on preserving the environment of Sancoale especially hills which he said should not be given for commercial use.

Later, Seby Fernandes proposed the vote of thanks.

Gaonkar announces his candidature for Curtorim

Sewerage network It just caught my attention of the Fatorda MLA Damu Naik’s outcry for not handling sewerage properly in his constituency.

I remember sometime back, of the incumbent PWD Minister's plan to have sewerage network. Perhaps, being hugely expensive, he could not take it up further. The Regional Plan 2021 including all aspects will hopefully, take cognisance of the sewerage network of Goa. There are communities living with 250-300 apartment buildings/complexes, in our own local area, who are facing similar problems. Some builders/developers have provided less than the approvable design and after getting their plans passed, will now be washing their hands off the matter once the handover is accomplished.

The consequences arising out of this have to be borne by the people. It is time we have sewage treatment and a wastewater re-usage plant at least in each taluka.

Punish those in SEZ land allotment: Sancoale meet

Navy Queen 2010, Miss Sparsha Deshpande with first runners-up Karen Serrao (R) and second runnersup Miss Richa Lotliker (L) HERALD REPORTER VASCO, DEC 12

She may be pursuing journalism studies, but Sparsha Deshpande's finesse on the ramp ensured a perfect script to get her crowned the Navy Queen 2010.

Sparsha Deshpande, a final year journalism student of St Xavier's College at Mapusa was crowned the 'Navy Queen 2010' at the beauty pageant hosted

by Indian Navy at the Navy Ball.

Karen Serrao, a final year BPharm student from PES Col-

lege of Pharmacy, Ponda, was adjudged the first runners-up and also won the Miss Catwalk title.

Richa Lotliker, a fourth year law student from Kare College of Law, Margao, was declared the second runners-up.

Ekta Kaur, a commerce graduate from Elphinstone College, Mumbai, was judged to have the most beautiful smile.

Bollywood actors Meghna Naidu, Vatsal Seth, Jeniffer Kotwal, the renowned Goan photographer Prasad Pankar helped

Rama Pillai judge the keenly contested Navy Queen Pageant.

Earlier, FOGA Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai, set the ball-rolling at the Naval Officers' Institute, Dabolim on Saturday evening, in the traditional naval manner to inaugurate this year's Navy Ball.

'Edwin and the Bandwagon' belted out vibrant and foot-tapping music. The gathering was regaled with acrobatic dance and breathtaking displays setting the stage ablaze.

Photo by M Prabhav

Raia Zilla Panchayat member Domnic Gaonkar on Sunday declared his candidature for the Curtorim Assembly constituency.

Speaking at the felicitation function of NCP leader Mickky Pacheco at the Betalbatim grounds on Sunday, Gaonkar said he would contest the coming Assembly polls from Cur-

torim constituency with the help of the Benaulim MLA. Gaonkar further said that he would offer his fully support to Pacheco in the new Nuvem constituency.

“In the last Zilla Panchayat polls, Pacheco had fully supported me in the elections. Since then, I have been with Pacheco and would support him in the new constituency of Nuvem”, Gaonkar added.

Digambar steers clear of Karwar merger issue HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 12

Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has clearly distanced himself and his government from the row kicked up by his senior Cabinet colleague, PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao over the merger of Karwar with Goa. Kamat told Herald that whatever statement that Churchill has made on the controversy are his personal opinion and does not reflect the views and opinion of the government.

“The government has not taken any stand on the issue nor is

there any proposal from any quarter for the merger of Karwar with Goa”, Kamat said.

The PWD Minister had been a strong votary of the merger of Karwar into the State and had been championing the cause of merger since the demise of Jnanpith award winner, Ravindra Kelekar.

However, the issue did not evoke any support from the Congress party leaders, including the Chief Minister. In fact, the merger issue has not evoked support from Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik and the South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha, who

have favoured retaining the State’s identity.

Even senior Congress leader, CWC member and a leading light of the Konkani movement, Luizinho Faleiro had come out openly in favour of retaining the State identity.

Faleiro had categorically opposed the idea for a Greater Goa espoused by his political rival, saying he doesn’t want the ghost of merger to come in Goa through the back door. In fact, Faleiro had asked all the champions of the lost causes to stop misguiding Goans on the agenda for a Greater Goa.

QMC accused of spending on ‘empty’ cattle pound HERALD CORRESPONDENT QUEPEM, DEC 12

Going by the herds of stray cattle in Quepem town, it appears that Quepem Municipal Council (QMC) has also gone astray.

On paper, the QMC may have complied with the high court’s order on tackling the stray cattle, but in reality the council has been accused of shelling out huge sums of money to maintain an empty cattle pound.

It may be recalled that the High Court in its order dated April 2, 2007, had directed all municipal councils to set up permanent cattle pounds in their respective municipal areas.

The High Court had further directed the municipal council to appoint a pound keeper in terms of Section 268 of Goa Municipalities Act 1968.

It was also ordered that the councils should set up a system of incentives to bring stray cattle to the pound.

Sources from the council informed Herald that in accordance with the court's directives, the QMC constructed a cattle pound near the Quepem cemetery at a cost of about Rs 1.3 lakh.

Stray cattle gather around a dustbin in Quepem town.

Photo by John Fernandes

The council also appointed a pound keeper and two labourers to catch the stray cattle found in Quepem town and on the road.

Council sources alleged that the QMC spends about Rs 25,000 every month on salaries and other expenses of the pound keeper and labourers.

“Since the recruitment of the pound keeper and labourers to look after stray cattle, not a single stray cattle has been caught even though herds of stray cattle are seen in the Quepem market,” a councillor told Herald.

Sources informed Herald that the pound keeper instead of

being seen in the cattle pound is seen sitting in the municipal and the labourer instead of catching the stray cattle are seen working with the other labourers.

Meanwhile, residents have complained that the stray cattle have been causing nuisance in Quepem town and on the roads, particularly during night.

Farmers from Quepem have complained that the stray cattle destroy their paddy fields overnight which dampen their mood to cultivate paddy fields due to which most of the paddy fields remain barren.

Goa has potential to become Bahamas, says Amrita Rao HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 12

Bollywood start Amrita Rao has said that Goa has the potential to become the Bahamas the best tourist destination in the world.

Speaking at the felicitation function of MLA Mickky Pacheco at the Betalbatim ground on Sunday, Amrita said “whether through film festivals or through

tourism, Goa can become the Bahamas. There should be the biggest resort in Goa and we have to prove that GOa is the best tourist destination in the world”.

Amrita said she had first met Mickky at the World Trade Mart in the UK last year and had understood his mission and vision to make Goa the best tourist

destination in the world.

Saying that her mother tongue is Konkani and have her roots in Goa, Amrita said being in Goa means holidaying. “It amazing to see the people of Goa partying and holidaying”, she added.

Riya Sen also spoke about Goa, saying it is a perfect holiday destination.

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Now non-PDA ODPs raise hornet’s nest HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, DEC 12

A few days after the regional plans for Canacona and Pernem were notified and a detailed presentation made on the RP2021, Goa Bachao Abhiyan continued to maintain there were many unanswered questions and several ambiguities.

One of the major ambiguities, GBA Convenor Sabina Martins stated, was the concept of nonPDA ODP (outline development plan) that does not exist in any planning Acts or any regional plan document.

In what could cause further embarrassment to the Government, State-level Committee member on RP-21 Dean D’Cruz maintained in a section of the press he wasn’t aware several villages in Bardez, Tiswadi and Mormugao were brought under the ODP. The non-PDA ODPs have be-

nOne of the major ambiguities, GBA Convenor Sabina Martins stated, was the concept of non- PDA ODP (outline development plan) that does not exist in any planning Acts or any regional plan document. come subject matter of discussions with Martins sparring with nodal officer for RP Sanjith Rodrigues at one of the TV programmes called to discuss the subject.

The issue came up at a recent meeting of villagers of Cansaulim, Arossim and Cuelim which objected at being shifted

from VP3 to non-PDA ODP status in the policy document released

by SLC. When people questioned D’Cruz to explain non-PDA ODP, he stated the concept was not discussed at any SLC meeting.

“Under this classification there is no designated authority to approve development plans, as it is neither under the panchayat, RP non PDA (planning development Authority). He promised the matter would be discussed with SLC. Sabina said GBA Secretary Reboni Saha and joint secretary Miguel Braganza had found out deviations after they made a comparison of draft and notified RPs. Six villages of Porvorim (i.e. parts of Socorro, Sangolda, Penha de Franca, Pilerne, Reis Magos), Merces, Chimbel, Santa C r u z , Ve l s a o , I s s o r c i m , Cansaulim, Arrossim and Cuelim have been included as non- PDA ODPs.

Fake notes printed from Karnataka jail enter Goa HERALD CORRESPONDENT BELGAUM, DEC 12

Incidents of misuse of prisons in the country are not a new thing, the fact that may be ascertained as some of the prisons in Karnataka are allegedly being misused by miscreants.

According to highly placed sources, some prisons in Karnataka have not only become safe havens for criminals, but are also encouraging inmates to carry out illegal activities without hassles.

Sources revealed that a racket involved in printing and circulating counterfeit currency is allegedly operating secretly from inside the Dharwad jail.

The fake currency notes are also allegedly being sent outside the prison and later circulated in parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa by a group of youth, sources told Herald.

The racket is getting the printed currency allegedly circulated to various places through a group of youngsters who are being lured with easy money.

The fact that criminals of separate gangs indulge in clashes in prisons has now become common. In Dharwad jail, during a raid conducted by the police of-

ficers to conduct raids, several mobile phones, SIM cards, liquor bottles and pistols illegally possessed by several inmates have been recovered. Associates of notorious rowdy Hebbat Manjya of Bangalore were caught redhanded with mobile phones inside the jail.

Sources revealed that some inmates of notorious gangster from Bangalore are allegedly involved in printing counterfeit currency of various higher denominations inside the jail.

For the last several weeks, the fake currency notes are also being sent outside the prison and later circulated in parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa by a group of youth, sources said.

“Most of the youths who are carrying the counterfeit currency printed allegedly in the jail hail from parts of Maharashtra and some are from Karnataka. The racket is working cautiously without leaking any news about the print and circulation of the notes outside. A machine is also being used by the group to print the notes secretly inside.”

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Dharwad jail Sangappa who is due for his retirement is said

Govt will not compromise on security: Minister take over two islands – St George islands and Bimbvel Beach, citing security reasons.

South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha, who was also present during the press conference, said security aspect of the country cannot be compromised.

He assured that they (MPs) would protect the interests of Goan people and there is no need to worry about it as they have been pursing the matter with the defense minister.

HERALD REPORTER VASCO, DEC 11

Uncertainty prevails over acquisition of two islands, St George and Pequeno, off Arabian Sea off Baina coast, as Defense Minister for State M M Pallam Raju on Saturday stated that the government will not compromise on security issues.

Raju, who is in the State to commission the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Vijit in the Indian Coast Guard at GSL Vasco, was addressing the media.

When informed that there has been strong resentment among the fishermen and people of Goa over Indian Navy’s move to acquire the two islands, Raju said: “The government is very sensitive to the locals need, but at the same time, we will not compromise on security issues.”

The Navy officials in Goa had expressed their willingness to

Surla sarpanch quits office

HERALD CORRESPONDENT MAYEM, DEC 12 Surla Sarpanch Pratima Madkaikar has tendered her resignation from the post citing family matters.

In her resignation letter, which was sent to the Director of Panchayat on Friday, sarpanch Madkaikar stated that she resigned from the post due to family matters.

to be on long leave and was not available for comments.

Sources said the illegal activities in the jail are not coming to light due to the smart management of the entire racket by the criminals and some jail authorities.

“The illegal activities are brought to a sudden closure as soon as the news of possible police raids reaches the prison.

A noted gangster who is close to many influential politicians is handling the racket from Bangalore and none of the gangsters are worried about the consequences,” sources disclosed.

The inmates who are part of this racket in the jail hail from Mysore, Nelamangala and Belgaum and most of them are the associates of a noted gangster from Bangalore.

The fact was evident as recently Belgaum Police apprehended several youths in Belgaum market when they were busy circulating the fake currency.

Arpora Club Cubana all set to reopen?

SURAJ NANDREKAR PANJIM, DEC 12

After about a two and half years of closure following the court order, the popular night club at Arpora Club Cubana is all set to reopen and shockingly the government has no knowledge of the issue.

The Club Cubana was closed down, after the High Court of Bombay at Goa, hearing a petition filed by one Hemant Sirsat, had granted interim relief to close down the club citing various illegalities.

Surprisingly, the Cub owners are now planning to host a huge new year’s party at the place.

In their latest update on Facebook, popular social networking site, the owner Daniel Shah has said that the club will be hosting a New Year’s party from “Friday, December 31 at 9 pm - Saturday, January 1, 2011 at 4 am” to usher in the New Year.

“Amazing place....more info soon!, ! Club Cubana is not open....Yet! Only on New Year Eve - a grand Party!,” the update on Facebook says.

What is more shocking is that the district administration or police have no knowledge of the issue.

When contacted Dy Collector Dashrat Redkar said the owners haven’t applied for any permission till date in his office.

“Whenever the application comes we will see,” he said adding “nothing is come as of now.” Anjuna police station Police Inspector Manjunath Desai was also ignorant of any such the development.

“They haven’t asked for any permission yet,” he said adding

Father, son held HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARCEL, DEC 12

Ponda police arrested a fatherson duo on Sunday on charges of fooling people by posing as ayurvedic doctors.

Acting on a complaint filed by members of Andhashradha Nirmulan Samitti, police nabbed Iqubal Chattrasingh (60) and Indrajit (28) both from TilakwadiBelgaum, while allegedly selling medicines to people at Khandepar-Ponda.

Police Inspector C L Patil is investigating the case.

n“They haven’t asked for any permission yet,” he said adding “normally when the application comes to us we forward it to the Home department which decides on granting permissions in such matters.”

-- PI Desai “normally when the application comes to us we forward it to the Home department which decides on granting permissions in such matters.”

Nonetheless, he said, “they may have directly applied to the Home department I have no knowledge.” Recently, he said the clearance for two Saturday night markets came directly from home department.

Consistent efforts to contact the Under Secretary Home Siddhivinayak Naik proved futile.

Aprora Sarpanch Agnelo D’Souza, however, confirmed there are plans to re-start the club.

“I have no knowledge about the New Year’s eve party as of now but they have definitely approached us for re-starting the club stating that the court has given clearance,” he said adding “we have asked him to produce the order and we will then see what best can be done.”

Sources in the Arpora panchayat have also told Herald that the owners have already started hectic lobbying for converting the agricultural land, where the club is set up, into a settlement zone in the new Regional plan which is to be announces shortly.

The court in the order had observed that the structure of Club Cubana was originally a farmhouse and the sanad issued is restricted for residential purposes.

Further the court had said that there was no sanction from the collector under the Sanad clause 3, which reads as under: “The applicant shall not use

the said land and building erected or to be erected thereon for any purpose other than residential / industrial / or any other non-agricultural purpose without previous sanction of the col-

lector.”

The court had also observed that the night parties etc at the place is causing nuisance and restrained the owners in carrying out commercial activities in

the farm such as dance parties, sale of liquor, running or restaurant and playing loud music.

Despite consistent efforts the owners of the club could not be contacted for comments.

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short takes Graziella wins singing contest

PANJIM (HND): Graziella Gonsalves won the individual category of 21 years and above in the finals of Vem Cantar, the Portuguese song contest, which was held recently at at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao.

The contest was organised by Rosary College of Commerce and Arts Navelim, and Fundacao Oriente in collaboration with Clube Harmonia de Margao, Clube Nacional, Clube Vasco da Gama and Institute Camoes.

Vinita Freitas bagged the second prize and the consolation prize was awarded to Carmona D’Mello.

The chief guest for the function was Consul General of Portugal in Goa Dr Antonio Sabido Costa. The jury for the evening comprised of Dr Francisco Colaco, Patricia Geraldes and Siddharth Cota.

The other results are: individual category (16-20 years): First place - Meenoshka Dias, second place - Efigenia de Santana Miranda, consolation prizes - Fhelen Debbie da Costa and Maria Angela Ribeiro. Individual category (12-15 years): First place - Fleur Ann Dias, second place - Shiara Afonso, consolation prizes - Ingrid de Noronha and Reiniel Piedade Costa Martins. Individual category (8-11 years): First place - Emmanuel de Noronha, second place - Johnathan Da Veiga, consolation prizes - Carla Afonso and Yulan Libram D’Costa.

Group category (juniors): First place - Coro de Loyola, second place - Grupo Alegre, consolation prizes - As Estrelas de Rosary and Vozes Alegres. Group category (seniors): First place - A Mistura, second place - Os Rouxinois, consolation prizes Ecos da Musica and Ecos Lusofonos.

Suraj wins drawing contest

MAYEM (HC): Suraj Sharma emerged winner in the Bicholim taluka primary level drawing contest organized by Ramayan Mahabharat Parichay Yojna at Central Government Primary School, Bicholim.

Jayesh Satodkar and Sujal Naik won the second and third prizes, while consolation prizes were awarded to Samiksha Shetkar and Ramchandra Mayekar.

In the handwriting competition, Akshada Bandekar, Puja Keny and Simran Mhapsekar won the first three prizes, while Siddhi Govekar and Janhvi Naik won consolation prizes.

In the story telling competition, the first three prizes were awarded to Saili Garde, Ankita Parab and Balkrishna Sawant, while Divya Umarye and Supresh Mapari won the consolation prizes.

Drawing contest was also held for the secondary level based on epic Mahabharat. Rucha Prabhudesai, Hrishikesh Gaonkar and Prema Gaonkar won the first three prizes, while the consolation prize was awarded to Rohit Karbatkar.

Rucha Prabhudesai and Hrikesh Gaonkar won the first and second prizes in the handwriting contest which was held for secondary. Divya Matnekar won the third prize.

Apurva, Gauri win quiz

PANJIM (HND): Apurva A Kamat and Gauri K Kandolkar from Dhempe College of Arts and Science Miramar bagged the first prize in inter-collegiate quiz competition on Bakibab Borkar organised recently by Directorate of Museum, on life and literature of B B Borkar.

Second prize went to Supriya S Kancumbekar and Suphal S Dhole from MES College-Zuarinagar, and third prize to Balaji S Shenvy and Gauraj G Talaulikar from PES College-Farmagudi.

Director of Information and Publicity Menino Peres distributed the prizes to the winners.

Shashikala calls youth to emulate Ambedkar

Former chief minister Shashikala Kakodkar along with social worker, artist and meritorious students of SSC and HSSC at the All Goa Dalit Mahasangh organised to observe the 54th death anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar at Panjim. Also present Prof Shankar Velhal and Krishna Chopdekar.

HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, DEC 12

Former Chief Minister Shashikala Kakodkar has called upon the youth to propagate the ideas and principles of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar which are relevant today.

Kakodkar was speaking at a function organised by All Goa Dalit Mahasangh to mark the 54th death anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in the city today.

Kakodkar further said that Dr Ambedkar, the Architect of

Indian Constitution, always worked tirelessly for the upliftment of poor and downtrodden of the society. “Dr Ambedkar not only framed constitution but also contributed for the cause of India’s unity,” she added.

She then called upon All Goa Dalit Mahasangh to continue its service for the upliftment of less privileged section of the society.

Later, Kakodkar felicitated harmonium player Yeshwant Ladu Parsekar of Parse Pernem

and social worker Shantaram Parwar of Priol-Ponda for their outstanding work and awarded scholarship to the students of Dalit community.

Kakodkar also released a souvenir on the occasion.

Prof Shankar Velhal of Banda College also spoke on the life of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, President of All Goa Dalit Mahasangh Shri Krishna Chopdekar welcomed, Vinita Pednekar compered and Vasant Parwar proposed vote of thanks.

GSIDC to build Bicholim police station

UPCoMING eVeNts New Monday celebration

MAYEM (HC): The annual new Monday celebration of Bicholim will be held on December 13 with a variety of programme. The Palkhi procession will commence from this day and will be continued till Wadachi Pournima.

Well-known singers from Maharshtra will present their talents on this day. The first sitting of the singers will be held at Gaonkarwada and Atil Peth Shantadurga Math Mandir at 10 pm, respectively.

Singers Mahesh Deshpande, Anjali Kelkar and Rajasri Kambli will sing at Gaonkarwada, while Amol Bawdekar and Amruta Kale will sing at Atil Peth. They will be accompanied by Dayesh Kosambe and Raya Korgaonkar.

Classical singer Gauri Nayak Bhat will perform at 10 am at Wadakade in a programme ‘Geet Madhuri’, where she will be accompanied by Surjit Thali, Vithal Khandolkar, Shailesh Shirodkar and Taranath Hudedgaddi.

The second sitting will be held near Ravalnath Temple and Bhalipeth Bicholim at 1.30 am and 2 am respectivey.

Singers Shekhar Kubhojkar and Mrunali Siknis will perform near Ravalnath Temple, while at Bhali Peth, singing will be performed by Narhari Sane and Samardni Shelar, accompanied by Amar Mopkar and Pratap Gawas.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT BICHOLIM, DEC 12

The construction of the Bicholim police station finally saw a ray of hope, as the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation has taken up the project of building the new police station at Bicholim.

Speaking to Herald, Bicholim DySP Bosset D’Silva informed that GSIDC has taken up the project of building the police station and now it will soon be a reality.

“The GSIDC engineers inspected the entire area on Wednesday and also saw the dilapidated building which was once used by the Portuguese and have taken up the project,” said DySP D’Silva.

It may be recalled that in November, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and Home Minister Ravi Naik had visited the police station and had assured to look into the construction of the new building.

The police station has an overall area of about 9,600 sq mtrs and the entire project of its construction was ready long time back. But inspite of all the efforts, the government had not taken up the project.

Comp test for LDC posts

PANJIM (HND): Candidates who had applied for the post of ‘Lower Division Clerk’, reserved for children of freedom fighters, in the Directorate of Transport have to appear for the computer proficiency test on December 14 at Government Engineering College Farmagudi, Ponda at 10 am along with valid photo ID. The interviews will be conducted on December 16 in the office of the Directorate of Transport, 1st floor, Junta House, Panjim, at 10.30 am. Candidates have to bring their original certificates.

‘Aarambh 2010-11’

PANJIM (HNB): Goa College of Home Science will organise ‘Aarambh 2010-11’, a unique exhibition, in the college premises on December 16, 17 and 18. On December 16, the exhibition will be held from 11.30 am to 6 pm, on December 17, from 9.30 am to 6 pm and on December 18, from 9.30 am to 1 pm.

It is an important co-curricular activity designed to augment regular classroom teaching-learning, at the same time aiming to create awareness about Home Science education and enrich the community. Numerous lecture sessions, workshops, competitions, sale of textile items and delicious food, display of traditional Goan delicacies, lots of fun prizes and surprises have been planned for the three-day exhibition in addition to informative display in the core-areas of Home Science, Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, Textile and Clothing, Human Development and Community Resource Management. For details, contact Dr Daisy John, Lecturer In-charge or Kreislyn Silveira, General Secretary on 9673119631.

Mauvin announces projects for Cortalim HERALD REPORTER VASCO, DEC 12

Commencing the hot-mixing work near Cansaulim Railway crossing on Tuesday, Cortalim MLA and Deputy Speaker Mauvin Godinho announced that as many as 34 small and big road projects estimated to cost about Rs 6.11 crore would be completed in Cortalim constituency in a short span of time.

Godinho said nearly 34 projects have got administrative approval, of which hot mixing of roads estimated to cost Rs 76 lakh have been tendered, while few works have already been commenced.

“Roads drainage and other minor development works estimated to cost Rs 79 lakh will

Cortalim MLA and Deputy Speaker Mauvin Godinho inaugurate hotmixing work near Cansaulim Railway crossing at Cansaulim.

Photo by M Prabhav

be tendered shortly and about Rs 3.53 crore development work order has been issued for tendering,” said the deputy

speaker.

Rubbishing the claims of few people that he has neglected development work in

Cansaulim and Velsao, Godinho said he has deliberately selected hot mixing work in Cansaulim on priority basis to rubbish such claims.

“Some people have been creating rumours that I have neglected development work in Cortalim considering that I would contest assembly election from the newly formed Dabolim constituency,” said Godinho.

“Till the last date of announcement of my candidature, I will continue my development works in both the constituencies,” added Godinho.

PWD Assistant Engineer D Pereira, contractor, villagers and PS to the deputy speaker Ligor Monterio were present on the occasion.

Power shUtdowN DECEMBER 13 SANTA CRUZ: From 9 am to 2 pm. Areas affected are St Francis Colony, Fernando Puram, Cabesa, Dewolvaddo, Bandh, Morod, St Barbara, Ubo Dando T/C, St Cruz Church, Cemetery T/C and surrounding areas DECEMBER 14 TALEIGAO: From 9 am to 4 pm. Kevnem and surrounding areas will be affected.

Mathematics Charles Babbage was a 19th century mathematician and inventor whose calculating machines earned him a top spot in the history of mechanical computing.

Who was Babbage's early caCharles Babbage? reer was devoted to

practical applied science, particularly in manufacturing. But he is most famous for his work on what he called the Difference Engine and, later, the Analytical Engine. As early as 1822 he speculated that a machine could be used to compute complex mathematical problems and calculate and correct errors in logarithm tables and astronomical charts. He obtained government grants and began work on the Difference Engine, only to decide later that it would be easier to scrap the work and start fresh on a new idea, the Analytical Engine.

The British government withdrew funding in 1842 and stuck the incomplete Difference Engine in the Science Museum, where it still sits. Babbage, using his own money, spent the rest of his life working on the Analytical Engine, but never finished it. He was assisted by Lord Byron's daughter, Ada Augusta, the countess of Lovelace and an amateur mathematician. In spite of his failure to completely develop a working machine, Babbage and Lady Lovelace are legendary heroes in the prehistory of the computing age; he is sometimes called “the grandfather of modern computing”.

1

Mental Math Tricks The 11 Times Trick

Take the original number and imagine a space between the two digits (in this example we will use 52:

2

Multiply by 5

Take any number, then divide it by 2. If the result is whole, add a 0 at the end. If it is not, ignore the remainder and add a 5 at the end.

2682 x 5 = (2682 / 2) & 5 or 0 2682 / 2 = 1341 (whole number so add 0) 13410

Let’s try another:

5_2

5887 x 5

5_(5+2)_2

29435

Now add the two numbers together and put them in the middle: That is it – you have the answer: 572.

If the numbers in the middle add up to a 2 digit number, just insert the second number and add 1 to the first: 9_(9+9)_9 (9+1)_8_9 10_8_9 1089

Contact Us:

2943.5 (fractional number (ignore remainder, add 5)

3

Multiply by 9

This one is simple – to multiple any number between 1 and 9 by 9 hold both hands in front of your face – drop the finger that corresponds to the number you are multiplying (for example 9×3 – drop your third finger) – count the fingers before the dropped finger (in the case of 9×3 it is 2) then count the numbers after (in this case 7) – the answer is 27.t

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

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

Pg5

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GOA, mOndAy, 13 december, 2010

Chandor locals demand halt to Cavelossim gram sabha Chinchinim locals irked over blasting operations in village demands closure of absence of full time secretary HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 12

Blasting operations in the village for the purpose of extraction of black metal agitated the minds of the gram sabha members of the village Panchayat of Chandor-Cavorim on Sunday.

At the meeting held on Sunday, the members demanded to know from the Sapranch whether he and the Panchayat body are aware of the blasting operations and the steps taken to crack a whip against the activity.

Agitated members demanded to know from the Sarpanch Derrick Pereira over the issue and called for a stop to the activity.

After much discussion on the sensitive issue, it was fi-

nally decided to fix up a meeting with Cleofacio Dias to discuss the matter in view of the concerns shown by the villagers.

In fact, this was the suggestion given by the local MLA and Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Alemao during his recent visit to Chandor.

Incidentally, this is not the first time that the issue over blasting operations has figured at the gram sabha meeting of the village Panchayat. In the past too, gram sabha members had touched on the sensitive issue with a call to the authorities to initiate action as per law.

The meeting also discussed the issue of Oilem Tollem and it was decided to take up the matter with the concerned de-

partment for development of the lake from the Tourism point of view.

The garbage issue also figured at the meeting when members demanded to know the steps taken by the body to overcome the garbage problem.

The Sarpanch informed the meeting that the Panchayat is in the process of appointing environmentalist Clinton Vaz as a consultant for the body to solve the burning problem.

The Sarpanch further informed that the Panchayat is toying with the idea of setting up a waste recyling plant on the lines of Betalbatim village, besides setting up composting units for treatment of the waste.

Colva p’yat cornered over failure on the garbage front

vessel workshop

HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 12

In an interesting development, the gram sabha of Cavelossim village panchayat has demanded closure of the workshop-cum-docking facility used by fishing vessel.

At the gram sabha meeting chaired by Sarpanch Edwin Barretto, members called for a total stop to the repair activity, besides docking of vessels in the village on grounds that the activity results in frequent breakdown and fluctuations in the power supply.

The Sarpanch later told newsmen that the gram sabha has adopted a resolution in this respect, asking the Panchayat body to close down the business activity.

The gram sabha members also passed a resolution demanding a ban on the presence of lamanis on the CavelossimMobor beach belt. The members also demanded that the Panchayat refuse to issue NOCs to any temporary stall on the road side in the village for the

Garbage issue dominated the gram sabha meeting of the village Panchayat of Colva on Sunday.

Gram sabha members charged the Panchayat body for the utter failure in managing the waste generated in the village. In fact, members proposed that the Director of Panchayats be informed about the failure of the Panchayat body and demanded that the Panchayat cannot issue construction licenses without putting in place garbage management system.

Gram sabha member Judith Almeida demanded to know how the Panchayat can issue construction licenses and occupancy certificates for new projects when garbage and sewage disposal is creating havoc in the village.

She pointed out that the indiscriminate discharge of sewage and garbage is responsible for the rise in diseases like chikungunya, dengue and malaria and called for concerted action to meet the situation.

Almeida lamented that though the issue is serious and needs immediate attention, the Panchayat body has not been able to answer the questions raised by the gram sabha members on these issues.

Meanwhile, the meeting decided to seek the opinion of the Water Resources Department on the filling of the water body in front of the Church for the purpose of constructing a playground and the panchayat ghar.

In another resolution, it has been decided to approach the local MLA Mickky Pacheco to take the initiative and process the papers regarding the ambi-

Two persons from Ponda missing

Garbage collection, disposal dominates Seraulim meet

HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 12

HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARCEL, DEC 12

HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 12

Two persons have been reported missing in separate incidents in Ponda taluka, police has said.

In the first incident, Ganpati Umarye, 14, a student at the Shankar Pathshala in Kavlem has been reported missing since Saturday afternoon.

A complaint was filed by the teacher, Mahesh Ganpule.

In another incident, 30-yearold man from Neura was reported missing from Santa Cruz in Ponda.

In a complaint, Ulhas Kunkolikar stated that his cousin, Kalidas Kunkolikar had left his (Ulhas) house at Santa Cruz, Ponda, on Saturday to return home at Neura but had failed to reach his residence.

Both cases are being investigated by ASI Chandra Morajkar.

Garbage collection and disposal, besides land filling along the Margao-Colva road figured prominently at the gram sabha meeting of the village Panchayat of Seraulim.

At the meeting held on Sunday, members demanded to know from the chair the steps taken to streamline the collection and disposal of waste generated in the village. Members pointed out that housing projects are coming up in the village and called for urgent steps to tackle the situation.

Sarpanch Leopoldina Fer-

Sarzora meet focuses on garbage issue HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 12

The gram sabha of Sarzora village Panchayat on Sunday discussed the garbage issue facing the village.

It was decided that the Panchayat take up with the Director of Panchayat the question of funding the garbage management project in view of the constraints faced by the body over funds.

The Chair told the gram sabha members that garbage can be collected once or twice a month by the body if the government accepts the proposal to fund the waste management project. The meeting also discussed the issue of power fluctuations and it was resolved to take up with the matter with the Assistant engineer, Electricity department.

tious project of a 24-hour health centre in Colva village.

The gram sabha members also raised the issue of sewage disposal in the Colva creek and demanded to know the measures taken by the Panchayat body. The sarpanch replied saying that the Tourism department has been asked to take action against the stalls responsible for discharging the waste in the creek Gram sabha members raised strong objection to the move to hold the adjourned gram sabha of the month and July and October today. Members pointed out that the gram sabha will not be able to approve the minutes of the adjourned gram sabha without the secretary actually writing the minutes. It was finally agreed to hold the gram sabha meeting of the month of October at a later date.

nandes informed the members that the Panchayat has already taken a decision that bungalows and new projects coming up in the village should have their own composting units to treat the waste generated in the complex.

Members also sought to know from the chair the land filling activity on the MargaoColva road witnessed in recent times. Members pointed out that complaints have been made in the past over the land filling activity and demanded to know the action taken report on the complaints.

The sarpanch and secretary

Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, Babu Azgaonkar announced that the government would come out with the youth policy within the next three months.

Speaking at the Xth Youth Festival organized by the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs at the Gomant Vidya Niketan here on Thursday, Azgaonkar assured the youth that the government is committed to bring the Youth policy into force by March 2011.

He said the proposed youth policy would take care of the needs of the youth and would give a boost and exposure to the talent, while making an appeal to the Director of Sports and Youth Affairs Susana D’Souza to prepare the ground work for the propose youth policy. “Susana had put in efforts to bring out the sports policy which has been implemented by the government.

The government is committed to bring out the youth policy by early next year”, he added.

Saying that the sports policy has given the equal weightage to sports and education, Azgaonkar appealed to the par-

ents to encourage their children into sports.

He pointed out that around 8500 students have availed benefits of the sports policy as they have received marks in the examination for participating in the sporting events.

“Put in equal efforts in sports, education and culture events for the overall development of the personality”, he

HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 12

The Guirdolim gram sabha on Sunday has vowed to protect the open spaces in the village from encroachments and has demanded a railway over bridge mitigate the hardships faced by the villagers.

At the gram sabha meeting chaired by Sarpanch Jose Antao, members expressed concern over the encroachment on open spaces and demanded that the same be protected for the benefit of the community.

told the members that the complaints were forwarded to the concerned authorities for necessary action as per the law.

Members also demanded to know the status of Seraulim village as far as the Regional Plan is concerned. They pointed out that the gram sabha had voted for VP 3 status for Seraulim village and demanded to know whether the authorities have accepted the resolution of the gram sabha.

The sarpanch replied saying that nothing has been received from the Town and Country Planning department on the question of Regional plan.

added.

PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao, in his brief address, appreciated the youth for putting up a scintillating cultural display at the function. He underlined the need to protect the rich cultural heritage of the country and appealed to the youth to make good and positive use of the computers to become good citizens of India.

‘Private bus operators free to operate from KTC bus stand’ MARGAO (HR): Saying that the question of closing the Margao Old Bus stand will be looked into at a later date, the RTA on Friday, however, said the private bus operators are at liberty to voluntarily operate from the KTC bus stand if they feel that injustice has been meted out to fellow bus operators by diverting the short route buses via Ana Fonte garden.

The RTA meeting chaired by Deputy Collector, Johnson Fernandes deliberated on the question of finalizing the plan of action to decongest the city and to shift all the bus operators operating from within the Town.

Assistant Director of Transport Prakash Azavedo and DySP Traffic Gajanan Prabhudessai also attended the meeting.

Members felt that public has experienced a big relief on account of the diversion of buses via Ana Fonte garden.

The meeting opined that if the bus operators feel that injustice is meted out to the fellow bus operators, and if there is insistence from the bus owners that the old bus stand be closed down in totality then before the RTA takes any decision, they are at liberty to voluntarily operate from the notified bus stand.

Members spar at Carmona meet over police complaint HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 12

The gram sabha of Carmona village Panchayat witnessed a walk out by some members at the fag end of the meeting on Sunday.

Panch member Orlando Da Silva along with some members left the meeting hall when a gram sabha member J B Ferrao raised the issue of police

complaint lodged by the Panch against three persons.

While Ferrao termed the complaint filed by Orlando as false and baseless, the Panch member said the police have registered a case as per the complaint, adding that the police now should take the investigations to its logical conclusion.

Amidst the discussions, Sarpanch Estaquio D’Costa in-

formed that the incident of abuse as allegedly by Orlando did not take place at the Panchayat meeting. The Sarpanch also informed the members about the complaint lodged with the police on the locking of the Panchayat ghar and taking away the Panchayat document by the Panch member.

While Orlando termed as irrelevant the issue raised by

HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 12

Absence of a full time Panchayat secretary, garbage collection and disposal, market complex figured at the gram sabha meeting of the village Panchayat of Chinchinim on Sunday.

Members were upset over the absence of the panchayat secretary at the meeting and demanded that the Sarpanch pursue with the Panchayat authorities for a time secretary for Chinchinim.

They pointed out that even the neighbouring fivemember Sarzora panchayat body has a full time secretary and demanded that the issue be resolved before the next gram sabha meeting.

Garbage disposal also figured at the meeting when members demanded to know from the Chair the steps taken by the Panchayat on the issue.

Sarpanch Olwyn Antao informed the members that the Panchayat has made a provision on the garbage

Guirdolim locals vow to protect open spaces from encroachment

Youth policy within 3 months: Babu HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 12

new tourist season.

The question of nuisance posed by Laamanis to the tourists on the beach came up for discussions at today’s meeting, wherein the members told the Sarpanch to stop movement of laamanis on the beach.

Gram sabha members also raised serious concern over the entry of names of outsiders in the ration cards and electoral rolls. Demanding to know how the names of outsiders have figured in the electoral roll and ration cards, members asked the Sarpanch to initiate necessary action in the matter.

Sarpanch Barretto informed that the Panchayat would soon write to the Salcete Mamlatdar on the issue.

The meeting also raised up the issue of massage parlous and demanded a stop to the issuance of licenses for the business activity.

Baretto said the Panchayat body would place the resolution adopted by the gram sabha before the Panchayat for necessary action.

Ferrao, the gram sabha member along with the Sarpanch called for action against the Panch as per law for locking the panchayat ghar and taking away the document.

The meeting also discussed the non illumination of the streets lamps, with members calling upon the panchayat to take up the matter with the electricity department.

During discussions, it came to light that the builders show the open spaces at the time of selling of plots, but fail to execute a gift deed with the Panchayat body.

After much discussion, the members told the Sarpanch to take necessary measures to protect the open spaces from encroachments.

The garbage issue also figured at the meeting, wherein the Sarpanch informed the members that henceforth the Panchayat has made it mandatory for the builders to show the garbage site on the plan vis-à-vis commercial projects.

Antao said this rule would make the builder show the garbage site on the plan, causing problems at a later stage.

On the question of railway crossing, members demanded that the government build a railway overbridge at the site

already proposed by the authorities.

Sarpanch Antao informed the members that the Panchayat is in receipt of a letter from the South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha stating that the bridge can be taken up by the railways provided 50 per cent of the total cost is borne by the state government.

The recent visit of local MLA and Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Alemao also came up for discussion at the meeting. Members felt that the local MLA should frequently visit the Panchayat for the redressal of grievances of the villagers.

The Sarpanch informed that the Panchayat has written to the Local MLA to take up with the government the issue of deploying an additional KTC bus from Guirdolim to Margao for the benefit of senior citizens.

Ambelim VP to name park after former MLA Roque HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 12

The gram sabha of Ambelim village Panchayat has agreed to name the proposed park after former MLA and freedom fighter Roque Santan Fernandes.

The family of the late MLA has been asked by the gram sabha to submit the time frame when they will take up and complete work on the project.

Ambelim Sarpanch Cruz Silva said the gram sabha has passed a resolution agreeing to name the park as Roque Santan Memorial park adjacent to the Panchayat ghar.

Silva said while the Panchayat would provide the land for the park, the cost and maintenance of the park has to be borne by the family of the late MLA. Silva said the family has been told to get back to the village Panchayat within three

days time with a time-bound proposal towards the construction of the memorial park.

Incidentally, the proposal to erect the statue of the late Cuncolim MLA near the Panchayat ghar had earlier not favour with the Panchayat body.

Meanwhile, today’s gram sabha also discussed the issues relating to the Civil Supplies department after members demanded for an independent fair shop for Ambelim village.

Members pointed out that the lone fair price shop in Velim fails to cater to the requirements of the consumers.

After much discussion, it was decided to write a letter to the Civil Supplies department seeking details on the stock supplied to the fair price shop concerning Ambelim village and the utilization of the stock by the people.

Telaulim VP told to form panel to scrutinise BPL forms HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, DEC 12

Gram sabha members of Telaulim village Panchayat on Sunday have called for the constitution of a committee to scrutinize Below Poverty Line applications to ensure that only the genuine people get the benefits.

At the gram sabha meeting held on Sunday, the members rejected all the eight BPL forms placed before the gram sabha, with a demand to the Panchayat body to form a committee to scrutinize the applications.

Members felt that members of the Committee should personally visit the residence of the applicants before scrutinizing the forms and forwarding the same to the higher authorities.

The decision assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the rejection of

majority of BPL forms by the higher authorities. It is not out of place to mention here that out of the 108 BPL forms forwarded to the higher authorities, only four forms found favour with the authorities.

Against this backdrop, members were of the firm opinion that the applications should be forwarded to the higher authorities only after a thorough inquiry so that only the deserving get the benefits.

The gram sabha also discussed on the traditional water bodies located in the village and called for their maintenance.

In this connection, it was decided after much discussions that the Panchayat body should write to the department of Water Resources and PWD for providing sluice gates to the three traditional lakes in the village.

front and disclosed plans to convene a meeting to discuss and deliberate on the collection and disposal of garbage.

The issue over the new market complex also came up for discussions at the meeting.

When the sarpanch sought to know the views on the issue, most of the members gave their approval for the market complex, with one or two members demanded to know the safeguards on issues like effluent discharge, drainage, etc in the com-

plex.

Some of the members felt that locals should get preference in the allotment of stalls in the market complex.

Members sought to know from the Sarpanch over the permission granted for a religious program inside the garden when the gram sabha had decided not to allow religious function at the public place.

OHERALDO

OPINION

Pg6

www.oheraldo.in

O HERALD O

Harappan secrets

Vol No CX No: 311 Goa, Monday, 13 December, 2010

The myth of the ‘free world’

are the findings of José Calazans, a continuation of portuguese discoveries, asks tEOtÓniO R de SOUZa

W

ikileaks is a website dedicated to publicising allegedly ‘confidential’ information. Its activities have exposed exactly how little freedom there is in the so-called ‘free world’, as the developed countries of the western world like to describe themselves. Not surprisingly, its founder, Julian Assange, has become a cult figure for his supporters, and a villain who is out to destroy the world for his detractors.

Unfortunately, most of his supporters are ‘aam admi’ types, while most of his detractors are powerful governments, wealthy industrialists and people of influence, who have much to hide. They have hounded him in the worst way possible.

Perhaps this was only to be expected. As his mother Christine stated, he has in his last two exposes, taken on people who are simply too powerful. Both the leak of thousands of documents relating to the Afghan War and the publication of confidential diplomatic ‘cables’ or internal opinions and observations of diplomatic personnel in the US State Department, Wikileaks and Assange have deeply angered the world’s only superpower, the United States of America.

He has been slapped with an obviously trumped-up rape charge, his bank accounts have been frozen worldwide and he has now been arrested by the British police. But his supporters too have struck back. There have been protests outside British embassies. A group of hackers have attacked the websites of Internet payment service Paypal as well as Mastercard and Visa, after they froze the flow of funds from donors to Assange’s accounts.

Most governments, including India, have strongly condemned Assange’s latest leak. But Russia has called for him to be given the Nobel Peace Prize. People all over the globe believe him to be the last hope for a free and fair press.

Assange describes his style as ‘scientific journalism’. He says: “We must think clearly and boldly, for if we have learned anything it is that regimes do not want to be changed. We must think beyond those who have gone before us and discover technological changes that embolden us with ways to act in which our forebears could not.”

To be fair to the US government, leaks of its diplomatic cables can not only be embarrassing, but can damage its foreign policy. This is not an irrational fear. But to the public, it makes clear the workings of foreign policy, warts and all.

It exposes the hypocrisies, double dealing and crass commercial haggling that goes on in inter-governmental dealings, demolishes the haloes around the heads of leaders, and educates the public as nothing else can.

As Assange says, the more secretive or unjust an organisation is, the more it fears leaks. Unjust systems, by their very nature create opponents, who leak information. Mass leaking, he says, creates a groundswell for more open forms of governance.

It sounds naively idealistic to some, and anarchist to those in power. Little wonder that some American Republican Party senators have called for Assange to be tried for espionage. Other redneck conservatives have even called for him to be “bumped off ”. But this level of paranoia on the part of the US establishment has only made him an instant hero among the masses.

Two years after?

C

ongress General Secretary Digvijay Singh’s sensational claim that two hours before terrorists attacked Mumbai on 26 November 2008, Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare called him to say that his life was under threat from those who opposed his probe into the Malegaon blast, is two years too late.

Whether it is true or false is irrelevant now. What we need to ask is: “Why now?” The motive will become clear sooner, rather than later.

Revamp needed John Eric Gomes, Porvorim This is with reference to the article “Hardly working bureaucrats” (Herald, Nov 25).

These are a powerfully unionised and pampered lot, who have found that they can protect themselves from prosecution, easily resist change, with no fear of punishment or salary cuts. They are also responsible for making laws and rules to make the poor citizen run from pillar to post, with impunity. With their political nexus and being unable to discipline them, it appears that attempts to pursue administrative reforms have been kept aside.

I brought to the notice of those concerned, in writing, of the prevailing lacunae and had suggested a complete revamp which would require a professional ‘work study’ and enforcement of the resulting recommendations. In fact, work study is sadly lacking in all government offices.

I do hope someone responsible in government is moved to act here in public interest.

Two star performers SND Poojary, Miramar The Chief Minister of Karnataka, B S Yed-

Smile with Smitha

A

s a result of its pioneering commercial-colonial links with India since the close of the 15th century, the Portuguese have made some rare contributions to world’s knowledge about Asia, including India, their first point of contact and later, the base of their colonial empire in Asia. The manuals produced by Duarte Barbosa and Tomé Pires are still regarded as masterpieces of encyclopedic information about material and human resources of Asia at the time of the Portuguese arrival in the Indian Ocean. Later, the colonial missionaries produced linguistic tools that could enable them to penetrate Asian cultures and implant Christianity. In Portugal itself, there was a short period of orientalist research surge in the late 19th – early 20th century, marked by such scholarly figures as G de Vasconcellos Abreu, Esteves Pereira, David Lopes and Sebastião R Dalgado. Lately, we have only seen commemorative stunts and neo-orientalist gimmicks!

José Calazans, my colleague at the Lusophone University in Lisbon, and faculty member in the Department of the Science of Religions, has released this week at the Hindu Temple in Lisbon a Short Grammar of the Harappa Language, a bilingual edition in 150 pages, wherein he provides a preview of a much larger work, he has compiled on the grammar and dictionary of the Indus Valley script that has so far defied interested scholars over nearly a century in India, Finland, Russia, USA and elsewhere, assuming generally that Tamil (proto-Dravidian) was the key for deciphering the 2,000-odd seals so far known.

José Calazans recognises and praises the pioneering work of Fr Heras and several others, but points to the reason why their efforts ended in failure: they all sought to fit in Vedic concepts into the Harappan script. His method suggests instead, that the “language” ideo-pictographically expressed, could be a dialect (prakrta) of Indo-Iranian family, partly structured like the Vedic Sanskrit (bhasa), the Pali, and other near-contemporary jargons (paisaca), but with significant differences. He cites references in the classical and Vedic texts to the existence of such jargons, some probably never taken seriously,

HiStORiCal ExplORatiOnS because they are mentioned as languages of the «dogs» (sva), «owls» (uluka), «cuckoos» (koka), «eagles» (suparna) and «vultures» (grdhra), all of them referred as «demons» (raksasas) in the Rgveda. The users of the languages are designated as Kikata people, and their priests as Kilata and Akuli, always in a pejorative sense. There are no references to any written script prior to Brahmi.

The team led by Rajesh Rao (University of Washington, 2009) produced interesting results using computer-based statistics and comparing symbols of Indus script and different languages – including modern English and the ancient Sanskrit - as well as nonlinguistic systems. Calazans confesses that recent statements by Rajesh Rao egged him on to make public his findings, because they supported his own conclusion that the Harappa pictographic script is, in fact, a dialect (prakrit) closer to Pali, than to Vedic Sanskrit.

Calazans classifies the Harappan language as belonging to the group of Raksasibasha and identifies phonetic and phonologic bridge with the Vedic Sanskrit and Pali, but is marked by semantic differences of conflicting social strata and anti-Brahmin orthodoxy. The novelty that Calazans proposes is that the continuity of older traditions need not have been only oral, as Vedic texts presume. Harappan script was a written tradition in aphoristic style,

Of Development and CSR

Straight From The Heart

A

s a child, I remember that development is synonymous with progress. However, now, the word development, especially land development, has almost become a four letter word with all its pejorative connotations. For this, we owe special thanks to scrupulous ministers who get voted to power repeatedly, and to conscientious citizens who vote for them repeatedly. Oh no, we can’t escape it! We are all responsible for this mess.

Development, as described by many avaricious NGOs, some befuddled NGOs and few idealistic NGOs, is a word that denotes degradation of environment, exploitation of people and a murderous form of land use.

In a country of 1.15 billion people, and a booming economy, is it practically possible to stall and bury all kinds of development projects like hotels, schools, hospitals, housing societies, commercial centres and IT hubs? How will we then generate employment, create adequate housing or invest constructively? Can any place survive, unless it is abreast with the times in terms of infrastructure, which corresponds to the needs of a growing population and growing economy? It is a Utopian fantasy which cannot be realised, unless a place and its people decide to live in a stasis or as an anachronism, with no relation to the world outside. And for how long can such a model state survive, before its own needs and the intrusion of building sharks swallow it up? What, then, is the way out of this conundrum?

The answer, perhaps, lies in the examining and understanding

dyurappa, continues to occupy the chair in spite of serious allegations against him.

He handed over the government land at some throwaway price to his sons and daughter. But he outwitted the central leadership of his party by flashing his caste label. The religious bodies that benefited from his ‘sarkari’ philanthropy by way of receiving huge government grants and other concessions came to his rescue. He has survived. The party to which he belongs, the moment its raises voice against corruption, is reminded of its own shining example.

The other star performer is P J Thomas, the present CVC. The Supreme Court indirectly hinted that it was not tenable for the incumbent to continue in office, in light of the ‘spectacular spectrum scam’.

However, he defies the Supreme Court. He would not have survived but for the implicit support extended to him by the ruling coalition at the centre.

Catholic timidity Anthony Fernandes, Mapusa The news report ‘Pope Benedict exhorts Pilar missionaries to be fearless’(Herald, 5 Dec) is like water on a duck’s back. The clergy is responsible for the rut the Indian

Smitha Bhandare Kamat

which was inconvenient to the Aryan Brahmin orthodoxy. This written tradition, as defended by Calazans, was probably the first source of astronomic and astrologic calculus, and could have been the origin of later shastras, linked to the science of astronomy. In the Harappan ideo-pictographic writing, the stress was not based on sound or pronunciation, vowels or consonants, but on pictograms which need to be interpreted as a whole, an idea and a religious, divine and human principle.

Only through an oral teaching process, would hundreds of ideo-pictographic combinations, be fully understood. A sentence was constructed through successive agglutinations in a syntagmatic disposition through prefixation, infixation (a sign placed inside the ideogram when ideographic compounds are formed) and suffixation. Digital affixes represented by short vertical bars indicated specific numbers or declension cases, depending upon their position at the upper left corner (number) or upper right corner (case) of the basic ideo-pictogram.

Calazans sees extraordinary similarity with the Chinese number system, more so than Egyptian and Sumerian, a fact he attributes to the proximity of two mythical regions of Uttara-Kuru and TaklaMakan, as a cultural melting pot. Calazans is not yet sure of the full meaning of the zoomorphic sequence in the seals, but believes that it obeys to cy-

cles of years or seasons, also similar to the dozen animals of the Chinese calendar. Following the order adopted in the Corpus of Hindu Seals and Inscriptions (A Parpola, 1987-1991) despite persistence of doubts, that showed some important registry of events, such as a solstice on July 26 of 3912 BC, when Mars and Saturn were in conjunction during five days, such seals were reused probably as amulets with some ritual value. This date suggests that the Harappan culture belongs to a much earlier chronological setting, than so far believed, and Calazans opines, that this fact may embarrass many a political rival.

Calazans declares that it is not his intention to announce any “triumph” (sic) before achieving it or to take the risk of repeating what others have said before. He states that many had been close to finding a solution, implying that he too, may join the ranks.

He hopes, though, that his solution will revive the interest of the scholars and awaits scholarly feedback, proving him right or wrong. We too wish that the readers of this column take up the issue and pass on the word. Personally, I respect my erudite colleague, and wish him luck in this bold endeavour.

To conclude, among some of the doubts that do not find answers or leads in the present edition of the Short Grammar of Harappa Language, but which we hope to find in the fuller published version, is how the very limited sequences of seals can ever provide a satisfactory base to capture a meaningful system of concepts. We are also not provided details of any comparative advance made beyond what Parpola or Mahadevan have done for solving the Harappan puzzle. Besides, why would the pictographic script disappear in the Middle East and Indus Valley, but not in China and in the Chinese cultural world? Was it determined by changes in dominant cultural thought patterns, or a change in dominant materials and support technologies? We have no clue either, as to how a language seemingly well developed long before the arrival of the Aryans into the region, should have structural links with Vedic languages or related jargons. Or does the researcher-author imply that Vedic language and dialects grew out of the Harappan culture or suffered its linguistic influence, in a significant manner?

of the proposed developmental project, the kind of concern it has for environment protection, the kind of jobs it has the potential to generate, and the kind of social responsibility measures that it endeavours to take up. It is not enough to just chant the “No development” motto. The corrupt politicians, the corporate lobbies, the developers, are a nexus which is too difficult to break. Sooner or later, insidiously, the projects proposed by all these, will come up just as they have in the past, even when such projects have been environmentally harmful and socially exploitative.

So what do we do? Do we throw up our hands and give up, or foolishly insist that we, the citizens, have the power to stop all unwanted projects? That is a myth that has been sadly demystified, many a time. As for NGOs, given one genuine NGO, there are tens of corrupt organisations, and some of them are full of people who could not get anywhere in life through education, hard work or sincerity and thus find this as the easiest way to have a piece of the economic and development boom in our country today.

A place that has no source of livelihood, a place which people migrate from, a place that cannot support its population, a place where there is no one to safeguard environmental concerns that desperately needs development, and mind you, the right, holistic, and well planned kind of development. Rather than take up cudgels against all kinds of development, it is more prudent to study the context and needs of the affected people and in what way the

Nobel decision, indeed

Nelson Lopes Chinchinim

The Nobel peace prize to Liu Xiabo, who is incarcerated in prison for 11 years in China, and labelled as a dissident, has evoked outrage and sharp criticism and has been termed as a direct interference in China’s internal affairs.

The Chinese have their fair share of reasons. But the world is also aware of how brutal China has been, on the matter of human rights. The Tiananmen square massacre is a classic example. India`s stand in attending the ceremony and not succumbing to pressure, blackmail and possible repercussions, is a praise-worthy act.

China’s rapid development and its poor human rights record will be counter productive to its own economy. The empty chair in Oslo signified China’s arrogance.

Of course, there have been some controversies regarding the peace prize to world leaders. And like all decisions, criteria of fairness and eligibility will always be questioned.

China`s needs to do the tight rope walk in balancing moderation of its rigid stance, and ushering in of democratic reforms.

The world will then certainly see China’s meteoric rise to become the most prosperous nation on the globe.

Too many don’ts Jonas Correia, Aldona The government and some dubious NGOs tell us what we should not do. Don’t cut trees, don’t eat mushrooms and frogs, don’t kill snakes… the list is endless. But what are people supposed to do?

There are several deaths due to snake bites. Falling branches have caused death,

proposed development can improve their living conditions and economic status.

Some amount of development in a large developing country like ours, is inevitable. We might not be able to fully control the quantum of development, but we surely can decide on the quality of that development. Let us get smart, smarter than the politicians, smarter than builders, smarter than industrial houses, smarter than the NGOs, and allow only that kind of development which improves the standard of living of the people.

Let us also be wary of the hogwash variety of Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR, which seeks to just pacify the protesting voices. Let us choose only those companies which, through their CSR schemes, provide sustainable development, which do not just fulfill short term needs of the people, but equip them with skills and ensure employment, for lifelong economic stability.

If a project can grant me a job, make sure that my siblings and neighbours do not migrate to another country or place, improve the environment around me and be a project which, while earning money, stems from the needs of the people, so what is wrong with such a project? Surely a poor country like ours should have the power of discernment by now. So let us be discerning. Let us not allow the power nexus to thrust undesirable exploitative development on us. Let us choose the development that suits us and addresses our needs.

Letters to the Editor

Letter of the Day

Christian community is in; the number of ‘nominal’ Christians is rising day by day.

Christians are increasingly boosting nonChristian faiths with their foolish support out of timidity or diplomacy, with the result that non-Christian fundamentalism is increasing in leaps and bounds all over Asia and North Africa, and Christians have begun to be suppressed and victimised.

The life of Jesus is not only about His death and resurrection, but also about His ‘Warnings’ (Mathew: 24) about other false beliefs. Fundamentalist diktats by other community leaders encroach on the rights and freedom of Christians, like the ban on beef, anti-conversion laws, etc. But there is hardly any response from the Catholic clergy in India.

By Sajla Chawla

destruction of property, power outages, etc. People are deprived of foodgrains and income because of fields lying fallow owing to arrogance of tenants. Politicians distribute free saplings to select voters, but want others to preserve trees even if they are old and non-fruit bearing. This is disgusting.

No one should tell us how to live our lives. Let the government first have proper administration to benefit all citizens uniformly, and everyone will be responsible citizens.

Viva Vasco Reo Cunha, Moira The port city of Vasco has significance; it was named after the great Portuguese sailor Vasco da Gama. After Liberation, its name was officially changed after Maratha warrior Sambhaji, but it still remained Vasco.

Recently, a Portuguese ship visited Goa, and so-called RSS supporting freedom fighter opposed the visit. But the people of Vasco, especially from Khariwado, showed their love. That is real Goan hospitality.

Viva Vasco, and long live Goa-Portuguese friendship!

Purify yourselves!

Avelino Christo Fernandes, Saligao To the excellent letter ‘Purification needed here’ by Therese Almeida (Herald, 30 November), I wish to add a few points. I would like to ask the so-called freedom fighters who poured ‘ganga jal’ into the waters of Khariwado where the Portuguese ship ‘Sagres’ was docked, why are they not doing anything about our land being sold to outsiders ? Why are they not raising their voices against the corrupt politicians? Why don’t they ‘purify’ our beaches from drugs and filth? Have they even once raised their voices about the critical garbage situation?

Amongst those ‘purifying’ the waters was a gentleman who was raided twice by the Income Tax authorities, and another who was in jail for the wrong reasons and freed on the day of Liberation, and claimed to be a freedom fighter. The freedom fighters should first clean their rank and file by pouring the water on the heads of such elements.

That is why till date not a single freedom fighter has become the Chief Minister of Goa.

Catch them unawares Savio Fernandes, Margao I commute regularly to Panjim and still find that private buses are overcrowded. The conductors do not wear uniforms and also do not issue tickets. This is despite the ongoing drive by the Directorate of Transport.

I have noticed that a private bus on the Panjim-Tonca-Caranzalem route carried passengers far beyond the prescribed norm. In addition, two more mini buses on this route were packed to the fullest and blatantly violated rules. Overcrowding can lead to accidents, that happened when an overcrowded Mapusa-Assagao bus met with a serious accident, injuring over 30 passengers. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. As usual, RTO officials turn a blind eye on the issue of overcrowding.

The Director of Transport Arun Dessai should take immediate action by conducting a surprise visit and catch the private bus owners unawares.

Disastrous mock drill Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco The mock-drill conducted by the South Goa

Disaster Management Authority at the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) tanks in Vasco, left a lot to be desired. Chaos prevailed as office-goers were returning home after work.

Curious onlookers were seen in the vicinity of the tanks. In an emergency, it is absolutely necessary to see that people move away from the danger area, as soon as possible. They should not be allowed to see the operation.

People living in buildings near the tanks, should have been evacuated.

Instructions given to the public on a loudspeaker mounted on a moving vehicle on the precautionary measures needed would have sufficed. This too was not done. It is understood that the mock drill was conducted to check the preparedness of the various agencies during the time of an emergency. In case the authorities could not find ways and means of evacuating people during a mock operation, what will they do if it really happens?

Ethics of judiciary Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar The Supreme Court has rightly expressed concern about the kith and kin of some Allahabad high court judges practicing in the same court. These are fundamental professional ethics of the judiciary. In fact, it would be appropriate for lawyers not to even appear before judges. The legal profession cannot end up becoming a business venture with court battles stage managed.

Mauvin’s pipe dream Marcos Alemao, via email Mauvin’s dreams that Congress will win all the seats in Mormugao (Herald, 11 Dec) will never come true. The Congress is the party of destruction and corruption and its ministers are corrupt. This is present from the ministerial level down to the administrative level everywhere. We do not live in a fool’s paradise. It is very much certain that good thinking people will never vote for Congress party during next election.

Letters should be 150 words or less in length, and should have the writer’s name, address and telephone number. The editor reserves the right to edit letters for size and readability, and to delete any personal attacks or libellous /objectionable matter.

Printed and published by Vinayak Pai Bir for and on behalf of Herald Publications Pvt Ltd. Printed at Herald Publications Pvt Ltd, Plot No: L-135, Phase II, Verna Industrial Estate, Verna, Salcete, Goa. Published at PO Box 160, Rua Sao Tome, Panjim, Goa - 403001. Editor-in-chief: Mr R F Fernandes. Editor: Ashwin Tombat (Responsible under PRB Act). Regd Office: St Tome Road, Panjim, Goa. Tel: 2224202, 2228083, Fax: 2222475 (all Editorial); 2230535, Fax: 2225622 (Advertising); Margao: 2737689. Mumbai Office: 16-A, Bell Building, 2nd Floor, 19 Sir PM Road, Fort, Mumbai - 400001 (Tel: 22840702/22844908). RNI No: 43667/83.

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OHERALDO

Pg 7

INDIA

GOA, MONDAY, 13 DECEMBER, 2010

Medvedev visit: Nuclear, defence, economy key issues on agenda PTI NEW DELHI, DEC 12

India and Russia are set to push their relations in nuclear, defence and various other areas to newer levels during the upcoming visit of President Dmitry Medvedev when the two sides are expected to sign at least eight agreements.

Enhancing economic component of bilateral relations, which has remained well below the potential, will be the focus of the two-day visit beginning on December 21.

Medvedev, who will be here for the annual India-Russia Summit, will hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on a range of issues covering bilateral and regional matters like situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan and global issues of mutual interest.

During the visit, the two sides are expected to sign eight agreements in various areas, including civil nuclear, defence, space and trade.

In the civil nuclear field, the two leaders are expected to discuss ways to carry forward their cooperation beyond the building of atomic plants in India.

In this context, cooperation in research and other aspects would be on the agenda and a couple of agreements are likely to be signed in this regard, sources told PTI. Earlier, the first unit of Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu was expected to

be commissioned duing Medvedev's visit but that is not going to happen as certain procedural matters are yet to be worked out, the sources said.

The 1000 MW unit, being constructed for the last three years, is one of the four such units in Kudankulam to be built through collaboration with Russia.

India has also earmarked a site in Haripur in West Bengal for a nuclear plant to be constructed with Russian collaboration.

This project, however, is facing stiff resistance from the local people.

As a result, an alternate site, including in Orissa, is being identified where Russian nuclear plant could be built.

In the military field, the two sides are at an advanced stage of negotiations for a contract for joint production of 5th generation fighters and it could be signed during the visit. First of such fighters, to be designed in India, could roll out by 2018.

During the visit, the two sides are also

expected to discuss the upgradation of MiG29 and Sukhoi fighter aircraft.

The main focus of the visit will, however, be economy.

Despite healthy political relations, bilateral trade between India and Russia is still as low as USD 8 billion and both sides are determined to push it to USD 20 billion by 2015.

The sources said the reason for low bilateral trade is that the private sector on both sides has not been engaging much.

Realising this, the two sides have identified IT, pharma, diamonds and investments as the sectors in which the private sector could be involved to much greater extent.

The two countries are also discussing greater engagement in the hydrocarbon sector.

In this area, India has invested five billion dollars in Sakhalin-I and is now eyeing the Sakhalin-III oil and gas project in eastern Siberia.

India has conveyed its interest for exploration and development of Sakhalin-III and the two sides have been discussing the possibility of forming a joint venture between ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) and Russia's Rosneft.

Singh and Medvedev are also expected to discuss ways to counter the threat of terrorism, emanating from Pakistan and Afghanistan and of which both the countries are victims.

VHP activists dressed as Lord Ram and Hanumana participating at the Hanumat Shakti Jaagaran Mahayajna and Dharma Sabha for the construction the Ram temple at Ram Janma Bhoomi, in New Delhi on Sunday.

Govt, Oppn gearing up for duel on JPC probe outside Parliament PTI NEW DELHI, DEC 12

With the issue of corruption taking centrestage, confrontation between the Government and the Opposition over JPC probe into the 2G spectrum allocation appears set to spill over outside Parliament from next week.

Battlelines will be drawn by rival sides after the conclusion of the 'wasted' Winter session t o m o r ro w w h i c h s a w t h e longest-ever shutdown of Parliament by the Opposition in the wake of scams, including the ones related to Adarsh Housing Society and the Commonwealth Games.

The Opposition has announced plans to hold a rally against corruption at the historic Ram Lila Maidan here on December 22 as part of plans to keep the issue more than alive till the Budget session due late February.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi is expected to reveal the party's strategy at the General Body meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP).

The Congress plenary is also scheduled here from December 18 which is likely to chalk out the future course of action to meet the Opposition challenge.

This is the first plenary after the Congress-led UPA came to power for the second time in 2009.

A section of the UPA apprehends that if the Parliamentary stalemate persisted to the next year, it could raise the possibility of mid-term elections. However, Congress leaders like Digvijay Singh do not subscribe to such a possibility.

The Left parties are also expected to hold consultations with like-minded non-Congress, non-BJP parties like TDP, BJD, AIADMK and RLD over the next course of action.

CPI National Secretary D Raja said the National Council of his

n Battlelines will be drawn by rival sides after the conclusion of the 'wasted' Winter session tomorrow which saw the longest-ever shutdown of Parliament by the Opposition in the wake of scams, including the ones related to Adarsh Housing Society and the Commonwealth Games. party would be meeting in Hyderabad from December 14 to 16 and consultations were possible that time or soon after the meeting.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has already said it would be most unfortunate if the Parliament stalemate extends to the Budget session as it would be an irreparable d a m a g e t o Pa r l i a m e n t a r y democracy.

Strongly backing a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) probe into the spectrum issue, Senior Congress leader V Kishore Chandra Deo said constitution of JPC would only amount to weakening of Committee system in Parliament which has yielded positive results.

Deo said a JPC would enjoy "no separate or extra powers" that are available to the PAC which can also summon "any paper or person provided that the same relate to the subject matter under examination of the Committee".

BJP attacks PM for ‘not trying’ to break Parliament impasse PTI NEW DELHI, DEC 12

With Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressing concern over Parliament disruptions, the BJP today tried to turn the tables on him, questioning his contribution to efforts to break the impasse over Opposition's demand for a JPC probe into the 2G Spectrum scam.

It also said that the Prime Minister should bear in mind that his government's "stubborn" stand against Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the 2G scam was the reason for both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha sessions being washed out.

"The Prime Minister has spoken on the Parliament impasse outside the country. But he never made any attempt to resolve the issue when he was in Delhi and never opened his mouth in Parliament on the issue," BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain told reporters here at his residence.

"The responsibility for corruption in the UPA government has to be collective, as it was the members of Singh's Council of Ministers, who have been caught indulging in corruption," he said.

He said the Opposition wanted Parliament to run smoothly, but the Prime Minister made no contribution towards resolving the dispute over the government not agreeing to the JPC probe.

Singh had told Indian journalists in Berlin that he was "worried" over the future of Parliamentary system in India in the wake of a complete washout of the winter session of Parliament on the 2G spectrum issue.

"The Prime Minister should keep in mind that his government's corruption and its stubborn attitude in not agreeing to a JPC probe are threatening democracy in this country," Hussain said.

"Indian democracy was, is and will remain strong. The Oppo-

sition's responsibility, as it was during Emergency, is to save democracy. It is for strengthening democracy that Opposition is raising its voice in Parliament on corruption issue," he added.

Dubbing the UPA government as "the most corrupt," the BJP leader said it was due to the failure of Singh's government that corruption took place, be it on 2G Spectrum or the Commonwealth Games, and these were the reasons for which the Parliament stood disrupted.

"The image of this government has taken a beating. We want to remind this government that the Opposition is united on the JPC demand and we will continue to demand it till the government agrees to it.

appointments

Sonia to unveil party strategy at CPP meet today PTI NEW DELHI, DEC 12

With no signs of any end to the confrontation with the Opposition, Congress President Sonia Gandhi is expected to unveil the party's plan to counter the campaign at a meeting of party MPs here tomorrow. Gandhi will be addressing the meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) tomorrow, the last day of the winter session that saw longest ever shutdown of Parliament by Opposition demanding Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the 2G Spectrum issue.

appointments

appointments

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CAREERS & EDUCATION

GOA, Monday, 13 December 2010

Constructive Criticism and Encouragement Makes You a Man

By Dwayne Silveira

F

riends, life is more precious than gold and diamonds.

Be on the top to defend, to attack, to conquer. Many a times in life we feel useless due to the present situation which seems to be fact. If we look at the plain grass, and it seems useless because at the time that we have seen it, they are only weeds. But if we look deep inside, we will find its many valuable uses. Cows eat grass and then in turn nourish us. Grass is dried and used to build stables. There is a similarity in human life. During the times in our lives when we are at our low points and people disparage us telling us that circumstances will never allow us to achieve our goals. They are speaking according to their vision of the prevalent circumstances. But it must be understood that things are not always as they seem and so the outcome may be quite different from what is expected. As we look into the ancient past, we know that no one dared to fly or even thought of doing so, and those who did or might have done would have certainly be called or thought of as fools. But then the Wright Brothers had a goal to achieve.

They just did not let it be a dream, but were determined to turn their goal into a reality and worked very hard to do so.

Many people discourage us from following the career we really want to, because they feel that it could be wrong for us or not lucrative enough. But you must understand that no one but only you can choose what you do, how you live, what career you choose to earn your livelihood, as long as you are not involved in anything or in behaviour that is nefarious, corrupt and illegal. And that whatever you do must not harm either others or yourself.

Every career has its positive and negative aspects and effects.

And so we must know how too make our choices to reap the utmost benefits we can get from it.

If your friend offers you a loaf of bread, will you take it? Or if he gives you a snake to eat, will you eat it? In such circumstances you will need to be discerning or the person’s intentions, and understand what is good or bad for you and only then make the choice.

People say that losing disappoints us and could make us feel discouraged and making it a turning point in our life when we just give up. But I feel that it is the starting point of success in life. When we look at the struggling spider, we see it fall

a thousand times, but it never gives up hope of getting to its destiny and it keeps on trying until it finally does so. If this creature can do so, think of how much human beings can do in life. Failure is something that tells you that, there is something better waiting for you in future. Without failure there would be no inventions, that tells us how much failure makes us prove that we are better in life. When people find themselves in trouble and there seems that there is no way out of their predicament(s) they

try or sometimes unfortunately succeed in destroying their own lives. Why do they do so?

Winning and losing is a part of life. Even when we work hard and think that we will meet success it stays very far away from us. Do you know why? It is because we try to find what others have in their lives, and forget to see what we have in our own.

Friends, don’t worry if you can’t do the things that others can do. It happens because each one of us is unique and God has blessed each one of us with a special talent, that others cannot do. Challenge the number one person i.e. challenge not others but yourself, compete not with others but with yourself. It does not matter to you whether you

win or lose.

What ultimately matters is that you do not give up and that you play till the end of your life.

If someone you know has a higher position in their career than you do in yours, say “well done.” In the meantime, work on your mistakes, and overcome it, and then the other person you congratulated will reciprocate likewise to you too.

When people criticize you, keeping in mind your well-being and welfare so that you could better yourself and your circumstances , do lend them your ear, listen carefully and work on the

pointers they are giving you. It will lead you through to the path of success. But when people criticize you for the good work you do, I tell you that they are insecure of you, because they know well that you are better than them and resent this fact.

They are afraid to face you and your positive attitude to life.

I understand that your legs are broken, that your heart is laid bare and may be you are trampled upon in many ways.

But you must not be discouraged. You must be resilient and get up and walk. All this will count on the day of success. You will be much happier and cherish your success all the more if it came to you the hard way, than if you achieved it without much toil, sweat, hard work and heartache. If you gain success the hard way, when you finally meet it, your meeting will be a very emotional, and treasured one for you.

Some people are quite fatalistic and believe that somehow we will meet our destiny, but I feel that we must wok towards it for we have the power to a certain extent to make or change our destiny. Others say we should wait for our appointed time to get what is for us and that we will certainly then get what is meant for us.

But our time will never come if we do not work to achieve it.

We should work for it to come.

When people talk about you positively or negatively, do not believe in their impressions of you as being the truth. For if you do so, they will lead you astray and you will not find a way out. Believe in yourself and create and walk on your own path.

The keys to success are in your hands; the ball to the game that is to be played is in your court; it is your call on how you play the game in life. Poverty, Education or health will never come in the way of success. Man can fulfil his dream, even at his last breath. There fore I say criticism and encouragement makes you a man, it will enable you lift the cup of glory and success.

Assisting the Medicos By: Caetano de Abreu

R

eviving the golden magic of war movies, one can still hear anguished cries yelling: "medic, medic" and there they are the "Stretcher bearers", flitting across the war zones trying to take the wounded to the relative safety of field hospitals that are appointed to perform the life saving tasks of surgery and amputation.

Para-medicine is now much advanced than it was in the days of yore, and thus frequently used in cases of emergencies and ancillar y ser vices in certain mishaps caused by human error or negligence. Nevertheless, the paramedics are there when a call is made to summon them to render assistance in a medical emergency. The work of paramedics is not restricted to war zones alone. It is gradually gaining a strong foothold in civilian environment. This fact can be seen with EMT (Emergency Medical Technicians) vehicles whizzing by to succour the distressed in need of their help.

A Paramedic, referred only as "Medic", is a medical profession sans any Physicians Degree and overall paraphernalia associated with medicine. They work as

part of the emergency medical services in a given area. Their primary role is to provide prehospital advanced medical and trauma care. Although most of the Paramedics are field based ambulances or response care services, some of them now are taking on hospital-based roles.

In most of the countries paramedic work is restricted by law and regulated by Health professionals, with a set of skills laid out in the code of Health Practices.

From the outset Para-medicine has always been linked with military conflicts as can be seen right from Roman days when aging centurions were requested to organize the removal of the wounded from the arena of war and provide some form of care.

Such individuals, although not qualified as doctors, were probably the world's earliest surgeons, suturing wounds and conducting amputations. What began with the Romans continued throughout the Crusades with the Knight Hospitallers of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem rendering the first succour, which today gained notability throughout the world as ‘St. John's Ambulance’. The first vehicle used to carry out these humane services was de-

signed by Napoleon's Chief Surgeon Dominique Jean Lorrey to transport the wounded rapidly to the Field Hospital. The same remained unchanged for nearly 110 years after the Napoleonic Wars. During Plague which devastated London, these services were capitalized upon to transport the ailing to the health care centres. During the American War of Independence Major Jonathan Letterman from Potomac devised a system of forward first aid station at the regimental level.

Thus with the formal training of Ambulance Attendants, the first taste of action began during World War I and spread rapidly to the civilian system soon after the War. In 1928, first aid-care was institutionalized at Roanoke, Virginia with Roanoke Life Saving and First Aid Crew under the direction of Julian Stanley Wise. The Paramedics commenced to inject painkillers in Korean War with the availability of helicopters known as Medevac.

It is not only in the arena of war

that the services of a paramedic are necessitated. The need for paramedics and their services are needed and in much demand in civilian areas too.

Certain basic education is needed to be a paramedic, after which specific courses must be undertaken to learn the specific nature of the work. But the dividends on completion are very high and the field is a very lucrative though demanding one in India itself. Below are websites that will give you the details of a few Schools and Colleges in India which can do the needful. a. www.ammas.com b. www.hifihereducationinindia.com c. www.puneeducation.net d. www.indiatrauma.org e. www.educationzinfi.com

The Power and Prestige of Press Journalism -VII

N

ewspapers cover a wide spectrum of events, issues and areas.

External Team

writer to editors is producing good, timely work. Because so many freelance magazine writers rely on assignments from editors, many people who get into this field come from full-time jobs at magazines.

Columnists: A newspaper appoints specialists for regular columns on general or specific subjects. They write a regular segment within their particular interest category, e.g. gardening, fashion, food, politics, music & dance, theatre, films, art etc. The columnist usually projects a point of view, and could either be a commentator or a critic. They review

Freelancers: People with interest in specific areas contribute occasionally to newspaper features. They often work alone in their own home.

They are paid for each piece or article they write. Because of the nature of magazine writing, many magazine writers work as freelancers. Some have cushy at-large positions, while others may live assignment-toassignment. Freelance magazine writers who don’t have steady gigs - i.e. stories for a certain section that magazine editors regularly assign to them - can find it stressful to constantly be chasing assignments. Some full-time freelance magaBy Maria de Lima Pereira zine writers find success pitching stories, but many rely on editors developments in special areas to assign them pieces. And the they write on and may conkey to being a top-of-mind tribute to a number of news pa-

E

pers at the same time. Columnists, being assigned a column, have to keep up contributing to the column on a regular basis for which they receive a fixed amount.

Critics: can also be columnists. He/she needs to be well read, have adequate knowledge and experience in his respective field. One can be a critic in various fields like film, art, drama etc. Only persons having

good knowledge about the particular subject/art can authoritatively write about the subject.

Commentators: Very prominent personnel, an authority in a field, are invited to write on topical issues or leading articles on a selected subject. Often special commentators are eminent social/political scientists, economists, social workers, authors, etc. ( to be continued)

Global Universities A New Era

Cube Global College is creating newer avenues in the field of engineering by launching their ‘twining’ programmes in association with Newcastle University (UK).

The Certificate Programmes at the ECube Global College are in Computing Science, Electronic Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. These are 11 month courses which have been established with the assistance of Newcastle University. The Certificate Programmes cover similar material to the first year of the degree courses at Newcastle University in the subject areas and are recognised qualification for direct entry to the second year of the corresponding degree programmes at the University.

This would give students who aspire to pursue engineering in India, a global exposure.

Honorable HRD Minister, Kapil Sibal has made basic education available to all Indian students, which has been well discussed and written about.

The need of the hour of the younger generation today is changing and they want more than basic education. Global education plays a vital role shaping a student’s career and in imbibing different cultures and knowledge in them.

India has a severe shortage

believe in moving with the times. It’s the generation of international degrees and Indian students deserve the best. With the Education Ministry recognizing the importance of foreign universities, the most economical option for Indians will be twining programmes. Encompassing the best of both worlds, these programmes will offer affordable but qualitative curricu l a , g l o b a l e x p o s u re a n d lucrative careers to the deserving. I look forward to India being the educational hub of Asia in the next 10 years”.

“Imparting education is a satisfying feeling. However, I am still dissatisfied. After establishing two very successful BHIS’s at Juhu and Thane, I feel I still have a long way to go. Right to Education is not only a campaign, but a necessity. These thoughts gave way to ECube Global College, the next best step in education. With a strategic and exclusive association with Newcastle University in the UK, today I am able to offer qualitative technical engineering courses to Indian students at affordable values. The journey has finally begun and with education, the sky is not the limit”.

This will also expand the Higher Education offering in India, which will supplement the Government's efforts to

tion’ standard and the growing population. International institutes in India can serve the purpose of growing needs for higher education in India.

ECube Global College is creating newer avenues in the field of engineering by launching their ‘twining’ programmes in association with Newcastle University (UK).

The Certificate Programmes at the ECube Global College are in Computing Science, Electronic Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. These are 11 month courses which have been established with the assistance of Newcastle University. The Certificate Programmes cover similar material to the first year of the degree courses at Newcastle University in the subject areasand are recognised qualification for direct entry to the second year of the corresponding degree programmes at the University.

This would give students who aspire to pursue engineering in India, a global exposure.

Honorable HRD Minister, Kapil Sibal has made basic education available to all Indian students, which has been well discussed and written about.

The need of the hour of the younger generation today is changing andthey want more than basic education. Global ed-

of higher education institutions for its booming population where more than 30% of its 1.1 billion people are under 14 years of age. To improve the educational prospects in India, the union Cabinet on the 16th of March, 2010, approved the Foreign Educational Institution (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, 2010. With the clearance of this bill, Foreign Education providers will be able to offer degree programmes independently in India. This, in Mr. Sibal's view, will save millions of dollars as Indian students will be able to study in foreign universities, while staying in India.

A progressive society needs professionals of varied talent to ensure its all round development!

Mr. Sandeep Goenka, Director of E Cube, aired his views on foreign universities coming to India.

“Change is inevitable and I

ramp up the number of seats for technical education and the quality of learning. Foreign Universities like Yale have welcomed the move of the government. “It will increase quality and access in the Indian education system. It is an opportunity programme for the foreign universities,” says, George Joseph, Assistant Secretary for International Affairs of Yale University. (Emphasize on the Indian governments acceptance of the concept and their vision) A lot is written about the education sector in India and its available options; need for reforms in the sector; locally meeting its requirements and the ‘available’ business opportunities to bring about a change. If we try to identify two major factors affecting the growth of Indian Economy – they are: country’s lack of ‘higher educa-

ucation plays a vital roleshaping a student’s career and in imbibing different cultures and knowledge in them.

India has a severe shortage of higher education institutions for its booming population where more than 30% of its 1.1 billion people are under 14 years of age. To improve the educational prospects in India, the union Cabinet on the 16th of March, 2010, approved the Foreign Educational Institution (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, 2010. With the clearance of this bill, Foreign Education providers will be able to offer degree programmes independently in India. This, in Mr. Sibal's view, will save millions of dollars as Indian students will be able to study in foreign universities, while staying in India.

A progressive society needs professionals of varied talent to ensure its all round develop-

ment!

Mr. Sandeep Goenka, Director of E Cube, aired his views on foreign universities coming to India.

“Change is inevitable and I believe in moving with the times. It’s the generation of international degrees and Indian students deserve the best. With the Education Ministry recognizing the importance of foreign universities, the most economical option for Indians will be twining programmes. Encompassing the best of both worlds, these programmes will offer affordable but qualitative curricu l a , g l o b a l e x p o s u re a n d lucrative careers to the deserving. I look forward to India being the educational hub of Asia in the next 10 years”.

“Imparting education is a satisfying feeling. However, I am still dissatisfied. After establishing two very successful BHIS’s at Juhu and Thane, I feel I still have a long way to go. Right to Education is not only a campaign, but a necessity. These thoughts gave way to ECube Global College, the next best step in education. With a strategic and exclusive association with Newcastle University in the UK, today I am able to offer qualitative technical engineering courses to Indian students at affordable values. The journey has finally begun and with education, the sky is not the limit”.

This will also expand the Higher Education offering in India, which will supplement the Government's efforts to ramp up the number of seats for technical education and the quality of learning. Foreign Universities like Yale have welcomed the move of the government. “It will increase quality and access in the Indian education system. It is an opportunity programme for the foreign universities,” says, George Joseph, Assistant Secretary for International Affairs of Yale University. (Emphasize on the Indian governments acceptance of the concept and their vision) A lot is written about the education sector in India and its available options; need for reforms in the sector; locally meeting its requirements and the ‘available’ business opportunities to bring about a change. If we try to identify two major factors affecting the growth of Indian Economy – they are: country’s lack of ‘higher education’ standard and the growing population. International institutes in India can serve the purpose of growing needs for higher education in India.

Children......Our Treasure

By Susan Vaz

Unhappy is the home without a child, All you lucky parents out there, As it seems like an empty file, Love your children and treat them with care, No laughs or cries or stubbornness, Make them positive ,creative and kind Is heard in this wilderness.

Answer their questions and they’ll be fine.

A child no matter how he or she looks, Give them your time now, which they will Is a treasure to be hooked, treasure, No treasure, jewels wealth or attire, And return it back to you in equal measure, Can make up for a child’s desire.

No parents will be found in old aged homes, The home is such a lovely place, If love, concern and happiness exist at When you see a child’s little face, home..

All the troubles and cares disappear, Children are our treasure, handle them with When you see your little angel near. pleasure. * Do you have an opinion on important issues affecting Goa, India and the World?

Are aged between 18-30 years? Have your say. Help make a difference. Send in your articles within 500 to 900 words to:

YoUTh VoiCE

C/o Education & Careers, Herald Publications Pvt. Ltd., Rua Sao Tome, Panjim Goa 403001.

Email: junioryouth@herald-goa.com

* Those interested in sending queries on careers can write to:

CAREER QUEST C/o Education & Careers, Herald Publications Pvt. Ltd., Rua Sao Tome, Panjim Goa 403001.

Email: junioryouth@herald-goa.com

OHERALDO

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GOA, MONDAY, 13 DECEMBER, 2010

Nobel Peace Prize a bid to embarrass China: media

Royal rioting: police chief offers to quit

a bold petition calling for change.

Beijing has reacted with fury to the award, describing the Norwegian Nobel Committee as "clowns" and threatening that countries would face unspecified "consequences" if they did not stay away from the ceremony.

It also barred the jailed dissident or a representative from travelling to Oslo to receive the award.

The China Daily editorial played down the prize's significance, saying the award was "hardly worth the fuss and hoopla".

"Quite a few Westerners cherish the naive hope that the prize will 'enlighten the Chinese on human rights' and instigate the changes they wish to see in the country," the editorial said.

"They have been too preoccupied with their own fantasies to realise what is happening in the real world," it added.

In a commentary on Saturday, the official news agency Xinhua cited a mid-October poll by the Communist Party's Global Times newspaper that indicated 77.1 percent of respondents did not know who had won the peace

Metropolitan police Chief Paul Stephenson has offered to resign from his post over an attack on a limousine carrying Prince Charles and his wife, after it ran into an unruly group of students here last week, a media report said.

The car carrying the heir to the English throne and Camilla was daubed with paint and had a window smashed on Thursday after it got caught up in street violence by students protesting against a steep hike in university fees.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson had called up Prince Charles the following morning to apologise personally for the security lapse and offered to step down, 'The Sunday Times' reported.

"Sir Paul made it clear that if they (the palace) thought he should resign, he would do so.

He did not expect the offer to be accepted but he felt he ought to make it," the British newspaper quoted a source as saying.

An unnamed colleague added: "Sir Paul is an honourable man and thought it right to consider his position."

PTI BEIJING, DEC 12

China's state media lashed out at the Nobel Peace Prize committee for the "political farce" of recognising Liu Xiaobo, after an empty chair stood in for the jailed dissident in Oslo.

Beijing said Friday's ceremony in the Norwegian capital, where the prize was presented in absentia to the imprisoned democracy activist, was "political theatre" and a product of a "Cold War mentality".

"Honouring someone the government dislikes may serve to embarrass China in this year's case, but that is almost all," the China Daily, an English-language government mouthpiece said in an editorial on Saturday.

"Embarrassing as it may be, the fanfare in Oslo offers a rare opportunity to update and enrich the diplomatic outlook of ordinary Chinese. Not everyone in the world wants China's social and political stability to continue."

Liu, a writer who has advocated political reform in China for more than two decades, was jailed in December 2009 for 11 years on subversion charges after co-authoring Charter 08,

Lanka scraps Tamil version of its anthem PTI COLOMBO, DEC 12

Sri Lanka has scrapped the Tamil version of its national anthem at official and state functions, a move likely to further alienate the ethnic Tamils in the country.

Now the national anthem -'Sri Lanka matha....' can only be rendered in the majority Sinhala language at official functions, the Sri Lankan cabinet decided.

The decision was taken at the last cabinet meeting headed by the President Mahinda Rajapksha, who pointed out that no country in the world uses the national anthem in other than one language, the 'Sunday Times' reported today.

"The move will mean that the current Tamil version will no longer be played at any official or state functions."

The Sinhala version is widely used across the country except for the north and east where a majority speaks Tamil.

"A directive to use only the Sinhala version is to be sent out by the Ministry of Public Administration.

All government establishments will be called upon to adhere to this decision" the paper

Singapore’s Asian allies ‘corrupt’

added.

President Rajapaksa told ministers that in no other country was the national anthem used in more than one language. He cited an instance where one time Prime Minister, the late Sirimavo Bandaranaike, had walked out of a function in the north where the national anthem was played in Tamil.

He said there could not be two national anthems and that it was a shortcoming that must be rectified. "We must all think of Sri Lanka as one country," Rajapaksa was quoted as saying

by Sunday Times.

Minister Wimal Weerawansa supported President Rajapaksa's proposal. He said that even in neighbouring India, where around 300 languages were used, the national anthem was only in Hindi.

However, two Ministers voiced their dissent. National Languages and Social Integrat i o n M i n i s t e r Va s u d e v a Nanayakkara said the move would not be a suitable one.

Minister Rajitha Senaratne also endorsed the same view.

Later, the Cabinet decided to adhere only to the Sinhala version of the national anthem.

prize.

It did not mention, however, the poll -- whose questions did not name Liu -- was conducted after a week-long state media blackout on reporting about the award.

"The whole event has become an out-and-out political farce," the Xinhua commentary said.

"It's unimaginable that such a farce, the like of which is more commonly seen in cults, is being staged on the civilised continent of Europe," the Global Times said in an earlier commentary.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu, speaking as the ceremony to award the 2010 Peace Prize to Liu was taking place in Oslo, said the event "cannot represent the overall majority of the people of the world".

She reiterated Beijing's insistence that the award to Liu was an attempt to foment unrest in China and bring political instability to the world's most populous nation.

"This kind of political theatre will never shake the determination and the confidence of the people of China to uphold the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics."

S Korea to stage firing drills PTI SEOUL, DEC 12

South Korea will continue to stage live-fire military drills off all coasts of the Korean peninsula following North Korea's deadly attack on one of its islands last month, an official said on Sunday.

But a drill to be staged at 27 venues from December 13 to 19 will not take place near the contested Yellow Sea border with the North, the spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

"This week's drill will start on Monday as scheduled... we have no plan to conduct it at the frontier islands," the spokesman said, referring to the South's five islands near the tense maritime border with the North.

One of the islands, Yeonpyeong, was the scene of a deadly shelling attack on November 23 that killed four South Koreans, including two civilians, and sparked a regional crisis.

Since the bombardment, the first of a civilian area since the 1950-53 Korean War, Seoul has staged a flurry of military exercises, including a major joint naval drill with the US, in a show of force against Pyongyang.

The South had planned a drill at one of the frontline islands during a live-fire exercise last week but it was cancelled due to bad weather, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

PTI LONDON, DEC 12

AGENCIES LONDON, DEC 12

Prince William and Kate Middleton look relaxed, poised and very much in love in official photos released to mark their engagement.

One of the two images by Mario Testino shows the couple, dressed in jeans and casual tops, smiling in each others' arms.

The other, more formal, depicts them standing together in a state room at St James's Palace.

The pictures, released on Sunday by the prince's office, were taken by fashion photographer Testino, a royal family favourite who captured some of the most iconic images of William's late mother, Princess Diana.

Testino said the couple appeared "in their prime and brimming with happiness" when he photographed them on November 25. "I have never felt so much joy as when I see them together," he said.

The Peruvian photographer, who made his name shooting models like Kate Moss, took a series of glamorous black-andwhite images of Diana that were published in Vanity Fair in 1997, shortly before her death in a Paris car crash.

William, who is second in line to the British throne, has inherited his mother's poise. In both pictures he and Middleton ap-

Prince William and Catherine Middleton pose in one of two official engagement portraits, taken by photographer Mario Testino in the Cornwall Room at St James's Palace in London.

pear entirely comfortable with the camera and each other.

PTI WASHINGTON, DEC 12

Pakistan is “not willing” to wipe out the terrorist havens in its lawless Tribal Areas bordering Afghanistan, new US intelligence reports have said.

The reports, one on Afghanistan and the other on Pakistan, paint a bleak picture of the security conditions in Afghanistan,

according to several US officials who have been briefed on the findings.

The new report on Afghanistan says the war cannot be won unless Pakistan is willing to obliterate terrorist havens on its side of the border, the Daily Times reports.

However, the report on Pakistan concludes that the Pakistani government

and military “are not willing to do that,” said one US official briefed on the analysis.

The document says Pakistan’s government pays lip service to cooperating with US efforts against the terrorists, and still secretly backs the Taliban as a way of hedging its bets in order to influence Afghanistan after a US departure

PTI ISLAMABAD, DEC 12

Runners, dressed as Santa Claus take part to the traditional "Christmas Corrida Race" in the streets of Issy Les Moulineaux, on the western outskirts of Paris.

"An innocent victim"... medical examiners remove the body of Mark Madoff from his Manhattan home, inset; Bernard and Mark Madoff.

Mark Madoff's world collapsed two years ago - along with that of thousands of investors who had trusted their savings to his father, Bernard, a titan of Wall Street.

Madoff and his younger brother, Andrew, had been raised as part of a gilded New York family, amid the wealth and status befitting their father's apparent genius as a money manager.

The two sons joined the brokerage from college and rose to senior positions in the family business, whose clients ranged from the Hollywood director Steven Spielberg through bil-

lion-dollar trust funds to retirees investing their life savings.

But it was all based on a lie, perhaps the biggest financial lie. On December 11, 2008, to the disbelief of the business world and the horror of his clients, Bernard Madoff was arrested before breakfast in his pyjamas at his $US17 million penthouse for conducting the world's biggest scam.

Until then, Mark Madoff had seemed to have it all - an attractive wife, two young children, an apartment in the fashionable SoHo district of Manhattan and a multimillion-dollar lifestyle.

But on Saturday, on the second anniversary of his father's arrest, just three days after he

from the region.

The reports, known as National Intelligence Estimates, are prepared by the Director of National Intelligence, and used by policymakers as senior as the president to understand trends in a region.

The new reports are the first ones done in two years on Afghanistan and six years on Pakistan, officials said.

Online news agency sacks editor over anti-India report

Madoff’s son dies amid talk of prosecution

AFP NEW YORK, DEC 12

In the formal photos the couple stands on a red carpet in

the palace's Council Chamber — in front of oil paintings of some of William's ancestors — smiling toward the camera, as Middleton rests her left hand on her fiancé’s forearm. He wears a gray suit and blue tie over a white shirt, she a smart white dress from Reiss.

The more intimate picture shows the pair smiling broadly as they embrace in front of a window at the palace, with William wrapping his arms around Middleton while she puts her left hand on his chest. Clearly visible is the engagement ring William gave her — an oval sapphire surrounded by diamonds that belonged to his mother.

Both wear jeans, with Middleton sporting a blouse from mid-market retailer Whistles and W illiam wearing a brown sweater over a white shirt from traditional tailors Turnbull and Asser.

William and Middleton, both 28, announced last month that they will marry on April 29 at Westminster Abbey in London.

Te s t i n o h a s o f t e n p h o tographed members of the royal family, taking portraits to mark Prince William's 21st birthday in 2003 and his younger brother Prince Harry's 20th birthday the next year. He also has photographed their father, Prince Charles, for Vogue magazine.

Pak unwilling to raze terror havens: report

AFP SINGAPORE, DEC 12

Singaporean diplomats think the leaders of some close Asian allies including neighbouring Malaysia are corrupt, incompetent or stupid, cables from WikiLeaks revealed Sunday.

Confidential diplomatic notes given by the whistle-blower website to Australia's Fairfax media group contained unflattering assessments of key figures in Malaysia, Thailand, India and Japan.

"A lack of competent leadership is a real problem for Malaysia," permanent secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bilahari Kausikan, reportedly told US Deputy Secretary of Defence for East Asia David Sedney.

As a result, "the situation in neighbouring Malaysia is confused and dangerous" and there is a "distinct possibility of racial conflict", according to the cable dated September 2008.

Such conflict would see ethnic Chinese flee Malaysia and "overwhelm" Singapore, Bilahari was quoted as saying.

Another official, Peter Ho, reportedly described Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak as "an opportunist" who "would not hesitate" to be critical of Singapore if "it is expedient for him to do so."

Bilahari was also reportedly critical of the Thai government, labelling fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra "corrupt" along with "everyone else, including the opposition".

Royal photos show loving William, Kate

was named in a civil lawsuit and amid intensifying speculation that he would face criminal charges, he was found dead in that apartment.

It was the latest tragic twist to a scandal that has ruined countless lives and prompted a number of suicides. Friends said he had been in an ''increasingly fragile state of mind''.

The discovery of his body was made shortly before 7.30 am by his father-in-law. He had gone to the apartment after Madoff's wife, Stephanie, who was in Florida, became fearful for his well-being because of an exchange of emails and calls in which he said ''someone should check'' on their two year-old

son.

The toddler was found sleeping in an adjoining bedroom.

The couple also had a four yearold child, who is with Mrs Madoff in Florida.

No suicide note was immediately found and there was no sign of foul play. ''Mark Madoff took his own life today,'' his lawyer, Martin Flumenbaum, said. ''This is a terrible and unnecessary tragedy. He is an innocent victim of his father's monstrous crime who succumbed to two years of unrelenting pressure from false accusations and innuendo.''

Another friend said Madoff had not spoken with his parents for two years and had tried unsuccessfully to get a Wall Street trading job.

Mark, 46, and Andrew, 44, both insisted they knew nothing of their father's crimes before He told them on December 10, 2008, that he was operating a $US50 billion scam that was crumbling under the pressures of the financial crisis.

The sons immediately reported their father to the authorities and have consistently expressed outrage and sorrow at his actions.

The sons' roles have been scrutinised by investigators, and US media reported this month that they were the subject of a criminal tax-fraud inquir y. In a separate legal development, they were sued in London last week by Irving Picard, the trustee recovering assets for people swindled by their father.

Bernard Madoff, 72, is serving 150 years in a federal prison in

North Carolina for running the so-called Ponzi scheme with which he used the money of new investors to pay annual returns of existing clients. The final tally for the losses is estimated at between $US18 billion and $US65 billion.

A person close to Mark Madoff told The New York Times he had been increasingly distraught as the anniversary of his father's arrest approached and was upset by recent news coverage speculating that criminal charges against him and his brother were still likely.

Three days before his death, Mark, as well as Andrew, and Peter Madoff, Bernard's brother, were hit by new legal action filed in London. Mr Picard, who is trying to recover billions of dollars, alleges that Madoff Securities International Ltd, the British arm of Madoff's empire, was part of the elaborate deception. All three men were directors of the company.

On Friday Picard filed suit against Medici Bank, an Austrian bank, and its owner, Sonja Kohn, alleging she was a ''criminal soulmate'' of Madoff and seeking almost $US20 billion.

Ms Kohn has described herself as one of the fraud's biggest victims.

Mark Madoff had agreed not to sell or transfer certain assets pending the outcome of earlier legal action by Mr Picard.

His mother, Ruth, was allowed to keep $US2.5 million as part of a settlement last year in which she forfeited claims to $US80 million of assets. She is reportedly living in Florida and working delivering meals to housebound people.

A Pakistani news agency at the centre of controversy over a report based on fake US diplomatic cables containing crude anti-India propaganda has sacked an editor for "fabricating a false story."

Siddique Sajid, an editor at 'Online' news agency, was fired following an inquiry ordered by the organisation's owner and Editor-in-Chief, Mohsin Baig.

"The decision to sack Siddique Sajid was made after it was established in the inquiry that he had 'solely misused' his editorial authority in the absence of the news agency's Editor-in-Chief by 'fabricating a false story' on a highly sensitive subject such as the WikiLeaks' disclosure," said a message posted on Online's website.

The report, based on fake diplomatic cables from the US embassy in New Delhi purportedly released by WikiLeaks, was carried prominently by several English and Urdu dailies.

'The Express Tribune', a partner of the International Herald Tribune; and 'The News' published apologies after it was proved that the purported cables quoted in the report were fake.

Both newspapers had blamed Online for circulating the fake report.

However, the report first appeared in the 'Daily Mail', a little-known newspaper which, according to reports in the Pakistani and international media, is believed to have links with intelligence agencies.

The Daily Mail has been unrepentant despite caught out and yesterday posted a message on its website claiming that its "disclosures" were authentic.

The message posted on Online's website said the news agency's management "regrets the release of the said story by Online, its subsequent publication by media, and the consequent erosion of their public credibility."

Online further said "stringent measures are being adopted to prevent vested interests from planting such fabricated stories."

Justifying the sacking of the editor, the news agency's owner Baig said: "I know the difficulty of reporting in a place laced with vested interests operating clandestinely, but reporting on currently the most volatile subject in global media and, that also, without corroborating the story's contents with factual documents is unacceptable."

OHERALDO

Biz12:SUNDAY-Pg-12 12/12/2010 7:02 PM Page 1

BIZ

Pg12

GOA, MONDAY, 13 DECEMBER, 2010

Arvind Pinto

Taxation of foreign shipping companies

Tax touches many all types of business and commerce. A substantial part of Indian commerce is done through the shipping industry – carrying both goods and passengers both to and from India. But given the particular nature of the business, the fact that a non resident ship, once it leaves India, may not come back to the country, there are specific provisions relating to non resident shipping. Section 44B of the Income tax act prescribes that deemed income of 7 ½ % of the amounts paid or payable on the carriage of passengers, livestock, mail or goods shipped in or out of India. The section also clarifies that demurrage, handling and other similar charges will also be considered as part of income. It will be noticed that the section prescribes a notional income since it is difficult to really determined real income since the actual re-

Mutual Fund Scheme Name

ceipts and expenditure of the ship may not be readily available. Further, the fact that a ship has limited time in port and would necessarily require a speedy clearance is yet another reason for the estimation of its income ProCESS oF ASSESSMEnt The procedure of the assessment of the ships is elaborated in Section 172 of the Act. This section clarifies that that 7 ½% of the amounts paid or payable to the owner or charterer or any agent on their behalf is considered income whether the amount is paid in India or abroad. This takes into consideration that in several cases the amounts payable on carriage is paid abroad or by adjustment or credit in the cases where shippers have long term arrangements.

The responsibility of preparing the statement of accounts is on the Captain or the master of the ship, while in practice, it is the shipping agents that un-

Key to abbreviations: R Price: Repurchase Price; S Price: Sale Price; (D): Dividend; (G): Growth NAVs (Rs)

A

AIG India Equity Fund ­ Regular Plan (D) India Equity Fund ­ Regular Plan (G) Infrastructure and Economic Reform ­ Regular (D) Infrastructure and Economic Reform ­ Regular (G) Axis Equity Fund (D) Equity Fund (G) Tax Saver Fund (D) Tax Saver Fund (G)

12.55 12.55 9.42 9.42 11.35 11.34 11.41 12.46

B

Baroda Pioneer ELSS 96 27.09 Growth Fund (D) 30.75 Growth Fund (G) 54.59 Infrastructure Fund (D) 9.94 Infrastructure Fund (G) 9.94 PSU Equity Fund (D) 9.14 PSU Equity Fund (G) 9.14 Bharti AXA Equity Fund ­ Eco Plan (Bonus) 18.23 Equity Fund ­ Eco Plan (D) 12.83 Equity Fund ­ Eco Plan (G) 18.23 Equity Fund ­ Eco Plan (QD) 12.11 Equity Fund ­ Retail Plan (Bonus) 18.13 Equity Fund ­ Retail Plan (D) 12.77 Equity Fund ­ Retail Plan (G) 18.13 Equity Fund ­ Retail Plan (QD) 12.04 Focused Infrastructure Fund (D) 10.18 Focused Infrastructure Fund (G) 10.18 Focused Infrastructure Fund (QD) 10.18 Tax Advantage Fund ­ Eco Plan (D) 12.81 Tax Advantage Fund ­ Eco Plan (G) 23.53 Tax Advantage Fund ­ Retail Plan (D) 12.78 Tax Advantage Fund ­ Retail Plan (G) 23.44 Birla Sun Life Advantage Fund (D) 89.86 Advantage Fund (G) 165.86 Basic Industries Fund (D) 29.18 Basic Industries Fund (G) 105.78 Buy India Fund (D) 24.65 Buy India Fund (G) 43.27 Commodity Equities ­ Global Agri ­ Retail (D) 16.89 Commodity Equities ­ Global Agri ­ Retail Plan (G) 16.89 Commodity Equities ­ Global Commodity ­ RP (D) 14.23 Commodity Equities ­ Global Commodity ­ RP (G) 14.23 Commodity Equities ­ Global Metals Plan ­RP (D) 15.11 Commodity Equities ­ Global Metals Plan ­RP (G) 15.11 Dividend Yield Plus (D) 14.77 Dividend Yield Plus (G) 86.52 Equity Fund (D) 72.87 Equity Fund (G) 275.84 Frontline Equity Fund ­ Plan A (D) 23.28 Frontline Equity Fund ­ Plan A (G) 91.23 Frontline Equity Fund ­ Plan B (D) 13.79 Frontline Equity Fund ­ Plan B (G) 13.79 India GenNext Fund (D) 14.97 India GenNext Fund (G) 24.67 India Opportunities Fund ­ Plan A (D) 18.97 India Opportunities Fund ­ Plan B (G) 55.71 India Reforms Fund (D) 10.56 India Reforms Fund (G) 10.56 Infrastructure Fund ­ Plan A (D) 12.98 Infrastructure Fund ­ Plan A (G) 17.68 Infrastructure Fund ­ Plan B (D) 12.68 Infrastructure Fund ­ Plan B (G) 13.22 International Equity Fund ­ Plan A (D) 9.28 International Equity Fund ­ Plan A (G) 9.28 International Equity Fund ­ Plan B (D) 9.77 International Equity Fund ­ Plan B (G) 9.77 Long Term Advantage Fund (D) 13.55 Long Term Advantage Fund (G) 14.66 MNC Fund (D) 84.47 MNC Fund (G) 209.04 New Millennium (D) 13.44 New Millennium (G) 20.59 Pure Value Fund (D) 16.05 Pure Value Fund (G) 17.13 Small and Midcap Fund (D) 12.52 Small and Midcap Fund (G) 12.52 Tax Plan (D) 47.33 Tax Plan (G) 14.04 Tax Relief 96 (D) 87.74 Tax Relief 96 (G) 11.84 Top 100 Fund (D) 15.22 Top 100 Fund (G) 23.33

Canara Robeco EmergEquities (Bonus) EmergEquities (D) EmergEquities (G) Equity Diversified (Bonus) Equity Diversified (D)

dertake to do this work. In cases of emergency where the ship is not able to furnish the return before the departure of the ship, necessary arrangement are required to be made for the filing of the return and the payment of tax. This return is to be filed within 30 days of the ship’s departure. On receipt of the return, the designated Assessing officer is required to assess the income and determine the tax payable at the rates in force and the sum so determined is to be paid by the master of the ship.

There is a time limit of 9 months from the end of the relevant financial year for making the assessment. To give an example, a ship that has left the Marmagoa port on the 15th December 2010, has to file its return of income latest by the 14th January 2010. And the assessment is to be completed latest by 30th September 2011. In practice most of the assessments are completed

C 19.08 15.73 22.79 25.26 25.22

Equity Diversified (G) Equity Tax Saver (D) Equity Tax Saver (G) F.O.R.C.E Fund ­ Retail Plan (D) F.O.R.C.E Fund ­ Retail Plan (G) Infrastructure (D) Infrastructure (G) Large Cap+ Fund (D) Large Cap+ Fund (G) Multicap (D) Multicap (G)

55.46 21.77 26.43 12.74 13.68 18.14 22.77 10.36 10.36 15.03 16.20

D

DWS Alpha Equity Fund ­ Regular Plan (D) 17.74 Alpha Equity Fund ­ Regular Plan (G) 81.49 Alpha Equity Fund ­ Wealth Plan (D) 14.19 Alpha Equity Fund ­ Wealth Plan (G) 16.97 Investment Opportunity Fund ­ Regular Plan (D) 27.14 Investment Opportunity Fund ­ Regular Plan (G) 39.17 Investment Opportunity Fund ­ Wealth Plan (D) 13.56 Investment Opportunity Fund ­ Wealth Plan (G) 17.74 Tax SavFund (D) 13.42 Tax SavFund (G) 14.35 DSP BlackRock Equity Fund ­ Regular Plan (D) 52.88 Equity Fund ­ Regular Plan (G) 16.73 Focus 25 Fund (D) 10.73 Focus 25 Fund (G) 10.73 India T.I.G.E.R. Fund ­ Regular Plan (D) 18.70 India T.I.G.E.R. Fund ­ Regular Plan (G) 48.71 Micro Cap Fund ­ Regular Plan (D) 9.91 Micro Cap Fund ­ Regular Plan (G) 16.32 Opportunities Fund ­ Regular Plan (D) 31.29 Opportunities Fund ­ Regular Plan (G) 89.77 Small and Mid Cap Fund (D) 16.42 Small and Mid Cap Fund (G) 17.91 Tax Saver Fund (D) 13.24 Tax Saver Fund (G) 17.78 Technology.Com ­ Regular Plan (D) 23.87 Technology.Com ­ Regular Plan (G) 32.70 Top 100 Equity Fund ­ Regular Plan (D) 21.78 Top 100 Equity Fund ­ Regular Plan (G) 102.68

E

Edelweiss Absolute Return Equity Fund (D) Absolute Return Equity Fund (G) Diversified Growth Equity Top 100 Fund ­A (D) Diversified Growth Equity Top 100 Fund ­A (G) Diversified Growth Equity Top 100 Fund ­B (D) Diversified Growth Equity Top 100 Fund ­B (G) Diversified Growth Equity Top 100 Fund ­C (D) Diversified Growth Equity Top 100 Fund ­C (G) ELSS Fund (D) ELSS Fund (G) Nifty Enhancer Fund ­ Plan A (D) Nifty Enhancer Fund ­ Plan A (G) Nifty Enhancer Fund ­ plan B (D) Nifty Enhancer Fund ­ Plan B (G) Nifty Enhancer Fund ­ Plan C (D) Escorts Growth Plan (D) Growth Plan (G) High Yield Equity Plan (Bonus) High Yield Equity Plan (D) High Yield Equity Plan (G) Infrastructure Fund (D) Infrastructure Fund (G) LeadSectors Fund (D) LeadSectors Fund (G) Power and Energy Fund (D) Power and Energy Fund (G) Tax Plan (D) Tax Plan (G)

11.34 11.34 14.53 14.53 14.78 14.59 14.63 14.63 19.75 19.76 12.12 13.30 13.37 13.20 11.76 12.48 75.44 14.56 12.00 14.53 8.17 8.17 11.15 11.15 11.77 16.44 10.18 47.37

F

Fidelity Equity Fund (D) Equity Fund (G) India Growth Fund (D) India Growth Fund (G) India Special Situations Fund (D) India Special Situations Fund (G) India Value Fund (D) India Value Fund (G) International Opportunities Fund (D) International Opportunities Fund (G) Tax Advantage Fund (D) Tax Advantage Fund (G) BNP Paribas China­India Fund (D) China­India Fund (G) Dividend Yield Fund (D) Dividend Yield Fund (G) Equity Fund (D) Equity Fund (G) Future Leaders Fund (D)

23.17 36.61 12.70 12.70 17.26 19.03 11.54 11.54 14.03 14.03 20.37 22.69 9.12 9.12 11.15 18.09 11.85 35.03 9.87

power is granted to him to examine all bills of lading, passenger manifests and other relevant papers to be able to determine the quantum of income. Ship owners or charters also have the right to demand that their income be subject to the regular assessment proceedings, in which case the payment of tax so made under this section will be treated as

Future Leaders Fund (G) Opportunities Fund (D) Opportunities Fund (G) Sustainable Development Fund (D) Sustainable Development Fund (G) Tax Advantage Plan (ELSS) (D) Tax Advantage Plan (ELSS) (G) Franklin Asian Equity Fund (D) Asian Equity Fund (G) Build India Fund (D) Build India Fund (G) FMCG Fund (D) FMCG Fund (G) India Bluechip Fund (D) India Bluechip Fund (G) India Flexi Cap Fund (D) India Flexi Cap Fund (G) India High Growth Companies Fund (D) India High Growth Companies Fund (G) India Opportunities Fund (D) India Opportunities Fund (G) Templeton India Equity Income Fund (D) Templeton India Equity Income Fund (G) Templeton India Growth Fund (D) Templeton India Growth Fund (G)

9.91 10.10 19.40 11.87 13.04 11.35 14.25 11.03 11.03 11.92 12.48 41.65 66.35 44.24 221.00 16.90 33.37 12.47 13.03 14.81 32.78 15.92 21.41 58.49 124.31

H

HDFC Capital Builder Fund (D) Capital Builder Fund (G) Core & Satellite Fund (D) Core & Satellite Fund (G) Equity Fund (D) Equity Fund (G) Growth Fund (D) Growth Fund (G) Infrastructure Fund (D) Infrastructure Fund (G) Long Term Advantage Fund (D) Long Term Advantage Fund (G) Long Term Equity Fund (D) Long Term Equity Fund (G) Mid­Cap Opportunities Fund (D) Mid­Cap Opportunities Fund (G) Premier Multi­Cap Fund (D) Premier Multi­Cap Fund (G) Tax Saver (D) Tax Saver (G) Top 200 Fund (D) Top 200 Fund (G) HSBC Dynamic Fund (D) Dynamic Fund (G) Equity Fund (D) Equity Fund (G) India Opportunities Fund (D) India Opportunities Fund (G) Tax Saver Equity Fund (D) Tax Saver Equity Fund (G) Unique Opportunities Fund (D) Unique Opportunities Fund (G)

I

advance tax and the difference of tax after such an assessment will be paid or refunded to the shipper. The Assessing officer gives the ship a clearance certificate only after the tax has been paid or satisfactory arrangements have been made to pay the same. In cases where the assessments are still to be determined, an appropriate bank guarantee is taken before clearance is given. intErESt iSSUES An interesting aspect regarding the taxation of non resident shipping companies was whether these companies are subject to interest on late or short payments of advance tax as also interest on their refunds. The Board had earlier in a Circular had held that no interest was payable by these companies in case of non payment or short payment of advance tax. But in the light of the Supreme Court decision in the case of A.S Glittre & Garonne v CIT 225 ITR 739

summarily before the ship leaves port and the order is given both to the agent and a copy marked to the Collector of Customs as also to the Port Master. The Act provides that for the purposes of making an assessment, the Assessing officer is empowered to call for any relevant documents. This

27.95 115.40 23.78 41.83 53.16 289.26 35.16 89.80 12.57 12.57 42.47 145.09 13.92 16.83 15.72 15.72 16.70 29.46 67.82 241.40 51.56 218.14 10.77 10.77 27.12 107.83 16.95 35.99 14.13 15.32 11.77 11.77

ICICI Pru Bank& Financial Services Fund ­ Retail Plan (D) 18.41 Bank& Financial Services Fund ­ Retail Plan (G) 18.88 Discovery Fund (D) 21.34 Discovery Fund (G) 49.24 Dynamic Plan (D) 19.43 Dynamic Plan (G) 108.70 EmergS.T.A.R. Fund (D) 17.21 EmergS.T.A.R. Fund (G) 34.57 Equity Opportunities Fund (D) 11.91 Equity Opportunities Fund (G) 13.27 FMCG Fund (D) 36.56 FMCG Fund (G) 63.93 Focused Bluechip Equity Fund (D) 16.64 Focused Bluechip Equity Fund (G) 16.64 Fusion Fund (D) 14.61 Fusion Fund (G) 15.50 Fusion Fund Series ­ III Retail Plan (D) 13.17 Fusion Fund Series ­ III Retail Plan (G) 13.17 Growth Plan (D) 18.84 Growth Plan (G) 139.05 Indo Asia Equity Fund ­ Retail Plan (D) 11.00 Indo Asia Equity Fund ­ Retail Plan (G) 11.00 Infrastructure Fund ­ Retail Plan (D) 12.39 Tax Plan (D) 21.61 Tax Plan (G) 144.93 Technology Fund (D) 18.99 Technology Fund (G) 18.99 IDFC Classic Equity Fund ­ Plan A (D) 15.68 Classic Equity Fund ­ Plan A (G) 21.67 Equity Fund ­ Plan A (D) 13.69 Equity Fund ­ Plan A (G) 16.69 Equity Fund ­ Plan B (D) 11.52 Equity Fund ­ Plan B (G) 13.72 Imperial Equity Fund ­ Plan A (D) 16.62 Imperial Equity Fund ­ Plan A (G) 20.11 India GDP Growth Fund (D) 14.83 India GDP Growth Fund (G) 17.17 Premier Equity Fund ­ Plan A (D) 26.49

Premier Equity Fund ­ Plan A (G) Small & Midcap Equity Fund (D) Small & Midcap Equity Fund (G) Strategic Sector (50­50) Equity Fund ­ Plan A (D) Strategic Sector (50­50) Equity Fund ­ Plan A (G) Tax Advantage (ELSS) Fund (D) Tax Advantage (ELSS) Fund (G) Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund (D) Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund (G) ING C.U.B. Fund (Bonus) C.U.B. Fund (D) C.U.B. Fund (G) Contra Fund (B) Contra Fund (D) Contra Fund (G) Core Equity Fund (D) Core Equity Fund (G) Dividend Yield Fund (D) Dividend Yield Fund (G) Domestic Opportunities Fund (D) Domestic Opportunities Fund (G) Midcap Fund (D) Midcap Fund (G) OptiMix Multi Manager Equity Fund ­ Plan A (D) OptiMix Multi Manager Equity Fund ­ Plan A (G) OptiMix Retireinvest Fund ­ Series I (D) OptiMix Retireinvest Fund ­ Series I (G) Tax SavFund (Bonus) Tax SavFund (D) Tax SavFund (G)

32.69 15.17 18.38 15.03 15.20 16.22 20.26 15.03 15.03 17.88 13.06 17.88 16.51 14.08 16.51 21.03 39.75 21.56 23.71 14.33 37.95 17.00 21.41 10.95 10.95 12.90 12.90 31.08 15.31 31.03

J

JM Agri & Infra Fund (D) Agri & Infra Fund (G) Basic Fund (D) Basic Fund (G) Contra Fund (D) Contra Fund (G) EmergLeaders Fund (D) EmergLeaders Fund (G) Equity Fund (D) Equity Fund (G) Financial Services Sector Fund (D) Financial Services Sector Fund (G) HI FI Fund (D) HI FI Fund (G) Large Cap Fund (D) Large Cap Fund (G) Mid Cap Fund (D) Mid Cap Fund (G) Multi Strategy Fund (D) Multi Strategy Fund (G) Small & Mid­Cap Fund ­ Regular Plan (D) Small & Mid­Cap Fund ­ Regular Plan (G) Tax Gain Fund (D) Tax Gain Fund (G) Telecom Sector Fund (D) Telecom Sector Fund (G) JP Morgan India Tax Advantage Fund (D) India Tax Advantage Fund (G) India Equity Fund (D) India Equity Fund (G) India Smaller Companies Fund (D) India Smaller Companies Fund (G)

Kotak 30 (D) 30 (G) Contra (D) Contra (G) EmergEquity Scheme (D) EmergEquity Scheme (G) Lifestyle Fund (D) Lifestyle Fund (G) Midcap Fund (D) Midcap Fund (G) Opportunities Fund (D) Opportunities Fund (G) Select Focus Fund (D) Select Focus Fund (G) Tax Saver (D) Tax Saver (G)

2.70 2.70 11.08 15.86 5.78 5.78 8.35 8.34 15.60 38.33 10.39 10.39 5.39 5.39 14.65 19.93 17.43 25.45 13.95 15.00 5.72 5.72 7.26 7.26 7.79 7.79 15.47 19.10 12.87 13.87 8.03 8.03

K 33.42 105.97 17.81 22.10 12.26 12.26 12.26 14.15 18.30 26.30 15.47 47.80 10.96 12.14 11.80 19.26

L

L&T Contra Fund (D) Contra Fund (G) Global Advantage Fund (D) Global Advantage Fund (G) Growth Fund (D) Growth Fund (G) Hedged Equity Fund (D) Hedged Equity Fund (G) Infrastructure Fund (D) Infrastructure Fund (G) Midcap Fund (D) Midcap Fund (G) Multi­Cap Fund (D) Multi­Cap Fund (G)

10.70 10.71 7.48 10.78 19.29 40.84 10.20 14.37 7.64 7.64 24.26 42.04 15.42 19.35

where the Apex Court held that the shipping company payments could be treated as advance tax, the Central Revenue Board has clarified that these shipping companies will be liable for penal interest on short and no advance tax payments as also interest on their refunds. tAX dEdUCtEd At SoUrCE A common query that often is asked is whether tax is deductible on the freight payments made to non resident shippers. As the taxation of shipping business is determined by the provisions of Section 172 which is a complete code in itself, there is no liability for the deduction of TDS and the provisions of Section 194C that is payments made to contractors do not come into play. The payments for which tax is to be deducted under Section 194C is only in the case of residents. But what if the said shipping company has opted to be assessed under the

Opportunities Fund (G) Small Cap Fund (D) Small Cap Fund (G) Tax Advantage Fund ­ Series I (D) Tax Advantage Fund ­ Series I (G) Tax Saver Fund (D) Tax Saver Fund (G) LIC Infrastructure Fund Series 1 (D) Infrastructure Fund Series 1 (G) MF Equity Fund (D) MF Equity Fund (G) MF Growth Fund (D) MF Growth Fund (G) MF India Vision Fund (D) MF India Vision Fund (G) MF Opportunities Fund (D) MF Opportunities Fund (G) MF Tax Plan (D) MF Tax Plan (G) MF Top 100 Fund (D) MF Top 100 Fund (G)

45.43 5.34 5.34 15.89 21.63 15.60 16.79 9.81 9.81 10.97 27.83 12.05 13.59 9.51 9.51 11.20 19.67 10.99 30.69 8.61 8.61

M

Mirae Asset EmergBluechip Fund (D) EmergBluechip Fund (G) Global Commodity Stock Fund ­ Regular Plan (D) Global Commodity Stock Fund ­ Regular Plan (G) India Opportunities Fund ­ Regular Plan (G) Morgan Stanley A.C.E. Fund (Across Capitalisations Equity) (D) A.C.E. Fund (Across Capitalisations Equity) (G) Growth Fund (D) Growth Fund (G)

10.71 10.71 12.71 12.71 16.68 14.79 15.71 20.37 66.73

P

Principal Dividend Yield Fund (D) 18.11 Dividend Yield Fund (G) 24.53 EmergBluechip Fund (D) 24.51 EmergBluechip Fund (G) 32.16 Growth Fund (D) 24.97 Growth Fund (G) 55.12 Large Cap Fund (D) 20.29 Large Cap Fund (G) 29.61 Personal Tax Saver Fund 101.03 PNB Long Term Equity Fund ­ 3yrs ­ Series 1 (D) 11.55 PNB Long Term Equity Fund ­ 3 Yrs­ Series 1 (G) 11.56 Services Industries Fund (D) 13.45 Services Industries Fund (G) 15.17 Tax Savings Fund 79.87

Q

Quantum Long­Term Equity Fund (D) Long­Term Equity Fund (G) Tax SavFund (D) Tax SavFund (G)

R

23.27 23.08 23.02 23.03

Reliance BankFund (Bonus) 107.96 BankFund (D) 43.07 BankFund (G) 107.95 Diversified Power Sector Fund ­ Retail (Bonus) 79.43 Diversified Power Sector Fund ­ Retail Plan (D) 46.89 Diversified Power Sector Fund ­ Retail Plan (G) 79.43 Equity Advantage Fund ­ Retail Plan (B) 13.34 Equity Advantage Fund ­ Retail Plan (D) 13.34 Equity Advantage Fund ­ Retail Plan (G) 13.34 Equity Fund ­ Retail Plan (Bonus) 14.64 Equity Fund ­ Retail Plan (D) 14.64 Equity Fund ­ Retail Plan (G) 14.64 Equity Linked SavFund ­ Series I (D) 14.94 Equity Linked SavFund ­ Series I (G) 14.94 Equity Opportunities Fund ­ Retail Plan (Bonus) 36.50 Equity Opportunities Fund ­ Retail Plan (D) 25.78 Equity Opportunities Fund ­ Retail Plan (G) 36.50 Growth Fund ­ Retail Plan (Bonus) 79.52 Growth Fund ­ Retail Plan (D) 58.77 Growth Fund ­ Retail Plan (G) 479.39 Infrastructure Fund ­ Retail Plan (Bonus) 10.21 Infrastructure Fund ­ Retail Plan (D) 10.21 Infrastructure Fund ­ Retail Plan (G) 10.21 Long Term Equity Fund (D) 16.16 Long Term Equity Fund (G) 16.16 Media & Entertainment Fund (Bonus) 29.28 Media & Entertainment Fund (D) 21.05 Media & Entertainment Fund (G) 29.28 Natural Resources Fund (Bonus) 10.70 Natural Resources Fund (D) 10.70 Natural Resources Fund (G) 10.70 NRI Equity Fund (Bonus) 40.91 NRI Equity Fund (D) 24.34 NRI Equity Fund (G) 40.91 Pharma Fund (Bonus) 55.12 Pharma Fund (D) 41.11 Pharma Fund (G) 55.12 Quant Plus Fund ­ Retail Plan (B) 14.14 Quant Plus Fund ­ Retail Plan (D) 14.14 Quant Plus Fund ­ Retail Plan (G) 14.14 Regular Savings Fund ­ Equity Option (D) 24.71

regular provisions of the Act? Would payments made to them as contractors not be subject to tax as source? This question is still subject to clarification.

Some shippers have asked whether the assessment made on a ship’s income is valid for the entire previous year. The provisions of Section 172 are applicable to each voyage on the entry of a ship into an Indian port. Thus each time a non resident ship touches an Indian port, the provisions of summary assessment proceedings have to be carried out.

Thus the concepts of a financial and assessment year are not strictly applicable, since the event of taxation is the fact of the entry of a ship into an Indian port. Every visit of a ship to an Indian port for the purpose of carriage of goods or passengers brings about the taxation provisions. doUBLE tAX AGrEEMEntS India has concluded several

Regular Savings Fund ­ Equity Option (G) Small Cap Fund (Bonus) Small Cap Fund (D) Small Cap Fund (G) Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund (D) Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund (G) Vision Fund ­ Retail Plan (Bonus) Vision Fund ­ Retail Plan (D) Vision Fund ­ Retail Plan (G) Religare AGILE Fund (D) AGILE Fund (G) AGILE Tax Fund (D) AGILE Tax Fund (G) BankFund ­ Regular Plan (D) BankFund ­ Regular Plan (G) Business Leaders Fund (D) Business Leaders Fund (G) Contra Fund (D) Contra Fund (G) Equity Fund (D) Equity Fund (G) Growth Fund (D) Growth Fund (G) Infrastructure Fund (D) Infrastructure Fund (G) Mid Cap Fund (D) Mid Cap Fund (G) Mid N Small Cap Fund (D) Mid N Small Cap Fund (G) PSU Equity Fund (D) PSU Equity Fund (G) Tax Plan (D) Tax Plan (G)

31.70 9.81 9.81 9.81 16.81 21.56 46.91 45.55 279.26 7.08 7.06 7.98 7.97 16.32 20.93 11.76 12.82 12.75 16.49 13.03 13.03 13.39 13.40 8.63 8.63 12.13 14.64 14.78 14.79 10.22 11.34 14.91 18.00

S

Sahara Bankand Financial Services Fund (D) Bankand Financial Services Fund (G) Growth Fund (D) Growth Fund (G) Infrastructure ­ Fixed PricOption (D) Infrastructure ­ Fixed PricOption (G) Infrastructure ­Variable PricOption (D) Infrastructure ­Variable PricOption (G) Midcap Fund (Bonus) Midcap Fund (D) Midcap Fund (G) Midcap Fund (Growth Auto Payout) Power & Natural Resources Fund (D) Power & Natural Resources Fund (G) Star Value Fund (D) Star Value Fund (G) Super 20 Fund (D) Super 20 Fund (G) Tax Gain (D) Tax Gain (G) Wealth Plus ­ Variable PricOption (D) Wealth Plus ­ Variable PricOption (G) Wealth Plus Fund ­ Fixed PricOption (D) Wealth Plus Fund ­ Fixed PricOption (G) SBI Blue Chip Fund (D) Blue Chip Fund (G) Infrastructure Fund ­ Series I (D) Infrastructure Fund ­ Series I (G) Magnum Comma Fund (D) Magnum Comma Fund (G) Magnum Contra Fund (D) Magnum Contra Fund (G) Magnum EmergBusinesses Fund (D) Magnum EmergBusinesses Fund (G) Magnum Equity Fund (D) Magnum Equity Fund (G) Magnum FMCG Fund Magnum Global Fund (D) Magnum Global Fund (G) Magnum IT Fund Magnum Midcap Fund (D) Magnum Midcap Fund (G) Magnum Multicap Fund (D) Magnum Multicap Fund (G) Magnum Multiplier Plus (D) Magnum Multiplier Plus (G) Magnum NRI ­ Flexiasset Plan (D) Magnum NRI ­ Flexiasset Plan (G) Magnum Pharma Fund (D) Magnum Pharma Fund (G) Magnum Tax Gain Scheme (D) Magnum Tax Gain Scheme (G) One India Fund (D) One India Fund (G) PSU Fund (D) PSU Fund (G) Shinsei Industry Leaders Fund (D) Industry Leaders Fund (G) Sundaram Capex Opportunities Fund (D) Capex Opportunities Fund (G) Equity Multiplier Fund (D) Equity Multiplier Fund (G) Financial Services Opportunities ­ Retail Plan (D) Financial Services Opportunities ­ Retail Plan (G)

15.87 31.45 24.08 82.97 11.87 16.23 12.34 16.80 31.75 17.00 31.75 31.75 11.43 13.40 10.91 11.88 11.66 11.66 17.05 38.25 19.20 23.00 18.35 22.15 11.98 15.34 10.31 10.31 16.80 24.87 23.34 58.53 17.70 39.89 33.54 44.46 28.75 31.19 55.79 22.91 18.25 23.80 14.26 18.77 54.42 86.02 30.08 29.97 37.52 45.40 42.91 62.95 11.52 11.52 10.19 10.19 12.14 12.14 12.97 24.78 11.52 14.13 16.47 20.71

Double Tax agreements with several countries in the world.

Several of these contain specific provisions relating to the taxation of shippers and shipping companies. It is a rule of law, as enunciated by the Supreme Court in several decisions that the provisions of the Double Tax Agreements supersede that of the conventional law. Thus in cases of ships belonging to countries where India has a double tax agreement, the taxation of ships is in accordance with the provision of the tax treaty.

The author of the article is a retired Chief Commissioner of Income Tax. The views expressed by him are personal.

BOARD MEETINGS Aditya ispat Steel Strp Whls Farmax ind rdB inds Source: Indiainfoline.com

Growth Fund ­ Regular Plan (D) Growth Fund ­ Regular Plan (G) India Leadership Fund ­ Regular Plan (D) India Leadership Fund ­ Regular Plan (G) Media & Entertainment Opportunities ­ Retail (D) Media & Entertainment Opportunities ­ Retail (G) PSU Opportunities Fund (D) PSU Opportunities Fund (G) Rural India Fund (D) Rural India Fund (G) S.M.I.L.E Fund ­ Regular Plan (D) S.M.I.L.E Fund ­ Regular Plan (G) Select Focus ­ Retail Plan (D) Select Focus ­ Retail Plan (G) Select Midcap ­ Regular Plan (D) Select Midcap ­ Regular Plan (G) Select Small Cap Fund (D) Select Small Cap Fund (G) Select Thematic Energy Opportunities Funds (D) Select Thematic Energy Opportunities Funds (G) Tax Saver (OE) (D) Tax Saver (OE) (G)

13.09 97.95 13.56 44.23 11.38 14.42 11.35 11.35 14.23 15.63 12.99 33.42 12.03 92.90 17.44 153.89 12.41 13.32 8.32 8.32 12.30 45.89

T

Tata Capital Builder Fund (D) Capital Builder Fund (G) Contra Fund (D) Contra Fund (G) Dividend Yield Fund (D) Dividend Yield Fund (G) Equity Management Fund (D) Equity Management Fund (G) Equity Opportunities Fund ­ Plan A (D) Equity Opportunities Fund ­ Plan B (G) Equity P/E Fund (G) Equity P/E Fund ­ Trigger Option A 5% (D) Equity P/E Fund ­ Trigger Option B 10% (D) GrowEconomies Infrastructure Fund ­ Plan A (D) GrowEconomies Infrastructure Fund ­ Plan A (G) GrowEconomies Infrastructure Fund ­ Plan B (D) GrowEconomies Infrastructure Fund ­ Plan B (G) Growth Fund (Bonus) Growth Fund (D) Growth Fund (G) Infrastructure Fund (D) Infrastructure Fund (G) Infrastructure Tax SavFund (D) Infrastructure Tax SavFund (G) Life Sciences & Technology Fund (D) Life Sciences & Technology Fund (G) Mid Cap Fund (D) Mid Cap Fund (G) Pure Equity Fund (D) Pure Equity Fund (G) Select Equity Fund (D) Select Equity Fund (G) Service Industries Fund (D) Service Industries Fund (G) Tax Advantage Fund ­ 1 (D) Tax Advantage Fund ­ 1 (G) Tax SavFund Taurus Bonanza Fund (D) Bonanza Fund (G) Discovery Fund (D) Discovery Fund (G) Ethical Fund (Bonus) Ethical Fund (D) Ethical Fund (G) Infrastructure Fund (D) Infrastructure Fund (G) Star Share (D) Star Share (G) Tax Shield (D) Tax Shield (G)

14.36 15.38 15.85 18.01 21.73 33.53 12.95 14.98 21.54 82.16 48.62 38.42 38.26 12.25 12.25 12.53 12.53 40.60 17.87 44.68 23.09 35.05 16.09 17.00 35.28 70.20 15.46 18.01 38.64 102.69 43.44 67.18 18.51 24.82 16.89 16.89 48.10 44.51 44.22 16.19 16.17 24.14 18.10 24.15 13.52 14.41 41.20 58.51 22.09 37.24

U

UTI BankSector Fund (D) BankSector Fund (G) Contra Fund (D) Contra Fund (G) Dividend Yield Fund (D) Dividend Yield Fund (G) Energy Fund (D) Energy Fund (G) Equity Fund (D) Equity Fund (G) Equity Tax Savings Plan (D) Equity Tax Savings Plan (G) India Lifestyle Fund(D) India Lifestyle Fund(G) Infrastructure Advantage Fund ­ Series I (D) Infrastructure Advantage Fund ­ Series I (G) Infrastructure Fund (D) Infrastructure Fund (G) Leadership Equity Fund (D) Leadership Equity Fund (G) Long Term Advantage Fund (D) Long Term Advantage Fund (G) Long Term Advantage Fund ­ Series II (D) Long Term Advantage Fund ­ Series II (G)

25.81 44.42 13.21 14.31 15.83 33.02 12.83 11.33 49.69 56.23 17.50 41.15 11.86 11.86 9.07 9.07 19.93 35.00 14.98 16.16 13.19 13.19 14.62 14.62

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GOA, MONDAY, 13 DECEMBER, 2010

India gold purchases up 113% since 2007

Indian plastic exports set to touch $8.4 b

PTI KERALA, DEC 12

Plastic exports are likely to grow exponentially and touch the USD 8.4 billion mark by 2014, an industry official said.

"Indian plastic exports that touched USD 3.5 billion in 2010 are expected to rise up to USD 4.2 billion in 2011. By 2014, Indian exports of the commodity are likely to be at USD 8.4 billion," Plastics Export Promotion Council's Executive Director, Rajan Kalyanpur, said in a statement here.

Products like raffia, a new plastic that lends itself to processes such as textiles is the new blue-chip product for plastics, he said.

Indian companies are participating in a large way in the forthcoming ArabPlast 2011 in Dubai where they can showcase their products and capabilities and look to tap new markets, including for raffia.

Terming raffia as "a huge opportunity area", Kalyanpur said that Japan is the second-largest importer of plastic raffia in the world but presently does not import from India.

On the problems confronting the domestic industry, the official said that huge power costs were adversely affecting the industry in India and that the industry was seeking a technology upgrade fund from the govt.

PTI MUMBAI, DEC 12

Record gold prices have not curbed Indian investors’ appetite for the precious metal as a safe haven to park their funds amid volatility in equity markets, with a 113 per cent jump in buying activity in JanuaryNovember, 2010, vis-a-vis 2007 levels.

According to sources, gold has gotten an added sheen over the past three years worldwide, as it is regarded as a safe option for people unwilling to invest in equity markets in the wake of the global financial crisis, besides volatile prices and vagaries in production.

Indians purchased 353 tonnes of gold till the end of November, 2010, as against 168 tonnes in the whole of 2007 globally, in spite of ups and downs in production and price volatility, the sources told PTI, quoting London-based 'Gold Fields Mineral Services’ (GFMS).

In value terms, the country's demand for gold went up to Rs 1,13,302 crore from Rs 53,196 crore, translating into a 113 per cent increase.

There has also been a considerable increase in gold investments through Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs).

PM wants Germany to ease export control laws PTI BERLIN, DEC 12

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wants Germany to relax its stringent export control laws to help open 'new horizons' for high technology trade with India, as the two countries vowed to increase the bilateral trade volume by nearly 40 per cent to 20 billion Euros by 2012.

"There is vast untapped potential for high technology trade between India and Germany and I conveyed to Chancellor Merkel that relaxation of German export control laws will open new horizons for such trade. This will be to our mutual benefit," Singh told reporters after talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel last night, On Germany's part, Merkel said there was no "trust deficit"

Steel prices likely to rise PTI MUMBAI, DEC 12

Steel is likely to get costlier after the New Year with major steel-makers indicating another price hike from January due to surging raw materials.

"Steel prices are likely to move upwards further due to increasing coal and iron ore prices. It seems there will be a severe cost pressure on steel mills, which will lead to a price hike in January," JSW Steel's Vice-President (Sales and Marketing), Sharad Mahendra said.

"It is very difficult to say the exact hike (on amount basis) which would happen in January, but in terms of percentage it could be between three to five per tonne," he said.

between the two countries on the issue of high technology transfer.

Merkel's response came when a reporter asked why Germany puts restrictions on the transfer of high technology to India and whether there was a trust deficit in easing them.

"Our partnership with India is of a strategic nature. Our goals are ambitious and there is no trust deficit, on the contrary we are cooperating very well in this area," said Merkel, adding "We are taking our strategic cooperation seriously."

The Chancellor said both sides were working on modalities to ease such restrictions.

"On the transfer of high technology for peaceful purposes, the Prime Minister mentioned

the potential for high technology trade between India and Germany. We are cooperating closely on this, and will work towards a smoother cooperation," she added.

Merkel also said there is a good military-to-military cooperation which should be seen as a positive development in bilateral ties.

At their joint news conference, both Singh and Merkel said the two countries have decided to step up efforts to increase bilateral trade to 20 billion Euros by 2012 from the existing level of around 15 billion Euros.

Singh said despite the economic downturn the two sides were hopeful that the target set will be "achieved." Germany is India's largest trading partner in the 27-nation European Union.

Canon India eyes Rs 100 cr revenue PTI MUMBAI, DEC 12

Photographic and digital imaging solutions provider, Canon India eyes Rs 100 crore revenue from Document Services, which is designed to assist in effective management of document input-output environments and processes.

"With growing demand for Canon Managed Document Services, a domain which was started in 2009, we expect the revenue to touch Rs 100 crore in 2011," Alok Bharadwaj, Senior Vice President, Canon India told PTI here.

In 2009, the revenue from the business stood at Rs 20 crore, which the company is confident will touch Rs 50 crore this year.

Headquartered at Delhi, the company has offices in eight cities across India and directly employs over 450 people.

Biggest trade delegation arriving with Wen PTI BEIJING, DEC 12

On a fence mending visit to put strained ties back on track, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's upcoming trip to New Delhi would be a mix of diplomacy, culture and trade with USD 20 billion business deals to be signed.

Heading the biggest ever delegation of 400 businessmen, Wen would be arriving in New Delhi on a three day visit on December 15.

His delegation included senior executives of some of the top Chinese business houses.

Officials of the trade bodies here say that the two sides plan to sign deals worth about USD 20 billion and discussions were on to constitute a CEO forum on the lines of India-US CEO forum set up in 2005 with top industrialists from both sides.

Twenty billion dollars of deals involving buying and selling during the Prime Minister's visit was expected to take place, and the majority of the MoUs planned to be signed during the meeting were project finance deals.

It included formalisation of the recent USD 10 billion deal between Reliance Power and Shanghai Electric Group Co, (SEC) to supply of 36 coal-fired thermal power generation

units as well as by Adani group.

E B Rajesh, Chief China Representative of Confederation of Indian Industry, (CII) which is hosting the India-China Business Forum in New Delhi said the business forum to be held on December 15 would also be addressed by Chinese Trade Minister, Gao Hucheng.

"It is a good opportunity for interaction between Indian and Chinese businessmen," he said.

Over 300 Chinese businessmen have already obtained visas to travel to New Delhi while over 100 officials Chinese companies like telecom major Huawei were expected to attend the meeting, officials here said.

Expectations were high that Wen would announce measures to allow more Indian products into Chinese markets to reduce trade imbalance.

The booming bilateral trade which is on course to touch USD 60 billion has already crossed USD 49.84 billion this October with Indian exports amounting to USD 17 billion, while China continue to dominate with 32.87 billion worth of exports.

The visit of 68-year-old Chinese leader has a cultural component this time as he is scheduled to practice his favourite past time Tai Chi, which he performs in open

Vodafone case: FM lauds I-T Dept’s competence PTI MUMBAI, DEC 12

Union Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, commended the efforts and professional competence of the Income Tax Department in handling the Vodafone tax dispute efficiently in all forums.

At a review meeting held here yesterday in which all Chief Commissioners of Income Tax, Director-General of Income Tax (Inv), Commissioners of Income Tax at Mumbai, and Chairman, CBDT, S S N Moorthy, were present, Mukherjee exhorted the tax officers to put their best foot forward to achieve the budget collection target fixed for the Mumbai region.

A presentation was made by the Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Mumbai, P P Srivastava, in the course of which he expressed optimism that the

tax collection target for this fiscal would be met, the Department said in a press release issued here.

The Department expects the Rs 2,500 crore in the Vodafone case to be collected, the release said.

Advance tax in the Mumbai region has been growing at 18 per cent and with the TDS collection now catching up and the Rs 2,500 crore that the Department expects to collect in the Vodafone case, the budget collection target would be met from the Mumbai region, Srivastava said.

In FY 06, the collection from the Mumbai region was Rs 53,164 crore while this fiscal, the target is Rs 1,50,480 crore.

The collection from the Mumbai region has been targeted to increase three-fold in a span of five-years.

Mukherjee said that the Mumbai region should not find it difficult to meet the collection target, given the high GDP growth trajectory into which the country's economy has catapulted itself.

The Minister called upon the Income Tax Department to draw plans for training its manpower and for capacity-building so as to be able to implement the Direct Tax Code in its true spirit.

The Dep needed to reinvent itself to meet the challenges to be faced while implementing the Direct Tax Code, he said.

The Department should concentrate on its core functions of tax enforcement and recovery, tax-payer awareness and education and on upcoming tools like data-mining, risk-profiling and risk assessment, he said.

Infra worries dampen auto Cos keen on electric cars PTI MUMBAI, DEC 12

Even as auto-majors are gearing up to launch electric vehicles, a few auto majors question whether India's infrastructure is ready for the zero emission cars.

"Let the infrastructure be ready...we should invest more in infrastructure before launching electric cars in the country," Fiat India's President and Chief Executive Officer, Rajeev Kapoor, told PTI here.

"It is good we are keen to drive an eco-friendly car, but we forget that there has to be the necessary infrastructure...the Government has to do more to develop infrastructure," he said, calling for a change in the

mindset of people towards zero emission vehicles.

US car-maker General Motors also echoed the same view, saying the country has to have the necessary infrastructure to support an electric car.

"The Government has to come out with a new policy for electric vehicles so that carmakers will be able to reduce their prices and also launch more models," GM India's VicePresident, P Balendran, said, adding "it is a pity that when auto-majors gearing-up to launch electric vehicles in India, the infrastructure is still inadequate to support it."

Balendran said General Motors is ready to launch the vehicle in the country, but was concerned about the available

infrastructure.

"We are ready to showcase our vehicle, but we are waiting for the infrastructure (to be enhanced)," he said.

A few other auto-majors are also understood to be eager to launch zero emission vehicles in country.

Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles has recently launched its Revai priced at Rs 3.10 lakh (exshowroom Pune) and is targeting tripling its sales to 3,600 units in the next 12-18 months.

Betting big on its electric car, the company is setting up a new plant with 30,000 units per annum capacity in Bangalore that would go on-stream

by June next year.

"We understand the infrastructure problem in the coun-

try. We need public infrastructure for charging the vehicle's battery. But this is the right time to motivate people to drive the zero emission vehicle," Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles' Chief Operating Officer, R Chandramouli, said, adding "we are setting up local charging points in the cities to solve the problem."

The company has joined hands with an Anil Ambani Group company, BSES, in Delhi to use its charging ports. "We need the Government's support for this electric vehicle," he said.

Japanese car-maker Toyota too said that India has to develop the infrastructure to support this technology.

"Unless, we have good roads,

electricity and parking slots, the demand for zero emission vehicles will never increase in the country," Toyota Kirloskar Motor's Deputy Managing Director (Marketing), Sandeep Singh, said.

"Builders and the Government should make arrangements for charger stations when they build apartments.

Besides, the vehicles have to be very competitively priced," he said.

even during his foreign visits.

Many Chinese say that like Yoga, Tai Chi with its slow and focussed body movements promotes physical fitness coupled with spiritual thinking.

Wen will be practicing Tai Chi as well as Chinese calligraphy with the children of a Delhi based school during his visit.

The Chinese leader also may also announce assistance to aid India's plan to introduce Chinese language Mandarin in schools.

India's plans to introduce Mandarin in CBSE syllabus were announced by Human Resources Minister Kapil Sibal during his recent visit here.

India had sought Chinese assistance to provide teachers for the course. Wen along with Singh would also attend a special function being held in India to formally end the celebrations being held in both the countries for several months to mark the establishment of 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

On the political front officials expects the visit to go a lot smoother in the light of China's assurances to find some solution to end its policy to issue stapled visas to the residents of Jammu and Kashmir which created a furore in India.

Emami Paper plans for expansion PTI MUMBAI, DEC 12

Emami Paper Mills, a part of the Kolkata-based Emami Group, has earmarked an over Rs 2,000 crore investment for capacity expansion and a foray into the pulp and writing paper segment, a company official said.

While the capacity expansion from 450 tonnes per day (tpd) to 750 tpd will be done this fiscal itself at an investment of Rs 550 crore, the foray into the pulp and writing paper segment will involve an investment of around Rs 1,500 crore over three years, the official said.

Emami, which currently manufactures newsprint, has two units in Kolkata and Balasore (Orissa) with a total capacity of around 450 tonnes per day (tpd).

"We are currently manufacturing only newsprint but we are plan to enter into pulp and writing paper-making by 2013.

We have already acquired 350 acres of land at Balasore, where we have our newsprint unit.

We will start construction once we get the requisite approvals," Emami Paper's Executive Director, P S Patwari, told PTI here.

The company is presently awaiting a clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and expects to get it by March end, he said.

Asked how the company proposed to fund the Rs 1,500 crore foray, Patwari said a decision on the matter would be taken soon. "We will take a decision on that soon. We might go for a public issue," he said.

The writing paper unit will have a production capacity of 1,50,000 tonnes per annum and the company plans to get raw materials such as wood and pulp from its own plantations.

Steep increase in investment in gold worldwide

PTI THRISSUR (KERALA), DEC 12

Gold has literally got an added sheen over the last three years worldwide and particularly in India, with people opting for the yellow metal as a safe investment option, troubled by the global economic crisis, volatile prices and vagaries in production.

This can be gauged from the fact that there has been a huge 113 per cent increase worldwide in investments in gold from 2007 till November 2010, trade and gold manufacturing sources said.

Investment in gold stood at 353 tons as against 168 tons in 2007 globally in spite of ups and downs in production and volatality of price, the sources told PTI, quoting London based 'Gold Fields Mineral Services' (GFMS).

There has also been a considerable increase in investment of gold through Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). As far as India is concerned, net value of gold investment through ETFs till October 2009 was Rs 1,169

crore as against Rs 312 crore for the corresponding period last year, they said.

ETFs had dealt with gold worth Rs 2,850 crore till end September 2009 from 2.44 lakh investors, according to the Association of Mutual Funds in India.

Over 1.47 lakh people invested in gold through ETFs by March end this year, a 65 per cent increase in six months, they said.

UNO's former financial expert T S Anantharaman said the trend to invest in gold is the result of the global economic meltdown of 2008.

He attributed the sudden hike in gold price to the US government's quantiative easing policy and consequent pumping of 600 billion US dollars into the market 'without productive backing' by June next.

He said the U.S. Federal Reserve Board, by Quantitative Easing, has decided to release 600 billion US dollars for eight months since November by repurchasing Treasury Securities

into the market. The main objective of pumping money into the market would be to bring down unemployment and increase general consumption to stabilise the economy,he said.

"Under the circumstances, investors will go for safe and secured instruments of invsetments like gold and hence investing in gold will go up despite skyrocketing prices."

Anto Alukkas, Managing Director of Thrissur headquartered Alukas Group, reportedly the world's largest jewellery chain, with over 100 shops in India and abroad, also attributed the spurt in gold investment to global economic meltdown, uncertain economic situation in Europe and weakness of the US dollar.

Kedar Lakshmanan, partner of Bhima and Brothers Jewellers said consumption of gold in the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) was on a steady uptrend in spite of the global economic meltdown.

"However,consumption in the European Union and USA has come down to a great extent,"

he said.

He said China's consumption of gold has far exceeded the assessment of even the World Gold Council. The nation consumed 462 tons in 2009 and demand has gone up on an average of 13 per cent annually for the past five years, he said.

Though China is the world's largest bullion miner, it imported 209 tons in the first 10 months this year, he said.

"In the present global economic situation, gold is the best bet for safe investment and hence the upward trend in price will continue about three to four years," he said Managing director of century-old Kalyan Jewellers, T S Kalyana Raman said the increasing trend of investment in gold was due to easy and immediate liquidity 'anywhere and everywhere' and convenience of investment in small amounts.

He noted that investment in the share market and real estate required huge amounts and lacked liquidity. "When share markets crashed and the

real estate boom declined to rock bottom, it took a long time to recover," Raman said.

According to World council figures, there has been a 79 per cent rise in demand in India with consumption of 650.4 tons in the first nine months of 2010, compared to 363 tons for the same period last year The country's demand for gold in value terms has gone up to Rs 1,13,302 crore from Rs 53,196 crore, registering 113 per cent increase.

Trade and gold manufacturing sources said India has become the largest contributor to world jewellery markets. There was a rise of 36 per cent with a consumption of 184.5 tons in the third quarter of this calendar year against 135.2 tons for the same period previous year, they said.

Rise in gold investment for the past nine months was 108 per cent at 137 tons from 65.8 tonnes for the corresponding period previous year.

Consumption of gold jewellery was risen to 73 per cent for the period. Gold jewellery

of about 514 tons worth Rs 89,453 crore was consumed in India in the first nine months of 2010 an increase of 105 per cent as against 297.2 tons valued at Rs 43,554 crore the previous year, they said.

Anto Alukkas said 50 per cent of the country's total gold consumption is from the south, of which 15 to 20 per cent is from Kerala.

He said there are several gold jewellery making units in Thrissur. About one ton gold is converted to ornaments and other items per day in Kerala of which 85 per cent is processed in the city.

Raman stressed the need to make it mandatory for all dealers to attach price tag and BIS Hallmark to save consumers from being overcharged by jewellers, who make an average profit margin of 15 to 20 per cent per eight gram sovereign.

If consumers complain,the margin is reduced to 13 or 14 per cent. A profit margin of five or six per cent on one soverign was 'quite good', Raman said.

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GOA, MONDAY, 13 DECEMBER, 2010

SC: No fresh sanction for prosecution on same material PTI NEW DELHI, DEC 12

The sanction for prosecution

once denied against a government official for corrupt practices cannot be reviewed on the

same set of material, the Supreme Court has ruled.

A bench of Justices Aftab Alam and R M Lodha in a judgement said that once sanction has been denied for prosecuting the official, the sanctioning authority cannot change its opinion and grant a fresh sanction on the same set of material.

The apex court said any fresh sanction can be obtained or given only if the investigating agency has placed fresh set of material in support of the plea for prosecution.

The bench passed the ruling while dismissing an appeal of the Himachal Pradesh government that even though sanction required under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) and 197 CrPC was denied initially, it can be reviewed at the discretion of the sanctioning authority.

In this case, the vigilance department sought prosecution of a drug inspector, Nishant Sareen, allegedly caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000.

By an order dated November 27, 2007, the sanctioning authority -- Principal Secretary Health, refused sanction.

However, the authority on a fresh plea by the vigilance department reconsidered the request and granted sanction on March 15, 2008.

The High Court quashed the sanction order on the ground that it was invalid, following which the state appealed in the apex court.

Dismissing the government's plea, the apex court said, "The object underlying Section 19 is to ensure that a public servant does not suffer harassment on false, frivolous, concocted or unsubstantiated allegations."

"The exercise of power under Section 19 is not an empty formality since the government, or for that matter the sanctioning authority, is supposed to apply its mind to the entire material and evidence placed before it, and on examination thereof reach conclusion fairly, objectively and consistent with public interest as to whether or not in the facts and circumstances sanction be accorded to prosecute the public servant," Justice Lodha said writing the judgement.

The bench said it was true that government in the grant or refusal of sanction exercises statutory power.

"But that would not mean that power once exercised cannot be exercised again or at a subsequent stage in the absence of express power of review in no circumstance whatsoever.

US pastor who threatened to burn Koran plans UK visit REUTERS LONDON, DEC 12

An American Christian preacher who rose from obscurity to cause global uproar this year by threatening to burn the Koran says he plans to visit Britain to speak at an event hosted by a far-right anti-Islamist group.

Anti-extremist groups have urged the British government to ban entry to Florida Pastor Terry Jones, whose threat to burn Islam's holy book on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks provoked widespread condemnation.

Britain's Home Secretary (interior minister) Theresa May said today she would be looking into the case.

On his website, Jones said he been invited to a rally held by a group called the English Defence League (EDL) in the town of Luton, north of London, in February. ''During the protest, Dr Terry Jones will speak against the evils and destructiveness of Islam in support of the continued fight against the Islamification (sic) of England and Europe,'' the website said.

Jones, who heads a tiny church called the Dove World Outreach Center, dropped his Koran-burn-

ing plan after it provoked outrage across the Muslim world and a warning from US President Barack Obama that the action would have helped al Qaeda.

The EDL has staged protests in towns and cities across Britain against Islamic extremism since its formation last year and many of its demonstrations have led to violent confrontations with opponents and police.

Eleven people were arrested at a demonstration by the group in Peterborough in central England yesterday, and the head of one regional counter-terrorism unit has said the EDL marches had actually helped radicalise some Muslims.

Just under three per cent of Britain's population of around 62 million describe their religion as Muslim.

Katrina Kaif voted ‘Sexiest Woman in the World’ again PTI LONDON, DEC 12

‘Sheila Ki Jawani’ is showing no signs of waning as Bollywood beauty Katrina Kaif has been named the Sexiest Woman in the World for the third year in a row, beating off competition from her contemporaries like Freida Pinto and Priyanka Chopra.

The actress whose moves in the hit dance number earned her plenty of fans, topped London based newspaper Eastern Eye’s list of the hottest women in the world.

The star of one of the year’s biggest hits ‘Raajneeti’ and hotly anticipated Christmas release ‘Tees Maar Khan’ is excited about the hat-trick.

“I’m very happy that I have made it to the top of Eastern Eye’s list again. England is off course a very special place to me and I think it’s very sweet to be voted the sexiest by them.

I just want to thank everyone for the support,” said the 26year-old actress.

The actress who reportedly split from on-off boyfriend Salman Khan this year, came out on top of the survey conducted by the newspaper,

Britain’s only national English language weekly serving the whole Asian community in the UK. The list was calculated on the basis of the most photographed women in the world and the most in-demand with film producers and fans.

“Although Bollywood heroines dominated the top 10, the list for 2010 included stunning beauty pageant winners, top actresses from around the world, pop stars and TV personalities.

That is why Katrina should be deservedly proud of her amazing win,” Eastern Eye showbiz editor Asjad Nazir said.

Priyanka Chopra narrowly missed out on the top spot by finishing second for the second year in a row. Pakistani actress Mehwish Hayat came eighth, a spot behind Kareena Kapoor.

Bipasha Basu occupied the third spot and Freida Pinto, India’s most popular export to Hollywood only managed a fourth position, while Lara Dutta rounded off the top five.

Katrina Kaif was born in Hong Kong to a Kashmiri father and British mother. She spent her childhood in Hawaii and later moved to England.

Govt to renew National Environment Policy by next year PTI NEW DELHI, DEC 12

Irked over the delayed response from certain state governments and central ministries, the government has sent reminders to get timely response from them to review the National Environment Policy (NEP) by early next year.

"The policy has not been renewed as some of the ministries have not yet given their responses on its implementation.

"We are sending them reminders and would try to come up with its renewed and updated version by early next year," an environment ministry official said requesting anonymity.

The NEP was formulated by the Union Cabinet in 2006 to act as a ready reckoner for guidelines to both centre and state-run environment conservation and pollution control bodies and could not be renewed for over an year.

Activists across the country have expressed their anguish over

non-renewal of the key policy.

"The Policy helps government to decide on major issues like giving clearance on setting up of mining or environmental projects. But its absence poses a question mark on the government's efforts and causes great concern," said Ajay Dubey, an environmentalist.

Another eminent environment activist Proloy Bagchi said, "Environment policy is essential.

It should be upgraded and reviewed to check many critical environmental issues like sand mining and industrial pollution."

Bagchi said the NEP plays an important role in ensuring proper utilisation of natural resources and conservation of environment.

The NEP was the outcome of extensive consultations with experts in different disciplines, central ministries, MPs, state governments, industry associations, academic and research institutions, civil society, NGOs and the public.

From Page 1 Project on cards near Sal

the most compelling reason for taking up the villa community project. He informed the project was priced at Rs 8-10 crore targeted at the upper-crust people from the country and abroad, who are looking at owning an exclusive property.

Further, according to the CEO, the project was targeted at jetsetting people who were on the look out for quality time and the ones wishing to have a resort-like experience. Each villa, according to him, will have a spa and a private swimming pool, besides common water sports, a jetty and everything one desired for.

The report states over 70 per cent of the project area is covered with landscaping and water bodies, which have been designed by international landscape firm, Belt Collins.

Another project of Mumbai-based Raheja overlooking river Sal had faced strong opposition from the villagers of Carmona. Raheja’s had hit the headlines more than two years ago after they proposed to build as many as 612 apartments overlooking the river. The proposal did not find favour with the locals.

Barge sinks at Capxem

According to reports, the incident took place while loading operations were in progress in the river.

The mining company immediately summoned another barge and managed to unload the ore from the ill-fated barge before it could sink.

Mickky dares Cong

But, these politicians are not aware of the fact that Mickky will not be shaken up if they freeze the account for the next 10 years”, he added.

Referring to the large number of his supporters at the birthday celebrations, Pacheco said “one would find many self-proclaimed mass leaders in Goa. I don’t want to be called a mass leader despite this huge assembly of people”, and added that the people of Goa stood behind him when he was implicated and put behind bars.

In his address, Prof Surendra Sirsat told Pacheco’s supporters would stand by the Benaulim MLA in the future and urged the Congress leadership to help and assist the former Tourism Minister in executing development projects. “We will stand by Pacheco.

The party is aware of his helping nature. The National as well as State leadership of the NCP is fully supporting Pacheco”, he added.

Sirsat made the announcement when senior UGDP leaders Adv Radharao Gracias attacked the NCP leadership for their failure to stand by Mickky when the Congress framed him on false charges.

“NCP leaders did not back up Pacheco when artificial charges were slapped on the MLA by the Chief Minister and other leaders. The NCP leadership made Pacheco the scapegoat”, Radharao said, adding that the NCP leadership is incapable to run the party affairs.

Touching on the Nadia Torrado death case, Radharao said the death is a clear cut of suicide, adding that the Benaulim MLA would be discharged from the case for want of any evidence.

The former Tourism Minister was felicitated by Bollywood stars Riya Sen and Amrita Rao. Save Goa Front leader Antonio Gaonkar, NCP Goa coordinator Praful Hede, NCP leaders Avinash Bhosale and Ghatte, ZP members Nelly Rodrigues and Domnic Gaonkar were amongst others who spoke on the occasion.

Congress leaders, South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha and Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes besides BJP MLA Dayanand Mandrekar made their presence felt at the felicitation function for some time.

OHERALDO

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GOA, MONDAY, 13 DECEMBER, 2010

UN deal sets pace for emissions AGENCIES CANCUN, DEC 12

A last-minute agreement at United Nations talks has increased pressure on the Gillard government to lift its ambition in tackling climate change, with the Greens saying Labour has ''no choice'' not to set a more ambitious target than a 5 per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions.

A final overnight session ended with UN negotiators for the first time backing an agreement that formally included targets from the US, China and India.

The deal included arrangements for protecting rainforests and a planned $US100 billion ($101 billion) green climate fund to help the most vulnerable nations cope with the effects of climate change.

The Cancun agreement included steps to ensure trans-

parency in emissions measurement and reporting - a key sticking point for China and the US at last year's disastrous conference in Copenhagen.

But while representatives from more than 190 countries agreed to seek ''deep cuts'' in emissions, the deal does not include targets big enough to meet the goal of limiting the global temperature rise since industrialisation to 2 degrees.

Researchers for the Climate Action Tracker estimated the emissions pledges would set the world on course for 3.2 degrees warming - enough, scientists say, to cause droughts, crop failure, species extinction and increased damage from floods and storms.

Despite this, climate activists welcomed the deal as a step forward that could lay the groundwork for a binding treaty in

South Africa next year, or Rio de Janeiro in 2012.

The Climate Institute deputy chief executive, Erwin Jackson, said it was a more significant result than the 2007 Bali climate conference, when wealthy nations recognised they should cut emissions by 25-40 per cent by 2020. ''It has broken the back of starting to capture all the major emitters in a legally binding framework,'' he said.

The Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet, said the conference was a ''historic step forward'' but that a lot of work remained if there was to be a single treaty covering all big emitters.

The Greens deputy leader, Christine Milne, said the agreement would raise the stakes in the Australia climate debate as the multi-party climate committee sought a deal to introduce

carbon price legislation next year.

She said Labour had no choice but to increase its ''inexcusably weak'' pledge to cut emissions by between 5 and 25 per cent below 2000 levels by 2020. ''The world's poorest countries made very significant concessions in these negotiations in order to keep the UN process alive,'' Senator Milne said. ''Next time around rich countries like Australia will be expected to make similarly substantial contributions.''

The Coalition climate action spokesman, Greg Hunt, said the results at Cancun were modest, and would not sway it from opposing a carbon price.

The agreement bought more time for nations to negotiate a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012, although that process remains fraught.

Dancers take par t in a parade of the Festival of Lights, a celebration that opens the Christmas season in a street of San Jose, Costa Rica.

Now Wikileaks suffers its own leaks AGENCIES LONDON, DEC 12

Wikileaks has suffered its own leaks. The development comes as a senior WikiLeaks activist told The Sunday Telegraph that she and others had resigned from the organisation because of their deep concern about its treatment of sources and "lack of transparency with relation to large sums of money".

This newspaper has learned that one of WikiLeaks's main funding channels, the Germanybased Wau Holland Foundation, has been issued with two official warnings by charity regulators after failing to file financial records.

It has also emerged that the online payment service PayPal, which last week cut off donations to WikiLeaks, suspended the site's account twice before, once under money laundering regulations.

WikiLeaks, which says its operating costs are about $200,000 (£125,000) a year, claims to have raised more than $1 million (£625,000) in donations in the first eight months of this year alone, before most of its highest-profile leaks were published.

Since then, according to one person connected with the group, further "serious amounts of money" have come in, mostly in small sums through the WikiLeaks website. However, in its four-year existence, the group and its associated organisations

Julian Assange has overshadowed the causes WikiLeaks was supposed to defend, say critics.

have never produced any accounts.

WikiLeaks promised to publish accounts in August, but did not do so. It now says it will provide them by the end of the year.

The most serious concerns centre on the proceeds of a special appeal by WikiLeaks for Pte Manning, the US soldier arrested in June on suspicion of leaking 250,000 classified diplomatic cables and hundreds of thousands of military logs from the Iraq and Afghan wars.

Jeff Patterson, of the Bradley Manning Support Network, which is handling Pte Manning's legal defence, said: "From July, WikiLeaks publicly solicited donations specifically for Bradley's defence expenses, and I assume people did donate.

They led us to believe they would make a substantial con-

Putin sings English song, surprises Hollywood!

Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sings at a charity concert for children suffering from eye diseases and cancer in St Petersburg.

PTI MOSCOW, DEC 12

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has sprang a surprise on a crowd of Hollywood celebrities by singing a song in English and playing a tune from a popular Soviet-era spy movie on piano at a charity concert in his home town St Petersburg. Sharon Stone, Kevin Costner, Monica Bellucci, Mickey Rourke, Paul Anka and many other western stars were present at the charity event to raise funds for Russia's children suffering from cancer, NTV channel reported.

"Like the majority of people, I cannot sing nor play music, but still love doing it," Putin said when asked by anchor to come to stage.

TV footage showed him

singing Louis Armstrong's 'Blueberry Hill' accompanied by a Jazz band.

Putin displayed a good 'musical ear' and played the tune of the Soviet song 'From Where the Motherland Begins' from a spy movie, which he also sang with the 10 deported Russian spies from America in July.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said his mentor is taking lessons of English language and piano.

He could not say why he chose the song "Blueberry Hill" written in 1940 and performed

by Glenn Miller and Lois Armstrong.

In his recent interview to Larry King of CNN, Putin had said he was learning English songs from his teacher.

tribution in September. Since then we have had perhaps half a dozen conversations trying to follow up with them but we have not yet received any money."

Mr Patterson told WikiLeaks in July that the defence would cost $100,000 (£65,000). "They said at the time they would split it with us," he said. Last week, he said, WikiLeaks finally promised to pay, but only $20,000 (£12,500.)

"They told us on Thursday that nobody has signed off on it yet, but they expect it to happen soon," he said. "We're definitely going to be able to use $20,000, but it's less than we hoped for."

Mr Patterson said Wikileaks' failure to pay was "unfortunate", but added: "I attribute it to their fiscal disarray as the world closed in on them. I have spent

17 killed in Iraq car bomb blast AGENCIES BAGHDAD, DEC 12

A car bomb exploded on Sunday outside government offices in a province west of the Iraqi capital, killing 17 people, officials said. It was the latest deadly hit on a favourite insurgent target.

At least 23 people were also wounded in Sunday's blast, according to the police and hospital officials. The blast took place near the provincial council compound in Ramadi, capital of Anbar province.

Police found a second bomb in a nearby parking lot a few minutes later, but said they detonated it in a safe area.

The compound in Ramadi, 70 miles (115 kilometres) west of Baghdad, also houses the Anbar police headquarters and the governor's office.

Government officials in Anbar, a former stronghold of al Qaeda militants and Sunni insurgents, have frequently been targeted by insurgents. Nearly a year ago, the Islamic state of Iraq, an al Qaeda front group, claimed responsibility for an attack on the same compound.

many years defending military personnel. My concern was that an Icelandic-Australian-Swedish website was never going to be able to provide the defence that was needed for Bradley."

Much of Wikileaks's money goes through the Wau Holland Foundation, named after a former computer hacker and based in Kassel, Germany.

Authorities in the German state of Hesse said they had issued it with two warnings after it failed to file the required accounts.

Wau Holland's PayPal account for online donations was closed last week, prompting international hacker retaliation.

However, it was also suspended in 2008 and last year.

"We suspended it temporarily in 2009 in accordance with European anti-money-laundering regulations, for reaching certain limits," a PayPal spokesman said.

"The account was reinstated when the foundation provided additional information."

Meanwhile, a former senior WikiLeaks activist said she had resigned because of her concern that Julian Assange, the site's controversial founder, was "the sole decision-maker" and a "bottleneck" to the site's development.

Birgitta Jonsdottir, an Icelandic MP and transparency campaigner, said she and several other senior WikiLeaks activists had serious concerns about the group's structure.

Obama lashes out REUTERS WASHINGTON, DEC 12

Barack Obama has made his strongest condemnation yet of WikiLeaks, as supporters of Julian Assange demonstrated for his release.

In a call to the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the US President ''expressed his regrets for the deplorable action

by WikiLeaks'', the White House said.

The comments, and similar statements in a call to his Mexi c a n c o u n t e r p a r t , Fe l i p e Calderon, were Obama's most forceful yet against the website, whose disclosure of a trove of secret US diplomatic cables has won it international condemnation and praise.

Obama's call to Erdogan could be seen as an effort to smooth ruffled feathers in Turkey - a key regional US ally - where officials including the Prime Minister have railed against some of the information divulged by the documents.

Demonstrations took place across Spain on Saturday - including one by hundreds of people outside the British embassy in Madrid - calling for the release from a London jail of Assange, the website's Australian founder, who is awaiting possible extradition to Sweden to face sexual assault allegations.

6 NATO troops killed in Afghanistan REUTERS KABUL, DEC 12

An insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan killed six foreign troops today, the NATO-led force said, days before Washington is due to complete a review of its war strategy.

The latest deaths come near the end of the bloodiest year for foreign troops and ordinary Afghans since the Taliban were overthrown in late 2001.

ISAF did not give any further details about the attack, including the nationality of those killed, but it was the deadliest insurgent attack on the battlefield since six foreign troops were killed in a suicide attack in Kabul in May. On November 29, six NATO troops were shot dead by a man wearing an Afghan border police uniform during a training exercise in the east.

More than 690 foreign troops have been killed in 2010, by far the bloodiest year of the war.

A total of 521 foreign troops were killed in 2009 and more than 2,260 have died since the beginning of the war. June was the bloodiest month for foreign forces in Afghanistan, with 103 deaths.

The rise in troop deaths will weigh heavily on US President Barack Obama and his administration, who are under increasing pressure to find an end to a war that has dragged on for more than nine years.

Blasts terror crimes: Sweden REUTERS STOCKHOLM, DEC 12

Swedish police investigating two blasts that rocked central Stockholm yesterday night, killing one person and wounding two, said today they had good leads into what they said were ''terror crimes''.

Before the explosions, the Swedish news agency TT received a threatening letter about Sweden's military presence in Afghanistan and caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad drawn several years ago by a Swedish cartoonist.

A senior Swedish security police official told a news conference today the blasts were being treated as ''terror crimes'' and police had established good leads.

Anders Thornberg, director of operations at the Security Police, said police could neither confirm that the man who died was a suicide bomber nor discuss his identity, as some family members had not yet been informed. ''We are investigating this as terror crimes according to Swedish law ... we have not raised the security (threat) level,'' Thornberg said, adding that the police were stepping up their presence in the capital.

The drama began when a car burst into flames near a busy shopping street in the city centre, followed by explosions in-

side the car which police said were caused by gas canisters.

The second explosion, about 300 metres (yards) away and 10 to 15 minutes later, killed one man and wounded two people. ''Most worrying attempt at terrorist attack in crowded part of central Stockholm. Failed but could have been truly catastrophic,'' Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said in a message on Twitter, which was also shown on his blog.

Police vans cordoned off several streets around the body and towed away the car. The rest of the city centre was calm, with people having a normal yesterday night out.

Several hours after the blast, the man's body was still lying on the pavement, covered with a white sheet.

Swedish newspapers all said the dead man had blown himself up. Dagens Nyheter quoted a man called Pascal, a trained medic, as saying ''It looked as if the man had been carrying something that exploded in his stomach''. ''He had no injuries to the face or body in general and the shops around were not damaged.''

The Aftonbladet quoted a source as saying the man was carrying six pipebombs, of which only one exploded, and a rucksack full of nails and suspected explosive material.

Berlusconi’s babes race to save him AGENCIES ROME, DEC 12

In the corridors of the Rome parliament, Daniela Santanche, a socialite-turned-junior minister, was spearheading a feverish charm offensive.

The push last week by a bevy of MPs known as "Silvio's babes" was an effort to save their billionaire Prime Minister's political skin.

Santanche, 49, battled to persuade MPs outside Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right People of Freedom party to back him in votes of confidence tomorrow.

A defeat would mean early elections, instability for Italy and a new crisis in the eurozone, she told colleagues.

"I'm appealing to people's sense of responsibility. It's about being Italian, about the good of the country. If the government falls, it will be a disaster for Italy," said Santanche during a break from lobbying her fellow MPs. Other so -called "babes" shoring up support for the premier, 74, included Maria Rosaria Rossi, a 38-year-old MP with whom he spent part of last summer.

Silvio Berlusconi and his tourism minister, former beauty queen Michela Vittoria Brambilla, greet supporters in Milan.

It was female acquaintances of the Prime Minister nicknamed the Great Seducer - including former prostitutes allegedly paid to attend orgies at his residence - who helped bring Berlusconi to the brink of defeat. Now it is female friends - his fellow party members - who are doing all they can to rescue him.

If he is defeated in one of the confidence votes due in both houses of parliament, Berlusconi

will lose power and could be forced to fight an election, long before his mandate ends in 2013. He could also step down if his majority proves too thin for him to rule effectively, and the uncertainty could set off jitters in the eurozone.

The votes are the culmination of a crisis of political credibility that began with a scandal early last year, when Berlusconi attended the 18th birthday party

of Noemi Letizia, an aspiring model. It prompted his wife, Veronica Lario, to demand a divorce.

A month later, Patrizia D'Addario, a former prostitute, said she had had sex with Berlusconi at his Rome residence on the night of Barack Obama's election in November 2008 - an allegation Berlusconi dismissed as "trash".

Scandals over Berlusconi's pri-

vate life, corruption investigations into government ministers and the defection of his principal coalition ally, Gianfranco Fini, the Speaker of the lower house of parliament who denounced his autocratic style, have left him weaker than ever. His authority was further undermined by documents from American diplomats, published by the website WikiLeaks, which portrayed him as "feckless, vain and ineffective".

As both sides lobbied desperately last week, there were allegations of vote-buying.

The leading anti-Berlusconi newspaper L a Repubblica quoted an unnamed MP as saying he and several colleagues had been offered three- to fiveyear "consultancy contracts", worth up to $520,000, by supporters of the Prime Minister.

Another opposition MP, Antonio Razzi of the anti-corruption Italy of Values party, had said before a previous vote of confidence that he was offered the chance to have his mortgage paid off. He announced last week that he had decided to join Berlusconi's party and back him this time.

Israeli envoy praises Rudd for strong stand against Iran AGENCIES SIDNEY, DEC 12

The Israeli ambassador to Australia found Kevin Rudd to be "very pro-Israel" and senior Australian diplomats warned the former prime minister that his condemnation of Iran risked retaliation against Australia's embassy in Tehran, according to leaked US diplomatic cables.

The secret cables, obtained by WikiLeaks and provided exclusively to the Herald, reveal the Israeli ambassador, Yuval Rotem, was pleased with Mr Rudd's "very supportive" attitude towards Israel's position in the Middle East peace process and his strong attacks on the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The revelation of Mr Rotem's description of Mr Rudd last year comes as the Foreign Minister wraps up a visit to Cairo where he expressed concern that ''no real progress'' has been made in the US-brokered Middle East peace process.

Following a weekend meeting with the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Abul Gheit, Mr Rudd said Israeli settlements on Palestinian land were ''destroying'' the chances of peace. He said he would visit Israel this week and reiterate his position, but added Israel had security fears that needed to be taken into account.

The leaked cables reveal that Israeli diplomats saw Mr Rudd

Israeli ambassador Yuval Rotem all praise for Kevin Rudd.

as an important ally.

Rotem told US officials in July 2008 that during his first meeting with Mr Rudd after the 2007 federal election, the newly elected prime minister had described Mr Ahmedinejad as a ''loathsome individual on every level'' and that his anti-Semitism

''turns my stomach''.

The US embassy noted that while opposition leader, Mr Rudd had taken a "very strong stance" on Iran, including calling for Mr Ahmadinejad to be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court for his calls for the destruction of Israel.

The Israeli ambassador said that the secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Michael l'Estrange, and the director-general of the Office of National Assessments, Peter Varghese, had "met several times to convince the PM to think through the consequences of his rhetoric on Iran''.

"The Israeli ambassador believes PM Rudd is very concerned about the Iranian nuclear program and firm in his desire to do whatever possible to signal Australia's opposition to Tehran's nuclear ambitions,'' the embassy reported. "The Israelis believe Rudd is very firm in his overall support for Israel.''

Asked by the US embassy

about whether Mr Rudd's views on Iran had elicited any response, Mr Rotem said the Iranian government had reacted to the prime minister's statements by taking ''retaliatory measures'' against the Australian embassy.

"These measures make it harder for the embassy to conduct its day-to-day business,'' Mr Rotem observed. The Australian government has never publicly acknowledged any Iranian response to Mr Rudd's public criticism of Iran and its President.

Mr Rotem went on to tell the US embassy that Israel saw Australia "as playing an important role in the 'global PR battle' on Iran because PM Rudd is viewed favourably by Europe.

SPORTS

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GOA, Monday, 13 December, 2010

PVC enter quarters gouveia soccer HERALD SPORTS REPORTER PANJIM, DEC 12

PVC Parra got the better of Saligao United 6-4 via the tiebreaker to enter the quarter-finals of 5th Pio Jose Gouveia memorial soccer organised by Youth Club of Colvale at Colvale ground on Sunday.

The teams were locked 1-1 at full time.

Saligao took the lead in the very first minute through Abhijit Govekar only to see PVC’s Peter Menezes level terms for Parra in the 24th minute through a spotkick.

In the tie-breaker, Parra netted through Peter Menezes, Joachim Pacheco, Brijesh Shirodkar, Lawrence Pacheco and Claude Pacheco while Samir Rane, Alfred Rodrigues and Tyson Fernandes shot on target for Saligao.

Real Benaulim advance into finals rosary cup soccer

HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, DEC 12

Real Benaulim blanked Santa Cruz, Davorlim to storm into the finals of 7th Rosary Cup football tournament organised by Rosary Youth Club of Zorrivaddo at Rosary ground, Zorrivaddo, Davorlim on Sunday.

Levino Fernandes and Elvis Fernandes were the goal getters.

Odafe’s brace sinks Mohun Bagan Churchill 2 M Bagan 0 E Bengal 4 AIFF 0 Viva Kerala 1 Pune 1 ONGC 0 Salgaocar 1 HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, DEC 12

A fine brace by Nigerian striker Odafe Okolie helped Churchill Brothers to outsmart Mohun Bagan (Kolkata) 2-0 in their third round match of AIFF’s 4th ILeague at Nehru Stadium, Fatorda on Sunday. Churchill Brothers led 1-0 at half time.

Following two drawn encounters against Dempo and JCT, Churchill Brothers chalked out a plan to tame the Kolkata giants who came in after a home defeat against HAL. Attacking from the start, Churchill forced the visitors on the backfoot and seemed to be in complete control of the proceedings. Their hard work paid off in the very second minute when captain Odafe picked up the ball from midfielder Zakeer Mundampara and outpaced two rival defenders to punish Bagan’s keeper with a clinical finish.

Stung by the early blow, Mohun Bagan raised their tempo. They came close in levelling the score but striker Subair Muritiala headed out from close range after Hapreet Singh

sent a floater into Churchill’s penalty area.

For the home side, Lenny Rodrigues and Zakeer Mundampara worked effectively in the midfield to feed Odafe and Binesh Balan, who kept the rival defence constantly on the run. Mohun Bagan were a pale shadow of themselves as they were completely off-colour and were unable to strike any rhythm.

In the 14th minute, Odafe managed to find the net for Churchill but assistant referee Denny Jacob of Kerala had his flag raised, which meant that Odafe was off-side and referee S Suresh from Tamil Nadu disallowed the goal.

At the other end, Mohun Bagan were foiled from neutralising the lead following an Edeh Chidi through pass from the left flank, which saw Churchill keeper Lalit Thapa fumbling with the collection but the goalkeeper collected it at second attempt, just before striker Subair Muritala Ali could do the damage. Later, captain Edeh Chidi headed out a chip from hardworking Jose Ramirez Barretto.

Thereafter, Churchill held midfield supremacy for a major part of the game as the Kolkata giants did not show much cohesion and only managed a cou-

ple of forays towards the rival goalpost. Churchill could have doubled the lead but Odafe’s attempt to connect Zakeer’s pass deflected off a rival defender’s leg.

Churchill began the second session on a rousing note and mounted pressure on the rival citadel. They were rewarded in the 65th minute when Mohun Bagan defender Harpreet Singh pulled down Odafe inside the penalty area. Singh was shown the yellow while Odafe made no mistake to send the rival keeper on the wrong way and thus complete his brace. Earlier, Israil Gurung spurned an easy chance shooting wide after Odafe had done the spadework.

Odafe could have registered his hat-trick but Mohun Bagan keeper Shilton Paul heroically saved Odafe’s last try just before the final call.

With this win, Churchill Brothers collected five points from three matches while Mohun Bagan suffered their second defeat and have one point from the same number of encounters.

Odafe was adjudged man-ofthe-match.

Churchill’s coach, Vincent Subramanian dedicated his team’s win to his club patron Churchill Alemao, who won the

Churchill Brothers striker Odafe Okolie celebrates with teammates after opening an account for the team.

Photo: Third Eye

EPL Barclay Award for promotion of soccer in Goa and the country.

“This was a great win and I dedicate it to Churchill Alemao,” Subramanian told the media at the post match conference. “It was a good performance. The boys had promised that they would do their best and they did a good job. We are fully satisfied with the results,” he added.

Mohun Bagan coach, Stanley

Salgaocar edge past ONGC GFA Second Division football: Vaddem SC v. Mangor SC, Tilak Maidan, Vasco, 4 p.m.

GFA Third Division play-off: United Club of Telaulim v.

Verna SC, Curtorim ground, 3.45 p.m.

GFA U-14 football: Rossman Cruz Nagoa SC v. Betalbatim SC, Nagoa ground; Fr Agnelo Youth Center, Pilar v. Brasil FA, Pilar ground; Vasco SC (Juniors) v. C o r t a l i m G y m k h a n a , Cansaulim ground. Kick off 4 p.m.

GFA U-16 football: Anjuna Gymkhana v. Goa United SA, Anjuna Gymkhana ground; Dunes SC v. FC Sanquelim, Morjim ground. Kick off 4 p.m.

5th Gouveia memorial soccer: Holy Cross, Arambol v. Holiday Club, Arpora, Colvale church ground, 4.45 p.m.

7th Rosar y Cup soccer semis: Rebello Pandal, Maina v. Chris Boys, Curchorem, Rosary ground, Zorrivado, Davorlim, 4.30 p.m.

An ONGC player attempts to block Salgaocar’s Yakubu in Kholapur on Sunday.

AGENCIES KHOLAPUR, DEC 12

G h a n a i a n s t r i k e r Yu s u f Yakubu’s experience came

East Bengal thrash AIFF

handy to Salgoacar as a 65th minute goal scored by him helped his team to register a 1-0 win against ONGC in round

St Christopher, Dunes draw; Guardian Angel win HERALD SPORTS REPORTER MAPUSA, DEC 12

East Bengal players rejoice after scoring.

UNI KOLKATA, DEC 12

Soccer giants East Bengal today registered a hat-trick of wins in the I-League with a 40 thrashing of AIFF XI at Yuba Bharati Krirangan, their biggest win of this edition with a brace from Robin Singh on Sunday.

Winners of Federation Cup, Calcutta Football League and Platinum Jubilee Cup, East Bengal had to wait for the first 49 minutes before left winger Robin Singh broke the wall and next three goals within 30 minutes. Penn Orji, who set the first goal for Singh, struck home in 68th minute just five minutes before Singh's second goal and Tolgay Ozbay comp l e t e d t h e s c o re i n 7 9 t h minute, his third goal of the ILeague to become the only player for East Bengal to score in every game.

The win took the red-andgold atop the pole with nine points from three games and AIFF XI, comprising youth remained on a point after third round.

East Bengal's big win came after two difficult triumphs - 10 over ONGC and with same margin against title holders

n The win took the red-and-gold atop the pole with nine points from three games and AIFF XI, comprising youth remained on a point after third round.

Dempo SC, because of active support from playmaker Penn Orji and resourceful midfielding from Sanju Pradhan.

Nigerian playmaker was the chief architect of Singh's first goal feeding him from right cross and later he helped Tolgay to score from a back volley pass amidst a maze of legs to split defence of the AIFF boys.

Robin Singh was irresistible for his second goal as his solo effort from midfield to left corner and finally his left footer beat AIFF goalkeeper Jagru Singh at far post.

East Bengal could have won by a greater margin if Australian Tolgay Ozbay had been a bit liberal in passing in the second half as he wasted three rosy chances.

St Christopher Sports Club and Dunes Sports Club had to be content with sharing points after a goalless draw in GFA’s U-14 League at St Christopher ground, Tivim on Sunday.

The teams did well and tried hard to find the elusive goal, but it was not to be.

St Christopher coach Gajanan Kambli was delighted with the performance. “This is the first time St Christopher have entered the U-14 tournament and I feel the players gave a good account of themselves,” stated Gajanan.

At Rosary ground, Ave Maria Athletic and WA defeated Colmorod Ratwaddo Sports Club 5-0. Caeteno Rebello netted a brace along with teammate Bailan Rebello.

Sanjay netted for Ave Maria.

Young Strikers, Benaulim and United Boys, Palolem settled for a 1-1 draw at Dando ground.

A t C u c h o re m g ro u n d , Guardian Angel Sports Club overcame Curtorim Gymkhana 5-0.

three tie of I-league at Sahu Maharaj ground, Kolhapur on Sunday.

It was Karim Bencherifa’s boys who after a goalless first half came back with a winning strategy to defeat the Mumbai outfit and score three points from an away match.

“Though thousand of football fans thronged to the stadium to watch the match to support their home team, t h e y w e re u n l u c k y, ” s a i d ONGC coach Sujit Chakraborty. Though they were unable to win, the coach was happy that his boys played to a plan and stopped their opponents most of the times.

Both the teams started on an aggressive note and ONGC defenders managed to stop their opponents but what they were unable to do is convert chances that came their way. Both the teams failed to capitalize on the chances earned in the first half.

ONGC will repent as they got almost four chances in the first half and two in the second. Salgaocar got three in the first half and three in the second of which that one goal made the difference.

After resumption it was advantage Salgaocar as their experienced Ghanaian striker Yusif Yakubu scored off a penalty in the 65th minute.

ONGC coach Sujit Chakraborty said, “It was a very unlucky day for us. We missed lots of chances and we were unable to convert. I’m happy with the way the team played today and also, they played according to the plan.

We had made a plan to stop them in first 20 minutes, which they successfully managed to, and the rest of the time we controlled. We created lot of chances and the boys worked very hard and that’s what matters. Yakubu’s goal was surely the turning point and we lost.”

Rozario attributed the defeat to the errors his players committed and was more aggressive, questioning the wisdom of the penalty. “For what did the referee give the penalty? This defeat will help the players to look forward and improve their game. The current situation is not acceptable. I just need to sit down and talk to the players,” Rozario concluded.

Deepak gets FIDE rating

HERALD SPORTS DESK PANJIM, DEC 12

Deepak Gopalan completed his rating performance at the FIDE rating tournament at Sangli and Pavvanur. His rating will be 1569.

Deepak is 12 years old and a student of KVINS Mandovi, Verem, studying in Std VII. He is being coached by Shravan Barve, Standrik Colaso, Siva Swamy and Prasanna Swamy. The total number of FIDE rated players in Goa is now 78.

Viva Kerala, Pune FC share points PTI KANNUR, DEC 12

Striker Sunilkumar's header with just one minute left for the match saved the day for Pune FC, who managed to hold hosts Viva Kerala 1-1 in an I-League football match at Jawahar Municipal stadium, on Sunday.

Producing an impressive performance, Viva Kerala scored the goal in the 73rd minute through striker Jimshad's header, while Sunilkumar's header in the dying moments of the match helped Pune to share points.

With this match, both Viva and Pune FC have two points apiece from three encounters.

Dominating the entire proceedings, Viva could have won the match rather convincingly, but have to blame themselves for the draw as their strikers fumbled with the opportunities, specially in the second half, much to the dismay of the holiday crowd.

Viva, finding their rhythm straightaway, went all out for the goal and gave some anxious moments to Pune goalkeeper Balaji Narasimhan.

Viva could have forged ahead in the 20th minute, but none of the strikers could latch on to

Pune and Viva Kerala players in a heading duel.

the cross sent by Sabeeth and again O K Javid, who substituted Felix Chumaoku in the 40th minute, managed to dodge past a couple of defenders and with Narasimhan alone at his mercy banged it over the bar.

The second half saw Viva in total control and going all out for the lead. Anilkumar almost fetch the lead for the hosts, but Narasimhan showed good reflexes to avert the danger.

When it seemed that the match would end in a tame draw, Viva scored the lead through Jimshad, who fully made use of

a long throw-in by Sherin Same from the left, to beat Narasimhan with a header, much to the delight of the crowd.

Pune too had earned some chances to reduce the margin, but they fumbled at the nick of the time either striking straight to the Viva goalkeeper or over the crosspiece.

Pune's Arata Izumi and Keita Mandjov came out with brilliant performances.

With a minute to go for the final whistle, Pune's Sunilkumar surprised Viva with a header, to split the points.

Verna claim Bro Eulalio trophy HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, DEC 12

Verna Sports Club scored a narrow 1-0 win over Union of Chinchinim Villagers to emerge champs in All-Goa Bro Eulalio Vaz memorial soccer tournament organised by Don Bosco Oratory at Don Bosco Oratory ground, Fatorda on Sunday.

The all-important goal came in the first half through Anthony Rego.

Chinchinim began on an aggressive note with their forwards creating many forays into the rival territory and tested the rival keeper with sorties.

Striker Jorax Fernandes, who was a thorn in the rival defence,

unleashed a couple of forays into the rival penalty area and came close to surging ahead but Verna keeper Molly Alvares was a stumbling block as he thwarted a couple of saves to deny Chinchinim success.

The match-winner came midway in the opening session when striker Santan Rego unleashed a blistering shot which beat the Chinchinim keeper all ends up.

Stung by the setback, Chinchinim tried their best to raise the game but their efforts were in vain against a strong defence put up by the Verna lads.

Crossing over, Chinchinim put up a better display but could not breach the Verna defence marshalled by John Fernandes

who was alert in frustrating their attacks.

On the other hand, Verna also had scoring chances but their forwards squandered away easy opportunities from close range.

In all 16 teams participated.

Verna were richer by Rs 20,000 while Chinchinim had to settle for Rs 15,000.

Following individual prizes were awarded: First scorer of the finals - Santan Rego (Verna).

Best goalkeeper - Molly Alvares (Verna). Best defender - John Fernandes (Verna). Best player of the tournament - Anthony Rego (Verna). Best midfielder of the finals - Shridhar Dabhale (Chinchinim). Up-coming player - Maclister Faleiro (Don Bosco Oratory). Highest scorer of the

tournament - Jorax Fernandes (Chinchinim). Best forward - Anthony Rego (Verna). Man-of-thefinals - Vijal Rego (Verna). Oldest player - Roque Carneiro (Maina).

Fr Ian Figueiredo, Provincial, Goa Konkan Province, Don Bosco Salesians, was the chief guest. Vijay Sardessai, general secretary, Goa Pradesh Congress (I) committee was the guest of honour. Fr Figueredo and Sardessai gave away the prizes. Margao Municipal Council councillors, Joseph D’Silva, Tito Cardozo and GFA member Anthony Pango were the special invitees.

Earlier, Fr Kinley D’Costa, Rector, Don Bosco Oratory, Fatorda welcomed. Bro James proposed the vote of thanks.

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GOA, Monday, 13 December, 2010

Allan 1 Goan Nat supercross champ st

bar Kamat, Sports Minister Babu Azgaoncar, P WD Minister Churchill Alemao, SAG’s Executive Director, V M Prabhudesai and assistant secretary Naveen Acharya for promptly providing participation grants,” pointed out Allan, who added that for one race it was Ashley Gomes who had lent his shock absorber.

“Sports runs in the blood of Goans, no doubt. Allan is an example of a serious, hard working sportsperson. I have supported him in the past and I shall continue doing so always as he is very serious and committed.

With the National title victory, Allan has made Goa and Goans

HERALD SPORTS REPORTER PANJIM, DEC 12

Goa’s Allan Sequeira scripted a new golden chapter in Goan motor sports history as he was crowned National champion in the Private Class Seven Open Foreign Bike category with a tally of 205 points to claim the overall championship of MRF Supercross 2010 at the end of the 6th and final round in Pune on Sunday.

Allan from Sirvodem, Margao, riding YZ 250 took the silver in today’s race grabbing 32 points.

Raivat Dhillon (Delhi) riding YZ 125 finished first with 35 points.

Gurav Khatri riding RMZ 250 from Jaipur finished third with 30 points.

Following are the overall winners: Class I Santosh CS of TVS Racing, 219 points. Class II Md Asgar of TVS Racing, 95 points.

Class III Pradeep HK TVS Racing, 161 points. Class V Vishal Barguje of TVS Racing, 94 points.

Class VI Anil Kumar of Bangalore, 69 points.

To Allan goes the credit of being the first-ever Goan to earn a National championship in the FMSCI recognised 2-wheeler contest spanning in all, six gruelling rounds. He got the first place in the first and second races in Bangalore and Coimbatore. In the third, at Jaipur he finished second while in the fourth in Baroda he took the second place. At Kholapur, in the fifth event, he finished third and in Pune he emerged second.

Allan, who at the start used to practice at the Gomes Race Track in Candolim, prepared a new track at Navelim where he could practice for just eight days. It has not been a smooth ride for the Margao-based rider

Allan Sequeira is airborne after a majestic leap over the table top in Pune on Sunday.

of late, as he had to borrow a bike from a Bangalore rider since his old two-wheeler developed a serious shock-absorber problem and had to be discarded.

“The switch over to the new bike has been very difficult. Yet, I managed to secure a podium finish in the last three races. I surmounted several problems, because I was hell bent on my goal – to win the National title, as it was within my reach” stated an ecstatic Allan from Pune.

“There is a great potential for the sport in Goa. No doubt, it is a very costly affair besides being a highly dangerous sport.

But with sustained practice, hard work, it is not difficult to achieve the top position. For the last three races, I was fully supported by the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG). This is the first time, that the SAG has given full backing for participation in the Nationals and I am indebted to the Government, Chief Minister Digam-

U-14 schools football camps HERALD SPORTS DESK PANJIM, 12

The Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs has shortlisted the following probables to attend the pre-National football U-14 boys and girls coaching camp to select the State team to participate in National School Games in Chandigarh from January 7 to 12.

U-14 boys: Shyam Murmur, Vineet Bugde (St Clara’s HS, Assonora), Liston Fernandes, Jasmon Soares (Our Lady of Rosary, Fatorda), Medhaj Chanekar (Shree Shantadurga HS, Bicholim), Sagar Solanki (SS Samiti, Ponda), Romaria Barretto (St Aloysius HS, Benaulim), Shawn Crasto (Holy Rosary Convent HS, Nuvem), Dilaanjer Carvalho, Maxon Fernandes, Ruflen Fernandes (Loyola HS, Margao), Joyward Dias (Immaculate Conception HS, Quepem), Snell Rodrigues (St Anthony ’s HS,

Majorda), Davesh Maulankar (St Xavier’s HS, Moira), Cliffton Barbosa (St Rita’s HS, Maina), Wendell Fernandes (Assumpta Convent HS, Sarzora), Flemming Dias (St Mary’s HS, Ponda), Latesh Mandrekar (Chubby Cheeks HS, Porvorim), Delbert Fernandes (Our Lady of Carmel HS), Harshad Naik (St Joseph HS, Pernem), Stany Braganza (Marina English HS, Verna), Suraj Naik (Rosary HS, Navelim), Sinclair Vaz (Manovikas HS, Margao), Santosh Pujar (Our Lady of Mount Carmel HS), Prashant Yargatti (A J de Almeida HS, Ponda), Shahid Afrid (Our Lady of Rosary HS, Fatorda).

U-14 girls: Nancy Fernandes, Cynthia Lobo, Valanie Fernandes (St Mary’s HS, Ponda), Pooja Reddy, Shefali Goltekar (Holy Cross HS, Siolim), Lizaka D’Mello, Keenda D’Sousa, Denize Sequeira (Our Lady of Rosary HS, Mira Mar), Alisha Tavares (Holy

Rosary HS, Nuvem), Charmaine Vaz (Manovikas English HS, Margao), Trisha Bhandari (The Kings HS, Margao), Navilla Colaco (St Joseph’s HS, Aquem), Linda Galado (Marina English HS, Verna), Neslina Oliveira, Jani Gomes (Bethany convent), Riddhi Goltekar, Magan Fernandes (Holy Cross HS, Siolim), swetlena Falcao, Marina Rodrigues, Kimbli Rebello (Our Lady of Rosary HS, Dona Paula), Eva Fernandes (St Anthony’s HS, Majorda), Shamira Cardozo (Our Lady of Rosary HS, Fatorda), Alayne D’Sa, Anushka Viegas, Ratlishma Sinari, Mominabi Shodivale (Our Lady of Rosary HS, Fatorda).

They have been requested to attend the camp at Government village school, Santa Cruz from December 13 to January 2 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Participants may report to M M Muttawali, coach at 2.30 p.m. with full playing kit.

St. Xavier’s Institute, Curtorim beat St Pius, Orlim in finals

St. Xavier’s Institute, Curtorim alongwith PE teacher Atmanand Pednekar, school manager Arnaldo Costa.

HERALD SPORTS DESK PANJIM, DEC 12

St. Xavier’s Institute, Curtorim beat St Pius X High School, Orlim 2-0 to win the U-15 7-aside football tournament organised by Don Bosco Sports Academy and sponsored by Berger Paints India Ltd. at Don Bosco Academy ground, Loutolim on Sunday.

Stefen Fernandes and Myron Fernandes scored for the win-

ners.

In the first semi-finals, St. Pius beat Bethany Convent, Sao Jose de Areal 4-1 via the tie-breaker after being locked 1-1 at full time. The scorers were Jonas for St. Pius and Samson for Bethany (regular time). In the tie-breaker, Jonas, Magon and Daniel netted for St. Pius.

In the second semi-finals, St. Xaviers Institute, Curtorim got the better of Saviour of the

World High School, Loutolim 43 via the tie-breaker. Myron, Anthony, Aggie and Joliex scored for the Curtorim while Elziel, Steve and Melvin shot on target for Loutolim.

Prasanjit Chakravorthy, GM Works, Berger Paints India was the chief guest. The tournament was organised under the overall supervision of Rector, Fr Albano Fernandes, Don Bosco, Loutolim and Bro. Anthony Rocha.

Bharat, Snehal win sub-jr titles state archery tourney HERALD SPORTS DESK PANJIM, DEC 12

Bharat Kumar and Snehal Divakar clinched the sub-junior title in SAG’s State Archery Championship organised by Amateur Archery Association at

Campal, Panjim recently.

Results: Sub-junior boys 30m: Niranjit Ningambam, Binay Gaud and Shubham Chowgule.

20m: Shubham Bhadauria, Bharat Kumar and Parshuram Chavan.

Overall champions: Bharat

Kumar, Niranjit Ningambam and Binay Gaud.

Sub-junior girls 30m: Snehal Divakar, Raveena Naik and Chloe Fernandes.

20m: Snehal Divakar, Raveena Naik and Chloe Fernandes.

Overall champions: Snehal Divakar, Raveena Naik and Chloe Fernandes.

Allan with the 2nd place shield after the sixth event of National MRF Supercross event in Pune on Sunday.

proud. He must now work still harder so that he maintains the numero uno position in the class and possibly attain higher accolades in the future,” PWD Minister Churchill Alemao stated in his congratulatory message.

Meanwhile, SAG’s ED Prabhudesai congratulated Allan for the feat, the first by a Goan rider.

“One’s determination and sustained commitment with regular practice proves that one can reach the top. Allan has proved that despite handicaps, one could still scale great heights provided one is very serious and devoted to the goal, which he never lost sight of,” stressed Prabhudesai who has been a great source of encouragement for Allan.

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Saina Hong Kong Open queen PTI NEW DELHI, DEC 12

Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal rallied to register a scintillating three-game victory over Shixian Wang of China to clinch her third Super Series title of the year at the Hong Kong Open in Wanchai today.

The 20-year- old Indian capped her career's fourth Super Series title triumph with a 1521 21-16 21-17 win over the third seed Chinese in a gruelling one hour and 11 minutes summit clash at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

The girl from Hyderabad won

back-to-back titles – Indian Open Grand Prix, Singapore Open Super Series and defended the Indonesian Super Series -before clinching the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games in October here.

Saina, who dropped to fourth in the world rankings, is likely

to inch closer to the number one spot with this resounding victory.

Saina played a tactical game after she lost the first game and clawed her way back with some fast-paced rallies and powerful smashes to outwit the Chinese world number five.

Bangladesh clinch series AGENCIES CHITTAGONG, DEC 12

Rookie batsman Tamim Iqbal and Zunaed Siddique smashed half centuries on Sunday to help Bangladesh win the fifth and final limited-overs international by six wickets and clinch the five-game series against Zimbabwe 3-1.

Bangladesh reached the winning run comfortably in reply to Zimbabwe's 188-6 with seven overs to spare at Chittagong's Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Bangladesh's chances of winning the match improved markedly after skipper Shakib Al Hasan earlier claimed three wickets and Mashrafe bin Mortaza took two to restrict the visitors to 188-6 in 50 overs.

The fourth match was abandoned due to a wet outfield.

Sachin’s ODI 200 in Times top 10 sports moments Iconic Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar's record-breaking one-day international double century has found a place in the Times magazine's top 10 sports moments of the year.

"Certain sports milestones seem simply unreachable: In cricket, it's the one-day double-hundred: no man had ever produced 200 runs for his team during a one-day international match," The Times said.

"In February, however, India's Sachin Tendulkar, the greatest run scorer of alltime, hit the magic milestone against a powerful South African squad.

"Tendulkar smacked three

DRS could undergo changes: ICC AP DUBAI, DEC 12

Saina Nehwal displays her gold medal won in the women’s singles final at the Hong Kong Open Badminton Super Series in Hong Kong on Sunday.

‘Title made up for Asiad disappointment’ PTI NEW DELHI, DEC 12

After clinching her career's fourth Super Series title with a thumping victory in the Hong Kong Open, ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal today said the triumph has made up for the disappointment of last month's Asian Games debacle.

"It was fantastic especially since I didn't do well in the Asian Games. I didn't train much before this tournament and didn't expect to win. May be because I practiced a lot before the Asian Games so I decided to relax but I am very happy to win it here," said Saina, who had lost in the quarter-finals of the Asian

Anand in joint lead AGENCIES LONDON, DEC 12

World Champion Viswanathan Anand outwitted Nigel Short of England to jump into joint lead with Luke McShane of England, after the end of the fourth round of the London Chess Classic, underway at the Olympia.

After two draws and a victory in the first three rounds, Anand celebrated his birthday in style, throwing caution to the winds in the game against Short.

Englishman McShane yet again survived some anxious moments in the tournament and finally drew with compatriot Michael Adams to remain in joint lead with the Indian legend.

Results: Nigel Short (Eng, 1) lost to Viswanathan Anand (Ind,8); Vladimir Kramnik (Rus, 7) beat David Howell (Eng, 2); Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 6) beat Hikaru Nakamura (USA,5); Luke McShane (Eng, 8) drew with Michael Adams (Eng,5).

Games in China last month.

Saina, who lifted her third Super Series title of the year and said she was confident of pulling off a win even though she lost the first game.

"I was nervous in the first game but I was confident at the same time. After I won the second game I gained more confidence. I was on the slower side and I expected her to hit negative shots and she did.

"In the third game the strategy was to have a lead before I moved to the slower side and I was leading 11-9. I was moving well today and was confident of pulling off the match," she said.

Saina is the only Indian female

shuttler to break the Chinese stranglehold in badminton and the Hyderabadi said she went into the match with a never-saydie attitude.

"It is always difficult to beat Chinese players because they are physically strong and have good strokes but it is not impossible. I went with this attitude," she said. Saina had earlier won back-to-back titles – Indian Open Grand Prix, Singapore Open Super Series and defended the Indonesian Super Series -before clinching the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games in October here.

Saina, who dropped to fourth in the world rankings, is likely to

inch closer to the number one spot with this resounding victory.

"I always wanted to win more tournaments and also become the number one but I didn't expect to be number one by this year one and it would be another big dream come true. It will give me a lot of confidence," she said.

The world number four Indian said she would take a break and would be back to training for next season which would be a year of 2012 London Olympic qualification.

"Just want to relax a bit and then it would be back to training and gear up for the Olympic qualification year next season," she said.

SA have special plan for Sehwag: van Zyl PTI JOHANNESBURG, DEC 12

South Africa coach Corrie van Zyl said his team has worked out special strategies to counter the furious batting of swashbuckling India opener Virender Sehwag during the three-match Test series.

"We definitely have a few plans for (Sehwag)," coach Corrie van Zyl told the Afrikaans daily Beeld.

"Sehwag would realise very quickly that he was now in South Africa and not on the tame pitches of his homeland.”

"I know he has been successful against us in the past, but that was mainly in India. Look at his record in South Africa.”

"It is easier to bowl to him here than in India, where the

bowlers are punished heavily for every small error," Van Zyl said.

Sehwag was recently described as the most destructive

batsman in world cricket today

by West Indian legend Vivian Richards and the Indian opener is currently toiling hard to get acclimatised with the conditions here.

Team India coach Gary Kirsten said Sehwag was of immeasurable value to the team.

"Even if he gets just 30 or 40, he does it so fast that he always places the opposition's bowlers under pressure. He also makes it much easier for the other batsmen around him, by taking the pressure of them," Kirsten said.

Sehwag has hit five centuries against South Africa in a 12 Tests, with his 319 off just 304 balls against the Proteas in Chennai in 2008 remaining his highest test score.

Warne has Liz Hurley in a spin!

AGENCIES LONDON, DEC 12

Australian spin legend Shane Warne has reportedly been dating married British actress Liz Hurley and the two were spotted cosying up at various hotels in London.

British tabloid The News of the World reported Hurley, who wed Indian textile tycoon Arun Nayar in

2007, spent two nights with the former Aussie leg-spinner in his London hotel suite this week.

Australian paper Herald Sun on Sunday claimed that the secret lovers were captured on video in a series of sizzling public encounters.

"They were so passionate they looked like honeymooners. It was electric," an on-looker outside the hotel told the paper.

With eyes closed and arms wrapped around each other, the unlikely couple were reportedly spotted exchanging kisses after coming out of Warne's luxury 1,750 pounda-night suite -- less than one mile from Hurley's London home.

The paper also added that on their second night together, they were locked away in the same suite for more than 11 hours.

The pair were also said to have enjoyed a night out together with Hurley's close friend and Hollywood actor Hugh Grant, while there was no sign of actress' husband Arun Nayar, or her eight-year-old son Damian, according to the tabloid.

Three years ago, 45-year-old Hurley married Indian origin multi-millionaire textile heir Arun in a series of lavish high-profile ceremonies.

It was also claimed that Hurley has been flirting with Australian sporting giant Warne, 41, for months via Twitter. And on Wednesday, he flew into the UK to shoot interviews for his new TV show Warnie, which is about to launch down under.

He was driven from London's Heathrow to the Royal Garden Hotel in Knightsbridge -- a popular choice for touring cricket teams.

But within minutes, Warne, now divorced, was driven to the nearby Bentley Hotel in South Kensington, a place popular with celebrities and visiting dignitaries.

The cricketer checked in and disappeared into a suite, it was reported.

Hurley had spent the morning on a photo -shoot and later emerged from her 5 million pound home in Chelsea in a white coat, clutching designer bags, and drove to the Bentley, just five minutes away, in her new 70,000 pound black Range Rover.

She parked in a residents' bay on a side street by the hotel and her face lit up when she spotted Warne -- waiting for her outside the front entrance.

The couple reportedly hugged and kissed each other, locked in an embrace for a full 10 seconds.

"It was way, way beyond the sort of welcome you might give a friend," another witness said.

Changes could be made to the controversial Decision Review System for a "near to ideal" final model which would be acceptable to all, International Cricket Council CEO Haroon Lorgat said on Sunday.

The DRS has been opposed by a few Boards, including India, and some top cricketers such as Sachin Tendulkar, and Lorgat said some changes could be made to the innovation to convince the skeptical lot.

"From the start we've always had a very open mind about the referral system and we are always open to changes that can make the system better," Lorgat told.

"There may still be changes to the system, I can't say what those changes might be, but we are open-minded. More and more people are being won over to the system after having seen it or used it. There are still a few people who are not supportive of it," he added without specifying the exact nature of changes that could be made.

Lorgat said players are becoming increasingly confident

waved Indian flags, and roared, knowing they were about to witness history. The diminutive Tendulkar, dubbed "The Little Master," slapped a single past the South African fielders. The world's 1.5 billion cricket fans had a moment they'd never forget," it said.

PTI LONDON, DEC 12

about the system with the increasing frequency of its usage.

Lorgat cited Alastair Cook's referral to correct a wrongful dismissal during the Adelaide Ashes Test against Australia as an example of the players' increasing faith in the system.

"It is not there to get a wicket when you are struggling to find one, it is there to fix the obvious errors -- Alastair Cook's referral on the fourth day when he was given out caught behind off his arm was a classic example," he said.

"sixes" — the cricket equivalent of a home run — during his epic performance, and the build up to 200 was exhilarating.

"When he reached 199, the home crowd in Gwalior

n Tendulkar smacked three "sixes" — the cricket equivalent of a home run — during his epic performance, and the build up to 200 was exhilarating.