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O HERALD O
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The Voice of Goa — Since 1900 panjim, tuesday, december 14, 2010 postal reg. no. Goa 101 price rs. 3.00
Goa’s Heartbeat: Warne’s affair revealed Pg 4 Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. — Hebrews
IN BRIEF Another envoy faces ‘pat-down’ One of India’s top most diplomats, Hardeep Puri, Ambassador to the United Nations, was asked to remove his turban during an airport ‘patdown’ search in the US in yet another incident of Indian envoys subjected to humiliating process. India has lodged a strong protest following the incident. – PTI
Business: Wen deals will cut India’s Pg 13 trade deficit — China
Goa govt blamed for blocking Port road HERALD CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, DEC 13
The road connectivity of almost every major port in the country is progressing smoothly except the 4-laning of the National Highway-17 road connecting the Mormugao Port in Goa, the Centre disclosed in the Lok Sabha on Monday. In a written reply to Biju Janata Dal’s Arjun Charan Sethi, Shipping Minister G K Vasan said: “Unfortunately, this project is getting delayed due to the uncooperative attitude of the State government.” He regretted that despite the Bombay High Court’s Goa bench
The 4-laning of the NH -17 connecting the Mormugao Port in Goa has hit a roadblock. Despite Court giving directions to hand over the entire stretch to NHAI, the State government continues to allow unauthorised occupants on government land, thereby obstructing completion of the road. — Shipping Minister G K Vasan giving clear directions to the State government to hand over the entire stretch up to Sada junction to NHAI (National Highway Authority of India), “the State government continues to allow the unauthorised occupants on government land, thereby obstructing completion of the road.” The minister also talked of
deploying an independent agency to apprise the 78 occupants about the special package offered by the Port for their resettlement and convince them about requirement of road for development of their area and economic growth of the State. Vasan pointed out that 4-laning of almost entire stretch of 18.3 km of the National Highway
from Verna to Sada junction has been completed, except the last stretch of 5.2 km from Baina to Sada. He said 4-laning of the Verna-Sada junction stretch is held up because of inability of the State government to hand over vacant possession of the land to NHAI which is executing the project. The Mormugao Port had in fact already paid the cost of rehabilitation of the project affected persons and it is even ready to pay the escalated cost of rehabilitation of Rs 12 crore on account of delay on the part of the State government, the minister added.
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World: Halle Berry goes on girls-only date Pg 11 Five pastry outlets booked for cheating HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, DEC 13
Enforcement officials of the Legal Metrology on Monday cracked down on ‘cake and pastry’ outlets across the State and found them cheating customers by selling less than the declared quantity. The raid was following a complaint by a customer whose name was not disclosed to the media. Controller N M Naik said that the manufacturers included weight of the cardboard base on which the cakes and pastries are placed while serving to the customers. “They sold it in less quantity than the actual. This is against the Metrology Rules. We found that Black Forest and other cakes at a price ranging from Rs 370 to Rs 550 per kg were being sold by 75 gm to 160 gm (Continued on page 10)
PC’s comment on migrants triggers outcry PTI NEW DELHI, DEC 13
Home Minister P Chidambaram on Monday sought to blame migrants to Delhi for crimes like rape, a statement that came under attack from political leaders, following which he withdrew it. “...nevertheless crime takes place because Delhi attracts a large number of migrants. There are a large number of unauthorised colonies. And these migrants who settle in city ’s north-west colonies carry a kind of behaviour which is unacceptable in any modern city”.
IN THE LINE OF FIRE: Fire fighters attend a truck loaded with LPG cylinders which turned turtle near Cortalim junction along the highway on Monday afternoon. Tension prevailed as two damaged cylinders began to leak (Report on Page 2). Photo by M Prabhav
GOVT FLIP-FLOP? Masseurs seek permit for business on beaches BINDIYA CHARI PANJIM, DEC 13
While the Tourism Department claims that beggars, masseurs, tattoo artists and hawkers are not permitted to do any kind of business on the beaches of Goa, the department has been receiving applications seeking permission to conduct such businesses. Small time traders involved in different ‘illegal’ businesses on the beaches have now been doing the rounds of Tourism Department ever since the newly constituted tourist security force started clamping on them. During the last count on Friday noon, over 50 persons, mostly migrants, who arrived here during the tourist season, have submitted their applications to the Tourism Department seeking permission to conduct their business along the beaches. Pa m e l a M a s c a r e n h a s , Deputy Director of Tourism confirmed that the department has received applications seeking permission to do business along the beach belt. Most of the applicants are masseurs who claim to be residing in Goa for several years now. The Tourist Trade Act, has no provision to allow these kind of businesses’ on the beaches. In fact, an attempt in the past to legalise business by masseurs/masseuse on the beaches of Goa did not materialise. “There was an attempt to amend the Act to allow masseurs on the beaches but it was thrown out,” said the tourism official who did not wish to be named. Masseurs and hawkers have proved to be nuisance on the beaches as they harass tourists but they could carry on their
‘IT Habitat was never kept on hold’ ITC blames promoters for delay in project completion SURAJ NANDREKAR PANJIM, DEC 13
Despite being aware that the Rajiv Gandhi IT Habitat project at Dona Paula was kept on hold by the government due to public protests, the Info-Tech Corporation of Goa has blamed the promoters, who had leased the plots from the Corporation, for not completing their project in time. More shockingly, the ITC Chairman Subash Shirodkar has maintained that the project was never kept on hold and asked whether ‘there was anything in writing.” The Corporation has showcaused the 17 companies “over their failure to fulfil the terms and conditions of the agreement.” The ITC has threatened to terminate their agreement if they
WHAT THE CORPORATION SAYS:
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The IT Habitat Project was never kept on hold.
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There was nothing on paper to suggest that the project was on hold.
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No permission for construction was required as it was automatically granted by execution of the lease deed.
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The Corporation has issued show-cause notices to 17 companies involved in the project over failure to fulfil the terms and conditions of agreement.
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The notices state that agreement could be terminated if they fail to re-start the project within 15 days.
BUCK UP OR PACK UP:
fail to re-start the project within 15 days time. This comes at a time when the government is still indecisive whether to re-start the project or not.
In the notices, copies of which are available with Herald, the ITC has contested that the promoters had agreed to commence the construction of buildings within six months and
Lodge complaint with CVC via cell phone! HERALD CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, DEC 13
Want to lodge a complaint with the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) about any kind of corruption by staff in the offices of the Central government, nationalised banks or public sector undertakings? You can lodge the complaint right from your mobile or on the CVC’s new website launched last week for the whistle blowers. Just log in to the website at <www.vigeye.in> to lodge the complaint through computer, along with evidence of the corruption. If you want to complain through the mobile phone, just
send a blank SMS or <vigeye> to 09223174440 to get an SMS containing the registration link in your mobile. You have to register first, before filing a com-
plaint. You will get an application to be installed on your mobile phone that will facilitate upload of any photos, video, data or documents relating to corruption on the CVC server. You will also get an acknowledgement number to pursue the complaint in future. You can also follow vigeye on twitter. To check whether the system is working for you, you can send a test complaint – mentioning “test” in the complaint body and it will be ignored. This is available for the next 14 days, says the CVC’s new website. Project Vigeye (Vigilance Eye) is a citizen-centric initiative, (Continued on page 10)
complete it within two years of signing the agreement. The other reason cited by the ITC is that the promoters have failed to make the balance payments which they were supposed to make in equal instalments with interest. However, the development seems to have come as a surprise to everyone as the ITC very well knows that the government has kept the project on hold following a violent agitation by the Taleigao villagers which was led by Taleigao legislator Atanasio Monseratte. In their reply, the promoters have expressed helplessness to start the project in view of government order to keep on hold. The promoters also cited that they have incurred heavy losses due to the government decision and the ITC should waive off in-
2G: govt told to place plaint in sealed cover PTI NEW DELHI, DEC 13
The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Government to place in a sealed cover the copy of the complaint that formed the basis for intercepting corporate lobbyist Niira Radia’s telephonic conversations as news Magazines – Open and Outlook – opposed Tata Group Chief Ratan Tata’s plea to stop further publication of the tapes. The apex court asked the Attorney General G E Vahanvati to place before it the complaint received by the Finance Minister on November 16, 2007 alleging that Radia had within a short span of nine years built up a business empire worth Rs 300 crore. The complaint had also alleged that she was an agent of foreign intelligence agencies.
terest on the remaining amount, which they were ready to pay in instalments. The ITC has refused to accept their contention that the project is kept on hold by the government and put the onus on the promoters for not completing the construction. Referring to the promoters’ contention that the Corporation did not grant permission for construction, the ITC has said that “you do not require permission from the Corporation for construction as it was automatically granted by execution of the lease deed.” “The allegation that the Corporation has not granted is false and frivolous and the ITC would be obliged to grant permission,” the notice reads. Surprisingly, the notice has (Continued on page 10)
illegal businesses’ with the blessing of the tourist police. The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) had several times complained to the Tourism Department about beggars, hawkers and masseurs having a field day on the beaches urging it to free the beaches from such elements. The Tourism Department had expressed inability to do anything claiming it had no control on tourist police. But things have changed now since the department has got its own security force. However, it‘s a mystery why the department has been entertaining applications from masseurs and hawkers though the Tourist Trade Act, says otherwise. When contacted TTAG President Gaurish Dhond said he was not aware of the development but would certainly check with the director of Tourism. Efforts to contact Director of Tourism Swapnil Naik proved futile as the latter is on an official tour to Japan.
Govt wants further cut in air fares Talking tough, the government on Monday said it was not “fully satisfied” with the steps taken by air carriers so far to lower the “astronomical” fares and wanted all airlines to do more to bring ticket costs down. After a meeting of the newly-formed Civil Aviation Economic Advisory Council (CAEAC), Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said, (PTI)
We have introduced new portfolio to deal with our own scams, corruption...