O HERALD O The Voice of Goa — Since 1900 panjim, friday, january 21, 2011 postal reg. no. Goa 101 priCE rs. 3.00
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Business: Food inflation slows as vegetable prices cool Pg 13
‘GO AHEAD... sACk RAvi’ High Command tells CM HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JAN 20
Upset with the functioning of the Police Department the Congress High Command as well as the State Congress Legislative Party has given a go ahead for sacking Home Minister Ravi Naik. Sources in the
party told Herald that instructions to the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat for Ravi’s removal were given in Delhi yesterday. “However, the chief minister is reluctant to act in view of the fast approaching Legislative Assembly session and fearing he would have to face the Opposition’s ire”, sources in the Congress said. AICC General Secretary B K Hariprasad, incharge of Goa desk, was not available for comments. But sources said the axe could come anytime as the Congress High Command has taken strong cognizance of the happenings in Goa. The recent custodial death and the involvement of the police personnel in drugs are the two major issues which have led to this decision by High
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Yeddy-Guv confrontation intensifies PTI BANGALORE, JAN 20
HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JAN 20
In what could be termed as a New Year’s gift to Goans working abroad, the State Cabinet today gave its stamp of approval for the creation of the Non-resident Goans emergency Repatriation Fund. The fund, according the Government, will help the NRGs as well as their families during the time of emergency. Disclosing this at a post Cabinet press conference, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said, there were several cases of NRG families approaching the Government for assistance. “Once it so happened that a sole bread earner of the family who was working abroad died and the family did not have money even to get his body back”, Kamat said adding “…at that time we released some amount through NRI Commissioner’s office and helped the family get the body”. The chief minister also said that there are also cases wherein the Goan workers are abandoned abroad. “This fund will help us to bring them back to India”, he said. Kamat said that the Cabinet has given its approval for the creation for the Non-Resident Goans Emergency Repatriation Fund. “Under the fund a provision of Rs 5 lakh has been made and if need be we will increase the same”, he said. PPP: The Cabinet today also gave its nod for the creation of viability gap fund for taking up
Command, they say. Besides, charges against his son Roy Naik of being allegedly involved in the drugs trade has also gone against the veteran politician, sources said. At the CLP too, the demand for Ravi’s removal was unanimous. “The CLP members felt that the home ministry has brought disgrace to the State and Ravi’s inefficiency to control things is quite evident”, sources informed. They also said that the CLP e i t h e r w a n t e d Ra v i t o b e dropped from Cabinet or be stripped of the Home ministry. “All members wanted the CM to take charge of the Home ministry”, sources maintained. When contacted CLP spokesperson, Mauvin Godinho neither confirmed nor denied the development. “It was a routine meeting”, he said refusing to make any
A provision of Rs 5 lakh has been made and if need be we will increase the same to help NRGs as well as their families in time of emergency. — Digambar Kamat
Government projects under the public private partnerships. The fund called the Goa Infrastructure Development Fund (GIDF) will help the departments to take up projects under the PPP mode. Kamat said that under GIDF a provision of Rs 50 cr has been made to help the departments to fund the consultancy and other related expenses for the projects. BILL: The Cabinet today also approved the Bill for the amendment of the Value Added Tax Act. “There were several changes proposed by the Commercial Taxes Department and the Cabinet has approved making the necessary changes”, he said. SIXTH PAY: The Cabinet also decided to extend the benefits (Continued on page 11)
Facing fresh barbs from Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj, an angry B S Yeddyurappa today accused him of making biased statements that “lowered” the dignity of the CM, the Cabinet and the voters as the confrontation between them intensified. Yeddyurappa’s sharp response came after Bhardwaj, ignoring a Cabinet appeal, said he would decide in two days on the plea for permission to prosecute him over alleged land scams and made acerbic comments about the Cabinet resolution. Yeddyurappa may meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi early next week seeking the Governor’s recall. “Everything is known to the media. What do I have to do with this? It is people’s lands that have been taken. It is like Ulta Chor Kotwal ko dante (thief chiding the police),” Bhardwaj said.
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Sports: Top-order failure not Pg 16 a worry for Dhoni
Natural death ‘not conclusive’ Histopathology report is insufficient: expert HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JAN 20
AGENCIES NEW DELHI, JAN 20
Ushering in a new and consumer friendly regime in the sector, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday flagged off nationwide Mobile Number Portability, a service that allows subscribers to change service provider while retaining the number. This would benefit over 700 million subscribers, both in GSM and CDMA categories in the country. The new policy would force the operators to shift focus from acquiring new subscribers to retaining the existing ones. All that a customer needs to do for changing his telecom operator is pay a maximum of Rs 19. He/she will get a new service provider within seven working days as per the guidelines of regulator TRAI. (Details on page 13)
Even as Head of Pathology Department at the Goa Medical College (GMC) Hospital Dr R G Wiseman Pinto says that the histopathology report prepared by a GMC panel has concluded that the internal organs of Cipriano Fernandes showed disease pathology and not trauma, it cannot be conclusive evidence to claim that Cipriano died of natural causes. It is important to determine what precipitated Cipriano’s death within such short span of time, said a forensic expert attached to a Government hospital, pointing out that the histopathology report alone cannot alone be the deciding factor of death. Dr Pinto, who headed the panel that prepared the histopathology report, told
JUsTiCE FOR CiPRiANO
Goa’s coastal village Morjim is vulnerable to environmental devastation and is at a critical juncture for future development, an international study reveals. “Ten years ago there were no well-finished roads and few tourists frequented the beach. Since then the tourism infrastructure has grown substantially but unevenly”, the study by Oxford Brookes University’s Hilde Dunker, an expert in sustainable tourism, says. The study, adds that there are no proper plans in place to tackle issues of environmental concern nor there is implementation of waste management system, which will magnify with increase in number of visitors. “If infrastructure continues developing without insufficient planning then by 2021, Morjim
spoke to Herald on condition of anonymity, said that even if it is true that Cipriano’s organs showed presence of pathological disease, it is important to find what precipitated that process while he was in police custody. An extent of injury or gravity of head injuries suffered by the deceased (the autopsy report apparently says that two head injuries were found) would prove crucial in deciding
Bal Rath buses off gear SURAJ NANDREKAR PANJIM, JAN 20
Call it negligence on part of the Government or the educational institutions, students from schedule tribes and other backward classes in rural areas have been left in the lurch as several buses commissioned under the Indira Bal Rath scheme have stopped plying. The scheme was launched with much fanfare exactly a year ago wherein 46 buses were handed over to schools by Chief Minister Digambar Kamat with Minister for Social Welfare also being present for the function. Later, 64 more buses were released through the scheme. At the inaugural ceremony, the chief minister had said that the scheme for SC and ST students would prove to be a major step towards elevating the overall status of these communities. At that time an amount of Rs 52 lakh was also released towards remuneration to drivers, cleaners, fuel charges, registra-
tion charges, insurance premium, etc. In addition, the Government had said Rs 50,000 would be given to schools as maintenance allowance every year. In the last Assembly session, Kamat had also informed that the benefit of Indira Bal Rath Yojana would be extended to the Government schools, along with the aided schools, which have at least 10 per cent students belonging to the ST com-
munity. The scheme as of today seems to have become more of a liability to the Government than anything else. Several of the 110 buses have stopped plying as the Government has failed to release the amount promised to the institutions. Parents from rural areas speaking to Herald on condition of anonymity said “for nearly a (Continued on page 11)
the exact cause of death, regardless of existing disease conditions, the forensic expert pointed out. The report says there was congestion, micro-haemorrhage and necrosis (death) of epithelial cells. The examination also revealed that heart had congestion and haemorrhage. It found that the left coronar y artery showed 75 per cent occlusion (blockage). The lungs also showed congestion and haemorrhage. But this cannot be accepted as the cause of death, as the circumstances surrounding Cipriano’s death must be looked at in totality. The forensic expert pointed out that any injury in chronic alcoholics can be fatal, as too much of alcohol in the body will expedite organ failure. In this respect, it is important (Continued on page 11)
Staines murder verdict today The Supreme Court would tomorrow pronounce its verdict on CBI’s plea for awarding death sentence to Dara Singh, main accused in the killing of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons in January 1999. A Bench of Justices P Sathasivam and B S Chauhan had on December 15, 2010, reserved its judgement. – (PTI)
DGP is on annual leave, IGP has reported sick, SP has gone on emergency leave, Station Incharge is out on some official work...
Allow iron ore transport for export: SC to K’taka PTI NEW DELHI, JAN 20
The Supreme Court today asked the Karnataka Government to either notify within two weeks the new law against illegal mining or lift its order banning transportation of iron ore meant for export, saying that the ban cannot be sustained indefinitely. Earlier, the Karnataka Government had banned transportation of iron ore for export purposes for six months pending a legislation to curb illegal mining. A
Bench of Justices R V Raveendran and A K Patnaik told the State Government that if it fails to notify the proposed Karnataka Prevention of Illegal Mining, Storage and Transportation Rules, 2010, it will have to make special arrangements to allow the mining firms to export the ore. “Ban cannot be forever. You can stop illegal mining but the ban cannot stay forever”, said the Bench. Observing that the ban was temporary in nature, imposed only for six months
originally, the Bench asked the Government not to extend it beyond January. “If there is delay, the State Government may formulate necessary regulatory measures for regulating, supervising and monitoring exports”, the bench said. The apex court’s direction came during hearing of a bunch of petitions by mining firms, Sesa Goa, MSPL and S B Minerals, challenging State’s order banning transportation of iron ores for exports from within its territory.
Morjim at crossroads, study warns HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JAN 20
Herald today that there was presence of disease in different organs such as the kidney, left coronary artery, heart, lung and brain of the deceased, and that the histopathological examination had revealed that he died a “natural death”. But the forensic expert, who
Dunker’s take on Morjim l
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If infrastructure continues sans planning then by 2021, Morjim may mirror the hustle and bustle of over developed resorts elsewhere. Morjim’s growing tourism trade risks swamping the village and plunging those already vulnerable into further uncertainty. Unless existing regulations are enforced, it is likely that new constructions may occupy the new area surrounding the beach side.
may ‘mirror the hustle and bustle of over developed resorts elsewhere’,” the study adds. The detailed study conducted by the Centre for Development and Emergency Practice (CENDEP) at Oxford Brookes University, in collaboration with NGO
SEEDS India and the International Centre Goa (ICG) has identified key threats as well as opportunities for Morjim. The 15-page document, which was released today evening at ICG, was also presented to the community of
Morjim at the local fish market this morning. The unplanned and uncontrolled development and environmental degradation are said to be the major threat to this beach village. “Unless better managed, Morjim’s growing tourism trade risks swamping this quiet village, and plunging those already vulnerable into further uncertainty”, the study says. “Unless existing regulations are enforced and put into practice, it is likely that new constructions may occupy the new area surrounding the beach side. As such the building created for mass tourism may destroy the growing palm trees, green landscape and vernacular architecture”, it elaborates. Talking about the climatic change, the study revealed that (Continued on page 11)
During the proceeding, Karnataka Government said the State was waiting for Lokayukta’s final report on evolving ways and means to curb large scale irregularities by various miners. The report was expected in March this year, they added. They said the ban was for “complete overhaul” of the system in the State by putting a complete new regulatory mechanism. Opposing miners’ plea to allow their stocks of iron ore piled up in docks and ware-
houses awaiting export, the State Government said these might have been mined illegally. The Bench, however, queried: “If some one has cold, will you cut the nose?” Opposing the ban order, miners said it was totally unjustified. They contended that there was no need to wait for the Lokayukta’s final report as he has already met the mining department officials and advised them to take various steps to prevent illegal mining.