25 Oct, 2010

Page 1_Layout 1 10/25/2010 12:57 AM Page 1

O HERALD O

Visit us at: www.oheraldo.in

The Voice of Goa — Since 1900 panjim, mOnday, OCTOber 25, 2010 postal reg. no. Goa 101 priCe rs. 3.00

India: Katrina is no longer a foreigner Pg 9

Health is not a condition of matter, but of mind.

— Mary Baker Eddy

IN BRIEF Noise pollution probe in Perry wedding Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on Sunday asked the district administration to probe violation of noise pollution rules during wedding of British comedian Russell Brand and American pop star Katy Perry at a luxury resort in Ranthambore. Gehlot landed Sunday to discuss issues related to wildlife and infrastructure in the Ranthambore Park where reporters drew his attention to noise pollution during the wedding till 2.30 am. – PTI

Business: Fuel price hike unavoidable - PC Pg 13

(air Surcharge rs 2.00) pages 18

Sports: BCCI rubbishes Raina-bookie link Pg 18

PAIN WITHOUT RAIN

It did not rain on Sunday, yet the overnight downpour spelt doom for the thousand of fans who turned up to watch the third and final India-Australia one-dayer at Fatorda. Disappointment and pain was written large on the faces of all cricket enthusiasts who left the Nehru stadium by afternoon

One-dayer abandoned due to wet outfield

India registers first ever whitewash of Australia in both Test and ODI series in the same tour

PTI MARGAO, OCT 24

The third and final ODI between India and Australia was on Sunday abandoned without a ball being bowled due to wet outfield caused by overnight rains to give the hosts a 1-0 series victory, their first in over two decades.

With the abandonment of today’s ODI, the second such case in the three-match series, Australia returned home without winning a single game in their tour of India. They had lost the two-match Test series 0-2 before the ODI series.

India had beaten Australia by five wickets in the second ODI at Visakhapatnam on October 20 while the first match in Kochi on October 17 was washed out.

India thus notched up their first ever whitewash of Australia in both Test and ODI series in the same tour.

This is also the first time that Australia failed to win a single match in the same tour against any country in their history.

India had last won a bilateral ODI series against Australia in 1986-87 when they won 3-2 at home.

Umpires Billy Bowden and Amish Saheba made two inspections of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium ground at 11 am and 12:15 pm before deciding to abandon the match because of the wet conditions in the outfield that persisted despite the

This is the first time that Australia failed to win a single match in the same tour against any country in their history.

WHAT A FALL: Workers and officials inside the stadium try to set things right as the sightscreen towards the North Stand collapsed (report on page 18). (Left): A section of the turf badly damaged due to overnight rain. (Right): Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni explains the slippery ground conditions to coach Gary Kirsten.

Photos by Rozario Estibeiro.

sun shining brightly.

In between these two inspections rival skippers Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Michael Clarke also came out to go around the

outfield and were seen having a long discussion with the umpires.

The match was later called off without a ball being bowled,

IOC tanker falls, disrupts air traffic at Dabolim

Oil tanker that turned on its side on the runway at Dabolim Airport on Saturday night. (Right): Naval personnel clear the fuel on the runway.

HERALD REPORTER VASCO, OCT 24

An Indian Oil Corporation tanker, carrying nearly 6,000 litres of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF), fell on its side on the runway at Dabolim Airport on Saturday at about 9.20 pm, disrupting the air traffic.

According to Navy PRO Commander M C Joshi, the half-filled tanker with a capacity of 11,000 litres was heading towards the civil terminal for refueling the aircraft and while crossing over the runway, the tanker driver lost control over the vehicle and it fell on its side.

The impact of the incident was such that thousands of litres

of highly inflammable fuel was splashed on the runway, thereby making it unsuitable for operations.

However, naval authorities at the airport acted swiftly and restored the operations within two hours. The Naval personnel rescued the tanker driver and immediately plug the leak.

The runway was closed immediately and a NOTAM (Notices to Airmen) was issued to this effect to halt air traffic operations.

“The most challenging task of the hour was to remove fuel from the runway surface and to ensure that it was not slippery, which may result in skidding of

aircrafts,” said Joshi.

“The tanker was lifted with the help of a naval crane and was towed away from the site.

The fuel was removed from the runway surface by the naval personnel in the shortest possible time,” informed Joshi.

He further informed that the runway was restored and was declared fit within two hours and normal operations were resumed.

“The leaked fuel is likely to cause damage to the runway surface and naval authorities are investigating the implications,” added Joshi.

Half an hour before the (Continued on page 10)

thus making it the second time it has happened at this venue.

The wicket looked in perfect condition but the seepage of rain water through the covers

PM positive of Japan nuke deal PTI TOKYO, OCT 24

India is confident of signing a “win-win” civilian nuclear deal with Japan and is looking forward to a comprehensive economic partnership agreement to boost bilateral trade, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said.

“I am confident that we will be able to conclude an agreement (on nuclear deal), which will be a win-win proposition for both of us. We have not laid down any deadline for concluding these negotiations,” Singh said shortly ahead of his twoday visit here beginning on Sunday.

Asserting that India has an “impeccable” record on nonproliferation, he told the Japanese media that his country is committed to maintaining a “unilateral and voluntary” moratorium on explosive nuclear testing and has “no intention” of revising that commitment.

“We are ready to work with Japan and other like-minded countries in realising the vision of a nuclear weapon-free world,” Singh was quoted as saying by Kyodo news agency.

Sexual abuse: social stigma propels acquittals VIBHA VERMA PANJIM, OCT 24

Even though Goa Children’s Act (GCA) is stringent enough to nail the sexual abuse on minors, the fear of social stigma seems to propel the number of acquittals in such cases.

The victim turning hostile pricks hole in the entire proceeding deflating it completely, the prosecutors said. In the recent past, the government lawyer representing these minor girls have to walk extra mile to convince the parents and victims to stick to their grounds so that the law can prevail.

The contention of consensual sex is becoming an excuse,

which gives an edge to the accused in many cases.

Public Prosecutor Poonam Bharne said that if victim is less than 16 years old, even her contention about consensual sex is not considered by the Court.

But if she is aged between 16 and 18 years, her statement of consensual sex flattens the case.

“Most rape cases are acquitted because the victim is 14 years plus and below 18 years.

They are around 15 and 16 years of age. They depose before the Court that they are in love with the accused and voluntarily fled.

If a victim, in such deposition, is above 16 years her consent is material,” she said.

At the same time, if the victim admits consensual sex, the case falls apart – accused escapes conviction. The same statement however is invalid if a victim is below the age of 16 years.

There are other instances in

which medical evidence fails to confirm rape and victims, at times, are tutored by parents to depose against the boy.

The cases of victims’ families shifting to another town also leave the prosecution groping in darkness. They go untraceable and case hits the rock bottom.

In 2009, out of 28 rape cases disposed at Children’s Court, the prosecution could achieve only six convictions as against 15 acquittals and seven discharges. While in 2010 till date, around 12 rape cases have been disposed out of which in seven cases the accused have been (Continued on page 10)

left outfield damp and slippery.

The morning though began with the prospect of a curtailed match being played with the sun shining brightly.

The ground was covered by tarpaulins overnight which protected most parts of it but still there were some seepages at the outfield. Super sopper was employed to suck up the water from the covers.

The match organisers, Goa Cricket Association, have already promised to refund the entire ticket amount through branches of Federal Bank all over India from October 28.

The capacity crowd of 27,000 sat through the entire rigmarole before trooping home disappointed.

Even the players of both the sides, except for the two captains, did not come to the stadium. The two coaches, Gary Kirsten and Tim Nielsen were also seen at the ground.

3 poll officials go missing in Bihar PTI PATNA, OCT 24

Defying a poll boycott call by Maoists, voter turnout in the second of six-phase elections in Bihar on Sunday was robust recording around 53 per cent though some stray incidents including three poll officials going missing were reported.

Polling was held in 45 Assembly constituencies spread over six districts, some of them affected by Naxal menace. The districts were East Champaran, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur and Samastipur. A

total of 623 candidates, including 46 women, were in the fray on Sunday.

The first phase recorded 53 per cent voting.

“The polling percentage recorded at 5 pm was 52.55 per cent which may go up as some people were still in queues to cast their vote,” Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi said in New Delhi.

The elections were held in the threat of Naxal violence and in the shadow of last Friday’s landmine blast in Sheohar (Continued on page 10)

Google admits to ‘spying’ on British emails Agencies LONDON, OCT 24

In what could be called a major security breach, Internet search engine ‘Google’ has admitted spying on computer passwords and entire emails from households across Britain.

The California-based company has, however, apologised for downloading personal data from wireless networks when its fleet vehicles drove down residential roads taking photos for its Street View project, ‘The Sunday Telegraph’ reported.

“It’s clear from those inspections that while most of the data is fragmentary, in some instances entire emails and URLs (web addresses) were captured, as well as passwords.

“We want to delete this data as soon as possible, and I would like to apologise again for the fact that we collected it in the first place,” Alan Eustace, Google’s Vice-President of engineering and research, was quoted as saying.

Millions of Internet users have potentially been affected. The Information Commissioner’s Office, the privacy watchdog, said it would be looking into Google’s admission.

Images for Street View were gathered by vehicle-mounted panoramic cameras starting in 2008.

In May this year, Google confessed the vehicles had also been gathering information about the location of wireless networks, the devices which connect computers to the telecommunications network via radio waves.

Google archived all the material it had gathered, which included emails being sent by private individuals, the web pages they were viewing and passwords they may have entered as the Street View vehicle passed their homes.

It is believed that only wireless networks that were not password-protected were affected, the newspaper said.

Simon Davies, director of Privacy International, said: “It’s absolutely scandalous that this situation has developed and so many people have had their communications intercepted.”

Darling, this is politics!! My ward is reserved for women so I had no options, you see.

Congratulations!!

to

SHRINIVAS DEMPO (BABA)

& Thanks to

GENUINE FOOTBALL LOVERS OF GOA Who despite tremendous pressure, Rejected the lure of money & handbill Discarded the slanderous campaign, To stand by True Football Lover of Goa, And Honoured my request To vote and Elect

MR. SHRINIVAS DEMPO

as President of GFA along with his Team. Your dreams for Goan Football will Now be truly realized.

With Best Wishes From: CHURCHILL ALEMAO (Minister for PWD)

JOAQUIM ALEMAO

(Minister for Urban Development)

&

CHURCHILL BROTHERS Goa Communications

OHERALDO

GOA

Pg 2

GOA, MONDAY, 25 OCTOBER, 2010

CIVIC FORUM Vasco’s broken drain slabs lmo Fernandes, Vasco

Haj flight rescheduled after oil spillage on runway HERALD REPORTER VASCO, OCT 24

The maiden direct flight to holy place of Haj from Dabolim airport to Madina, Saudi Arabia, scheduled on Monday evening, has been resheduled, as portion of the runway has been damaged, after a fuel tanker met with an self-accident on the runway on Saturday night.

Airport Director D Paul Manickam informed that the runway of Dabolim airport has been reportedly damaged due to the accident that occurred on the runway.

Navy immediately initiated repair work of the damaged portion of the runway and it is likely that the work will go on for another three days.

“Since only partial length of 6,900 ft of the runway is made available for aircraft operation, a direct jumbo jet charter flight, Alwafeer Airline Boeing B747400, to Haj which was scheduled to leave from Goa on October 25 at 7 pm cannot operate till the restoration of the runway,” informed Manickam.

About 282 Hajis were supposed to embark for Haj from Dabolim airport to Madina, Saudi Arabia, on the first direct charter flight on Monday at 7 pm.

Highly placed sources in the airport informed that the Navy has issued NOTAM (Notice to Air men) to halt aircraft operation, as full length 11,500 ft runway in not available, due to

Goan on research mission to Antartica HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, OCT 24

Most of the gutters in the Port Town of Vasco have been covered by concrete slabs. At several places they are not placed properly resulting in open spaces between two successive concrete slabs. At some places the slabs have given way as a result of the monsoon rains leaving gaping holes along the gutter. Many pedestrians, especially children, get their feet caught in the gaps. At times an unwary pedestrian has fallen into the gutter where it was covered by a broken slab. One such broken slab is seen in the photo. The concerned authorities need to take necessary action to see that the concrete slabs are placed properly with no space in-between and that the broken slabs are replaced so that the pedestrians do not get hurt unnecessarily.

Wrong fare tickets Pravin U Sardessai, Adpai

On October 20, I boarded a private bus bearing registration number GA02-T-4827 at 11:30 am near the Municipal garden at Margao to proceed to KTC bus stand. None of the commuters were issued any tickets.

It was only when the vehicle reached near KTC bus stand that the bus driver instructed the bus conductor to issue tickets to commuters who were about to alight from this bus. It was surprising to note that the bus conductor issued a ticket for Rs 12/- to every commuter although he received Rs 5/- as the actual fare from each one of them. How can they issue tickets of higher amount for actual lower fare? The RTO authorities at Margao should investigate this.

Angod-Mapusa stinks DM Fernandes, Mapusa

One of the drains (nullah) in Angod, Ward no. 8, Mapusa city runs from Alankar theatre and exits into the rivulet at Pequeno Morod. It is in a decayed condition. All the rot from the eateries opposite Alankar Theatre and the toilet water and garbage from the nearby residences and establishments have blocked the nullah.

The malodorous stench, gives sleepless nights to the residents of Raja, Anjunkar and Urbano Braganza apartments. The filthy water is stagnant in this wide open 3 to 4 metres uncovered drain (nullah), resulting in breeding of mosquitoes. Residents are compelled to keep windows closed during the day time too, to try and keep the stink and mosquitoes out. The Mapusa Municipal Authorities and local MLA must get the nullah cleaned and covered.

Scrap stored on footpaths Vishal d’Costa, Cuncolim

A Goan researcher is amongst the team of 25 scientists who have left for Antartica in a bid to start third Indian research station ‘Bharti’ there on Larseman Hill.

Rakesh Rao, a member of Association of Science of Astronomy, will be documenting new research station construction.

Vasco-based National Centre for Antartica & Ocean Research (NCAOR) Director Rasik Ravindra told Herald that this will be a five-month long project which is being undertaken to expand India’s research capabilities on this icy continent.

Rao will also document scientific activities at Maitri station, which is currently operational

and located almost 8,000 kilometres away from the new research station.

The quest to explore Antarctica has been increasing since the setting up of Dakshin Gangotri station there. Sources stated that the new station planned is just eight kilometers away from stations of world’s two significant countries – China and Russia.

The research team which left on October 22 has 25 scientists and 10 other crew members.

The first batch departed on October 18.

The third team will also be sent to Antartica and for the first time in Indian research history, the team including the NCAOR director will go to South Pole on November 2.

Goa police happy with spectators behaviour HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, OCT 24

Goa police has thanked spectators for staying calm although the scheduled one-day international cricket match between India and Australia was abandoned today due to soggy ground conditions.

Police spokesperson SP (Special Branch) Atmaram Deshpande said the department has expressed gratitude to its several thousand spectators for maintaining discipline at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at Fatorda.

“We know that people arrived here as early as 5am and kept patience till 12:20 noon when the match was finally called off without a ball being bowled,” said the officer.

Not just Goan cricket lovers,

but people from neighbouring places of Karnataka and Maharastra were also among the spectators.

The umpires for the match decided to call off the game after three inspections were carried out at 9am, 11am and 12:20pm. “We are thankful to all cricket lovers who were excited about the match and did not disturb the peace even after the match was cancelled,” he reiterated.

The Fatorda stadium has a capacity of 27,000 people and as per Goa Cricket Association, all stands were full-packed.

The armed security forces including central para military forces were deployed in and around the stadium along with other arrangements made for the match.

One killed, 2 hurt in Vasco mishaps HERALD REPORTER VASCO, OCT 24

Margao city is dotted with scrap yards. Scrap yards situated at Navelim near Kudchadcar Hospital, and one on the road leading from Rajendra Prasad stadium to Margao railway station stack their metal scrap on the footpaths and on the road.

They violate rules and regulations without any fear. This causes great inconvenience to pedestrian and motorists. The authorities must take swift and stern action against the offenders and keep the footpaths and roads clear.

Robbery via mobile P K Pal, Panaji

The mobile service providers are finding different ways to rob their subscribers. I received a message from my mobile service provider BSNL from the message center 58888 saying that they would be sending free jokes for next 5 days, though I have not requested for any jokes package, and from 6th day I shall be charged Rs.10/- for next 10 days. It seems that they have taken for granted that they can debit my balance without my consent after 5 days. Of course they have given an option to unsubscribe by sending a message. Since I am not interested in Internet jokes I immediately sent a message to unsubscribe. To my astonishment, immediately my account was debited by Rs.2/-.

This means they were bent upon debiting my account either by sending jokes, without the consent of the subscriber, with Rs.10/- or at least to earn Rs.2/- by way of a punishment to the subscriber, for refusing the jokes package.

Many subscribers, I know, do not check their messages regularly and do not use the mobile unless it is very urgent and look at their account very rarely. Such people should be very cautious. Had I not seen the message, the mobile service providercouldhavecoollydebitedmyaccount without my consent, for the jokes. The concerned department should step into the system now and warn the mobile service provider not to debit the customers’ account without consent of the customer.

Do you 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.

An unknown person died, while two women were injured in two separate accidents in Vasco on Sunday evening.

In the first accident reported along the NH-17B near Shantinagar at about 8.30 pm, an unknown worker died, after a speeding van knocked him down while he was crossing the road along with his two other friends.

The van driver abandoned his van and fled away from the site.

The worker was declared dead immediately upon his admission in GMC Hospital in Bambolim, informed Vasco Police.

In the second accident reported along the NH-17B near INS Hansa gate near Dabolim

airport, two women sustained injuries, after their scooter collided against a car.

Both the women were proceeding on their Dio scooter towards Verna, while Maruti Zen car was crossing near INS Hansa crossing, when the accident occurred.

The victims have been identified as one minor girl from Mundvel-Vasco, while the other was Rosali Beck (24) from Panjim, informed Vasco Police.

Police further informed that one of the women was shifted to GMC Hospital in Bambolim, while the other woman was refereed at Chicalim Cottage Hospital.

Vasco Police has registered a case of accident and is investigating the case.

which jumbo jet aircrafts could not operate in the available portion of 6,900 ft runway.

Sources further informed that if the repair work is extended for more than three days, then there are possibilities that the charter flights which are scheduled this weekend would be affected, as most of the charter flights are jumbo jet aircrafts.

“Only local domestics’ airlines can operate in an available portion of 6,900 ft runway and that too with some restrictions,” added sources.

Meanwhile, Goa State Haj Committee (GSHC) on Sunday evening after an emergency meeting decided that Hajis would be informed by Tuesday on the flight details.

House burgled at St Inez HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, OCT 24

A burglar struck at a retired government employee’s house at St Inez today early morning and decamped with gold ornaments running in several thousands.

According to Panjim police, the incident occurred at about 2 am when Francisco Fernandes and his family members, liv ing in a 3BHK flat, were sleeping. His daughter who woke up by the noise saw the burglar in one of the bedrooms and raised an alarm.

Before the family members could catch him, the culprit escaped with their belongings including gold ornaments, a wrist watch and mobile phone worth around Rs 72,000.

The victim members found that the balcony window door to one of the bedrooms - which is burgled, was broken.

Ironically, the burglar sneaked into the colony even though minimum two private securities are deployed within the premise.

Benaulim locals foil garbage dump HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, OCT 24

Alert Benaulim villagers once again on Sunday foiled yet another attempt by miscreants from dumping garbage and waste in the village.

Youngsters – who have been maintaining vigil against miscreants dumping waste in the village – spotted waste dumping before intimating the activity to the Colva police.

Sadly, the Colva police was initially hesitant to book the culprits involved in waste dumping, but later decided to register a case at the police station.

PSI Sudesh told Herald that the police will register a case under section 34 of the IPC against the culprit.

This is not the first time that the Benaulim youth have played the role of the authorities in foiling attempts by unscrupulous businessmen from dumping waste in the village.

Last Sunday saw the youngsters helping the police to arrest a businessman from Colva after waste from his premises landed along the road leading the St John the Baptist Church.

Bedlam in Cortalim gram sabha over garbage treatment plant HERALD CORRESPONDENT CORTALIM, OCT 24

The contentious issue of garbage treatment plant dominated the Cortalim gram sabha on Sunday with a section of the villagers vehemently opposing the proposed site near Meta Strips.

When the issue came up for discussion, the villagers particularly from Consua led by Agnelo Fernandes opposed the site saying it would pose hazard to the villagers living down the valley.

“We are opposed to the site.

I had long back sought land for building houses for the poor people of the village and for having other recreation facilities for the villagers,” said Fernandes and showed proof in support of his statement.

Some villagers also wanted to know the need for the garbage plant when people were disposing their waste in their own yard.

However, Sarpanch Anthony Miranda maintained that the garbage disposal site had to be

identified as per the requirements of the High Court since otherwise the panchayat would be held guilty of contempt of Court and could also be fined.

While stressing that the site would be used only for garbage generated from the village, he informed that earlier the panchayat had identified one more site for dumping garbage in Vollant-Cortalim.

“However, the site is only 5,000 sq mtrs. We also require place for the plant for treating garbage which will not be sufficient,” the sarpanch informed the villagers.

As the argument continued which were sometimes heated, one Tome Carvalho said that as for now the garbage issue is not very serious and the discussion could be put off.

What created a flutter in the gram sabha was the sudden interruption by former sarpanch and Panch Caitano Xavier.

Xavier, who is under public scrutiny for having allegedly built a single storey house ille-

Calangute residents demand proper draining system HERALD CORRESPONDENT CALANGUTE, OCT 24

The Calangute Gram Sabha on Sunday deliberated on various issues, including the drainage issue, which was hotly debated.

Initiating the deliberations on the drainage issue, the gram sabha members accused the Calangute Panchayat of not being able to put a drainage system in place, which causes water logging.

When one of the gram sabha members sought to know the reasons behind it, Panch Joseph Sequeira said: “The PWD for reasons best known to them have been obstructing our initiatives, be it drainage construction near the panchayat or the Inas Paul House or roads.”

“We have even written to PWD, but till date, the department has failed to reply. Perhaps, PWD do not want the Calangute Panchayat to carry out any development for the village,” claimed Sequeira.

Jose Braganza raised the issue of garbage in and around the market area and asked the Calangute Panchayat to look into the matter on priority basis. Ward member Laxman Porob Palyekar informed that the market cleanliness has been taken up on war footing and drainage will be put in place soon.

Sarpanch Alex Fernandes said some people are letting their septic waste through the drains and the labour employed in carrying out the work finds it difficult to carry out the work in inhuman conditions. He however assured to do the required jobs immediately.

Anthony D’Souza raised the issue of beggars in the village causing nuisance to the villagers and bringing bad name to Calangute village.

In his reply, Alex Fernandes said police are also helpless in arresting and driving them away. How-

ever, Anthony suggested to the sarpanch that panchayat arrest them and hand them over to a NGO, who will take care of them during their lifetime, which was accepted by the sarpanch.

Cyril D’Souza sought to know from the sarpanch the details on the pet projects of the Panchayat, the sewage treatment plant, bus stand and others.

Replying to the member, it was stated that the pet projects would be financed by the Calangute Panchayat and land acquisition process will be started soon, but regretted the inordinate delay for it on flimsy grounds by the departments.

It was also informed that the matter has been pending with the departments for 10 years now.

Earlier, after panchayat Secretary Subodh Prabhu read minutes of the previous gram sabha, Eknath Nagvekar raised the issue of draft Regional Plan and clarified in the matter saying: “I have never asked for conversion of paddy fields into settlement zones, but have asked for Eco-sensitive zone taking into consideration the parking for Church and cemetery.”

Nagvekar regretted that some of the gram sabha members were out to tarnish his image for thinking on good developments like the parking for the Church and cemetery.

Clarifying further, Joseph Sequeira said few gram sabha members have been misleading others with wrong statements that no gram sabha was convened to finalize the draft Regional Plan. “Minutes of the meeting are proof of it,” he said.

Sequeira called upon the members to see for themselves all the documents relating to the draft Regional Plan from the panchayat office.

“We have no plans whatsoever to convert paddy fields into settlement zones in front of St Alex Church and the paddy fields will remain as they are today,” said Sequeira.

2 escape unhurt HERALD CORRESPODENT COLLEM, OCT 24

A trailer driver and a cleaner had a lucky escape, after the trailer turned on its side along the Panjim-Belgaum highway at Anmod Ghat, about 13 kms from the Mollem Check post, on Sunday at about 3.30 pm.

According to Collem Police the trailer ) was proceeding from Karnataka to Goa.

Canacona: Campaigning goes in high gear HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, OCT 24

With few days remaining for the civic polls, intense campaigning is witnessed in all the 10 wards of Canacona Municipal Council (CMC).

According to sources, every tactics are applied by the candidates to convince and pull respective voters in their favour.

In some wards, candidates along with their supporters visit each and every voter almost on daily basis, as the main emphasis is on door-to-door campaigning.

While Nagarcem (Ward 1) houses a few commercial establishments, Chaudi (Ward 2) is the hub and business centre for the entire Canacona taluka.

Nagarcem, with an electorate of 876, is reserved for women and will witness a straight contest between Suchita Naik

gally at Quelossim and against whom a petition was filed, told the sarpanch tersely not to mislead the villagers on the garbage site.

While Xavier continued with his arguments, the sarpanch told him to remain quiet and to allow him to continue with the gram sabha.

6-LANE HIGHWAY: On the highway issue, the residents demanded that the highway should be restricted to 30 meters, which is already been acquired by the government.

On the other hand, the villagers maintained that if 30 meters was not sufficient, the only other alternative for the government was to build a flyover at 1st Arvale and spare the houses from demolition.

Earlier, the Cortalim parish priest exhorted the devotees to attend the gram sabha and participate in the proceedings. The vicar also informed that a garbage treatment plant in the village was needed in order to keep the village clean.

Gaonkar, wife of businessman and present councilor and ex-chairperson Ranghanath, and a political novice Manuja Naik Gaonkar, who is backed by her influential husband Hemant.

Local pandits feels that given the political clout of her husband and her husband’s family contacts, Suchita holds a safe upper-hand in the run-up to the polls to win the seat.

On the other hand, determined Manuja is not willing to give the seat to her opponent on a platter. Strongly assisted by her husband and supporters, she is seen personally reaching to all the voters for support and their votes.

Incidentally, male voters outnumber their female counterparts as 472 males are eligible to vote as against 404 females in CMC Ward 1.

As for Ward 2 (Chaudi), a four-cornered

battle will be witnessed.

According to sources, the unique specialty of this ward is that no councilor in the past got elected consecutively for the second time.

However, the way canvassing is presently headed up, sitting councilor and CMC’s Deputy Chairperson Dilip Kenkre is making an all-out effort to break that barrier.

“I have incomplete tasks to achieve for my people, even though I have done works to the tune of crores of rupees during my term in Chaudi,” Kenkre said pointing to ongoing works of Rs 3.3 crore worth beautification, besides the recently renovated municipal garden, gutters, etc.

Even though Chaudi has more people than seen anywhere else in the entire taluka, the total electorate of his ward

is just 889, slightly higher to that of Nargarcem (876).

Here again males (464) outnumber female (425) voters.

While three contestants are experienced, the fourth candidate, scribe Sanjay Komarpant, is a new face, but said to be in strong contention to wrest the seat and believes he can keep Chaudi’s unique relevance alive of electing only a new face every time in municipal elections.

The third contestant, a local real estate businessman and upcoming politician, Hemant Gracias, is largely considered as ‘a no-new face’, as his wife and ex-councilor Chanda Gracias, was seen by many only as his shadow in Council.

Hemant’s campaign too has picked up, as more of his supporters are now seen rallying for him too.

tourist drowns

HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, OCT 24

A 25-year-old tourist from Ville Parle, Mumbai, drowned off Palolem beach on Sunday at about 8.30 am.

According to Canacona Police, Milan Rohit Thakar was taking bath at Palolem beach along with two others. Police have provided the names of his (Thakar) two companions as Prakash Patil and Harsh Shah.

When contacted over phone, personnel of Dristhi lifeguards at Palolem at first admitted the incident, but refused to divulge any information and asked to obtain it from his agency’s office at Panjim.

Pg 3

OHERALDO

GOA

GOA, MONDAY, 25 OCTOBER, 2010

Retired seafarers threaten protest for hike in pension HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, OCT 24

Saying they have lost patience over the failure by the National Union of Seafarer’s of India (NUSI) to fulfill the promises, retired seafarers from Goa have threatened to hold series of demonstrations in front of NUSI Wockhardt hospital to press for a hike in the monthly ex-gratia relief.

The Goan Retired Seamen Welfare Association warned that they would be forced to appeal to the people to boycott the hospital for meting injustice to all the retired seamen and widows.

“All retired seamen have now lost their patience and are planning seriously to have several demonstrations in front of NUSI Wockhardt hospital main gate entrance to appeal to the people to boycott the hospital for showing its injustice done to all retired seamen and widows, as

NUSI has failed to fulfill its assurances and promise made to them that they would increase the ex-gratia monetary payment from Rs 200 which has not been increased for the last 16 years”, the Association said in a letter signed by President Ifrona Dias, secretary Peter Crasto and treasurer Augustine Fernandes.

What has agitated the retired seafarers is the fact that NUSI had promised them on September 22 to get back to them within two weeks on the outcome of efforts made by the Union vis-à-vis the ex-gratia relief.

It’s now over a month since NUSI had made the promise, but the retired seafarers have till date not heard anything from the Union.

The retired seafarers have also drew attention of the South Goa district Magistrate, G P Naik, who had brokered a meeting

between NUSI and the seafarers on September 22.

Sources in the know said the district Magistrate has also written a letter to NUSI reminding the Union of the promises made to solve the seafarers’ grievances.

The retired seamen and their widow’s are disappointed that NUSI has not made any effort to pursue their genuine demand to get an increase of Monthly Ex-gratia Monteary Association (MEMA) given by the Seafarer’s Welfare Fund Society since 2008 and has been silent over the matter.

Moreover, the retired seafarers pointed out that NUSI general secretary Abdul Ghani Y Serang has failed to negotiate on the demand put forth by former NUSI general secretary late Dr Leo Barnes 11 years ago.

Incessant rains, outside trawlers hit local fishermen business HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, OCT 24

Fishermen community from Goa have kept their fingers crossed as incessant rains have cut down their catch and also high powered trawlers from neighbouring states have added to their misery.

After facing almost 80 per cent downfall in the fish catch, the trawler owners have now said that state government should seriously do something about the trawlers fitted with high powered motors fishing in Goan waters.

Chairman of the Mandovi Fishermen Marketing Cooperative Society Menino Afonso told Herald that these trawlers arrive from Karnataka and Kerala and go away with the prized catch leaving Goan trawlers high and dry.

He said that these trawlers are fitted with 360 brake horsepower (BHP) motors compared

to 140 BHP motors installed on Goan vessels.

Afonso said that the fishermen are already reeling under immense fish scarcity due to bad weather and their worries are added by these trawlers who net good catch right under their nose. “ They disturb even the smaller fishes underwater,” he said adding that the menace is increasing which had forced them to meet Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat and fisheries minister Joaquim Alemao seeking their intervention.

“We don’t want that even Goan trawlers should go for such high powered motors,” he claimed. The fishermen are also battering the rains as activity as Malim jetty is clearly evident of how rain Gods has not spared the fishing. Out of 300-odd trawler boats at Malim, nearly 75 percent boats have evaded fishing for a week.

Cricket fans pick pocketed

Vijay faces battle royal

HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, OCT 24

HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, OCT 24

These ardent cricket fans faced double trouble at the Nehru stadium Fatorda on Sunday.

While cricket lovers went home disappointed after the India-Australia ODI was abandoned due to damp outfield, over a dozen fans fell victim to pick pocketers, who apparently had a field day at the stadium.

Margao police said that they received several complaints on missing mobile phones at the stadium. A businessman is believed to have lost his wallet, which contained his ATM card and a gold coin.

The Margao police are investigating into the theft cases.

Pedestrian killed HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, OCT 24

A 65-year-old pedestrian died in a road accident at the KTC Margao bus stand on Sunday noon.

Margao police said the pedestrian Lata Borkar, a resident of New Waddem-Vasco came into the rear wheel of a mini bus when the driver was in the process of taking a reverse turn.

The accident occurred at around 11.50 and the deceased breathed her last at the Hospicio hospital an hour later.

The Margao police are investigating.

Ward No 3 and 8 of the Margao Municipal Council is witnessing a battle royal. High stakes are involved in the no holds barred contest - not just for the contestants in the fray, but their political masters and leaders alike.

On the one side is GPCC general secretary Vijay Sardessai’s close aides in the fray. Arrayed against Sardesai and his group is the whole lot of forces – right from the BJP to the Margao Loksamiti – in a bid to checkmate the GPCC secretary on Fatorda’s political terrain.

Ward No 3: The battle lines for Ward No 3 of the Margao M u n i c i p a l C o u n c i l w e re d r a w n m u c h b e f o re t h e government announced the Civic polls.

Nursing a grudge against sitting Councilor and former Chairperson Piedade Norohna for playing spoil sport to his plans to make it to the Goa Legislative Assembly in the 2007 polls, Sardessai groomed his lieutenant and Fatorda Congress block Congress President J o s e p h S i l v a t o t a ke o n Norohna in ward No 3.

That Sardessai will leave no stone unturned to defeat Norohna to avenge his defeat in the Assembly hustings became known from day one after he hit the campaign along with his friend and Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Alemao. It is not uncommon to find both Sardessai and Joseph raking up the Assembly poll results to convey a message to the voters how Piedade played the spoilt sport and helped MLA Damu Naik’s victory.

Incidentally, the anti-Sardessai forces have got their act together and have conveyed to the rival camp that they are

all geared up to take on the GPCC general secretary.

First, the Margao Loksamiti came out openly in support of Piedade Norohna, offering their full support to her candidature.

The BJP did not lag behind.

In what is seen as a tactical move to keep the Sardessai camp under check, party MLA Damu Naik has fielded no candidate in Ward No 3 reserved for ST and has strongly rallied behind Piedade, fully aware that a victory for Piedade will not just checkmate Sardessai in Fatorda for the moment, but will help the party in the coming Assembly polls.

On paper, a total of five candidates – Caeitano Barbosa, Joseph D’Silva, Agnelo Furtado, Sebastiao Furtado and Piedade Noroha – are in the fray in ward no 3,but these political equations and combinations have virtually made the five-cornered contest into a Piedade versus Joseph battle.

Ward No 8: If antiSardessai forces have ganged up against the GPCC general secretary in Ward No 3 of the Margao Municipal Council, they have made their presence felt in Ward No 8 in a big way.

The electoral battle witnessed in this ward is no longer confined to the candidates – sitting Councilor Gonzaco Rebello and his challenger Purnanand Chari. On one side, the Sardessai-Gonzaco duo appears leaving no stone unturned to keep the fort from crumbling.

In this battle, the Sardessai camp has roped in the Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao and are gearing up to involve senior congress leaders and Konkani stage artist in support of Gonzaco’s candidature.

But, the opposition appears equally determined to take the battle in Sardessai’s camp. If the Margao Loksamiti publicly declared support to Purnanand’s candidature earlier this week, the BJP did not lag behind either. ML A Damu Naik has extended his all out support to Purnanand.

That’s not all. Candidates who had lost to Gonzaco in the last Municipal elections –

Road shows held to educate people on expressway ills HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, OCT 24

Village Groups of Goa organized a road show along with Goemchea Xetkarancho Ekvott to highlight and educate the people of the proposed Expressway.

The road show commenced from Dramapur and culminated at Cortalim before wending its way through Sirlim, Navelim, Nuvem and Verna, where questions were raised whether there’s a need for the 60-meter road.

Anthony Noronha pointed out that newspapers have been highlighting a road width of 3545 meters, adding that the authorities will build only a 60-meter road in the years to come in phases.

He said people putting up close to the road will be the worst hit as the new road would entail setbacks, which will be useful only for people traveling long distance and not for the Goans, who would only end up in loosing their meager land.

Delano da costa informed that most of the land being low lying , filling of earth required to level to the road level will flatten all the hills in the vicinity which will be a huge man made disaster. Water bodies and rivers will also be left destroyed in the bargain, he said.

One of the participant spoke about land being acquired at a meager amount of Rs eight from the poor, adding that this will only be a gift for the rich, who will drive their Mercedes and BMW’s at high speeds.

“The road will be barricaded as speeds will be high so villagers will not be able to use road due to the barricades and will have to travel extra to join the expressway and also have to pay toll even after gifting their precious land to construct the road”, he added.

Joao Filipe said that new internal roads will be constructed to ease traffic, adding that this

Villagers participate in a road show organised by Village Groups of Goa along with Goemchea Xetkarancho Ekvott on Sunday.

would only involve land acquisition and destruction to residential houses.

Cruz Rodrigues said that the government has cheated the people during land acquisition

by giving false information.

“In the RP 2021, six townships were shown to be built and a 60 mts road was supposed to have been built to connect these new township”, he said

and recalled that the Navelim gram sabha had passed a resolution to bye pass Goa and take road via Sawantwadi- Ramnagar- Supa to Karwar thus saving Goa.

Prashant Naik, Savio Dias and Mathew – have all lent their support to Purnanand. And not to mention of aspiring candidates, who have thrown their lot behind Purnanand, holding the Sardessai camp responsible for reserving Ward No 8 for OBC to ensure safe passage for Gonzaco.

The “insider” and “outsider” ghost have also come to the fore in the electoral battle, with the Sardessai camp raking up Purnanand’s origin.

A professor in a Canaconabased educational institution, Purnanand is putting up in one of the housing societies dotting the Madel l a n d scape, while Gonzaco hails from the Mungul area of the ward.

Says Purnanand: “Voters are looking for a change. I will try to sort out the host of problems plaguing the ward, be it drainage, stray dogs, roads, foul odour emanating fro the wholesale fish market et. I am one hundred per cent sure of my victor as all the people, irrespective of their political affiliations are supporting my candidature”.

On the other hand, Gonzaco says he was instrumental in taking up many a development work in the ward during his tenure and has vowed to complete pending works.

“The weather did not allow our trawler boats to venture off shore. Those who managed to enter the sea returned only with mackerels. They had to cut short their trip because of thundering and strong sea currents,” Afonso rued.

The challenge before the jetty is indeed varieties fish catch, reduction of which has degenerated revenue. While only mackerels’ catch has boomed, it is being sold off cheap at Rs 20 per kilo, its price last year

was as high as Rs 70 per kilo.

“We hardly have any fish for export this month. We are only exporting mackerels,” said the Chairman who claims losses running into lakhs.

The problem-stricken jetty expected ample ‘Ribon fish’ and ‘squid’ catch via trawling and ‘King fish’, ‘Pamphlets’ and ‘Tuna fish’ catch via persuine nets. The serene look at the jetty can be transformed into a buzzing centre, provided the weather is favourable for fishing.

Pg4

OHerALdO = =

GoA

GOA, mOndAy, 25 OctOber, 2010

Coastal cards: Cansaulim locals NCP justifies Cong’s support to upset over wrong entry of names HERALD CORRESPONDENT CoRTAlIM, oCT 24

Residents of Cansaulim-Arrosim have expressed strong resentment over their names being wrongly recorded for coastal security identity cards,

which are meant for the coastal villagers.

Saying that the villagers are being harassed, former Cansaulim sarpanch and Panch Martha Saldanha said the whole drive for biometric smart cards for the villagers was an exercise in futility.

Saldanha said that the names including hers were wrongly recorded and gave an instance where the name of Fervin Saldanha who is a panch was recorded as Edwin Saldanha.

“Even his children names have been wrongly recorded.

Should people run to government offices to get their names corrected for no fault of theirs,” Saldanha questioned claiming that the villagers were refusing to click their photos unless their names were corrected first.

“Imagine our Election Cards bear one name and these coastal cards bear another name. Won’t it amount to impersonation,” she asked.

Saying that the issue was not serious, AK attached to Mormugao Mamlatdar Mr Gawas said the enumerators would be against visiting the houses and get the names corrected.

“There is no harm if the photos are clicked first,” Gawas told Herald.

Another official informed that the mistakes were committed by the data entry operators, who are from Bangalore and who were not conversant with Goan names.

He said the next phase of issuing smart cards would be held next month and that there was no question of issuing cards with wrong names.

candidates in Mapusa HERALD CORRESPONDENT PoRVoRIM, oCT 24

Mapusa NCP Block President Mathew Braganza has justified the action of Mapusa Block Congress President Vijay Bhike in extending support of the Congress party to the 13 candidates, who are contesting the Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) election.

In a press note, Braganza has stated that Bhike has selected the candidates in the capacity of Block President.

“However, Dr Pramod Salgaonkar, former president of Mahila Congress, has put a spoke in the wheel by saying that Bhike did not consult her in the matter. Dr Salgaonkar has no right to comment on Bhike’s action, as she is not in an official position to do so,” claimed Bra-

ganza.

Taking a dig at the announcement made by Subhash Narvekar on behalf of Mapusa Nagrik Samiti regarding extending support to 11 candidates, Braganza alleged that during the last assembly election, despite Congress-NCP alliance, Narvekar ignored the principles, which he should have adhered to and contested the assembly election on Janata Dal ticket, due to which the official candidate of Congress-NCP alliance, Ryan Braganza, got defeated and he himself got trounced.

“He played the double role and helped the BJP candidate to win the election. Narvekar clearly knew what he was doing and the reasons for doing it,” said Braganza.

Sky lamp contest HERALD CORRESPONDENT CollEM, oCT 24

Kalika Sports and Cultural Club, Collem, will organize sky lamp contest for the residents of Collem and Mollem panchayat areas near Collem Post office on November 5 at 8 pm. For details, contest Umesh Khedekar on 9423457404 or Dattu Khandeparkar on 9423812537.

Power shutdown OCTOBER 25 PERNEM: From 9 am to 2 pm. Areas of VP Torxem are affected.

MANDUR: From 9 am to 5 pm. Areas affected are Amparo Church, Bank of India, Miryabhat and surrounding areas in Neura.

Watch an exclusive interview with Mr Roseferns on completion of 30 years of Roseferns Dramatic Troupe, on HCN at 5.30 pm.

State govt to auction stock HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, oCT 24

The State government has offered to sell Goa State Government Stock (securities) of ten year tenure of a total amount of Rs 100 crore (nominal). Government stock will be sold through the RBI, Mumbai office (PDo) Fort, by auction at a coupon rate to be determined by the Reserve Bank of India at the yield based auction under multiple price format. The auction will be conducted by RBI at its Mumbai office, Fort, Mumbai on october 26.

Bids for the auction should be submitted in electronic format, on the Negotiated Dealing System (NDS) on october 26. The competitive bids should be submitted electronically on NDS between 10.30 am and 12.30 pm and the non-competitive bids on NDS between 10.30 am and 11.30 am. The payment by successful bidders will be on october 27 before close of banking hours by means of cash, banker’s cheque/pay order, demand draft payable at RBI, Mumbai (Fort).

The loan will be repaid at par on october 27. The cut-off yield determined at the auction will be the coupon rate percent per annum on the stock sold at the auction. The interest will be paid every half yearly on April 27 and october 27.

The Goa State Government Stock will be issued for a minimum amount of Rs 10,000 (face value) and in multiples thereof.

Pg5

OHerALdO = =

REGION

GOA, mOndAy, 25 OctOber, 2010

Now, political drama unfolds in Belgaum district HERALD CORRESPONDENT BELGAUM, OCT 24

After a political drama in Karnataka that was being enacted from Goa and later Chennai before the no-confidence vote against Karnataka government, activities in Belgaum district are on the rise.

Two BJP MLAs Bhalchandra Jarkiholi (Gokak) and Bharamgouda alias Raju Kage (Ugar) from Belgaum district were among the 11 who were disqualified by the Karnataka speaker.

While flurry of activities are being seen since the last couple of days, people of Athani, the otherwise sleepy town, were dazzled after a helicopter landed right in front of MLA Kage’s house in Ugar late Monday afternoon.

Sources said the helicopter was sent by former Karnataka chief minister and JD (S) working President H D Kumarswamy in the wake of divergent judgment given by Karnataka High Court on Monday.

The fact was evident as senior JD (S) leader A B Patil too left for Bangalore on the same helicopter.

Kage, who was camping in Goa before returning to Belgaum last week, was quoted as saying that he has never opposed the BJP and that his resent was against Chief Minister B S Yedyurappa, who has been ignoring many of his MLAs in regards to the developmental activities in their respective constituencies.

“The final verdict will favour

us,” he opined adding that many more BJP MLAs in Karnataka are not satisfied with Chief Minister Yeddyurappa and waiting for a major coup in near future.

Meanwhile, the reports that BJP High Command trying to replace B S Yeddyurappa with senior party leader Ananthkumar as the new Karnataka chief minister is making rounds.

There is a flurry of activities in Karnataka among the BJP MLAs, especially the loyalists of Ananthkumar, who have been revealing their aspirations for a ministerial post.

Kisan Swaraj Yatra enters Belgaum HERALD CORRESPONDENT BELGAUM, OCT 24

The Kisan Swaraj Yatra, which started from Sabarmati on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, entered Belgaum and will pass through several areas in Karnataka until ‘Karnataka Rajyotsava’ on November 1.

The yatra is being taken out by various organizations, which are contributing its best for the improvement of agriculture and farmers across the country.

Through the yatra, the organisations are creating awareness about the need for improving the agriculture sector in the country.

The yatra will also be attracting the attention of the gov-

ernment towards the miserable state of agriculture in the country and will demand better facilities to farmers and agriculture sector.

After passing through a number of areas in 20 states, the 20-day yatra will end at Rajghat in New Delhi on December 21. It entered Karnataka from Dharwad and is expected to pass through Haveri, Harihar, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Bangalore and Mysore districts, before leaving for Tamil Nadu, Andhra and Kerala states of southern India.

To marks its arrival in Dharwad on October 21, a convention was held at University of Agricultural Science and a gram sabha will be held at Kalghatgi the same day.

FIRST KONKANI DVD / VCD / ACD.

Lalit Kala Akademi Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi-110001

53rd National Exhibition of Art

2 arrested, wild boar meat seized HERALD CORRESPONDENT BELGAUM, OCT 24

Forest Department officials arrested two men and seized wild boar meat and a two-wheeler in Londa Range of Khanapur jungles in Belgaum.

The accused have been identified as Babli Sadashiv Majik of Varkad village of Khanapur and Dayanand Kondappa Rajput of Davangere.

According to sources, Rajput was allegedly involved in wildlife trade for the last couple of years. He employed Majik to help him in the illegal hunting of wildlife.

Rajput along with Majik allegedly hunted a wild boar.

After getting the information of poaching, Deputy Conservator of Forests Girish Hosur ordered his team led by Londa Range Forest Officer C B Patil to verify the same.

The officials arrested the duo and produced them in the Khanapur court, which then remanded them in judicial custody.

P POLICE OLICE P PORJEK ORJEK Gunja ads curtorim 9881335618

The 53rd National Exhibition of Art will be held in February 2011. The general conditions and Entry Forms can be obtained from: • Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, 35, Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi - 110 001.

• Lalit Kala Akademi Regional Centre, III/4, Kharvela Nagar, Unit-3, Bhubaneshwar- 750 001, Phone: 0674-2391884 • Lalit Kala Akademi Regional Centre, 361, Keyatala Lane, Kolkata - 700 029 Phone: 033-24641719 • Lalit Kala Akademi Regional Centre, 4, Greams Road, Chennai - 600 006 Phone: 044-28291692 • Lalit Kala Akademi Regional Centre, 1, Ekta Vihar, Aliganj, Lucknow - 226 024 Phone: 0522-2324067 • Lalit Kala Akademi Regional Centre, Garhi, East of Kailash, New Delhi - 110 065 Phone: 011-26431849 • Lalit Kala Akademi Galleries, Gaiety Theatre Complex, The Mall, Shimla - 171 009 Phone: 09459279179 • LKA Publication Sales Counter, Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, Durbar Hall Centre, Ernakulam - 682 016 • Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra Society, Panjabari, Guwahati, Assam - 680 020 Phone: 0361-2332665 • State Lalit Kala Academies, Zonal Cultural Centres and Art Organisations The last date for receiving the Entry Form is 30th November, 2010. The duly filled form may be addressed to Secretary, Lalit Kala Akademi, Rabindra Bhavan, 35 Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi-110001. For any further information please contact the Exhibition Section on phone: 011- 23009200.

Dr. Sudhakar Sharma Secretary

OHERALDO

INDIA

Pg 7

GOA, MONDAY, 25 OCTOBER, 2010

Hurriyat Conference seeks US intervention on J&K PTI SRINAGAR, OCT 24

Seeking US intervention, the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference today launched a signature campaign to ask President Barack Obama to change America's policy on Kashmir as India and Pakistan have "failed to resolve" the issue bilaterally.

"The US has maintained for a long time that India and Pakistan should resolve Kashmir issue bilaterally but a result-

oriented dialogue cannot take place when there is such a huge trust deficit between the parties to the dispute," Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq told reporters here.

The Hurriyat chairman, while announcing the launch of the signature campaign, claimed that the current situation in Kashmir has made third party intervention inevitable.

"There have been many ac-

cords and agreements between India and Pakistan over the past 63 years but the issue is still there. The international community has to redouble its efforts for resolving Kashmir issue without which peace cannot be achieved in south Asia," he said.

Mirwaiz said Hurriyat Conference has framed a petition for the signature campaign, which will continue till November five -- a day before the scheduled arrival of Obama in India.

"The campaign will be launched in all parts of Jammu and Kashmir as it existed on August 14, 1947. It will be submitted to the US President through the US embassy in New Delhi on November six," he said.

The Hurriyat hoped that Obama will use his "influence" to prevail upon India to take steps for a peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue in accordance with wishes and aspirations of the people of the state, the Mir-

waiz said.

"We have for long been advocating a meaningful and result-oriented dialogue between India, Pakistan and people of Kashmir.

"To facilitate it, we seek an appointment of a special rapporteur of international stature which is indispensable to help rebuild the trust amongst the stakeholders and reinstate their confidence in the dialogue process," it added.

Hurriyat reiterated its demand for withdrawal of armed forces from all civilian areas, release of political detenues, activists and students and repeal of all "draconian and repressive" laws.

It has also demanded setting up of credible and time-bound processes of accountability to identify and punish the guilty of human rights violations and restoration of right to peaceful assembly, association and demonstrations.

Home Ministry gives nod to police on case against Geelani PTI NEW DELHI, OCT 24

The Union Home Ministry has given a go ahead to Delhi Police for registering a case against firebrand separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and few others for purportedly giving "hate speeches" at a seminar held here earlier this week.

Highly-placed sources in the ministry said that an advice from the legal department was received that prima facie a case can be registered against Geelani and others for making statements which are seen as an attempt to instigate secession.

The sources said the Delhi Police has been asked to register a case, which they are expected to do soon. Geelani, who gave a call to boycott the three interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir, today flew back to Kashmir.

Geelani's speech in New Delhi had triggered sharp comments from the BJP. BJP leader Arun Jaitley had accused the government of "looking the other way" when a number of separatist groups met at a conference to instigate session and to say that India cannot be one and must be broken.

This, he said, was unacceptable as there was no right of free speech available to break up the country. This was against the sovereignty and integrity of the country and anyone exercising his right of speech in such a manner comes under criminal law.

It is an offence against the state, the BJP leader said.

However, rejecting the BJP leader's charge, Home Minister P Chidambaram had said Delhi police will take action in accordance with law over the speeches made by Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah and others at a seminar here on October 21.

"I strongly reject Arun Jaitley's charge that the Centre was doing nothing when a seminar was held yesterday in which Geelani and others participated," he had said in a statement.

Chidambaram said the authorities had videographed the entire proceedings of the seminar and have submitted them to the legal advisers for opinion whether there has been a violation of the law.

"If it is established prima facie that the laws have been violated, Delhi police will take action in accordance with the law," he said.

At the convention on 'Azadi-The Only Way', Geelani shared the stage with writer Arundhati Roy and pro-Maoist leader Vara Vara Rao among others. Geelani was heckled by the audience with one of them throwing a shoe.

CRPF undergoes gradual change under Vijay Kumar PTI NEW DELHI, OCT 24

With the CRPF getting a new boss at its helm, the force is undergoing a gradual change with focus on building a better team spirit and training.

K Vijay Kumar, the recently appointed CRPF Director General, has informally introduced a system of training called the 'One Minute Drills'.

The one-minute drill is a series of exercises that CRPF personnel have to do in a minute, which includes individual as well as team exercises.

The drills are compiled in a book brought out by the National Police Academy, Hyderabad, which was earlier headed by the CRPF chief.

Kumar, a 1975-batch IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre has compiled the book.

Of the many drills, the most interesting one are related to cleaning of two guns at one time and life saving techniques that can be used when countering anti-national elements including the Naxals.

The drills also include quick techniques for jungle survival, camouflage and undertaking unarmed combat.

"The focus of the new chief seems to be on ensuring that the men are trained well. After all for every operation, a right bend of training is most essential," a source at the CRPF Academy in Gurgaon said.

It was at this academy that Kumar introduced the concept of the 'one minute drills'. Interestingly, Kumar who himself follows a tough exercise regimen is said to have cycled his way to the training Academy from the Gurgaon toll gate, a good five kilometres away.

Kumar was made the CRPF chief early this month, after his predecessor Vikram Srivastava was moved out following a series of debacles at the hand of the left-wing extremists.

OHERALDO

OPINION

Pg8

www.oheraldo.in

O HERALD O

Overshadowed by the bad and the ugly

Vol No CX No: 269 Goa, Monday 25 October, 2010

Watch out for the Mhadei backlash

T

the cWg is the perfect example of the good, the bad and the ugly says PeteR FeRnAnDes

he Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is the wellknown western movie that depicts three people in respective characters of the good, e prepared. The backlash has started. Opposition to the the bad, and the ugly. Although metaphorically Supreme Court’s recent order that the Centre should these characters subsist in each individual person, set up a Mhadai River Water Trubunal to resolve the dis- and in society, it is a constant battle to be rid of pute between Goa and Karnataka over the latter’s proposed the bad and the ugly so that the good may rise.

The tragedy of our lives is when individuals water diversion project on the Kalasa and Bandura rivers, are oblivious that such a reality exists in their both tributaries of the Mhadei, is being systematically stoked. personality. Indeed, the reality of the ignorance On Friday, activists of the Narayan Gowda faction of the of such powerful forces acting in our persona is Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), led by district president the cause of our many adversities and animosity, Rajeev Topannavar, blocked the Haripriya Express at Belgaum which constantly disrupt our personal relationRailway Station for about 15 minutes. KRV activists squatted ships, as well as public decorum. Any civilization on the tracks and shouted slogans against the formation of that contemplates the reality of the good, the the tribunal. BJP leaders have been openly saying that the bad, and the ugly is able to refine itself, even in the midst of struggle and shortcoming, for the order for setting up the tribunal is ‘biased’.

The position of Karnataka in this matter usually revolves greater good of society.

At a glance, the whole world was able to bearound the constant refrain that this is a vital project for irri- hold the good, the bad, and the ugly of our coungation and drinking water for the people of north Karnataka, try at the recently concluded Games. The whereas the river water is of “no major use” for Goa, which Commonwealth Games have been a blessing in “wastes” most of the water, letting it flow into the Arabian disguise, if we take a positive spin on the series Sea. This is rubbish. Karnataka is not going to use Mhadei of events that led up to the opening day, through water for those who live along the river’s course. It plans to to the closing ceremony of the greatest internadivert the water from this west-flowing river into the Malprabha, tional sporting event our nation has ever organa tributary of the Krishna, which flows eastwards. This kind ized. of inter-basin transfer is not allowed, and Karnataka knows Several weeks prior to the event, people this well. That is why it has disguised this project as being for around the world were wondering if this event ‘drinking water’, to make it gain priority. This kind of deception would even take off on time, or at all. The apwill be crystal clear before a tribunal, which is why it is doing prehensions for the people of other nations were not baseless; however, Indians are known to get everything within its power to scuttle it.

This includes threats. The KRV leader has warned us that things right, at the last moment. It was evidently since Goa depends “entirely on Karnataka” for essential com- clear, as India proved to the world, its ability to modities like vegetables, foodgrains, milk, meat, etc, it should undertake this gigantic task, and deliver, although nervously, but with accuracy, and that too, on not oppose the project “to avoid problems in future”. This is time. India is a sleeping giant, with enormous not an empty boast. potential, if rightly tapped; it could surprise the When the Cauvery River Tribunal delivered an interim award world at any time. Yet, regretfully, the goodness that Karnataka felt was ‘unfair’ in 1991, the KRV engineered of our nation is overshadowed by the bad and anti-Tamil riots in Bangalore, and thousands of Tamils had to the ugly. flee the city. In the course of the Cauvery river dispute, the Congratulations! Congratulations to all the state has, on more than one occasion, wilfully flouted Supreme athletes who participated in the Commonwealth Games, especially the Indian athletes. You carried Court orders!

The KRV’s hate campaign will be concentrated in Belgaum, the goodness of our nation on your shoulders, Hubli and Dharwad, all places with a close connection to Goa. and with sheer hard work, dedication and sacrifice It is capable of unbelievable levels of violence, especially since endured to bring laurels and accolades to our the Karnataka government is inclined to look the other way. homeland. This is the spirit of India that conThis can get really ugly. The Goa government and the Goan stantly struggles to rise above the quagmire of the bad and the ugly. Your light beams have people need to be prepared. reached to the ends of the earth, with a clear

B

F

Critical review

inally, sense has dawned. The proposal to declare the Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary as a Critical Wildlife Habitat (CWH) is finally on hold. Despite intense protests and apprehensions raised by the local people, the Forest Department, hell-bent on declaring all wildlife sanctuaries in the state as CWHs, had thus far completely ignored their sentiments and were pushing ahead with the proposal in gross violation of the guidelines laid down by the Centre on the issue.

We criticise politicians, but at least they are accountable to the people once every five years. Bureaucrats – like the officials who run the Forest Department – are accountable to nobody.

Minister for Forests Philip Nery Rodrigues told a delegation of Chorao villagers on Friday that the CWH process will be kept on hold, and the issue will be discussed before Chief Minister Digamber Kamat. He promised that the decision would not be forced on the villagers, who are rightfully apprehensive that a CWH would deprive them of all their rights in the area. Hopefully, the minister’s decision will apply to all the areas that the Forest Department wants declared as CWHs.

Floods in Cansaulim Lorraine Dias, Cansaulim Cansaulim has suffered from floods for the first time in recorded history. This is just a taste of things to come if we do not wake up to reality quickly. Monday witnessed the Sports Complex at Cansaulim fully submerged in water which had to be bailed out from the Gymkhana and other rooms in the complex, destroying expensive equipment. This is the outcome of unplanned, unscientific and illegal development in the village for over 20 years.

The floods have occurred due to rampant landfilling of cultivable agricultural fields and the blocking of nullahs which used to facilitate smooth passage of rain water.

The meticulous planning with which our ancestors worked to set up the village has gone down the drain and we are now left to mop up the mess and the garbage created by the present generation. The Queeny’s project in the neighbourhood of Arossim chapel which has come up by filling fields and blocking all nullahs in the process

Wise Counsel

W

RevitAlising society message of sincerity, honesty and love. We, the people of India, are proud of you, and our feelings of patriotism have reached new heights. The medal tally, and standing second in the entire competition, speaks volumes.

Undeniably, it is purely the individual efforts, with very little or no help from the government.

Indeed, the athletes truly focused on transporting their goodness for the whole world to see by letting go of the bad and the ugly. Such should be the attitude of each person in every aspect of his life. Be assured, the greatness is yours, and yours alone, in which all take delight.

Shame! Shame on you, the contractors. How could you betray the nation with sub-standard work? Where is your conscience? Is it rotting in the booty made through illegal means? You were the bad actors of this whole show, and your wickedness was glaring through the faulty roof and the filthy bathrooms. You do not give a damn for the value of life. The collapse of the overhead bridge clearly spelled out your intentions, and your disregard for building a civilized society.

Faith can move mountains

hen the world around us appears dark and gloomy, faith can be our only beacon of light. We have no control over the outside world and the random events that happen all around. Though, we do have full control of our thoughts our faith helps us bring us around to find a way through. Faith believes without seeing. As we are firm believers of God; we believe that the faith is produced through reading the word of God. As food nourishes the body and gives it strength, so also does the Word of God nourish the heart and produce faith. If your spirit is starved for the Word of God, you will remain in your infancy stage unable to move even a pin with your faith. The Word is what produces that force which is faith. It is the spiritual force in you, which brings the power of God into a situation when you release the Word from your lips. Remember that the only form of believing which can yield result in God’s system is that which is done in your heart and not in your head or eyes.

Here’s a story that I would like to share with you – one summer, a drought threatened the crop in a small town. On a hot

is about to witness a similar disaster whereby the chapel could get washed away.

The people of Arossim need to wake up and act before it is too late.

Old age homes Nelson Lopes, Chinchinim Are there any checks on the running of old age homes? Those in charge are well-entrenched for years looking after helpless aged and infirm inmates. Does the government not supply their requirements regularly?

A well-wisher who visited an old age home in Salcete was given a list. Rice 3 kg, Coconuts 3, Vegetables 3 kg, fried fish 24 pieces, boiled eggs 2 dozs, sorpotel 2kg, bananas 2dozs, flower garlands, bread, salt 4 pkts, garlic 1/2kg, tea 1/2 kg, jeera 100 gms, dry coriander1/4 kg, oil packet 1, chilly powder ¼ kg, tamarind ¼, soup cubes 25. This is the most unusual request to a well wisher. It demands an inquiry. Are the inmates being starved by those running the Home? This list is available as also the

SMILE WITH SMITHA Smitha Bhandare Kamat

Perhaps, your objectives were to have a second contract with the fall of the first, to double your wealth.

Indians living in the western world marvel at the man-made wonders and spectacular infrastructure, and they speculate why such stunning brilliance is not possible in our own land. While India produces more engineers than most developed nations, why do we lack the lustre of the modern marvel? Could it be that the bad is more powerful than the good? The answer is obvious, but each has to answer it for one’s self.

Disgrace! Disgrace on you the elected representatives, the ugly; the brood of vipers. Corruption is your nature, and you have nurtured it so well that you cannot perceive anything otherwise. You have taught the innocents to rob and to kill. It is not a shock, then, that you condescended beyond imagination to shame the nation before the whole world. Sporting events are the celebration of the triumph of the human spirit, even more so, when it comes to international level. The Commonwealth Games was a perfect

opportunity to manifest the pride of our nation at all levels.

The nation could have displayed the depth of ancient civilization, its religiosity, and unity in diversity by rising above the ordinary mire of corruption, and the unhygienic exhibit of habits of our people. The opportunity is lost, and the foul air continues to haunt the nation, because of a few rotten people. Fortunately, or unfortunately, our politicians also triumphed at flaunting that at which they are best – Corruption. If there were medals for such a show, which our politicians are good at, I think India would have easily surpassed the medal tally. However, it would sully the medals won by our athletes; won because of their pure dedication, hard work and sacrifice.

Despite all the flaws, Indians should take pride for having successfully hosted this remarkable achievement, with a world class demonstration. The opening and the closing ceremonies were breathtaking, and mesmerized the audience and the television viewers around the globe.

India has potential to be the best, and to compete with any nation at all levels, but we need good leaders to channelize our resources to proper use; to do right things, in order to build a just and respectful society. No doubt, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. However, when civil servants and the bureaucrats themselves obey the law, the people, too, will obey the law.

The honourable Prime Minister has moved in the proper direction to correct the faults of those involved in breaking the code of conduct, to clean the system, which is infected with distortion, lies, and corruption, in order to rid India of the bad and the ugly, and to allow the good to triumph.

This is another opportunity to let the whole world know that India means business, and that it will conduct affairs with honesty and integrity, as this is the spirit of the nation.

The good, the bad, and the ugly resides in each one of us, as it is by the same token, in society, which is made up of individual people. The Commonwealth Games depicted at once, the good, the bad, and the ugly of our nation. Will this episode be an eye opener to clean up the system, these government-run institutions, or will it be swept under the rug, as it is usually done? Time will unfold nobility of our character.

When it does, may that nobility be timeless.

and dry Sunday, the village preacher told his congregation, “There isn’t anything that will save us except to pray for rain. Go home, pray, believe, and come back next Sunday ready to thank God for sending rain.” The people did as they were told and returned to church the following Sunday. But as soon as the preacher saw them, he was furious.

“We can’t worship today. You do not yet believe,” he said.

“But,” they protested, “we prayed, and we do believe.”

“Believe?” he responded. “Then where are your umbrellas?”

This story applies to all of us. There are those people who leave their umbrellas at home as throughout their lives. They hope but they expect little. We need to have faith and we don’t need a lot of faith – just as much as a mustard seed, to provoke great results, because our God is an awesome God. We must believe in Him and not worry about what we can or cannot do. God will not ask us to do more than we can. He wants us to be willing to do His work. He’ll provide the rest.

A mustard seed is one of the tiniest of seeds, but it grows

quickly into a large plant. It is the seed of a mustard plant, and mustard .plants are big. It will grow. That is its nature.

Will God do everything we ask of Him? Probably not – because we don’t always know what is best for us but He does.

You are a child of God, dream big. Does a problem seem impossible, then? Place it in God’s hands. We must believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, even when the storms rage, the battle is taking a turn for the worse, and when all seems lost. Do not give up. Do not look at the size of your obstacles, your problems, your mountains.

Look to Jesus with the faith of a mustard seed, the faith that troubles Jesus and gives Him no rest until He answers your prayers.

We all need to trust the Lord who is a lovable God and capable of doing all things. It is our closeness, our personal relationship with Him, that leads and guides us to know what to ask for.

I would like to end with a quote by Martin Luther King Jr. “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

to this challenge?

his latest Konkani film songs just before the beginning of his show, that included a first ever hard rock Konkani song, which was received by the huge crowd with loud applause. I do hope there will be many such shows in Goa which respect musical greats.

Letters to the Editor

Letter of the Day

Revival of dictatorship

John Philip Pereira, Nagoa

With a mere phone call to the Administrator South Zone, the Revenue Ministry of Government of Goa directed to stop the disbursement of jonos and dividends on which many old, sick and needy people depend. Is that not dictatorship? I appeal to the Chief Minister to save the age old Comunidades which are independent agricultural village communes which survived Sultan and Portuguese rule.

Dr. Willy D’souza has rightly voiced concern about the autocratic behaviour of the Civil Administrator and the Revenue Department for interfering in the appointment of Managing Committees of Saligao and Pilerne Comunidades. The High Court has directed that the Government translate the Code of the Comunidades from Portuguese into English as per Clause III of Article 348 of the Constitution. The same petition seeks to resolve the payment of salaries of the staff serving in the Administration of Comunidades. Despite the matter being in court, the Administrator of South Zone has defiantly implemented Central Government pay scales to the staff and collected funds from the Government for payment of salaries without discussing and approval from the Communidade Bodies or ascertaining the financial health of the Comunidades as inscribed in the Code. And now, it is understood that government loans to the Administrator of which Comunidades are neither beneficiaries nor sureties, the Administrator is trying to pressurize the Comunidades to claim derrama calculated at exorbitant percentage beyond that which is earmarked in the Code to repay that loan for which he is solely responsible. While the matter is before the Court, interference with administration of justice is contempt. name of the well wisher if one wants to genuinely check malpractices and the Home mentioned.

Diwali without Narkasur Ayres Sequeira, Salvador do Mundo Diwali, festival of lights dispels darkness bringing hope for peace and happiness.

We should celebrate the festival with meaningful programmes and spend our time and money to benefit all the sections of our society ushering in a New Year of prosperity.

Sadly Narkasur the demon who causes so much destruction and misery is glorified for no reason by huge expenditure of money which could be utilized to bring solace and comfort to the needy in our state.

Last year’s bomb blast in Margao is still fresh in the public mind. No one wants the incident to repeat again. We are a peaceloving people. Let us walk into knowledge from ignorance and destroy evil to finish.

Make this Diwali a happy occasion for all to join in brotherhood celebration sans Narkasur. Let Victory triumph over evil always.

By Arlette Azavedo

Tinted glass and burqas Michael Vaz, Merces It is interesting to note that the car owners with tinted glasses are booked by the police for violating the rules. The justification is that it is not possible to assess the identity of the people in the vehicle. The rationale is perfect and acceptable.

But how is it that in the guise of freedom of religion a person is permitted to move anywhere fully covered under the burqa?

How do we justify that it does not pose any security concerns especially when the world is embarking on an era of unprecedented security threats?

The London bombings a couple of years ago had links leading to a person moving suspiciously clad in such garment. The two recent cases of new born babies being lifted from hospitals in Mumbai pointed an accusing finger to the burqa clad person. In one case the CCTV footage captured the glimpse of the criminal act. All such dress codes can pose a threat as people are too prompt to take advantage in concealing their identity. What is government’s reaction

Musharaf as example AS Prabhu, Moira The other day, I had an occasion to listen to an interview of former Pakistan President, General Pervez Musharaff on a national new television channel. Though a military man, General Musharaff seems to have an inborn talent which makes him very popular in international fora. We have to make a good assessment about such personalities, irrespective of their affiliations. We here have a tendency to invariably pamper our own fellows, some of whom are unfit to represent a nation like India and sometimes cheapen themselves.

Babus to strike it rich Nazario E. Borges, Cortalim Goa government employees are in for a bumper cash inflow into their kitty in November 2010. They are getting their just demands for upgradation of pay-scales to left out categories of employees. These employees have also prepared arrears bills and submitted the same to the Directorate of Accounts, which has already passed these bills for these lucky employees. Added to this is the DA increase by 10 per cent. DA traditionally increases every six months considering the price rise of all essential commodities, necessitating the DA increase.

Last, but not the least, is the Diwali Bonus, which has not been declared so far. Government employees have a good reason to smile.

Remo and Lorna Jerry Fernandes, Saligao Lorna and Remo’s recent show at Voice of Goa 2010, Margao was absolutely mindblowing. Both stars gave their best for the huge crowd. Though I don’t listen much to Konkani music due to its mediocrity, I must say that Lorna in particular is still in terrific form and with her powerful vocals, she sounds much better than all the Tina Turners, Mariah Careys, Whitney Houstons and the Shakiras in the world. My personal friend and all-time favourite Remo too as usual was at his best, like a musically charged live wire on stage, full of life and energy. He went on to premiere three of

Help for flood victims Paulo Mascarenhas, Panjim It was so sad to see the photo given by oHeraldo dated 14 October of the two houses in a very pitiful condition of the Canacona flood victims, namely Aleixo Monteiro and Graciana Monteiro. The money collected by many parishes in Goa for this purpose perhaps might have been exhausted. Therefore, as a very urgent need of the hour, it will be nice if our very kind religious leaders like Fr Conceicao de Silva and Fr Eremita Rebello come forward to help these brethren of ours and see that in a very short span of time, theirs and some other people’s houses are rebuilt with new contributions taken from the kind-hearted people of Goa.

General Churchill Alemao David Furtado, Candolim Churchill Alemao probably has never heard of that great Roman general Julius Caesar, who dreamt of conquering the world, beginning with England. But, no sooner did his soldiers set foot on the shores of Southern England, did the English defenders take them with whatever weapons they could muster, be they swords, clubs, bows and arrows. Having severed the heads of their enemies, the English began kicking them around, calling it ‘jolly good fun’.

Legend has it, that this was the birth of football. Churchill’s dream of a Greater Goa is absurd. Churchill should study the recent article by Anthony Simoes ‘Tourism and Goan nemesis’ (Herald, 12 Oct). I have not been to the bank lately to see how my finances stand, but I would give Churchill more than that, to stop having stupid dreams.

Letters should be brief 100 words or less, 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.

xPrinted 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.

HOW TO CONTACT US: mail@herald-goa.com — For press notes, general queries. junioryouth@herald-goa.com — Junior Herald & Careers. heraldmirror@herald-goa.com — Sunday Mirror. reporters@herald-goa.com — For Reporters. business@herald-goa.com — For Business news. editor@herald-goa.com — For Letters to the Editor. sports@herald-goa.com — For Sports news. advt@herald-goa.com — For Advertisements. 2day@herald-goa.com — For Herald 2day. tiatr@herald-goa.com — For Tiatr Reviews and Reports. Disclaimer: Except for the editorial above, articles and letters in Herald represent the views of the concerned authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Herald editor, publisher, and/or owners.

OHERALDO

Pg 9

INDIA

GOA, MONDAY, 25 OCTOBER, 2010

opinionated Sins of our forefathers

By Caetano de Abreu

I

t is utter parody when mistakes committed by our forefathers or ancestors have its repercussions and that too, with a vengeance. We are rather helpless to initiate corrective measures against the stacked odds. It is traumatic for some as it ensures sleepless nights, while for the others, it may boost euphoria. In such cases, though the undertakings are well executed, those at the receiving end are the hapless.

History, whatever the contest may be, depicts that debauchery and chicanery was prevalent even in those ancient days of yore, where even mothers and sisters were not spared from abominable lust perpetrated by their own siblings. This was just to proclaim their machismo and the female had to endure the ignominy. However I do concur that all females were not always at the receiving end. Some of them fought valiantly with the abetment of their lovers, against the male realm to ensure their rights for a better world. Thus, life did go on, although with a blip.

In India, we tend to believe that males have every right to subjugate the female companion, thus the matter of ill-treatment takes precedence over so many cases of abuse, dowry, child molestation, rapes and other wanton perpetration which could be ecstatic events for males. For females, it was traumatic as it left a bitter taste of despair and a need for revenge.

However, not to be deterred and with revenge in mind, she did what she felt best. She was dedicated solely to her only redeemer, namely God, and none other than God. In other words, the mythological beliefs are conveyed by way of heroic sagas and tales by wives alone and never the husbands. The example is predominant with children or grandchildren with the absence of entertainment crowding mothers or grandmothers attentively listening.

It is due to the sins of our fathers, we in this contemporary world are facing the atrocities propounded by our own wives without realising that there is dignity in understanding each other to make better the world to live in. This is the practical reality. The examples to be cited about the rituals and whims of women are far too many. This is not the time to elaborate, although the unrest in the religious configuration is not because the male is aggressive but because his female is prodding him to do so.

It is to be noted that with freedom, a new noxious breed has arrived and that is celebrating the rites and rituals with gusto and great fanfare. This, in my contention, has been taking place with exuberance for the past two decades or so and all because of the vote-bank policy commenced by L K Advani and his Rath Yatra.

The pride and the prestige of a woman is to quietly and surreptitiously burn her fire to protect what she was made to believe in, and never ever embrace the voice of reason.

Unfortunately, these voices and the affiliated rhetoric are not only articulated by the uneducated but also by the very cream of society, perhaps with forlorn political ambitions. It is also an attempt of blatant avarice, to avail of the gullibility of the downtrodden.

The verdict over Ayodhya by the Allahabad High Court is unjustified. The Babri demolition in every legal sense is a criminal act perpetrated by the felons and its affiliates. There was no reason to raze the structure, when the judiciary was cognisant about the same.

Post independence, and in order to prevent fanning of communal tensions, the Government of India declared the site as disputed. In 1984, the VHP launched Ram Janmabhoomi to liberate the site for the construction of a Hindu temple. After the rulings of both the courts at Faizabad and the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court on 9 November 1989 Shilanyas were performed, and in 1990, L K Advani stepped in to launch his ‘Rath Yatra’. With Advani's Yatra gaining popularity, on December 6th 1992, the Babri Masjid was demolished by a mob of ‘Kar Sevaks’.

In 1999, with the success of demolition, BJP came into power with the blessings of RSS and VHP. However in 2004, and again in 2009, the BJP bit the dust. Its rise may be contradictory, but they will never be the same party again.

Although the Court gave its verdict on 30 September 2010, dividing the disputed land into three identities, the question of its authenticity remains unclear. Some claim that the ASI report is far from being full-proof. The ASI also found five levels of structure each comprising a flat surface of lime-surkhi mortar which pertains to Muslim structures.

Nevertheless, even in the present day generation, we make God to become a litigant and thus, have availed of the compromise formula decreed by the Court. The major dispute is whether Lord Ram was born at the mentioned site or not.

Unlike what many of the faithful say that it is the site of Lord Ram's birth place, the Court has not judicially zeroed on any site to be the birth place of Lord Ram although it has merely respected the belief that it is Lord Ram's birth place. Nevertheless, demolition of the Mosque is true and against the tenets of Islam.

Since we keep on flogging a dead horse, let’s go back to my earlier comments. Whose fault is it if our forefathers did not decide, in their times, of what is right and what is wrong? The present day generation is certainly paying for the earlier sins of omission.

AAPSU criticises police lathicharge PTI ITANAGAR, OCT 24

The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (A APSU) has blamed the state government for the Namsai incident where two people were injured in police lathi charge yesterday.

Over thousands of agitators had joined a protest rally at Namsai in Lohit district against the government's recent decision to revoke the grant of Permamnent Residential Certificate (PRC) to non-Arunachalees in Lohit and Changlang districts.

Deputy Commissioner R K Sharma said as locals gathered to challenge thousands of people coming in a procession from Mahadevpur in Changlang district to Namsai, police had to lathicharge and fire several rounds in the air to disperse the mob.

While the DC put the number of injured in lathicharge at 2, unconfirmed reports said over 50 persons were injured.

Both AAPSU President Takam Tatung and General Secretary Tujom Poyom have squarely

n Over thousands of agitators had joined a protest rally at Namsai in Lohit district against the government's recent decision to revoke the grant of Permamnent Residential Certificate (PRC) to non-Arunachalees in Lohit and Changlang districts. blamed the state government for the spurt in violence at Namsai.

"The government knew in advance that rally was going to be organised. First, how could they allow non-Arunachalees to organise such a rally inside Arunachal territory? Secondly, why enough police forces were not deployed to tackle the situation," Tatung said in a statement today.

Russia ‘not worried’ over India buying arms from US: Kadakin PTI CHAUBATTIA, OCT 24

Describing India as a "super power in the making", Russia today said it was "not worried" over Indian armed forces buying military equipment from the US and pledged its support to see the Asian giant "strong militarily" apart from economically.

Apart from expressing surprise over US sanctioning Pakistan with a USD 2-billion military aid just ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit to India in early November, Russia also promised that it would give the best military equipment it has to New Delhi.

"We understand India is a super power in the making and India can choose which better equipment that suits her.

We do not think in terms of fighting for India's (defence purchase) orders...fighting with Americans...no. So if you want those huge cargo planes you can buy them from Americans.

Maybe they are better. We are not worried," Russian Federation Ambassador to India Alexander M Kadakin said here.

He was interacting with a group of Indian journalists on his visit here to witnesses the Indo-Russian army exercise Indra-2010.

"But you are aware that Russia has a multifaceted and diverse cooperation in the military field with India. It is not a secret that in cooperation with India we are producing the best, supersonic, cruise missiles in the world, the BrahMos. "It is not a secret that your submarine fleet is equipped with Russian submarines.

I t i s n o t a s e c re t t h a t y o u f l y o u r airplanes...not only the old ones, which you are producing, but also the new razor-edge technologies," he said, pointing out that his country had chosen India to codevelop the fifth generation stealth supersonic fighter jets.

Referring to the bilateral agreement for the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA)

signed between Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and his Indian counterpart A K Antony in Delhi earlier this month, Kadakin said, "Ask the American if they will sell F-35s to India."

He said the FGFA would be "designed by both India and Russia and produced in India also," he said it was not just in fighter aircraft, any other military technology that India wanted, Moscow was cooperating fully.

"When the Minister was here recently about 10 days ago, a very important agreement was reached about the new generation stealth fighter aircraft, which is being designed by both India and Russia and producd here in India also.

"We have a diverse military relations with India. So, take any other field...tanks...whatever you take or choose, we are cooperating.

That is so good, because we have always considered and consider India to be our best friend.

Kadakin said: "We are interested that India should be strong, not only industrially and economically...It is becoming very strong, economically and we are rejoicing together with our Indian friends. But we also want India to be strong militarily."

To a query on the Military Technical Commission meeting that Antony and Serdyukov attended in New Delhi recently, he said they had discussed many proposals and agreements for future bilateral defence relations.

"You may ask Americans are coming, French are coming, many other countries are coming. But we are not worried.

Because we have a very deep-rooted, long established and very functional and very positive cooperation between the militaries of the two countries," he said.

Pointing out to Indra-2010 joint military exercise, he said it was also "an indication of the high degree of confidnece and trust we have in eachother and trust that we also

exercise in combating international terrorism."

"As I said before, we are not only friends, we are allies in combating international terrorism. You know, I will not name any country, you know from where it comes in your vicinity. We also suffer from those people who bring harm to India, we also suffer from those people who bring harm to India, they also bring harm to Russia," he added.

Asked about the recent important military deals such as the P-8I maritime patrol plane and C-130J transport aircraft going the US way, the Ambassador asked Indians to look at what Moscow had done.

"Look what we did for India, together with Israel. We produced AWACS planes and we have a product of three countries - India, Russia and Israel. So the world is changing. Well, I don't know, but America does not have the technology of BrahMos. If they start today, it will take them seven years to produce what Russia and India are producing today. I don't think that they have given any vital technologies, you know," he said.

BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile, considered the best in the world, designed and produced joint by India and Russia.

India had recently got delivery of an Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems (AWACS), a beyond horizon airborne radar of Israeli origin on Russian IL-76 platform, of which three have been ordered and two more are to added in the future.

Whereas, "they (Americans) have given USD 2 billion aid to rearm Pakistan just before the visit of their boss (President Obama) to India. That's what I read. What we are giving to India, we are not giving to anyone.

"Even the Sukhois (fighter jets) that China is producing (with licence from Russia) is very much different from what Sukhoi (IAF's frontline combat planes) India is producing with licence from us," he said.

Army Chief feels Pakistan N-arsenal are secure PTI NEW DELHI, OCT 24

Amid global fears that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal may fall into the hands of terrorists, Army Chief Gen V K Singh says concern remains over this aspect but he feels these weapons are secure.

"Probably Pakistan also has (such concerns) and they are taking extra measures....I don't think, there is any reason to say things are not secure. Things are secure," the Army Chief told PTI in an interview.

He, however, added that this will remain a concern given "the way internal dynamics (of Pakistan) are".

Gen Singh recently raised hackles in Pakistan which had criticised him for his comments that Pakistan and China are "major irritants" and India was ready to fight a conventional warfare in a nuclear scenario.

Rejecting Pakistan's contention that his recent comments were "jingoistic", he said such views were not only his but of the entire world.

"I only said what the whole world is saying. If the whole world is jingoistic...," Gen Singh said.

The Army Chief noted that both Pakistan and China were nuclear armed countries and "who uses (such weapons), we don't know.

As armed forces, we should always keep this in mind that there is somebody who can use it."

Elaborating on his contention, he pointed out that Pakistan has done "sabre-rattling" on behalf

n Gen Singh recently raised hackles in Pakistan which had criticised him for his comments that Pakistan and China are "major irritants" and India was ready to fight a conventional warfare in a nuclear scenario. of nuclear weapons and "we, as a force, are prepared to fight anytime."

Turning to China, he said the borders are calm and confidence building measures are in place and "things are not as bad as we look at the western side (Pakistan)."

He, however, said no one knows "when its intention will change" and "it remains a cause of worry".

Commenting on China's capability building, Gen Singh said it is engaging a lot of India's neighbours and it impacts "our overall security scenario".

Assuring the nation, he asserted that the armed forces will cater to any kind of threat. "We have built capabilities and we are building capabilities. We should be able to meet threat from wherever it emanates."

Finger test infringes on privacy right of rape victims PTI NEW DELHI, OCT 24

Trained Army dogs showing their skills during the Army Mela 2010 and ex-servicemen rally, at Judges Field in Guwahati on Sunday. The aim of the Mela is to increase awareness about career prospects in the Army.

Watanabe Club plans to train docs in shoulder arthroscopy PTI CHENNAI, OCT 24

Patients with shoulder related problems need no longer spend huge amounts to go abroad for consultation and treatment as U.K. based Watanabe Club plans to train hundreds of Indian doctors in shoulder arthroscopy.

The Watanabe Club is an informal non affiliated group of dedicated shoulder arthroscopists committed to developing training in shoulder arthroscopy in the UK. The Watanabe Group are a team of 23 like minded arthroscopic shoulder surgeons from around the UK, dedicated to furthering techniques and training in such surgery.

They hold two regular therapeutic and teconstructive arthroscopic shoulder courses per year.

"We will start our first courses in India during April 2011. We will be training at least 50 orthopaedic surgeons per year",

Watanabe Club, Course Convenor and Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Andrew Wallace told PTI. He said the training would help develop advanced shoulder arthroscopic skills. "It (training) will also provide interaction and experience with a prominent arthroscopic shoulder surgeons by observation and discussion.

The course would also develop organisational and working skills in arthroscopic shoulder surgery".

Some of the training equipment would be imported from Germany, he said adding that the main idea to train Indian doctors was to enable common people avail their services without spending huge amounts of money, he said.

Andrew, who performed surgery on Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar in 2006, said Indian doctors would gain hands on experience in practical techniques using models and cadaver material. "The courses will

involve lectures, models and work on cadavers," he said.

Dwelling on shoulder problems, he said the pain could be due to trauma (physical injury), mechanical problems (like subacromial impingement or instability), inflammation (such as arthritis, bursitis or capsulitis), degeneration (such as rotator cuff tears) or nerve irritation (involving nerves around the shoulder or in the neck).

Assessment of shoulder pain depends largely on a careful history of the onset, duration and location of the pain, and its relation to sleep, rest or activity, he said. It may also be associated with other symptoms.

Detailed physical examination and selective imaging like x-rays, ultrasound, CT or MRI scans may be required to establish a precise diagnosis, although in some complex conditions arthroscopy (keyhole surgery) may be necessary to define the underlying cause.

Katrina is no longer foreigner AGENCIES NEW DELHI, OCT 24

Katrina Kaif is no longer a foreignerKatrina Kaif, the not so typical Bollywood style actress initially, mainly owing to her drop dead continental looks and her all so accented Hindi, has suddenly managed to carve out a niche for herself in the industry, which is actually commendable for any outsider, or even an insider of the industry.

Whatever might have been the media speculations about this so called foreigner, she has certainly proved her mettle with

each passing movie. Her forth coming flick Tees Maar Khan, will see her in a completely bold avatar, with her oh so hot bod even more toned and in her most exposing garments, to entice the audiences.

However, it is just not the eye candy that Kat is here to provide, which she has proved with her 'Raajneeti ', role.

Even her next film under the Yash Raj banner, Mere Brother ki Dulhan, is going to see her in a very different perspective, and thus, as she's got a whole new load of new co-stars like Imran

Khan and the Pakistani pop star Ali Zaffar providing the male star power, this film is going to be one big colorful extravaganza, according to the reports.

The hot gal is also learning to strum the guitar from the pop singer, according to many media reports, and this aspect of Kat is certainly going to be an added advantage for her, and for all you know, she just might be considered in some pop or rock stars role someday!

Katrina is sure proving that she is a gal with a soul, full of talent that is!

The finger test examination, conducted on the victims of sexual violence, infringes upon their privacy and is violative of their Constitutional rights, a Delhi court has held.

The court stressed the need for sensitising the police to avoid such practice as a routine measure, particularly in cases of children, minor girls and married women, while making it clear that the finger test was "irrelevant".

"Per Vagina Test/ Finger Test is irrelevant to sexual violence trials. This test is violative of the Fundamental Right of Privacy, an important Constitutional Right of the victim," Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau said.

The Per Vagina (PV) test, which is normally called the finger test, is being carried out routinely on victims of sexual offences. This test only establishes whether the vestibule is congested and whether one, two or three fingers can be inserted.

"State action cannot be a threat to the Constitutional right of an individual. What has shocked my conscious is the fact that this PV Test/ Finger Test is being carried out in routine on victims of sexual offences by the doctors (even on minors), thereby reflecting a rampant violation of the Constitutional Rights of such victims," Lau said.

The court made the observations while pronouncing the judgement in a case relating to outraging the modesty of a woman.

It said that holding of the test was disgraceful for the victims and did not have any bearing on the trial.

"The humiliation which a rape victim suffers in the court on account of existing procedures is impermissible. This court is of the view that the existing medical and legal procedures which are irrelevant to the trial of the rape cases, are required to be reviewed and stopped forthwith," the court said.

It pointed out that the manner in which PV Test was being carried out by inserting a finger inside the vagina of a woman irrespective of age or marital status was violation of her body as well as Right to Life as en-

shrined under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

Secondly, the test, which permits a doctor to state whether a woman is "habituated to sex" or "used to sex" in a public proceedings without having due regards for confidentiality, is in itself violative of the Right of Privacy of

a woman regarding her sexual life in as much as it tends to expose her private sexual life, it said.

The court further said once the character evidence of a rape victim is no longer admissible in evidence, the PV Test was not relevant to the trials.

appointments

OHERALDO

Pg10

GOA, MONDAY, 25 OCTOBER, 2010

Obama dazzles Democratic Myanmar storm victims seek crowds, but is it enough? aid; Thai flood deaths rise REUTERS MINNEAPOLIS, OCT 24

President Barack Obama, dashing through the US West to campaign for endangered Democrats, proved he still has plenty of star power but it’s far from clear that’s enough to rescue his party from an election disaster.

Wrapping up a jam-packed trip with 10 days to go before the November 2 congressional elections, Obama revved up a crowd of more than 11,000 in Minneapolis on Saturday by touting his achievements of healthcare and financial reform legislation.

He warned that if the election results in a return to power for Republicans in the US Congress, they will try to repeal those landmark laws. ‘’We just had the worst financial crisis since the 1930s and one of their first orders of business would be to eliminate protections for consumers, eliminate protections

for taxpayers, go back to a system that resulted in us having to save the entire economy and take these drastic measures,’’ Obama said. ‘’Why would we do that?’’ he said. ‘’Why would we go back to the healthcare policies that they believe in where insurance companies can drop your insurance when you get sick.’’?

Obama’s closing campaign message depicts Democrats as fighters for the middle class and Republicans as defenders of special interests like health insurers and credit card issuers. But Republicans have gained traction by criticizing Obama’s healthcare law, the $814 billion stimulus and other Democratic policies as examples of a ‘’biggovernment’’ approach.

Obama’s response, which he repeated throughout his five-state campaign tour, was to acknowledge that ‘’government can’t solve every problem’’ but also

to highlight its role in supporting education and initiatives like clean energy.

The crowd who came to hear Obama speak at the University of Minnesota chanted his ‘’Yes, we can slogan’’ and laughed along with his depiction of Republicans as the politicians who drove the country into a ditch — a standard metaphor in his campaign speeches.

It was one in a succession of big crowds Obama has drawn as he rallied supporters in Portland, Oregon; Seattle; Los Angeles and Las Vegas. His biggest rally on the trip, at the University of Southern California on Friday, attracted 37,500 people.

The ability to draw huge crowds was a signature of Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and a reprise of those kinds of events appeared to energize him, despite the cold he was fighting at the beginning of the trip.

REUTERS YANGON, OCT 24

With the government trying to assess the damage and send relief supplies, Cyclone Giri has forced thousands of people in western Myanmar from their homes, a resident said today.

Cyclone Giri struck Myanmar’s west coast near the town of Kyaukphyu on Friday. Although there has been no official announcement from the military government on damage or casualties, a senior official in the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement said there had been at least one death, a girl killed by a falling tree. ‘’We are still surveying the damage and casualties while carrying out relief work,’’ said the official, who declined to be identified. ‘’Relief goods are being sent by boat and air.’’

In neighbouring Thailand, unusually heavy rain has caused the worst flooding in decades.

The state-run Narenthorn Emergency Medical Center put the death toll at 38, up from 32 the previous day.

Coastal regions of Myanmar are often hit by strong storms.

More than 130,000 people were killed or went missing when Cyclone Nargis struck the Irrawaddy river delta in May 2008.

Residents of the region said damage was extensive and there had been no systematic relief work. ‘’Damage to property is huge. Nearly all the houses made of bamboo and thatch were completely destroyed,’’ said businessman Ko Kyaw Khin.

About 4,000 people were seeking refuge at shelters run

by Buddhist monks and other citizens, he said. ‘’Monks and private well-wishers are providing these people whatever food they can with their limited resources,’’ he said.

There were fears for the res-

Haiti’s cholera toll tops 200

‘Efforts made to suppress facts soon after Bhopal Gas Tragedy’

I want to be reborn as myself: Dev Anand

Das wanted to do things in his own way, when the Central Government sent Rs 1 crore for the purchase of equipment.

Bhandari claimed he was removed from the project after he refused to sign a tender for equipments.

He said he then approached the then Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Sunderlal Patwa, following which the matter was raised in the House and the Opposition members staged a walkout.

“Because of the opposition pressure, the then Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Moti Lal Vora decided to call in fresh tenders,” Bhandari said.

Bhandari said despite Vora’s order, Ishwar Das delayed the process of inviting fresh tenders for equipments and also denied him the permission to go to the United States of America, to take

PTI NEW DELHI, OCT 24

REUTERS PORT-AU-PRINCE, OCT 24

A career spanning over six decades in Indian cinema, classics like “Hum Dono”, “Jewel Thief ” and “Hare Rama Hare Krishna” besides countless laurels seem to be not enough for Bollywood’s evergreen star Dev Anand as he is in no mood to hang his boots.

The actor, who earned the moniker of being the youngest star in India at the age of 87, says he wants a second life to complete his unfinished work.

“I am always in a rush because time is slipping away fast and I am chasing it, chasing it.

I have so many stories to tell but where is the time. I wish I am born again as Dev Anand and you meet a young star 25 years later. That will give me some time to finish what I want to do,” Dev Anand told PTI in an interview.

The death toll from a cholera epidemic in Haiti topped 200 and fears of it propagating in the crowded, earthquake-ravaged capital increased after five cases were detected in the city.

UN officials stressed that the five cases, the first confirmed in the capital since the epidemic started, were people who had become infected in the main outbreak zone of Artibonite north of Port-au-Prince and had subsequently travelled to the city where they fell sick. ‘’They were very quickly diagnosed and isolated,’’ UN humanitarian spokeswoman Imogen Wall told Reuters, citing information from Haitian health authorities. ‘’This is not a new location of infection.’’

But prevention measures and surveillance were being increased in Port-au-Prince, with its squalid sprawling slums and about 1.3 million survivors of the January 12 earthquake

PTI BHOPAL, OCT 24

Soon after the Bhopal gas disaster in December 1984, efforts were made to suppress research reports to dilute the magnitude of the incident, claims Dr N R Bhandari, who was posted as a child specialist at the Government run Hamidia Hospital when the tragedy occurred.

In his latest book, ‘25 years of Gas Tragedy and untold truth’, Bhandari has said that the real problems of the gas victims were suppressed by bureaucrats to ensure that victims did not get appropriate compensation.

“From Bhopal to New Delhi, research reports were submitted in a way to show that the magnitude of the disaster was not that high,” said Bhandari, who has retired now.

He said the then Health Secretary of Madhya Pradesh Ishwar

Heli skiing in Pahalgam UNI SRINAGAR, OCT 24

Heli skiing, ice skating and now bikes would be introduced in Pahalgam, to develop it as a world class winter destination for tourists from within the country and abroad.

Minister of State for Tourism Nasir Aslam Wani said the Government will also develop Pahalgam as a world-class winter tourist destination and introduce heli-skiing and ice-skating in a big way.

The Minister said this while interacting with representatives of Hotel Association, Pahalgam,

at Pahalgam, on the first leg of his two-day tour to take stock of various developmental activities.

Chief Executive Officer, Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA), Altaf Hussain, President of Hotel Association of Pahalgam Javed Ahmad, Executive Officer, Municipal Committee, Pahalgam and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.

The Minister said the worldfamous heli-skier, Sylvain Saudon, will visit Pahalgam and recci the potential heli-ski slopes.

part in a seminar where medical aspects of the tragedy were to be discussed.

21 projects were undertaken to study the mental and physical disability of the gas victims by leading doctors at that time including N P Mishra, Heeresh Chandra, S N Sharma himself but their results were not published at the instance of Das, he said.

Bhandari further claimed that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had also commissioned 25 projects following the disaster and the reports on them had been sent to it, but none of them have been published till now.

These reports dealt with serious and dangerous truths about the disaster and had they been published, victims might have got more compensation, he said.

5 held for Rs 6.25 cr loot in Kosamba PTI DAHOD (Gujarat), OCT 24

Five persons were arrested on Sunday in connection with the Rs 6.25 crore jewellery loot case that took place in Kosamba taluka of the district on October 16, police said.

Over 1400 grams of gold jewellery, along with one pistol, a country made revolver and four mobile phones have been seized from the persons, they said. “ We h a v e a r re s t e d o n e Narsinh Meda from Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh who led the gang of robbers which looted Rs 6 crore worth of jewellery from a shop in Kosamba,” Dahod SP N N Chaudhary said.

“We had information that some of the persons involved in the loot were coming to sell gold in Dahod and had kept a watch on the suspects and caught five persons along with Meda today,” he added.

Those arrested include Meda with a pistol and a few gold ornaments, Raju Gondia with a point 12 bore country made gun, Rajesh Gondia, Mukesh Baria and a Dahod based jeweler Hasmukh Soni with 1415 gm gold jewellery worth over Rs 33 lakh.

Other than Soni, all are mem-

bers of the gang which is based in Jhabua district of MP. They were arrested on the Dahod-Katvara road about three km from here, when Meda, Soni and Baria were coming to the city on two-wheeler.

With this arrest a total of nine persons have been arrested for the Rs 6.25 crore loot at K M Choksi Pvt Ltd in Tarsadi village of Kosamba on October 16, which the police said has been master minded by one Salim Malai, a Pakistani national, illegally living in Mandvi, Kutch.

Last Friday, the Surat district police had arrested four persons including three women from Mumbai and seized over 1300 grams of gold jewellery and cash of Rs 15 lakh which was looted from the jewellery shop in Kosamba from them.

Those arrested are identified as Ashokumar Jain, a resident of Zaveri bazaar in Mumbai and engaged in jewellery business, Parvinbibi Pathan 55 and Pinki Pathan 29, residents of Vadodara and Salma Sheikh 45, a resident of Mumbai.

Parvinbibi has family like relationship with Salim Malai who had contacted Meda to execute the loot.

idents of the islands of Kyunthaya and Ngapathon, off the coast, he said. ‘’We’ve heard a number of villagers there were completely covered with water,’’ he said, adding boats had gone out to investigate. On the mainland, embankments had been broken and low-lying areas inundated by a tidal surge, he said, adding villagers faced a shortage of drinking water. In Thailand, at least 29 provinces have been affected by the heavy rain, mainly in the northeast and centre, covering about a quarter of the country.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said 1.5 million people had been affected and he promised a coordinated response to help.

Bangkok is on flood alert with excess water flowing from the north down the Chao Phraya river coinciding with high tides at the river’s mouth to the south.

packed into tent and tarpaulin camps. All are highly vulnerable to a virulent diarrhoeal disease like cholera.

With more than 2,600 cholera cases reported and experts predicting the numbers will rise, Haitian and international medical teams are working desperately to isolate and contain the epidemic in the Artibonite and Central Plateau regions, north of the rubble-strewn capital.

It is the worst medical emergency to strike the poor, disaster-prone Caribbean nation since the earthquake killed up to 300,000 people and is also the first cholera epidemic in Haiti in a century.

Haitian health officials told a news conference yesterday that 194 people had died from cholera in the Artibonite region, the main outbreak zone, with 14 other deaths in neighbouring Central Plateau, where a prison was among places affected. The total number of cases had reached 2,674.

From Page 1 IOC tanker disrupts air traffic

accident, an Indian Airline IC-924 flight from Dubai to Bangalore via Goa had landed at Dabolim airport and the tanker, which met with an accident, had come for fueling the same flight, which was delayed for nearly five hours.

The accident also delayed Air Arabia and Qatar Airways flights for nearly one hour, which were scheduled to leave at about 4 am.

3 poll officials go missing

district by Maoists in which six policemen were killed. The attack prompted the EC to reduce voting time by two hours in Sheohar and Belsand constituencies which witnessed a heavy turnout.

Stray incidents of violence occurred in Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga districts. Heavily-armed Maoists raided a polling centre at Subaigarh in Runisaidpur constituency and burnt down the electronic voting machines besides other materials early this morning before voting began, SP Rakesh Rathi told PTI. Three polling personnel – presiding officer Baldeo Prasad Yadav, K N Sigh and Satyendra Patel – went missing after the incident, Returning Officer for the seat Shivdani Singh said.

Though he did not rule out foul play, Zutshi said it was too early to say if Maoists were involved in the incident.

“No EVMs were there at the spot when the incident occurred.

Sitamarhi Superintendent of Police is camping at the spot and efforts are on to find their whereabouts,” he said.

Substitute polling materials, including EVMs, and poll personnel were rushed to the booth and voting began as per schedule, Singh said.

Voters’ defiance of the poll boycott call was evident as better than expected turnout was recorded in all five Maoist-affected seats. While Paroo recorded 62 per cent voting, Sahebganj registered 52 per cent, Minapur 53.72 per cent, Sheohar 49 per cent and Belsand 48 per cent.

Maoist posters asking voters to boycott the poll had appeared on government buildings and polling stations in East Champaran, Sheohar, Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur districts.

Tropical storm ‘Richard’ Sexual abuse pounds Honduras acquitted, one convicted and remaining discharged.

REUTERS TEGUCIGALPA, OCT 24

Tropical Storm Richard was gaining strength on Saturday as it dumped rain on Honduras and was seen becoming a hurricane before hitting Belize and Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula later in the weekend.

Richard had top sustained winds of 70 miles per hour and would likely barrel through southern Mexico and emerge in Mexico’s oil-rich Bay of Campeche on Tuesday as a tropical depression, the US National Hurricane Center said.

At 11 pm EDT, the storm was about 150 miles east of the Honduran port city of La Ceiba after brushing past the remote Miskito coast region where indigenous groups live in wooden houses along rivers vulnerable to flooding.

The hurricane centre said the storm was a relatively small tropical cyclone, but becoming better organised. Richard, the 17th named storm in the Atlantic this

year, might eventually veer north toward US oil and natural gas production facilities in the Gulf of Mexico, according to forecasts by some computer weather models.

Honduran authorities said they were evacuating residents and tourists from several coastal areas. “(We will) evacuate between 3,000 and 4,000 people that live in coastal zones where there could be a storm surge and heavy winds,’’ said Randolfo Funez, an emergency response official.

Richard was moving westnorthwest at 7 mph (11 kph) and was expected to pass near the northern coast of Honduras on Saturday night before striking Belize and south eastern Mexico late on Sunday, the Miami-based hurricane centre said. Honduras and Belize issued hurricane warnings, and Mexico started evacuating fishermen ‘’Richard is expected to become a hurricane on Sunday,’’ the hurricane centre said.

Bharne said that the number of discharged cases is piling up because the parents rush to police after their girl does missing.

But after the charge-sheet is filed it’s revealed to the court that the girl is between 16 and 18 years.

The prosecution receives setback when in certain cases, victim marries the same person against whom she previously files a complaint of rape or sexual assault. Simultaneously, “forgiving and forgetting” tendency surfaces keeping in mind the family reputation and avoid social stigma, victim and her family discontinues support to prosecution.

“This happens especially when there is delay in filing a chargesheet and taking up proceedings…At times, parents support the case but victim deposes contrary,” the PP pointed out another reason for case failure.

She said that the practice of rape accused marrying the victim is also growing, which ultimately results in freeing the violator.

“There are three-to-four cases where the victim is married to the accused and gives birth to his child…DNA is positive proving he is the biological father,” Bharne said.

In such a case, though the victim is below 16 years, the rape accused looks after the child, gives his name as father of the child in the birth certificate and promises to marry the girl once she becomes major.

Entangled in the law and perhaps for the better future of the victim and her child, the prosecution gives up the case. “How can a prosecutor expect conviction of the accused? Ultimately one has to see the welfare and future of the child born…if victim is not willing to give statement against her husband, she cannot be compelled…,” said the PP.

OHERALDO

Pg11

GOA, MONDAY, 25 OCTOBER, 2010

Religious scholars issue ‘fatwa’ to Musharraf PTI ISLAMABAD, OcT 24

Adding to woes of Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, a group of religious scholars has issued a ‘fatwa’ declaring him “fit to be murdered” while a petition filed in the Supreme court has sought registration of a high treason case against him.

The fatwa or edict was issued by a group of politicians and religious scholars during a meeti n g i n Q u e t t a y e s t e r d a y, declaring Musharraf, who is preparing to return to Pakistani political arena, ‘wajibul qatal’ (fit to be murdered) It was issued over the assassination of Baloch nationalist leaders Nawab Akbar Bugti and Nawabzada Balach Marri and the 2007 military operation against a seminary linked to Islamabad’s Lal Masjid.

The meeting was organised by the Jamhoori Watan Party and presided over by its chief Nawabzada Talal Akbar Bugti, the son of Nawab Akbar Bugti.

Talal Bugti recently caused a sensation by announcing a bounty of Rs one billion and 1,000 acres of land for anyone who beheads Musharraf. Among those who

n The fatwa or edict was issued by a group of politicians and religious scholars during a meeting in Quetta yesterday, declaring Musharraf, who is preparing to return to Pakistani political arena, ‘wajibul qatal’ (fit to be murdered) addressed yesterday’s meeting were former Jamiat Ulema-eIslam parliamentarian Maulana Noor Muhammad, Ata-urRehman and Maulana Abdul Qadir Looni.

They called on the Supreme court to issue a directive for bringing Musharraf back to Pakistan through Interpol and try him for the murder of Akbar Bugti and the killing of students of Jamia Hafsa, a women seminary linked to the Lal Masjid.

They also demanded action against Musharraf for abrogating the constitution and detaining nuclear scientist A Q Khan, who was arrested for heading a secret nuclear proliferation ring.

Meanwhile, a man named Maulvi Iqbal Haider has filed a petition in the apex court, asking it to do away with technicalities and order the registration of a case of high

treason against Musharraf for proclaiming a state of emergency in November 2007.The petition said “any inaction” on the court’s part may encourage others to do the same.

The petition was an appeal against the Sindh High court’s verdict of October 14 that dismissed Haider’s earlier petition seeking the registration of a case of treason against Musharraf. Haider has filed a slew of cases against the former military ruler.

In his new petition, Haider said action should also be taken against Musharraf ’s legal adviser Sharifuddin Pirzada and former Attorney General Malik Qayyum for helping the ex-President proclaim emergency. Haider named the federal government, Law Ministry, Interior Secretary, Home Secretar y of Sindh, Pirzada and Qayyum as respondents in his petition.

Relatives and friends of 17-year-old Talal Kassem, who died in a car accident, carry banners during a march condemning the traffic accidents at Rawsha area in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday. Lebanese police said that in 2007, 497 people died in road accidents, 478 in 2008, 513 in 2009 and 390 died till September 2010.

UN flays Afghan compound attacks UNI UNITED NATIONS, OcT 24

The chief of the United Nations and its powerful 15-member Security council have severely condemned the attackers, reported to be members of the Taliban and al-Qaida, of the UN compound in Herat, the Afghan city in the western part of the country.

There were no casualties in the compound where other global agencies are also located. But some Afghan security guards were wounded, the spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement released yesterday at UN headquarters in New York.

A number of assailants were killed in the attack, and the UN is conducting a full investigation. Earlier the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also condemned the attack and stressed that the organisation was in the country to support efforts to restore peace and provide humanitarian and development assistance to the people. The attack did not disrupt UN activities in Herat, a UNAMA spokesperson said in a statement.

Mr Ban ‘’wholeheartedly commends the support rendered by units of the Afghan National Security Forces and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) whose prompt action stabilized the situation and undoubtedly saved the lives of United Nations staff members in the compound.’’

The Secretary-General emphasised that the UN will continue to maintain its presence and programmes in Herat for the benefit of the population and in support of the Afghan authorities. UNAMA also expressed its gratitude to the internal international security guards for their bravery and courage

n A number of assailants were killed in the attack, and the UN is conducting a full investigation. Earlier the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also condemned the attack and stressed that the organisation was in the country to support efforts to restore peace and provide humanitarian and development assistance to the people.

The attack did not disrupt UN activities in Herat, a UNAMA spokesperson said in a statement. in responding to the attack. ‘’On behalf of all who serve the UN in Afghanistan, we further thank the Afghan National Police Force, the Afghan security forces and Government authorities, as well as the International Security Assistance Force, for their assistance in protecting UN personnel and thwarting this attack,’’ UNAMA said in its statement. The mission expressed sympathy for the security officers injured in the attack and their families. condemning that assault, the Security council said it deeply regretted that a number of security guards were wounded and voiced its appreciation of the prompt support rendered by units of the Afghan security forces and ISAF during the attack.’ Members of the council reiterate their steadfast support for the role of the United Nations in Afghanistan,’’ the council said in a press statement.

The members noted that a number of assailants were killed in the attack, adding that they will be waiting to hear the results of the investigation that has already been launched. ‘’The members of the Security council reiterated their serious concern at the threats posed by the Taliban, Al-Qaida and other extremist groups, to the local population, national security forces, inter-

China breaks up anti-Japan protests REUTERS LANZHOU, OcT 24

chinese police today broke up protests against Japan in the north western city of Lanzhou over a territorial dispute that has stoked tensions between Asia’s two biggest economies.

The protest, by about 200 people who were calling for a tougher line by their government against Japan, followed similar demonstrations by thousands of chinese and Japanese last week that centred around the status of islands claimed by both nations.

In a sign that the two governments are trying defuse tensions, their foreign ministries exchanged statements encouraging cooperation over the past two days. chinese foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu noted a statement by Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara that they should strive to improve ties.

“We expect Japan to work with us in joint efforts to maintain and advance the strategic bilateral relationship of mutual benefit,” Ma said in a statement posted on the ministry’s website on Saturday.

Along with a long-standing dispute over a chain of islands in the East china Sea, Japan is also worried that china has started holding back shipments of rare earth metals, vital in the manufacturing for electronic goods and auto parts.

Japanese Trade Minister Akihiro Ohata on Sunday told Jiang Yaoping, a chinese vice commerce minister in Tokyo for a forum, to stop restricting rare earth exports, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported. china has denied cutting shipments to Japan for political reasons, and says it restricts overall production and exports of rare earths to avoid depleting its reserves and causing harm to the environment.

In the demonstration in Lanzhou, the crowd of mainly students gathered in the city’s central square and marched about two kms (1.2 miles), unfurling banners and demanding a boycott of Japanese products, before police in riot gear halted them. There was no violence. ‘’We want to boycott Japan. Little Japan, return our china, return our Diaoyu islands,’’ a university student surnamed Li said.

Sino-Japanese relations have been on edge since last month after Japan detained a chinese trawler captain whose boat collided with Japanese patrol ships near the disputed islands — called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in china.

national military and international assistance efforts in Afghanistan,’’ they said.

The council stressed the need to bring the perpetrators, organisers and financiers of the ‘’reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice.’’ They urged all States to cooperate with the Afghan authorities to ensure that those behind the attack were caught. council members reaffirmed the need to combat, in accordance with the UN charter and all obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. They council reiterated its determination to combat all forms of terrorism.

They also stressed that that ‘’no terrorist act can reverse the path towards peace, democracy and reconstruction in Afghanistan which is supported by the people and the Government of Afghanistan and the international community.’’ According to news reports, a group of assailants dressed as local women in disguise attacked the compound minutes before midday, local time, sparking a fire fight with guards and the police during which the raiders were killed. One of the attackers in reported to have blown himself up with an explosive.

Darfur rebels ready for talks REUTERS KHARTOUM, OcT 24

Darfur’s rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) today said it was ready to start discussions with international mediators in Qatar, but was not yet prepared to re-join full peace negotiations.

JEM, seen as the region’s most militarily powerful rebel force, walked out of talks in the Qatari capital Doha in May, saying Sudan’s government had broken a ceasefire and objecting to Khartoum’s decision to hold talks with other insurgent groups.

The withdrawal sparked a surge of violence in the remote western region and dealt a heavy blow to the internationally- brokered negotiations, the latest in a series of attempts to resolve the festering seven-year conflict.

JEM was one of two mostly non-Arab rebel groups to revolt in 2003, accusing Khartoum of marginalising Darfur and starving it of funding.

Khartoum mobilised troops and mostly Arab militias to crush the uprising, which Washington and some activists say amounts to genocide, a charge dismissed by Sudan.

JEM said it has met joint UN/African Union mediator Djibril Bassole in London and agreed to send a small delegation to Doha to discuss ways the negotiations could be ‘’reformed’’. ‘’JEM is under no obligation by sending that team to engage in any negotiations or to (make) any commitments,’’ senior JEM official Al-Tahir al-Feki told Reuters.

Nepali climber missing in expedition REUTERS KATHMANDU, OcT 24

A leading Nepali climber, who has scaled Mount Everest 19 times, has gone missing after an avalanche hit members of an expedition to the Himalayas in eastern Nepal, his hiking agency said today. chuwang Nima, 43, was part of an expedition which included British climbers trying to summit the 7,129-metre (23,389-feet) Mount Baruntse. The avalanche struck on Saturday while he was fixing ropes at an altitude of about 7,045 metres. ‘’It was a big avalanche that swept him in windy weather conditions,’’ said Jeevan Ghimire of the Sherpa Shangrila Trek and Expedition agency. ‘’A search and rescue operation will be carried out by a helicopter on Monday,’’ Ghimire told Reuters. The other climbers are safe, he said.

The only other climber to top Nima’s ascents to Mount Everest is Apa Sherpa, who has climbed the world’s tallest peak 20 times.

Hundreds of mountaineers go to dozens of Himalayan mountains in Nepal, home to eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks, including Mount Everest, every year. About 250 climbers have died on the icy slopes of Mount Everest since it was first climbed in 1953.

Rehman, Abbasi issued show cause notice PTI ISLAMABAD, OcT 24

Pakistan’s ruling PPP has issued a show-cause notice to ex-Information Minister Sherry Rehman and suspended Safdar Abbasi, a close confidant of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto, for violating discipline by appearing on programmes of a media group boycotted by the party.

The PPP yesterday issued the show-cause notice to Rehman, also a former spokeswoman of the party, and suspended the membership of Abbasi, whose wife Naheed Khan was the political secretary of Bhutto.

Rehman and Abbasi, who are both members of Parliament, were issued notices by the PPP for participating in talk shows on the Geo News channel. The PPP recently decided to boycott the ‘Jang’ media group, which owns Geo News and The News daily, accusing it of conducting a propaganda campaign against the party and its chief, President Asif Ali Zardari.

Both PPP leaders told the media that they were not aware when and where the decision to boycott the TV channel was taken even though they were members of the party’s central executive committee. Rehman said she had yet not seen the show-cause notice but was in “shock” that speaking on any TV channel could result in violent protests outside her home in Karachi.

A group of women from the PPP stronghold of Lyari protested outside Rehman’s residence and burnt her effigy yesterday. The women claimed they were PPP workers but the party distanced itself from the protest.

“As it stands, I had no official communication from the party about any ban on any channel, because I had heard several different (PPP leaders) speaking on all channels, but bizarrely, I am being targeted.

n The PPP yesterday issued the show-cause notice to Rehman, also a former spokeswoman of the party, and suspended the membership of Abbasi, whose wife Naheed Khan was the political secretary of Bhutto.

“In the absence of any communication, I followed the Prime Minister’s and the President’s announcements that we have no war with any media channel,” Rehman said.

She said she had been a senior PPP officebearer and a minister in the current government and had always acted responsibly.

“I have never spoken against my party despite whatever has been done, so I will see what this show-cause is about and certainly respond,” she added. Abbasi said he had received a suspension letter from PPP Secretary General Jahangir Badar by e-mail and complained that he was not given sufficient time to reply to a show-cause notice issued on October 20.

Under the party’s rules, members should be given a week to respond to show-cause notices but his membership was suspended within 48 hours, he said. Rehman and Abbasi are among senior PPP leaders who were close to Bhutto and have been sidelined by the current party leadership for the past three years.

Abbasi has often criticised party chief Zardari’s actions while Rehman quit the federal cabinet during the lawyers’ movement for the restoration of deposed judges in March last year.

Afghan gameshow – Of relief, millionaires REUTERS KABUL, OcT 24

His country might be at war, but Afghan gameshow host Rahim Mirzad reckons his daily helping of fun and laughs is just the relief his audience needs — and the chance to become a millionaire doesn’t hurt.

In a rundown warehouse studio on Kabul’s dusty outskirts, Mirzad presents the ‘’Treasure’’ — ‘’Ganjina’’ in Afghanistan’s Dari language — gameshow, where prize money of up to one million Afghanis ($21,000) is on offer, a fortune in one of the world’s poorest countries. ‘’In Afghanistan after 30 years of war, we had no game shows, no big television programmes like this. This is fun,’’ said Mirzad, a former journalist. ‘’When they see how emotional people are and how they react, it lets them forget everything.’’

Producers say the show is popular but risqué for Afghanistan, where conservative Muslim clerics have in the past sought to ban foreign soap operas seen as a corrupting influence running against Islamic principles.

Just like a similar Western gameshow, Ganjina contestants choose one of 20 boxes representing an amount of cash from one to one million Afghanis. contestants eliminate boxes one by one and take home the amount in the last box. The programme came back on air on local TOLO TV two weeks ago after it was banned briefly by the government because of com-

n In a rundown warehouse studio on Kabul’s dusty outskirts, Mirzad presents the ‘’Treasure’’ — ‘’Ganjina’’ in Afghanistan’s Dari language — gameshow, where prize money of up to one million Afghanis ($21,000) is on offer, a fortune in one of the world’s poorest countries. plaints it depicted gambling.

Afghanistan’s government has tussled before over television content. The cultural ministry two years ago ordered stations to stop broadcasting Indian soap operas it deemed un-Islamic. For all Ganjina’s modest set — glass floor tiles are cracked and smaller contestants have to stand on red bricks to lift them up behind their podium — the programme has a loyal following. ‘’You get to take something home with you. When it is a matter of money everyone is interested,’’ said Masood Sanjer, channel manager at TOLO TV. In a country where violence has stunted development and forced the government to rely on foreign aid, television and telecommunications are two industries enjoying growth.

Afghanistan’s war is at its bloodiest since the conflict began in 2001 when US and Afghan forces ousted the Taliban leaders from power.

A decade after the Taliban were toppled, Afghanistan television airwaves have their staple of soap operas and news programmes, a sharp contrast

to the austerity imposed by the Taliban, when TV and music were banned by religious police.

Still, Ganjina’s celebration of cash irks some of the country’s conservative clerics. ‘’This programme keeps thousands of young Afghans away from learning their religious education,’’ said cleric Mowlawi Gull Ahmad at a Kabul mosque. ‘’This is just a waste of time, this is just greed.’’ The programme recently got its first Afghani millionaire, a government worker, but is far from the US programme ‘’Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’’.

Famous mosques and mountain scenes from Afghanistan decorate the walls of the studio. Dressed in a grey suit and purple shirt, Mirzad conducts the show from a dais, playing to the camera which swings on a crane counterbalanced with 20-kg gym weights. Only one of the 20 contestants was a woman, smartly dressed in a blue suit and a pink headscarf. On a recent recording, school children, women in shawls and young men in jeans packed on to the studio’s basic wooden bleacher-like seating, Western pop music blaring be-

fore they exploded into whistles as Mirzad strolled onto the set.

A young man chosen as the first contestant drew groans from the audience after losing out on top prizes shortly after starting his round — including the one million afghani pot. Min-

utes later he was left with his final prize: 10 Afghanis, or just 25 cents. ‘’You really wiped the smile off my face when you lost the one million,’’ Mirzad told him. ‘’Now you’ve won the lowest prize on this programme. Best of luck in the future.’’

OHERALDO

Biz12_SUNDAY-Pg-12 10/24/2010 10:45 PM Page 1

BIZ

Pg12

GOA, MONDAY, 25 OCTOBER, 2010

G-20 achievements significant: FM

PTI GYEONGJU (SOUTH KOREA), OCT 24

India had its way at the twoday conference of G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors, with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee describing achievements on IMF reforms and the currency war, mainly between the US and China, as "significant".

"What we have achieved is significant," Mukherjee said at the conclusion of the G-20 conference, where members endorsed crucial reform of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and asked nations to move toward a "more" marketdetermined exchange rate and desist from "competitive devaluation of their currencies".

The decision to give a 6 per cent quota (voting rights) to emerging economies in the IMF, which would see India jump from 11th position to 8th in terms of voting rights in the international body, was announced at the end of the ministerial conference of the G-20, a club of developed and developing nations.

Mutual Fund Scheme Name

As regards the ongoing currency war, Mukherjee said, "What we expected and particularly what I have commented, that we will have to resolve the (currency) issue through dialogue and not through confrontationist position... (It has been) substantially agreed to."

Moreover, the minister added, "The development agenda have found place (in talks) and leaders will give their seal of approval at the Seoul Summit to be held on November 11-12."

The G-20 ministers, he added, have also agreed not to resort to "unilateralism" to deal with complex issues.

"Another phraseology has been used is that there should be no unilateralism and there should be cooperation... unilateral devaluation should not be encouraged," he said.

Mukherjee had recently suggested in Washington that the currency issue could only be resolved through dialogue and consensus and not through confrontation.

"My approach is that we

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) Infra and Eco Reform Fund - Regular Plan (D) Infra and Econ Reform Fund - Regular Plan (G) Axis Equity Fund (D) Equity Fund (G) Tax Saver Fund (D) Tax Saver Fund (G)

12.90 12.90 10.06 10.06 12.01 12.01 11.93 13.02

B

Baroda Pioneer ELSS 96 Growth Fund (D) Growth Fund (G) Infrastructure Fund (D) Infrastructure Fund (G) PSU Equity Fund (D) PSU Equity Fund (G) Bharti AXA Equity Fund - Eco Plan (Bonus) Equity Fund - Eco Plan (D) Equity Fund - Eco Plan (G) Equity Fund - Eco Plan (QD) Equity Fund - Retail Plan (Bonus) Equity Fund - Retail Plan (D) Equity Fund - Retail Plan (G) Equity Fund - Retail Plan (QD) Focused Infrastructure Fund (D) Focused Infrastructure Fund (G) Focused Infrastructure Fund (QD) Tax Advantage Fund - Eco Plan (D) Tax Advantage Fund - Eco Plan (G) Tax Advantage Fund - Retail Plan (D) Tax Advantage Fund - Retail Plan (G) Birla Sun Life Advantage Fund (D) Advantage Fund (G) Basic Industries Fund (D) Basic Industries Fund (G) Buy India Fund (D) Buy India Fund (G) Commodity Equities - Global Agri Plan (D) Commodity Equities - Global Agri Plan (G) Commodity Equities - Global Multi Commodity Equities - Global Multi - RP (G) Commodity Equities - Global Precious -RP (D) Commodity Equities - G Precious Metals (G) Dividend Yield Plus (D) Dividend Yield Plus (G) Equity Fund (D) Equity Fund (G) India GenNext Fund (G) India Opportunities Fund - Plan A (D) India Opportunities Fund - Plan B (G) India Reforms Fund (D) India Reforms Fund (G) Infrastructure Fund - Plan A (D) Infrastructure Fund - Plan A (G) Infrastructure Fund - Plan B (D) Long Term Advantage Fund (D) Long Term Advantage Fund (G) Midcap Fund - Plan B (D) Midcap Fund - Plan B (G) MNC Fund (D) MNC Fund (G) New Millennium (D) New Millennium (G) Pure Value Fund (D) Pure Value Fund (G) Small and Midcap Fund (D) Small and Midcap Fund (G) Special Situations Fund (D) Special Situations Fund (G) Tax Plan (D) Tax Plan (G) Tax Relief 96 (D) Tax Relief 96 (G) Top 100 Fund (D) Top 100 Fund (G)

28.55 32.33 57.40 10.67 10.67 10.00 10.00 19.27 13.56 19.27 12.80 19.16 13.50 19.16 12.73 11.43 11.43 11.43 13.92 25.56 13.88 25.47 94.99 175.33 31.55 114.38 26.88 47.18 16.40 16.40 12.96 12.96 13.40 13.40 17.01 95.16 77.95 295.10 26.10 19.86 58.31 11.91 11.91 14.16 19.29 13.84 14.36 15.55 15.62 15.62 88.71 219.52 13.96 21.38 17.95 19.16 14.06 14.06 11.26 11.26 49.43 14.66 94.88 12.80 15.69 24.05

C

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

should try to engage the countries into negotiations and build up a consensus through which the matter could be resolved... (These issues) cannot be resolved through confrontation," he had said.

While the US wants the China to allow its currency, the yuan, to appreciate in line with market forces, the Chinese government has been resisting the move, as it would hurt the country's exports. The currency war prompted some other countries, like Japan, to weaken their currencies by pumping more funds into the market.

India, too, has been affected by the global currency crisis, which saw the rupee appreciate by over 5.5 per cent since January to the detriment of country's exports.

The communiqué issued at the end of the two-day conference asked the member countries to move towards "more" market determined exchange rate and desist from "competitive devaluation" of currencies.

The development augurs

20.61 17.00 24.63 26.62 26.57 58.44 22.99 27.92 13.90 14.92 19.63

Infrastructure (G) Large Cap+ Fund (D) Large Cap+ Fund (G) Multicap (D) Multicap (G)

24.65 10.59 10.58 15.83 17.07

D

DWS Alpha Equity Fund - Regular Plan (D) 18.94 Alpha Equity Fund - Regular Plan (G) 87.04 Alpha Equity Fund - Wealth Plan (D) 15.15 Alpha Equity Fund - Wealth Plan (G) 18.13 Investment Opportunity Fund - Regular Plan (D) 29.91 Investment Opportunity Fund - Regular Plan (G) 43.18 Investment Opportunity Fund - Wealth Plan (D) 14.95 Investment Opportunity Fund - Wealth Plan (G) 19.55 Tax SavFund (D) 14.73 Tax SavFund (G) 15.75 DSP BlackRock Equity Fund - Regular Plan (D) 57.36 Equity Fund - Regular Plan (G) 18.15 Focus 25 Fund (D) 11.48 Focus 25 Fund (G) 11.48 India T.I.G.E.R. Fund - Regular Plan (D) 20.41 India T.I.G.E.R. Fund - Regular Plan (G) 53.17 Micro Cap Fund - Regular Plan (D) 11.12 Micro Cap Fund - Regular Plan (G) 18.31 Small and Mid Cap Fund (D) 18.34 Small and Mid Cap Fund (G) 20.00 Tax Saver Fund (D) 14.18 Tax Saver Fund (G) 19.04 Technology.Com - Regular Plan (D) 25.72 Technology.Com - Regular Plan (G) 35.23 Top 100 Equity Fund - Regular Plan (D) 22.76 Top 100 Equity Fund - Regular Plan (G) 107.28

E

Edelweiss Absolute Return Equity Fund (D) Absolute Return Equity Fund (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) 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)

11.52 11.51 21.20 21.20 12.61 13.84 13.91 14.29 86.39 16.20 13.76 16.16 9.42 9.41 12.95 12.95 14.98 18.68 11.90 55.38

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) Fortis China-India Fund (D) China-India Fund (G) Dividend Yield Fund (D) Dividend Yield Fund (G) Equity Fund (D) Equity Fund (G) Future Leaders Fund (D) 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)

24.18 38.21 13.20 13.20 18.38 20.27 12.54 12.54 14.30 14.30 21.34 23.76 9.68 9.68 12.16 19.74 12.25 36.23 10.81 10.86 11.03 21.20 12.78 14.03 12.25 15.37 10.93 10.93 12.81 13.41 42.99 68.50 45.31 226.35

well for India, which is facing the heat of rupee appreciation.

In the spirit of give and take, the communiqué reflects the viewpoints of both the US and China on the currency issue.

A carefully negotiated document, the communiqué incorporated the US point of view by asking countries to move towards a "more market determined exchange rate systems that reflect underlying economic fundamentals." This is what the US is asking the China to do with regard to the yuan exchange rate.

Developed countries, including the US, have been advised to "pursue the full range of policies conducive to reducing excessive imbalances and maintaining current account imbalances".

The G-20, Mukherjee said, did not agree to put a ceiling on the current account deficit of nations as it would not be possible to fix targets, as export-import and capital flows are determined by market forces over which the governments may not have direct con-

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) India Prima Fund (D) India Prima Fund (G) India Prima Plus Fund (D) India Prima Plus Fund (G) India Smaller Companies Fund (D) India Smaller Companies Fund (G) India Tax Shield (D) India Tax Shield (G) Infotech Fund (D) Infotech Fund (G) Pharma Fund (D) Pharma Fund (G) Templeton India Equity Income Fund (D) Templeton India Equity Income Fund (G) Templeton India Growth Fund (D) Templeton India Growth Fund (G) 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 (G) Long Term Advantage Fund (D) Long Term Advantage Fund (G) Mid-Cap Opportunities Fund (D) 16.77 Premier Multi-Cap Fund (D) Premier Multi-Cap Fund (G) Tax Saver (D) Tax Saver (G) Top 200 Fund (D) Top 200 Fund (G) HSBC Dynamic Fund (D) Dynamic Fund (G) EmergMarkets Fund (D) EmergMarkets Fund (G) Equity Fund (D) Equity Fund (G) India Opportunities Fund (D) India Opportunities Fund (G) Midcap Equity Fund (D) Midcap Equity Fund (G) Progressive Themes Fund (D) Progressive Themes Fund (G) Tax Saver Equity Fund (D) Tax Saver Equity Fund (G) Unique Opportunities Fund (D) Unique Opportunities Fund (G)

17.85 35.25 13.61 14.21 16.52 34.38 48.21 309.37 31.55 234.96 14.98 16.18 36.09 219.52 22.29 65.49 33.80 63.88 16.59 22.30 63.82 135.67 28.89 119.28 25.41 44.70 55.35 301.15 36.84 94.08 13.69 43.26 147.78 17.93 31.63 71.32 253.86 53.74 227.37 11.22 11.22 10.07 10.07 30.26 112.08 18.77 37.67 16.97 27.65 13.05 15.35 14.97 16.23 12.59 12.59

I

ICICI Pru Bank& Financial Services Fund - Retail Plan (D) Bank& Financial Services Fund - Retail Plan (G) Discovery Fund (D) Discovery Fund (G) Dynamic Plan (D) Dynamic Plan (G) EmergS.T.A.R. Fund (D) EmergS.T.A.R. Fund (G) Equity Opportunities Fund (D) Equity Opportunities Fund (G) FMCG Fund (D) FMCG Fund (G) Focused Bluechip Equity Fund (D) Focused Bluechip Equity Fund (G) Fusion Fund (D) Fusion Fund (G) Fusion Fund Series - III Retail Plan (D) Fusion Fund Series - III Retail Plan (G) Growth Plan (D) Growth Plan (G) Indo Asia Equity Fund - Retail Plan (D) Indo Asia Equity Fund - Retail Plan (G) Infrastructure Fund - Retail Plan (D) Infrastructure Fund - Retail Plan (G) Power (D) IDFC Classic Equity Fund - Plan A (D) Classic Equity Fund - Plan A (G) Equity Fund - Plan A (D) Equity Fund - Plan A (G) Equity Fund - Plan B (D) Equity Fund - Plan B (G) Imperial Equity Fund - Plan A (D) Imperial Equity Fund - Plan A (G) India GDP Growth Fund (D) India GDP Growth Fund (G) Premier Equity Fund - Plan A (D) Premier Equity Fund - Plan A (G) Small & Midcap Equity Fund (D) Small & Midcap Equity Fund (G) Strategic Sector (50-50) Equity Fund - Plan A (D) Strategic Sector (50-50) Equity Fund - Plan A (G) Tax Advantage (ELSS) Fund (D)

20.11 20.62 22.59 52.12 19.69 110.16 18.92 37.99 13.42 14.39 38.39 67.13 17.26 17.26 15.29 16.22 13.77 13.77 19.29 142.47 11.23 11.23 13.06 32.41 19.30 16.67 23.04 14.12 17.22 11.88 14.16 17.35 20.99 15.75 18.24 29.18 36.01 16.69 20.23 15.96 16.14 17.66

‘Sahara IPO after market improves’

trol.

"In the communiqué, no quantum of current account deficit has been fixed. It was suggested that there should be 4 to 4.5 per cent of the GDP to be adjusted over 2014. There should be no quantum," he added.

Some developed countries had made a case for putting a ceiling on current account deficits to provide stability to the global financial system.

The current account deficit is the difference between the inflows and outflows of foreign capital into a country.

These decisions, however, will be followed up at the G-20 summit to be held in South Korea on November 11-12 and the next meeting of central bank governors and finance ministers at Paris in February, 2011.

Besides Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the G-20 Summit in November will be attended US President Barack Obama, who is visiting India in early November, besides other global leaders.

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) 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 & Mid-Cap Fund - Regular Plan (D) Small & Mid-Cap 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)

22.06 16.29 16.29 19.65 14.34 19.65 17.62 15.03 17.62 21.95 41.47 23.40 25.75 15.40 40.78 18.73 23.58 12.00 12.00 13.60 13.60 32.32 15.92 32.27 3.06 3.06 12.72 18.21 6.53 6.53 9.89 9.86 16.39 40.26 11.95 11.95 6.45 6.45 15.42 20.97 20.32 29.66 15.48 16.64 6.66 6.66 8.23 8.23 8.66 8.66 15.98 19.74 13.36 14.39 8.60 8.60

K

Kotak 30 (D) 30 (G) Contra (D) Contra (G) EmergEquity Scheme (D) EmergEquity Scheme (G) Global EmergMarket Fund (D) Global EmergMarket Fund (G) Indo World Infrastructure Fund (D) Indo World Infrastructure Fund (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)

35.05 111.13 19.30 23.95 13.65 13.65 9.75 9.75 8.15 8.15 13.23 15.27 20.43 29.38 16.65 51.47 11.81 13.08 12.66 20.68

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) Multi-Cap Fund (D) Multi-Cap Fund (G) Opportunities Fund (D) Opportunities Fund (G) Small Cap Fund (D) Small Cap Fund (G) Tax Advantage Fund – Series I (D)

11.68 11.68 7.99 11.52 20.12 42.60 10.84 15.27 8.42 8.42 26.52 45.96 16.78 21.05 21.27 48.57 6.26 6.26 17.53

PTI

MUMBAI, OCT 24

Sahara India Group will wait for the market conditions to turn favourable for the real estate sector before taking its realty arm public, a official said.

Sahara's real estate company, Sahara Prime City Ltd (SPCL), has been mulling an IPO to raise funds from the capital market for quite some time.

The company had filed DRHP with SEBI last October but did not go ahead with the IPO due to bearish conditions.

"The market is not good for real estate sector at this moment. So we are not taking much interest in this (proposed IPO)," Sahara India Group's Chief, Subrata Roy, said.

"Moreover, if you get permission (from SEBI), then you get limited time to hit the market," Roy said. SPCL through its wholly owned subsidiary, owns and operates Sahara Hospital and through another subsidiary operates the Sahara Star hotel in Mumbai.

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)

23.86 16.84 18.13 10.50 10.50 11.55 29.32 12.63 14.24 10.12 10.12 11.66 20.48 11.52 32.18 9.11 9.11

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 (D) 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)

11.75 11.75 12.60 12.60 16.22 17.48 16.66 16.66 22.84 70.10

P

Principal Dividend Yield Fund (D) 19.32 Dividend Yield Fund (G) 26.17 EmergBluechip Fund (D) 26.84 EmergBluechip Fund (G) 35.21 Global Opportunities Fund (D) 17.31 Global Opportunities Fund (G) 17.31 Growth Fund (D) 26.32 Growth Fund (G) 58.09 Large Cap Fund (D) 21.28 Large Cap Fund (G) 31.05 Personal Tax Saver Fund 107.79 PNB Long Term Equity Fund - 3 Year Plan - Series 1 (D) 12.65 PNB Long Term Equity Fund - 3 Year Plan - Series 1 (G) 12.66 Resurgent India Equity Fund (D) 14.11 Resurgent India Equity Fund (G) 99.33 Services Industries Fund (D) 14.24 Services Industries Fund (G) 16.07 Tax Savings Fund 84.53

Q

Quantum Long-Term Equity Fund (D) Long-Term Equity Fund (G) Tax SavFund (D) Tax SavFund (G)

R

23.90 23.71 23.70 23.71

Reliance BankFund (Bonus) 120.09 BankFund (D) 47.92 BankFund (G) 120.08 Diversified Power Sector 87.84 Diversified Power Sector Fund - Retail Plan (D) 51.85 Diversified Power Sector Fund - Retail Plan (G) 87.84 Equity Advantage Fund - Retail Plan (B) 13.94 Equity Advantage Fund - Retail Plan (D) 13.94 Equity Advantage Fund - Retail Plan (G) 13.94 Equity Fund - Retail Plan (Bonus) 15.98 Equity Fund - Retail Plan (D) 15.98 Equity Fund - Retail Plan (G) 15.98 Equity Linked SavFund - Series I (D) 15.81 Equity Linked SavFund - Series I (G) 15.81 Equity Opportunities Fund - Retail Plan (Bonus) 38.75 Growth Fund - Retail Plan (G) 535.01 Infrastructure Fund - Retail Plan (Bonus) 12.12 Infrastructure Fund - Retail Plan (D) 12.12 Infrastructure Fund - Retail Plan (G) 12.12 Long Term Equity Fund (D) 18.07 Long Term Equity Fund (G) 18.07 Media & Entertainment Fund (Bonus) 30.98 Media & Entertainment Fund (D) 22.28 Media & Entertainment Fund (G) 30.98 Natural Resources Fund (Bonus) 11.11 Natural Resources Fund (D) 11.11 Natural Resources Fund (G) 11.11 NRI Equity Fund (Bonus) 42.88 NRI Equity Fund (D) 25.51 NRI Equity Fund (G) 42.88 Pharma Fund (Bonus) 56.75 Pharma Fund (D) 42.33 Pharma Fund (G) 56.74 Quant Plus Fund - Retail Plan (B) 14.49 Quant Plus Fund - Retail Plan (D) 14.49 Quant Plus Fund - Retail Plan (G) 14.49 Regular Savings Fund - Equity Option (D) 27.03 Regular Savings Fund - Equity Option (G) 34.67

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)

S

10.21 10.21 10.21 18.17 23.31 50.90 49.43 303.04 7.17 7.16 8.09 8.09 18.05 23.19 13.47 13.47 13.68 17.69 13.67 13.67 13.92 13.94 9.29 9.29 13.36 16.13 16.06 16.06 12.59 12.59 15.87 19.16

Sahara Bankand Financial Services Fund (D) 17.72 Bankand Financial Services Fund (G) 35.12 Growth Fund (D) 33.37 Growth Fund (G) 89.01 Infrastructure - Fixed PricOption (D) 13.03 Infrastructure - Fixed PricOption (G) 17.82 Infrastructure -Variable PricOption (D) 13.53 Infrastructure -Variable PricOption (G) 18.42 Midcap Fund (Bonus) 35.49 Midcap Fund (D) 19.00 Midcap Fund (G) 35.49 Midcap Fund (Growth Auto Payout) 35.49 Power & Natural Resources Fund (D) 12.89 Power & Natural Resources Fund (G) 15.11 Star Value Fund (D) 12.97 Star Value Fund (G) 14.12 Super 20 Fund (D) 12.48 Super 20 Fund (G) 12.48 Tax Gain (D) 18.48 Tax Gain (G) 41.45 Wealth Plus - Variable PricOption (D) 20.42 Wealth Plus - Variable PricOption (G) 24.48 Wealth Plus Fund - Fixed PricOption (D) 19.58 Wealth Plus Fund - Fixed PricOption (G) 23.61 SBI Blue Chip Fund (D) 14.03 Blue Chip Fund (G) 16.10 Infrastructure Fund - Series I (D) 11.23 Infrastructure Fund - Series I (G) 11.23 Magnum Contra Fund (G) 63.86 Magnum EmergBusinesses Fund (D) 19.41 Magnum EmergBusinesses Fund (G) 43.73 Magnum Equity Fund (D) 35.10 Magnum IT Fund 23.28 Magnum Midcap Fund (D) 19.95 Magnum Midcap Fund (G) 26.02 Magnum Multicap Fund (D) 15.11 Magnum Multicap Fund (G) 19.88 Magnum Multiplier Plus (D) 58.32 Magnum Multiplier Plus (G) 92.19 Magnum Tax Gain Scheme (G) 66.02 One India Fund (D) 12.20 One India Fund (G) 12.20 PSU Fund (D) 11.05 PSU Fund (G) 11.05 Shinsei Industry Leaders Fund (D) 12.68 Industry Leaders Fund (G) 12.68 Sundaram Capex Opportunities Fund (D) 14.45 Capex Opportunities Fund (G) 27.47 Equity Multiplier Fund (D) 12.72 Equity Multiplier Fund (G) 15.59 Financial Se Oppot Retail Plan (D) 18.65 Financial Services Opportunities - Retail Plan (G) 23.45 Growth Fund - Regular Plan (D) 13.76 Growth Fund - Regular Plan (G) 103.02 India Leadership Fund - Regular Plan (D) 14.11 India Leadership Fund - Regular Plan (G) 46.00 Media & Entertainment Opportunities - Retail (D) 12.88 Media & Entertainment Opportunities - Retail (G) 16.32 PSU Opportunities Fund (D) 12.84 PSU Opportunities Fund (G) 12.84 Rural India Fund (D) 15.81 Rural India Fund (G) 17.36 S.M.I.L.E Fund - Regular Plan (D) 14.75 S.M.I.L.E Fund - Regular Plan (G) 37.93 Select Focus - Retail Plan (D) 12.77

BOARD MEETINGS Gujarat Hotels ABC Bearings Ramco Inds Adani Power Hindustan Oil Ramco Systems Aditya Birla Hindustan Unilever REC Amara Raja HSIL Idea Cellular Rolta India Saint Gobain Asian Hotels (East) Jindal South K Sera Sera Bayer Crop Madras Cements Tata Teleservices Bijlee Textiles Titan Inds TVS Electronics United Bank Crompton Greav Mundra Port Everest Inds Petronet LNG Procter & Gamble Source: Indiainfoline.com

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)

98.59 21.40 171.29 14.91 14.91 9.09 9.09 13.20 49.22

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)

15.36 16.45 16.80 19.10 23.19 35.80 13.65 15.79 23.37 89.12 51.82 40.95 40.78 12.37 12.37 13.18 13.18 44.57 19.62 49.04 25.05 38.04 17.70 18.70 36.14 71.90 16.90 19.69 40.91 108.74 50.59 70.52 20.53 27.53 17.38 17.38 49.58 46.47 46.17 18.13 18.11 25.20 18.89 25.21 14.84 15.82 43.82 62.24 23.50 39.63

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) 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) Master Equity Plan Unit Scheme Master Plus Unit Scheme (D) Master Value Fund (G) Mastershare (D) Mastershare (G) Mid Cap Fund (D) MNC Fund (D) MNC Fund (G) Opportunities Fund (D) Opportunities Fund (G) Pharma & Healthcare Fund (D) Services Industries Fund (D) Services Industries Fund (G) Top 100 Fund (D) Top 100 Fund (G) Transportation and Logistics Fund (D) Transportation and Logistics Fund (G) Wealth Builder Fund (D) Wealth Builder Fund (G) Wealth Builder Fund - Series II - Retail Plan (D) Wealth Builder Fund - Series II - Retail Plan (G)

28.41 48.93 14.62 15.83 16.60 34.63 13.75 44.00 12.32 12.32 9.91 9.91 21.58 37.89 15.80 17.04 13.91 52.98 64.66 58.64 33.90 57.42 24.27 39.34 60.93 15.22 28.50 32.71 27.56 64.09 23.69 30.50 16.63 30.45 15.26 17.52 16.18 20.12

OHERALDO

Biz13_Layout 1 10/24/2010 9:35 PM Page 1

Pg13

BIZ

GOA, MONDAY, 25 OCTOBER, 2010

Fall out of the Vodafone tax case

In the game of tax collection and avoidance, it is Tax that has the upper hand. In response to the directions of the High Court, the Tax department has slapped a tax demand of Rs 11,217.95 crore on Vodafone. This tax is for their failure to deduct tax at source. Vodafone has been treated as an assessee in default, in that it was required to deduct tax on the payment of Rs 11076 million that was made to Hutchison Telecommunication International Ltd. The penalty payable on the failure to deduct tax at source is the amount that was required to be deducted. Thus Vodafone beside paying for the sale, has to pay a penalty of an equal amount for their failure to deduct tax on the transaction. The provision at first sight appears to be unfair, since the penalty is more that the amount of the transaction. In several domestic cases especially in the case of small assessees where tax has not been deducted at source, Chartered Accountants advice their clients to omit the transactions from their books, since if detected the penalty is more that the amount of the transaction. Of course, this is not the end of the road, the issue is still before the Apex Court and the hearings will now commence, to determine whether Vodafone is liable to deduct tax on the said transaction. The argument of Vodafone, tax consultants is that since the transaction was executed abroad and between two non-residential companies, there was no tax liability.

The Supreme Court will now have to hear both parties, look at the precedents and then take a view on the issue. From the current set of rulings on this issue, transactions between two non-resident companies are not taxable in India. But the argument of the department that the assets of the bought over company were in India will also have to be examined. It appears to be a case that will be the watershed of future takeovers and mergers in the country In order to reassure the international investing fraternity that Government intends abiding by all existing treaties and rule of law, the Chairman of the Direct Tax Board, S S N Murthy has publically stated that the judgment has had no impact on the inflow of foreign funds, since the last month, the inflow by FII's was at a record level. But several tax advisors are closely watching the progress of this case, before any major mergers and acquisitions of companies are considered.

SURGE IN TAX COLLECTIONS Meanwhile, tax collections continue their upward trend. As against a direct tax budget of Rs 4,30,000 crore to be collected for the year, the collections upto September end has touched Rs 1,81,758 crore, more than 42% of the budget. These figures are upto September when only 45% of the advance tax is payable by companies and only 30% by individuals.

With more than 6 months more to go there is expectation that not only will the budget be achieved, but much more may be collected. An interesting factor of the figures of tax collections is that there is a 10% decrease in the amount of Securities Tax collected. This is indeed intriguing, since the stock market is also increasing both in volume and price. Securities tax being a percentage of both purchase and

MMFSL bullish on rural market PTI MUMBAI, OCT 24

Mahindra group's Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services (MMFSL) is betting big on its rural housing finance business run through a subsidiary and sees its balance-sheet at around Rs 5,000-6,000-crore in about three-five-years time, a top company official said.

"Our rural housing business stood at Rs 90-crore last year.

This year, in the first-half itself (H1 FY 11), we have done that much business," Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services' MD, Ramesh Iyer, said.

The National Housing Bank (NHB) holds a 12.5 per cent stake in the subsidiary -Mahindra Rural Housing Finance -- with the balance 87.5 per cent held by MMFSL. Its profit stood at Rs 3.6crore in H1 this fiscal as against Rs 40-lakh in the yearago period. The company intends to grow this business aggressively and "we are eyeing a balance-sheet of Rs 5,000-6,000-crore from this business in the next three-fiveyears," Iyer said.

Mahindra Rural Housing extends small-ticket loans in the range of Rs 1.5-lakh-to Rs 4lakh for room additions, home upgradations, etc.

"The priority requirement of people is shelter and credit availability in this segment is still not adequate. We see an immense opportunity here," Iyer said.

Mahindra Finance also plans to grow its other subsidiary -Mahindra Insurance Broking -aggressively. Its profit in H1 FY 11 stood at Rs 9.5-crore as against Rs 5-crore in the yearago period.

sale would also necessarily increase given the volume being traded. This fall would be worth looking at by the tax authorities.

Unfortunately, there is no significant research being conducted by the tax department to analyse why there is a growth or fall in tax collections. Even the figures that are being prepared by the Ministry are at the best estimations that have little authentic research behind them.

The lack of proper research and analysis has several consequences. If the department were to conduct a market survey of the various sectors, it would notice that certain sectors are increasing in both volume and density. Would it not be worthwhile to target these industries, to look at their tax payments, to study the modes of the accounting and to frame broad parameters of the methods of evasion carried out by these sectors. Rather, the investigative wing of the department is individual driven. Certain ace investigators are able to deliver both in terms of quality of the searches and in the investigative reports. While several believe that their tenure in investigation gives them an opportunity of being able to do something for themselves or their families. For a posting in investigation is considered a plum post and several of the younger officers would curry favor with either their seniors or even attempt to bring politicians to speak for them to be posted in the Investigation Wing. Also little study has been made of what becomes of the several cases where a search has been made.

In many cases, the entire process comes to a naught. For if about 50% of the additions made in a search assessment are deleted by the first appellate authority, the rest is deleted by the Tribunal. Thus all that the department gains is the additional burden of creating a huge demand to be it finally being deleted by the appellate bodies.

THE TAX OFFICERS Of course, it is not that tax officers are second to any in the bureaucracy. Tax officers are probably one of the best of the lot; the top echelons being selected by the Union Public Service Commission and those who get in to the tax departments are high up on the Civil List. Even those Inspectors who are selected by the Staff Service Commission are both intelligent and highly motivated. Tax assessments and investigation are highly individualistic in nature. The rotation policy of the department does not allow a single individual to really specialize in any particular field. Thus an ace investigator after a period of three years finds himself transferred to a post that he has little or no interest. Thus all the skills developed in a particular area are soon disipated. Talking about tax officials, Goa has today one of the most able and competent Chief Commissioners, Shri Brijesh Gupta, on the 1976 batch of the Indian Revenue Service is an officer who is knowledgeable in both law and procedure, who is also soft spoken and polite in public dealing. Goa in indeed fortunate to have one of the finest tax officials at the helm in the state.

The author of this column is a retired Chief Commissioner, and the views expressed, his personal.

GDP to grow 8.2% in FY11: Crisil PTI MUMBAI, OCT 24

Crisil, expects the country's GDP to grow by 8.2% current fiscal and continue with the same momentum for the next decade courtesy the consumption arising out of India's demographics.

"We expect the Indian GDP (gross domestic product) to grow 8.2 per cent in 2010-11 as there is a lot of demand, plus the rains have also been good this year which will help the agricultural sector grow by 5.5 per cent," Crisil's MD and chief executive, Roopa Kudva, said.

Capital inflows into the country will be higher in the second-half of the fiscal and the Rupee will appreciate up to Rs 43.44 by end-FY 11 from the current Rs 44.60, she said.

Because of the inherent demand coming out of a young and working population, the Indian economy will continue to grow in the next decade.

Club Fresh to open at Candolim HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, OCT 24

Already a brand within a year of its inception, Club Fresh, promoted by Sunil Chawla, is opening at the more accessible Candolim beach in Goa on November 12, 2010.

“This year I would like to describe my offering as Club Fresh Theatre. It is going to be again, a unique, chic, stylish and pure space overlooking the ocean. It will cater to those who appreciate art, music and culture,” explained Chawla.

The entire space is going to be a splash of white. The decor of Club Fresh will be elegant, contemporary and pure. The place will have made to measure furniture inspired by the latest trends and well known design signatures using glass tables, mirrors, VIP beach beds, sofas, chairs, poufs and other club arm chairs. Everything is in imitation leather.

Club Fresh will have a garden area displaying art. World renowned Russian artist Elena Starkova and Bangalore based Ajay Gulati will display some of their works here. “We would also encourage Goan artists to utilize this place as a platform to promote their styles,” said Chawla. Club fresh is a fabulous platform for designers to display their creativity in the Boutique zone that offers a sample of the best in

fashion and accessories.

“Another interesting space will be the bar area which basks in the middle of Club Fresh. The bar will have a DJ room in the sky. It will also feature a Champagne Bar with bartenders serving from chandeliers,” Chawla revealed.

Pushing Club Fresh several notches higher will be international performing acts. “This year we have Luccent Doccier, from LA-California doing performances here. The investment this year is more on performers and the experience for our clientele is going to be world class,” asserted Chawla.

A highlight at Club Fresh has been its food. This year too, there will be cuisines prepared by well trained chefs from Bali (sushi and Indonesian chefs). The cuisines at club fresh include a range of exotic Japanese and Indonesian specialties. Club fresh also offers a great sushi menu as well as a fresh, organic, fruit cocktail bar at the vitamin centre.

For the kids, there are plans for an amusement park, which should be ready

by December. “The area will be kidfriendly allowing the parents to enjoy as well,” said Chawla.

Club Fresh in Candolim is a joint venture between Sunil Chawla and Agnelo Sunil Chawla owner of brand Club Fresh.

Fernandes, owner of the land.

Fuel price hike unavoidable: Chidambaram PTI SIVAGANGA (TN), OCT 24

Describing the rise in prices of petroleum products as "unavoidable", Home Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday said that oil companies continue to sell fuel products, except petrol, at subsidised rates.

"The rise in prices of petroleum products can not be avoided in developing countries," he said at a function late last night at Karaikudi in his

TCS to add headcount in China PTI MUMBAI, OCT 24

IT major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) plans to expand its China operations in the coming years, a top company official said.

"We plan to increase our China operations and are looking at hiring more local professionals," TCS CEO and MD, N Chandrasekaran, said on the sidelines of a press meet here.

All of TCS's major markets grew in double-digit terms with Europe leading the pack. Its North American revenues crossed USD 1-billion in Q2 FY 11. All emerging markets grew with India and Asia-Pacific (APAC) leading the pack, he said.

native district of Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, while noting that India imports 70 per cent of its fossil fuel requirement at present.

Nevertheless, the government provides a subsidy of Rs 300 on domestic cooking gas cylinders and Rs 15 per litre of kerosene, he said while inaugurating a State Bank of India ATM at a petrol bunk.

In June, the government had freed petrol pricing from its ad-

ministrative control, allowing state companies to fix rates in line with the cost of production.

Participating in a separate education loan disbursal function organised by Indian Bank at Vridhachalam in Cuddalore district yesterday, Chidambaram said the scheme providing interest subsidy on educational loans would be available in the ongoing 201011 academic year as well.

Giving away educational loans to the tune of Rs 20 lakh on the occasion, he said the Centre launched the interest subsidy scheme in 2009-10 to help economically poor students take up higher education.

He asked students to fully utilise the scheme to pursue higher education.

Chidambaram said the UPA government has provided monetary benefit to the tune

‘India should focus on reining-in inflation’ PTI MUMBAI, OCT 24

Even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is confident about a double-digit GDP growth in the coming years, a leading economist said that India should focus on reducing its inflation by rolling back its monetary policy.

"The Government should not be obsessed by the 10 per cent or double-digit growth. An eight per cent growth is fine, its fast enough for a growing economy like India. But what is necessary is to bring down inflation to four per cent," USA's Research Fellow of the Heritage Foundation, Derek Scissors, said on the sidelines of an event here.

A double-digit growth would only result in increasing inflation, he said.

"It (10 per cent growth) is just going to push you to a place where inflation is much worse. An eight per cent growth and four per cent inflation is better for everyone in the country than a 10 per cent GDP growth and 12 per cent inflation. This is not the way the Government should be working," Scissors said.

The Government should be thinking how it could deliver real wealth gains to its people rather than increasing its GDP to 10 per cent, he said.

"To achieve lower inflation rates, the Government should not be borrowing much money.

There was a one-time drop in the fiscal deficit because of the telecom auction. But in the long-term, India does not need a deficit. It is growing quite well," Scissors said.

Unless the borrowings are reduced, interests rates would increase and so would inflation, he said. "To reduce inflation, the Government needs to stop over-borrowings. Borrowings will only result in an increase in the rates of interest and also the rate of inflation," Scissors said.

Currently, the inflation is not only supply-factor driven but also monetary-factor driven.

"The Government needs to roll back its monetary policy to keep its inflation low," he said.

PM asks Japanese Cos to be part of India's growth PTI TOKYO, OCT 24

Projecting India as a "growing and vibrant" market, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has invited Japanese companies to be part of "our ambitious development plans" with a promise of improving the investment climate for foreign investors.

Ahead of his meeting with Japanese business leaders here tomorrow, Singh said a number of steps have been taken to simplify the FDI regime and the government has started stakeholder consultations on opening up additional sectors to greater inflow of FDI. He said the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), negotiations for which have been concluded,

would boost the bilateral trade and economic ties manifold.

"Our government places the highest importance on improving the investment climate for foreign investors in India. We recognise the multiplier effects of improving infrastructure on the growth of Indian economy," Singh told a select group of Japanese journalists in Delhi ahead of his visit here.

"It is heartening that India is now recognised as the best long-term investment destination by Japanese companies.

We welcome Japanese investments in India," the Prime Minister said.

"I would encourage Japanese investors to come to India and become part of our ambitious development plans," Singh

said.

While inviting Japanese companies to step up their investments, he observed, "Today, India offers a growing and vibrant market, young work force, and an attractive destination for foreign investors".

He said new policies are enabling public-private partnership in the development of critical infrastructure like roads, ports, airports and power.

"In recent years, the policy framework relating to investment, taxation, foreign trade, finance, capital markets and regulatory systems has evolved to make Indian industry more productive and globally competitive," Singh said, adding "As a result, India's share in the

Developers turn to Pak, Bangladesh for cement PTI CHENNAI, OCT 24

With no end in sight to increasing cement prices, real estate developers in Tamil Nadu have began importing cement from neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh as it works out much cheaper.

"A group of builders have already begun importing cement from Pakistan via Kochi port..

Around 20 containers have already reached Kochi. I think this is one of the better modes of importing cement as the cost has escalated", a top official of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India said on condition of anonymity.

He said the cost of an imported 50 kg cement bag worked out to Rs 190 (in Kerala), compared to Rs 295 in

Tamil Nadu.

The steep price hike has even led to many developers holding their projects, a top official of the Builders' Association of India said.

He said a 50 kg bag of cement, priced at around Rs 270 last week,has gone upto Rs 295 per bag this week. "The Central and State governments should intervene and take steps to bring down price of cement..", Builder's Association of India (TN unit) Honorary Secretary T N Chandrasekaran said.

Stating that lack of demand was also a reason for escalation of costs, he said builders planned to go on an agitation on October 28 in Chennai to highlight their demands.

"We have been asking the government to take some steps for this industry. But they have

not done so and therefore we plan to conduct an agitation in Chennai on Oct 28", he said.

Chandrasekaran said many developers who have begun projects have put them on hold and only some who had already committed projects had purchased cement at high costs.

He said they were left with no other go but to import cement from neighbouring countries and any builder planning to do so would immediately look at Pakistan and Bangladesh as some of the cement is of good quality.

"But I don't think any developer would take that effort right now as you can't import meagre quantities. Builders will have to import a minimum of 2000 to 3000 million tonnes, not feasible for many of them," he said.

global flows of goods and services has grown steadily".

Talking about FDI norms, he said, all regulations and guidelines have been consolidated into one comprehensive document, which is reviewed every six months.

Referring to the Dedicated Freight Corridor Project as well as the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project, which are being built with Japanese assistance, he said these will open up vast opportunities for Japanese businesses for mutually beneficial cooperation.

The Prime Minister told the Japanese journalists that India was in the midst of a major socio-economic transformation.

He noted that Indian econ-

Carlson plans to add 20 hotels PTI MUMBAI, OCT 24

India's largest international hotel company, Carlson plans to add 20 new hotel properties by 2011, a top company official said.

"We are opening five hotels in 2010 and plan to add at least 15 hotels in 2011 in India," Carlson's President and Chief Executive Officer, Hubert Joly said in a statement here.

"We are delighted to be bringing great hotels to market across our brands and to have such a strong infrastructure and team here in India," Joly said.

Carlson, global hospitality and Travel Company, currently has 2,865 rooms in 30 hotels and by 2015 with additional 100 hotels the total room count will be 11,200, he said.

omy has grown at an average annual rate of over nine per cent in the last few years, managing sustained growth despite the global economic slowdown.

Emphasising his government's commitment to economic reforms as the "principal instrument of economic transformation and inclusive growth," Singh said, "there is an increasing appreciation that calibrated and sustained change is better than abrupt about turns".

The policy framework relating to land, environment and resettlement and rehabilitation remains under constant review, he said, while pointing out that the government had formulated the National Rehabilita-

tion and Resettlement Policy in 2007.

He said his government is also committed to improve the efficiency of the tax system by eliminating distortions in the tax structure, introducing moderate levels of taxation, expanding the taxable base, promoting equity while enhancing revenues and simplifying taxation provisions.

"The new Direct Taxes Code has been unveiled with these objectives and is expected to come into effect shortly. Efforts are also underway to reform the indirect tax regime by introducing a country wide Goods and Services Tax, based on a consensus between the different stakeholders," Singh said.

of Rs 1,24,000 crore to various weak sections of society in the country. This includes farm loan waivers worth Rs 70,000 crore, educational loans totalling Rs 34,000 crore and Rs 20,000 crore of financial assistance for 30 lakh self-help groups.

The beneficiaries should be thankful to late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for her foresight in nationalising the country's banks, the Home Minister said.

EPFO wants Govt to vouch for 15% equity PTI MUMBAI, OCT 24

Terming equity investments "unsafe", retirement fund manager EPFO has asked for a Government guarantee to go ahead with the Finance Ministry's demand of investing up to 15 per cent of its funds in stocks.

"Our Board of Trustees felt investments in the capital market are unsafe and do not serve well for someone like us who want very stable returns," Central Provident Fund Commissioner, Samirendra Chatterjee, told reporters on the sidelines of a function organised by AK Capital Services here.

"If they want us to invest, please give us a guarantee for the same, we will invest," he added.

Citing revised regulations, the Ministry of Finance has been asserting that it has a right to prescribe the investment patterns for retirement funds and has been repeatedly asking for up to 15 per cent of the corpus to be invested in equities.

However, Chatterjee said the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) goes by the rules drafted in 2003 and not the revised ones made in 2008.

EPFO's funds under management has swelled by Rs 25,000-crore in the first half of the current fiscal to Rs 3,25,000-crore, he said.

The EPFO and the company-run PF trusts are currently allowed to invest only in more secure investments like bonds and Government securities which deliver a stable return.

SBI mulls transaction fee for no-frills accounts PTI MUMBAI, OCT 24

In order to make the operation of no-frills accounts opened under the financial inclusion plan feasible, State Bank of India (SBI) is mulling to charge account-holders for every transaction they conduct.

The bank is confident that a nominal charge which can be either a percentage of the amount transacted or a fixed amount will not dissuade people from operating nofrills accounts, a senior SBI official involved in its financial inclusion initiatives said here on strict condition of anonymity.

"The question on our minds is -- how do we make the operations of the model feasible?

We can recover the Rs 20,000 required for setting up infrastructure in a village through a

kiosk or palm-held device by opening around 100 accounts and charging Rs 200 as account-opening fees," the official said.

Paying a small amount like Rs 3 for a transaction will be preferred than travelling 20kilometres to reach a branch, he said, clarifying that the bank, however, has not finalized any plan yet.

"You cannot have a model under which the financial inclusion roll-out is subsidised, it needs to be sustainable," he added.

The bank has to take care of recurring expenses like maintaining the back-end systems and paying the business correspondent (BC) who is operating on behalf of the branch at the village level, he said.

Campaign activity through multiple media will be going

into the programme which will heighten public interest in being a part of the banking system and assuage any concerns.

However, when asked if such a move will face any regulatory hurdles, the official said, "though the regulators have given us all the freedom, it is very difficult to say (what their reaction will be)."

Financial inclusion plan covers opening of last mile banking infrastructure at village level to get the local population into the formal banking system.

In his budget speech this year, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had outlined that all the 60,000 unbanked villages having a population of over 2,000 will be covered by March 2012, which were subsequently allotted within the public sector banks.

careers & education_Layout 1 10/21/2010 3:58 PM Page 1

CAREERS & EDUCATION

OHERALDO

Pg14

GOA, Monday, 25 October 2010

I

The Power and Prestige of Press Journalism -I

f you’re looking for real challenges, a great amount of excitement, prestige and glamour, risk and reward, then journalism has all these to offer and much more. This article focuses exclusively on Journalism in the Print Media.

Its Purpose Journalists play a major role in the development of nation.

They keep us informed about daily happenings in society. The purpose of journalism itself is to analyse, interpret and inform, educate and enlighten people, and shape opinions and exert a great influence of people’s lives.

The growing awareness that knowledge is power has also given an impetus to the regional and vernacular press to expand and strengthen its scope in the past few years.

Lucrative And Competitive Journalism is a lucrative and competitive profession as well as a highly paid one, with media barons opening newspapers or publishing houses quite frequently. The competition in fact is so rife that each newspaper tries to produce something exclusive, which in turn has given the readers a great deal of variety and this in turn has led to a lot of job-openings.

Inborn Talent To ensure one’s success in the field one must have an inborn ability to write and produce new stories in correct, concise and

interesting style.

No course or training can claim to make a journalist.

Getting Hired • Traditionally, the tough part of breaking into journalism and publishing was the long apprenticeship period you’d have to survive. This still holds true on the editorial side for many traditional newspapers and magazines.

• Although journalism is open to nongraduates, large media organisations have expressed a preference for graduates in recent years. Although formal academic qualification to be a reporter, copy writer or correspondent is not essential, it very useful, as it gives you an edge over the others. And, recent trends have shown that big groups of newspapers in metropolitan, national and international newspapers advertise the posts of trainees for which all graduates are eligible.

• Many newspapers conduct entrance exams to screen potential employees. After this, suitable graduate trainees, with flair for writing are selected and employed.

• Many publishers are bringing in people with real business skills. Most of these spots still get filled on an ad-hoc basis with either entry-level or experienced people, but a few of the bigger

players may have internships available for candidates coming out of college.

If you’d like to land a spot in the industry, consider the following: • For those applying for editorial slots, however, you too walk a fine line in publishing, journalism, and public relations—in writing, research, and editing.

• The obvious criteria include enjoying reading, writing,

By Maria de Lima Pereira and news. If you’re on the business side, you should not only share these interests, • You must be able to deal effectively with large egos and a lot of sanctimonious grief.

• No need to update your resume fonts or enclose your clips in an expensive-looking portfolio. You’re only as good as your words, and visual distractions won’t fool anyone in this business. Keep it short and simple.

Less is almost always more.

• Competence and calmness count for a lot in this business.

So does modesty. Don’t oversell yourself, even in ad sales.

Eligibility Minimum eligibility for a Bachelor’s degree in journalism is 10+2. For Post graduate degree courses a Bachelor’s degree in journalism is prerequisite.

Some institutes also provide a one year certificate courses in journalism for which eligibility is 10+2.

Course Areas: The courses train aspiring journalists only in the technical aspects of the job. Students of journalism are taught: • A general humanistic education as well as skills in communication and analysis, for different media-writing, speaking, gaining skills in oral expression, and producing for all media that are essential in most

careers.

• How to interact with people and discuss current issues that may one day become important facts of history.

• A major in journalism prepares a student for work in communications, public relations, government and public service, sales, publishing, journalism, advertising, education, and business.

• There are also courses in specialized areas of journalism like sports, photo, press law etc. Additional courses that provide a good foundation for careers in journalism include: computer science, business, history, sociology, political science, economics, and psychology.

• Some jobs also require fluency in a foreign language.

Types of Journalism In journalism, there are feature writers, leader writers, writers for multimedia and web, etc.

Journalism is classified into two on the basis of media- (i) Print Journalism. It includes newspapers, magazines and journals. In print journalism one can work as editors, reporters, columnists, correspondents etc. (ii) Electronic (Audio/Visual) Journalism includes working for Radio, Television and the Web. In the web, skilled people are required to maintain sites by web newspapers (which cater only to the web and do not have print editions) and popular newspapers and magazines who have their own web editions. In electronic journalism one can be a reporter, writer, editor, researcher, correspondent and anchor.

T

Ten Worst Things You Can Say at Work

he British have a reputation for being intelligently humorous, polite, reserved and proud of our stiff upper-lip, as satirised by shows such as Fawlty Towers. But, when it comes to the office, almost 60% British workers admit to displaying bad manners towards their colleagues and committing verbal faux pas on a regular basis, according to a survey.

So, if you want to stay on the right side of your co-workers, here are some of the things you may wish to avoid saying out loud. And these rules apply to workers the world over.

1.

You are the dumbest boss that I have ever had: You’ve just landed the job of your dreams and you can’t wait to give your current boss the two-fingered salute and tell him exactly what you think of him.

But, resist the temptation to bad mouth and let off steam.

Take the following case as an example of what you should not say. One person referred to their employer as “having an intellect that ranges above the common ground squirrel.” He added: “You are one of the few true genetic wastes of our time.” Re-

member, your comments will be filed for future reference if requested by another employer.

2. That’s not my job: With your ‘to-do’ list showing no signs of getting shorter, your boss walks into your office to ask if you do a ‘little’ job for him, which results in you taking on more work than you can realistically manage. But, a “blunt refusal to help, will simply burn bridges and damage goodwill.

Instead, simply explain your existing commitments, and perhaps propose another time that you could offer assistance.

3. Anyone can do his job: Are you quick to badmouth your boss or ridicule their decisions or initiatives? Watch out: the boss hears everything that is said in the office-good and bad. Assume that what you say, will eventually get back to him via the network of office gossips.

And the next time you notice yourself griping, ask yourself, “Is it more important to vent my frustrations, or to get that next promotion?” One expects the latter will be your reply.

4. “ Take the whole pack please - you need them more than me”: This approach is about as sub-

India News Agencies India has two main news agencies- Press Trust of India (PTI), established on August 27, 1947 when it took over the operations of the Associated Press of India and the Indian operations of Reuters; and United News of India (UNI), which began its operations on March 21. Apart from these, there are other agencies too.(to be continued)

Gear up for CAT

By Vinayak Kudva

T

he CAT exam is nearing.

Here are some answers to the common doubts that arise in the mind of aspirants as the preparation for the exam heats up.

A few tips that will help you prepare better for the CAT. How many tests should I take in the last month?

Taking about five to six tests in the last 30 days is recommended. But more important than taking the test is analysis.

If you don’t learn from each test before proceeding to the next, there is no point in taking a large number of them. Try various strategies for each test like dividing your time equally in each section or spending more time on the weaker sections by working quickly in the stronger sections. It is also important to attempt a variety of tests because you may score well in a test that is more suited to your strengths, while the CAT may carry more questions of the kind you are uncomfortable with. An exposure to a range of problems and the rationale behind them will ensure that you are better prepared.

How much time should I spend on studying for the CAT everyday?

Ideally, not more than four hours a day. The manner in which those four hours are utilised depends on the individual student’s strengths and weaknesses. Some may prefer to spend more time on verbal while other on Data Interpretation (DI). Ultimately, ensure that your progress in each section is equal. This holds greater relevance if you are aiming only for the IIMs because at these institutes the cut-offs matter. Organise your day in such a way that the hours spent studying are those when your brain is most active. Working professionals, for example, shouldn’t study at night after a hard day’s work.

Preparing for this test is not like preparing for school and college, where you need to spend long hours memorising.

Can I leave out topics that I find too tough?

Students usually find topics such as Modern Math tough but remember that Modern Math questions in the CAT are not always tough nor are arithmetic

questions always easy. Your aim is to maximise your score in all sections, you can do that by solving all the easy questions.

The earlier CATs had a greater number of questions so you could probably afford to leave out certain topics. But today, with just 20 questions to a section and possibly a further division into one and two-mark questions, you cannot afford to leave questions out. You can’t even assume that the one-mark questions will be easier than the two markers. If you leave out Modern Math entirely, you have narrowed your selection to only the easy questions in Arithmetic a n d

were silly, careless or conceptual errors.

Check if there are better ways to solve questions Did you comprehend the problem irrespective of the level of difficulty?

If the concept is new, learn the concept and move on If answered correctly, check the explanatory answers – was your solution the best possible approach to the problem?

Should you really have attempted these when and if there were easier questions elsewhere in the section? Why were you attracted to that particular question?

Algebra. How do you maximise your score then? Tough questions from any topic should be ignored in any case. For example, in one of the IMS practice tests, a student left a question based on playing cards because he felt it involved permutations and combinations. When he looked at the problem later, it turned out to be a simple linear equations question. So, read problems properly before leaving them; they might be ‘ sitters’.

What exactly do we do when we analyse a test?

For attempted questions: Check whether your mistakes

Unattempted questions Solve each of them Identify which questions were potential score increasers Why did you leave them?

Did you even read these questions?

Now you have an idea of where you are faltering. Therefore pick one area you need to work upon and spend two-three days on solving every possible question of the kind from the material given to you (section tests/comprehensive tests), from the previous years’ papers and also refer to your basic reference material. In the tests ahead, you’re assured that you will be able to solve any question re-

tle as a brick and you may want to re-assess your diplomacy skills. The best way to tell someone that their breath is a problem is to do so discreetly. If a colleague has bad breath, offer a mint or furtively leave a packet on their desk.

5. “Sack me and you will regret it” These were the famous last words of Martin Jol shortly before his dismissal as Tottenham Hotspur manager. Just because you were the number one salesperson or are credited with reversing the fortunes of the company in the past, it does not guarantee that you will have a job indefinitely. Remember, nobody owes you a job. And, as the saying goes: you are only as good as your last game.

6. “Why can’t I log onto Facebook anymore?”

The reason, the Daily Telegraph found that 70% of companies have banned their employees from accessing social networking sites, such as Facebook and orkut, is because they detract staff from doing what they are paid to do - work. Besides, do you really want to run the risk of your boss peering over your shoulder and finding out what you really get up to at

lating to the topic you have picked.

Could you suggest a test preparation strategy for the final leg of preparation?

A suggested strategy is to take a test every four days. If you take a test on day 1, get into the analysis mode for day two, three and four. Make sure you get in touch with the basics of your weak areas in this period. Before beginning a test, ensure you have an overall target score and section target scores. - While taking the test, you could mentally slot the questions into

those that you can: Understand and solve Can solve but will take time Can’t solve (whatever the reason may be) This way you will be able to prioritise and plan your time.

Also, developing this habit in practice tests will hone your ability to pick the ‘right’ kind of questions.

One of the main reasons people don’t do well is that they get stuck in problems and can’t move on. If you find that you began a problem assuming you can solve it but can see that your attempts aren’t leading you to the answer, let it go and move on to the next. You already have an idea of what you can attempt

and there might be an easier question elsewhere.

Does analysing a test with a group of friends help?

Taking a test with a group of friends is immensely beneficial because people tend to complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses. With, say four friends, you will have four different approaches to solving a problem. When you analyse a test by yourself, you will probably come up with time saving approaches for about five-six problems because one person can come up with a limited number of perspectives. With a group however, you can be assured of multiple approaches to a sum. For example, some sums may not require you to use calculations; someone else might see that while it may not strike you.

Checklist: Before the Test Carry your admit card, test voucher and other documents.

Use the 15 minutes before the test to go through the CAT software tutorial.

While taking the test Guess intelligently. Test the alternatives one by one for correctness for certain questions.

Some answer options may just strike you as wrong when you first read them. Don’t discard such intuitions; it is possible your mind unconsciously recognises a certain type of sum.

If you are stuck with the solution of a question, leave it.

Students can’t let go of questions either because they feel that it’s impossible that they cannot crack a problem or after having spent precious minutes on this particular problem, a few more minutes will definitely get them the answer.

Watch the clock. The value of timing yourself and sticking to your time limits cannot be stressed upon enough. You have to display consistent performance across the sections.

Think positive!

Bottom line: Be alert. In the end, it’s not just about your strengths or weaknesses in each section or the number of attempts, but also about your selfesteem and your belief in giving yourself a fighting chance. (the writer is Product H e a d , I M S L e a r n i n g Re sources Pvt. Ltd.)

the weekend?

7. “Have a go if you think you’re hard enough” Most of us don’t get to choose the people we work with and your colleagues come as part of the package when you take a job. So it would be unrealistic to presume that you will get on with everyone all of the time. But if the tension between you and a colleague threatens to boil over, physically remove yourself from confrontation and allow yourself sufficient time to work out a passive response.

“We’ve all said things in anger that we later regret,” says Nancy Peterson, co-founder of the Mediation Agency. “A lot of conflict could be avoided if people didn’t wrongly hypothesise a reason for someone’s behaviour, and make a poor decision based on this judgement.”

8. “Go away, I’ll do it when I’m ready” With the present long-hours working culture, it is easy to feel swamped by the increasing amount of work that you have to get through every day. Indeed, 72% of workers admit to avoiding ‘tricky’ or time-consuming tasks in the hope that the issue will go away. But, there really is no excuse for bad manners at work. “Manners are an essential part of the image you project at work.

9. “How did he ever get promoted?”

You may think that you are smarter than you really are and perhaps feel that it should have been you rather than your new boss who deserved a promotion.

But don’t follow the route of constantly bemoaning or spreading vicious gossip about your boss, a condition termed ‘post-traumatic embitterment disorder’ by researchers at the University of Berlin. Moreover, in your eagerness to prove to your superiors that they were wrong to pass you over for promotion, you run risk of being seen as an irritant or, worse still, desperate. So never point out what could be done better unless you are canvassed for your opinion by your boss.

Empowering the possible

By Caetano de Abreu

A

human being in all aspects, is gifted with the power of reasoning to help him or her overcome the obstacles that mars their way to obtain the ultimate success.

And this is not so easy considering the fact that in contemporary circumstances, mankind faces uphill tasks and daunting difficulties, which only empowering the possible, can make it possible.

We may propound what we have studied during our stint at academia, but yet we are reluctant to capitalize our knowledge of thoughts, as our actions are our own principal deterrent and we can only preach but never practice. Thus, in this frame of mind we should embrace what is not possible and try our best to make it possible.

We should always remember that there is no such thing as defeat, but there is only victory over the unachievable. And the latter fact is what ultimately counts in this fast paced ratrace of the world where each won aims and attempts to out do each other no matter what it takes and how the ultimate goal is successfully achieved.

In this world today, we must have a positive attitude and way of thinking. We should always aspire to be the Leaders of masses as our world is becoming increasingly disorganized and it has an acute need of a strong gist and hands to overcome the dissent which is brought about by the philosophy of politics and economy, which in turn is causing great unease amongst the people. We may fail in our first attempt to overcome defeat, but defeatism is not the way to go about anything in life. Rather, it is pluralism is which is important in our quest to become great leaders and diligent workers.

People are uncertain of how to make the best use of their abilities and capabilities which is inclusive of time and resources, and which is the road walking on which a great leader to emerge, and thereby usher in future trends of compatibility and accountability while simultaneously guiding them into the

right path of success.

The motivational factor is in the recesses of one’s mind. But we tend to forego that inspiration bestowed upon us by the supreme universal powers and become apathetic to all the trials and tribulations faced by us and our brethren. Thus the only characteristic for our survival is to empower the possible and escape the follies’ which are choking us no end.

One must take the bitter with the better and thus overcome those pounding difficulties which prevent us from seeing the end of rainbow in all its magnificent glory. It sounds very disbelieving when we talk about empowering the possible. But it is not that way at all when we actually practice what we preach to make our way into redundant success and keep on smiling, for the world will then smile with us. There won’t be any spill from the defeatists when we overachieve what we have set our hearts upon, as there won’t be any cropper but only cherished ecstasy when the aim is fulfilled with honesty and dignity which in actuality it should be.

Empowering the possible may

sound a bit pragmatic, but in actuality it means, that although the possible is one thing but unfortunately due to our lethargy and apathetic ways, the possible is miles away. Thus to attain our target we should empower ourselves to make it possible and thus make our world a whole lot rosier in lieu of always crying over the unprecedented and capitulating to the fact that the world is heedless to our pleas.

There are fundamental elements in our favour to enable us to make it possible which we can achieve by believing our hearts that nothing is impossible but possible in every way that we may try to foray into.

Empowering the possible is not the option but the very solution to overcome the rut that has set in within our midst with our minds, preserved as fossils with not an iota of thoughts emanating from the God given gift of mind over the matter. Thus like I always say, why not give a chance to end the tribulations which can only be achieved by empowering the possible so as not to remain in perennial “Sossego”?

junior herald1_Layout 1 10/21/2010 4:02 PM Page 1

OHERALDO

Pg15

Goa Monday 25 October 2010

www.oheraldo.in

: E R ATU MiRRoRiNg ThE

N

FAcE oF iTs cREAToR

By Fr. TOmas LOBO he monsoons having retreated, the sun once again shone in all its resplendence, kissing the rainsoaked earth and revealing the face of nature, bouncing with a smile that is truly infectious. Nature lovers and wild life enthusiasts dart towards their favourite spots

T

where they are treated to a magical world of beauty and splendour.

On a cool morning that promised a day of bright and clear skies, I along with my friend Anton decided to hit the road and go gallivanting to places where nature blossomed in all its glory. Without much ado, we headed straight to the south of Goa, to the picturesque wild life sanctuary in Cotigao, not realizing that we were in for a pleasant surprise: It was the wild life week. Our eyes

feasted on the thick arboreal cover that provided a breathtaking canopy for an exciting adventure in close proximity of the heartland of the wild life habitat. Streams of water gushing down the hills brought back memories of our childhood days when the rain water from across the hills would produce a partic-

ular kind of sound that till continues to ring in our ears.

Away from the hullabaloo of daily life, the serenity of the forest left us asking for more.

Our next adventure to explore nature took us to the Chapoli dam not far away from the busy market of Chaudi, Canacona. Nature lovers are sure to be dazzled by the panoramic view of the green hills, the verdant contours of the valleys and a spectacular spectrum of colours of the sun setting in the horizon. Sitting in this

saVe WaTer lifa silveira, std V, Vidya Vihar Hs., Cortalim

wonderful lap of nature, we drank with delight every moment of its unsurpassed beauty which never seemed to diminish in its loveliness.

The tranquil and relaxing waters of the dam provided us with the natural setting to shoot the breeze and reminisce the good days of yore when man and nature

blended harmoniously to create a sweet sounding melody of peaceful co-existence.

Today sadly man’s greed has superseded his pursuit to preserve and conserve Mother Nature, perilously endangering human life and livelihood.

Our conversation oscillated from the friendly relationship man of the past shared with nature to the present day scenario of wanton destruction of forest cover, hacking of hills and land-filling of marshy areas

a TeaCHer lindsy amberly antao (10), std VI, st Mary of the angels Hs, Chinchinim

DuCks rajan kumar (9), std IV, st Joseph’s school, sao Jose de areal skIPPINg HaPPIly Mitosha Fernandes (7), std II, shiksha Niketan school, sangolda

NAME: STD:

Phone:

SCHOOL: HOME ADDRESS:

MONGINIS TWO BEST CREATIVE ME ENTRIES l

l

shane Nikhil Fernandes (9), std V, Vidya Vikas academy, Margao wins a gift voucher of Monginis worth Rs. 125/lifa silveira, std V, Vidya Vihar Hs., Cortalim wins a gift voucher of Monginis worth Rs. 75/-

Polar Bears Nazareth Fernandes (11), std V, auxilium Hs., Caranzalem

A

magic as both felt empowered and in control or both had choices, or in other words win-win.

However there is one area where there is no negotiation, and that is safety especially regarding life and death. As parents we are responsible for their lives and there should be no compromise on that, but we can negotiate the smaller things.

For example we might tell our teenager them they do not have the option of not wearing a helmet but they can choose the colour of the helmet or brand of helmet but they have to wear a hel-

sense of comfort and safety.

How many times have you seen parents negotiating with their kids about what food they will eat and then

met whilst riding.

Another point to be remembered is the keeping of clear and consistent boundaries, for this gives a child a

can have a chocolate?” As the kid spits and sputters over the veggies they happily and almost winningly devour the chocolate leaving

giving up/breaking down and saying “if you eat one bite of this vegetable you

not a crumb. What did that negotiation solve? If the rule is no dessert until they eat their dinner, then no dessert should be given. It is easy to think that much of this seems a bit stern and completely adrift from the ideal parents that most of us want to be. Truth is kid’s needs parents and kids of all ages need to live within parameters and boundaries that are set forthwith.

Starting at a young age it becomes obvious that when the boundaries are either not clear or are altered at will the child will try even harder to push or break them.

Hence it may be a good idea to get kids involved in creating the boundaries using methods of choice but it is never a great idea to negotiate with children beyond that. If discussion is needed than parents should lead and listen and do what they think is right anyway.

It may be difficult to see the correlation between successfully negotiating a later bedtime with your nine- and seven-year-olds and coming to a sensible compromise with your teenager about a weekend curfew...but I assure you that the comparison is valid.

The respect, honour, and empathy that accumulate throughout successful parent/child negotiations during the younger years often result in agreeable negotiations and compromises in the teenage years. Remember that negotiating with your children is not giving up or giving in, it’s teaching them one of life’s important lessons.

Horse aND raBBIT samiksha kulkarni, std VI, Perpetual succour Convent Hs., Navelim

sToP WasTage shane Nikhil Fernandes (9), std V, Vidya Vikas academy, Margao

Colour Me

ENTRY FORM MONGINIS Creative Me

AGE:

and fields to make way for mega projects and plazas.

The pollution of rivers and water bodies due to illegal mining and haphazard development putting the local populace at great risk also was a topic of concern.

The threatened and depleting flora and fauna which forms part of the intricate and fragile web of nature has been at the receiving end of man’s selfish ambitions. The demands of an ever burgeoning migrant population have put pressure on the scarce land available for housing and other related infrastructure. The stark reality of the ecological imbalance and environmental degradation caused due to human activity stares us in the face.

While nature with its complex bio-diversity provides us with a salubrious environment needed for wholesome living, our growing insensitivity towards it has only invited upon us man-made calamities and catastrophes.

Restoring our natural heritage to its pristine shape and sensitizing the present generation on the blessings that the Almighty showers through the mirror of His bountiful creation is the call of the hour.

The final lap of our nature expedition saw us on the sandy shores of Palolem beach.

The idyllic ambience of this beautiful palm-fringed locale coupled with the coolness of the evening air was a cherry on the cake of a very memorable and rejuvenating nature trip.

typical negotiation with our children should be something along the lines of a choice.

Importance Of Choice and Win-Win Negotiations Children are given power, independence, and respect when their parents allow and encourage them to make choices, even as young children. Deciding with a parent which clothes to wear, which breakfast foods to eat, whether to do their homework immediately after school or after dinner, amount of TV or play time, what times during the week to do their chores are all endless opportunities to teach children choices and how to negotiate. Parents who embrace negotiation and compromise as a family value raise children who know that their opinions, feelings and needs will be honored and respected.

Children who are taught in this manner are also much more likely to return this honor and respect to others.

By offering a choice we give them a chance to exercise their decision making ability, whilst still keeping their dignity and esteem intact, in other words a win-win.

Win-Win is important because both need to save face and not feel cheated. Only then will the agreement work totally or else one side will try to sneak and change the game or hit back and the game will end up in revenge or a see-saw game. For example, when faced with the problem of my two children fighting over division of cake, I told one to divide the pieces and the other to choose. This worked like

a Dog Jennisha Coutinho(10), std V, THe BeaCH Chubby Cheeks spring Val- Mcferrin Pereira, std IV, little Penguins, Panjim ley Hs., Pilerne

OHERALDO

Pg 16

GOA, MONDAY, 25 OCTOBER, 2010

The King Completes Three Decades of His Reign Roseferns a versatile actor, a thought provoking script writer and a director par excellence, has crossed many unique milestones on his journey to success through the years. Today, October 25th 2010, he crosses yet another milestone as a tiatrist.

The Roseferns Dramatic Troupe that he formed in 1980 completes 30 years in action.

Roseferns who began his career as a tiatrist on his return to his roots in Goa, having previously worked in the Gulf for some years, has over the last three decades written, directed and staged not less than 69 tiatrs with many of them crossing the century and even double century mark in the number of shows of each tiatr. For these achievements he was befittingly crowned “The King of Centuries” in 1983, by Mr. Talwar the then Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise in Goa. Over the last three decades, Roseferns has entertained tiatr audiences not only in Goa and other parts of the Country, but also on foreign shores in countries such as, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dubai, Muscat, Qatar, United Kingdom, and other countries the world over to which Goans have migrated.

The scripts of his tiatrs are thought provoking , highlighting issues that plague Goa and its people. Due to his vast knowledge and vision for tiatrs, he has been rightly chosen the Vice-President of the Tiatr Academy where he is working with commitment along with his colleagues for the betterment of tiatr.

Roseferns spoke to ELVIS SEQUEIRA on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of The Roseferns Dramatic Troupe. Excerpts from an exclusive interview.

Congratulations on achieving yet another milestone as a tiatrist. Over the last 30 years, you have written, directed and staged not less than 69 tiatrs, based on several important issues. From where do you derive your inspiration for your writing?

Thank You! I derive my inspiration from various social and political issues that surround us as individuals or as a community.

You started off as a nonstop tiatr director, what made you shift to the traditional format?

I started as a tiatrist. My first venture Bolidan was a tiatr. Immediately thereafter I wrote tiatrs like Nimmni Chitt, Morto Mhonis Hanslo, Awaz etc. I then switched to the non-stop format of tiatr, since I could express myself better in it. Now, on the demands of our audience, I am back with the traditional form of tiatr.

Any plans to revive the nonstop tiatr in future ?

No concrete plans to do so at the moment, but it has always been my constant endeavour to keep improving the Konkani stage.

Real Name: Antonio Rosario Fernandes You wake up at…

7’ o clock in the morning Your favourite time of day is…

Dinner time Your School/ College…

Holy Trinity High School Benaulim/ SP Chowgule College Margao.

Hobbies: Movies, Reading, Cricket Favourite Colour(s)…

White Favourite movies/genre Taare Zameen Par/ various Favourite cuisines/particular dishes Goan Cuisine/ I love fish Likes/Dislikes – turn ons and turn offs Sense of humour/ negativity Favourite music/sports Retro/ Cricket What alternate profession would you have chosen?

Landscape artist Your inspiration My wife Favourite holiday spot Amchem Goy Dream holiday destination I don’t like travelling. I love being in Goa. Favourite Personality – why.

Amitabh Bachchan. He’s a trendsetter even today!

If you could, what would you change in Goa and the issues affecting Goa and how?

Be the change that you would want to see in the world!

Favourite sounds/smells The sound of the rain and the smell of the Earth You want to be remembered as…

As a good husband, a good father and a good human being.

Your motto in life.

Live and let live!

Favourite quote Aicho dis faleam ieuchonam!

Message to tiatr lovers and our readers?

Konkani-chi apurbai korat, eka-mekacho mog korat ani Goykarponn samballat!

You have highlighted issues that affect Goa and Goans in your tiatrs such as Goykar, Hem Amchem Goem, Ami Goenkar Tumi Konn? Do you have any plans to continue the ‘Goenkar’ series in future?

I released these Tiatrs when I felt the need to create awareness on the issues concerning Goa. In future, if need be, I will continue to work in that direction again.

Amongst all the tiatrs that you have written, directed and staged, which one do you feel is your best and why?

Among all my own tiatrs

the one that is closest to my heart is, ‘Thappott’, since it made me a tiatrist.

Years back, we had a few directors who staged tiatr on a regular basis. Today the number of directors have increased manifold, do you think that this rise in number has helped in raising the overall standard of tiatr?

I believe in quality, not quantity. It is the quality of shows released, that make the Konkani stage richer. I hope our directors embrace more innovative ideas and concepts that add value to the Konkani stage.

Many tiatr lovers in North Goa, complain that they do not get to see many tiatrs due to the non-availability of halls.

Comment.

Yes. But I heard that the Government Auditorium is underway in Mapuça. I hope it fills the prevalent gap.

As the Vice-President of the Tiatr Academy, what is your vision for tiatrs?

Our vision at the Tiatr Academy is to raise the standard of Tiatr, so as to take it to the National and International level.

Do you ever watch the tiatrs put up at the Kala Academy TiatrCompetitionas a talent hunter?

I used to regularly catch up on tiatr competitions as a talent hunter. But I observed that most of the winners, especially girls, turn down the opportunity of joining Tiatrs. Hence now I watch Tiatr Competitions from their contributions point of view.

As an actor you mostly play positive characters . Comment.

I once tried my hand at negative role as a corrupt police inspector, and my fans rushed in the green room during the break and claimed that they don’t want to see me in negative roles. But I would love to try a negative shade, yet again.

You along with many other tiatrists were instrumental in forming an association of tiatrists called ‘The Non-stop Triatristanchi Sounstha . You were its president for some years.

Are you still associated with this association?

Yes. By nature you seem to be a non-controversial person.

Comment.

When I have released shows like Goykar, Hem Amchem Goem, Ami Goenkar Tumi Konn?, how can you call me non-controversial? But probably, most of the time at least, my approach is right and I can tackle issues by making people understand.

Now a hypothetical question.

If you were made Chief Minister for one day or if you were a Cabinet Minister which portfolio would you choose, and what work would be your priority if you held these positions?

I would choose Education Portfolio, because education builds the foundation of a strong society. I would induce love for Konkani and our mother land though this medium.

Where do you see Tiatrs in the next 25 years or so?

I hope to see Tiatr at a national and international level.

It is said, “ Behind every successful man, there is a woman.”

We strongly believe that behind your success too, there is a woman. Comment.

You’re right. “Zo hath painnem dholoita to hath sonvsar choloita!” and in my case the credit goes to my wife. She has painstakingly brought me to where I am today.

List of tiatrs written, produced, directed and staged by Roseferns under the banner of Roseferns Productions 01. Bolidhan - November, 1972; 02. Dileli Bhass - April, 1974; 03. Nimni Chitt - January, 1975; 04. Morto Mhonis Hanslo February, 1976; 05. Avaz - July, 1977; 06. Aroma - March. 1979; 07. Thapott - 25th October, 1980; (1st performance of Roseferns Dramatic Troupe) 08. Uzo - February, 1981; 09. Dev Vo Devchar - October, 1981; 10. Akant - October, 1982; 11. Ghantt - April, 1983; 12. Arso - October, 1983; 13. Baulem - April, 1984; 14.

Xezari - October, 1984; 15. Gorib - April, 1985; 16. Bebdo - October, 1985; 17. Mai, Pai ani Bhurguim - April, 1986; 18. Mog ani Bhirant - October, 1986; 19. Tutt’lele Dhage - February, 1987; 20. Dhovo Kanvllo - October, 1987; 21. Girann - February, 1988; 22. Jem Tujem Tem Mhojem - June, 1988; 23. Beiman Tum! - April, 1989; 24. Hanv Patki? - October, 1989; 25. Xinxe - April, 1990; 26. Mui ani Sakor - October, 1990; 27. Kantte April, 1991; 28. Sot Tem Sot - October, 1991; 29. Te Dis Gele April, 1992; 30. Bhonvro - October, 1992; 31. Budhvont - April, 1993; 32. To Dis Ietolo - October, 1993; 33. Mukhutt April, 1994; 34. Upkarachem Vojem - October, 1994; 35. Mhoji Bhett Tuka - April, 1995; 36. Somdir - October, 1995; 37. Tuzo Vanto Tuka - April, 1996; 38. Guru - October, 1996; 39. Gunda - April, 1997; 40. Kalliz Ek Mondir - October, 1997; 41. Titloch Teomp To! - April, 1998; 42. Ho Khell Noxibacho - September, 1998; 43. Mhoje Hathak Dhor - April, 1999; 44. Xim - October, 1999; 45. Utor - April, 2000; 46. Nixanni - October, 2000; 47.

Somazak Lai Uzo - April, 2001; 48. Lharam - October, 2001; 49.

Zo Hath Painem Dholoita - March, 2002; 50. Mitt - October, 2002; 51. Tallni - April, 2003; 52. Maim- Tuzo Put Hanv - September, 2003; 53. Zoim Mog Asta - November, 2003; 54. Eka Patkiak Lagon - April, 2004; 55. Tum Assom Sor - October, 2004; 56. Gorv - April, 2005; 57.Goemkar - August, 2005; 58. Dhoni - November, 2005; 59. Hem Amchem Goem?

- June, 2006; 60. Tumchea Moga Passot - July, 2006 (Released in UK); 61. Amchim Bhurguim Amcho Fudar? - October, 2006; 62. Ami Goenkar Tumi Konn? - June, 2007; 63. Maim- Tuzo Upkari Hanv - October, 2007; 64. Goenkara- Tum Ragar Zainaka - June, 2008; 65. Mhaka Zabab Zai - October, 2008; 66. Mhaka Kiteak Poddlam? - 12th April, 2009; 67. Moga Oslem Hatiar Nam 11th October, 2009; 68. Chol-ia London - 10th April, 2010; 69.

Bhurgim Tim… Bavlim Nhoi! - 24th July, 2010

Roseferns with Cristopher Leitao.

Roseferns Crowned King of Centuries by the then Commissioner of Excise Mr. Talwar.

Roseferns with former Governor of Goa SC Jamir.

Roseferns winning the Gulab Award for 'Ami Goenkar Tumi Konn'.

Roseferns with Archbishop Patriach Rt.Rev. Dr Filipe Neri Ferrao.

A scene from “Ami Goenkar Tumi Konn?”

Pg 17 SPORTS Dempo overpowers Peter in GFA final GOA, Monday, 25 October, 2010

Shrinivas wins by 10 votes l Lavinio knocks out Francis l Savio Messias gains recognition

l

HERALD SPORTS REPORTER PANJIM, OCT 24

Shrinivas V Dempo will be the new face, heading the Goa Football Association (GFA) for a 4year term from 2010 after he secured 10 more votes than his rival Peter Vaz for the post of president at the general elections held at Hotel Mandovi on Sunday. The score was 85-75 in favour of Dempo.

It was a neck-to-neck contest between Shrinivas and Dempo as the votes were being counted. It gave jitters to both camps as the lead continued fluctuating for a long spell, until Dempo crossed the half way mark of 81, since all the 160 members who were eligible to vote turned up to exercise the franchise.

Dempo who had floated his dream panel, could not, however, capture all posts, losing both the important posts of vice-presidents to candidates supported

by Peter Vaz. The Dempo panel also lost four posts of members to those fielded by Peter Vaz.

The biggest surprise was the election of outgoing general secretary Savio Messias from Mormugao Zone, who was portrayed by the rival camp as the man responsible for all the alleged ills that plagued the GFA during the past three years under Joaquim Alemao.

That was the biggest slap that Messias could inflict on all his big detractors, who had painted him as the bad face of Goan football. He defeated the Dempo-backed panel Andrew, garnering just three more votes than the last placed contestant.

Hats off to vice-president Lavinio Rebello, the energetic Sarpanch of Anjuna-Caissua. His 43-29 victory over once considered Bardez stalwart, Francis Fernandes, who had the fullthroated backing from Shrinivas, stunned everyone.

It was his 14-vote margin that raised many an eyebrow as it was Francis who was one of those at the heart of floating the Bardez club panel to

then, Tonito is very happy that there was a contest and that this time it was a fierce one, which is a healthy sign of a vibrant democratic functioning.

The new committee will have in all seven faces making it for the first time. Six others were in the previous committee while four others were in the committee some years ago.

There were few clubs who preferred to submit blank ballot papers.

Meanwhile, Peter Vaz thanked the GFA clubs for the support and love he received. While congratulating Shrinivas, he reiterated he had stood for football and had fought as a common man.

“I do not carry a huge legacy with my name but I carry a tag

GFA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2010-14 The new executive committee of GFA with Shrinivas Dempo flanked by vice-presidents Elvis Gomes, Lavinio Rebello and members.

Photo: Jovito Lopes

select the candidates when Lavinio point black disagreed to be in the fray when the Bardez Clubs had an internal meeting. In a way it was a wellearned, deserving promotion for the St Mary’s HS (Mapusa) teacher.

The election of vice-president Elvis Gomes, CCP Commissioner, was on the expected lines although he faced a formidable

candidate in the form of wellknown Vinod Parkkot of Vasco, who has had a long, fruitful stint in the GFA. Elvis’ 24-vote margin could be attributed to his personal charisma and a reward for his dedicated work for the past three years for GFA and moreover for Cuncolim Union, having been elected unopposed as president for the second term.

RECORD BREAKING SALE BUY YOUR ORIGINAL COPY TODAY Nevia Production

Presents SAMMY TAVARES’ (Dy. Supdt. of Police) 1st KONKANI DVD/VCD/ACD

Producer: FRANCISCO COUTINHO

CAST: XAVIER GOMES, LAWRY, ANICETTE, SONIA SIRSAT, ROMA, JESSICA, MATHEW, COM. AGOSTIN, SELVY, JANET AND SAMMY TAVARES. LYRICS: SAMMY TAVARES

of self made man. I am a fighter and I fought for the glory of Goan football. All the while I knew the odds facing power and money. My heart was not daunted to take on the high and mighty for the cause of Goan football,” stated Peter.

Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Alemao, Shivanand Salgaocar, Alberto Colaco also attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, the first item on the agenda, the inter-village rules amendments, were not even taken up for consideration.

It was the Bardez Clubs that had made a hue and cry against the new rules and sought changes.

But all that was forgotten today in view of the hotly contested elections.

PRODUCER: FRANCISCO COUTINHO

RECORDED BY

AURVILLE RODRIGUES

Audio Master, Aquem Margao

Thanks to: ANOSHKA FAMILY BAR & RESTAURANT MARGAO BPS, AMBORA, RAIA & MIRAMAR Several hearts captured as the raid continues.

The election of Alirio Lobo as a member from Bardez was another big surprise. He was considered as a dark horse and m o re o v e r w a s n o t i n t h e Dempo-backed panel. The silent but sincere worker of Calangute Association of which he is the secretary, surprised many since he displaced veteran Tony Remedios from Saligao.

Lawrence Gomes pulled the highest number of votes in South Goa (73), followed by Schubert Furtado (54) who is making a comeback after a gap of three years. Anthony Pango and Bishut Themudo just managed to scrape through. Except for Bishut, the other three were from the Dempo-panel. Incidentally, both Schubert and Bishut hail from Navelim.

Welwyn Menezes (Dempo panel) from Goa Velha topped the Ilhas zone with 44 while Babli Mandrekar (Dempo panel) did it likewise in Bardez with 45. With Sanjiv (39) and Anju (34) making the Ilhas list, Tonito Botelho, an authority in football matters, finished fourth with 30.

Tonito’s defeat was of his own making, since he did not canvass at all, but backed Peter Vaz. Tonito belongs to the old school of thought that believes that the clubs should make their own evaluation and that one should not go on shouting on the rooftop.

Former football commentator Lume Pereira, aptly described Tonito as, “One who does not follow the modern day, present syllabus and curriculum, and hence ends up as a loser.” Even

PRESIDENT Shrinivas V Dempo VICE-PRESIDENTS Elvis Gomes Lavinio Rebello MEMBERS Salcete Schubert Furtado Benjamin D’Silva Anthony Pango Bishut Themudo

Lawrence Gomes Prakash Naik Savio Messias Bardez Babli Mandrekar Alirio Lobo Uday Lingudkar Gajanan Kerkar

Mormugao

Ilhas Welwyn Menezes Sanjiv Nagvekar Anju Albuquerque

TOTAL NUMBER OF CLUBS 160 voters PRESIDENT Shrinivas Dempo 85 (elected) Peter Vaz 75 VICE-PRESIDENTS South Goa (Total 68 Salcete+19 Mormugao) Elvis Gomes 55 (elected) Vinod Parkkot 31 North Goa (Total 44 Bardez+29 Ilhas) Lavinio Rebello 43 (elected) Francis Fernandes 29 MEMBERS South Goa total 87 voters Salcete (68) Schubert Furtado 54 (elected) Benjamin D’Silva 52 (elected) Anthony Pango 48 (elected) Bishut Themudo 47 (elected) Arnaldo Costa 35 Jaju Fernandes 34 Dionisio Sardinha 28

Ricardo Gonsalves 27 Mormugao (19) Lawrence Gomes 73 (elected) Prakash Naik 54 (elected) Savio Messias 51 (elected) Andre Rodrigues 48 North Goa total 73 voters Bardez (44) Babli Mandrekar 45 (elected) Alirio Lobo 39 (elected) Uday Lingudkar 39 (elected) Gajanan Kerkar 37 (elected) Gajanan Gad 36 Tony Remedios 32 Patrick D’Sousa 28 Jaypraklash Poulekar 25 Ilhas (29) Welwyn Menezes 44 (elected) Sanjiv Nagvekar 39 (elected) Anju Albuquerque 34 (elected) Tonito Botelho 30 Charles D’Sousa 29 Rafael Pereira 19 Edward Noronha 4

RESULTS AT A GLANCE

pg 18:Layout 1 10/24/2010 11:20 PM Page 1

SPORTS

Pg18

Dempo overpowers Peter in GFA final Pg 17

GOA, MONDAY, 25 OCTOBER, 2010 www.oheraldo.in

Thousands bowled out HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, OCT 24

The dreams of 27,000 spectators vanished into thin air after the India-Australia ODI was called off without a single ball being bowled due to a damp outfield at Nehru stadium on Sunday.

With the abandonment of the ODI, the second of the three match series, Australia returned home without winning a single game on Indian soil. The first ODI at Kochi was washed out and India won the second by five wickets in Vizakhapatnam on October 20.

A damp outfield caused by overnight rains forced the cancellation of the ODI giving the hosts a 1-0 series victory, their first at home in over two decades.

Umpires Billy Bowden and Amish Saheba alongwith match referee, Chris Broad made three ground inspections at 8.30 a.m, 11 a.m. and 12.15 p.m. before deciding to abandon the match. A wet outfield persisted despite the sun shining bright this morning.

In between, team captains, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Michael Clarke came to the ground to have a look at the outfield and were seen having a long chat with the umpires and the match referee. This was the first time that India beat Australia

in an ODI series since 1998.

The series win by India is also the first at home in over two decades against Australia. The last time the Aussies had lost an ODI series in India was in 1986-87 when the hosts had won by a 3-2 margin.

Vizag hero Virat Kohli was named man-of-the-series at a function held at Benaulim.

It was sheer disappointment for the thousands of fans as soon as the announcement was made.

The pitch looked perfect but the seepage of rain water through the covers left the outfield damp and slippery. Cricket enthusiasts thronged the stadium early in the morning mostly decked up in blue T-shirts carrying the Indian TriColour as part of the Bleed Blue campaign to support Team India whose players were all set to display the new Nike attire.

This is the second time an ODI had to be called off at Fatorda, the earlier being between India and New Zealand in 1995.

The ground was covered with thick plastic, yet there was seepage on the outfield.

The GCA had earlier pointed out that the entire outfield would be covered with special cover and that there would be no problem even if it rained the previous day-night.

Tickets to be refunded HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, OCT 24

The Goa Cricket Association (GCA) promised to refund the ticket amount through the branches of Federal Bank all over India from October 28.

Balu Fadke told Herald that the refund will be made available since the match was abandoned without a single ball being bowled. The ticket holders will be able to claim the refund from the bank within 30 days.

Sidescreen collapses lLucky escape for one HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, OCT 24

The large crowd that turned up for the India-Australia ODI match at Nerhru stadium, Fatorda on Sunday, went into a shock as one of the sightscreens in North Stand, near the press enclosure, suddenly gave way.

A young person had a miraculous escape.

The sightscreen collapsed and came down with a thud.

It was found that the screen

collapsed due to the punctured wheels of the screen trolley.

Sources informed that it was a GCA contractor who had installed the sightscreens.

SAG executive director, V M Prabhudessai and GCA officials alongwith SAG staff finally managed to get the sightscreen back in its place with the help of ground staff. Ropes were used to tie the iron railings on the sightscreen to the pillars on the press box.

Alonso grabs F1 lead AGENCIES YEONGAM, OCT 24

Indian captain MS Dhoni and wife on Pele Water Sports jet ski hit the waves at Benaulim beach on Sunday.

Indian and (below) Australian players enjoying the sunny spell at Taj Exotica Beach Resort, Benaulim on Sunday.

Photos: Third Eye

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso won a rain-hit and chaotic Korean Grand Prix to seize the Formula One championship lead on Sunday after both his Red Bull rivals failed to finish.

In an inaugural race delayed by a downpour, started, stopped again and then re-started behind the safety car after a 48 minute wait, the Spaniard could scarcely believe his good fortune.

With two races to go, and a maximum 50 points to be won under the new scoring system, Alonso celebrated his fifth win of the year to turn a 14-point deficit into an 11-point lead over Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber.

McLaren's 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton finished second, 14.9 seconds behind, and moved up to third overall with 210 points, 21 behind Alonso.

Brazilian Felipe Massa was third for Ferrari.

BCCI rubbishes Raina bookie-link PTI NEW DELHI/LONDON, OCT 24

Suresh Raina today found himself at the center of an unexpected controversy when a British paper claimed that he was seen with a woman allegedly linked to bookies but the BCCI dismissed the report as "baseless".

SCORECARD Liverpool ........2 Blackburn ....1 Man City ........0 Arsenal ........3 stoke ..............1 Man Utd ......2

Third Division football: Parish Youth, Consua v. Patrong SC, Tilak Maidan, Vasco, 4 p.m.

Rossman Cruz Nagoa soc-

cer: Mandopa SC v. Adarsh Yuvak Sangh, Verna ground, 4.15 p.m.

Lourdes soccer Utorda: Navelim Sporting Club v. Don Bosco Oratory, Utorda ground, 4.30 p.m.

Sebastiao Rosario Dias memorial soccer semis: Wilred Leisure Sports Club, Curtorim v. Fr Agnel Youth Club, Paroda, Zarriwado Davorlim, 4.30 p.m.

Calangute Panchayat Cup soccer: Khobravaddo B v.

Naikavaddo A, Poriat ground, Calangute, 4.30 p.m.