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Sports: ‘Rafa slam’ bites Pg 16 the dust IN BRIEF ‘US risks losing out to India, China’ President Barack Obama today warned that the US risked losing out to countries such as India and China in areas like in education, technology and research, noting they were undertaking investments in these areas. Delivering his annual State of the Union address to the US Congress, Obama made three references to India in his hour-long speech during which he said his administration has built a “new partnership” with the south Asian country as part of his efforts to shape a world that favours peace and prosperity. — PTI
Business: India suggests 5 step anti-piracy action plan Pg 12
Goa’s Heartbeat: Knightely to play Pg 4 Pattinson’s love interest
Chaka Chak: Of the people, Allay people’s fear on by the people, for the people NH expansion: Sidhu HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JAN 26
Man held with cartridges at Delhi The manager of Mizoram shooting team was arrested from the New Delhi railway station after he was found allegedly carrying over 1,000 cartridges without proper documents. The manager of the Mizoram Rifles Association’s shooting team, was apprehended while he was entering platform to board Guwahti-bound North-East Express, senior police and railway officials said. – PTI
BBC to close Hindi radio service As part of its continuing efforts to cut costs, BBC announced that its Hindi radio service available on short wave will cease from March, besides the closure of five World Service language services. In all, the raft of measures announced will lead to 650 job losses. BBC director general Mark Thompson described the day as a ‘painful day’ for BBC. – PTI
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NSS volunteers of city colleges collecting garbage along the Bambolim highway as a part of the Chaka Chak campaign launched in the State today . (Related reports on page 2) Photo by Sachin HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JAN 26
Goa finally began to get its house in order and clean up. From Bambolim to Benaulim and other place in between, in several villages and small towns, in the mainland and the coast, the youth of Goa took up arms brooms, gunny bags, gloves and assorted tools to pick up plastic, paper and other recyclable waste. It was an effort to make Goa clean and Chaka Chak - a north Indian expression that has no dictionary meaning but a heartfelt message. Spruce up. For a change the premises
outside Goa Medical College (GMC) & Hospital in Bambolim looked clean. Mount of garbage containing tetra packs, bottles and straws and other plastic dumped into quarry outside GMC gate had disappeared. Thanks to ‘Chaka Chak Goa’ campaign launched today. As part of the campaign, a cleanliness drive was taken up along Bambolim highway with big participation of college students. Within two hours, between 9.30 am to 11.30 am, they managed to lift over 300 kg of plastic and other garbage dumped along the national high-
ways. “Around 800 NSS students along with activists and locals picked up plastic and other garbage strewn along the Bambolim highway,” told Patricia Pinto, co-ordinator ‘Chaka Chak Goa’ campaign. “The cleanliness drive is undertaken to highlight importance of keeping Goa clean,” Patricia said while explaining the purpose behind the drive and added that they will work throughout the year with the panchayats in setting up waste management system since the garbage problem would not be
solved overnight. However, on the flip side of the drive, some students who joined the ‘Chaka Chak Goa’ campaign seem to be quite oblivious of the garbage scenario in their own homes. A third year student of Dhempe College, Preeti Gawas did not mind joining the cleanliness drive even though she has never bothered to find what happens to the garbage generated in her own backyard. But she adds: “We are here not just because we will get some extra marks being part of (Continued on page 11)
Goa Governor Dr S S Sidhu today asked the state government to allay apprehensions in the minds of the people about expansion of national highway. “As regards widening of the highways is concerned, it would be necessary to allay people’s apprehensions, if any,” Dr Sidhu said adding that people must also realize that there is no room for taking a short-sighted view on the matter. Dr Sidhu was addressing the gathering at Republic Day Parade at Campal today morning. The Governor inspected the Republic Day parade in the presence of dignitaries including Chief Minister Digambar Kamat. The contingents drawn from Army, Navy, Police, Home guards, NCC and schools participated in the parade. Pointing out to over 300 young deaths on the roads every year, Dr Sidhu said that widening of roads is essential to take care of the ever growing vehicular traffic and to contain incidents of road mishaps. It may be recalled that National Highway Authority of India has planned to expand existing highways under the centrally sponsored scheme for which the State government has already initiated land acquisition proceedings for this highway. However, strong opposition has been raised by sections of society demanding changes in the current alignment of the national highway expansion, which is crossing through the urban
area. Claiming that the quality of Airport infrastructure is critical in maintaining Goa’s international competitiveness in the field of tourism, Dr Sidhu said that action is afoot for upgradation and expansion of the existing Dabolim Airport, which is likely to be completed by 2021. The work on expanding the airport managed by Indian Navy has already begun with Civil Aviation Ministry funding the project. “Keeping in view the fast growth of civil aviation and the estimated increase in passenger and cargo tariff in the coming years as well as requirement of general aviation, the urgency to pursue the construction of Greenfield international airport at Mopa cannot be overemphasized,” the Governor said adding that the Mopa airport would take four to five years to materialize. During his speech, Governor said that the time has come when we need to divert tourism from beach belts to other tourism related aspects of Goa. “ S o f a r 9 0 p e rc e n t o f tourism in Goa is beachbased. Apart from maintaining our edge in this regard, it is equally important to initiate the process for diversification of tourism,” he said adding
that current central scheme of integrated infrastructure development for heritage, hinterland, adventure and eco-tourism in Goa has to be implemented speedily. Talking about the development of education, Dr Sidhu said that much needs to be done to achieve the goal of 100 percent literacy as well as improve the quality of education in the field of higher and technical education. He informed that a high-level Academic Audit Committee with eminent personalities has been (Continued on page 11)
Mickky wants decision on ‘Sonawane recorded pilfering on phone’ chief whip before session PTI NASHIK, JAN 26
HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, JAN 26
NCP legislator Mickky Pacheco has said that he would like the Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly Pratapsing Rane to pronounce his ruling on the question of the chief whip and the NCP legislature party leader in the Assembly before the coming Assembly session. Speaking to Herald on the sidelines of a felicitation function at Margao on Wednesday, the former Tourism Minister reiterated that the Speaker has no role to play in deciding who ought to be the leader of a political party in the Assembly saying these questions fall within the domain of a political party. “Our party constitution is very clear on the issue. The party’s chief whip and the leader of the Legislature party is decided by the party leadership and not by the Speaker”, he said, and recalled that the NCP leader in the House was appointed by then party president Dr Wilfred de Souza. Replying to a question, he said “I don’t think the speaker has got anything to do with the decision”. He, however, hastened to add that though the
Speaker is a member of the ruling party, he will play a neutral role in deciding on the party’s stand on the chief whip and the Legislature party leader. “But, the speaker is from the ruling party and I can seen what would come next from the Speaker”, he added. Commenting on the Congress
‘Bid to save life cost me jail’
MARGAO: Former Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco has said that he had to suffer jail just because he wanted to save the life of his close friend Nadia Torrado. Speaking as a chief guest at the function organized by Goa Citizens Welfare Trust, Margao to felicitate personalities for showing exemplary courage, Pacheco said that Nadia was his very close friend and was working for him before she took the drastic step to end her life. Saying that there ought to be no limits in saving someone’s life, Pacheco said that he had chartered a flight to (Continued on page 11)
leaders stand at the workers convention at Margao that the Congress can win the coming polls on its own, Pacheco reminded the Congress leaders that he and the NCP are also fully geared up to contest the coming Assembly polls on their own. “What they have uttered at Margao on Sunday is their perception. The tongue does not have a bone. What the Congress leaders have said at the workers meeting is for public consumption”, he said, adding that the Congress leaders should realize whether they would get elected as MLAs first. “Today, they are talking of wining so many seats. But, they should realize whether the people would re-elect them as MLAs”, he said and recalled an instance wherein a political leader from South Goa had lobbied hard before the polls to become the Chief Minister, but had to bite the dust in the hustings. On the question of fielding candidates, Pacheco said “I am all prepared for that. The candidates have been almost finalized. I will not take back my word. Mickky will field candidates in all the 40 seats”.
The aide of an additional district collector burnt alive said today that his boss had recorded on his mobile phone the pilfering of kerosene which was detected by him leading to his killing by suspected members of a local oil mafia. Raju Kale, an eyewitness to yesterday’s gruesome attack on 42-year-old Yashwant Sonawane at Panewadi town in Manmad in Nashik district, about 260 km from Mumbai, also said the official was attacked by some men who came on motorcycles. There were seven to eight men at the
Sonawane saw the driver of a fuel tanker taking out kerosene in two box shaped containers and transferring it to another truck. Sir captured the entire thing on his mobile.
— Kale is Sonawane’s personal assistant.
scene of the attack, he said. Kale said he and Sonawane saw the driver of a fuel tanker taking out kerosene in two box shaped containers and transferring it to another truck. Kale is Sonawane’s personal assistant. “Sir captured the entire thing on his mobile,” he said. Both Kale and the Malegaon’s additional district collectors’ official driver Kailash Gawali man-
BJP leaders slam Omar PTI JAMMU/SRINAGAR, JAN 26
Released from custody after their high-pitched campaign for hoisting the national flag in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk was thwarted, BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley accused the Omar Abdullah government of “surrendering” to separatists. Seven BJP activists were arrested in Srinagar for attempting to hoist the tricolour at Lal Chowk which had been turned into a fortress while party cadres in Jammu attacked a car of National Conference minister after
a press conference by Swaraj and Jaitley. Slamming the J&K government, Swaraj said, “this is an extraordinary situation. India completes 61 years of being a Republic. This is the first Republic Day after Emergency when Leaders of Opposition of both Houses of Parliament were kept under arrest. We were taken into custody for wanting to hoist the tricolour in our own state of J&K. Is that a crime?” she asked. Jaitley said both the Centre and the state government wanted to send a message to
90% wells in Panjim contaminated Reason: close vicinity of septic tanks
HERALD CORRESPONDENT PORVORIM, JAN 26
Believe it or not, 90% of the wells in Panjim are contaminated, mainly because the distance between septic tank and wells or ground water tanks are less than the minimum 20 mtrs. “The Public Health Act states that the distance between septic tank and wells or ground water tanks should be minimum 20 mtrs. However, this is not being observed by the citizens, due to which 90% of the wells in Panjim have become contaminated,” said Mapusa Health Officer Dr Pradeep Korgaonkar, who previously served as health officer of Panjim Health Centre. He was speaking at a programme organized by Goa Institute of Rural Development
The Town and Country Planning should make it compulsory for builders of houses or buildings to indicate the distance between the septic tank and ground water tank in blue print while submitting the projects for approval. and Administration (GIRDA) in association with Public Works Department to create awareness about Natural Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance programme of Central government at Guirim Panchayat hall on Tuesday. “In Mapusa, the hutment dwellers residing on the hills do not have septic tanks and as such the entire sewage flows
aged to flee from the scene of the crime in Nashik district The state bureaucrat was burnt alive in broad daylight at a roadside eatout by suspected members of local oil mafia while detecting pilfering of kerosene oil from a tanker. Kale said the phone is in the possession of the police department. Asked whether he recognised
the people who attacked Sonawane, Kale said “I was talking on the phone when the incident happened. Their backs were towards me.” Recalling the sequence of events, Kale said they were on the way to Manmad from Nashik when Sonawane asked his driver to stop where a kerosene tanker was in a stationary position. “Then he asked the driver to go near the tanker from behind. Then we all got down from the car. Then, he (Sonawane) saw the driver (of tanker) taking out kerosene in two boxes and they were putting it in another truck,” Kale said.
down the Mapusa town through the nullahs. The solution to this type of problem is the sewage line. It is sad that in most of the towns in Goa, there is no separate sewage line,” said Dr Korgaonkar. Dr Korgaonkar further said no water, whether it is received from treatment plants or wells or tube wells, is safe for drinking.
“The water must be boiled and then consumed. As per the Natural Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance programme, every ward of municipal council must have Ward Health and Sanitation Committee. Mapusa Municipal council is yet to form these committees,” said Dr Korgaonkar. Aldona Primary Health Centre Health Officer Dr Pradeep Dhavjekar stated that 80% of the diseases are generated through water. “The Town and Country Planning should make it compulsory for builders of houses or buildings to indicate the distance between the septic tank and ground water tank in blue print while submitting the projects (Continued on page 11)
the separatists that the BJP leaders have been stopped to appease them. The two leaders held a press conference along with Anant Kumar soon after being released in Kathua by the state government in the afternoon. “My first question to the government is what kind of a Republic is this?” asked Swaraj. She rubbished the invitation extended over phone by the chief minister to Jaitley asking the BJP leaders to participate in the Republic Day celebrations in Srinagar.
Sir, This gentleman is innocent. He's another Indian running away with his own money from our bank...