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Goa’s Heartbeat: Bollywood goes talent-hunting Pg 14

Light is the task when many share the toil.

-- Homer

IN BRIEF Monsoon in Kerala

by May-end The south-west monsoon is expected to bring rains in Kerala by Monday and it is likely to advance to coastal Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu in the first week of June.

In its forecast, the Indian Meteorological Department said the onset of the monsoon over Kerala would occur around May 31. IMD had on May 14 said the monsoon would hit Kerala by May 30 with a model error of plus or minus 4 days. – (PTI)

Christian prayer hall demolished A Christian prayer hall at Kambipadu at Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu, allegedly built in violation of government rules, was demolished by revenue officials following complaints from Hindu Munnani that construction violated a ban on any new building in the area.

– (PTI)

The Voice of Goa — Since 1900 panjim, saturDaY, maY 29, 2010

Business: Govt stake sale plan on track Pg 13

priCE rs. 3.00 (air surcharge rs. 1.50) pages 18

Sports: Rohit’s ton in vain; Zimbabwe stun India Pg 18

Maoists derail train; 76 dead 13 coaches jump tracks, hit by goods train PTI JHARGRAM (WB), MAY 28

At least 76 passengers of a Mumbai-bound express train were killed when Maoists derailed it in the wee hours of today with five of the 13 coaches that jumped the tracks also being hit by an oncoming goods train.

Two hundred passengers were also injured in the derailment of the Howrah-Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Gyaneshwari Super Deluxe Express in West Midnapore district, about 150 kms from Kolkata at around 1:30 am, when the train was running between Khemasoli and Sardiya stations, South Eastern Railway officials said.

Seventy-six passengers were killed and 200 injured in the derailment of the Gyaneswari Exp re s s , We s t B e n g a l C h i e f Secretary Ardhendu Sen said.

Several passengers are feared trapped in the worst smashed S-5 compartment of the train which bore the brunt when the speeding goods train ploughed through the derailed coaches.

Officials feared that the death toll could go up.

Five of the derailed carriages

that slammed into the goods train were badly crushed and flipped on their sides with body parts clearly visible amid the twisted metal.

Rescue workers with bolt cutters struggled to free anyone still alive inside.

There was confusion on the exact cause of the disaster in the Maoist stronghold with Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee blaming it on a “bomb blast” at the rail track while top brass of the West Bengal Police said it was an act of sabotage since fish plates were found removed.

DGP Bhupinder Singh, who said blast theory was yet to be established, also said pendral clips which are used to hold sections of tracks together were found missing over a 50-metre stretch at the accident spot.

Some passengers also said they heard no blast.

“It is a clear case of sabotage.

The Maoists have done it,” Singh said.

Union Home Minister P Chidamabaram said in New Delhi the disaster appeared to be an act of sabotage, but it was not yet clear whether explosives

Workers cut mangled coaches to rescue trapped passengers.

were used in the blast.

Mamata said TNT explosives and gelatine sticks were also found at the accident site. Railway General Manager A P Mishra too said these materials were found on the tracks.

She said a patrol engine had passed through the disaster spot half an hour earlier, but the tim-

Terrorists wearing suicide vests and armed with grenades and assault rifles today stormed two packed mosques of the minority Ahmadi sect in this eastern Pakistani city, killing about 80 people, including a retired lieutenant general and a journalist, and injuring scores more.

In one of the deadliest coordinated attacks, two groups of terrorists targeted mosques at heavily-congested Garhi Shahu and the posh Model Town area at around 1.45 pm local time when worshippers were about to start the prayers.

Reports received from different hospitals put the death toll at “around 80”, District Administration Chief Sajjad Bhutta told reporters.

Other officials said nearly 100 people were injured, some of them seriously.

A retired lieutenant general of the Pakistan Army was killed when the terrorists stormed the mosque in Model Town.

24 hurt in AP violence, Jagan abandons tour PTI HYDERABAD, MAY 28

Twenty-four people, including eight policemen, were today injured in violence that broke out during a tour of Congress MP Y S Jaganmohan to Telangana, following which he was taken into preventive custody forcing him to abandon his visit.

Nine people were injured when police fired to quell protesters while seven others were injured in clashes, police said.

Eight policemen were also hurt in the violence that broke out in protest against his yatra.

Jaganmohan, son of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, had undertaken his ‘Odarpu Yatra’ to console people who had allegedly committed suicide or died after hearing his father’s death in a helicopter crash last year.

wounds. Hospital authorities also made appeals for blood donations.

Seven policemen, including Superintendent of Police Haider Ashraf, were injured in the exchange of fire with the terrorists.

Police brought the situation at the Model Town mosque under control a little over an hour after the attack began.

The operation to clear the mosque at Garhi Shahu, where several terrorists took up positions on a minaret and the rooftop, ended after 4 pm.

Witnesses said several of the terrorists who stormed the mosques were wearing suicide vests.

Firing indiscriminately and lobbing grenades, they entered the mosques killing policemen and security guards deployed at the gates.

TV channels aired dramatic footage of policemen advancing towards the mosques and exchanging fire with the attackers.

railment. The attack came as the Maoists observe a ‘Black Week’.

A PCPA spokesman Asit Mahato later denied the group’s involvement. Five of the 13 derailed coaches fell on an adjacent track and were hit by a goods train coming from the opposite direction.

Cuncolim girl’s murder: 3 arrested

‘Only accredited consultants can okay CRZ projects’

The Cuncolim police arrested three persons, believed to be associates of the main killer, who had shot dead the 22-year old girl from Cuncolim earlier this month.

The police said though the main accused — believed to be from Hyderabad — is still at large, they had managed to nab his associates who actively participated in the cold-blooded murder.

Cuncolim Police station incharge, PI Nelson Albuquerque said the trio has been remanded to police custody for further investigations. The police, however, expressed hope of nabbing the fourth accused late evening.

He said it was a love turned sour story that was behind the gruesome murder of the 22year old girl, who was shot dead point blank at her house earlier this month.

Sources in the know said the police has launched a man hunt to nab the main accused and to (Continued on page 10)

Arrest fails to deter retired teachers HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 28

Police action didn’t deter the agitated teachers of Discriminated Teachers Forum to continue their hunger strike on Friday in an attempt to call the attention of the authorities concerned to take note of their grievances.

Around 84 teachers aged over 60 were detained today morning at the Panjim Church Square, here, from where they were to take the road to the Chief Minister’s official residence to start the hunger strike.

Well aware of the teachers’ move of the hunger strike, the police on Thursday night had

imposed Section 144 up to 200 metres from the CM’s official residence.

The teachers were detained sometime around 9.30 am and released in the afternoon at 2.45 pm. The police tried to dissuade the teachers from continuing their hunger strike by giving them lunch, but the latter were adamant in their resolve to continue.

After coming out of the police station they moved to the Captain of Ports Jetty, to continue their strike. President DTF Nevis Rebello said the teachers have faced injustice and the police action will not stop them from con-

The State Government today informed the High Court that at this stage it does not feel it necessary to refer the case about alleged police-drug dealers nexus to an independent agency like CBI. The Public Prosecutor Carlos Ferreira, appearing on behalf of the Crime Branch which is currently investigating the alleged police-drug dealers nexus, made the statement after taking instructions from the Government.

However, he also told the Court he would make a statement on the next date of h e a r i n g o n We d n e s d a y whether investigation will be handed over to a senior officer or any other independent agency.

The Court was hearing a bail application moved by the suspended police inspector

ing of the blast proved disastrous with a portion of the line being blown away.

IGP (Law and Order) S Karpurakayastha told PTI in Kolkata that Maoist-backed People’s Committee against Police Atrocities (PCPA) has left two posters near the rail tracks “clearly owning responsibility” for the de-

HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 28

A journalist of a Lahore-based TV channel was wounded while covering the assault at Garhi Shahu and later succumbed to his injuries.

A Punjabi faction of the Te h r i k - e -Ta l i b a n Pa k i s t a n claimed responsibility for the attacks, Geo News channel reported.

Witnesses said eight to 10 terrorists were involved in the two attacks. Three attackers at Garhi Shahu blew themselves up by detonating their suicide vests, Bhutta said. Their heads were found by investigators, he added.

At least two attackers were arrested at Model Town and one them was injured, provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said.

The injured attacker was operated on at Jinnah Hospital.

The fate of the remaining attackers could not immediately be ascertained.

The injured were taken to five hospitals, where doctors performed emergency surgeries on several persons with serious

No need for CBI probe, Govt tells High Court HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 28

Terror strikes Pak PTI LAHORE, MAY 28

Cop-drug dealers nexus

tinuing with the strike till their grievances were resolved.

Opposition Leader Manohar Parrikar, who visited the police station to support the demands of the senior retired teachers, said the Government should take into account a few demands and try to fulfill the same.

He was critical of the police detaining the teachers.

The senior retired teachers, who allege they were forced to retire at the age of 58, as result of change in rules, are demanding for their two years pay benefits along with six pay commission arrears.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, MAY 28

The Environment and Forest Ministry on Friday clarified that only accredited consultants under the Environment Impact Assessment notification of 2006 will be entertained for seeking the CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone) clearances after June 30.

It justified accreditation for appraisal of the CRZ proposals, pointing out that CRZ clearance also involves appraisal of environment impacts and their mitigations by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC). Parties can appear before the committee through the accredited consultants, it said.

The ministry also made it clear that it will not extend the last date of June 30 fixed for accreditation of the consultants through whom the parties can approach the ministry and its various committees for environmental clearances.

The ministry has engaged the Quality Council of India and the National Accreditation Board of Education and Training (QCINABET) to help it to select the consultants. All those seeking clearance of their projects will have to present their cases only through these consultants after June 30.

An office memorandum of the ministry said the project proponents can appear before the Expert Appraisal Committee and make submissions and presentations without a consultant, but only accredited consultants will be entertained by the committee after June 30, the last date for getting registered.

It may be recalled that the Government of Goa had recently requested the ministry of environment and forests to bring about a Goa-specific amendment to the CRZ notification to save houses of traditional inhabitants.

Ashish Shirodkar.

The Court reserved its order on the bail application for Wednesday after both parties concluded their arguments.

During the last date of hearing the Vacation Bench of Justice N A Britto had sought to know if the Government had any plans to hand over investigation to an independent agency.

The Crime Branch today submitted a statement to substantiate its claim that suspended cop had links with drug dealers such as Atala and Dudu.

It also submitted a letter containing list of items which were in stock available for destruction. In 2006, the NDPS Court Mapusa had ordered Drugs Destruction Committee (DDC) to destroy certain quantity of drugs. However, DDC did not execute the court order.

Charges against Sajjan framed PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 28

A Delhi court today framed charges of murder, criminal conspiracy and spreading enmity between two communities against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar and others in a 1984 antiSikh riots case.

Additional Sessions Judge Sunita Gupta ordered framing of charges against Kumar besides Balwan and Krishan Khokhar, M Yadav, Captain Bhagmal and Girdhari Lal.

With this scorching summer heat we can at least save on gas cylinders by cooking on the roof top.

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GOA, SATURDAY, 29 MAY, 2010

BJP activists want paddy fields desilted Threaten to disrupt Canacona’s administration functioning

Deputy Collector Deepak Dessai listens to the grievances of Poinguinim MLA Ramesh Tawadkar, while others watch near the entrance of Canacona administrative building. Photo by Kathy Pereira HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, MAY 28

BJP activists led by Poinguinim MLA Ramesh Tawadkar on Friday swarmed the deputy collector’s building compound demanding immediate desilting of paddy fields destroyed during the October 2 floods.

They have threatened to disrupt the functioning of Canacona’s administration if authorities fail to respond to their demands within the next five days.

About 200 people, belonging to farming community from Gaondongrim and Cotigao, marched with placards to the Deputy Collector’s office, demanding an explanation for the failure of

authorities to attend to their paddy fields or to extend monetary benefits to them to repair and rebuild their houses destroyed in the last October floods.

“The rains are knocking at our doors now, but where is the rehabilitation which was assured by the government,” asked the farmers.

“Neither our paddy fields, which are buried with silt, are freed, nor our houses which collapsed are attended,” cried the farmers.

Poinguinim MLA Ramesh Tawadkar reminded the administration that Chief Minister Digambar Kamat time and again gave various assurances of reaching help to the farmers community.

“But except for Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 paid to the farmers for destruction of paddy crops and initial Rs 12,000 paid to farmers houses suffered damages during floods, no other compensation is paid nor their fields are cleared from the debris,” said Tawadkar.

The slogan shouting crowd was not allowed to enter Deputy Collector’s building, as a strong police force kept them at bay.

Later, Deputy Collector Deepak Dessai heard the grievances listed out by Poinguinim MLA, who demanded to solve them within five working days or else the MLA threatened to disrupt the working of entire Deputy Collector’s and Canacona Mamlatdar’s office.

“We will not allow officials to even open the Canacona’s administrative complex door and not allow any staff or officers to function, if our demands are not attended within the permitted time,” Tawadkar told the deputy collector.

Initially, it is learnt that the rally was proposed by flood-affected farmers from these regions, but it turned out to be political organized protests with protestors wearing BJP caps and placards having the saffron logo led by that parties MLA. Later, Dessai told scribes that he will bring the grievances listed by the farmers to the notice of the government through the Collector.

Chimbel locals want retaining walls to protect embankment of road

Nuvem girl ends life HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 28

A young girl of 16 years from Nuvem has ended her life by consuming poison.

Maina Curtorim PSI Navlesh Desai said the girl was rushed to Hospicio this evening after she complained of vomiting. He said the girl later disclosed that she had consumed poison. He said the police are investigating into the reasons behind the suicide.

Chief Secretary Sanjay Srivastava receiving West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan at the Dabolim Airport on Friday.

Application for proper CBI probe into IFFI 2004 scam dismissed HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 28

The JMFC today dismissed the application filed

by Kashinath Shetye seeking directions to the CBI to properly conduct a probe of the alleged IFFI 2004 infrastructure scam and include other persons allegedly involved in the financial misappropriation.

The JMFC Edgar Fernandes dismissed the application for want of jurisdiction.

The CBI had questioned the jurisdiction of the JMFC here to entertain the application filed by Shetye.

The CBI registered the case in 2007 with regards to the expenditure incurred on infrastructure development for IFFI 2004 under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and various provisions of Indian Penal Code and Opposition Leader Manohar Parrikar who was at the helm of affairs during IFFI 2004 was interrogated by CBI in April 2010.

Parrikar has been demanding that Chief Minister Digambar Kamat who also part of the core committee for IFFI 2004, also be interrogated.

Others who were also part of the core committee then include speaker Pratapsing Rane, Power Minister Aleixo Sequeira, Water Resources

Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues, Education Minister Babush Monserrate and few others.

The CBI filed its preliminary objections before JMFC raising the issue in response to a notice issued to it by the Court this month following application moved by Shetye.

The CBI’s contention was the applicant has no locus standi to file the application as he was not even the complainant on the basis of which the FIR was filed.

However, Adv Ryan Menezes, the counsel for the applicant countered the argument saying the applicant has the right to approach the magistrate as it is found that the CBI was not investigating the case properly.

The case is being investigated by CBI within the jurisdiction of the magistrate and hence the magistrate has the powers to issue directions. The CBI has questioned several persons (besides Parrikar) including contractors, officials, etc on various issues which were highlighted

by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.

These included alleged irregularities in tendering of multiplex, over appointment of consultants, costing of the projects, etc.

Merces Sarpanch warns locals against illegal land filling HERALD CORRESPONDENT MERCES, MAY 28

The embankment of the road on the verge of collapse due to erosion.

Photo by Manuel Vaz

averted in the near future.

Speaking to Herald, a villager, Lourdes Conception, said the villagers have been highlighting the problem of the erosion taking place, at the spot, for quite a long time in the gram sabha meetings and have demanded that retaining walls be built to ensure that mishaps do not take place.

Conception further lamented that despite their demands the retaining walls have yet to be built and the erosion continues to pose threats to road users, particularly during the night when the visibility is very low.

Another local, John Pereira, said that if immediate action is not taken to protect the em-

bankment, there is every possibility of further erosion taking place during the monsoon, which will pose greater danger to road users.

When contacted, Chimbel Sarpanch Chandrakant Kunkolkar said the panchayat has already adopted a resolution to build retaining walls on both sides of the stretch of this road and has forwarded the same to the PWD way back in the month of March.

“However, the panchayat is yet to receive a reply from the PWD in this regard,” he said and assured that he would request the PWD to at least take some temporary measures to arrest the erosion.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT MERCES, MAY 27

The villagers had expressed fears for a long time that the erosion of the embankment of the road near Chimbel panchayat would pose a threat to motorists if it is not attended to immediately.

And their fears came true when, on Thursday, a WagonR landed into the fields after the driver lost control of his vehicle at the exact spot while travelling from Chimbel to Ribandar.

Though the driver escaped unhurt in the incident, the villagers have now demanded that the concerned authorities immediately construct retaining walls on both sides of the roads so that similar mishaps are

Another cop to probe woman’s suicide attempt!

HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 28

Strange it may seem, but true. The Goa police have appointed a third police officer in the last one month to probe into the suicide attempt by the woman from Loutolim.

A PSI attached to the Maina Curtorim Police station, PSI Suraj Samant has been despatched to Chennai to ascertain the condition of the woman and record her statement in connection with the case.

Incidentally, PSI Samant is the third office to be drafted by the Goa police to either ascertain the woman’s health condition or record her statement.

At first, it was PI Sidhant Shirodkar, who was deputed by the police to Mumbai after reports indicated that the woman has been hospitalized in Mumbai after she consumed Ratol.

After the return of PI Shirodkar, the Goa police deemed it fit to hand over the case to the Police station incharge of Sanguem Police Station, PI Raju Raut Desai, who was later sent to Mumbai to investigate the case.

PI Desai has returned to Goa three days ago, and after learning that the woman has been shifted to a Chennai hospital, has sent PSI Suraj Samant to the South Indian state to probe into the woman’s health condition.

This is perhaps the first time that an attempt to suicide case is being probed by as many as three police officers.

Calangute dy sarpanch elected unopposed

Merces Sarpanch Prakash Naik issued a stern warning to all villagers who indulge in illegal land filling activities in the village without obtaining necessary approval from the concerned authorities and said that strict action will be taken against the offenders.

The Sarpanch also vowed to take action against illegal dumping of debris on the roadsides in the village and informed that the panchayat would not hesitate to bring the culprits to book as and whenever they are caught red handed.

Prakash made the statements at a press conference, which was held in the Merces panchayat premises on Friday. Further, with the panchayat already facing a headache over garbage in the absence of a dumping site, Prakash said that people who are caught dumping or throwing garbage at various places in the village, will be fined in the range of Rs 500 – Rs 1000, depending on the quantity of the garbage being dumped.

“Those who are caught filling land illegally, the panchayat will issue notices to the parties involved and report the matter to the higher authorities for appropriate action,” he added.

When questioned why the panchayat has come to this sudden decisions, Prakash said that he has received complaints from one of his panchas Deepika Shirgaonkar that unknown persons are indulging in illegal filling of land in her ward

under the garb of darkness and that the activity is going on for the past few days.

He further said that he has also noticed construction debris being dumped on the roadsides in the village, particularly at several places in Vaddy-Merces, which is being done clandestinely in the night time, and despite several efforts on the part of the panchayat, the culprits are not being caught. Prakash further appealed to the villagers to immediately report to him or any of the panchas if they notice anybody indulging in such acts so that the culprits are brought to book.

On the garbage front, Prakash said that the Merces Panchayat is itself facing problems of disposing its garbage in the absence of a dumping site, and informed that villagers, not only from Merces but other villages as well, dump or throw garbage in plastic bags at various places, thereby making the task of the panchayat that much difficult. He further urged the villagers not to dump garbage at will, but instead segregate the garbage at home, which will go a long way in solving garbage woes in the village.

When questioned what the panchayat has done over identifying a site for dumping garbage, Prakash said that the process has already started and soon the concerned authorities will identify and inspect the area for its suitability to treat waste.

Deputy Sarpanch Yogita Kavlekar and panch Deepika Shirgaonkar were also present at the press conference.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARCEL, MAY 28

A 46-year-old woman and her five-year-old daughter are reported to be missing from BhatiShiroda.

In his complaint, Francis Pereira of Bhati-Shiroda told Ponda police that his wife Jennifer (46) had left the house along with their fiveyear-old daughter on May 26 and they had not returned home.

The complainant also stated that enquires with relatives about his wife and daughter proved futile and no one is aware of Jennifer’s whereabouts.

The complainant further stated that his wife was wearing pink top and green-coloured trousers before leaving the house.

HERALD REPORTER VASCO, MAY 28

Tanker drivers and cleaners on Friday called off their three-day strike, after the Home Department (General) evoked the Goa Essential Service Maintenance Act (ESMA) against Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) to ensure supply of petroleum products.

After evoking the ESMA, IOC officials acted tough against the striking drivers and cleaners and immediately held talks with transporters, directing them to call off the strike called by drivers and cleaners.

The transporters persuaded the drivers and cleaners to resume the work and on Friday morning, the tankers started plying. Priority was give to the KTC and railway to supply the fuel.

Speaking to media, IOC PRO Ajit More said since the State administration has evoked ESMA, the transporters had talks with ICO officials and at about 11.30 am, the strike was called off.

However, the reluctant drivers and cleaners surrendered before the pressure of the transporters and resumed supply, but few drivers and cleaners have made a representation before the Assistant Labour Commissioner.

To ensure that there is no law and order problem, Sub Divisional Magistrate Levinson Martins directed Vasco police DySP Mahesh Gaonkar to deploy police personnel outside the IOC depot.

Teen missing

VASCO, MAY 28 (HC) -- A 16year-old boy from Baina-Vasco was reported to be missing, after he failed in the SSC examination on Thursday.

According to Vasco police, Ashok Kumar Yadav had gone to see his result on Thursday, but when he came to know that he has failed in few subjects, he went missing. Vasco police informed that parents are in distress and have requested the child to return home or call them immediately.

Kalash installation ceremony passes off peacefully at Agonda temple

HERALD CORRESPONDENT CALANGUITE, MAY 28

Sneha G Salgaonkar was on Friday elected unopposed deputy sarpanch of Calangute Panchayat.

It may be recalled that the post had fallen vacant after Ana Marie D’Souza stepped down as per the understanding among the ruling group. The ruling group led by former Calangute sarpanch Joseph Sequeira was present in full strength and anxiously waited for Presiding Officer S V Naik to make the declaration.

Naik finally declared Salgaonkar elected unopposed as deputy sarpanch of Calangute Panchayat at the elections held in the panchayat premises.

Calangute Sarpanch Laxman Parab Palyekar, former Calangute sarpanch Joseph Sequeira, Panchas Alex Fernandes, Subhash Salgaonkar and former deputy sarpanch Ana Marie D’Souza congratulated Salgaonkar.

Mother, daughter missing from Shiroda

Tanker drivers, cleaners call off strike

Some youth assists Pujari to install Kalash over the reconstructed Shri Rajani Paeik Temple, Bhurm-Agonda.

Photo by Kathy Pereira HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, MAY 28

Amid fears of disruption of peace in t h e l o c a l i t y, t h e N u t a n K a l a s h Prathistapan ceremony took place

peacefully in the reconstructed Shri Rajani Paiek Temple at Bhurm-Agonda on Friday.

It may be recalled that on Thursday, after the two warring groups of dif-

ferent communities claimed right over the installation of Kalash over the reconstructed temple dome, Canacona Mamlatdar and police intervened to bring a peaceful settlement.

However, there were still fears that in spite of the settlement reached on Thursday, police teams were present to avert any trouble that may arose during the ceremony.

As agreed, only the chosen Pujari performed his rituals, blessed the Kalash for preparing it for the installation on top of the temple dome. Both the community leaders watched the ceremony from their respective places.

While police too watched the developments from a distance, some youth helped the Pujari to place the blessed Kalash over the temple’s dome.

Sources informed that it is not known to which community the youth, who climbed the temple dome to help the Pujari belongs, as with the intervention of Canacona Mamlatdar Chandrakant Shetkar and Canacona PI Raju Raut Dessai, it was agreed to keep the hands of both the communities away from the

Kalash.

There were no protest from any angle over the youth presence on top of the temple dome and the entire ceremony passed off peacefully.

Sources told Herald that people appreciated the efforts of Canacona administration, especially Canacona PI Raju Raut Dessai, for tactfully settling the dispute to its logical conclusion.

It may be recalled that the parent committee Shri Lakhneshwar Devasthan (mostly consisting of Maratha/Dessai community) has under its care nine temples including Shri Rajani Paiek Temple practically controlled by Velips community and had complained to Canacona Mamlatdar that Velips are ignoring their right over the temple affairs and had even gone ahead with Nutan Kalash Prathistapan without their knowledge.

On the other hand, Velips community controlling Shri Rajani Paiek Temple believes that the temple belongs only to them and others should not exert their right over its existence.

Moreover, Velips, also known to be Mahajans of Shri Lakneshwar Devasthan, bitterly complained that they are not given their due, when it comes to Mahajans rights.

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GOA, SATURDAY, 29 MAY, 2010

Panel to monitor plaints against illegal recruiting agents soon

NRI Affairs Commissioner Eduardo Faleiro addressing a press conference at Maquinez Palace, Campal-Panjim on Friday morning. OEAG Chairman, Vice Adm John de Silva is also present.

HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 28

Goa Government will soon constitute a committee under the chairmanship of NRI Affairs Commissioner Eduardo Faleiro to monitor complaints against illegal recruiting agents, which are presently pending with the police department for years together.

Faleiro, addressing a press conference Friday morning here, said that the committee headed by him would meet every two

months and keep track of the complaints filed against unscrupulous illegal recruiting agents.

He said the NRI Commission is tr ying hard to see that those migrating abroad do not fall prey to unscrupulous agents.

Persons coming from economically poor background wanting to earn some money by migrating abroad often succumbed to the promises made by illegal recruiting agents, who charged huge fees.

Faleiro said complaints are received about

such unscrupulous recruitment agents and complaints are also filed with the police.

But they don’t seem to be taken to the logical end, he felt.

“Often, when the person reaches the destination country, he is either jobless or is given a job not of his choice. That job pays a lot less than the one promised,” Faleiro said.

The commissioner also said that he would a print and television media awareness campaign was also on the cards to warn job seekers about illegal recruiters.

He also mooted setting up of an ‘Emergency Repatriation Fund’ to help such souls in distresses abroad.

“The fund will extend financial assistance in the most deserving cases of repatriation of Goan workers when they and their families are not in a position to meet the expenses,” he said.

Replying to other questions, he felt that the administration could be further fine-tuned so that discipline is reinforced.

Faleiro said that two crucial schemes dealing with NRI affairs were derailed due to sheer administrative inefficiency.

These two schemes were to be included in the last budget but it didn’t happen due to incompetence and negligence of one senior officer.

Nonetheless, Faleiro also praised Chief Minister Digamber Kamat “as a good and efficient person”, who was implementing various good projects in the State.

GBA for 24x7 flying squads HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 28

Reviewing the government’s response to its demands over protection of land from indiscriminate hill cutting, filling of land, etc, Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) today felt that the government has failed to keep its commitment on several pending issues and decided to hold a meeting along with villagers to chalk out future course of action.

On the setting up of ‘flying squads’, GBA demanded that they should be available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

GBA at its core group meeting on May 27, took stock of the demands raised at the structured meeting with the TCP Secretary Mr R Yaduvanshi that were met and those still pending with the government and also reviewed the Orders and Circulars issued by the Government of Goa to bring into effect some of its commitments to the people of Goa in order to protect the land from indiscriminate hill cutting, land filling and other forms of “development” that is opposed by the people. The meeting decided to call a meeting along with villagers to chalk out the future course of action.

To stop the illegal hill cutting and filling of low lying land the Government had constituted the flying squad. However, currently, the flying squads are available only during office hours and touring around their jurisdiction on holidays as per the order.

The GBA demands that the “flying squads” should be at work 24 hours a day and seven days a week as hill cutting and land filling goes on at all hours especially after working hours. The necessary instructions should be issued in writing to the concerned authorities, demanded convenor.

GBA had also demanded a total freeze on constructions in eco sensitive zones marked in draft RP 2021 as well as those existing, irrespective of its status in RP2001. However the Order issued

by Government has not addressed this issue but instead, formed a committee to examine proposals for constructions on eco sensitive zones shown as settlement or industrial zones in RP 2001 which is now operational.

FIELDS: The eco-sensitive zones list ‘cultivated fields” instead of ‘cultivated and uncultivated fields’ which gives scope for construction, if a

person intentionally keeps the field uncultivated.

GBA demands that the Government, issue a notification with immediate effect to stop all constructions in eco-sensitive zones marked in the draft RP 2021 which includes all cultivated and uncultivated fields.

NO REPORT: While the Government had assured that a fortnightly report on the progress of the RP2021 would be given, no such progress or report is made public.

The two taluka plans which were supposed to be made public every month as per the timeline of completing the Plan in six months is not adhered to.

Even after 3 months of the assurance, the two taluka plans are not yet out.

REVIEW PANEL: The Government announced the formation of a committee to review the TCP Act, no head way has been made. The copy of that order was not made available. No progress has also been reported in holding the first meeting of the committee constituted to review the Goa TCP Act, 1974 in order to replace it with an Act in sync with Article 243 as amended by the 73rd and 74th amendments of 1992.

HERITAGE PANEL: The Government has issued an order constituting the heritage committee in response to the demand to protect heritage structures. While it is stated that the NGOs would get a hearing, no representation was given to heritage activists in the committee.

VIOLATIONS: The GBA and village groups had submitted a list of on going violations to the secretary. The action taken report is still awaited.

Although the Secretary TCP had reiterated at the start of the structured meeting of 21 April, 2010, that the minutes meeting would be recorded and action would be taken as a consequence thereof, it is regretted that the Chief Town Planner has denied the existence of any such minutes in a written reply.

It may be recalled that 35 members representing village groups, NGOs, civil society organizations from all over Goa, including Goa Bachao Abhiyan led by Convener of GBA, attended a structured meeting with the Goa Administration chaired by the TCP Secretary at the conference hall of the new Secretariat Complex.

2-year-old child killed in Areal accident HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 28

In a tragic accident, a twoyear-old girl child was killed in a hit-and-run accident metres outside her house at Sao Jose de Areal.

Maina Curtorim police has registered a case of hitand-run after the father of the deceased girl suspected that her child was hit by a vehicle.

Post mortem examination report has revealed that the girl died of head injuries.

The incident occurred near the KRC Bridge at Sao Jose de Areal when the father moved out of the house towards Curtorim.

The young girl, who was playing outside the house, reportedly came out and was found lying dead close to the road.

The Maina Curtorim police have registered a hitand-run case and are on the look out for the vehicle involved in the accident.

Further investigations are on.

ILLEGAL LAND FILLING

Streamlining of flying squads in 15 days: Acharya HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 28

If the district authorities are to be believed, it will take a fortnight or so to fully streamline the newly-constituted flying squads to tackle illegal land filing and hill cutting.

The authorities, however, felt that the exercise would succeed only if the Town and Country Planning Department is pro-active and serious in addressing the issue of hill cutting and land filling head on.

This was communicated by the nodal officer and Additional d i s t r i c t C o l l e c t o r, S o u t h Prasanna Acharya when a delegation of the village Groups of Goa called on him to demand streamlining of the flying squads.

Acharya said since the flying squads have been put in place at the initiative of the Chief Town Planner, the TCP should be equally serious in taking the exercise to its logical conclusion.

In this respect, Acharya said the authorities have put a system in place, wherein the flying squad would issue immediate stop work order at any hill cutting or land filing site and expected the TCP to lodge a FIR with the police within two days.

“We are serious and we expect the TCP to show the same seriousness. We want to make the TCP proactive”, he said.

Incidentally, contrary to the statement by the District Collector, G P Naik that the flying

n “We are serious and we expect the TCP to show the same seriousness. We want to make the TCP proactive.”

-- Prasanna Acharya squads stand streamlined after Thursday’s meeting with the Deputy Collector, the Additional District Collector has said it will take 15 days to put the flying squads in place.

Acharya further said that the authorities will ask the Chief Town Planner to provide a copy of the permission granted for hill cutting and land filling to help the flying squads to attend to the complaints. ‘If there is any violation, the flying squads will immediately issue stop work order and refer the matter to the TCP for action. We have made arrangement for a dedicated vehicle”, he said, adding that deputy collectors will work in rotation.

Activist Judith Almeida expressed satisfaction that the authorities have decided to streamline the flying squads, but appealed to the Chief Minister and the Chief Town Planner to please respect the rights of the people of Goa. “Please don’t take the people for granted. Do not ignore public opinion, the people will no longer take things lying down”, he asserted.

Demand for direct train to Vailankanni yet to materialise HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 28

Attention, Goa government and the State’s three MPs. The annual ordeal facing thousands of Goan pilgrims heading to Vailankanni for the Novenas is far from over.

It may sound strange, but true. In the absence of a direct train to the pilgrimage city, pilgrims are forced to spend two nights and days with the hope of getting a train ticket for their journey scheduled three months from now in August.

In fact, the Margao Railway Station ticket booking centre has been witnessing a huge queue of pilgrims from the State as they hope to lay their hands on the train ticket to the South India state.

The sorry plight of the pilgrims has only renewed the demand for a direct train from Goa to Chennai during the festival season to ease the rush of passengers. Every year, demand for a direct train to Vailankanni is being made to the government and the MPs, but in

ing the novenas. vain, the passengers “It’s ten years now, pilgrims claimed.

‘Thousands of pilgrims visiting Vailankanni have been visit Vailankanni during facing the ordeal of getting the August for the Novenas, train tickets. Why has the govbut no one has taken seernment not intervened in the rious note of the demand interests of its people by pressfor a direct train from ing a direct train”, asked a senGoa to the pilgrim cenior citizen, who had been tre”, remarked Chinvisiting Vailankanni for a chinim ZP member decade now. He said the pilSabria Dias. grims had in the past apShe was amongst the proached several people, but hundreds of people the demand for a direct train who stood in a queue has not yet materialized till last night with the hope date.

Another passenger maintained of getting a train ticket that pilgrims, irrespective of their to Vailankanni. “We have to spend four People stand in a big queue at the Margao railway station for ticket c a s t e a n d c r e e d , h e a d t o Vailankanni by trains and charnights at the station to to Vailankanni during the Novenas in August. get the tickets, two Photo by Sidharth Mehta tered vehicles and a direct train would have saved them from the nights to get the ticket for the onward journey and two nights to know why the Goa government or ordeal. “Leave alone a direct train, the the three MPs representing the state government has not even helped to get for the return journey”, she said.

Many others standing the huge queue have not taken up with the Centre for two extra bogeys to clear the rush of echoed similar sentiments and demanded pressing a direct train to Vailankanni dur- pilgrims”, he added.

Nepali duo remanded HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 28 –

The two Nepalese arrested with charas yesterday by Anti-Narcotic Cell of Goa Police were today remanded to police custody.

Yesterday, ANC sleuths in a raid caught two Nepali drug peddlers in Bicholim and seized from them 3.51 kg of charas worth approximately Rs 4 lakh. Police gave the names of the accused as Rampal Patel, 35, and Bishwnat Prasad, 35. They were intercepted and searched near Shanbag Hotel in Bicholim market when they were waiting for customers. It once again drove a point that drugs are not just restricted along the coastal areas.

Superintendent of Police ANC Veenu Bansal mentioned a trap was laid on a tip-off by an informant. Both face charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

3 Margao blast accused move court HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 28

Three of the four accused arrested in the Margao bomb blast case have moved the South Goa Sessions Court for bail.

The bail applications filed by Vinay Talekar, Vinayak Patil and Dilip Mangaonkar came up for hearing before the court on Friday, but arguments on the applications were adjourned by the court to June 8 following adjournment application moved by the lawyer representing the accused.

Special Judicial Magistrate representing the National Investigating Agency in the case S B

Faria said the Court had fixed for hearing of arguments on the bail applications on Friday. He, however, said that the lawyer of the accused moved an adjournment application, which was granted by the court.

In the bail applications, the accused prayed to the court that they be released on bail on such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the court.

They contended that the trial of the case may take a very long time and it would not be fair and just to make them languish in jail for the entire trial.

Porvorim panel threatens rasta roko over proposed widening of NH-17 HERALD CORRESPONDENT PORVORIM, MAY 28

The National Highway-17 Porvorim Action Committee has decided to oppose tooth and nail the proposed widening of NH17 passing through Porvorim to 45 mts.

Speaking to Herald, convenor of NH-17 Porvorim Action Committee and former Aldona MLA Fatima D’Sa said existing Mandovi bridges are unable to cope up with vehicular traffic.

“During peak hours, huge queues of vehicles are seen almost every day on both the bridges. Under the circumstance, how government can think of widening the existing NH-17 passing through MapusaPorvorim to 45 mts and pass the bill to this effect in the Assembly without consulting the people,” asked D’Sa. “As per the notification issued in 2008, the National Highway Authority of India and consultant Wilbur Smith Associates had recommended a bypass from Green Park Hotel near Mapusa to Panjim via Socorro, Britona through the fields,” she added.

“This bypass would have affected only 43 structures. The proposed widening of road through Porvorim as per the land acquisition notification released by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will lead to demolition of over 380 structures which includes commercial establishments, hospitals, heritage houses, churches, temples, etc,” said D’Sa. “The action committee has decided to meet Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, PWD Minister

Ban on protests near CM’s house extended HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 28

Prohibition of holding morcha, dharna or assembly of people in any place upto 200 metres from the Chief Minister’s official residence at Altinho, has been extended by North Goa District Magistrate Mihir Vardhan today till June 3.

Yesterday late evening, an order was issued by the North Goa District Magistrate Mihir Vardhan imposing Section 144 for May 28 in view of the proposed dharna and chain hunger strike planned

by Discriminated Teachers’ Forum, beginning from May 28.

The District Magistrate’s order said Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure was being invoked following a report from the Superintendent of Police (North) fearing that the proposed agitation of the Discriminated Teachers might disrupt “smooth flow of human and vehicular traffic from the Church Square to CM’s residence and that it would result in law and order problem” According to the order, there is prohibition on assembly or collection of persons or organizing morchas or processions, use of loudspeakers, shouting slogans, etc.

This is applicable in the public place, streets roads, thoroughfare, bylanes, open space within 200 metres along the stretch of road from Church Square to CM’s residence at Altinho, Panjim.

The order promulgated will now remain in force from 7 am of May 29 to 7 pm on June 3.

Churchill Alemao, local MLA Dayanand Narvekar and North Goa MP Shripad Naik and register our protest against proposed widening of road from Mapusa to Porvorim to 45 mts. The committee will not mind resorting to a road blockade agitation if the government does not change its decision,” said D’Sa. Chodankar Hospital Director Dr Ravindra Chodankar said part of his hospital and Goa Scan Centre will have to be demolished, if the road is widened to 45 mts as per the notification.

“As it is, residents of Porvorim are facing a lot of problems like water scarcity, power fluctuations and sewerage and instead of solving these problems, the government is thinking of multiplying their problems,” said Dr Chodankar.

“PWD Minister Churchill Alemao during the meeting with residents of Por vorim about 8 months ago had agreed to maintain the existing Mapusa-Porvorim road and carry out widening of the road wherever possible without demolition of structures,” added Dr Chodankar.

He further said the Wilbur Smith Associates, who has been appointed by the government of India to carry out feasibilitycum-preliminary design for 4/6 laning of NH-17 has recommended widening of the road in Chinchinim village to 35 mts only.

“If this can be done, then why government cannot restrict widening of road passing through Porvorim to only 35 mts,” questioned Dr Chodankar.

Dr Chodankar further said

demolition of business establishments and the hospital would lead to massive unemployment.

“In my hospital, about 50 people are working. If part of my hospital is demolished, I will be forced to retrench the staff. My hospital is serving people of Goa since 1984. It is the governmentrecognized hospital and during the course of last 25 years, over 15,000 deliveries have taken place in the hospital,” he said.

“The government has already diverted widening of road in Agassaim to prevent demolition of houses, then why government cannot do the same at Porvorim? If the government had intention to widen the road then why panchayats have not been informed about it,” asked Dr Chodankar.

“Panchayats have given permissions to new buildings alongside NH-17. If the existing age-old structures are demolished, then there will be loss of several crores of rupees and it will create unemployment. We will not allow this to happen at any cost,” he stated.

GOA

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GOA, SATURDAY, 29 MAY, 2010

S H O RT TA K E S Animal shelter opened

Tar balls now appear on Agonda beach HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, MAY 28

District governor Gurudatta Bhakta, president Sanat Pilgaonkar, CCP Mayor Carolina Po, project coordinator Andrew D’Souza and CCP Commissioner Elvis Gomes at the opening of the animal shelter.

PANJIM (HND): Rotary Club of Panjim inaugurated an Extra Wing – shelter for animals and pets at St Inez in association with Corporation of the City of Panjim, managed and run by Angela Qazi under the banner Peoples Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).

As on date, Rotary Club of Panjim has spent Rs 10 lakhs in constructing shelters, kennels for pets and animals and also in providing operation table, air conditioner for operation theatre and other miscellaneous works.

The inauguration was done at the hands of Mayor Carolina Po and district governor Gurudatta Bhakta in the presence of CCP Commissioner Elvis Gomes, Industries Director Sanjit Rodrigues, President Sanat Pilgaonkar and project coordinator Andrew D’Souza.

Association for deaf opened

Chairperson of Goa State Welfare Board Manisha Naik lighting the lamp to mark the inauguration of Goa Association for the Deaf.

PANJIM (HND): Goa Association for the Deaf was inaugurated recently at the hands of Chairperson of Goa State Welfare Board Manisha Naik in the presence of Sandeep Sanzgiri and Prasad Raghunath Joshi.

Goa Association for Deaf is a first organization formed by deaf and dumb people as a platform to discuss their problems and to take benefit of government schemes for deaf and dumb inorder to lead an independent, self-reliant life, full of zeal and enthusiasm.

On this occasion, various competitions were organized like dance competition, funny games, one minute acting competition, etc. To boost the competition of the members, Manisha Naik congratulated the president of the organization Prasad Joshi and announced that donation is given by Home Minister Ravi Naik.

Sandeep Sanzgiri highlighted the importance of having positive approach towards life. Prasad Joshi thanked the executive members of the association for their remarkable work and cooperation and expressed wish to enhance and expand the catchment areas and activities of the association.

Later, the judges declared the result of the various competitions and prizes were given at the hands of distinguished personalities.

Bhushan Gurudas Joshi proposed vote of thanks.

Urology, ultrasound camp

After tar balls appeared on various beaches in the State, now it is the turn of Agonda beach, even as sea has turned rough causing sand erosion of the entire 3-km of beach stretch.

Tar balls mixed with oil residue have appeared on the beach stretch of over half a kilometre of southern side of Agonda beach.

According to sources, the beach shore water at this southern end, which is mostly used by locals and other visitors, has become sticky due to the presence of oil residue and tar balls.

“When I went to swim yesterday, I found the sticky and smelling substance all over my body. I had to go back to my room to take showers to clean myself from the mess what I landed in,” a tourist told Herald.

The tar balls have even entered the coastal rocks, as fishermen informed sighting of oil spillage in 2-3 spots smaller sizes.

“While venturing for fishing,

Training in poultry, piggery HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, MAY 28

Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Sciences, Patto, Panjim will conduct a short term training programme for farmers and unemployed youth at Farmers Training Centre, Curti-Ponda in poultry, piggery and dairy development.

The piggery development training will be held for two days from June 2. The poultry development course will be held for four days from June 21 and the dairy development course will be held on June 9.

Farmers who are interested in joining the training programme should enroll directly with the Assistant Director, Farmers Training Centre, Curti-Ponda on or before the scheduled dates.

Similar training shall be held during every month for which public may contact the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences at Patto.

Special repeat exam at Cuncolim college PANJIM, MAY 28

Students of C.E.S. College of Arts and Commerce at Cuncolim, Salcette will be conducting exams for the students who have not cleared the papers at Semester I, II, III and IV and those who have appeared for Semester IV in March, 2010. Special repeat exam will be held from June 7.

Students are requested to contact the College office to complete the formalities.

Dr Mazhar Shaikh, Dr Rajdeep Bhide, Dr Basavraj Pattanshetti, Viraj Naik, Pravin Varute, Dr Sunil Kakodkar and Shabab Khan at the Urology camp.

PANJIM (HND): The medical services department of Sesa Goa organised a Urology and Ultrasound camp for spouses of employees of pig iron plant and met coke division in association with RG hospital at Amona.

Medical services head Dr Sunil Kakodkar and other colleagues Dr Basavraj Pattanshetti and Shruti Dhupkar from CSR department organised the camp, in which 27 spouses availed the benefit.

They underwent ultrasonography of the abdomen and pelvis to detect abnormalities in the kidney and the uterus.

Dr Mazhar Shaikh and Dr Rajdeep Bhide along with their team namely Pravin Varute, Viraj Naik, Yasmin Shaikh and Shabab Khan from RG Hospital were present during the camp.

General Secretary of Sesa Goa Workers Union Ramesh Sinari, Union Leader (MCD) Anant Gawas and Sandeep Sawant took initiative in coordinating with the workers and their spouses.

Self help group opened

MAYEM(HC): Bardez Sahakar Bhandar Chairman Dharma Chodankar has called upon the women to upgrade their living standard by securing self-employment through various schemes launched by the government.

He was recently addressing the gathering after inaugurating Sri Siddheshwar Self Helf Group (SSSHG) at Deus Bhatwadi, Mayem.

Taleshwar Mahila Mandal Mayem President Kajal Karbotkar, SSSHG President Sonali Satardekar and others were present on the occasion.

On the occasion, a cooking contest was organized in which Gangavati Shirodkar, Priya Pednekar and Sarita Karbotkar won the first three prizes. Earlier, Kajal Karbotkar welcomed the gathering, compered the programme and also proposed the vote of thanks.

A special issue of ‘Nave Parva,’ the official magazine of Government of Goa has been brought out by the Department of Information and Publicity on the occasion of 23rd Anniversary of Goa’s Statehood Day. The well designed edition of 46 pages has a message by the C h i e f M i n i s t e r, Digambar Kamat with his message on Statehood and its history. In the cover story an article by MP Shantaram Naik, on “Golden Day of Goa” traces the history of 23 years back when full-fledged Statehood bestowed on Goa along with clippings of the newspapers on that very day.

Another article is by Professor M S Kamat, eminent educationist “Growth of education in Goa after Statehood” which gives information of education at all levels in the State for the last 23 years. Dr J C Almeida, IAS, former Chief Secretary of Goa writes on “Impact on Administration after Statehood” while Pramod Khandeparkar, Senior Journalist writes on how the Statehood gave benefits to common man.

Noted folklorist, Vinayak Khedekar pens an article on “Socio-cultural transformation

HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, MAY 28

Tar balls appear on Agonda beach.

we saw the oil spots but had disappeared while we returned,” said the fishermen.

Meanwhile, sand erosion on the entire 3-km shore stretch has almost cut-sized the beach in two portions – upper and lower.

“It is a normal phenomenon taking place every year on Agonda beach, but that was limited only in some pockets, but this year,

Photo by Kathy Pereira

the beach sand has eroded almost on the entire coastal front,” said another resident.

Meanwhile, there is still no sign of erection of a lifeguard tower on Agonda beach, even as the deserted beach is being watched by about 13 lifeguards.

The lifeguards now take shelter from the hot sun in makeshift shades of dried palm leaves.

upcOming EvEnTS NCCF meet

“Ugtem Molob” poets meet will be held on Saturday, May 29 at 4.45 pm at the T B Cunha hall, Panjim. The Ugtem Molob gives an opportunity to the budding poets to recite their poetry along with the established poets motivating, inspiring the young and budding poets to excel in creative literature.

All the poets are requested to attend the poets meet in large numbers. Konkani poet Vivek Pissurlekar will preside over the meet, says a press release.

PANJIM(HND): The Nuvem Civic and Consumer Forum (NCCF) will organise its monthly general meeting of consumers on Sunday, May 30 at 10 am at Mae dos Pobres High School, Nuvem.

Among the issues to be discussed are gram sabha proposals, prevention of vector borne diseases, road safety and traffic management, proposed bus fare hike and ticketless travel, problems of flat owners and implementation of tobacco control laws.

Various service related issues of the post office, PWD water supply, Goa Dairy milk, electricity, ration and kerosene supply, home delivery of LPG cylinders, banking, BSNL telephones and cable TV will also be discussed.

Admissions open at Daddy’s Home school

PANJIM(HND): The Aldona Civic and Consumer Forum will be holding its monthly meeting on May 29 at 4.30 pm at St Thomas Girls High School.

Among the issues to be discussed are: road safety, waste management, Right to Information (RTI), our consumer rights, Goa Statehood Day, World No Tobacco Day and World Environment Day. Various service related issues like Goa Dairy, LPG, water, electricity, BSNL and other issues will be discussed.

HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, MAY 28

Daddy’s Home Special School, Gogol, opposite Mutt, Margao is open for admissions for the next academic year.

Parents willing to admit their special children should contact the school office from 9 am to 12.30 pm. Special facilities will be provided to slow learners in vocational stream. School will reopen on June 7. Boarding facilities are available, contact 2759712.

Engineers are backbone of community, says CM

Aldona forum meet

Azossim feast

PANJIM(HND): Feast of Holy Cross of Azossim will be celebrated on May 30. The feast mass will be held at 6.30 pm.

Lifeguard Ironman contest

PANJIM(HND): Drishti Special Response Services Pvt Ltd will be conducting a "Lifeguard Ironman Competition" at Benaulim on May 29 from 7.30 am to mark the closing of the 2009-2010 season. The event will comprise of all the lifeguard skills taken together. Two teams of eight participants each from North and South will face each other in the event.

The winning team will get to keep the Drishti CMD's Rolling Trophy which is currently retained by the North Sector.

Water plant commissioning

PANJIM (HND): The Principal Chief Engineer, Public Works Department will commission the 50 MLD water treatment plant at Assonora, Bardez, (partial commissioning 20 MLD) at 10.30 am on May 30 at the hands of the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat. PWD Minister Churchill Alemao, Aldona MLA Dayanand Narvekar, Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes, Tivim MLA Nilkanth Halarnkar, Mapusa MLA Francisco D’Souza, Saligao MLA Dilip Parulekar, Siolim MLA Dayanand Mandrekar, North Goa ZP Adhyaksha Pandurang Yeshwant Parab, Sarpanch and panch members of Assonora panchayats will be present.

Felicitation function

Chief Minister Digambar Kamat releasing the souvenir ‘Engineer’ at the 2nd anniversary celebration of Goa Engineers Association.

HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, MAY 28

Goa Engineers Association comprising of in-service graduate engineers of PWD, WRD and Electricity Department celebrated its 2nd anniversary at Hotel Orion, Porvorim recently.

The function was attended by about 80 graduate engineers from various departments. Chief Minister Digambar Kamat was the chief guest for the function and Engineer P P Borkar, ex-principal chief engineer, PWD and presently chairman of Institution of Engineers, Goa State Centre was the guest of honour.

Speaking on the occasion Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said, Engineers are the backbone of the community and remembered his tenure as Power Min-

ister of the State. He highlighted the hard work of engineers of the Electricity Department which raised the revenue from 260 crore to 875 crore and the Department was rated the best department in power sector throughout the Country.

Speaking further Kamat said, the problems faced by the engineers has come to his notice and would do everything in his capacity to solve them.

At the outset, the President of Goa Engineers Association, U P Lawande welcomed the chief guest, guest of honour and other dignitaries.

A M Wachasundar, principal chief engineer, chief engineerII Er J J S Rego of PWD were also present on the occasion. He also placed before the audience the

‘Nave Parva’ providing info on Goan history, economy released HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, MAY 28

‘Ugtem Molob’ today

after statehood”. The Chairman of Law Commission, Ramakant Khalap has written on “Legislations after Statehood”, the

bers and Menino Peres, Director of Information and Publicity as Executive Editor of the official magazine.

The magazine will be distributed at all village libraries, panchayats and other socio cultural organizations. It will also be available at the Department of Information and Publicity, Udyog Bhavan, Panjim.

SRS conducts workshop on Vedic Mathematics HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, MAY 28

law making process after Goa was made a State. Suresh Walve’s article traces how the Statehood has benefited the people of Goa. Nave Parva also gives highlights of the Budget presented by the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat in the last Assembly session.

There is also a special section of the important news happenings during the month of May. The magazine is edited by an Editorial Board which includes Narendra Kumar, IAS, Secretary (Information and Publicity) as Chairman, Vishnu Surya Wagh, Suresh Walve, Pramod Khandeparkar, Paresh Prabhu and Derek Almeida as Editorial Board Mem-

SRS Computer Services, the leading computer-training institute from Goa, organized a spec i a l w o r k s h o p o n Ve d i c Mathematics – High speed Mathematics techniques. The workshop was conducted for four days with a total of 27 participants.

The institute sponsored 2 participants from economically backward families for the course, in association with Lions Club of Ponda.

The resource person was the Managing Director of the Institute, Sagar Sakordekar who dazzled the participants by the high speed mathematics techniques.

All students were very excited as they could solve mathematical problems much faster than normal methods, says a press release issued here.

objectives of the Association and the problems encountered by the engineering community in general.

K V Sreekrishnan, General Secretary read the report on the activities of the Association during the last 2 years.

P P Borkar, highlighted the importance of upholding the honour and dignity of the engineering profession in the Government Departments for which he advised the engineers to do self-introspection.

Chief Minister distributed the membership certificates and identity cards of the Association to the members and also released a colourful souvenir "Engineer" to the audience.

P J Kamat proposed the vote of thanks.

Canacona school secures 100% results HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, MAY 28

Gowal High School, Khola-Canacona, secured 100 per cent result in the recently held SSC exam, even as the overall pass percentage of Canacona stood at 72.04%.

It could perhaps be the first time that a government run high school scored cent per cent pass percentage in Canacona taluka.

In all, 12 students had appeared for SSC examination, out of which one student passed in first class, seven students secured second class and four pass class.

Sahil Dilkush Naikdessai of Shri Katyani Baneshwari High School stood first in the taluka with 87.5%, Kushank Ganesh Shet stood second with 85% and Atray Jagdish Paikhot third with 82.3%.

Out of the 492 students, 490 students appeared in the SSC examination, 353 passed, 24 students got distinction, first class (72), second class (187) and pass class (70).

Boys outsmarted girls, as out of 276, 188 cleared the exams, while 193 boys out of 291 passed.

Government High School Agonda came poor last with a pass percentage of just 13.33%, while St Anthony High School came second in rank missing 100% result by whiskers. One out of 23 students one got ATKT, while one student came in distinction, four students secured first class, 11 students got second and six students pass class.

St Tereza of Jesus High School, Chaudi, stole the limelight as it got the maximum distinctions numbering seven out of 24 students passing in distinction from Canacona taluka.

PANJIM(HND): Adv Atanasio Monteiro Trust is celebrating its thirteenth anniversary in June this year, and, on this occasion, the trust will be felicitating meritorious SSC students who have secured first, second and third ranks during academic year 2010-2011 amongst students who are permanently residing in Santa Cruz assembly constituency at a special function to be held in their honour. The students are requested to submit a xerox copy of their mark sheets with correct address and telephone numbers in the office of Merces Church at Merces during office hours on or before June 4.

Admissions open for courses in embroidery, tailoring HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, MAY 28

The office of Commissioner for Labour and Employment has commenced admissions for courses in embroidery, needle work, cutting and tailoring of one year duration, through the Labour Welfare centres upto June 4, and the courses are starting from June 7.

Candidates desirous to get training are requested to apply for the same in the prescribed application form, available in the nearest Labour Welfare Centres.

The centres are: Panjim - Junta House, ground floor (annexe), Panjim; Kumbarjua - panchayat building, Kumbharjua; Mapusa – administration building, Goa Industrial Development Corporation, Mapusa Industrial Estate, Mapusa; Sodiem-Siolim - VP building Sodiem, Siolim; Pernem - government office complex building, Pernem; Keri Pernem - Ulhas Waddo, Torxem, Pernem; Bicholim Town centre complex building, 2nd floor, Bicholim; Pale - near panchayat building, Pale: Ponda – government office complex building, Ponda; Shiroda -Hanuman apptts, Thal, Shiroda; Curchorem - municipal building, Curchorem; Guddi Paroda, Quepem - Labour Welfare Centre, Guddi Paroda; Margao - Blessing Pioneering commercial complex, 2nd floor, opposite District Session Court, old market, Margao; Navelim - near panchayat office, Navelim, Salcette, Carmona-Tambdem, Labour welfare centre, Carmona; Varca Chadwaddo - Labour welfare centre, Varca; Cuncolim - Cotta Molli, Labour Welfare Centre, Cuncolim; Assolna - Assolna Church building, Assolna; Vasco - Dourado building, Vasco.

No training fees will be charged for the said course and the material used for the demonstration during the course of training will be supplied free of cost. Identity cards will be issued to the trainees to avail transport facilities. Preference for admission will be given to children and family members of the working class community since this training is a part of labour welfare activity.

POWER SHUTDOWN MAY 29

BICHOLIM: From 8.30 am to 2 pm. Areas affected are Karapur Agro Chemical area, Kulan in VP Sarvan Karapur fed from Karapur Feeder in Bicholim.

CANSAULIM: From 9 am to 2.30 pm. Areas affected are Birla Petrol Pump, Goa Carbonic, Queeny nagar, Upasnagar, Cansaulim, Velsao and surrounding areas, Zuarinagar near pump house, Housing Board-Zuarinagar, Cortalim church, Shantadurga temple and surrounding areas.

PANJIM: From 9 am to 5 pm. Areas affected are Rani Pramila, Vagle Vision, Nizari Bhavan, Manguirish, frainin building and surrounding areas.

PONDA: From 9 am to 2 pm. Areas affected are Paun, Mahalaxmi nagar, Talaulim, Wadi, Wadem, Caswada, Durbhat, Adpoi, Agapur and surrounding areas.

USGAO: From 9 am to 2 pm. Areas affected are Kerye, Khandepar, Murdi, Usgao, Bondla, Ganjem, Opa, Copparwada, Curti, Codar and surrounding areas.

DHARBANDORA: From 9 am to 4 pm. Areas affected are Sancorda, Dharbandora, Pratapnagar, Sanjavani Sahakari Karkhana, Kasamshel-Kodar and surrounding areas.

SANGUEM: From 9 am to 2 pm. Areas affected are Sanguem municipality jurisdiction and part of Ugem panchayat.

SHIRODA: From 8 am to 4 pm. Areas affected are Borim Circle area, Indian Overseas bank upto Sai Baba temple area.

MAPUSA: From 9 am to 3 pm. Areas affected are Green Park, Bastora Paliem, St Anthony waddo, Monte-Guirim, entire Guirim, Bodgini and surrounding areas.

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GOA, SATURDAY, 29 MAY, 2010

Khariwado slums hampering MPT expansion!

Khariwado slums that pose major hurdles to MPT’s ambitious plan of port expansion.

Photo by M Prabhav HERALD REPORTER VASCO, MAY 28

When the opportunity came knocking, the State government didn’t seem too bothered to open the door and address the issue of rehabilitating Vasco’s largest slums located along the Khariwado seashore.

The Khariwado slum has grown substantially during the last couple of decades and some structures are located on the edge of the shoreline.

Come monsoon, the waves will hit slums along the Khariwado shore, but it does not seem to have moved the administration, after being given an opportunity to rehabilitate slum dwellers.

The State government’s attitude was evident in at the recent meeting of the Union Secretary of Shipping K Mohandas, as minutes of the meeting suggests that the government had remained silent on the rehabilitation of slum dwellers, even though Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) paid the entire cost of land acquisition at Adarshnagar.

MPT had even agreed to relocate Khariwado slums under the Integrated Housing Slum D e v e l o p m e n t P ro g r a m m e (IHSDP), a scheme of Ministry of Housing and Urban Develop-

ment and Poverty Alleviation.

As per the IHSDP scheme, Union government would bear 60 per cent of the cost, followed by the State government (20%), local body (10%) and beneficiaries (10%).

“MPT had agreed to bear the share of the State government and beneficiaries, but there was no response from the State government,” states the minutes of the meeting.

In 1998, when MPT had earmarked to rehabilitate 194 slum dwellings, the land was acquired but over a period, the slums have increased to 400 dwellings.

The entire stretch of Vasco bay would be developed as part of MPT’s expansion plan, but the stumbling block is Khariwado slums and fishing jetty, due to which MPT is desperately working out a rehabilitation plan.

The Goa Fishing Boat Owners Association (GFBOA) has given its consent to the new fishing jetty site at Katem-Baina in a tripartite meeting and has also agreed to shift its operation once it is operational, but the State government is reluctant on slum dwelling units that have cropped up over a period of time.

The State government has

categorically said there are no funds to rehabilitate the slums and on the other hand, the State government is not even keen to take help given by the MPT. While the MPT Board of Trustees has withdrawn the proposal to bear the cost of State government and beneficiaries after the State government’s reluctant attitude, the Union Secretary of Shipping has asked the MPT to revive its proposal to bear cost of the State government and beneficiaries.

In his recent letter to the Planning Commission, MPT Chairman Praveen Agarwal claimed that few vested interests, who are involved in smuggling activities, have instigated slum dwellers against the MPT, due to which few people are reluctant to accept the rehabilitation package.

It may be recalled that GFBOA had earlier claimed that they should be rehabilitated in proximity of the fishing jetty, as they were pessimistic to accept the rehabilitation package for housing units at Adarshnagar-Chicalim.

Local Councilor Arnold Rego said: “There is a lot of miscommunication and confusion with regard to rehabilitation of slums and thus it is better to remain quiet on the issue.”

Foreigner cleans hot-mix debris at Agonda

Dr Colaco to receive Kala Gaurav award

BY HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 28

Eminent city-based Cardiologist, Dr Francisco Colaco is one of the recipients of this year’s Kala Gaurav award in recognition of his contribution in the field of music.

Dr Colaco along with others will receive the award at a function in Panjim on May 30 at 3.30 pm.

Born on December 12, 1943, Dr Colaco had been involved in plays and singing competitions at various times in Konkani, English and Portuguese from a tender age. Says Dr Colaco: “I have won recognition and prizes for my contribution on several occasions.

I have sung and continue to sing as a vocalist for various leading bands in Goa and have lent my voice to best-selling musical albums by leading Goan artists, Spirit of Goa, by Big City Band, Mog by Chris Perry, Saudades by Emiliano and Agostinho Da Cruz, Oh Goa by Spirit. I have recorded an album of my own with original music, lyrics in Konkani. I also sang the melody and was accompanied by India-famous instrumentalists, Braz Gonsalves and Darryl Rodrigues. The name of the album, which won the most encomiastic press reviews, is Apurbayecho Kunvor”.

Dr Colaco has contributed in a special way towards promoting Mando as a dance and have given talks and demonstrations on the subject at the Kala Academy and Fundaco Oriente. Two years ago, he had won the “Lifetime Achievement Award” for his outstanding contribution to Mando, trophy instituted by TAME and have published a booklet of his own on “Artful Mando Dancing”.

In recognition of his contribution in the field of music, Dr Colaco has been appointed as a member of the Advisory committee of Kala Academy for western classical music as well as for folk music.

Lorna urges artistes to work hard for success

BY HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MAY 28

The nightingale of Goa, Lorna has advised young and upcoming Goan artists to put in hard work to achieve success in life.

In an informal interaction with the media on the eve of her live in concert at Cuncolim on Saturday evening organised by the Assolna Velim Cuncolim and Chinchinim cultural Association, Lorna cautioned budding artists that success will not come on a platter and advised them to put in hard work. “I have not achieved success overnight.

What I am today is all because of my hard work”, she said.

Performing a live in concert in Goa apparently after a gap of two years, Lorna says though she has no problem to belt out new Konkani numbers, the people still like her old songs. “My fans don’t want me to even sing remixes of the old Konkani songs. What they want is the original Chris Perry’s songs, What I have done along with Perry, people still like and want me to sing and not the remixes”, she said.

‘Affected Canacona farmers yet to avail compensation’ HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, MAY 28

Even though several flood-affected people in Canacona, especially farmers, cry over failure on government’s part to suitably compensate them or free their buried paddy fields enabling fresh cultivation, it is reported that hardly anyone meets with government’s procedure to avail the compensation.

According to sources in Agriculture Department, approximately 193 pumps in paddy fields and other plantations were either destroyed or have become non-functional in the October 2 floods in Canacona.

Most of the fields affected by floods are in Gaondongrim and Cotigao, while in Poinguinim, low lying areas have also suffered damages.

If sources are to be believed, these farmers were advised to either repair or purchase new pumps and submit bills to the authorities to claim compensation.

Surprisingly, sources in Agriculture department informed that only one person purchased a new pump and submitted bill to claim compensation as per the government’s procedure.

According to sources, several farmers have demanded desilting of their paddy fields filled

n Even though several people claimed the need to desilt their paddy fields, a source in Irrigation Department (WRD) informed that they are in receipt of just four applications, but the department has schemes to meet the demands. with rubble and sand that took place due to heavy erosion in mountainous terrains on October 2, last year.

Even though several people claimed the need to desilt their paddy fields, a source in Irrigation Department (WRD) informed that they are in receipt of just four applications, but the department has schemes to meet the demands.

“But there are always alternate ways to help farmers, for which people had to come forward,” said sources.

NIT classes likely from July 20 HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 28

The classes of the new National Institute of Technology in Goa are expected to begin by July 20, 2010, at the temporary venue, Goa Engineering College in Farmagudi, Ponda, after the first round of admissions, even as the teaching pro gramme for the first year is for 90 students.

This was disclosed by Prof Sandeep Sancheti, Director of NIT Surathkal in Mangalore – mentor institute for Goa – at a press conference held in the city on Thursday.

Prof Sancheti said the courses offered during the first year are Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), Electronics and Communications Engineering (ECE) and Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE). The faculty members will be from Surathkal NIT, GEC and some will be appointed, he mentioned.

He observed that NIT Surathkal in its capacity as mentor will see that Goa gets the best of technology and faculty to ensure quality education. The intake in the first year will be for 30 students in each branch and six seats will be made available for foreign students under the Direct Admissions for Students Abroad (DASA) scheme, he stated and added, “So the total intake capacity in reality is 96.”

He informed NIT Surathkal coordinates the admissions for DASA and for more details one

could log on to www. dasanit. org.

He said the foreign students will be Persons of Indian origin (PIO) and NRIs who are aware of the educational potential in the country. Our aim is to see that real foreign nationals also realise the potential of the NITs in the country and come here, he added.

Prof Sancheti said in due course of time the Goa NIT will come under the NIT Act. “As per the policy of Government of India students will be admitted based on ranks obtained in the All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE).

He said further expansion of branches and capacity of NIT Goa would take place in subsequent years and the academic programmes will be similar to the ones offered at NIT Surathkal. These programmes will be offered on credit and grade based schemes and the details on fee structure are available on the CCB (Central Counselling Board) website (http://www.ccb.nic.in), he informed.

Prof Sancheti mentioned candidates seeking admission through CCB should read the details of the admission process carefully and visit the website for regular updates.

He mentioned the process for finalisation of the permanent site for the Goa NIT was on and the Government of India is likely to send an official site selection committee to the State.

GPCC observes Nehru’s death anniversary HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, MAY 28

A foreign national cleans the road from hot-mix debris at Panna-Agonda.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, MAY 28

In an unusual gesture, a foreign national removed the hot-mix debris from a road at Agonda leftover by the PWD contractor.

Interestingly, residents complained that PWD’s hot-mixing team which left abruptly on Tuesday morning has left a trail of hot-mix and other waste at the treacherous ‘Panna’ bus stop, where village internal road leads to Agonda Church and beach.

According to sources, several motorists taking turn to village road or approaching the sloppy main road found it difficult to negotiate due to the presence of hot-mixing waste material.

Sources also informed that at least three motorists fell down after their motorcycles slipped over the stiff slope, suffering minor bruises, besides causing damages to their vehicles.

This foreign national (whose identity is not known) who came on a motorcycle reportedly felt that leaving the hot-mix waste material on the sloppy road could pose a danger for other motorists.

The man parked his motor-

cycle, requested for a broom from a nearby house and began to sweep the road, much to the surprise of every passer by.

While the man was sweeping the road, many motorists and pedestrians crossed over, hardly caring to know what the foreign national is up to.

It was later seen that some labourers were dusting the village internal road leading to the church and beach in a move to prepare it for taking up the remaining hot-mixing.

Sources informed that contractor’s labourers were also seen cleaning some portions of village roads for the second day on Thursday.

However, there was no sign of hot-mixing machinery or manpower, which was withdrawn on Tuesday morning after completing just about 1km of State road out of over 6 kms which also includes the badly dilapidated internal roads leading to village church and beach.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that some groups are planning agitation during Chief Minister Digambar Kamat’s visit in the

Photo by Kathy Pereira

village on Friday, organised by a local Devasthan committee to felicitate him.

“Three important days with no rains are already lost, during which time all 6 kms of the proposed roads could have been hot mixed,” said one of the angry locals.

Meanwhile, displeasure is also brewing among locals that PWD has taken up only hot-mix work, while the tender is also for widening the State and internal roads.

Goa Vacancy, Tender Bulletin release on May 30

PANJIM(HND): Government of Goa, Department of Printing and Stationery, Panjim, will be releasing Goa Vacancy and Tender Bulletin, on Sunday, May 30 at 9:30 am at the hands of Digambar Kamat in the distinguished presence of Power Minister Aleixo Sequeira, Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, IAS, Chief Secretary at the premises of Department of Printing and Stationery, Panjim.

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee observed the 46th death ann i v e r s a r y o f l a t e Pa n d i t Jawaharlal Nehru recently at Congress House, Panjim.

GPCC President Subhash Shirodkar and CM Digambar kamat garlanded the portrait of late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Flower tributes were also paid to the former Prime Minister by office bearers, party leaders and workers.

Welcoming the members, GPCC general secretary Altinho Gomes recollected his works and sacrifice of Nehru towards building the nation. “He was a favourite disciple of Mahatma Gandhi and had the privilege to be the first Prime Minister of India,” he added.

CM Digambar Kamat spoke about Nehru's dedicated work and keen interest to build India. He also spoke in depth about Nehru's love for the children due to which he was lovingly called as Chacha Nehru.

GPCC President Subhash Shirodkar said that he was architect of modern India. He further urged the people to follow Panditji's footsteps who had a great love towards Goa and Goans.

GPCC President Subhash Shirodkar and CM Digambar Kamat garland the portrait of late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on the occasion of his 46th death anniversary function held at Congress House, Panjim.

GPCC Vice President M K Shaikh said Panditji was responsible to start the Non-Alignment

Movement along with Egypt President Nasser and Marshal Tito.

Sattari school secures 100% results HERALD CORRESPONDENT VALPOI, MAY 28

Government High School, Shelpi-Sattari, has achieved 100 per cent result at the recently held SSC examination.

According to School Headmaster of Riyaz Jamadar, Shelpi High School is the only high

school in Sattari taluka to have secured 100% success this year.

“In all, nine students had appeared for exams, out of which two students secured first class, six students got second class and one student pass class. The credit goes to staff, parents and students collectively,” said Jamadar.

Sources in agriculture or irrigation department informed that some schemes can be used alternately like agriculture department’s terracing scheme, where Rs 3 is being paid for a metre of field.

“There is another scheme especially meant for fencing with boulders, where the agriculture department pays Rs 150 per metre and Rs 210 for ST farmers,” informed sources.

“Farmers have to come out with the requests,” felt the sources in the departments.

Even as one hectare of paddy land is to be compensated under disasters, only Rs 4,000 can be compensated under the Central government scheme.

But keeping the restrictions aside, the government has paid Rs 81 lakh to as many as 2,300 farmers badly affected during floods at Canacona.

Meanwhile, BJP functionaries including Poinguinim ML A Ramesh Tawadkar visited Gaondongrim and Cotigao on Tuesday, pinpointing the authorities various shortcomings in attending some desilting and otherrelated works, and leaving in the lurch several areas unattended, which could spell further problems in ensuing monsoons.

Hot-mixing work at Shiroda commences HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, MAY 28

PWD Minister Churchill Alemao has commenced work of hotmixing at Karai Shiroda in the presence of local MLA Mahadeo Naik. The 3.5 kms stretch from Karai junction to Musher Karai via Shiv Shail education complex is estimated to cost Rs 87 lakhs.

E xe c u t i v e E n g i n e e r S S Salelkar and Assistant Engineer S Sharma were also present on the occasion.

OHERALDO

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OPINION

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www.oheraldo.in

O HERALD O

The Limitations of Science

Vol No CX No: 139 Goa, Saturday 29 May, 2010

G

The politics of power cuts

oa’s villages are used to power cuts, both literal and metaphorical. But now, the Zilla Panchayat (ZP) in South Goa says it is no longer going to put up with the latter.

It has served a six-month deadline on the Goa government to devolve proper powers and functions to the district panchayat bodies. If they don’t get their ‘rightful’ share of power, the ZP members have threatened to go on a hunger strike. How idealistically Gandhian!

But then, Goans are very practical too. They have also complained to Congress President Sonia Gandhi… Maybe it is this strong practical streak that has led them to also demand a pay hike, petrol allowance and pension, like their elders get in the legislative assembly. Unfortunately, it is unnecessary, frivolous, add-on demands like these that could lose their cause its credibility.

Critics of the ZP members may well say that they are being power hungry. But there’s nothing wrong with that. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment and the Goa Panchayati Raj Act allot certain powers to the ZPs. They must claim these; it is their right. The problem is when they club these serious issues with petty ones like pay hikes, et al. That’s when the cynics among us begin to suspect that the serious issues are being raised just so they can be compromised to secure some extra money!

Ever since the 73rd Amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1993, Goa’s Panchayati Raj system has been completely sidelined and neglected by the Goa government. That India’s villages should get effective and good governance was the late Rajiv Gandhi’s dream, but Goa’s leading politicians have done their utmost to scuttle it.

The Goa government notified the 73rd Amendment by promulgating an ordinance a full year after it was passed. In January 1996, panchayat elections were held under the new Act, but the ZPs were not constituted. Instead, a fresh ordinance was issued to amend the Act and reduce the powers of the ZPs and panchayats!

The first ZP elections were held as late as in February 2000, only when the High Court ordered the state to hold them, on the basis of a writ petition filed by the All Goa Panchayat Parishad (AGPP). They were not even provided with places to hold meetings, and were given a budgetary provision of just Rs2 crore to start with. Since then, the situation has improved, but not substantially.

The Goa Panchayati Raj Act has substantially diluted the provisions of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment. It restricted the powers of ZPs in the areas of Agriculture, Roads, Buildings, Bridges and Ferries as well as Education and Health to mere ‘maintenance and supervision’. This practically subverts the spirit of the Amendment, which prescribes that these are the ZP’s responsibility. But even the areas the Act has provided for ZPs and panchayats have not been properly devolved to them.

These include land improvement, animal husbandry, fisheries, small scale industries, primary, technical and adult education, rural electrification, poverty alleviation and welfare of weaker sections and even markets and fairs.

Therefore, the complaints of South Goa ZP Chairperson Maria Rebello and her members are completely justified. It is a gross violation of the Constitution that Goa’s ZPs have extremely limited powers and functions. Successive governments − whether led by the Congress or BJP − have stubbornly refused to give them the powers they are due under the 73rd Amendment and the Goa Panchayati Raj Act. The ZP members are fully within their rights to launch a movement for their long-pending demands. What is more, setting up representative bodies like this and not giving them any significant work is a waste of taxpayers’ money.

But the problem is, if the ZP members compromise on their basic grievances to secure their personal demands, they will themselves be guilty of wasting even more of the taxpayers’ money, and will lose all sympathy with the public. It is better that they deal with the ZP’s ‘power cut’ first.

scientific discovery has created a deep divide between peoples and nations, writes AVertHAnUs l. d’soUZA

W

e are talking about the ‘limitations’ of science; not about the limits of science.

There is a very important distinction involved here. Any educated high school graduate, should be able to understand the distinction. It is necessary to draw attention to the limitations of science, because there has been a tendency in the past few years, and, maybe in the last few decades, to misunderstand that science has its limitations. Failure to understand this reality, has led to many erroneous conclusions which have had unfortunate consequences for individuals and also for many societies.

When Christopher Columbus ‘discovered’ the New World, this New World came into being. Before Christopher Columbus discovered it, it did not exist – or so they wanted us to believe. According to the zeitgeist of that time, discovery was equal to creation. Whatever the Spanish conquistadores discovered in the New World ‘belonged’ to them. Therefore, they went about pillaging and plundering whatever they wanted without considering that there were inhabitants before they arrived on the scene, and that these inhabitants had a prior right to the natural resources. In their greed and avarice, they proceeded to misappropriate everything that they found. In the process, these conquistadores not only destroyed valuable natural resources, they also wiped out highly developed civilizations such as the Inca, the Aztec and the Mayan.

In North America, something similar happened. The newly arrived ‘settlers’ from Europe proceeded to grab land and other resources for their own benefit without any concern for the rights of the “original” inhabitants of the place.

Both in South America and in the North, the Europeans justified their pillaging and plundering on the grounds that they had ‘discovered’ the lands. After decimating the local populations, they confined the remnants of the local Indians in ‘Reservations’ ostensibly to protect them and to ‘educate’ them in the civilized ways of the European world. The story of Australia and New Zealand is not much different. The aboriginal inhabitants were cruelly deprived of their traditional hunting grounds and herded into ‘Reservations.’

It should be noted that the common factor in the settlement of all the new territories was the use of force by the newly arrived settlers.

What happened in the process of colonization in the New World, in Australia and in New Zealand as well as in other lesser known places of occupation by the Europeans, is paralleled by what

T

Disrespect to T B Cunha Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco

There are two ways to remain in public eye.

One by doing good work; the second, by doing something controversial or saying something controversial. Churchill Alemao is popularly known for the second type. By his recent statement of comparing Goans as ‘squealing pigs’ & ‘people with boneless tongue’ he has hit a hornet’s nest. If Churchill chooses to write a book with the title “How to remain in public eye for ever” I am sure it will break the record of all bestseller books.

He has plenty of techniques to include in the book, such as how to create a controversy in respecting national flag; how to abduct and kidnap an MLA, keep him in an island comfortably to prevent him to meet the Opposition party members before the vote of confidence motion; how to slap an airport employee who is lawfully obeying his duties; how to abandon a party; how to join another party; how to float a new party; how to merge the new party into the former party; how to dissolve the party and finally how to rejoin the earlier party.

Of course, he says he does all these acts of a chameleon just for the benefit of Goans in general and for the benefit of his constituency in particular, purely as a service of social welfare.

I don’t know how he considers his act as social service and don’t know who and how public accept him as person of social service.

Now it is for the Goans in general, and the voters of Alemao’s constituency in particular to decide who are the squealing pigs, who speak with the boneless tongue, who turn the sides with the spineless back, who change the colour like a chamelion and who is able to turn the table with all the controversies.

The statue of the great Goan leader T B Cunha has stood tall near the market place in Vasco for several years. The place is well known as T B Cunha Chowk. Just recently, a local politician inaugurated a fountain that has been installed around the statue.

But the problem is that the water from the fountain falls directly on the statue of the leader from all sides. As a result the statue is wet from head to toe all the time. This can appear like showing disrespect to the great Goan leader, though probably unintentionally. The local MLA should see to it that the blunder that has been committed while installing the fountain is rectified at the earliest so that due respect is shown to the leader.

PRIMEIRO DIARIO NAS COLONIAS PORTUGEZAS

Caste & census Kajal Chatterjee, Kolkata Apropos the editorial “Caste, creed and census”(Herald May 28), caste-based census is nothing but a ploy of the political parties to meet their vested interests.

More doles of reservation would be provided to the “backward” people to reap electoral dividends. Had our politicians been really sincere to India, then they would have invested their energy in identifying the poverty-stricken people, irrespective of caste-affiliation, and worked for the upliftment of them through adoption of various welfare schemes.

Real estate threat Agnelo Pinheiro, Raia/Dubai The perils of Goa’s real estate are numerous.

The developments are in direct conflict with the natural surroundings. The high demand for construction material such as stones and sand leads to hill cutting and sand erosion. Water too, has become a rare commodity. There is a forced migration from other States due to construction activities which has led to severe demographic changes. Vasco, Margao, Ponda, Panjim and Mapusa are filled by anybody and everybody except Goans. The side effect of this senseless rush to build high rise condominiums is ground water contamination as sewage

Australia and the other lands which were ‘discovered’ by enterprising Europeans. Without digressing into a whole new area of reflection, it would be useful to state, at this point, that the entire world is infected with what can only be described as a Eurocentric view of the world.

The core of this article is, however, to draw attention to the sad fact that the discovery of some (emphasis on ‘some’) of Nature’s laws, is construed as a proprietary right of the discoverer to use the newly acquired knowledge in an arbitrary manner. Arbitrary, in the sense, that the knowledge is used to benefit a few people – either companies or nations – to the disadvantage of others. Scientific discovery, as a rule, has created a deep divide between peoples, nations and civilizations.

Instead of being a unifying factor, knowledge has been a source of deep divisions between people.

Scientific discoveries have never been disinterested. They have always been applied in what is known as technology. And technology has been used as a political tool to subjugate “the others.”

There is not enough space to elaborate on the truth of this assertion. However, one or two examples should suffice. The discovery of jet propul-

Miracles do Happen

he tragic plane crash of an Air India Express Boeing 737-800 at Mangalore’s hilltop runway which killed 158 people, has sent shock waves throughout the country. It brought a pale of gloom in Kerala, where most of the passengers lived. But in all this mourning darkness and a sense of disbelief, there was a bright ray of light. Eight passengers, including a woman and a child, miraculously survived the crash. To top it all, one person even left the plane without a scratch. Nine others also had a brush with death. They either could not catch the flight or changed their travel plans. During times of such tragedies one also hears of stories of heroism. But there is probably no story to beat this one. The Chairman and Managing Director of Air India Mr. Arvind Jadhav said in an interview that one of the survivors, after the crash, walked to the main road, asked a motorcyclist to take him back to the crash site, and he himself got involved in the relief work. Seems unimaginable. The CMD of Air India said that the gentleman need not go to Dubai for a job again and has promised

P K Pal, Panjim

As we are on the verge of relocating our printing press there will no editions dated 29th, 30th and 31st. Inconvenience to our esteemed readers is regretted.

happens in science and technology. Scientists endeavour to understand how Nature works.

They assiduously pursue the various branches of knowledge – Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Anthropology etc., with the implicit intention of “subjugating” Nature. Their discovery of some of Nature’s laws is quickly converted into proprietary rights over the laws. This is why we have Newton’s laws, Descartes’ laws, Einstein’s laws, and the whole plethora of laws named after the scientists who ‘discovered’ them. There should, normally, be no problem about the laws being named after the scientists who discovered them, just as there should be no problem about stars and planets and constellations being named after the astronomers who discovered them. It makes it easy to formulate the laws and to understand the context in which they were discovered. The problem really arises when scientists and many non-scientific people behave as if the discovery of a law is equivalent to the creation of the law.

It is as if the Law of Gravity did not exist until Newton discovered it. The parallel with the conquests of new lands is very striking. America did not exist until Columbus discovered it; nor did

Tongue in cheek

‘Controversial’ Churchill

100 Years Ago

MorAl ConsiderAtions

sion by Nazi scientists was used by Hitler’s armed forces to develop the missiles which devastated London during the Second World War. The knowledge of atomic fission enabled the U.S. scientists to develop the Atomic Bomb which totally destroyed the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Leaving aside for the moment the question of the morality of the use of scientific knowledge and the way in which it is applied in technology, it should become evident that the discovery of laws is not an unmixed blessing. It can be used for good or for evil.

Let us now, briefly dwell on some of the undesirable consequences of technology in recent times. The world has not forgotten the Chernobyl atomic reactor meltdown; nor has it forgotten the Bhopal disaster which was caused by irresponsible handling of a dangerous chemical process by a Company which used technology only to maximize its profit, irrespective of its social obligations.

Many readers will remember the panic caused by Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) also commonly called the Mad Cow disease. The driving force behind this Mad Cow disease was the greed of cattle feed manufacturers who mixed the ground remains of dead cattle – bones and offal – with the feed which they supplied to cattle farmers. Older readers will recall the world-wide panic caused by the birth of malformed babies, who were born without limbs, because a pharmaceutical giant marketed the drug Thalidomide for women in early pregnancy, knowing the risks involved. Then there was the medical disaster caused by the marketing of Enterovioform and Mexaform by an irresponsible pharmaceutical giant which put its profits before the health of the people. Such examples can be multiplied.

The point that emerges from this reflection is that scientists and their sponsors – either governments or commercial businesses - pursue science, not for the noble purpose of increasing our knowledge of how Nature functions, but for the purpose of amassing money and power even at the cost of the health and well-being of people.

The Roman thinker Horace warned us that we should not play with Nature because, as he put it:“Naturam expellas furca tamen usque recurret” which translates: You may expel Nature with a pitchfork, but she will reassert herself.

This warning is very relevant today when we are confronted with the massive disasters of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the melting of polar ice caps, global warming, the depletion of both terrestrial and marine resources.

to give him a job with Air India. Besides stories of heroism, such accidents are also full of tragic incidents. Like a son, who was on his way home to attend his father’s funeral, being killed in the plane crash. Well miracles do happen. How many times in the past have we not heard of huge buildings collapsing during an earthquake and the lone survivor who is removed from the debris happens to be a little baby? It is indeed the hand of the Almighty God who can bring about such a miracle. George Santayana has described miracles as propitious accidents, the natural causes of which are too complicated to be readily understood. Indeed, the human mind is too small to digest the real meaning of a miracle.

The eight survivors of the plane crash at Mangalore had a close brush with death. They walked away from certain death. They have had a ‘second life’. How many of us have had a brush with death? We have heard of true stories of a person not reaching the Railway station in time to catch the train only to hear latter on in the news that the train met with an accident. On the other hand

Goans, wake up!

Prof Robert Castellino, Calangute

Goans by nature are very laid-back and are best described by the word sussegad. Being accustomed to living life in the fast lane in Mumbai, I find Goans are in fact, resigned to their fate and all that is happening around them. That being the case, I find it difficult to digest the statement of the PWD minister, who feels that Goans are given to ‘squealing’. I have a completely different take on Goan attitude. I believe that Goans should protest much more.

A bus journey from say Baga to Mapusa will bear me out. The bus takes off from Baga at 9 am after considerable honking, an invitation to all would-be passengers.

The bus then cruises along the narrow road, stopping every 10 metres to pick up passengers or for the drivers of passing buses to exchange pleasantries. Nobody complains.

They are not politicians. Half a kilometre away it stops for Mrs Fernandes or D’souza who is some way down a narrow lane. Nobody complains. The two kilometer journey to Calangute consumes all of 15 precious minutes. Nobody complains. At Calangute the bus stops for 15 minutes or more. There is no fixed time. The bus moves off only when the next bus from Baga arrives! Nobody complains.

Thereafter, a further two kilometers away the bus stops once again at Arpora for a long time and later with another stop at Parra junction, and finally reaches Mapusa after 55 minutes — a journey that should be done in less than half an hour. Nobody complains. Yet Alemao says Goans are given to squealing! water is injected into the soil. The villages will no longer be villages but concrete jungles and will be called Colva Town, Carmona Town, Raia Town, Betalbatim Nagar and Taleigao Nagar. Is this what we want our future generation to inherit from us? The beauty of Goa lies in greenery, but if we destroy this green cover to make way for high rise buildings, will the tourists still come to Goa? Are we not killing the goose that lays golden eggs? The day is not far when we will lose not only tourists but also our land to outsiders. What Portuguese could not destroy in 451 years, you and I will do in less than 50 years.

that they are two different States with different cultures. How would the Thackerays feel if Konkani was imposed in Maharashtra?

There should not be any justification that there are more Marathi speaking people in Goa compared to other States hence Marathi is given equal status. Outmost care should be taken that Goa does not become another Belgaum. I would like to urge all likeminded Goans (Christians, Hindus, Muslims) to come forward and force the Goa Government to make Konkani mandatory and give true respect to the people who laid down their lives for keeping Goa and Konkani unique.

Make Konkani mandatory

Dominic Fernandes, Baga

It is indeed very sad to note that even after Konkani has been made the official language of Goa, one still finds some private as well as Government telephone providers sticking to Marathi as a mode of communication to its subscribers. Even if they consider Maharashtra and Goa as one for the administrative purpose, they should also remember

one has also heard of stories when a person did not get a plane ticket till the very last moment, only to be told that he would be flying because another passenger had cancelled his plans to fly.

The plane then plummets into the sea killing all the passengers.

The ways of the Almighty God are indeed strange. They cannot be understood by the human mind with all its limitations. In the past we have also heard of true stories wherein the lone survivor in a plane crash happened to be a toddler. This is probably God’s way of telling us that He, after all, has not lost faith in His creation despite their shortfalls and iniquities. There is no doubt that those who have a close brush with death will no longer be the same again. They will now see life through a prism. They will realise the true value of life and will cherish every moment of their life for the rest of their life. We tend to take life for granted.

It is only when we come out from a life threatening disease and get a ‘second life’ that we realise the true value of living and start thanking God for the gift of life.

Letters to the Editor

Letter of the Day

Venan B Dias, Santo Estevam

By Adelmo Fernandes

Save Baga It is common knowledge that drugs are freely sold in Baga. Apart from this, late night activities include prostitution of the highest order clubbed with loud music in discos and pubs.

The local MLA despite knowing all this refuses to take action against any of the shacks or clubs. However, residents who complain about these activities are promptly

harassed. It is high time the authorities wake up and clean the mega mess that is destroying this beautiful place.

Paths of Wisdom

Konkani cinema Mauro Fernandes, Anjuna I am among the few fortunate Goans who has watched Laxmikant Shetgaonkar masterpiece, Paltadacho Munis, and I must say those of you who have not seen this film have missed one hell of a movie. Truly, it is unbelievable that a film produced in Goa can be of such high caliber. This film is by far the best Konkani film ever.

The actors, the screenplay, cinematography, music etc is simply world class. Shetgaonkar, you have made Goa and Goans proud. Film making in Goa was a dying art due to financial constrains and lack of audience support. Young film makers like Rajendra Talak have tried their best to revive this form of art in Goa. With Goa being declared as the permanent venue for the International Film Festival of India and Government of Goa encouraging Goan film makers with various schemes, I am sure many young Goans will take advantage of these schemes and produce good cinema. But as long the Goan public does not patronise Goan cinema, film making will be a loss and will only deter film makers. For the Konkani film industry to survive Goans have to wholeheartedly support it. The Tamil, Telugu or the Malaylam film industry is thriving because of the local support and the love of the public for their mother tongue.

We pay Rs 200 for a Hindi or an English movie at Inox, we go for tiatrs, why can’t we pay just Rs 100 and watch a Konkani film. I appeal to all Goans to watch this great film which has won laurels all over the world. You never know one day Goa might have our own Shyam Benegal, Adoor Gopalakrishnan or even a Satyajit Ray.

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

Temptations to sin Mark 9: 42-50 42 “If anyone should curse one of these little ones to lose his faith in me, it would be better for that person to have a large millstone tied round his neck and be thrown into the sea. 43 So if your hand makes you lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life without a hand than to keep both hands and go off to hell, to the fire that never goes out. 45 And if your foot makes you lose your faith, cut it off! It is better for you to enter life without a foot than to keep both feet and be thrown into hell. 46 And if your eye makes you lose your faith, take it out! 47 It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with only one eye than to keep both eyes and be thrown into hell. 48 There ‘the worms that eat them never die, and the fire that burns them is never put out.’

49 “Everyone will be purified by fire as a sacrifice is purified by salt.

50 “Salt is good; but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?

“Have the salt of friendship among yourselves and live in peace with one another.”

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

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.

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Yemen Al Qaeda SC asks doctor to pay announces new leader Rs 32 lakh to rape ‘victim’ REUTERS DUBAI, MAY 28

A fugitive Saudi Arabian man, who was once detained at the US military prison at Guantanamo, was named as a senior member of Al Qaeda's Yemen wing, according to a tape by the group shown on al Arabiya television today.

The tape also confirmed the deaths of three leaders killed in December and January during Yemeni air raids, the pan Arab broadcaster said.

Among those killed were Abdullah al Muhdar, the leader of al Qaeda in Yemen's Shabwa province, Mohammed Amir al Awlaki, and Mohammed Saleh al Kazimi.

Othman Ahmed al-Ghamdi, the 31-year-old man named as a leading Al Qaeda operative today, had been added to a list of 85 most wanted people by Saudi Arabia 15 months ago, alArabiya said.

He spent four years in Guantanamo prison after he was captured in Afghanistan. He was released in 2006.

Yemen, neighbour to top oil exporter Saudi Arabia, has been a key Western security concern since the Yemen-based al Qaeda

arm claimed responsibility for a failed December attempt to bomb a US bound passenger plane.

Last month, the group tried to assassinate the British ambassador to Yemen when a suicide bomber threw himself into the path of the convoy taking Tim Torlot to work in capital Sanaa.

The envoy was unharmed and only the suicide bomber died, but the bold hit signalled that a recent crackdown by Sanaa on the global militant group has done little to curb its ambitions to carry out attacks on international targets.

Western countries and Riyadh want Yemen, grappling with a northern Shi'ite insurgency and southern separatism, to quell its domestic conflicts to turn its focus on fighting al Qaeda, which they see as a bigger global threat.

Guantanamo prison was set up by US President George W Bush in Cuba in 2002 to hold foreigners captured after US forces invaded Afghanistan to root out al Qaeda and its Taliban protectors in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US.

Turkey’s court to decide charter reform Reuters ANKARA, MAY 28

Turkey's Constitutional Court has said it will decide next week whether to hear an appeal by the secularist opposition to stop government proposals for constitutional change from going to a referendum in September. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan says the reforms, overhauling the judiciary and making the army answerable to civilian courts, are designed to advance European Union entry demands. Political foes see the reform package as an attempt by Erdogan's Islamist-leaning AK Party to seize control of all levers of the state and undermine the country's secular principles.

“We will gather next week and make a decision, we haven't decided that yet,” Constitutional Court chief judge Hasim Kilic told state news Anatolian late yesterday.

power under Article 142 of the Constitution," the apex court said in an order.

Under Article 142 the Supreme Court has extraordinary powers to pass any order or directions to render justice to a party.

The apex court had on March 4 stayed the direction of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ghaziabad, for a DNA test on Dr Pradeep Gupta, and the alleged victim's son to establish the paternity.

The doctor had earlier claimed that the nurse had falsely implicated him in a rape case after becoming a surrogate mother through his sperms which were actually obtained for one Dilawar Singh.

He claimed that he had voluntarily donated his sperms to Dilawar Singh to enable him have a surrogate child through the nurse who was working in his hospital. But the nurse, he alleged, in connivance with certain anti-social elements had filed a rape case against him to blackmail and extract money

The victim had filed a case with the Sahibabad police, Ghaziabad, against Gupta accusing him of rape and trying to abort their son with the help of his legally wedded wife, Seema, also a doctor.

The nurse had lodged cases under Section 376D (rape in a hospital) and 313 (causing miscarriage) against him on August 20, 2007. The police filed a final report virtually exonerating the doctor of the charge.

However, the SSP Ghaziabad directed conduct of a DNA test to determine the parentage of the child after the nurse moved a complaint case before the judicial magistrate.

The High Court dismissed the doctor's plea for stay of the DNA test which he claimed would stigmatise the child, but the apex court stayed the same.

In the meantime, the doctor and the nurse arrived at the settlement with the help of their counsel Arup Banerjee and Asha Nair.

Jaya turns down SP’s offer for RS seat

‘Russia helps US in search for Osama’

PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 28

Exercising its extraordinary Constitutional powers, the Supreme Court has decided to quash the rape case against a prominent Ghaziabad doctor who agreed to pay a compensation of Rs 32 lakh to the alleged victim under a "settlement deed."

The case had all the ingredients of a Bollywood thriller involving Dr Pradeep Gupta's alleged rape of his hospital nurse, claims of blackmail, artificial insemination and surrogacy, ending into a settlment deed.

A Bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and H L Gokhale clarified that though rape was not a compoundable offence, yet, it was exercising its special powers under Article 142 in the interest of the welfare of the minor child born to the alleged victim.

"Having regard to the facts of the case and keeping in mind the welfare of the minor child, we are satisfied that this is a fit case where we may invoke our

PTI LUCKNOW, MAY 28

Springing a surprise, actor-politician Jaya Bachchan today turned down Samajwadi Party's offer for renomination for Rajya Sabha, citing "family reasons".

"Mrs Bachchan has requested for a rest from politics citing family reasons while declining the offer to contest the Rajya Sabha election," SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said here.

Denying any rift with the Bachchans, Mulayam stressed that he had "old family ties" with that family and his party was ready to send Jaya to the Rajya Sabha as it had done in the past.

"As of now our candidate is Mohan Singh," Yadav added.

Asked if Jaya's husband, superstar Amitabh Bachchan had objected to her nomination for the Upper House, Mulayam said Amitabh "has never liked politics. He is a totally non-political person who had left politics long ago".

The SP has named party spokesperson Mohan Singh, who had lost the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, for the Rajya Sabha biennial election slated for June 10.

Jaya this morning informed the party leadership on phone about her wish to take a break from politics, party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said.

The Samajwadi Party had two days ago decided to renominate Jaya overlooking claims of several senior leaders, ostensibly to counter expelled leader Amar

Singh who is considered close to the Bachchan family.

Sources said Singh, who had fell out with Mulayam, had yesterday gone to Mumbai and Jaya's decision was an outcome of his meeting with the Bachchans.

Ties between the Bachchans and Singh appeared to have strained after the 62-year-old outgoing Rajya Sabha MP did not heed Singh's call to quit SP after he was expelled from the party in February this year.

She did not attend Singh's 'Kshatriya' rally in March this year, a move which was seen as a setback for him. Singh had then said he was "missing" her.

Her renomination to Rajya Sabha was being seen as a reward by the party for not siding with Amar Singh.

Samajwadi Party MP from Rampur Jaya Prada had backed Singh after his departure from the party and was soon expelled.

Owing to Jaya's proximity to Singh, there was speculation within the party that she would not be given ticket again and the SP may field Mohan Singh to one of two Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant.

Due to the depleted strength of the party in Uttar Pradesh Assembly, it is in a position to nominate only two leaders to Rajya Sabha, from where seven of its sitting MPs, including Jaya, are retiring in July this year.

SP has 10 Rajya Sabha MPs after the death of its sitting member Virendra Bhatia recently.

Peace deal to elude Arroyo’s presidency REUTERS MANILA, MAY 28

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said today a deal to end a Muslim separatist conflict in the south could not be reached in her final month in office, but said she would continue to support the peace talks.

Arroyo brought the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) back to the negotiating table, and tapped the Malaysian government to help facilitate talks, after her predecessor waged an allout war on Mindanao Island in 2000.

However, negotiators said a peace deal would have to be left to the incoming government, with Senator Benigno Aquino III set to be declared the country's next President after elections earlier this month.

“As president, I fought every day in office to bring that peace to that great island,” Arroyo, who will become a member of Congress after her term ends on June 30, told a forum of international peace negotiators.

“And I will continue to do so until the last moment of my term as president and maybe even beyond, because as congresswoman, I will file the bills that I feel are needed in order to bring just and lasting peace to Mindanao.”

Arroyo's peace adviser, Annabelle Abaya, said no consensus has been forged as yet on issues such as territorial coverage, wealth and power sharing.

“If you try and ram it down people’s throat, you can create an instability which is not good

for our people,” Abaya said.

Negotiators from both sides told Reuters they would return to Kuala Lumpur next week to agree on mechanisms to sustain a shaky ceasefire and allow the European Union to participate in the peace process, but no long-term deal was expected.

A workable and sustained resolution to the conflict would remove a long-term investment risk in the poor Southeast Asian state, and would help improve access to plantations, mines and offshore oil and gas fields on the resource-rich Mindanao.

Since 1997, off-and-on peace talks have tried to end a rebellion that has run for more than 40 years, killed 120,000 people and displaced 2 million in the south of the mainly Catholic state.

Aquino has said he would pursue talks with the MILF, the country's largest Muslim guerrilla group, and communist guerrillas behind a separate insurgency, in a bid to attract investment and create jobs in rural communities.

Aquino's peace adviser, Teresita Quintos-Deles, said the incoming team would first focus on helping 150,000 displaced people in the south, and injecting fresh momentum in the talks.

“The next administration will review the 2010 budget to see if we can find enough funds to provide food, rebuild homes and create livelihoods for displaced families in the next six months,” she told Reuters at the forum.

“We also have a wide budget gap to consider, but I am sure there could be funds somewhere.”

UNI MOSCOW, MAY 28

Russia continues to assist the United States in its search for the world's most wanted terrorist and head of al-Qaeda Osama bin Laden.

“I know for certain that we have provided and continue to provide concrete assistance to the United States in this issue,” RIA Novosti news agency quoted Mr Anatoly Safronov, Special Representative of the Russian President for International Cooperation in the Fight a g a i n s t Te r r o r i s m a n d Tr a n s n a t i o n a l O rg a n i z e d Crime, as saying.

Security officials inspect a police vehicle after four police officers were killed in Quetta, the capital of restive Balochistan province, Pakistan, on Friday.

Japan to step up sanctions against North Korea Reuters TOKYO, May 28

Japan will toughen sanctions against North Korea, the top government spokesman said today, after an investigation concluded last week that Pyongyang was responsible for the March sinking of a South Korean naval vessel.

Parliament also enacted a bill to enable the country's coast guard to inspect North Korean cargo in international waters, in line with a UN Security Council resolution last year.

Tokyo, which has long feuded with North Korea over issues including Japan's 1910-1945 colonisation of the Korean peninsula and Pyongyang's abduction of Japanese citizens decades ago, sees itself as a possible target of aggression by its unpredictable neighbour.

The moves come ahead of a trilateral summit with South Korea and China this weekend

China rakes up Lama, Tibet issues with Prez Patil PTI BEIJING, MAY 28

China today raised the "activities" of the Dalai Lama with President Pratibha Patil and sought a reiteration of India's stand that Tibet is a part of it, striking a somewhat discordant note in her discussions which have otherwise been described as "fruitful."

Jia Qinglin, Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), who is ranked fourth in the Chinese leadership hierarchy, brought up these issues during his meeting with Patil, a day after her discussions with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao at which no such issue was raised.

Downplaying the episode, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said that the Chinese had sought reiteration of India's stand on Tibet and an assurance that antiChina activities are not permitted on the Indian soil.

"It often happens that in course of discussions between India and China all issues are raised.... it is a complex relationship", she told reporters, adding that there were many issues on which the two sides have sought "greater

awareness of each other's concerns".

The 70-year-old Jia, who presides over the 2196-strong CPPCC, regarded as China's top political advisory body, described the Dalai Lama as more of a political leader than a spiritual figure. Patil had called the Dalai Lama as a spiritual leader who stays in India.

On Tibet, Patil is believed to have told Jia that India regards Tibet Autonomous Region as a part of China and it does not allow any antiChina activities by Tibetans based in India.

The President is believed to have cited the example of the passage of the Olympic torch through India ahead of the Beijing Olympics two years ago when the government had taken steps to ensure that nothing untoward happened.

Later, at her first public speech during her six-day State Visit, Patil sent a subtle but clear message to this country's leadership saying "mutual understanding of each other's sensitivities" held the key to "deeper and sturdier friendship" between the two Asian giants.

Spanish labour reform talks going badly: Govt REUTERS MADRID, MAY 28

Talks with unions and business to overhaul Spain's rigid labour laws are going badly, a government spokesman said today, casting doubt over reforms crucial for reassuring markets of the country's long-term solvency.

If unions and business can't agree by a looming end-of-May deadline, the government will push through changes to labour market laws unilaterally, the parliamentary spokesman for the governing Socialists, Jose Antonio Alonso, told radio.

Such a move would heighten the chances of industrial unrest as the country struggles to convince global capital markets that it is not heading for a repeat of the Greek crisis on a much larger scale. Such doubts have already lead investors to question the long-term survival of Europe's single currency.

Economists say cutting the cost of hiring and firing is vital if Spain is to regain competitiveness lost during years of relatively high inflation and achieve sustainable growth.

U n l i ke G re e c e , S p a i n ' s level of debt to gross domestic product, below 70 per

cent this, is not yet particularly problematic. But debt markets fear that without labour reform, unemployment, already at 20 per cent, will stay high, pushing the government down the path of fiscal unsustainability.

“I am aware that things are not going too well and it is possible that the government will have to reform the labour market through a royal decree,” Alonso said.

Unions have already said they could call a general strike over cuts to public sector pay. Union unrest would pile further pressure on Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, whose government seemed to narrowly avoid being brought down yesterday when parliament approved a vital 15 billion euro austerity package by just one vote.

A spokeswoman for the largest union confederation, Comisiones Obreras, said “things are difficult, complicated”.

The talks would continue over the weekend and into next week, she said.

at which Beijing will come under renewed pressure to join the international chorus of condemnation of Pyongyang.

“The government's position is that we will put forward our thinking on North Korea at international meetings and will work closely with South Korea,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano told reporters. “ We w i l l s t ro n g l y u rg e China to understand this position and align themselves with us, to share our understanding.”

Japan will lower the limit on the amount of undeclared cash that can be carried to North Korea to 100,000 yen from the current 300,000 yen, Hirano told reporters. Remittances over 3 million yen must also be declared, compared with 10 million previously, he said.

The new sanctions will be implemented swiftly, he added.

The amount of declared cash

carried from Japan to North Korea has tumbled in recent years, despite stricter reporting rules.

About 438 million yen in cash was taken to the North in the 11 months to February 2009, compared with more than 2.7 billion yen in the financial year starting in April 2005.

Declared remittances to North Korea came to 55 million yen in the 11 months to February 2009, about a quarter of the figure four years earlier.

The government, which already bans all trade between Japan and North Korea, will also step up efforts to block imports and exports via third countries, Hirano said.

It has taken a year for Tokyo to overcome the legal complications of its pacifist constitution to comply with the UN resolution, prompted by North Korea's nuclear test in May 2009, on cargo inspection.

China opposes instability on Korean peninsula REUTERS SEOUL, MAY 28

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told South Korea's President Lee Myungbak today he condemned acts threatening stability on the Korean peninsula and would not harbour anyone over the sinking of a South Korean naval ship, which Seoul blames on the North.

The Chinese leader is on a three-day visit to South Korea, whose deepening standoff with North Korea is testing China's efforts to stay friendly with both sides of the divided peninsula and keep above the fray over the sinking of the corvette Cheonan in late March.

Seoul is convinced North Korea torpedoed the Cheonan and, along with the United States and Japan, has urged Beijing to join international denunciation of the sinking, which killed 46 sailors.

Wen held to China's position of avoiding blaming its partner North Korea but also told Lee Beijing would not “harbour” anyone responsible once Beijing had made its own “fair and objective judgment on who's at fault”, South Korean official Lee Dong-kwan told reporters.

“China objects to and condemns any act that destroys the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula,” Wen said during his meeting with Lee, according to the official.

Wen's comments reflected China's efforts to avoid entanglement in the crisis while seeking to dispel regional worries that Beijing is effectively protecting Pyongyang.

“China feels it's on the back foot and has to find a more active posture on the Cheonan incident,'' said Zhang Liangui, an expert on North Korea at the Central Party School, a training school for officials in Beijing.

“It's difficult even for China to influence North Korea's behaviour. But China will also hope that South Korea steps back so that confrontation can cool down,” he said.

North Korea has said it will rip up military agreements with the South guaranteeing safety of cross-border exchanges, and has reportedly put its military on combat readiness, after Seoul said it would ban trade with the North and stop its commercial ships using South Korean waters following the sinking.

The mounting antagonism between the two Koreas has unnerved investors, worried the confrontation could erupt into conflict. Many analysts say that neither side is ready to go to war but warn there could be more skirmishes, especially along their disputed sea border off the west coast.

Beijing has resisted turning on North Korea publicly, whose leader Kim Jong-il visited China early this month in a show of friendship between the two communist neighbours.

US officials have said Wen may use his visit to South Korea, including a weekend three-nation summit with Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, to spell out how China wants to deal with the confrontation at its northeastern doorstep.

Japan will toughen sanctions against North Korea, the top government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano, said today.

Also today, a Chinese newspaper said it was time for all sides to step back before confrontation got out of hand. The United States and Japan must step back more to turn around the situation.

FRom PAge 1 Cuncolim girl’s murder... recover the gun used to murder the young girl.

Sources said the arrested persons and the main accused were employed in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate and were staying in a rented room outside the estate.

It is learnt that the police probed into the involvement of the workers based on a call received by the girl on the cell phone.

Based on the telephone number, the police zeroed in on the workers and arrested three of them.

The police are confident of cracking the case after the arrest of the main accused and recovery of the country made gun. It is learnt that the associates of the main accused had actively helped to procure the country-made pistol to kill the victim girl.

Further investigations are on.

WORLD

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US House votes to repeal gay ban in military REUTERS WASHINGTON, MAY 28

Lawmakers in both chambers of the US Congress took steps on Thursday toward repealing a ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the US military, a goal championed by President Barack Obama.

The House of Representatives voted 234-194 to approve an amendment aimed at ending the Clinton-era “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that allows homosexuals to serve in secret but expels them if their sexual orientation becomes known.

Visitors cheered in the House galleries after the vote, which followed similar action by a Senate panel a few hours earlier.

There are still several more legislative steps before the change can become law.

“With our military fighting two wars, why on earth would we tell over 13,500 able-bodied troops that their services are not needed?” Representative Patrick Murphy yesterday argued before the House voted on the amendment to a defense policy bill.

Murphy, formerly in the US Army, was the first veteran of the Iraq war to serve in Congress. He sponsored the House

amendment.

“It's time for this policy to go.

It doesn't reflect America's best values for equal opportunity and it is not good for the military,” independent Senator Joseph Lieberman, a member of the Armed Services committee, said after the panel voted 16-12 to change the law.

President Barack Obama said he was pleased with the vote.

“This legislation will help make our Armed Forces even stronger and more inclusive by allowing gay and lesbian soldiers to serve honestly and with integrity,” he said in a statement.

Even if Congress gives final approval to such bill, repeal also would require certification from Obama, Defense Secretar y Robert Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, that the new law would not have a negative impact on readiness, unit cohesion, recruitment and troop retention.

The Pentagon also needs to complete a review on how to implement the repeal, due by December 1.

Ending the 17-year-old ban would be a major victory for Obama and for gay rights advocates who supported his 2008

presidential campaign.

But it is also a political issue that has long divided the US military. Opposition Republicans, gearing up for congressional elections in November in which they are expected to make gains, accused Obama of using the US armed forces to engage in a “social experiment.”

“Is this the sort of thing that George Washington or our founders would be proud of?” asked Republican Representative Todd Akin in the House debate.

“I will not betray my children or our armed services people just for mere politics.”

Re p u b l i c a n s c r i t i c i z e d Obama's Democrats for failing to wait until completion of the Pentagon study.

“We're dissing the troop, that’s what we’re doing. We’re disrespecting them,” said Representative Howard McKeon, the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee.

Recent polls show most Americans support the repeal of the 1993 ban, but opponents fear it could increase strain on a military already stretched by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Senator John McCain, Obama's challenger in the 2008 election,

Prescribed heroin offers answer for worst addicts, finds Study REUTERS LONDON, MAY 28

Prescribing heroin to chronic addicts may be politically sensitive, but it is more effective than the substitute methadone at keeping drug abusers in treatment programmes, British scientists said today.

Researchers who studied different ways of treating heroin addiction said their findings could provide an answer to helping the 5 to 10 per cent of the most severe addicts who fail to stick to conventional addiction treatment programmes.

“Our scientific understanding

about how to treat people with severe heroin addiction has taken an important step forward,” said John Strang, head of the National Addiction Centre at King’s College London, who led the study. “(This) study shows that previously unresponsive patients can achieve major reductions in their use of street heroin.”

Strang's study, published in The Lancet medical journal, followed 127 heroin addicts who were assigned to various treatment programmes. After 26 weeks, 80 per cent of addicts were still in treatment -- 81 per

cent on injectable methadone, 88 percent on injectable heroin, and 69 per cent on oral methadone.

The proportions of patients who tested negative for street heroin more than half of the time were highest in the injectable heroin group (66 per cent) followed by injectable methadone (30 per cent) and oral methadone (19 per cent).

Street heroin addicts are at high risk of diseases like the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS because they share needles or use dirty ones to inject the drug.

Guatemala volcano spews ash REUTERS GUATEMALA CITY, MAY 28

Guatemala's Pacaya volcano erupted covering the capital with a cloud of black ash that closed the airport and forced villagers to evacuate. Four people were reported missing amid the eruption yesterday.

Volcanologists measured plumes of ash reaching almost 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) above the volcano's peak.

Debris from the eruption rained ash and small rocks on the capital, coating the streets in a layer of black sand.

OHERALDO

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BIZ

GOA, SATURDAY, 29 MAY, 2010

TALK BUSINESS

Malaysia’s tourism promo

RBI should tighten policy stance, says Socgen PTI MUMBAI, MAY 28

PANJIM (HBD) – Malaysia, this summer is promoting three destinations - Terengganu, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.

There’s something for everyone; from close encounters with fascinating creatures on land and under water, to awe-inspiring sights of natural and man-made wonders, to adrenaline-pumping adventure and first-time experiences apart from shopping and exotic fares.

Terengganu, also known as the land of turtles, sees a variety of turtle species come to nest on its beaches every year. It’s a charming holiday destination, with beautiful beaches and romantic islands. Redang is a tourist’s paradise, with its hilly landscapes and coral beds teeming with fantastic creatures. The island will charm you with its sleepy fishing villages, warm beaches, verdant rainforests and seasonal encounters with Hawksbill turtles. Pulau Kapas Island, relatively isolated from the mainland, is ideal for some blissful relaxation. If you prefer activities, Terengganu offers golfing, river cruising, snorkelling and more. A must-visit is the Istana Maziah, the official palace of the Terengganu Sultan.

Kuching, fondly called the City of Cats, is the capital of Sarawak.

This lively city offers diverse options - historical buildings, places of worship, museums, malls, a fascinating waterfront and even a grand Palace. The Sarawak Museum, housed in a Victorian style building, is home to native arts and crafts from various eras, and has a faithful depiction of the tribal past of Malaysia. Kuching also offers the extraordinary Rainforest Kayaking Adventure, where you can paddle past impressive limestone formations and towering trees, see the carnivorous pitcher plant Nepenthes, and enjoy a cool dip in the river. Music lovers will thrill to the Rainforest World Music Festival.

Kota Kinabalu, situated on the island of Borneo, is the capital of Sabah. KK - or Api Api as it is called locally has mesmerising natural splendour, long sandy beaches, beautiful islands, virgin coral reefs, tropical rainforests and the mighty Mount Kinabalu.

Stop over at Kinabalu National Park - a UNESCO World Heritage site - to get up-close with the world's largest flower, the Rafflesia, and visit the Gomantong caves to see the edible swiftlet nests being harvested for bird's nest soup. KK is perfect for relaxing and watersports, or shopping at sprawling malls, or chilling out at a little kedai kopi (cafe). This place is home to 30 different ethnic groups, and you can savour their tasty delicacies everywhere.

CSR DEEDS

Health check for spouses of Sesa workmen employees

Pravin Varute, Dr Sunil Kakodkar and Shabab Khan at the Urology camp.

PANJIM (HBD) -- The Medical Services department of Sesa Goa in association with RG hospital conducted a Urology and Ultrasound camp for the spouses of workmen employees of Pig Iron Plant and Met Coke Division at Amona.

Companies, Medical Services head Dr. Sunil Kakodkar and other colleagues Dr. Basavraj Pattanshetti and Shruti Dhupkar from CSR department organised this camp.

27 spouses took benefit of the camp. Dr Mazhar Shaikh and Dr Rajdeep Bhide along with their team namely Pravin Varute, Viraj Naik, Yasmin Shaikh and Shabab Khan from RG Hospital were present during the camp.

General Secretary of Sesa Goa Workers Union Ramesh Sinari, Union Leader (MCD) Anant Gawas and Sandeep Sawant took initiative in coordinating with the workers and their spouses.

Mkts rally for 3rd day in succession; sensex up 197 pts PTI MUMBAI, MAY 28

Markets rose for the third day in a row today with the BSE benchmark index Sensex surging by nearly 200 points on renewed buying amid strong global cues.

The 30-share index of the Bombay Stock Exchange finished the day by 196.66 points, or 1.18 per cent, at 16,863.06 points — the best closing since May 18.

Despite a highly volatile week, the Sensex recored a net gain of 2.53 per cent during the period on the back a strong recovery in the past three days. In the past three sessions, the barometer has gained over 5 per cent.

The Reserve Bank of India will have to continue to tighten its monetary policy stance to check inflation, which is expected to harden further in the medium-term on account of rising international commodity prices, a senior economist today said.

However, the pace of tightening should not be aggressive as it may hamper the economic recovery, Societe Generale, Head of Thematic Research, Veronique Riches-Flores told reporters here.

"Inflation is likely to be a major concern in economies including those of emerging markets as demand catch-up process speeding up in emerging economies and supply is constrained by various factors," Riches-Flores said.

The RBI, which started exiting its easy money stance since last October, "will have to con-

Manjushree Technopack PAT up 41% BANGALORE: Manjushree Technopack, a leader in rigid Plastic Packaging in the country,today said its Profit After Tax has grown by 41 per cent from Rs 7.49 crore to Rs 10.57 crore for the year ending March 31, 2010. The Turnover for the financial year also increased by 41 per cent from Rs 10.56 crore to Rs 14.90 crore, it said in a statement here.

tinue to tighten its policy to control the high inflation" to avert the pressure it may exert on the domestic economy, she said.

High international commodity prices and food prices have pushed up country's inflation over the last one year and is currently hovering close to double-digit putting pressure on the policy makers to rise key rates.

The wholesale-price based inflation in April stood at 9.59 per cent while the food inflation is currently hovering at over 16 per cent. The RBI hiked its repo, reverse repo (overnight rates) and cash reserve ratio by 0.25 per cent each to 5.25 per cent, 3.75 per cent and 6 per cent in its annual monetary policy in April.

The apex bank, on the other side, is also burdened with the responsibility of ensuring adequate liquidity in the system, particularly in the backdrop of

continuing uncertainties pertaining to the debt crisis in the Euro Zone.

Commenting on the USD one trillion package by European nations and Intenational Monetary Fund, Riches-Flores said that although this may support the region to as nearterm solution, it will not be sufficient in the longer-term.

"I would never expect that this (the rescue would be enough. It was a abosulte necessity. But this is not enough given the overall depth of the problem," Riches-Flores said.

According to Riches-Flores, the inflation in world economies are likely to inch up over the next 5-10 years resulting in negative real rates and pushing the bond yields into double digits in emerging economies and to 7-9 per cent range in developed markets.

Besides, this would also create high volatility in exchange rates, Riches-Flores said.

M&M submits LoI for Korea firm AGENCY MUMBAI, MAY 28

India's largest utility vehicles and tractor maker Mahindra & Mahindra has submitted a letter of intent to bid for South Korea's Ssangyong Motor Corp, two sources with direct knowledge of the deal told Reuters on Friday.

One source said Mahindra would bid for buying the cashstrapped Korean utility vehicles maker in which China's SAIC Motor Corp has a 10 percent stake.

Earlier a source had said that French carmaker Renault has submitted a preliminary bid for the Korean maker of sport utility vehicles.

Europe crisis will have impact on revenue: TCS PTI BANGALORE, MAY 28

Asserting that the European currency crisis currently has not impacted its business, TCS today said weakening of Euro, British pound and significant appreciation of Indian Rupee will have impact on its revenue line.

"In general Euro, Pound Sterling are weakening. It is a cause for worry. But Dollar is strengthening. The impact will be lesser due to weakening of UK Sterling and Euro", TCS CEO Chandrasekaran told reporters here.

TCS has not seen any direct impact on its business, he said.

"We have to watch the situation carefully on what kind of impact it has. We will wait and watch. It is unlikely that it can have an impact on our business right now".

Commenting on the situation that emerged in the United Kingdom following change in Government where a new coalition dispensation has assumed power, ChanAban Offshor, 694.9, 718.8, 693.3, 716.45 Abb Ltd., 850, 874.9, 838.2, 865.1 Abg Shipyard, 244, 247.8, 242.5, 244.35 Acc Limited, 828, 834, 811.3, 826.05 Adani Enterp, 570, 570, 530.05, 540.2 Aditya Birla, 718.5, 736.9, 713, 731.15 Allahabad Ba, 157.45, 162.8, 155.2, 162.1 Alstom Proje, 584, 594.45, 577.25, 588.7 Ambuja Cemen, 109, 110.5, 107.1, 108.95 Andhra Bank, 132.4, 135.35, 131.8, 134.35 Ashok Leylan, 61, 61.45, 59.85, 60.3 Asian Paints, 2149, 2149, 2093.5, 2100.3 Axis Bank Li, 1225, 1238, 1205.8, 1225.35 Bajaj Hindus, 102, 109, 102, 108.4 Bank Of Baro, 700, 726, 700, 706.85 Bank Of Indi, 321, 328.45, 320.1, 325.1 Beml Limited, 983.9, 984.9, 970, 981.3 Bharat Elect, 1690, 1718.9, 1662, 1708.35 Bharat Forge, 265, 267.5, 260, 264.05 Bharat Petro, 578, 578, 560, 563.6 Bharti Airte, 264, 265.8, 258.05, 260.7 Bhel, 2315.1, 2335, 2305, 2318.95 Bhushan Stee, 1410, 1434.7, 1388, 1399.95 Biocon Limit, 285, 293, 284.05, 290.7

drasekaran said the company has been implementing the projects awarded to it.

"We have been in touch with the clients and the projects are on track at this point of time", he said. TCS has been in few markets significantly in India and it has good experience in UK markets, he said. "We are working towards creating frameworks which can be replicated. We give robust solution.

We are not taking on huge projects without any framework and ability to test it out".

"TCS is looking for the most diversified footprint and we are well diversified in Latin America, Africa and MiddleEast", he said.

Commenting on the revival of economy, he said "we are seeing significant opportunity in the US. TCS has identified 'Cloud Computing' as the biggest opportunity for it to create more business models, he said and pointed out "we made three bids in a banking sector. Chandrasekaran said

Bombay Dyein, 499.9, 511.85, 496, 502.2 Bosch Limite, 4913.35, 4947.85, 4882, 4900.1 Brigade Ente, 135.9, 138.8, 135.9, 136.9 Cairn India, 289.25, 295.45, 287.1, 290.1 Canara Bank, 402, 408.2, 392.2, 398.7 Central Bank, 149, 149, 140, 141.9 Century Text, 446.9, 451.7, 439.6, 448.15 Cesc Ltd, 365, 372, 364.8, 369.6 Chambal Fert, 56.6, 57.45, 55.85, 56.65 Chennai Petr, 246, 246.95, 242.5, 245.9 Cipla Ltd, 319, 321.8, 317.75, 320.35 Colgate Palm, 734.9, 745.7, 721.6, 733.15 Container Co, 1234.9, 1235, 1211, 1227.8 Crompton Gre, 239.1, 241.8, 235.8, 239.3 Cummins Indi, 545, 566.8, 532, 562.65 Dabur India, 181.2, 185.8, 180, 185.35 Deccan Chron, 121, 121.8, 118.55, 120.95 Dish Tv Indi, 38.75, 39.1, 38.15, 38.85 Divi’s Labor, 727.95, 741.8, 721.6, 732.65 Dlf Limited, 273.5, 281.55, 272.5, 280.05 Dr. reddy’s, 1346.1, 1389.9, 1325.05, 1370.1 Edelweiss Ca, 410, 414, 402.3, 410.3 Educomp Solu, 469.85, 488, 468.5, 482.5

the company has deals across sectors both in application, management, infrastructure and BPO. In Europe it is slow. But we have high confidence in the industry today. Opportunities are back. There are sectors of manufacturing which are bit slow.

In service sector opportunities are there", he said.

TCS expects its non-linear revenue to grow by at least 10 per cent more in one of the quarters of this fiscal.

Chandrasekaran said TCS "is very very bullish about the Indian market. We are confident of decent growth this year by overcoming volatility. I think, we are at this stage of achieving it".

TCS is providing technical support to Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) in India. There were plans to roll out 77 such kendras by this year end, he said.

"We have not found the right asset", he said, responding to a query on TCS not going in for acquisitions in recent times.

Eih Limited, 116, 119.25, 115.5, 117.95 Engineers In, 320, 324.5, 313.6, 314.85 Essar Oil Lt, 121, 123.2, 120.2, 122.05 Essar Shippi, 82.3, 83.55, 81.3, 81.85 Exide Indust, 118.7, 119.6, 116.25, 117.85 Federal Bank, 327.95, 334, 324.7, 330.8 Financial Te, 1293, 1335, 1283, 1324.1 Gail (india), 459, 459.95, 446.3, 448.3 Gammon India, 195, 201.75, 194.05, 200.4 Glaxosmithkl, 1975.5, 2033.9, 1970, 1995.9 Glenmark Pha, 280, 283.45, 267.3, 270.5 Gmr Infrastr, 58.6, 59.3, 57.6, 58.7 Godrej Indus, 148.4, 151.1, 146.5, 149.65 Grasim Indus, 1880, 1912, 1835.05, 1847.65 Great Offsho, 455.75, 464.75, 445, 452.1 Gtl Infra.Lt, 36.5, 37.05, 36.1, 36.6 Gujarat Mine, 124.4, 125.35, 120, 121.1 Gujarat N R, 62, 63.8, 61.2, 63.1 Gujarat Stat, 91.7, 93, 91, 91.6 Gvk Pow. & I, 41.4, 43, 41.4, 42.5 Hcl Technolo, 372, 379.5, 370, 377.1 Hdfc Bank Lt, 1896.6, 1914, 1885.25, 1896.8 Hdfc Ltd, 2773, 2803, 2761.25, 2790.15 Hero Honda M, 1910, 1925, 1891.3, 1919.65

Hindalco in, 150.9, 155.7, 149.3, 150.9 Hindustan Co, 107.4, 112.75, 107.2, 112.2 Hindustan Ma, 68.15, 68.75, 61.4, 67.1 Hindustan Pe, 352.6, 362.25, 346.15, 358.4 Hindustan Un, 239.8, 239.8, 232.35, 236.35 Hindustan Zi, 961, 983.4, 955.2, 979.25 Housing Dev, 213, 231.9, 213, 228.95 Icici Bank L, 862.1, 877, 848.65, 864.75 Idea Cellula, 49.7, 50.9, 49.5, 50.2 Ifci Ltd, 51.95, 52.8, 51.1, 52.45 India Cement, 111.25, 111.9, 109.75, 110.75 India Infoli, 96, 99.2, 96, 98.75 Indiabulls F, 135.05, 143.7, 134.25, 138.85 Indiabulls R, 153.8, 158.8, 152.5, 156.8 Indian Bank, 217.9, 224.8, 213.55, 222.95 Indian Hotel, 98.4, 103.65, 97, 103.15 Indian Oil C, 342, 349.95, 335.5, 341.35 Indian Overs, 89.9, 90.5, 89.2, 90.05 Indus Dev Ba, 110, 112.2, 110, 111.55 Indusind Ban, 187, 194.7, 187, 191.9 Infosys Tech, 2670.05, 2684.4, 2637.3, 2677.45 Infra. dev., 156.4, 157.95, 151.55, 154.6 Ispat Indust, 17.6, 17.85, 17.55, 17.7

Pg12

Russia to make electric trains AGENCY MOSCOW, MAY 28

Russia will produce the next generation electric trains with the help of a German rail company.

Russia's railway firm RZD, high-speed train service Aeroexpress, and Germany's Siemens have signed a deal to manufacture the new electric trains which will be powered by electric motors and magnatic elements.

The document was signed during the fifth International Railway Business Forum.

RZD chief Vladimir Yakunin said the Russian Republic of Tatarstan is likely to be the production centre of the new trains called Lastochka (Swallow). The company plans that production would be 80 percent localised by 2017.

An earlier joint venture between Russia and Germany has produced Russia's fastest Sapsan train which has been operational since December last year.

Mukesh eyeing telecom?

PTI NEW DELHI, MAY 28

Within days of revoking a noncompete agreement that his group had with his younger brother Anil, RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani is believed to have held a long-drawn-out discussion with telecom czar Sunil Mittal. The meeting took place on the day Mukesh Ambani arrived in Delhi on May 26 to attend the Prime Minister's Council on Trade and Industry meeting.

A RIL spokesperson declined to comment either on the meeting or the discussions held, but a source said CII President Hari S Bhartia was also present. The two Ambanis on May 23 decided to scrap a noncompete agreement reached by them in January 2006.

But, they decided that Mukesh will keep out of gasbased power plants till 2022.

They had also announced that day that they would expeditiously negotiate a gas supply agreement in accordance with

the SC order of May 7.

There is speculation that Mukesh Ambani could venture into the telecom sector soon and sources indicated that he could pick up stake in one of the Indian telecom players, particularly those who acquired licences in 2008. Sources also said that Mukesh is talking to new licence holders including Videocon, which has pan-India licence and is looking for a partner to bring in capital to roll out services.

Mukesh had overseen setting up of the telecom business in the undivided Reliance empire (under the brand Reliance Infocomm), but the business went to younger brother Anil Ambani when the brothers decided to part ways in June 2005. Anil has since renamed the telecom venture as Reliance Communications.

MF FUNDA IDFC MUTUAL FUND has approved June 1, 2010 as the record date for declaration of dividend under the dividend options of following schemes: IDFC Asset Allocation Fund Aggressive Plan-Plan A (IDFC-AAF-AP): Dividend- Rs 0.06 per unit.

IDFC Asset Allocation Fund Moderate Plan-Plan A (IDFC-AAF-MP): Dividend- Rs 0.04 per unit.

IDFC Asset Allocation Fund Conservative Plan-Plan A (IDFC-AAFCP): Dividend- Rs 0.02 per unit.

IDFC Monthly Income Plan-Plan A (IDFC-MIP): Dividend- Rs 0.04 per unit.

BOARD MEETINGS RELIANCE MUTUAL FUND has decided to revise the maximum investment amount in Reliance Regular Savings Fund- Debt Option, an open ended scheme, with effect from June1, 2010.

Accordingly, the maximum investment amount will be Rs 10 crore per investor (for all folios) in one calendar quarter (instead of existing Rs 3 crore per investor (across all folios) in a single calendar month). Calendar quarter implies January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December.

Also the AMC has decided to change the minimum application amount of Reliance Dynamic Bond Fund (formerly Reliance NRI Income Fund), an open ended income scheme, with effect from May 31, 2010.

Accordingly, the minimum application amount will be Rs 5,000 and in multiples of Re 1 thereafter. The existing amount is Rs 50,000 and in multiples of Re 1 thereafter.

TATA MUTUAL FUND has announced that with effect from June 1, 2010, Tata Treasury Manager Fund will charge an exit load of 0.25%, if redeemed on or before expiry of 30 days from the date of allotment. The existing exit load is nil.

The above mentioned load structure will also be applicable for subscription through systematic investment plan (SIP) and systematic transfer plan (STP).

L&T MUTUAL FUND has approved June 3, 2010 as the record date for declaration of dividend under dividend payout option of L&T Fixed Maturity Plan-Series 12-Plan 91D-March 10-I. The fund house has decided to distribute 100% distributable surplus as on the record date on the face value of Rs 10 per unit.

UTI MUTUAL FUND has announced change in dividend distribution policy under UTI Balanced Fund-dividend option, with effect from Jun.1, 2010.

Accordingly, dividend distribution under the dividend option will be made subject to availability of distributable surplus and a decision taken by the trustees to make dividend distribution.

Existing policy says that total dividend distribution shall be at least to the extent of 90% of the distributable surplus available under dividend option of the scheme in any year/period.

In clause IIC (a) of the Scheme Information Document (SID), under heading change in investment pattern, the paragraph ie the fund manager shall review the portfolio for adherence with the scheme asset allocation patterns and rebalance them with 30 days to confirm to the allocation limits, has been deleted.

Itc Ltd, 278, 284, 275.9, 283.2 Ivrcl Infras, 156, 159, 153.15, 156.2 Jai Corp Lim, 228, 232.5, 225.9, 227.85 Jaiprakash A, 124.5, 127.5, 124.5, 127.2 Jet Airways, 501.9, 509, 491.35, 495.3 Jindal Saw L, 184.5, 189.85, 183.75, 188.1 Jindal Steel, 629, 656.9, 629, 654.5 Jsw Steel Li, 1095, 1115.5, 1085.65, 1100.05 Kotak Mahind, 761.4, 765, 751.15, 759.4 Lakshmi Mach, 1859, 1870, 1790, 1799.05 Lanco Infrat, 61.25, 62.2, 60.65, 61.2 Larsen & Tou, 1635, 1645, 1616.35, 1626.55 Lic Housing, 927, 965, 927, 956.45 Lupin Limite, 1809, 1835, 1806.05, 1826.55 Mahanagar Te, 56, 56.7, 55.4, 55.95 Mahindra & M, 535.8, 549.75, 535, 545.95 Maruti Suzuk, 1243, 1244.8, 1216.2, 1225.2 Max India Lt, 169, 169, 160.55, 162.75 Maytas Infr., 191.5, 192.55, 186.4, 187.7 Moser-baer (, 57.95, 59.75, 57.95, 59.05 Mrpl, 65.95, 67, 65.9, 66.3 Nagarjuna Co, 172, 173.5, 168.45, 172.55 Nagarjuna Fe, 28.9, 29.4, 28.8, 29.05 National Alu, 410, 411.5, 402.8, 410

Neyveli Lign, 141.5, 145, 141.5, 144.2 Ntpc Ltd, 198.5, 201.6, 196, 201.1 Oil And Natu, 1134, 1144.95, 1121, 1132.05 Omaxe Limite, 94, 100, 92.5, 94.15 Oriental Ban, 330.1, 333, 323.05, 329.15 Pantaloon Re, 374.95, 404.9, 374.95, 395.95 Parsvnath De, 113.2, 125.75, 113.2, 124.55 Petronet Lng, 81.5, 83.2, 81.3, 82.2 Power Fin Co, 284.95, 290.5, 282.5, 289.7 Power Grid C, 101.35, 103.9, 101.35, 103.05 Praj Industr, 77.8, 80.85, 77.8, 79.4 Punj Lloyd L, 135, 138.9, 135, 137.4 Punjab Natio, 1000, 1000, 982.5, 987.7 Rajesh Expor, 95.5, 97.1, 90.5, 91.05 Ranbaxy Labs, 418.45, 428.9, 416, 427.1 Rashtriya Ch, 75.6, 77, 75.3, 76.4 Rel. nat. re, 52.4, 53.15, 52.05, 52.5 Reliance Cap, 654, 658, 643.55, 646.8 Reliance Com, 141.25, 148, 139.4, 147.4 Reliance Ene, 910, 910, 892, 899.99 Reliance Ind, 780, 780.9, 763.15, 767.7 Reliance Ind, 1029.95, 1039, 1014.5, 1036.65

ABG Infra Hindustan Oil ABG Shipyard Hindustan Wires IVRCL Infra Roto Pumps Archies Jayshree Chem JK Cement Saint Gobain Kamdhenu Ispat Kohinoor Foods Shipping Corp BITS Linc Pen Mahindra & Mahindra Choksi Lab Manipal Fin Max India Cox Kings Cummins India DCM Shriram Inds National Plast Inds Donear Inds National Steel Suzlon Energy Texmaco Fame India Omax Autos Uco Bank Gitanjali Gems Godfrey Phil Praj Inds Hawkins Cook West Coast Paper Zenith Comp Source: Indiainfoline.com

Reliance Pow, 156, 158.4, 153.2, 156.45 Rolta India, 165.8, 167.45, 162.5, 163.25 Satyam Compu, 85.6, 87.9, 85.15, 87.15 Sesa Goa Ltd, 344.75, 375.5, 344.75, 373.75 Shipping Cor, 160.5, 167, 160.05, 163 Siemens Ltd, 715.8, 715.8, 702, 708.7 Sintex Indus, 267, 274.25, 267, 269.35 Sobha Develo, 310, 313.8, 303.05, 310.8 State Bank O, 2244, 2258.8, 2203.15, 2239.4 Steel Author, 202, 207.7, 201, 205.85 Sterlite Ind, 659.8, 687, 655.2, 681.7 Sun Pharmace, 1650, 1650, 1621.5, 1631.65 Sun Tv Netwo, 406, 420, 403, 409.3 Suzlon Energ, 58.7, 61.5, 58.7, 61.05 Tata Communi, 245, 256.2, 241.1, 247.45 Tata Consult, 749.8, 753.5, 735.5, 750.8 Tata Motors, 760, 773.7, 742.55, 749.5 Tata Power C, 1251.5, 1280, 1231, 1270.6 Tata Steel L, 500, 508.5, 490.05, 496.85 Tata Tea Ltd, 1021, 1064.95, 1020,

1059.5 Tata Teleser, 19.45, 19.7, 19.2, 19.65 Tech Mahindr, 647, 647.8, 626.05, 644 The Ge Shpg., 291, 299, 291, 296.8 The Phoenix, 199.9, 203.95, 197.05, 199.95 Thermax Ltd, 698, 704, 690, 701.5 Titan Indust, 2200, 2238, 2176.05, 2220.85 Torrent Powe, 324.75, 328, 317, 320.3 Triveni Engg, 94.85, 99, 92.75, 97.3 Tv18 India L, 80, 80, 76.7, 77.45 Uco Bank, 74.55, 76.5, 74.25, 76.1 Ultratech Ce, 954, 954.2, 930, 938.4 Union Bank O, 295, 295, 286, 289.5 Unitech Ltd, 72.8, 74.5, 72.25, 73.5 United Phosp, 171, 172.8, 167.2, 170.5 Videocon Ind, 202.1, 205, 201.1, 204.2 Vijaya Bank, 55, 56.4, 54.8, 56 Voltas Ltd, 173.7, 176.9, 171.05, 172.05 Wipro Ltd, 665, 666, 655.2, 663.8 Yes Bank Lim, 271.8, 284.7, 269.15, 281.75 Zee Entertai, 280, 285.7, 274.3, 283.05

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GOA, SATURDAY, 29 MAY, 2010

Govt stake sale plan on track despite volatility REuTERs NEW DELHI, MAY 28

Volatile stock markets have not changed India's plans to sell stakes in state-run companies, a senior finance ministry official told Reuters on Friday.

The government has pencilled in proceeds of roughly 400 billion rupees ($8.6 billion) from sales in government companies in the fiscal year that began on April 1.

"We are going ahead with all the preparations. And we don't have any issue coming up till July," Disinvestment Secretary Sumit Bose said in an interview.

Britannia to hike bakery capacity AGENCY MUMBAI, MAY 28

Britannia Industries is planning to expand manufacturing capacity in bakery products by setting up 1 or 2 new plants this fiscal, an official said.

"We are enhancing capacity in our existing plants and it is quite likely in this year we may look at 1-2 greenfield projects..it will be in bakery products," Vinita Bali, MD said. The firm, which sells biscuit brands such as 'Good Day', 'Tiger', 'Marie Gold' and 'Fifty Fifty' among others, has earmarked a Capex of Rs 70-80 crore in FY11 for the expansion.

The bakery and dairy products maker, which has seen revenue growth in the just concluded fiscal slow down to 9% on a standalone basis, expects to clock double-digit growth in FY11 betting on softening input prices and a good monsoon.

Indian firms are struggling to cope with rising food inflation which is hurting volumes and India is hugely betting on forecast of a normal monsoon, vital for farm output and rural incomes, to help calm inflation.

Indian shares skidded to their lowest close in three-anda-half months early this week, before paring losses, as Europe's sovereign debt woes sparked worries of larger foreign fund outflows and casting doubt over the government's ability to complete its stake sale plans.

Foreigners have withdrawn $2.3 billion from Indian equities so far in May in their biggest pullout since October 2008.

"Let's cross that bridge when it comes," he said, when asked whether the volatility in the eq-

uity market would prompt the government to defer its stake sale plans.

He also said the government had not decided yet to sell stakes in state-run oil marketing companies including Indian Oil Corp.

"First of all, Ministry of Petroleum has to take a call on that. It is too early to talk about it," he said.

"Once there is some sort of agreement in the Ministry of Petroleum, then we can," he said.

In March, Bose had told Reuters that the government

HDIL posts net of Rs 177.84 cr PTI MUMBAI, MAY 28

Real estate developer, Housing Development and Infrastructure Limited (HDIL), has posted a net profit of Rs 177.84 crore in Q4 FY 10 as compared to Rs 61.92 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2009.

Turnover in Q4 FY 10 stood at Rs 437.07 cr as compared to Rs 357.86 cr in the same period last year. Further on the profitability and EBDITA, margins have improved as compared to Q3 FY 10 by about 20%.

The company has posted lower net profit of Rs 596.65 crore for FY 10 as compared to Rs 830.43 crore in FY 09. Total income also decreased from Rs 1814.57 crore for the year ended March 31, 2009 to Rs 1599.58 crore for the year ended March 31, 2010.

As per the consolidated results, the Group has posted a net profit of Rs 566.57 crore for the year ended March 31, 2010 as compared to Rs 780.71 crore for the year ended March 31, 2009. Total income also decreased from Rs 1,782.42 crore for the year ended March 31,

2009 to Rs 1,536.63 crore for the year ended March 31, 2010.

"There is a growing demand for residential spaces and with leasing volumes increasing; the commercial property segment will also see considerable improvement in the near future," HDIL's Managing Director, Sarang Wadhawan said here.

would review the possibility of stake sales in state oil marketing firms in 2010/11.

Media reports said state-run Indian Oil Corp would be one of the companies in which the

government would look to sell a stake in the current fiscal year.

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Pg14 GOA’S HEARTBEAT Goan going Strengthen the Youth international! for a Stronger Nation “

Saturday, 29 May, 2010

BY JANICE RODRIGUES HERALD FEATURES he world is gearing up for the FIFA World Cup and Goa, a football-crazy state, has many people who would have really wanted to get to South Africa in the month of June. Well not many Goans may be able to make it to the African continent, but one young teenager is sure to make an entry to the host country. Brandon Fernandes has been offered to join the Cape United Soccer School of Excellence, a renowned football academy and is the first Goan to get any offer from an international level Football association.

The fifteen year old lad hailing from Benaulim had been playing for the Salgaocar Sports Club, is all set to score a goal in the international level. He has already given a shot at international level football where he represented India for the U-15 football tournaments, and was also a part of the team of 20 players sent to Manchester United Soccer School. Once Brandon accepts the offer, he will be tied to the academy till he turns 18.

“I am really thrilled about the selection to the Cape United Academy,” says the overjoyed Brandon.

The process of getting the South African selectors onto the Goan land was a long one, initiated by Mario Fernandes, an ardent football fan and supported by the Goa United Sports Academy. “We had seen Brandon play and felt that he had potential and contacted the Leister Club in England through Steve White, the former head of the Rushy Mead in Leister, who then got in touch with the

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Cape Town Academy,” explained Mario Fernandes and Fabian D’Souza, Director of the Goa United Sports Academy. “We’ve had help from Ricky, the owner of Tito Club, who went to South Africa and further helped us out with the Academy heads,” says Fabian.

“Everything started when Fabian told us that the Academy was conducting selection trials and so we created a DVD of my playing and sent it to the Academy in South Africa,” said Brandon, who had been playing football since the age of 6. The Academy then contacted Brandon and asked him to come for a trial to the selections. “I had a great time there. Playing with the international players was a very good experience,” says this midfielder who is currently a student of the Loyola High School, Margao.

“I just love the pace of the game, the moment of kicking the ball is the best,” says Brandon when asked what about the game kept him attracted to the game over the years.

“I am all set to get back to the Academy now and can’t wait to join them,” he says excitedly.

The Cape United is one of the world’s first independent soccer schools, who aim to develop their boys into seasoned professional soccer players. Their ultimate aim is to prepare these amateur players to rise up to the standards as that of Europe.

Now that Brandon has made it to an international academy, and we have a Goan who is about to get into major league football, we can also hope that this move will boost the country’s hope of producing world class football players, and one day qualify for the World Cup.

­H­O­R­O­S­C­O­P­E Their drive for success is leaving you by the wayside. Consider it a wake up call. You're (21 Mar – 19 Apr) brave enough to lead the way for colleagues today, so head out into the unknown and make a few discoveries. You may hit on a sweet opportunity or just a nice spot for getting things done.

Moving out of a depressed phase takes time, so give them a few more days to adjust. If (23 Sep – 22 Oct) you spend all day in one activity, you're sure to feel exhausted -- even if that one activity is napping! Make sure that you round out your schedule with plenty of diverse fun.

It's a 'you' day. Take care of personal errands, and get a few gifts for yourself. Your social instincts (20 Apr – 20 May) are a little dull today, but that doesn't mean you need to cloister yourself away! Just make sure that you're a little more careful when dealing with those you don't know well.

Your ambition is strong, but it's time to let some alternative ideas come into play. You're not think(23 Oct – 21 Nov) ing about the past or the future -- or even much about the present! Your freaky energy is keeping you all wrapped up in your immediate surroundings, making for some serious amusement.

You've been holding back in mixing business with pleasure -and that is smart.

(21 May – 21 Jun) You've got the brains to keep pushing in the right direction today. You are certainly able to figure out a few key elements of the competition's strategy for keeping you confused.

Use a direct manner to get your meaning across. Today, don't sugarcoat anything. You (22 Nov – 21 Dec) need to show other people just how awesome life can be - and your amazing energy is just right for teaching that lesson. Grab their attention and make sure they are up for it.

Hibernation can happen any time of year. If you don't feel like going out, don't! You come across (22 Jun – 22 Jul) as selfish today, but that's okay -- it's your birthright, really. You may want to try something a little different, if only to mix up those who are watching and trying to learn.

Tackle the most ambitious task on your list.

Your boundless energy will back you up. Get out (23 Jul – 22 Aug) there and explore today -- you've got the right kind of energy to make a real difference, and you might even find a few new routes to explore around your own neighborhood.

Yo u r m a t c h m a k i n g plans are working! The new lovebirds are singing nicely together.

(22 Dec – 19 Jan) You reach an obstacle that seems insurmountable today - but you need to keep pushing at it anyway! Your energy is persistent, so if you quit, you're sure to just cause trouble in some other area of life.

Temptations prove that disciplining yourself is harder than disciplining others. You should be (20 Jan – 18 Feb) able to really reach out to someone new today -- maybe a family member, maybe a new friend with common interests. In either case, your shared values are bringing you closer than ever before.

The only thing keeping romance out of your life is you. Plan some sweet dates. You want to get (23 Aug – 22 Sep) out in the world in a big way, and that could mean that you need to deal with people on their own terms -- which is not much fun!

Still, you can manage with the best of them.

Worried you'll hurt them if you tell the truth? In reality, you may be helping them. This is not the (19 Feb – 20 Mar) best time for daydreaming or dawdling -- stay on your toes if you don't want to be embarrassed by the top cat or some dumb colleague! As long as you're watching out, it's all good.

email us at: goasheartbeat@herald-goa.com

The future of the country lies in the hands of the young. With the right moulding and making, they can take our country to greater heights. With the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs inviting applicants for the State Youth Award 2009-2010, Herald finds out the various qualities that our youth could develop

BY NOMRATHA FERNANDES HERALD FEATURES he youth, that is, anyone between 15 and 35 years of age, make up roughly 40 per cent of the country’s total strength. Full of hopes and dreams, they not only want to turn them to reality for personal fulfilment but for the nation as well. The older generation invariably passes down all that they have to the next, in the hope that they will make the best out of it. It is the present and upcoming generation that should recognise these gifts and utilise them to the best of their abilities, keeping in mind that what they are, is what the country is.

For the next generation to take on the challenges of the country is a responsibility of elephantine proportion. They require a set of qualities that will enable them to do so. What are these qualities? How can the young possess and amplify them?

Discipline and duty are Speaking to various experts in part and parcel of a the field of culture, sports and education, we deduce answers. They strong value system, stress on sincerity. Any action carwhich the young have to ried out with sincerity is positive be a part of. Our educafor the people and the nation. tion system makes one Discipline is another big one. Discipline precedes the following of grow academically, but duty. “Discipline and duty are part where is the spiritual and parcel of a strong value system, growth? which the young have to be a part - Tomazinho Cardozo of,” says Tomazinho Cardozo, president of the Tiatr Academy of Goa. Genuine love comes third. Love for anything brings with it attachment and a desire to improve or better it. Consistency and integrity were other mentions. “Work, whatsoever it may be should be carried out with the nation’s interest in mind,” says Suresh Amonkar, literary great.

What about the young people of the present generation of Goa? While a percentage of the youth have gone astray, in their opinion the majority are striving to up Goa in every sphere. The society as a whole should assist these young persons in the achievement of their goals and for those gone astray, lead them back to the right path.

For collective change of the young, values have to be stamped upon from the smallest and most influential unit of society – the family. Outside of the family the other influential bodies include the peer group, the educational institution and the nation’s leaders. “Our education system makes one

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nior Though at a ju ion ct le level, the se on nd of Goa’s Bra a Fernandes into ng football coachi th academy in Sou as Africa, is seen to t os bo a major aspiring Goan footballers

zaun sakor khaunk “ Mui zai - Anonymous

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Information's pretty thin stuff unless “mixed with experience - Clarence Day

grow academically, but where is the spiritual growth? That has to accompany academics,” suggests Cardozo. With the family and the education system of such a nature, the young will possess the aforementioned qualities.

Formulation of schemes that tap into young talent is being done, but the government they suggest, should also focus on its thorough implementation.

Along these lines, the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs has invited applicants for the State Youth Award 2009-2010. Upon its commencement the key objectives of the Directorate are personality building and nation building and through their activities they seek to utilise the talent of the young for betterment of the individual, and the nation as a whole.

Young members of society work towards this goal too, not with regard to the young only but to all facets of society. This award seeks to appreciate their various works. “Anybody contributing to the society in a significant manner and having a flair for social work is deserving of this award,” says Dr Susana de Sousa, Direct o r, D i re c t o r a t e o f Sports and Youth Affairs, Goa. These contributions can be done in a number of ways. Environmental conservation, giving the youth an opportunity to further themselves in academics and other co-curricular activities and providing them with a value system is a focus while protection of our culture and heritage counts too. Other charity related activities are also amongst the list.

Those interested in applying should visit the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs in Campal, Panjim where application forms will be available.

The directorate closes registration on June 18 at 5pm.

New Kids on the Block: Bollywood goes Talent-hunting T

here was a time in Bollywood when the search for a new face always as a rule ended with the launch of a star son or daughter. But more and more filmmakers are now looking outside the stable for new talent in unheard of places, including social networking sites.

Some of the best known filmmakers in the industry including Ashutosh Gowariker, Madhur Bhandarkar, Mahesh Bhatt and Kunal Kohli are on a talent-hunting spree across the country. Gowariker is looking for someone to play Buddha on the website ‘buddha-movie.com’ while Bhatt is looking for a leading lady and two leading men for his “brave new film” through Twitter.

“The search for the actor to play the iconic role continues. I am going through the hundreds of auditions that have come in and I must say, we are getting closer to our Buddha,” said Gowariker who has received an overwhelming response with as many as 3,700 registrations and over 6,000 photos and videos. Bhatt has already signed on former Delhi University student Imran Zaidi to play slain JNU leader Chandrashekhar in his upcoming film which will go on floor in October this year.

And these new-age debutantes are not struggle weary but instead become a part of the A-list with their very first film where they are launched by the country’s leading filmmakers.

From Zarine Khan who debuted opposite Salman Khan in ‘Veer’ to Vir Das who began his filmi career with the big budget multi-starrer ‘Badmash Company’, a new crop of outsiders have arrived despite not having a godfather in the industry which is known to favour those of its own. But making a high-profile debut is no child’s play, says Aanaahad Sharma, who learnt martial arts for three years before he began shooting for ‘Lahore’.

“It’s a good time for newcomers in Bollywood because there is cinema of all types happening and the audience is also receptive of new faces and stories,” said Aanahad.

The young actor who quit college in Delhi to chase his dreams in Bollywood, has already signed on an international martial arts project for which he is being mentored by Chinese superstar Jet Li. And the stream of new faces is set to continue with filmmakers looking for fresh faces.

Harry Potter end ‘feels like someone’s dying’: Emma Watson

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or Emma Watson, the end of Harry Potter film franchise is like “someone is dying”. The 20-year-old, who launched her screen career as a child playing the character Hermione Granger, said the eight-part film series had been an “emotional” journey. At the National Movie Awards, the cast and producers revealed they were in the last two weeks of shooting the final instalment of the saga.

Co-star Daniel Radcliffe, 20, also echoed Watson’s sadness, saying he would be “devastated” when filming ends.

However, he said that the films marked his transition to adulthood.

The pair was speaking at the function, where they collected the Special Recognition prize for the series and the Family award for ‘Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince’.

“None of us could say that we predicted this kind of love and recognition. It’s just incredible,” Watson was quoted saying.

“I’m just so unbelievably proud to have been part of this. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Just watching the compilation of all the past films was really emotional for me.

“I feel like someone’s dying, I know that sounds like an exaggeration but I really do. I’m not planning to do anything this summer – I’m going to need time to collect myself and get myself back together a bit. So I’ll take a bit of a break,” she added.

Speaking on life after Hogwarts, Radcliffe added: “It’s going to be bizarre. I’m going to be devastated. It’s going to be very, very sad because it’s been such an important part of my life.

“There will never be one scene in any of the Harry Potters that, when I watch it, won’t trigger a series of memories about what that day was about and what I was doing. So everything is so linked to my life and growing up. But at the same time, it will be exciting. It puts a pretty nice punctuation mark on my adolescence. I feel grown-up now.”

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CURR

Saturday, 29 May, 2010

WHAT’S UP IN GOA??

The State Youth Award 2009-2010 conferred by the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs has invited applicants. Applications should be filled at the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Campal, Panjim. Registration closes on June 18 at 5pm.

Nightingale of Goa, famous Lorna will perform live in concert on May 29 at 7pm at the Kadamba Bus Stand, Cuncolim. It is organised by AVC Social and Cultural associations, Cuncolim and the Directorate of Art and Culture. Call 2438103.

The Gomant Vibhushan Award will be handed over to Dr Anil Kakodkar on May 29 at 5:30pm at the Kala Academy, Panjim. Call 2420452. a variety of entertainment programme.

Football trials will be held on June 2 at 4pm at the Poriat Grounds, Calangute. Call 9422452093. E-mail fabianodsouza@yahoo.com.

The 2nd advanced course on International Trauma and Life Support, organised by the Disaster Management Cell of the Indian Medical Association, Goa state will be held on May 29 and 30 at the Seminar Hall of the NIO. Call 2450281, 2450235, 2450228, 2456700 or 2313482.

‘Solar Training Workshop’, organised by The International Centre Goa, Dona Paula will take place on May 29 and 30 at the International Centre Goa, Dona Paula. Call 9765404391.

‘Second Chandrakant Keni Memorial Goa Quiz 2010’, organised by the Sunday Evening Quiz Club will take place on May 30 from 3:30pm to 5:$5pm at Hotel Mandovi, Panjim.

Call 9890141715.

‘Secrets of Dental Care’ by Dr Sandeep Lawande, ‘Vikas Khara Khota’ by Rajiv Nayak and ‘A Concise History of Goa’ by Dr Olivinho Gomes will be released on May 31 at 5pm by the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat at the Maquinez Palace, En-

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PEN T HAP

hoity-toity Pronunciation hoy-teetoy-tee Function Adjective Meaning 1 : thoughtlessly silly or frivolous 2 : marked by an air of assumed importance Example Sentence Alan goes to high end events only to observe the antics of the hoity-toity socialites.

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HERALD FEATURES or the past three consecutive years, the Government of Goa has been awarding the Kala Gaurav Puruskar to deserving artists. This year too, the state has decided to honour 57 deserving artists by presenting them the prestigious award. The Kala Gaurav Scheme was created to felicitate senior artistes from the state who have contributed in the field of art and culture. This award consists of a memento, a shawl and cash.

The Directorate of Art and Culture will felicitate outstanding senior artistes from Goa who have completed 60 years of age and have dedicated their services in fields of Art and Culture like music, drama, folk art, craft, literature, photography, painting and films.

The 57 artists will be awarded the Kala Gaurav Puraskar on May 30, 2010 at Dinanath Mangueshkar Kala Mandir, Kala Academy, Panaji. Chief Minister Digambar Kamat will be the Chief Guest to present the awards. “This is the fourth year we will be awarding artists from across Goa. We send out advertisements on local dailies requesting entries for deserving candidates. Based on the response, we discuss with institutions and asked for recommendations from other local artists. Be-

Vision in Darkness

sides the award ceremony, we will have a musical show with Konkani songs,” says Ashok Parab, Assistant Director, Directorate of Art and Culture.

The artists to be awarded for their music are Dr Sakharam Nadkarni, Taleigao, Dr Franciso Colaco, Margao, Machindar Mandrekar, Parra, Pandurang Dharmaji Shirodkar, Anjuna, Chico da Costa, Mapusa, Dr Anand Hede, Chicalim, Mati D Mardolkar, Mardol, Vasant Mardolkar, Mardol, Dattaram Kashinath Gaude, Mardol, Shivraj Tukaram Fondekar, Pontemol, Shripad Narayan Damle, Nagargao, Vasdeo Gawas, Sanquelim, Caetano alias Jose Fernandes, Patto, Ribandar and Balkrishna Amonkar, Sirvodem.

Awardees in the field of tiatr are Luis Alias Jose de Calangute, Calangute, Romano Leo Dias, Colva, Antonio Dourado, Majorda, Francis Xavier De Santa Philomen Almeida, Colva, Joel Mascarenhas, Colva, Alberto Rodrigues, Salcete, Cirilo Fernandes, Benaulim and Duarte Amancio Pereira, Salcete.

Artists to be awarded for their outstanding performances in drama are Madukar Velingkar, Gurudas Navso Naik, Penha de France, Balu Pundi Velip, Canacona, Prasad Tukaram Sawant, Curtorim, Rankrishna Jaydev Raut, Pernem, Kunda Shaba Kamat, Madkai, Ramrao Phadte, Bandore, Rama alias Anand

BY DOLCY D’CRUZ HERALD FEATURES reatiwitty Works organised ‘Aangaan’ a photo exhibition by ‘Angoota Chaaps’ Raj Naique and Savio Pereira on May 27 and 28, 2010 at Kala Academy’s Art Gallery. The photo exhibition consisted of more than 50 black and white photographs which highlighted the different facets of the children under the Jan Ugahi Trust in Margao.

Raj Naique says, “Last year we worked on a dance show with the children while this year we though of capturing some light moments with the children and also have a dance performance. We worked for 22 days with 30 children to make them dance perfectly. But what was more exciting working with these children was that they brought so much energy and zest everyday, a lesson for each one of us. These children have suffered a lot at this young age and yet they manage to smile and laugh.” When asked why they selected a black and white photography theme, Savio replies, “These children are abused and we thought that the colours black and white speak of stronger emotions than the remaining colours. There is more colour in black and white than any other shade.”

‘The Pitch Black Project II’ also had a dance performance, organised by CreatiWitty Works and the NGO Jan Ugahi Trust which took place on May 28 at the Kala Academy, Panjim.

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HERALD FEATURES he art of photography shapes the creative vision of an individual into reality. But, ever wondered creating visual images with non visual senses? Ever thought of clicking snaps blindfolded? From May 29 to 30, the people of Goa will get to witness another marvel where visually impaired people will go clicking wonders.

‘Blind with Camera’, a project of the Beyond Sight Foundation, in collaboration with Heritage Jazz has lined up several enlightening programs for the visually impaired in Goa for the year 2010-11. The team will be in Goa Funny Quote to conduct a photographic workshop “Any American who is Centre for Alternative Photography. During prepared to run for president their stay in Goa they will explore possishould automatically, by bilities for local visually impaired to pardefinition, be disqualified from ticipate in such photographic workshop ever doing so.”

– Gore Vidal and exhibitions in the near future.

This amazing project was started by DAILY GROOK Partho Bhowmick, an IT professional, in PORK JOKE Mumbai. For his creative altruistic work he

by Francis Rodrigues was awarded Karmaveer Puraskaar in 2009.

Accompanied by two of his blind students, doom in the sky he will conduct a small learning session at oh read my lips, the ‘National Association for the Blind’ in if pigs may fly Santa Cruz, demonstrating the techniques it's aporkalypse! on Blind Photography. He will enlighten the crowd as to how images can be Instructions inspired by touch and for Sudoku SUDOKU SOL 564 sound; how certain audio 9 x 9 letter: clues, visual memories and To solve a Sudoku cognitive skills can help puzzle, every numthe visually impaired to ber from 1 to 9 must delve into the visual world and gain a deeper insight. appear in each of

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MOVIE REVIEW

BY KESHAV NADKARNI

nadkarniassociates@gmail.com

Director: Michael and Peter Spierig Cast: Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill Rating: s the dark clouds hover in the skies announcing the arrival of rain and the closing of the sweltering summer, the movies announce the release of one of the best horror films of the year so far.

After their 2003 Australian zombie horror comedy film ‘Undead’ which had a slow opening in Oz but was well received in the US, the Spierig Bros are back with yet another horror film, this time a futuristic flick revolving around the hottest selling spooks in Hollywood, vampires!

This si-fi film is based in the year 2019 where a plague has turned most of the planet’s human population into vampires, thereby depleting the food stock of the fanged creatures, human blood.

A SOUTH POLE

10:00 Chak Dhoom Dhoom 15:30 Life Partner 18:30 Bhool Bhulaiyaa 21:00 Chak Dhoom Dhoom

14:30 Clozer 15:30 Guthy Renker 16:00 Bollywood Spice Station 17:00 Bollywood Hits

Pg15

Aangaan – A Photo Exhibition with a Purpose

‘Blind with Camera’ comes to Goa

Daybreakers

12:30 Dance India Dance L'il 14:00 Pavitra Rishta 16:30 Hindi Feature Film 20:30 Keshav Pandit 21:30 Dance India Dance L'il Masters 23:30 Kahani Ab Tak

Parenting

Raikar, Salcete, Ragunath Budalkar, Assolna, Vishwanath Salgaonkar, Mandram and Gajanan Vaidya, Margao.

The artistes selected for Literature are Narendra Kashinath Kamat, Ponda, Ramkrishna Zuvarkar, Goa Velha and Nilimi Angle.

The artistes selected for the Kala Gaurav Puraskar for folk art this year are Shilavati Chanu Narvekar, Britona, Sita Ram Pagi, Canacona, Manohar Pednekar, Pernem, Yoshada Govind Gaude, Keri, Sonu Pahdhari Kerkar, Kurti, Pandurang Bablo Gaude, Mardol, Mahadev Gaude, Bandora, Arjun Kushta Babro, Mandur and Pandurang Shirodkar, Mandur.

For dance, Adeliade Gilbert D’Souza from Margao will be awarded while Arnolda D’Costa, Margao, James Francis Braganza, Mapusa will be awarded for their contribution in films.

For Bhajan, senior artists Anand Damodar Gore, Sal, Bicholim, Umesh Gaude Borkar, Borimand Ramnath Ganesh Naik, Rivona will be awarded the Kala Gaurav Puruskar while H B P Paranjape, Dhargal, Pernem will be awarded for Kirtan.

For craft, Hirabai Bale from Canacona and Jagannath Naroji from Pernem will be given the award while Balkarishna Aiya, Loliem will receive one for Fine Art and Dattaram Shetye from Bicholim for photography.

GARFIELD

09:00 Aahat 10:30 Indian Idol 12:00 Comedy Circus Ke Superstars 13:30 Koi... Mil Gaya 17:30 C.I.D 19:00 C.I.D Classics 21:00 Comedy Circus Ke 22:00 C.I.D 23:00 Aahat

Tourism

INGS

the nine vertical columns, in each of the nine horizontal rows and in each of the nine boxes

10:30 Saath Nibhana Saathiya 13:00 Behenein 15:30 Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya 18:00 Saath Nibhana Saathiya 21:00 Zara Nachke Dikha 23:00 Saath Nibhana Saathiya

Travel

Kala Gaurav Puruskar to be awarded to Goa’s Senior Artists

LAFFS

WORD OF THE DAY

SUDOKU 565

tertainment Society of Goa, Panjim.

As part of the Goa governments celebration of the birth centenary year of Bakibab Borkar a CD of his selected songs will also be released at the event. It is organised by the Directorate of Official Languages. Call 2428111, 2428113 or 2428115.

A free introductory and interactive dance session will be held on the launch of the AIM (Art In Movement) Dance School on May 30 at 7:30pm at Art Escape, Benaulim. There will also be a 3-part sequence in waltz, jive and cha cha cha. Call 9881568756 or 9323590051.

‘Jawaharlal Nehru: Faces and Thoughts’, a 3-day photo exhibition will be held from May 29 to 31 between 10am to 6pm at the Kala Academy Art Gallery, Kala Academy, Panjim. The exhibition will be inaugurated on May 29 at 10am by Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat. It is organised by Marg Trusts Nehru Centre.

Call 2420452.

The 8th National CME on Paediatric Infectious Diseases, hosted by the Goa Association of Paediatricians will take place on May 29 and 30 at the National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula. The inauguration ceremony will take place on May 29 at 9am in the auditorium of the NIO. Call 2450281, 2450235, 2450228 or 2456700 Fado Evenings at Cidade de Goa beach resort pays tribute to the music of Portugal while you dine on Portuguese delights at the signature restaurant, Alfama. Enjoy one on June 1 from 8pm onwards Call 2454545.

Kayaking expeditions, conducted

by Goa Kayaking will be held on May 29 and 30. Call 9422056037 or 2541715.

E-mail goakayaking@gmail.com. Visit www.goakayaking.com.

Information Technology

18:00 Let'z Go! 19:00 Planet Bollywood 19:30 Page 3 20:00 Best of Encounter 20:30 The Zoom Hot'list 21:00 Planet Bollywood 21:30 TENtalize 22:00 Discography 23:00 Clozer

10:30 Yeh Chanda Kanoon Hai 11:30 Gutar Gu 12:00 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta …

14:00 Parineeta 17:00 Gutar Gu 17:30 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 19:30 Gutar Gu 20:00 Maniben.com 20:30 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta…

21:00 Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo 21:30 Mrs. and Mr. Sharma Allahabadwale 22:00 Lapataganj 22:30 Yeh Chanda Kanoon Hai 23:00 Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta…

10:00 Star One Horror Nights 11:00 Laughter Dons 12:00 Laughter Special 16:00 Star One Horror Nights 18:00 Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat 21:30 Star One Horror Nights 22:30 Geet 23:30 Laughter Ke Phatke

11:00 Csi 12:00 Drop Dead Diva 13:00 Top Chef 14:00 Wipeout Australia 15:00 So You Think You Can Dance 16:00 Sports Crash

09:15 Police Story III - Super Cop 11:15 Airheads 13:10 The Comebacks 15:00 Transporter 3 17:00 High School Musical 3: Senior Year 19:15 Superhero Movie 21:00 Never Back Down 23:15 The Recruit

08:30 The Take 10:45 Fast & Furious 13:00 The Incredible Hulk 15:30 TMZ 16:00 American Ninja 2 17:45 Hollywood One on One 18:15 Fast & Furious 21:00 The Incredible Hulk 23:30 The Core

08:00 Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai 12:00 Salaam - E - Comedy 13:00 Fashion 17:20 Agnirakshas 20:00 Veer

09:30 Astitva 12:30 Gang 16:00 Veergati 20:00 Baghban 23:00 Dragon in Fury

10:25 Android Apocalypse 12:25 Dead Man Running

14:25 Single White Female 16:30 Grey Owl 18:50 Reservoir Dogs 21:00 Click 23:20 Ultraviolet

08:30 Naksha 12:00 Kyo Kii... Main Jhuth...

16:00 Salaam Namaste 20:00 Pyaar Impossible 23:00 Gautam Govinda

12:00 Viewers Choice 16:00 Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai 20:00 Zanjeer

E N T E R TA I N M E N T 17:00 Top Chef 18:00 Wipeout Australia 19:00 Chuck 20:00 30 Days of Night 22:30 Sony Style Tv Magazine 23:00 Fear Itself

10:00 The Bold and The Beautiful 12:00 Rendezvous With Simi Garewal : Aamir Khan 12:30 Scrubs 13:00 V.I.P 14:00 Desperate Housewives 15:00 Monk 17:00 V.I.P

18:00 90210 : What's Past is Prologue 19:00 Castle : Inventing the Girl 19:30 American Idol : Finale 22:00 90210: Clark Raving Mad 23:00 V.I.P

09:00 Roland Garros 2010 11:00 Roger Federer - Spirit of a Champion 11:30 2010 Hannspree Sbk Superbike World Champ 12:00 Game 12:30 TNA Sikander

14:30 Roland Garros 2010 23:30 Spirit of Golf 2010 : History of the Open Championship The Sacred Ground

09:00 The Contenders 10:00 Simply the Best 10:30 KIA X Games Asia 2010 12:30 Global Football 13:00 Sportscenter Weekend 13:02 Simply the Best 13:30 World Sport 2010 14:00 Football Asia 14:30 Sportscenter Week In Review

15:00 Global Football 15:28 Sportscenter Weekend 15:30 Fina Aquatics World 16:00 Hitz 09/10 16:20 FIA F1 World Championship 2010 18:00 KIA X Games Asia 2010 20:00 NBA Eastern Conference Finals 2009/10 : Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics 22:30 Simply the Best 23:00 FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 South Africa : Italy vs. Brazil

09:30 ICC Cricket Show 10:00 Zimbabwe Triangular ODI 2010 H/ls : 1st ODI: Zimbabwe vs. India 12:00 ICC Cricket Show 12:30 Homes of Cricket 13:00 2010 South Africa Tour to West Indies H/ls : 3rd ODI 15:00 Winning Post 15:30 UEFA Champions League Magazine Show 16:00 WWE: Super Star 17:00 WWE: Smackdown 19:00 Zimbabwe Triangular ODI 2010 H/ls : 1st ODI: Zimbabwe vs. India 21:00 UEFA Champions League H/ls : Final 22:00 HP Pavillion Update 22:30 WWE: Super Star 23:30 Homes of Cricket

09:00 Icelandic Volcano Special 10:00 Caught in the Act 11:00 Most Amazing Moments 12:00 Nat Geo Women's Hour : Fashion Memoir 13:00 Nat Geo Weekends : Mega Factories - Rolls Royce 14:00 Nat Geo Specials : Cutting Carbon Footprint 15:00 Monkey Thieves : Missing

Ethan Hawke as scientist Edward Dalton has a breakthrough with the invention of synthetically processed artificial blood and together with Willem Dafoe as Lionel “Elvis” Cormac, the enemies-turnedfriends duo work towards saving what’s left of the human race.

The entire film is very nicely crafted with quite a few spine-chilling twists and turns that will surely keep the audience glued to their seats. Hawke and Dafoe have delivered excellent performances and Sam Neill in a negative role has done a splendid job as well.

The camera work, editing and background musical score make the film truly one of the best horror films of the year.

Though horror films are best watched at night, do take a friend along if you’re going to catch ‘Daybreakers’ in the dark!

(Movies showing at Cine Samrat and Cine Ashok)

In Action 16:00 HDFC STD Life Spell Bee 2010 - Semi Finals 17:00 Apollo Flight of the Hawkz 18:30 Wild Specials : Crocodiles Under the Skin 19:00 Icelandic Volcano Special 20:00 Nat Geo Weekends : Mega Factories - Super Subway 21:00 Focussed Frame : Lava Hunter 22:00 Nat Geo Explorer : Denali: Alaska Great Wilderness 23:00 Apollo Flight of the Hawkz

06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00

Art of living Survandana Kids Club Flavors English News Konkani News Marathi News Konkani Palkachim Noketram HCN Smash Hitz Saint Andrews Summer Festival 12:30 Flavors 13:00 English News 14:00 Konkani Movie 15:30 HCN Smash Hitz 15:30 Survandana 16:00 Evening with the Parishioners 16:30 Flavors 17:00 Kids Club 17:30 Konkani Palkachim Noketram 18:00 Konkani News 19:00 Marathi News 20:00 English News 21:00 Sobit Amchem Goem 21:30 Talking Talkies 22:00 English News 23:00 Rose Garden 23:30 Talking Talkies 00:00 Konkani Songs 00:30 Flavors 01:00 Art of living 01:30 Survandana Note: Subject to change

HERALD CROSSWORD - 565 Across 1- Veronica of "Hill Street Blues"; 6- Australasian parrot; 10- "Dancing Queen" group; 14- Legend maker; 15- Dies ___; 16- Actual; 17- Weaned pig; 18- Optical device; 19Sudden explosive noise; 20Christian festival; 22- Artery that feeds the trunk; 23- Algerian port; 24- Late; 26- Admiration; 29- Jason's ship; 31- 100 square meters; 32- Join a poker game; 33- Obscene; 34Perfectly; 38- Break, card game; 40- Conductor de Waart; 42- Legal claim; 43Foursome; 46- Boxer Spinks; 49- Antiquity, old-style; 50- Comedian Philips; 51- Exclamation of fright; 52- Bad start?; 53- Forgives; 57- Priest of the East; 59- More or less vertical; 60- Brought together; 65"Darn!"; 66- Group of individual facts; 67- Grieved; 68"Whip It" band; 69- Dry and waterless; 70- Icon; 71- Belgian river; 72- Dissolve, as cells; 73- Aegean island; Down 1- Clasp for a door; 2- Dull pain; 3- Unstable lepton; 4- Muse of lyric poetry; 5- Situated on the side; 6- Capital of Malawi; 7- Minerals; 8- Totaled; 9- Affirmative answer; 10- Treelike; 11- Facial hair; 12- African language group; 13Pond scum; 21- Attention; 22- Dynamic beginning; 25- Large container; 26- Kind of prof.; 27-

Fermented grape juice; 28- SOLUTION - 564 Coup d'___; 30- In a strange way; 35- Bound; 36- Slippery; 37- Finishes; 39- Animal that hunts; 41- An amorous glance; 44- One way to run; 45- Put on; 47Fall birthstone; 48- Agent of retribution; 53- Rice field; 54___-ski; 55- Rob, old-style; 56- Fearsome; 58- Pueblo Indian village; 61- Elevator man; 62- Streetcar; 63- As a result; 64- Stains; 66- Indian dish;

SPORTS GOA, Saturday, 29 May, 2010

Pg16

Goa win four gold in WZ Taekwondo

Power Minister Aleixo Sequeira lighting the lamp to mark the inaugural of 2nd West Zone Taekwondo Championship organised by Taekwondo Association of Goa in the presence of Subash Shirodkar, V M Prabhudesai, Ashraf Pandyal, Raju Mangueshkar, Angela Naik, Prasanna Udiggi, Dilip Mandrekar at Fatorda on Friday.

Photo: Naveen A M HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, MAY 28

Goa claimed four gold medals in the opening day of the 2nd West Zone Taekwondo Championship organised by Goa Taekwondo Association at SAG multipurpose hall, Fatorda, on Friday.

Goa’s Sakshi Hangargekar bagged the gold medal in sub junior girls bantam 20 -22kg cate g o r y. H e r c o l l e a g u e , Sarvadhnnya Patil claimed the silver while Neelufer Gour and Anju Babby both from Daman shared the bronze medals.

In the fin weight 16 -18 kg, Siddhi Kedari of Maharashtra claimed the gold while Kritika Bhote of Madhya Pradesh won the silver. Salome Pereira and Diya Sirobhushanam, both from Goa had to settle for the bronze.

Garima Soni of Madhya Pradesh grabbed the gold in the welter 26 – 29kg category.

Goa’s Siya Malekar had to settle for the silver while Saie Hangargekar of Goa and Neha

Par of Daman bagged the bronze medals.

Amesha Dubey of Chattisgarh overcome Asma Menon 12-10 points to claim the gold while Asma Memon of Goa secured the silver while Rasilia Mascarenhas of Goa and Krutana Sharma of Madhya Pradesh clinched the bronze medals.

Ashish Kumar bagged the gold in sub-junior boys’ 32 – 35 kg category. Shubham Gaikwad of Maharashtra hogged the limelight claiming the silver while Padam Newpane and Deva Ganesh Nair claimed the bronze medals.

Karthik Rojde of Madhya

Pradesh won the gold medal in welter category while Deepak Singh of Goa secured silver.

Goa’s Mark D’Costa alongwith Hetur Vaibshinav of Chattisgarh settled for the bronze.

Goa’s Shivnath Chavan won the gold in fin weight category while Nithish Kamath bagged the silver.

Kanniva Khatavkar of Goa finished ahead of Abhishek Yadav of Madhya Pradesh to clinch the gold in feather weight category.

The silver went to Abhishek while Goa’s Savio D’Costa bagged the bronze medal alongwith Yash Singh Parihar of Chattisgarh.

Vasco taekwondo players face disciplinary action HERALD SPORTS REPORTER PANJIM, MAY 28

The five taekwondo players from Vasco who boycotted the 2nd West Zone taekwondo championship will be suspended from all official activities of Taekwondo Association of Goa pending enquiry, stated president, Raju Mangueshkar on Friday.

“Walking out of Goa team is unpardonable. And walking out on a flimsy ground is still worse.

They were misguided by SAG coach E Luis, so an enquiry will be held and necessary action will follow. However, they have an option – apologise and get back, because they are young and are good prospects,” Raju explained on the sidelines of the zonal event at Fatorda today.

“In sports, one must not be harsh, but discipline has to be observed first by all means. The boys met me yesterday and I told them that Santoshkumar Singh’s birth date has been recorded as 1991. His black belt awarded by the Federation has the year of birth engraved on the belt. So it is a crime to

change it now,” Raju pointed out.

“The boys were misled. If the coach felt there was some problem and injustice, she should have brought it to the notice of her superiors at SAG, because she is an employee of SAG and has to follow proper procedure and guidelines. She has engaged in a serious act of indiscipline and the matter has been brought to the notice of SAG’s ED V M Prabhudesai, who has promised prompt, disciplinary action,” disclosed Raju.

“Yet, we do not want to be harsh. We have replaced the boys already in Goa team. They have already lost a chance. But, if they repent for their act of grave indiscipline, we are ready to forgive them. The selection has been done by all technical officials and there is no hanky panky on that score. They should have waited to talk to me since I was in China. Let the West Zone be over and then we will look into the problem and take appropriate action,” added Raju.

St Anthony enter last four HERALD SPORTS DESK PANJIM, MAY 28

St. Anthony Youth, Goa Velha trounced Bom Jesus, Agasaim 5-0 to enter the semi-finals of St. Anthony Soccer at Firguem Bhatt ground, Goa Velha. St Anthony led 1-0 at the break.

St. Anthony took the lead in the 15th minute through Donald who also scored the second and fourth goals. Kunal and Melroy were the other scorers.

Tie-breaker at Goa Velha

PANJIM (HSD) – The 2-a-side tie-breaker tournament in aid of St Andrew’s Church, Goa Velha, organised by Stars of Saleria will be held on May 30 at Saleria football ground, Goa Velha. The winners and runners-up will receive Rs 6,000 and Rs 4,000 respectively. Spot entries will be accepted. Details may be obtained on 9552672669 or 9822382319.

Tie-breaker at Carambolim

PANJIM (HSD) – The All-Goa 3-a-side tie-breaker football tournament organised by PDA Giants will be held on May 29 at village panchayat ground, Carambolim, at 8 p.m. The winners and runners-up will receive Rs 7,000 and Rs 4,000 respectively. Details may be obtained on 9850461428 or 9823992998.

U-13 chess selections

PANJIM (HSD) – The Lions Club of Ponda under the auspices of Goa Chess Association will conduct selection trials for U-13 boys and girls on June 3 at Desai Pratishthan hall, Wagle High School, Mangueshi to select two boys and girls to participate in the Nationals to be held in Pondicherry. The last date for registration is May 31.

Details may be obtained from Sagar Sakordekar, president, Lions Club, Ponda on 9422593131 or Sanjay Kavlekar on 9823258711 or Prasanna Swamy on 9890218971 or Amog Namshiker, project chairman on 9422455896.

James 7788, Bogmalo will clash with Mix Friends, Cortalim in the first semi-finals on May 30.

Goa girls in softball quarters

PANJIM (HSD) -- Goa girls defeated Orissa 14-0 to enter the quarter-finals of 29th Junior Softball Nationals at Pondicherry, on Friday.

Earlier, Goa got a walkover against Nagaland.In the boys section Goa defeated Orissa 73 and lost to Jammu and Kashmir 3-2.

Nerul Panchayat Cup soccer finals: Sodiem Siolim SC v. Candolim SC, Nerul ground, 4.30 p.m.

Shooting Star soccer finals: DBO, Fatorda v. St. Anthony SC, Colva, Assolna ground, 4.30 p.m.

Romeo memorial soccer: Alto Santa Cruz v. Bondir, Santa Cruz ground, 5 p.m.

All-Goa Diogo Vaz memorial veterans soccer: Chinchinim Veterans v. Verna Veterans, Don Bosco ground, Panjim, 4.45 p.m.

Pramodini Dattaram Palyekar soccer: UC Nerul v.

Valpoi SC, St. Anthony’s church ground, Siolim, 4.30 p.m.

3-a-side tie-breaker, organised by Mother of God Parish Youth, Pomburpa, church ground.

3-a-side tie-breaker, organised by PDA Giants, village panchayat ground, Carambolim, 8 p.m.

All-Goa Aliens basketeers basketball finals: Jades v. Dashing Damsels, 6.30 p.m; KJ’s Panjim v. Margao Basketeers, Fr Benedict Furtado memorial complex court, Don Bosco, 7.30 p.m.

Friends Circle volleyball semis: Da Cruz v. Goa Police; Beta Boys v. Haushi Bandh, Christ Rei, Betalbatim, 8 p.m.

SPORTS

GOA, Saturday, 29 May, 2010

Churchill Bros emerge India’s No 2 l Odafa Okolie top scorer

Churchill…5 AI…1 HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, MAY 28

Musli Power Churchill Brothers ended their ONGC I-League campaign on a throbbing note, claiming the Number 2 spot, hammering Air India 5-1 in their final round encounter at Nehru s t a d i u m , h e re o n Fr i d a y.

Churchill led 1-0 at the breather.

A brace by Nigerian recruits, Odafa Okolie and Felix Chimaokwu and a goal by Jaison Valles helped Churchill to notch up the runners-up trophy with 43 points. The airmen finished their I-League journey with 28 points and just about managed to escape relegation.

who blasted the ball on to the horizontal bar.

Churchill broke the deadlock in The Goans egged on by their the 21st minute when man-of-the supporters enjoyed total dom- match Odafa outpaced Air India ination in both attack as well as stopper back Khelemba Singh and defence against Air India who outwitted a couple of defenders adopted a defensive approach. before slotting past goalkeeper Air India had their chances iniKunal Sawant. tially but were unChurchill nearly douSCORERS able to convert the bled the lead but Odafa Okolie 22 opportunities into Josimar Martins 16 Odafa’s right footer goals. In the 17th Subair Muritala Ali 16 crashed at the post. minute, Kailash Patil Ekene Ikenwa 15 Churchill continwith a through pass Ranty Martins 15 ued in the same vein fed Opara, but he after change of ends delayed in taking the shot and and rattled the Air India defence his attempt was foiled by a with some enterprising soccer.

Churchill defender. Earlier, Uttam Earlier, Air India tried their Kumar Singh’s free kick missed best to neutralise the lead but the mark narrowly. striker Opara’s fierce volley was In the 9th minute, Churchill’s blocked by Churchill goalkeeper midfielder Jaison found Felix Arindam Bhattacharya. Once

again, Arindam came to his team’s rescue by thwarting Soccoro Velho’s shot.

Odafa doubled the lead in the 60th minute when his try ricocheted off the post and made no mistake in pouncing on the deflection after being fed by Vashum.

Felix made it 3-0 in favour of Churchill after he picked up the ball from Vashum and beat the rival goalkeeper with a snap shot in the 67th minute.

Stung by triple blows, Air India fought gallantly and reduced the margin in the 73rd minute when Ndubuisi Opara nodded in off a well measured floater by Allan Dias. Minutes later, Felix completed his brace for Churchill off Jaison Valles.

Jaison rounded off the tally in the 80th minute.

A brace from Salgaocar’s foreign striker Ekene Ikenwa helped them on their way to victory but Salgaocar’s stand-in goalkeeper Amit Nande was the star of the show.

In the 7th minute, Lajong custodian Gumpe Rime did well to make a double save first from Milagres Gonsalves and then the follow up shot from Francis Fernandes.

Amit Nandi made a double save in the 23rd minute to deny Najit Singh on both occasions.

In the 32nd minute, Salgaocar opened the scoring. Lajong goalkeeper Gumpe Rime came out to deal with a cross but failed to gather the ball and Mi-

injury time. After beating the Salgaocar off-side trap he then rounded the Salgaocar custodian to score, preventing Amit from keeping a clean sheet.

Goa Cricket Association president, Dayanand Narvekar, MLA was present to gift Amit Nandi the man-of-the match award.

GFA member, Lavinio Rebello was also present.

Speaking to Herald ,Amit Nandi said, “I did not feel any pressure coming into the team, my job was just to stand between the posts and save anything that was thrown at me.”

Former India goalkeeper and Salgaocar goalkeeping coach

HOW THEY FINISHED TEAMS Dempo Churchill Pune Mahindra Bagan Salgaocar JCT Chirag Bengal Viva Mumbai Air India Sporting Lajong

M 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26

W 16 11 10 10 10 8 8 8 7 7 6 7 6 6

D 6 10 12 11 6 9 8 8 10 9 11 7 9 8

L 4 5 4 5 10 9 10 10 9 10 9 12 11 12

P 54 43 42 41 36 33 32 32 31 30 29 28 27 26

Salgaocar end season on a high, send Lajong out Salgaocar …3 Lajong…1 HERALD SPORTS REPORTER MAPUSA, MAY 28

Salgaocar defeated Lajong Football Club (Shillong) 3-1 in the final I-league match at Duler Stadium, here on Friday. Salgaocar led 1-0 at the breather.

Salgaocar finished the season with 33 points while Lajong stand relegated after collecting only 26 points from 26 outings.

Salgaocar displayed good football, keeping hold of the ball in the midfield and attacking down the flanks. The Lajong team worked hard but could not deliver in front of the goal despite creating many chances.

lagres Gonsalves managed to head the ball and then tap into an empty net.

After the lemon break Lajong continued to pile on the pressure attacking down the wings but with no luck.

Ekene Ikenwa doubled the lead for Salgaocar, when he fired into the top corner after receiving a cross from Lester Fernandes from the right wing in the 82nd.

A minute into injury time Ekene sealed the victory, this time he latched on to Beevan D’Mello’s cross from the right and slotted the ball home.

Anil Gurung scored a consolation goal for Lajong deep into

Virender Singh congratulated Amit on his performance. “I have been working with Amit this season and I was excited with his handling of the ball today. He was good at dealing with crosses and his super agility allowed him to pull of some great saves.”

On the very first day of the season in the charity match at Duler, Amit Nandi was involved in a serious collision with Churchill Brothers striker Odafe Okolie, which left him in hospital.

How fitting that on the last day of the season he made brave saves at the same venue to bring applause from the large Bardez crowd.

Sporting win, but stand relegated Mumbai down Bagan, Chirag… 0 Sporting…1 avoid relegation AGENCIES KOLKATA, MAY 28

Playing their last match of the ONGC I-League at Howrah Stadium here Friday, Sporting Clube de Goa, coached by Vishwas Gaonkar, had everything in place as they beat local outfit Chirag United 1-0.

But their win was not enough as another team, Mumbai FC won at their home ground 2-0 against Mohun Bagan to sound a death nail for Sporting Clube who were relegated to the Second Division, finishing 13th in the 14-team standings.

Shillong Lajong FC became the second side to be dropped after being laggards of 2009-10 League.

Incidentally, Sporting Clube de Goa will play the final of Under-19 I-League against East Bengal in the U-19 tournament for the I-League teams.

Sporting registered a 1-0 win through a goal by substitute Anthony D'Souza who was later adjudged man-of-the match, but the scoreline suggested little as the Goans dominated the proceedings and missed at least two definite chances to score, in what could have been easily 3-0.

Nigerian forward Nathaniel Amos should be blamed for wasting at least two sitters, one minutes after the start when the striker found the crosspiece as the obstacle between Sporting Clube and their first goal. His second miss was in the 30th minute when Amos wasted the best opportunity as he failed to convert after finding an open goal.

But before Chirag could pounce on, D'Souza, coming in place of Michael Tayo in the midfield, scored the match-winner in the 66th minute. But by then, they had received the harsh

news of Mumbai FC's 2-0 lead at half time over Mohun Bagan bringing an end to their I-League campaign in next season.

In an another encounter , Shillong Lajong’s fairy tale season came to end on a sad note as the only team from the NorthEast faced relegation after going down to Salgaocar SC 3-1 in the last and final match of the ONGC I-League at Duler Stadium, Mapusa.

Ekene Ikenwa scored a brace for the Goan outfit to finish second highest goal scorer of the I-League with 17 goals, while Milagres Gonsalves chipped in with one goal too. Anil Gurung scored the only goal for Lajong in the closing minutes of the match.

The win helped Salgaocar to take a huge leap in the ranking table as they finished their ILeague journey with 33 points clinching the sixth spot.

Top billiards, snooker players coming Nat selection for Asian Games at Clube Gaspar Dias HERALD CORRESPONDENT MERCES, MAY 28

Goans will get a heavy doze of world class billiards and snooker action as top billiards and snooker players from the country will be in action at the National selection tournament for billiards and snooker at Clube Tennis de Gaspar Dias, Mira Mar from May 29 to June 5. The tournament is being hosted by the Cue Sports Association of Goa. Some of the top names who will vie for a spot in the Indian team to be selected for the Asian Games, to be held in Guangzhou, China, include Pankaj Advani, Geet Sethi, Yasin Merchant, Ashok Shandilya, Devendra Joshi, Alok Kumar.

At the end of the first tournament the standings are: Billiards: Pankaj Advani (11 points), Devendra Joshi (9), Rupesh Shah (7), Ashok Shandilya (6), Geet Sethi (5), Dhruv Sitwala (4), Alok Kumar (3), Sourav Kothari (2) and B. Bhaskar (1).

In snooker, the standings are: Pankaj Advani (11), Yasin Merchant (9), Manan Chandra (7), Aditya Mehta (6), Sourav Kothari (5), Alok Kumar (4), Kamal Chandra (3), Brijesh Damani (2) and Shahbaaz Adil Khan (1).

National coach Manoj Kothari addressing a press conference at Vainguinim Valley Resort, on Friday said, “This is the second tournament of a total four tournaments that will be held in Goa. The first was held in Bangalore and Pankaj Advani leads in both the billiards and snooker.”

Kothari added that top two players from both billiards and snooker will represent India at the Asian Games.

Apart from this, the top four players from snooker, will get a chance to represent India in the team event, Kothari said.

Kothari disclosed that in billiards, the tournament will be played on a shorter version, each frame consisting of a 100 point break, instead of the normal 500 point break, and the winner will be decided after best of five frames.

Pankaj Advani speaking at a press conference.

Photo: Rozario Estibeiro

“The tournament will be played on a league basis and nine top players in the country, in both billiards and snooker, will play against each other to decide the winners,” Kothari divulged and added that a total of 17 spots are up for grabs – 11 in men’s and 7 in women’s – to represent India at the Asian Games.

“Apart from billiards and snooker, selection will be also held in 8-ball pool and 9-ball pool tournaments, the competition for which will be held later,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Pankaj Advani said that this was his second trip to Goa and he felt calm and relaxed to be in such a beautiful place.

On a serious note though, he said that the competition is quite tough with several brilliant players trying very hard to qualify for the Asian Games, since representing the nation is a matter of pride and prestige.

When questioned whether he aims to win medals at the Asian Games, Pankaj said that his first priority is to qualify for the Games, and only then will he be able to set his sight on the medals. However, he sounded confident that he would be able to put up a strong show at the Games as he won gold medal in the Doha Asian Games and normally India has been winning medals in both billiards and snooker.

Replying to a query whether

he prefers the longer format of the game or the shorter format, Pankaj said that he undoubtedly prefers the longer format since it proves beyond doubt the ability of a player. He also said that the longer version allows the player a lot of time to make the right shot, since it is always necessary to choose the right shot to improve the winning chances of a player.

Commenting on the shorter version, Pankaj compared it to T20 in cricket and said that it is more exciting and spectator friendly. He also said that the shorter version allows the player a leeway to suit his needs and sometimes even cheat, and that is the reason why any in-form player can beat a top player in this format.

When asked whether playing the shorter version affects his performance in the longer version, Pankaj said that it depends on the adaptability of a player and that he is quite adapt at both the formats.

When Herald questioned the general secretary of Cue Sports Association of Goa, Nicholas D’Souza as to what is being done to promote the game in the State, he said that they are holding pool tournaments at regular intervals and that last year, two senior players and two junior players were sent to participate in the snooker Nationals.

Nicholas also divulged that plans are afoot to hold three tournaments in snooker and billiards in Goa on the basis of which the ranking of the players will be decided. He further said that the tournaments will be held in Margao, Panjim and Vasco.

On the popularity front, Nicholas said that snooker is quite popular with an average of 60 players registering for each tournament. “However, in billiards, the popularity is very less since most of the players are unaware of the rules,” he said but added that from this year, they will organise billiards tournament to increase its popularity.

Mumbai…2 M Bagan… 0 AGENCIES MUMBAI, MAY 28

Mumbai F C coach Khalid Jamil was a relieved man today after his boys registered a 2-0 win against Mohun Bagan in the round 26 of I-league at Cooperage here on Friday.

Abhishek Yadav played his role of a skipper to the perfection and under pressure he scored two goals and was aptly awarded the man-of-the match prize.

Mumbai dominated the proceedings in the first half. Till almost the half an hour mark it was just chances created but nobody was able to finish. It was Bashiru Abbas of Mumbai who couldn’t give his team the extra punch. He missed almost four goals in the whole match.

Abhishek Yadav scored off a penalty kick af ter Subhas Chakraborty was brought down

by Ishfaq Ahmed inside the box as Mumbai drew first blood in the 11th minute.

The second goal by Yadav came in the 24th minute.

Bashiru Abbas got the ball and essayed a shot which was cut off by Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Pralay Dutta but incoming Yadav was there to slot home off the

UC Benaulim seal semis spot varca cup

HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, May 28

United Club of Benaulim defeated Orlim Sports Club 2-0 to enter the semi-finals of All- Goa Varca Panchayat Cup inter-village football tournament organised

by Varca Sports Club at Varca ground, on Friday.

After a barren first half, Benaulim went into the lead when Carlos Fernandes free kick gave no chance to the rival Orlim goalkeeper.

Orlim tried their best to neutralise the lead but the Benaulim defenders were quick to thwart the Orlim attacks.

Benaulim doubled the lead when Caridade Fernandes slotted past the rival goalkeeper to troop out worthy winners.

Saligao prevail over Sai Avatar palyekar soccer HERALD SPORTS DESK PANJIM, MAY 28

Saligao United Sports Club registered a narrow 5-4 tie-breaker win over Sai Avatar, Anjuna to enter into the quarter-finals of Pramodini Dattaram Palyekar memorial soccer, organised by Football Club of Siolim, at St. Anthony’s church ground, Siolim, on Friday. There was no score at the end of the regulation time.

In the tie-breaker, Nestor Dias, Alfred Rodrigues, Trevor Dias, M.A. Francis and Leogrio Alvares were on target for Saligao, while Achut Chari, Shekar Kerkar, Soma Korgaonkar and Saprem Diukar scored for Anjuna.

rebound.

The second half didn’t see much action from either side and finally it was the Mumbai outfit that surely had the last laugh not only by scoring a win, but also by saving themselves from the relegation threat that was looming over them.

Pg17 Irineu finishes 6th at Nat scrabble HERALD SPORTS DESK PANJIM, MAY 28

International scrabble player, Irineu Gonsalves secured sixth place at the Bayer National Scrabble Championship at Chembur Gymkhana, Mumbai recently.

The competitive three-day event spanning 24 rounds attracted over 50 participants from across the country. Sherwin Rodrigues from Mumbai took top honours while Mohan Chunkath (Chennai) and Nakul Prabhu (Mumbai) finished second and third respectively.

Jacky Fernandes and Douglas Lobo did Goa proud by being among the prize winners finishing at 7th and 11th respectively. Joe Rodrigues, Basil Pinto, Rajiv Antao, Savio Pinto and Sylvia Coelho were the other representatives from the State.

SPORTS

GOA, SATURDAY, 29 MAY, 2010 www.oheraldo.in

Zimbabwe stun India in opener

Virat Kohli puts in the dive, but is caught short of the crease at Bulawayo on Friday.

PTI BULAWAYO, MAY 28

Rohit Sharma's maiden ODI century went in vain as a slipshod India slumped to an embarrassing six-wicket defeat against Zimbabwe in the first match of the cricket tri-series here today.

Rohit's well-paced 114 and Ravindra Jadeja's unbeaten runa-ball 61 had guided India to a decent 285 for five but the lack of sting and firepower in their bowling attack allowed Zimbabwe to romp home with 10 balls to spare.

Chasing the formidable target, Brendan Taylor (81) and Hasan Masakadza (46) gave Zimbabwe a rollicking start and down the order debutant Craig Ervine (67 not out) dazzled as the hosts cruised to 289 for four in 48.2 overs.

India play Sri Lanka in their next match on Sunday.

Zimbabwe's chase got off to

a strong start with Taylor and Masakadza showing scant respect for their opponents and adding 88 runs in 13 overs.

Three Indians made their ODI debut today but neither Ashok Dinda, nor R Vinay Kumar or Umesh Yadav could make their presence felt as Taylor and Masakadza exposed the frailties of the Indian attack.

Taylor hit Vinay Kumar for two sixes and a four in the 10th over and the partnership was blooming with a 100-mark in sight when Amit Mishra's googly castled Masakadza.

Indian bowlers toiled for another 16 overs without any success before Jadeja trapped Graeme Lamb (27).

Taylor was looking good for a century but he fell to Vinay Kumar in the 35th over after a 103-ball knock that had four fours and two sixes in it.

Charles Coventry (32 off 25

balls) played like his wont, hitting Yusuf Pathan, Mishra and Vinay Kumar out of the ground before losing his stumps to the pacer.

Ervine, however, showed tremendous maturity in his debut match as he and skipper Elton Chigumbura (24 not out) completed the formality without any fuss.

Earlier electing to bat first, India were off to a smooth start with Murali Vijay (11) and Dinesh Karthik (22) forging a 56-run opening stand against the wayward Zimbabwean bowlers.

It was smooth sailing for the Indians till the ninth over when Vijay was run out which was a combination of Zimbabwe wicketkeeper Brendan Taylor's brilliance and the opener's laziness.

Vijay was ambling towards the batting crease when Taylor collected a Prosper Utseya throw

Hundred in Chennai after 26/11 is my best: Sachin said Tendulkar, who along with dulkar said. wife Anjali, hosted a fund-raising The right-hander scored an dinner for the 'Crusade against unbeaten 100 as India upset Cancer Foundation' here last all calculations to score an unnight. likely six-wicket victory over "There were all sorts of talks England while chasing a target and then suddenly all our focus of 387. was on the match.

England dominated the match for almost f o u r d a y s b e f o re Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir brought us back into PTI it," he recounted.

PUNE, MAY 28 "Generally when w e w i n , i t i s t h e Contradicting Dhoni's views, senior batsman groundsmen who run Sachin today said IPL parties cannot not to congratulate us, be blamed for India's debacle in the recent but on that day the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies.

India could not reach the semifinals of groundswomen rushed to congratu- the Twenty20 World Cup and skipper Dhoni late us. It was just be- said late night parties and continuous travcause of something elling during the Indian Premier League that had numbed the took a toll on the players' body.

Tendulkar, however, begged to differ nation," he said.

"By no means India and said every player should be aware of winning a Test match their responsibilities.

"Parties and performance are two difcould compensate the lives lost. But for ferent things that cannot be related and our team, we had every player should know his responsibilsucceeded in bring- ity," Tendulkar told reporters after laying ing a fraction of a foundation stone of an extension of smile on the faces of Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital here.

Besides, Tendulkar said parties are not the people. That is why the hundred in new in cricket.

"Parties used to be held even in the past," Chennai Test match will be the best (of he said, laying stress on observing indimy career)," Ten- vidual's discretion in the matter.

IPL parties not responsible for T20 WC debacle

PTI MUMBAI, MAY 28

He has played many a memorable knocks but Sachin Tendulkar considers the Test hundred he scored just a fortnight after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks as the best of his career so far.

"It was not about the Test match but about something which happened two weeks before that. Something had happened in Mumbai. It was difficult to prepare for a Test (under those circumstances). It was gracious of England to come here,"

Ilhas breeze past Ponda

PANJIM (HSD) -- Ilhas Veterans edged past Ponda Veterans 2-1 in All-Goa Dempo Veterans football tournament organised by Goa Veterans Football Club, at Don Bosco ground, here on Friday. Ilhas led 1-0 at the breather.

Ilhas surged ahead through Frankie Mascarenhas off a penalty when Prakash Chari was brought down at the danger zone by Baptist D’Mello.

After the lemon break, Ponda equalised through Baptist off Anthony Tavares. Ilhas came up with the match-winner when a cross

by Pascoal Pereira was handled by a Ponda defender. Daniel Noronha made no mistake in sending the ball into the far corner of the net.

UC Nerul move ahead

CALANGUTE (HC) -- United Club of Nerul trounced Sinquerim (Mayem) Sports Club 3-0 to enter the quarter- finals of Fr. Chico Cup inter-village football tournament organised by Candolim Sports Club and sponsored by Bayside Properties Private Limited at Dr. Gustavo Monteiro stadium, Candolim on Friday. Nerul led 1-0 at half time.

Nerul forged ahead in the 25th minute as Newton Pereira tapped the ball into the net off a beautiful cross from Charles Pereira.

Changing over, Sinquerim tried to bounce back but Nerul defence stood its ground. Xavier Clemente doubled the lead off a penalty in the 20th minute. Minutes later, David D'Souza consolidated the lead for Nerul.

KJ Basketeers in finals

PANJIM (HSD) -- KJ’s Panjim overcame Falcons 58-38 to enter the finals of 18th All-Goa Aliens Basketeers Basketball Tournament at Fr Benedict Furtado memorial court, Don Bosco, here on Friday.

Amish Jain (17 points) and Lambert Godinho (15 points) topscored for KJ’s while Jason Monserrate scored 15 points for Falcons.

In another match, Margao Basketeers defeated Southside 45-35. Dale Fernandes and Nigel Fernandes scored 15 and 11 points respectively for Margao. Aurio Rebello was outstanding for Southside scoring 9 points.

Hamilton fastest in first practice

in front of the wicket and flicked it back-handed onto the stumps.

Next man in Virat Kohli's was a scoreless stay as the vice captain, without facing a ball, was beaten by an Elton Chigumbura direct-throw.

Another four runs on the board and Karthik too was back in the hut, falling to Utseya and leaving India in a spot of bother at 61 for three.

Rohit stitched together a 67run stand with skipper Suresh Raina (37) to steady the ship but it was his 132-run partnership with Jadeja (61 not out) for the fifth wicket that turned out to be the cornerstone of the Indian innings.

Rohit's 119-ball knock was studded with six fours and four sixes, while Jadeja's run-a-ball innings had five fours in it.

Even when Rohit and Raina forged a steady partnership that took India past the 100-run mark, Zimbabwe's slow-ball attack ensured boundaries were not easy to come by.

Paceman Chris Mpofu broke the partnership by removing Raina in the 30th over as the India captain rushed down the track only to guide a rising delivery to the wicketkeeper.

Rohit, however, continued the good work in Jadeja's company as the duo stepped on gas, asserting themselves on the hosts.

Rohit's century came in the 47th over when he hit Ray Price out of the ground for a massive six.

In the next over, Mpofu removed Rohit but Jadeja and Yusuf Pathan (11 off 5 balls) provided the late charge to take the score to 285.

For the hosts, Mpofu scalped two wickets for 63 while Utseya bagged one.

India: Dinesh Karthik c Taylor b Utseya 22, Murali Vijay run out 11, Virat Kohli run out 0, Rohit Sharma c Taylor b Mpofu 114, Suresh Raina c Taylor b Mpofu 37, Ravindra Jadeja not out 61, Yusuf Pathan not out 11. Extras: 29. Total: 285 for 5.

Fall of wickets: 56-1, 57-2, 61-3, 128-4, 260-5. Bowling: Chrisopher Mpofu 10-1-63-2, Elton Chigumbura 2-0-36-0, Ray Price 10-0-53-0, Prosper Utseya 10-0-46-1, Greg Lamb 10-0-40-0, Graeme Cremer 7-0-40-0, Andy Blignaut 1-0-5-0.

Zimbabwe: H Masakadza b Mishra 46, B Taylor c Yadav b Kumar 81, G Lamb lbw b Jadeja 27, C Ervine not out 67, C Coventry b Kumar 32, E Chigumbura not out 24. Extras: 12. Total: 289 for 4.

Fall of wickets: 88-1, 151-2, 176-3, 231-4. Bowling: A Dinda 7.2-0-490, V Kumar 8-0-51-2, U Yadav 8-0-48-0, A Mishra 10-0-47-1, R Jadeja 10-0-51-1, Y Pathan 4-0-28-0, R Sharma 1-0-5-0.

Man-of-the-match: B Taylor

Dhoni to lose No 1 spot UNI DUBAI, MAY 28

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is all set to lose his number one spot in the ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen after deciding to skip the triangular series in Zimbabwe which starts in Bulawayo today.

A player loses half a per cent of his ratings points for every ODI missed. As such, Dhoni, who currently leads Michael Hussey by just eight ratings points, will slip behind the Australian when the player rankings are released at the end of the series in Zimbabwe.

UNI LONDON, MAY 28

Setting all speculations at rest, ICC president-elect Sharad Pawar has come out strongly in support of former Australian prime minister John Howard being appointed as his deputy.

Pawar will take over from England's David Morgan as President of the International Cricket Council (ICC) next month.

Howard, an Australian-New Zealand vice president candidate under ICC's region based system,

Ghana's World Cup preparations suffered a huge setback when midfielder Michael Essien was ruled out with a knee injury as Spain's Fernando Torres made progress in his recovery from a knee problem.

Described by Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac as the leader and engine room of his team, Essien picked up the injury in January and the Chelsea player will be sorely missed at soccer's biggest event which starts on June 11 in South Africa.

Denmark win over Senegal, Kjaer injured

Denmark's joy at beating Senegal 2-0 in a World Cup warm-up was dampened by centre back Simon Kjaer being carried off on a stretcher with a right knee injury.

Lewis Hamilton offered a glimmer of hope Red Bull Racing could be stopped after setting the bar in first practice for the Turkish Grand Prix.

The Milton Keynes-based team has been the class act of the last two races in Spain and Monaco, notably with Mark Webber winning from lights to flag, leading for a total of 144 laps.

In particular, Red Bull have also been in a league of their own in qualifying as they have claimed pole in all six races to date.

In Barcelona just three weeks ago they were a phenomenal second quicker than their rivals, and the fear is come one-lap shoot-out they will be equally as dominant.

As Red Bull's practice times are never a true indicator of their qualifying pace, their efforts in the opening 90-minute session at Istanbul Park suggested they have plenty in reserve.

While noting that the Indian cricket team selection for the T20 World Cup was ‘not up to the mark’, former captain Mo-

Says Sree needs to use his brain

Former captain Mohammed Azharuddin has said S Sreesanth was a good swing bowler with lots of talent but he should use his brain more than his talent.

Addressing a press conference here late last night, Azharuddin said ''I think he has got lot of talent but to be very honest he should use his brain more than his talent.''

While hastening to add that his comments should not be taken in a wrong way, Azhar said he was a very good loop bowler and one who really swings the ball.

Praising the talent of Sreesanth, Azharuddin said not many bowlers in the world swing naturally.

Sharapova, Henin advance

PTI MUMBAI, MAY 28

AGENCIES PARIS, MAY 28

Suspended IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi will meet the May 31 deadline for replying to the second BCCI show cause notice and it's expected to be less voluminous than his staggering 15000page reply to the first notice, his legal advisor Mehmood Abdi said here today.

Modi has responded to the first show cause notice over allegations of murky financial deals in the IPL and bid-rigging with a voluminous reply on May 15.

Abdi said Modi is now on course to meet the May 31 deadline for replying to the second show cause notice served on him for his alleged acts that are "detrimental to world cricket".

"We intend to meet the deadline for replying to the second show cause notice as we did for the first," Abdi told PTI. "The volume of the reply depends on the issues raised. I don't think the reply would be as voluminous (as the first). We will try to satisfy the Board (with the reply)," Abdi said.

Modi sought and obtained a 10-day breather for replying to the second show cause notice from the Board. He was issued the notice on May 6 on the basis of an e-mail received from England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Giles Clarke.

In his e-mail, Clarke levelled serious charges against Modi which the Board found "detrimental to Indian cricket, English cricket and World cricket at large".

The notice referred to Modi's March 31 meeting in Delhi with representatives of English counties Yorkshire, Lancashire and Warwickshire in which he allegedly talked about a parallel IPL in the England and Wales in which eight existing franchises would bid for nine counties in UK.

Maria Sharapova and Justine Henin set up a third-round showdown at the French Open on Friday by winning matches suspended overnight because of darkness.

Sharapova finished off Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 6-3, 6-3, and four-time champion Henin beat Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-3.

A schedule backlog caused by rain created a parade of champions on the sixth day of the tournament. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Venus and Serena Williams were among those who advanced.

Now the champions start playing each other. Henin has a 6-3 record against Sharapova.

Venus Williams reached the fourth round at Roland Garros for the first time since 2006 by beating No. 26 Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-3, 6-4.

Once again wearing the lacy corset that has created the tournament’s biggest buzz, Williams hit six aces and lost only four points on her first serve.

Serena and Venus are seeded 1-2 and wouldn’t meet until the final.

Serena Williams and Nadal took the court on a sunny, cool morning and engaged in brisk workouts. The top-ranked Williams won nine consecutive games and advanced to the third round by beating Julia Goerges of Germany 6-1, 6-1. Four-time champion Nadal lost serve only once and beat Horacio Zeballos of Argentina 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.

Nadal has lost only 13 games through two rounds and next faces two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt, who outlasted Denis Istomin of

is being opposed by Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

In case Howard is elected as vice president then he has a chance of becoming ICC chief in 2012 at the end of Pawar's term.

In a significant move, ICC President Morgan and Pawar met here and reconfirmed their support for the process for nominating the Presidency and VicePresidency of the ICC, agreed some two years ago.

After their meeting during the England and Bangladesh Test at

Goals from Christian Poulsen and Thomas Enevoldsen gave the Danes victory in Aalborg the day before their departure to South Africa for the June 11-July 11 tournament.

Head coach Morten Olsen used the game to try out his options before he names his final 23-man squad today and the injury to regular starter Kjaer late in the game will have worried him.

S Africa stay unbeaten

Two disputed penalties handed World Cup hosts South Africa a hollow 2-1 win over Colombia in a feisty friendly.

Kenyan referee Samwel Kipngetich also awarded the South American visitors a spot-kick as South Africa extended their unbeaten run to 10 games since Carlos Alberto Parreira returned as coach.

Wrong selection of T20 WC team: Azhar UNI KOCHI, MAY 28

Lawyer expects Modi’s 2nd reply to be less voluminous

Morgan, Pawar back Howard’s nomination

Essien ruled out, Torres makes progress

AGENCIES TURKEY, MAY 28

Pg 18

Churchill Bros emerge India’s No 2 Pg. 17

Goa win four gold in WZ Taekwondo Pg. 16

hammed Azharuddin has stressed the need to scale up the fitness level of some of the current crop of players donning national colours.

Speaking to reporters late last night here, Azharuddin said ''I think that first of all we did not pick the right team and I thought that two-three players like Robin Uthappa and Pragyan Ohja, who played well in the IPL matches, should have been selected in the side but unfortunately they were not selected. ''I think the team selection was not up to the mark. I think it did not look like a team playing together but there were some individual performances from Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma apart from that there is not much to say,'' he added.

He also said young players like Raina and Rohit should get into the test squad as they were hungry for runs and want to succeed.

When asked about the fitness level of the national cricket players, Azharuddin, who was

Lord's, last evening, the two issued a following joint statement. ''The board of the ICC debated and approved, some two years ago, a nomination process for the Presidency and the Vice-Presidency. ''It had also debated and approved the current nomination process for the Presidency and the Vice-Presidency.'' ''The unanimous decision of the Board at the time was that the Presidency and the VicePresidency should be decided on a rotational basis.

A sell-out crowd of around 70,000 at Soccer City provided a taste of the atmosphere to come at the opening World Cup game on June 11 but the home side's performance did not match the expectations.

Teko Modise was allowed to take his 18th-minute penalty twice after the initial effort was saved when the linesman adjudged Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina had moved off his line before the kick was struck.

Three minutes later the visitors were awarded a penalty after a clumsy challenge by goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune and it was converted by Giovanni Moreno.

South Africa went ahead again in the 58th minute when Mario Yepes was adjudged to have tripped Siphiwe Tshabalala, although it seemed a harsh decision, and Katlego Mphela scored from the spot.

Bangladesh fight back after Trott's double ton AGENCIES LORDS, MAY 28

Bangladesh launched a spirited fightback on the second day of the first Test against England at Lord's on Friday after Jonathan Trott had ground out a marathon double century.

Trott batted more than eight hours for 226 in England's first innings 505 all out to become the seventh England batsman to score a double hundred at the headquarters of world cricket.

He finally fell victim to Shahadat Hossain, who wrapped up the England innings with three quick wickets to finish with five for 98 and earn the distinction of becoming the first Bangladesh player to win a place on the Lord's honours' board.

The Bangladesh top order responded with a combination of resolute defence interspersed with some cavalier carves outside the off-stump to reach 172 for two at the close.

T Iqbal was run out at 55, while I Kayes was caught by Strauss off Finn at 43. J Siddique 53 and J Islam 16 were at the crease.

Uzbekistan 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 62. Hewitt improved to 30-14 in five-set matches.

The top-ranked Federer reached the fourth round by beating qualifier Julian Reister of Germany 6-4, 6-0, 6-4. Federer will next play fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka, who beat Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-4, 6-1.

Djokovic overcame nine double-faults for a second-round win over Kei Nishikori, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. Andy Murray, seeded fourth, moved into the fourth round by beating Marcos Baghdatis 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2.

David Ferrer, led 6-2, 6-2, 2-0 when Xavier Malisse retired with a left hamstring injury. Nicolas Almagro of Spain, Jurgen Melzer of Austria and Victor Hansecu of Romania also advanced.

In women’s play, Russian qualifier Anastasia Pivovarova, ranked 187th, upset Zheng Jie of China 6-4, 6-3. Marion Bartoli and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova also won.

Paes-Dlouhy in second round

Defending champions Leander Paes and Lukas Dlouhy overcame two rain interruptions and a strong challenge from Swede Johan Brunstrom and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands Antilles to enter the second round of the men's doubles at the French Open in Paris on Thursday.

The Indo-Czech pair won their opening round match 6-3, 6-7 (8-6), 7-5 in two hours and 16 minutes and joined India's Mahesh Bhupathi and Belarus's Max Mirnyi, who beat Jurgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner on Wednesday.

Fifth seeds Bhupathi-Mirnyi needed 58 minutes to pack off the German-Austrian pair of Melzer and Petzschner with a 6-3, 6-2 win.

Yousuf snubs comeback offer for England tour REUTERS KARACHI, MAY 28

Muhammad Yousuf has snubbed offers to come out of retirement for Pakistan's tour of England, saying he was disappointed with the country's cricket board for banning him in the wake of the team's shambolic Australian tour.

Yousuf, 35, had rejected requests from newly appointed Test captain Afridi, he told Reuters. ''I will not change my decision about the retirement. What happens in the future only God knows,'' he said.

Yousuf announced his retirement from international cricket after he was banned for an indefinite period in March following Pakistan's whitewashed test and one-day series defeats in Australia this year.

Pg9

HE RA LD

INDIA GOA, SATURDAY MAY 29, 2010

Punjab SSP refused a visa too PTI PATIALA, MAY 28

A senior Punjab police officer today said he was denied visa

by Canada as he had served in areas where counter-insurgency operations were carried out in the State during the militancy period.

Patiala's SSP Ranbir Singh Khatra said here today that it was the prerogative of the Canadian government to grant him a visa but content used in a denial letter was not acceptable.

The Canadian embassy in India twice denied me the visa only because I had served in areas where counter-insurgency operations had been carried out,” he said.

The Canadian High Commission, over the last few years, has denied visas to a number of senior serving and retired officials of the armed forces and intelligence establishment, claiming that their organisations or they themselves have served in sensitive areas like Jammu

and Kashmir and engaged in violence and human rights violations.

"I am proud to have contributed to keeping peace in theregion as a part of Punjab Police in that (militancy) period, and I felt really bad that at a time when the world is fighting terrorism, Canada is targeting us — people who actually fought terrorism,” Khatra said.

“There is no case against me, nor have I ever been convicted by any court of law, so how can they make such comments?” he asked.

“As far as human rights are concerned our country has the best record as compared to others following which our forces have the largest share in UN peace keeping forces deployed in other countries,” he said.

Khatra was denied visas by Canada in 2008 and 2009. On the first occasion, Khatra had wanted to go to Canada on a personal visit while on the second occasion, he wanted to to

participate in the golf event of the World Police and Fire Games in British Columbia in 2009.

Khatra said that he had earlier won the runners-up trophy at the All India Police Golf Tournament.

Recipient of the Police Medal by the president in 1993, he had served in Tarn Taran, Mansa and Batala in Amritsar range during the counter insurgency operations against militants in Punjab.

In a letter signed by the Canada Embassy's Vice-Counsel Sharon Hogan, Khatra was informed, "You are at the very least willfully blind to the crime against humanity committed by the Punjab Police in Amritsar district.

During the investigation, arrest and interrogation, while your posting, you may have been directly involved or at the very least help in increase the effectiveness of Punjab Police in Amritsar district at the time when large number of police forces in the area were involved

in commission of crime against humanity.

“Also, the government made little progress in holding hundreds of police and security officials accountable for serious human rights abuses committed during the Punjab counter-insurgency operations despite the presence of a Special Investigating Commission,” the letter added.

Several Punjab Police officers, including Khatra and Additional DG (Crime) Rajan Gupta had been denied visas by Canada for their alleged involvement in human rights abuses.

Some other Punjab Police personnel, including Superintendents of Police Devinder Singh and Gurdeep Singh Pannu, and a head constable were asked to furnish certificates from the government saying they had not violated human rights, along with a list of all the positions they had held over the past 15 years.

HC adjourns hearing on Rathore plea PTI Chandigarh, MAY 28

Disgraced former Haryana Director General of Police, SPS Rathore, sentenced to 18-month prison term by a court here in Ruchika molestation case, today again failed to get any relief as the Punjab and Haryana High Court adjourned hearing on his bail petition to May 31.

68-year-old Rathore's lawyer wife Abha Rathore had filed a review petition on his behalf in the High Court on Wednesday seeking bail, a day after he was sentenced and lodged in the high-security Burail jail here.

Justice Gurdev Singh posted the matter for May 31 on the plea of the CBI counsel that the investigating agency has not received a copy of the review petition.

Earlier, the same judge had adjourned the matter for today.

Cops to sue army major for murder PTI SRINAGAR, MAY 28

Jammu and Kashmir police will register a murder case against an army major and some civilians for allegedly luring three youths to the border and staging a fake encounter in Machil sector of north Kashmir, officials said.

The State government has also ordered a detailed probe into the incident.

The incident took place on April 30 when 4 Rajputana Rifles of Army claimed to have shot dead three militants who were attempting to enter into the valley from across the border. However, the claim of the army was

Jail inmate scores high in board exam PTI GHAZIABAD, MAY 28

A Meerut district jail inmate, accused of committing murder, has scored 80.4 per cent in class XII UP Board examinations, the highest among prisoners in the State, a senior official said.

Sonu, who was lodged in the prison since 2009 on a murder charge, appeared for higher secondary examination of UP Board from the prison examination centre here.

“Sonu has got distinction in all subjects, including English, and he was overjoyed last evening when he saw his result on the computer here,” Jail Superintendent V K Singh said.

He said 20 inmates from different jails of Meerut division applied for the class XII examination out of which 17 appeared for the exams.

Out of which 16 were declared successful, with two of them getting a first division with distinction. Only one examinee was unsuccessful, he said.

contested by the family members of Muhammad Shafi, Shehzad Ahmed and Riyaz Ahmed who said they were not militants.

The police had registered a missing report on April 27 in this regard which was later converted into a kidnapping case.

Going by the developments, the police is now planning to change the same into a case of murder.

Police has also asked the army authorities to cooperate and handover its officers for interrogation, they said.

The exhumation of bodies was expected to take place after which a fresh post-mortem would be conducted.

Students celebrating in a school after declaration of the 10th class CBSE results, in New Delhi on Friday.

Cong, BJP trade charges over arrest warrant PTI BHOPAL, MAY 28

Though Madhya Pradesh High Court has stayed the arrest warrant issued against the State Chief Secretary Avani Vaish by the National Commission for SC, the issue has snowballed into a major controversy in the State with both BJP and Congress trading charges against each other.

Perhaps, it was for the first time that the arrest warrant was issued against the State's topmost officer, Chief Secretary by the NCSC on the issue of promoting officers of general category against the reserved posts.

“The decision of the High Court on the issue of NCSC warrant has made things crystal clear," Parliamentaray Affairs Minister Narottam Mishra said.

However, the NCSC Member Mahendra Boudh while talking to PTI defended the Commission's decision on the issue saying that it has followed all legal procedures before issuing the arrest

warrant with the permission of the Chairman.

Taking the issue further, Boudh said that the commission has recommended to the Union Home Ministry to probe the issue through any independent agency as the State Government has violated the laws of reservation twice in the year 2006 and 2008 respectively.

Criticing the Congress for using constitutional bodies for settling political scores, Narottam said, "In politics there is always a scope for differences and opposition, but such attempts will damage the federal structure of the country.”

Congress should not use constitutional bodies as a weapon for settling political scores and because of such growing practices independent institutions like CBI are being called as 'Central Bureau of Congress', the minister said.

However, defending the Congress, State Congress spokesman K K Mishra said

"since BJP leaders and its ministers have created a record of corruption and are fully aware that their future will be spent in courts and jail, they are levelling baseless allegations at an independent, impartial and honest agaency like CBI and NCSC.” Mishra alleged that in order to hide the atrocities on Dalits in none other than the Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's village, Jait, the ruling party has staged a 'full drama' by allowing Dalit women to sing bhajans in a temple, when the NCSC team went there to probe reports in this regard.

“I bet that this drama must have got over soon after the visit of NCSC team to the Jait village as everybody knows what is the real situation in villages specially in the BJP-ruled States," he said.

“They are free to say anything about the independent agencies of the country, but people of the state are fully aware of their designs,” Mishra added.

3 constables booked using fake papers PTI ROURKELA, MAY 28

Cases were filed by the police against three recently recruited constables in the Orissa State Armed Police (OSAP) forces on charges of submitting fake certificates while appearing for the interview, police said here today.

Jitendra Digal and Raghunath Naik had allegedly submitted fake caste certificates, while Sasanka Mohapatra had produced fake certificate of the Board Of Secondary Examination.

After issuing appointment letters, the authorities of the fourth battalion of OSAP found the certificates to be fake after they went for a verification.

The authorities cancelled their appointment and filed a police case, after which an arrest warrant was issued. All the three are absconding, police said.

Rape case Apolice constable was today arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

Everyone should pen a poem, quips Nandy PTI

MUMBAI, MAY 28

Acclaimed as one of India's most exciting and innovative poets in English, with the likes of lyricist and filmmaker Gulzar and Congress MP and former minister Shashi Tharoor as fans, Pritish Nandy feels that every one should pen a poem.

“I think everyone should read and write poetry. Poetry is living.

It is discovering yourself. If you have not written poetry, it means you have not discovered yourself," the 59-year-old journalist and movie maker told PTI. “We need to go beyond the boundaries of academia. Poetry should attempt to discover a connect with the people. It should be fun and should not be just for examination purpose as done in schools,” he said.

Nandy, who has collections like 'Lonesong Street' and 'A Stranger Called I' to his credit, has explored the same genre after a whopping 20 years.

On the release of his poetry book yesterday, Again', he lamented publishers' depleting support to print poems.

“Worldwide, getting publishers publish poetry is very difficult,” he said.

On getting a reader in today's digital world of tweets, he said

it is the writer and publisher's job to persuade people to read.

“You cannot judge a reader.

It is the writer and publisher's job to persuade the reader to take to reading. If your book is not being read, you better chase or change the publisher,” he quipped.

Nandy, however, pleaded complete ignorance when quizzed about the exorbitant price of his book, which costs Rs 995.

“I have no idea what the book is priced at. Yeah, Rs 995 is exorbitant. It is expensive. This is hardback edition. May be the publishers would come out with a paperback version later on,” he said.

Regarding expected commercial success for the book, he said he has never chased success in his life.

“I do not chase success. I chase excellence in whatever I do, be it writing, making movies or anything else.

I have never followed success.

Success follows me. If you chase Saraswati, Laxmi comes along,” he said.

On the reason behind giving up writing poems, Nandy said he had to switch over to journalism for making a living.

The organisers had pulled a

coup of sorts as they brought cult writer Chetan Bhagat, noted poet Gulzar, tweet tsar Shashi Tharoor, and actor Anupam Kher in the same frame.

As if this was not enough, icing on the cake was beauty personified Aishwarya Rai, in a first for her, reading out selected verses from Again, to a scrambling media jamboore and select audience.

“After going through Again, I think I need to dig out his earlier works too and go through them," she said thanking Nandy for introducing her to poetry.

“I relate to the thoughts expressed in his poems,” she added reading out his poem 'I have panicked many times before...’

Gulzar also recalled his visits to Kolkata when he first picked up Nandy's poems.

“In the early 70s, I had purchased a lot of books written by him. However, I got them autographed by him recently. He belongs to progressive poets group and therefore when he stopped writing in 80s, I kept him nudging all this time to come out of the self-imposed exile,” Gulzar said.

“Recently when I saw an exhibition of paintings by him, I

again realised that the poet in him is still alive," he said.

Shashi Tharoor said Nandy was a poet with extravagant pas-

sion. “He inspired an entire generation of poets in Kolkatta,” he said adding he still has not lost his touch for innovation.

APPOINTMENT