31 March 2011 HERALD PUBLICATIONS PVT LTD

O HERALD O

Visit us at: www.oheraldo.in

The Voice of Goa — Since 1900 panjim, thurSday, march 31, 2011 postal reg. no. Goa 101 pricE rs. 3.00

Sports: Clarke takes charge of Australia Pg 15

Business: New BMW 6 Series Convertible rolls out Pg 10

(air Surcharge rs 2.00) pages 16+4

Heartbeat: Shakira finally confirms Pg 4 romance with Piqué

INDIA PACK OFF PAK SET UP FINAL CLASH WITH LANKA IN MUMBAI Indo-Pak ties get a push

DANCE INDIA DANCE

Jubilant Indian team members hug each other and take the stumps as the nation broke into celebration to cherish the moment of triumph against Pakistan, bringing back hopes of regaining the coveted trophy after a gap of 28 years.

PTI MOHALI, MARCH 30

With the high-voltage cricket World Cup semi-final providing the backdrop, India and Pakistan today sought to give a push for “genuine normalization” of their ties with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani agreeing that it could happen only in an atmosphere free of terror and violence.

Singh and Gilani held “wideranging conversations” covering all aspects of the bilateral relations as they watched together the thrilling cricket match for about 90 minutes and continued them over dinner.

The two leaders sought to give impetus to the bilateral relations, which were hurt by the 26/11 attacks, under the ‘Mohali spirit’ that outlined the widening of contacts and “re-engage-

A WIN BY 29 RUNS

India vanquished Pakistan by 29 runs at Mohali to storm into the final of the cricket World Cup in a highvoltage match watched by millions of passionate fans across the sub-continent. Batting first after winning the toss, India were restricted to 260 for nine.

Pakistan were all out for 231 runs in 49.5 overs.

IN BRIEF Japan to scrap four reactors Scrambling hard to tackle its worst atomic crisis, Japan today said it will scrap four stricken reactors at the quakehit Fukushima nuclear facility, as radiation seeping into seawater reached its highest level yet and the President of the troubled plant’s operator hospitalised. — (PTI) (Report on page 9)

Iran, Saudi warned Bahrain’s Shiite opposition head Ali Salman today warned Iran and Saudi Arabia against using his country as a “battlefield” in a proxy war.

Salman urged Iran to keep out of the Sunni-ruled state’s affairs and called on Saudi troops to leave the country.

— (PTI)

TIDES TODAY High Tide: 0914; 2142 Low Tide: 0321; 1510

TENDULKAR RIDES HIGH ON LUCK

VIRU BLITZKRIEG

Tendulkar turned out to be India’s batting hero though with a pain-staking 85 runs where he got as many as six ‘lives’ during his innings, including one lbw decision reviewed and reversed.

Virender Sehwag unleashed a flurry of strokes against the Pakistan pacers, picking up Umar Gul for special treatment by clobbering him for five boundaries in his second over.

HERALD REPORTER VASCO, MARCH 30

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani speaks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the semi-finals.

Villagers to get 30 p.c. quota in GHB projects HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MARCH 30

be punishable under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

“Assembly of five or more persons is prohibited along the stretch from T B Cunha Chowk road at Khariwado up to the Hindu crematorium at Khariwado in Vasco city and in the area of 50 metres adjoining the road stretch, excluding the fish market,” informed Martins.

Martins convened a review meeting with the demolition squad and law-enforcing agency in his office in the afternoon.

In the meeting, Superintendent of Police South, besides

Residents stage rally HERALD REPORTER VASCO, MARCH 30

The affected residents of Khariwado staged a rally ahead of the demolition drive, warning commercial establishments to shut down operations on Thursday and to extend solidarity to them.

Few residents of Khariwado gathered at Khariwado fishing jetty and carried out a morcha in Vasco city, asking shops and establishments to close down its operations on Thursday.

(Continued on page 8)

CLEAN WC SLATE AGAINST PAK

The victory enabled India to maintain its unbeaten record against the arch rivals in 36 years of World Cup history. India now meet Lanka in the final in Mumbai on Saturday in a bid to win the coveted Cup for the second time since it first stunned the cricketing world by beating West Indies in 1983 at the Lords.

Khariwado demolition drive today The sensitive Khariwado demolition scheduled for Wednesday has been deferred by a day due to inadequate police force.

The demolition will be carried out on Thursday.

Ahead of the Khariwado demolition drive, Mormugao Deputy Collector Levinson Martins had invoked Section 144 for the next three days commencing from March 31 to April 2 around the Khariwado area.

“To avoid any gathering of crowds and anti-social elements, who may disturb the demolition process or incite people around with ulterior motive leading to law and order situation, I had to invoke Section 144 CrPC to prevent the assembly of five and more people along the stretch near T B Cunha Chowk up to the crematorium at Khariwado,” said Martins.

The deputy collector’s order will be effective from from 9 am to 5.30 pm and if any one contravening the order, he/she shall

ment” at various levels.

The two prime ministers held “wide-ranging conversations, not talks,” touching upon a number of issues of relevance to the bilateral relations, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters while briefing about the interactions between the two prime ministers.

She said Singh and Gilani reaffirmed the intention to take the dialogue process forward as they agreed that it was important to “understand each other better, ... resolve outstanding issues and at the core of the dialogue is the goal to normalize relations, pervasive and more permanent normalization process in an uninterrupted manner”.

To a question, Rao underlined that India had “not set aside or swept under the carpet” the

A few people were reportedly seen pressurizing shop owners to shut down their shops.

It is learnt that the fish and vegetable markets are likely to remain closed on Thursday, as most of the fisherfolk have extended their support to residents of Khariwaddo. Most of the fruit and vegetable vendors are residents of Khariwado.

A large police force has (Continued on page 8)

Sub Divisional Police Officer, Mormugao and other officials of various departments informed that due to demolition of structures at Khariwado, there could be disturbance during the process of demolition and due to such assembly of crowd and anti-social elements, it could lead to serious law and order situation.

Besides, obstruction to the lawful process of demolition may even cause injury to any person or danger to human life and may further cause disturbance to public tranquility or even a riot.

Minister for Housing Board Nilkanth Halarnkar today declared that 30 per cent of housing in housing board projects will be reserved for locals of the village where the project is located.

Halarnkar made the statement while speaking during Question Hour to a question tabled by Shiroda legislator Mahadev Naik with respect to land acquired by the Goa Housing Board (GHB) in Shiroda constituency.

The Shiroda MLA drew attention of the housing board minister that locals are opposed to the housing board project with it being close to a religious place.

“The church authorities believe that the housing board project in their vicinity will cause disturbance to their activities,” stated the Shiroda legislator while urging the minister to have discussion with church authorities on this issue.

BY THE BOOK

The minister maintained that GHB has complied with all the formalities and considering opposition to GHB projects it has been decided to keep 30 per cent of the units to locals of the village, stated the housing board minister.

The village panchayat, which had initially granted a provisional no objection certificate (NOC) to GHB to go ahead with the project, changed its stance following opposition by the locals, said the Shiroda MLA. However, the minister maintained that GHB has complied with all formalities and considering opposition to GHB projects it has been decided to keep 30 per cent of the units to locals of the village, stated the housing board minister.

Ahuja gets 7 years Navy wrongly clinging to land of locals, House told RI for raping maid HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MARCH 30

PTI MUMBAI, MARCH 30

Relying on circumstantial evidence, a fast-track court today convicted Bollywood actor Shiney Ahuja for raping his maid and sentenced him to seven years’ rigorous impris-

onment (RI) although the victim had turned hostile during the trial. The actor was also fined Rs 3,000 by Sessions Judge P M Chouhan.

However, Ahuja was acquitted of the charges of criminal intimidation and wrongful confinement, Public Prosecutor Kashinath Dighe told reporters who were not allowed in the court as the proceedings were in-camera.

Convicting the accused, the (Continued on page 8)

Deputy Speaker Mauvin Godinho today said that Indian Navy was unjustifiably holding on to land of locals around the airport that actually does not belong to them (navy).

“Indian Navy was supposed to hand over 2.5 acres of land to the Airport Authorities of India (AAI) for the expansion of Dabolim airport. But the naval authorities have not honoured their own commitment even though it was agreed upon by all the agencies,” Godinho said on the floor of the house on Wednesday.

Highlighting the Mormugao Outline Development Plan (ODP), the Cortalim legislator said that there is ample parking

space demarcated for public parking, but now suddenly Indian Navy is wrongly claiming the ownership of the land.

He urged that the State should prevail upon the navy to leave the land for parking.

Godinho further stated that when the land was earmarked for ODP, many people challenged it in the High Court but after a thorough scrutiny, the court rejected the petition and found nothing wrong in the ODP plan.

“I know a local whose land has been acquired at least four times for this project… The land should not be given to the navy,” Godinho claimed.

The deputy speaker also said the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) was also into land grabbing

spree. Citing an example, he said that a private individual was told by MPT that a property near the Zuari River was theirs.

He also said one person whose private land was acquired for constructing quarters for the AAI staff was promised alternate land. But in this case as well, the naval authorities did not honour their commitment while the person is running from pillar to post.

The government will be replying to all demands on Thursday as the house was adjourned owing to the cricket World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan.

OHERALDO

GOA

Pg 2 Bill to regulate uncontrolled eco-tourism activities

HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MARCH 30

The State Government today introduced the ‘Goa Registration of Tourist Trade (Amendment) Bill 2011’ to regulate the uncontrolled water sports and ecotourism activities in the State.

The Bill also intends to make provision for their registration.

The Bill introduced by the To u r i s m M i n i s t e r N i l ka n t Halarnkar on the floor of the

House, is also likely to impose stringent control over numerous mushrooming activities in the tourism sector.

Activities like spice farm tourism, water sports, tour operators and others, which till remained out of the Tourism Department’s zone, would be covered.

“There has been uncontrolled and unregulated operation of activities by tour operators,

water sports operators and others in the tourist areas. Also, the persons having spice plantations in this State regularly receive tourists on monetary consideration and often temporary huts are provided to the tourists for their accommodation without any registration and documentation,” the Bill said.

The Bill also aims banning the travel agents who function as recruitment agents in absence of appropriate certificate issued by the registering authority under the Emigration Act, 1983.

“The penalty imposed for violation of the act would be Rs one-lakh as against the existing penalty of Rs 10, 000,” the Bill states.

The Bill if approved would come down heavily on the hoteliers and travel agents who fail to renew the certificate of registration as per the Act. “His name is liable to be removed from the register maintained under the Act,” it adds.

Mauvin seeks mundkar status for comunidade land encroachers HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MARCH 30

The traditional dwellers on the comunidade land, who have been residing there for more than 40 years, should be declared as ‘mundkars’, Deputy Speaker Mauvin Godinho demanded today.

Speaking on the floor of the House, Godinho said that all those houses existing for more than 40 years should be declared as ‘mundkars’.

“How can we say that they are illegal? If we make them owners, government will also get the revenue,” he was speaking during the cut motion for demands of grants.

Godinho raised anxiety that the number of illegal structures would exceed legal ones, if these

Assam woman arrested for Calangute murder HERALD CORRESPONDENT CALANGUTE, MARCH 30

Calangute Police on Wednesday arrested a woman from Assam in connection with the murder case at Calangute.

According to Calangute Police, the accused, Pwishli, was arrested at Bijapur-Karnataka.

Police further informed that her lover, who was earlier arrested in connection with the case, had kept Pwishli at his friend’s house in Bijapur.

Police also informed that Ronjoy Muchahary, who was earlier arrested in connection with the case has been released, after police took him as an eye witness.

Meanwhile, Calangute Police has recovered the chopper used in the crime.

Gurudev Avdekar group wins Romtamell contest

dwellings on comunidade land are not controlled by the government.

He said that several thousand illegal constructions have mushroomed in the recent years both, on the government and private land.

“There are more illegal constructions on comunidade land. This shows the extent of illegal structures on the government and private land, even in the villages,” he said.

“I am afraid that illegal constructions would exceed legal structures. Government has to come heavy on such illegalities,” he added.

Alleging that everyone is into ‘money making’, he said that government needs to act tough so as to save the lands from future illegal encroachments.

Seniority list of gazetted officers soon, says CM HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MARCH 30

The government will try to finalize seniority list of gazetted officers within a period of six months, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat told the House today.

Kamat said that chief secretary has been given direction to prepare details of each department.

The chief minister’s assurance came during “Question Hour” after Opposition demanded a clear assurance highlighting that administration has collapsed due to ad-hoc promotions of gazetted officers.

The question was tabled by Fatorda MLA Damu Naik as regards to ad-hoc promotions.

The chief minister replied that ad-hoc promotions are done due to different reasons and have to defer regular appointments.

As per government instructions, ad-hoc appointments can be made initially for six months and for further period of six months for which approval of Goa Public Service Commission (GPSC) is required, he added.

H o w e v e r, Fa t o r d a M L A pointed out that some officers promoted on ad-hoc basis have been continuing on the posts for last five-six years.

Intervening here, Opposition Leader Manohar Parrikar urged the government to try and complete the exercise by July claiming that administration has collapsed due to this unhealthy trend set in the system.

Maintaining that the government is facing lot of hurdles in making regular appointments the Chief Minister assured the House that they would put things in order at the earliest.

“We will try to do it in six months,” he said.

Neri assures steps to curtail wild animal nuisance in farms HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MARCH 30

Minister for Forest Filipe Neri Rodrigues has assured to introduce innovative and long term measures to curtail nuisance of wild life animals in farms.

Solar or electric fencing around cultivation, dragging trenches, boulder walls to protect crops, fencing are some of the long term measures proposed by Forest department to provide relief to farmers who have been agitated by destructions of their crops by wild animals, told Forest Minister on the floor of the House on Wednesday.

“Locals will be taken into confidence while taking up this exercise — feasibility study will be carried out while the project will be taken up in Pernem taluka on pilot basis. A necessary budget provision has been made for this,” Neri said replying to a

question posed by Pernem MLA, Dayanand Sopte.

In his question Pernem MLA sought to know what has been done by the government to protect crops from wild animals.

In the last few years destruction of crops by wild animals such as monkeys and elephants has been regular feature in some of the talukas.

The House had animated discussion on this topic with even Speaker Pratapsing Rane giving inputs to forest minister to control wild animals entering human habitats.

Pernem MLA also brought it to the notice of the forest minister that that there has been extra-ordinary delay in compensating farmers against the losses suffered and also instances, of depriving compensation due to political reasons. The issue of valuation of crops or trees destroyed by animals was also dis-

cussed with forest minister informing the House that they have re-fixed the rates to enhance compensation.

As regards to pending cases of compensation, applicants would be granted compensation immediately after budgetary provision comes through, he said.

Neri also promised the House that he will ensure that no case for compensation is held back due to political reason.

Participating in the discussion Poinguinim MLA Ramesh Tawadkar said destruction of farms by wild animals has been a constant problem in his constituency.

“In the last five years, farmers have been harassed in my constituency so much so that it has become difficult to continue in the profession,” the legislator said seeking to know what permanent solution he would offer.

...Vows panel to ensure completion of TSP projects HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MARCH 30

Minister for Tribal Welfare Filipe Neri Rodrigues on Wednesday assured the House to constitute monitoring committee to ensure that all the departments complete the projects under Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) as also fill up vacancies earmarked for tribal population.

Neri’s assurance came after Poinguinim MLA Ramesh Tawadkar complained that the guidelines as regards to TSP are not followed as also funds earmarked for welfare of tribal people are not utilized.

The MLA bitterly complained that departments have not been acting despite clear directions from Planning Commission and asked whether action will be taken against non-performing departments.

While admitting that the performance of many

departments has abysmal in implementing TSP the Tribal Welfare Minister said the chief minister should intervene and come out with a policy so that departments scrupulously execute plans under TSP. He specifically named PWD, Rural Development Agency (RDA), Agriculture Department for not having done anything for tribals.

Intervening on this issue however Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, said things are slowly improving even as he admitted that performance of some of the departments is bad.

The government has been making budget provisions, as per your demand Tribal Welfare Department has been formed as well as Tribal Corporation has been constituted.

“We are monitoring the situation so that each department follows TSP,” he said.

Iron ore industry inching closer to 50 million MT export Both ports earn royalty of Rs 850 cr

He said that the Centre is toying up with the concept of charging royalty on the basis of Fe content in the ore. “We expect that the centre will impose slabs of the royalty charges,” Lolienkar said.

The department has predicted that there will be shortfall of almost 20 per cent in the royalty collection from the iron ore exports. The data provided on the floor of the House predicts that the royalty collection will be Rs 700 crore for the next Financial Year.

Goa for the current fiscal has exported almost 50 million MT

iron ore as against the last year’s figure which were somewhere around 45 MT. Mines Minister Digambar Kamat in his reply on the floor of the House has said that next fiscal, the exports are likely to touch 45 MT figure.

Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association Executive Director S Sridhar said that the export of 50 MT is not historic. “In past, we have touched even 52 MT mark,” he quipped.

Sridhar said that the demand from China has remained stable and also the fear of Japan earthquake shaking exports from Goa

Narvekar for timeframe to curb commercial activity on agri land

House agrees on select panel for Services Guarantee Bill

HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MARCH 30

Goan iron ore industry is inching closer to 50 million metric tones of export for the current financial year through both its ports earning a royalty of Rs 850 crore.

But the State Government and the industry feel that the windfall is not likely to continue for the next financial year.

The Mining and Geology Department Director Ar vind Lolienkar said that the slash in the royalty amount is predicted due to Central Government’s proposal to have different cuts on the royalty payment.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT SANGUEM, MARCH 30

Gurudev Avdekar and Group bagged the first prize in the Romtamell competition organised by Shigmotsav celebration committee Sanguem.

The second prize was won by Navdurga Gopalkrishna Mandal, Borim.

In the floats competition, the first prize was awarded to Bandoda Nagrik Samiti, while the second and third prizes were won

by Adpai Yuva Manch and Valpoi Nagrik Samiti respectively.

In the folk dance competition, the first three prizes were won by Saraswati Kala Mandal Kelbai Curti, Siddhivinayak Kalasangh Mardol and Shantadurga Sanskrutik Kala Sangh Cuncolim.

In the All Goa Fancy Dress competition, Vijay Dessai bagged the first prize followed by Balchandra Naik and Yuvraj Dessai. In the junior’s category, the first prize was awarded to Tejas Vadil, while the second prize was bagged by Adarsh Vishnu Naik and the third prize was bagged by Pandurang Shiddiker.

For children’s above 10 years, the first three prizes were bagged by Priya Vinod Naik, Sainath Santosh Mirabagkar and Gururaj Prasad Tilve.

On the occasion, citizens from Sanguem who contributed in the field of art and culture were also felicitated by Sanguem MLA Vassudev Meng Gaonkar.

GIDC Chairperson Chandrakant Babu Kavlekar was the chief guest for the prize distribution function.

GOA, THURSDAY, 31 MARCH, 2011

HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MARCH 30

Aldona MLA Dayanand Narvekar today made a pitch for not allowing any commercial activity on the agricultural land, which has been a regular practice in Goa.

On the floor of the House, Narvekar demanded that the State government should give specific time frame within which the measures to curb the practice of allowing commercial activity on agricultural plots will be put in place.

Narvekar also said that there are several illegal structures which have come on Karaswada to Colvale stretch, unmindful of any laws. The former minister alleged that the land mafias were involved behind such acts, which are ignored by the State machinery.

Supporting Narvekar, Fatorda MLA Damodar Naik said that the road stretch from Panjim to Margao has

been dotted with several thousands of illegal structures including scrap yards and religious structures.

He said that government is not taking any action despite Supreme Court guidelines against it. The BJP legislator also lamented that although the Revenue Department and Collectorate are under one minister, there is lack of coordination.

“These people should be given land or at least rehabilitated,” he said. Naik further alleged that agricultural land is being used for construction purposes, against all laws. He said that government should put acquisition policy in place.

HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MARCH 30

The State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday agreed that a select committee be appointed into the Goa Public Services Guarantee Bill 2011, a day after it was introduced in the assembly.

Speaker Pratapsing Rane said that a select committee be appointed after the House unani-

mous agreed for it.

Presenting the Bill, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said that the Bill was showing good results, however there were many aspects that need to be deliberated and hence, the Bill be referred to the select committee.

The Bill states, “In the golden jubilee year of the liberation of

to that country has also been allayed now.

He, however, refused to tell the predictions for the next financial year. “How can we predict anything so much in advance? It’s difficult to predict,” Sridhar said.

The industry analysts stated that Union Government’s move to hike export duty by 300 percent will dent into the profits of the exporters eventually resulting into the drop in royalty.

“Less royalty does not necessary means that the iron ore exports will be less,” a senior analyst said.

Goa from foreign rule, it is the intention of the government to provide all essential services to people of the State of in a time bound manner.”

The Bill intends to make government servants accountable to people of Goa for delay in providing the services.

“Already citizens’ charters have been published by all government departments informing of the services provided. The Bill provides legal right to the people of the State to receive public service in a stipulated time limit as the government considers it necessary to bring in a suitable legislation,” the Bill further states.

All’s not well within Canacona Congress HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, MARCH 30

Cracks simmered yet again between two top Congressmen in Canacona at a meeting to promote ongoing youth Congress membership drive attended by central youth leaders.

While a former minister complained of non-cooperation by government and its indifferent attitude over the attack on youth workers on the IT Habitat, a ZP member asked the central youth leadership not to entertain people who have left the parent organization and have returned sometime later.

Incidentally, the poorly attended meeting on Monday evening at Shristhal Panchayat Hall was addressed by Indian Youth Congress (IYC) General Secretary Paresh Dhanani, who asked the youth that the organization headed Rahul Gandhi will have perfect organizational and disciplined leadership

Former minister Isidore Fernandes speaks at the promotional meeting of Youth Congress membership drive at Canacona.

Photo by Kathy Pereira

cadres in the country.

IYC Election Commissioner Sumet Khanna explained in detail how there would not be any interference in holding organizational elections and intrusion even by the party president Rahul Gandhi himself will not make any difference.

When former minister Isidore Fernandes, responding to the youth leadership, took to the podium, he complained of noncooperation by the State government when the youth workers had launched an agitation over faulty number plates issue.

“The government is also yet to give justice to the youth, who were beaten over the issue of the IT habitat in Dona Paula.

The Congress party’s youth wing certainly deserves better treatment,” Fernandes said.

Fernandes then left to attend another function at Cotigao.

Incidentally, Poinguinim ZP

member Daya Pagui reached a bit late and was invited to speak at the meeting.

Speaking in Hindi, Pagui asked central youth leadership to convey to the party not to entertain ticket claims of present Congress members of Canacona, who are habitual of leaving the party and returning to the fold for selfish gains.

“There are youth who never left the Congress like Janardhan Bhandari, Sanju Naik, who should be considered for party ticket in the forthcoming assembly elections,” he said.

“Due to these ‘Gaya-Ram AyaRam’ history, both assembly seats in Canacona are presently occupied by BJP MLAs and hence the party should not consider the same people any more,” said Pagui.

Pagui did not take names, but it was an obvious reference to two former MLAs in Canacona taluka.

Oppn wants PIS under purview of FPS HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MARCH 30

The Opposition today demanded that Price Intervention Scheme (PIS) under which the government provides essential food items, basically pulses, should be brought under the purview of fair price shops.

Raising the question during “Question Hour” on Wednesday Mandrem ML A L axmikant Parsekar pointed out that it has become extremely difficult to run FPS economically with the permitted per tonne margin which is meagre.

Moreover, FPS are not permitted to sell items other than rice, sugar, wheat, and palm oil.

And with margins allowed on this items not being enhanced for years, it is not possible to run FPSs, stated Mandrem MLA. There are around 500 FPS in the State.

The Minister for Civil Supplies Jose Philip D’Souza said the government will work out some solution on the issue.

At this point Opposition Leader Manohar Parrikar suggested that PIS which is currently implemented through marketing federation be also covered under FPS. Chief Minister Digambar Kamat at this point intervened and said indeed running a FPS is not a profitable proposition today and the government will examine the issue.

Civil Supplies Dept inefficient, says Francis HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MARCH 30

Mapusa BJP MLA Francis D’Souza today alleged the inefficient functioning of the State Civil Supplies Department.

Speaking on the floor of the House during the cut motion for demands-of-grants, D’Souza said that that food grains and kerosene are not equally distributed to the people even as there are several bogus ration card holders.

He highlighted the alleged scam in the distribution of kerosene while also tones of food grains in the store are being spoilt, due to unequal distribution.

The MLA demanded that Civil Supplies department efficiently carry out its functioning and equally distribute food grains and kerosene to authorized ration card holders.

Dum… will dent Goa’s image, says Mickky

HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, MARCH 30

Former tourism minister Mickky Pacheco is opposed to “Dum Maro Dum” Hindi feature film which he claimed will dent the image of Goa if allowed to be released in its present form.

Raising the issue during “Zero Hour” on Wednesday, Pacheco said that promos of the films indicate that the film is focused on sex, rapes and drugs and it has been shot in Goa. If allowed, it will put Goa’s image in bad light and demanded to know what would be done by the government in this regard.

Replying to this question To u r i s m M i n i s t e r N i l ka n t Halarnkar however pointed out that role of the Tourism Department is limited to giving NOC for shooting carried out at tourist places.

The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) which is in the know of things and assured to take up the issue through the right channel.

He also pointed out that the films are released on certification by the Censure Board.

However, Pacheco who was not satisfied with the reply given by tourism minister insisted that the government should act.

OHERALDO

GOA

Pg3 GOA, THURSDAY, 31 MARCH, 2011

Work out pension scheme for us, retired seafarers urge cM HERALD REPORTR MARGAO, MARCH 30

The silt lying unattended for over a week near the North Goa Planning Development Authority office in Panjim poses a health hazard and also causes inconvenience to motorists.

Photo by Rozario Estibeiro

Rumdamol Sarpanch, deputy voted out HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MARCH 30

PWD Minister, Churchill Alemaobacked group in the Rumdamol village panchayat on Wednesday voted out the BJP-supported Sarpanch Sharifa Bi and her deputy Damu Naik from office in a no-trust motion.

At a meeting held on Wednesday morning, the four signatories to the motion turned up, while the Sarpanch, her deputy and panch Ulhas Tuemkar abstained. The motion was finally carried by 4-0 votes.

The four signatories, who voted in favour of the motion are Avita Chodankar, Sagar Naik, Badsha Jhari and Nissar Kiledar.

Since the post of sarpanch is reserved for women, Avita is tipped to be the next sarpanch.

Meanwhile, soon after the no trust motion was carried by 40 votes, the BJP leadership lambasted the P WD Minister, Churchill Alemao for dislodging party-backed ruling panchayats

in Navelim constituency.

Ulhas Tuemkar said the BJP had been instrumental in getting Alemao elected from Navelim in the last Assembly polls. “With the support of the BJP members from Rumdamol and Aquem Baixo, Alemao rose to become MLA and Minister for PWD. Now, he has dislodged the very people who had worked for him in his election,” asserted Tuemkar.

He further said that the defeat of the sarpanch and deputy sarpanch of Rumdamol is an insult to the BJP workers from Navelim constituency.

Moreover, he said the Congress has insulted the Muslim minority community by dislodging the only Muslim woman sarpanch in Salcete taluka. “The Congress often dubs the BJP as communal. But it was the BJP had made a Muslim the sarpanch, only to be dislodged by the Congress,” Tuemkar added.

MedIuM oF InsTrucTIon

activists call for peace meet on april 4 HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MARCH 30

Expressing concern over the re s t l e s s n e s s b u i l d i n g u p amongst Goans over the medium of instruction, around 11 activists from across Goa, including freedom fighters, have hoped the meeting scheduled at the Azad Maidan on April 6 will not be a show of strength, but rather a show of thought.

The activists will meet on Dalgado Day on April 4 at 10 am at the T B Cunha memorial at Azad Maidan, Panjim, where veteran freedom fighter, writer and former Navhind Times Editor Lambert Mascarenhas (94) will light the lamp in search of peace after garlanding the portraits of Mahatma Gandhi and Mons Dalgado.

Freedom Fighter Gurunath

Kelekar said, “We Goans these days due to many reasons are in a restive mood. “Medium of instruction has added to this restlessness”.

He further said: “We as Indians are proud of our linguistic heritage.

Knowledgeable in many Indian and foreign languages, we want our children to be perfect in ours and some foreign languages, including English. We are sure, will accomplish this, provided we stand firmly on the foundation of our Indian language”.

Kelekar said “In the words of Francisco Luis Gomes, let us say: “we belong to that race, that produce Mahabharata, which has something eternal in it”, while appealing to those who

Borda school ground use

locals flay PWd’s move to levy hire charges HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, MARCH 30

Public Work Department’s move to levy hire charges for the use of the Multipurpose School Grounds, Borda has come under criticism from the local populace.

The Fatorda Development Committee has urged the PWD to withdraw the circular immediately or else face the consequences of the people of Borda. Committee President Camilo Barreto said the people will come on the streets in support of their demand for free use of the

nThe Fatorda Development Committee has urged the PWD to withdraw the circular immediately or else face the consequences of the people of Borda. Committee President Camilo Barreto said the people will come on the streets in support of their demand for free use of the multipurpose school playground. multipurpose school playground.

Barreto pointed out that PWD has issued a circular in respect of the use of multipurpose playground for sports activities like

football, cricket, badminton, volleyball and kho-kho to pay charges of Rs 3000 and Rs 4,000 per day.

“It is also brought to our notice that these charges will

also be applicable to other activities such as conducting religious activities such as Easter Mass, New Year Mass and other programs like drama and social activities”, he said, adding that the playground is being used by the local population and the only playground for the Borda locality comprising of 15,000 residents.

He said the move will also create problems for the people of Borda, besides Agalli, Gogol and surrounding areas.

hundreds witness Bicholim shigmo parade

A German delegation that took part in the Bicholim Shigmo float parade.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT MAYEM, MARCH 30

Hundreds of people from Bicholim and surrounding areas converged to Bicholim to witness the colourful Shigmo floats parade on Wednesday.

The floats parade was flagged off at Vadachowada-Bicholim.

Chtrarath (floats), Romtamel and

cultural groups participated in the parade.

The highlight of the parade was a German delegation who arrived in India through the Rotary Club International.

Martinputz, professor of English linguistics from Germany, along with Dr Turgay Goksu, Ferdrik Hilbemhaar, Petro Oper-

Retired seafarers and widows of seamen have now knocked the doors of Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat to work out a pension scheme for them on the lines of motorcycle pilots, rickshaws driver et al in the current financial budget.

Complimenting the Chief Minister for coming out with a social welfare scheme, including a pension scheme, in the current budget for the motorcycle pilots and senior citizens, the Goan Retired Seamen Welfare Association has urged Kamat to include the retired seafarers in the list of beneficiaries.

“In the current, you have introduced various social security benefits for the people of Goa. This shows your concern towards the welfare of our Goan brothers and sisters. Such good deeds done by you have made the people of Goa proud of your achievements”, stated Association Ifron Dias in a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister.

beck, Suzan Uutikverder and others took part in the Shimogotsav procession.

Speaking to Herald, Martinputz, leader of Rotarian delegation from Germany, said India is a beautiful country and Goa is a land of cultures and the Shimgo festival is a beautiful example of cultural heritage. “We

Photo by Vishant Vaze

are delighted to be part of this festival,” he said.

Bicholim Shimgotsav Committee President Rajesh Patnekar welcomed the German delegation.

Rotary Bicholim President Rajkumar Kamat, Vijay Sardesai, Sandesh Burye, Narhari Sawant, Parish Khanolkar and others were present on the occasion.

support the view of the activists to join them at the Azad Maidan, Panjim on April 4 at 9.30 am to participate in prayers and brotherly dialogue.

“In a democracy, differences of opinion are bound to appear among the citizens. Goans have shown ability to resolve their differences in an atmosphere of brotherhood and friendship”, he said, adding “our Goa is a holy place where peace and unity reign supreme. The nation appreciates us for this inherent harmony”.

The memorandum has urged the Chief Minister to work out a similar pension scheme for the retired seafarers, saying that the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) has not revised the ex-gratia relief over the last one decade and has been irregular in paying the monthly relief.

Incidentally, the retired seafarers had last year approached the Chief Minister to pursue their case with the NUSI man-

agement to enhance their exgratia relief of Rs 200 per month.

When Herald contacted Chief Minister on the question of neglecting the seafarers from the pension scheme, he replied that no one brought to his notice the issue of including the retired seafarers in the pension scheme.

Kamat, however, said that he is not averse to work out a package for the retired seafarer and their widows.

In the meantime, South Goa

MP Francisco Sardinha, who had taken up cudgels for the retired seafarers with the Union Shipping Minister, said he would take up with Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat on including retired seafarers in the pension scheme. “Though the seafarers are not included in the scheme, they can still be brought under the scheme in the revised budget”, Sardinha said, promising to pursue with the Chief Minister.

OHERALDO

Pg4 GOA, THURSDAY, 31 MARCH, 2011

UPCOMING EVENTS Documentary at ICG

PANJIM (HND): The Iron Wall - a documentary film by Mohammed Altar about the establishment of Israeli settlements in the West Bank followed by a discussion with Feroze Mithiborwala will be held on March 31 at The International Centre Goa, Dona Paula, from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm. For details log on to www.internationalcentregoa.com/pdf/TheIronWall.pdf.

Interactive session on TB

PANJIM (HND): An interactive session on tuberculosis with chest physician Dr Haradatta Karande, will be held on April 1 at The International Centre Goa (ICG) from 3 pm to 4.30 pm. The session will be co-organised by ICG and Manipal Hospital Goa.

Open quiz

PANJIM (HND): Evening Quiz Club (SEQC) and The International Centre Goa in association with Norges Quizforbund will hold a quiz on April 2 at the ICG Dona Paula, from 10 am to 12.30 pm. The quiz will consist of 6 written question papers of 40 questions each, to be answered (solo) in 90 minutes. The quiz is open to all. For registration (must), e-mail seqcgoa@gmail.com

by April 1. For more info visit www.seqc.blogspot.com

Betalbatim forum’s meet

PANJIM (HND): Betalbatim Civic and Consumer Forum (BCCF) will hold its monthly meeting on April 2 at St Jude’s HS, Betalbatim at 5 pm. Besides the roundup of the utilities - electricity, water, telephones, LPG, posts, etc, medium of instruction, and the increased frequency of fatal road accidents will be discussed along with other consumer related problems.

Prevention of Blindness Week

PANJIM (HND): The Prevention of Blindness Week will be observed from April 1 to 7, by the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness-India (NSPB-I) and its state and district branches.

‘Sight for children’ has been chosen as theme for 2011.

Holy Eucharist for workers

PANJIM (HND): The Holy Eucharist would be celebrated for workers on April 1 at Mary Immaculate Church, Panjim, at 1.15 pm. This mass is organised by the Directorate of Land survey and Settlement of Records. A priest will be available for confession from 12.30 pm onwards.

Fado evening at Cidade

PANJIM (HND): A Fado evening will be held at ‘Alfama’ the award winning fine dining restaurant of Cidade de Goa, Doan Paula, on April 5 from 8 pm onwards Fado pays tribute to the music of Portugal with songs filled with passion, sorrow, jealousy, grief and satire. Sonia Shirsat, Miguel Cotta, Chantalle Cotta Viegas, well known Fado singers will perform live accompanied by Franz Schubert Cotta on Portuguese guitar (Guitarra Portuguesa) and Carlos Menezes playing guitar (Viola).

In the cosy ambience of a town square at Alfama, one can also enjoy specially crafted menu consisting of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes ranging from Filetes de Peixe Frito na Frigideira to Galinha Assada com Alho to Couve Recheada com Molho de Tomate and more. For more details call 2454545.

K’taka Minister raises concern over inflow of Goan liquor into Belgaum HERALD CORRESPONDENT BELGAUM, MARCH 30

Karnataka’s Excise Minister M P Renukacharya has expressed concern over the rising inflow of illicit Goan liquor to Belgaum and other areas that border Goa. Renukacharya, who was in Belgaum on Wednesday, carried out raids on ‘hooch’ dens in Belgaum.

Renukacharya accompanied

by Joint Excise Commissioner M Prabhudeva also conducted raid on the illegal distilleries at Karavi village and seized about 4,000 litres of hooch apart from destroying distilling equipments used by the villagers.

In order to handle this chronic issue, he also said that the government would initiate action in providing employment opportunities to those involved in illicit distilling of hooch and also provide education to their children.

Renukacharya who arrived in Belgaum Wednesday morning

Excise Minister Renukacharya examines a Goa-made liquor bottle at the excise godown at Belgaum.

Photo by Louis Rodrigues

after conducting raids conducted the meeting of the

Trains on KR route to Walk-in interviews for UID be affected on April 2, 3 (Aadhaar) project today HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, MARCH 30

HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, MARCH 30

Some of the trains on Konkan Railway route will be affected due to the proposed power & traffic block of Central Railway on April 3 from 0.30 am to 3.30 pm. The changes in train schedules on April 2 and 3 are as follows: Train No 16346, Trivandrum - LTT Netravati Express leaving Trivandrum on April 1 and scheduled to arrive at LTT (Lokmanya Tilak Terminus) on April 2 at 4.40 pm will be terminated at Panvel on arrival at 3.15 pm.

Train No 12620, Mangalore - LTT Matsyagandha Express leaving Mangalore on April 2 and scheduled to arrive at LTT on April 3 at 6.35 am will be terminated at Panvel on its arrival at 5.15 am.

Train No 16345, LTT - Trivandrum Netravati Express scheduled to leave LTT on April 3 will run ex Panvel (Panvel dep 2 pm).

Train No 12619, LTT - Mangalore Matsyagandha Express scheduled to leave LTT on April 3 will run ex Panvel (Panvel dep 4.30 pm) Train No 50104, Ratnagiri - Dadar Passenger leaving Ratnagiri on April 3 and scheduled to arrive at Dadar at 2.20 pm will be terminated at DIVA on its arrival at 1.25 pm.

Train No 50103, Dadar – Ratnagiri Passenger scheduled to leave Dadar on April 3 will run ex Diva (Diva dep 4.20 pm) Train No 16346, Trivandrum - LTT Netravati Express leaving Trivandrum on April 2 and scheduled to arrive at LTT at 4.40 pm on April 3 will be regulated between Roha-Panvel section to arrive LTT at 7.30 pm.

MARS Telecom Systems requires 250 executives for the prestigious UIDAI (Aadhaar) project for carrying out UID enrolment activities in various locations in Goa. Those keen to be a part of this gigantic Government of India initiative can come for walk-in interviews and group discussions on Thursday and Friday.

Required are: (1) An ‘Operations/Delivery Head’ with excellent leadership and independent decision making and communication skills, and eight to 10 years of experience in managing large field teams, task / target oriented with good MIS reporting skills.

Those with experience of working with government agencies are preferred.

(2) Enrolment Executives: Basic computer skills a must; good keyboard skills and customer service orientation a huge plus.

(3) Technical Executives: Experience in hardware/software trouble shooting, daily back up and maintenance of data.

A person recalls memories, by re-firing many of the same neural paths that were originally used to sense the experience. Therefore, the event is almost re-created.

Memories of concepts and ideas are related to sensory experiences because we extract the essence from sensed experiences to form generalized concepts.

How Does Memory Work?

We store — for fractions of a second — sensory information in areas located throughout the cortex. From there, some data moves into short-term memory. Finally, some of that information goes in long-term storage in various parts of the cortex, much of it returning to the sensory cortex areas, where we originally received it.

Only the data that catches our attention or because we need it soon goes into short-term memory. We hold short-term data for maybe half a minute.

Short-term storage is small; it holds about seven independent items at one time, such as “carry” numbers when calculating arithmetic.

• First, we break new concepts into their composite parts to establish meaning. Furthermore, we include the context around us as we learn a new concept, or experience another episode in our life.

For example, one might encode the phrase “delicious apple” with key descriptive ideas — red color, sweet taste, round shape, the crisp sound of a bite — and then such contextual items as “feeling good because the apple is tasty”.

• Second, as we store the memory, we attach it to other related memories, like “similar to Granny Smith apples but sweeter”, and thus, consolidate the new concept with older memories.

• Third, we retrieve the concept,

by following some of the pointers that trace the various meaning codes and decoding the stored information to regain meaning. If one can't remember just what “delicious apple” means, the memory might activate any of the pointer-hints, such as “red”. Pointers connect with other pointers so one hint may allow me to recover the whole meaning.

How do our brains consolidate a new short-term memory like “delicious apple” and place it into long-term memory?

We use the hippocampus, an ancient part of the cortex, to consolidate new memories. An event creates temporary links among cortex neurons. For example, “red” gets stored in the visual area of the cortex, and the sound of a bitten apple gets stored in the auditory area. When the new fact “delicious apple” is recalled, the new memory data converges on the hippocampus, which sends them along a path several times to strengthen the links.

The information follows a path (called the Papez circuit), starting at the hippocampus, circulating through more of the limbic system (to pick up any emotional and spatial associations), then on to various parts of the cortex, and back to the hippocampus. Making the information flow around the circuit many times strengthens the links enough that they stabilize, and no longer need the hippocampus to bring the data together. The strengthened memory paths, enhanced with environment connections, become a part of long-term memory.

Finally, information that may help us in the future goes into long-term memory, where it can last a lifetime.

Long-term memory involves three processes: encoding, storage and retrieval

Contact Us:

(4) Supervisors: Ability to manage eight-to-10 member teams, target-driven, who can ensure MIS compliance.

(5) Trainers: Excellent communication skills; previous experience in technical training is desirable.

Qualifications: Std XII, Graduate (Non-Tech or Tech), Post Graduate – any specialisation – with good computer skills, excellent communication skills; process and services orientation, fluent in Konkani, English and Hindi.

Venue: Azad Bhavan, Azad Bhavan Marg, Pundalik Nagar, Alto Porvorim, Opp. Majestik Hotel, Goa. Walk-in dates: March 31 and April 1. Timings: 9 am to 5pm.

Bring along a hard copy of resume with one photograph and one ID proof original and xerox copy.

There are altogether 250 positions open in the Goa region.

Those who do well can get work at other UID sites in future. For more information, email uidgoa@mars-india.com or call 9923716699.

Erratic power supply hits coastal belt of Calangute

Biology

Information flows into our brains from the outside world, through our sight, sound, smell, taste and touch sensors.

Memory is simply a way in which we store and recall things we've sensed.

deputy commissioners of central excise from Bijapur, Bagalkot,

Haveri, Belgaum and Dharwad.

It is learnt that the minister has asked the officials to take stringent action against unabated inflow of illicit Goan liquor as it is having an adverse impact on Karnataka’s excise revenue.

Apart from taking an overall review of the activities, Renukacharya also took a look at the Goan liquor stocked at the godown of the excise department at Belgaum. Thus, activities at Karnataka excise check posts along Goa border are expected to gather speed after the ministers’ visit to Belgaum.

Joint Commissioner of Excise M Prabhuswamy who was reluctant to divulge details only said that apart from the existing check post, an additional check post has been recently set up at Kankumbi to control the inflow of Goan liquor via Belgam Goa road via Chorla.

Comments or queries? Bouquets or brickbats? Talk to us!

Email Junior Herald at junior@herald-goa.com or join our Facebook fan page http://www.facebook.com/Herald.Jr. Our readers are invited to rave, rant, chat or even contribute. No message will go unanswered!

HERALD CORRESPONDENT CALANGUTE, MARCH 30

The coastal belt of Calangute and surrounding areas have been hard hit due to erratic power supply since the last few days.

Candolim, Calangute and surrounding areas including NagoaArpora that boast of a power station are the worst hit due to erratic power supply.

Residents of Nagoa-Arpora have been facing the brunt of erratic power supply unsuitable for electrical appliances like fans leave aside the air-conditioners or refrigerators for over a month now.

Residents claimed that the supply is so bad that even a 60 volt bulb is unable to give one a good output while the fans are unable to function normally.

When contacted, personnel at Nagoa power station informed that the main supply itself is “very bad” so they are unable to provide a good supply to the villagers.

However, the recent statement of Power Minister Aleixo Sequeira in the Assembly that they have received 37 MW of power to meet power requirements, thereby facilitating lifting of power ban on new connections for industries raises serious concern among the consumers in the villages, especially in the

coastal belt of Calangute.

Residents of Candolim, Calangute, Nagoa-Arpora and surrounding areas are of the view that power supply for their village should be improved on priority basis, as their business is being hard hit.

“I am really surprised with the statement of the power minister that they have received additional 37 MW of power to meet the requirements of the industries, when we are not able to get a stable power supply for our requirements. Practically, there is a power cut every evening for half an hour,” complained an aggrieved businessman from Candolim.

“The power minister should concentrate on providing stable power to Goan populace rather than thinking of industries and others, as our fans stops functioning in the evening. So, what is the point in having extra power and making the people suffer in the bargain,” asked John Dias of Calangute.

When contacted, officials of the department were unable to provide any satisfactory answers while others were unaware of the low or erratic power supply problems hitting the local populace of coastal Calangute.

Villagers of the coastal belt however want the department to give them a stable power supply.

Preparations on for Valpoi Shigmotsav HERALD CORRESPONDENT VALPOI, MARCH 30

Preparations are on to celebrate Sattari taluka Shigmotsav at Valpoi on April 2.

Speaker Pratapsingh Rane was unanimously elected as president of Sattari Taluka Shigmotsav Organising committee.

In the recently held meeting, Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane was elected as president of the working committee. Other committee members elected are Ashok Porob, Narhari Haldankar, Venkatesh Desai, Humlo Gawde

and Ashok Gawas (vice presidents), Uday Sawant (secretary), Premanand Naik (joint secretary), Prasad Khadilker (treasurer), Prashant Marathe and Omkar Parob (joint treasurers).

Premnath Hazare is the chief advisor and Pramod Mahadeshwar the event coordinator, while Sagun Wadker was elected chief of the finance committee. The Shigmotsav committee will organise various entertainment events and competitions including Romtamel, floats, folk dance and fancy-dress competitions.

GOA

S H O RT TA K E S CME programmes organised

Dr R G Wiseman Pinto, Dr P Pai, Dr H Goswami and Dr Avril Dias at the CME programme.

PANJIM (HND): The Department of Pathology in collaboration with the Indian Academy of Cytologists organised two Continuing Medical Education (CME) programmes in GMC recently.

In the first CME programme Dr Pushpalatha Pai, Professor and Head of Pathology Department, Yenepoya Medical College, Mangalore and Dr Hansa Goswami, Professor of Pathology, B J Medical College, Ahmedabad were the faculty. The topics covered were lymphoma and glass slide seminars. The scientific session was chaired by Dr R G Wiseman Pinto and Dr Avril Dias. At the second CME programme on anaemia in chronic kidney disease, the faculty were Dr J P Tiwari and Dr Eugenio de Sousa. This was chaired by Dr R G Wiseman Pinto. The Goa Medical Council gave CME accreditation to both the CME programmes.

‘Seva Shree Puraskar’ to Aguiar

PANJIM (HND): Shree Parodeshwar Sampraday has announced this year’s ‘Seva Shree Puraskar’ to Konkani poet and writer John Aguiar. The award will be presented on April 2 by his holiness Sri Sri Sri Sadguru Parodeshwar Maharaj in the presence of his holiness Bhau Maharaj and other religious leaders at the Sarva Dharma Sammelan (meeting of all faiths) organized by the Sampraday.

The Seva Shree award is given in recognition of work in the field of John Aguiar art, culture, industry, social and education, environment, politics, etc.

Aguiar who is working for the Department of Information & Publicity is a well know Goan writer, Konkani poet. He is also known as a well known lyricist. He has written for Konkani, English and Marathi dailies, periodicals. He has worked for Marathi as well as Romi Konkani dailies. Aguiar actively participated in the Konkani movement.

He has produced and presented several programmes including interviews, playlets and panel discussions on Doordarshan to create awareness about drug abuse and also conducted cycle rallies and street plays along with home guards and civil defence volunteers.

Eco tour bus service to Bondla

PANJIM (HND): The Goa Forest Department has started operating eco-tour bus service from Campal, Panjim to Bondla every Saturday, with departure from Campal at 9 am and departure from Bondla at 4.30 pm. Fare is Rs 100 for adults and Rs 50 for children. Advance reservation can be made at the office of the Range Forest Officer, Wildlife, Campal, next to Kala Academy, Panjim. Ph: 2228772.

Safety Day commemorated

VK Jha inaugurates the 40th National Safety Week at Encube Ethicals Pvt Ltd, Marcaim.

MARCEL (HC): Encube Ethicals Pvt Ltd, Marcaim, recently organized a programme to commemorate 40th National Safety Day. The programme was organised in association with the Inspectorate of Factories and Boilers and Green Triangle Society, states the press note.

Numerous employees and officers from industrial units located at Marcaim Industrial Estates were present for the programme.

The press note further stated that Chief Inspector of Factories and Boilers S M Paranjape, in his keynote address, highlighted the role of the Inspectorate of Factories and Boilers in industrial safety and also talked on National Safety Week. Goa Government Secretary V K Jha urged to propagate awareness of safety, health and among industries.

Vivek Marathe (inspector of factories) administered safety pledge to the participants.

Jinajara Poojary (plant manager, Encube Ethicals Pvt Ltd) welcomed the gathering, while Manguirish Pai Raikar (chairman of Green Triangle Society) proposed the vote of thanks.

Birthday celebration held

CURCHOREM (HC): The Miracles High School at Sanguem organised a celebration to mark the 70th birthday of Fr Agapito D’Cunha.

A mass was celebrated at Our Lady of Piety Chapel (Uguem)

by Provincial of Goa Province Fr Kyriel D’Souza along with Fr Patrick Luis (local superior and parish priest of Our Lady of Miracles Church, Sanguem), Fr Orlando Lopes (Parish priest of Our lady of Piety Church, Collem), Fr Custodio Fernandes (manager of Kalay Farm) and Fr Michael Rebello (Headmaster of Miracles High School-Sanguem).

In his homily, Fr Kyriel D’Souza said that Christ brought a fuller life for humanity and he was confident that Fr Agapito would bring a new and vibrant life in the parish.

Later during the day, a small birthday celebration was held at Miracles High School, Sanguem.

Fr John C D Souza highlighted Fr Agapito’s work in the Sanguem mission for 35 years and his attachment and love for the Miracles high school. Mangaldas Bhat compered the function while Fr Michael Rebello proposed the vote of thanks.

Fr Rebello and a student, Mahesh Talwar presented a magic show for students of Our Lady of Piety Primary School.

POWER SHUTDOWN MARCH 31 PANAJI: From 9 am to 2 pm. Areas affected are Girija Heights, Keni Bungalow, Santosh building, Karmali building, Nirmala Institute, Rosilda Apartments, Menezes building, Altop Co-op Housing Society and surrounding areas of Altinho.

OHERALDO

Pg 5

GOA

GOA, THURSDAY, 31 MARCH, 2011

BBSM to intensify stir against English as medium HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARCEL, MARCH 30

The Bharatiya Bhasha Shuraksha Manch (BBSM) has strongly objected to the inclusion of English as medium of instruction in government-aided primary schools.

As part of its statewide protest against demand for English as medium of instruction in government-aided primary schools, the Manch conducted a taluka level meeting at Ponda on Tuesday.

Speakers at the meeting strongly objected to medium of instruction to be in English in government-aided primary schools. The meeting also formed committees to intensify its agitation at grass-root level.

“Today, there is a need to protect our Indian languages. The time has come to voice our demands to protect our Indian languages. I have come out to protest because I have concern for our languages, our Indian

Ponda taluka meeting of Bharatiya Bhasha Shuraksha Manch.

Photo by Amresh Parab

languages which are rich,” said Fr Mousinho Ataide.

Added Bhiku Pai Angle: “No doubt that majority of the people are favouring primary education in Indian languages.

People should unite irrespective

of what languages they speak and fight against English as medium of instruction in government-aided schools.”

Sitaram Tengse, Rohidas Naik and Narayan Desai also spoke on the occasion.

Don’t destroy dreams of parents: Niz Mogi HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, MARCH 30

Goynche Niz Mogi (GNM) has called on all self-righteous individuals, the BJP, the MGP and politicians to stay away from making decisions for the parents. The dream of every parent, rich or poor, to give the best English medium education to their children, should be recognised and fulfilled, while at the same time the desire of the Goans to preserve their identity s h o u l d b e re c o g n i s e d b y strengthening the mother tongue Konkani, President of Goynche Niz Mogi (GNM) James Fernandes has stated in a press release issued here.

Economically successful people educate their children in English medium primary schools, therefore every child of rich or poor parents should be admitted to an English medium school with the best environment, highly competent teachers and aided by the government, President of GNM has

KBM chief calls for show of strength at Azad Maidan meet

One convicted for rash driving

only in numbers, let us show them a minimum of 21,000 people at Azad Maidan,” said Naik.

Interestingly, almost all who spoke on the occasion in Konkani admitted that they had their primary education in Marathi and surprisingly demanded that elementary education should be compulsorily taught in mother tongue only.

The lone politician who made his presence felt at the meeting was Poingunim ZP member Daya Pagi, speaking in Konkani said: “I studied in Marathi medium, but does all my business in English.”

“Since it is the universal accepted fact that primary education should be done in mother tongue, it is best that educationists decide on the issue, which I am fully supportive of.

However, I am worried over the issue blowing off as religion politics,” he stated.

Retired headmaster Shantaji Naik Gaunkar, presently chairman of education society also running English medium primary unaided school, said: “I did my primary education in Marathi, both my sons and most

Sanguem Judicial Magistrate First Class Aratikumari Naik has convicted one Narayan Gaonkar for rash and negligent driving and for causing injuries to the car occupants.

The accused was sentenced to pay a fine of Rs 1,000 for offences under Sections 279 and 338 IPC. Accused Gaonkar, who was driving the truck (GA-09 T-5280), suddenly took a turn to proceed towards Shigao road without showing any signal and in the process dashed against an oncoming motorcycle (GA-05 A0261), causing grievous injuries to motorcycle rider Mohan Jhalmi and pillion rider Rohidas Gawde. The accident took place in 2008.

The JMFC after going through the evidence led by the prosecution held the accused guilty of both the offences and sentenced the accused to pay a fine of Rs 1,000 each for the offence committed by him.

The matter was investigated

by Head Constable Shiva Gawas, while APP Govind S Gaonkar represented the State and also advanced the arguments.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, MARCH 30

Konkani Bhasha Mandal President Prashant Naik has appealed for a minimum of 30 bus loads of people from Canacona to attend the proposed ‘strength show’ at Azad Maidan on April 6 to show mass opposition to government plans to give grants for English medium primary education in the State.

Naik was speaking at the meeting organised under the banner ‘Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Mandal Goa’ at Canacona Municipal Hall, Chaudi, on Monday, which was attended by some 100 people.

Naik, who is also chairman of an educational society running three institutions in Canacona, informed the gathering that a minimum of two each buses carrying parents from these three institutions will leave for Panjim on April 6.

He requested to contact other bodies/associations to mobilize people and take them to Azad Maidan.

“The issue is to be decided by the educationists, but since the present lot of uneducated assembly members believes

1 convicted for assault

of my other family members in Marathi.”

“Education is not only passing the exams with flying colours, but other social issues are also important while studying,” he said.

Naik Gaunkar who runs the only English medium primary unaided school in the taluka, has over 325 students, against about 700-odd students studying Konkani in many as seven primary Konkani medium schools in Canacona.

“I suspect that some people are demanding grants to English medium primary education not for the sake of English, but there is more of an hidden agenda to the demand,” he said.

One of the speaker said demands for government grants to English medium primary education is a virus and the agitation BBSM is launching is anti-virus act to knock-off the English virus.

Another speaker said it is the desire of British rulers to leave English and cricket in the blood of Indians and it’s time that English has to be erased completely from the turf.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT SANGUEM, MARCH 30

Quepem SDM imposes timing restriction on ore transporters HERALD CORRESPONDENT SANGUEM, MARCH 30

In view of the SSC exams that are schedule to commence on April 1, Sub-Divisonal Magistrate and Deputy Collector Quepem Agnelo Fernandes has called for restrictions on timings for transporters of mineral ore in Quepem and Sanguem regions.

Fernandes in the order stated that there shall be no transportation activity in the morning session till 10 am on April 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Fernandes has called all transport companies and transport contractors to follow the prescribed timings to enable the students to reach their examinations in time.

demanded.

He suggests that when teachers teach the English alphabets, she/he should informally teach the student the corresponding alphabets in Konkani and a teacher teaching a particular lesson should move to the next sentence or paragraph only after all the students understand the same in Konkani. Konkani as a formal subject should commence from Std V, GNM has demanded.

The once barren land at Sada Sub Jail has turned into lush green cultivation due to hard work by jail inmates.

Photo by M Prabhav HERALD REPORTER VASCO, MARCH 30

While farming activities in the State are on the decline, vegetable cultivation is now being vigorously pursued by an unusual group of individuals -- prisoners at Sada Sub-Jail in Vasco.

Not everyone may have access to the jail, but the results are there for everyone to see.

The once barren land at the JubJail has now been turned into a

green carpet of various vegetables, thanks to five dedicated prisoners at the Sada Sub jail.

The five dedicated convicts of Sada Sub jail along with a jail guard have cultivated nearly a dozen varieties of vegetables and fruits in the backyard of the jail.

In a bid to make the jail selfsufficient and to train the inmates in farming, Assistant Jail Superintendent Bhanudas Ped-

nekar started an innovative idea of cultivating a variety of vegetables and fruits with the help of the jail staff and the inmates.

Speaking to reporters, Pednekar said: “The vegetable cultivation is being carried out with the help of five dedicated convict prisoners and one jail staff Krishana Harmalkar, who regularly engage themselves in cultivation during working hours of the jail.”

Maintain Diva-Madgaon train timing, urges NGKRAC HERALD CORRESPONDENT VALPOI, MARCH 30

The North Goa Konkan Railway Action Committee (NGKRAC) has requested the Union Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa to maintain the timing of the Diva-Madgaon passenger train.

In a memorandum, NGKRAC President D R Kambli has stated that the proposed change in timing of the Diva-Madgaon passenger train would put hundreds of passengers to hardship as many employees (working class people in the State) travelling to their place of work in Mapusa, Bicholim, Pernem Colvale, Porvorim and Panjim are dependent

on the train service in the morning.

The present departure timing is 7.15 am. However, sudden change in proposed change in timing, 6.15 am from April 1, has put many employees to a hardship.

Speaking to Herald, North Goa Konkan Railway Action Committee General Secretary K J Joy said the new proposed departure timing at 6.15 am from Margao is most inconvenient for employees, who are daily depending on this train service.

“The next train departure from Madgaon (Mandovi Express) is only at 9.30 am. As

such, it is essential to maintain the said timing of 7.15 am in the interest of the employees,” said Joy. The memorandum also suggested extending the KarwarMadgaon passenger train up to Pernem by maintaining the present timing, provided no alternative is left for railways for retaining the present timing of Diva-Madgaon passenger train.

The memorandum copy has been sent to Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha, Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik and senior regional traffic manager Konkan Railway, Madgaon.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT PORVORIM, MARCH 30

Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) on Wednesday demolished the extension of a shop in Mapusa Municipal market.

According to reports, some shopkeepers in Mapusa Municipal market had filed a complaint with the MMC chief officer that the owner of Shop 331 had carried out illegal extension of his shop, thereby blocking the passage in the area.

Since the MMC failed to act in the matter, the shopkeepers sought the intervention of the Shiv Sena.

Shiv Sena Ad Hoc committee member Philip D’Souza along with Mapusa Merchant Association President Yehswant Gaudalker and other office bearers of the Association called on Chief Officer Hanumant Toraskar on Wednesday morning and demanded demolition of the illegal structure within one hour.

MMC Chairperson Sudhir K a n d o l k a r, C h i e f O f f i c e r Toraskar and Municipal engi-

Ex-Velsao Sarpanch booked for attempt to outrage modesty HERALD REPORTER VASCO, MARCH 30

Former sarpanch and VelsaoPale-Issorcim Panch Estevao Carvalho has been booked for allegedly intending to outrage the modesty of his neighbours.

Police have booked an offence against Carvalho for allegedly intending to insult the modesty of women under Section 509 of IPC, after receiving complaint from Audrey Sarita Dias Rodrigues from Velsao, said Verna PI Jivba Dalvi.

Speaking to Herald, the complainant accompanied by her husband Caetano also accused Carvalho of harassing them over a residential certificate due to previous enmity.

“When my husband was taking some photos of the property, the accused allegedly came in between and removed his pant and stood in front with his underwear and exposed before me,” stated Sarita.

They also accused Carvalho of delaying the issue of their residential certificate for nearly four months, forcing them to run from pillar to post.

However, Caetano managed to get the certificate after intervention of a former minister.

Sada prisoners show skill in farming

HERALD CORRESPONDENT SANGUEM, MARCH 30

Quepem Judicial Magistrate First Class Bela Naik recently convicted one Remy Vaz for assaulting three persons.

Naik convicted Vaz for offences under Sections 323, 425 and 506 (II) IPC and sentenced the accused rigorous imprisonment for one year.

In the instant case which occurred on February 29, 2008, accused Vaz entered into the house of the complainant through the back door armed with bamboo sticks and assaulted the complainant, his wife and son and fled from the spot leaving behind the scooter at the place of offence.

The accused also threatened the complainant and his kin of dire consequences and also threatened to set their vehicle and house on fire.

Vaz denied the charges and claimed not guilty. During the course of trial, the prosecution examined seven witnesses and after going through the deposition of the witnesses and arguments advanced by APP Govind S Gaonkar convicted the accused for having committed all the offences and sentenced him to one year rigorous imprisonment.

n Economically successful people educate their children in English medium primary schools, therefore every child of rich or poor parents should be admitted to an English medium school with the best environment --- GNM chief James

Mapusa council demolishes shop extension

“Once these inmates are released, they could well take up the trade of farming.”

“This novel idea of training the convicts in farming with high aspiration is that once they are released, the convicts will take up this trade and be self-sufficient,” said Pednekar.

“The prisoners have converted the hilly terrain into a lush green field by excavating stones, dumping soil, pouring natural fertilizers and watering the entire area with the help of the jail staff,” he said.

While this forms a little portion of the 10,000 sq mtrs land, Pednekar plans to utilise the entire remaining area for vegetable cultivation.

However, the inmates have grown vegetables and the earlier in-charges were instrumental in growing coconut trees, banana plantation and mango saplings.

He further said that part of the produce is sold to the jail staff at a cheaper rate and the balance is used in the mess.

“We are planning to go on a large scale and sell some of the produce in the open market which will help the jail to earn some revenue,” said Pednekar.

Interview for data entry operator HERALD NEWS DESK PANJIM, MARCH 30

Candidates who have appeared for computer literacy test for the post of data entry operator and those who have qualified in the test, are shortlisted and their names are displayed on the notice board of Collectorate of North Goa at Panjim. The oral interview of the shortlisted candidates has been fixed on April 1 and April 2. The call letters to appear for oral interview have been dispatched. In case any qualifying candidate have not received the intimation he/she may contact the office between 10 am to 1 pm and between 2 pm to 5 pm on any working days.

“As I’m working in Kuwait for the last four months, I had asked my wife to apply for residential certificate in November 2010.

However, the panchayat stated that since I’m not present in the village, I had to return from Kuwait to obtain the certificate and again apply for it on March 8, 2011,” said Caetano.

“But the panchayat told that my matter would be placed in the panchayat meeting. It was only after approaching Micky Pacheco that we got the certificate,” stated Caitano.

Repeated efforts to contact Panch Estevao Carvalho since Tuesday proved futile, as the panch was not willing to comment in the matter.

When contacted, Velsao Sarpanch Nora D’Souza denied the allegations and said there was valid reason to delay in issuing the certificate.

“After inquiring with local panch Carvalho, it was revealed that the applicant was not staying in the village for a long time.

Thus, his residential certificate was delayed, as the matter was placed before the panchayat meeting,” added D’Souza.

She alleged that Caetano was very rude to her when he came to the panchayat. “He misbehaved with me, but despite that panchayat issued the certificate even before he could meet Pacheco,” she stated.

neer Vishnu Naik immediately visited the market along with their staff and demolished the

encroachment and also the room that was illegally constructed above the toilet.

OHERALDO

Pg 6

www.oheraldo.in

O HERALD O Vol No CXI No: 089 Goa, Thursday, 31 March, 2011

A ban serves no purpose

I

t is ‘Herald’ that pointed out, in these very columns, many months ago, that the Bollywood film ‘Dum Maro Dum’, directed by Rohan Sippy, which is based in Goa, was about drug mafias and organised crime, and would exhibit a negative image of this state all over the country as well as overseas. We pointed out that earlier, the film ‘Josh’ starring Shah Rukh Khan, had shown Vasco as a town caught in the grip of gang war. While films like ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ have done wonders for tourism in Goa, has the government thought of formulating a policy towards films that are shot in Goa but show this state in a negative light, we asked.

Regrettably, not a single MLA or minister reacted to the issue then. It is only just over a month ago, after the promotion media for the film came on the air and its release date (now less than a month away) was announced, that our leaders seem to have woken up to the fact that this film could damage Goa’s image, and that viewers might take its fictional portrayal of Goa’s ‘drug and crime mafias’ seriously.

It seems Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Francisco alias Mickky Pacheco has made it known that he will be demanding for a ban on ‘Dum Maro Dum’. Mr Pacheco has moved a notice for a calling attention motion before Speaker Pratapsingh Rane. Obviously, he intends to raise the matter in the ongoing budget session of the Goa Legislative Assembly.

While it is by no means clear that he will ask for a ban from the government, the Benaulim MLA and former Tourism Minister has dropped broad hints by saying that the movie will “further blemish” Goa’s image, as it is based on various issues including the police-drug mafia nexus, illegal mining, the death of foreigners and other cases that have rocked Goa. Mr Pacheco has also announced that he has decided to move the Bombay High Court at Goa demanding a ban on the film. He told the media more recently: “We don’t want that Goa is labelled as drugs-addicted or sex-tourist state.

We are looking for family tourism in Goa. The filmmakers often portray Goa in a bad light. There are lots of things that are good about this state, but these are not highlighted,” Really?

That is a remarkable turnaround for someone who, not so long ago, when he was a ‘responsible’ minister of this state, once openly called Goa the “Rape Capital of India”. The statement made headlines in newspapers all over the country and was reported on every national TV channel. It was even reported in British newspapers and television and, for all we know, in the Russian media as well. Mr Pacheco, obviously, knows the dynamics of showing this state in a ‘bad light’ only too well.

Trailers and the title song of ‘Dum Maro Dum’ show druglaced parties and skimpily-clad women. And though the Goa police has written to the filmmakers to show them the promos and publicity materials before it is released, neither have the promos been shown to the police, nor has the government reacted to this snub from the filmmakers.

If Mr Pacheco’s intended writ petition in the Bombay High Court succeeds in getting the film to change its depiction, the former Tourism Minister may yet redeem himself. But this seems unlikely. In any case, bans rarely work. If the Goa government bans the film, it will only serve to give it publicity, while the rest of India and the world will get to see it anyway.

It is best, under the circumstances, to ignore it and ensure that mechanisms are put in place to deny films like this the opportunity to shoot in Goa in future.

OPINION

Stemming the rot of Goa’s garbage

The chaka chak Goa campaign is an example of people’s steely determination to tackle the garbage situation, says fReddY diAS

G

oa is celebrating 50 years of ‘Liberation’ from Portuguese colonial rule and 24 years of statehood, but, unfortunately, the state is yet to learn the basic lesson of disposing its garbage and sewage in a scientific manner. In fact, the increasing stench of cesspools of filth and putrefying garbage, with mix of recyclable material, plastic and perishable refuse all around, is severely disfiguring Goa’s once pristine landscape and destroying its environment.

Failure on the part of various civic authorities to dispose off garbage and sewage in an adequate and safe manner, is posing a major health hazard to the people of Goa, particularly to those living in the urban as well as semi-urban (coastal) areas of the state. For decades, sanitation in Goa has been treated like, well, a dirty word. Civic bodies, riddled with rampant corruption and inefficiency, have bloated work forces. Garbage disposal fleets operate to a third of their capacity and there is a total lack of motivation to tackle even the most basic sanitation needs of the state’s overcrowded urban as well as semi-urban areas. The rapid spread of unauthorised slums in already over congested urban areas and the lack of civic sense among most of us, add to the growing mounds of filth and disease in the state.

Both, in urban as well as in rural areas, there is a visible lack of civic sense among us. Consequently, we have been witnessing garbage and filth strewn almost everywhere. It is our tendency to accept the filth as part of daily life that is responsible for our towns and villages remaining dirty all the time. Households do not dump garbage at the right places and the civic workers add to the problem by not collecting it regularly, thereby leaving it to rot and spread diseases.

Mere statistics, alarming as they are, do little to reflect the sanitation crisis and its collateral damage to the state’s health and environment.

Urban and rural areas together produce enormous amounts of garbage and sewage. Even at the state government level, there is an utter lack of understanding of what sanitation means, as well as poor co-ordination between the various agencies responsible in the matter.

This lack of co-ordination between the urban and rural development authorities, the health authorities, the Goa State Pollution Control Board, etc, is the major reason for the deterioration of sanitation in the state. Consequently, Goa wit-

Sound of Silence nesses regular outbreaks of communicable diseases which take a toll of human life every year.

The major causes are diarrhoea, diphtheria, TB, tetanus, measles and various viral infections, mostly as a result of poor sanitary conditions.

Besides, during each monsoon, malaria and gastroenteritis are common ailments across the state.

Stagnant water and unhygienic conditions lead to the breeding of flies, mosquitoes, etc. As a result, thousands of malaria and gastroenteritis cases have been reported in the past few years.

Hundreds of people die annually of vector-borne diseases alone, mainly in slum areas. More than half of the battle against these diseases would have been won, if people were more responsive to the need for cleanliness in the surroundings.

Only when all communicable diseases are eradicated, can sanitation levels be considered satisfactory. But for this, all aspects of sanitation have to be tackled together, from human excreta and garbage, to personal and environmental or community hygiene. The basic problem is obvious; excessive urbanisation and the resultant formation of slums in cities and towns. The problem is aggravated by local politicians, for whom the slum loads of migrants are a captive vote-bank. The promise of regularising these slum colonies and ensuring that no civic action is taken, are part of the local elections manifestos. This only encourages mushrooming of more slums.

Facts of life

Today, 30 per cent of Goa’s population - around four lakh people live in slums. In towns like Margao, Vasco, Ponda, Mapusa and Sancoale, the percentages are even higher. Slum dwellers live, sleep and cook in unhygienic shanties and defecate in the open - a problem faced by all major towns and several industrialised areas of the state. The slums have little or no garbage collection, few sanitary toilets, and open drains serve as sewers.

The result is that slum dwellers, many of whom work as domestic servants in regular housing colonies, contract diseases because of the unhygienic conditions and pass them on to others at work. The lack of hygienic sense is not restricted to slum dwellers alone. Our own Goans, who do not live in slums, also do not display much civic sense.

The sewerage system in the state falls far short of the requirement. Only around 10 per cent of the residential area is covered by an underground sewerage system. But even here, untreated sewage passes directly into creeks, backwaters, rivers and beaches. In fact, most of the starred hotels, restaurants and shacks dotting the state’s coastline are releasing untreated sewage directly into the sea. So also, the offshore casinos are unscrupulously releasing their untreated sewage and even garbage right into the Mandovi River.

A small state like Goa still does not have full-

fledged garbage and sewage treatment facilities in place and, consequently, hundreds of tons of garbage and millions of litres of sewage remain uncollected or untreated every day. Presently, most civic bodies are desperately hunting for new sites to dump their garbage, as the existing ones have become over-saturated. As a result, rotting garbage lies around for days on end near market places, hospitals, congested commercial complexes and housing colonies.

All this illustrates the fact that nothing can be done unless people themselves want a clean and healthy environment. The Chaka Chak Goa campaign for a clean and green Goa that was launched on Republic Day, 26 January 2011, by the People’s Movement for Civic Action (PMCA), is an example of what people can do if they want to help themselves, when civic bodies and the state government is doing nothing about the garbage problem. Through a simple programme of collection of people’s garbage thrown on streets and open spaces, the voluntary organisation created awareness among the people, particularly the student community, on the dangers of bad hygiene. The Secretary of the PMCA, Patricia Pinto and her team of volunteers have been going around all over the state and co-ordinating their efforts with various civic bodies, to help them put up a proper waste management system in place, through segregation and regular collection of waste at source, besides exerting pressure on the authorities concerned for the enforcement of rules and regulations in garbage management, especially the recycled Plastic Manufacture and Usage rules. The PMCA has called upon concerned government departments, corporate houses, hotel industry, civic bodies, MPs and MLAs, religious groups, social clubs, educational institutions, NGOs and even individual citizens to join in the Chaka Chak Goa campaign, so that it snowballs into a massive movement to clean up Goa. Clearly, if change has to come it will have to be spearheaded by a massive citizens’ movement.

With the awareness of sanitation caused by the regular outbreak of various communicable diseases since the last few years, there is no better time to begin than now.

The only other choice is to continue to sink in our own garbage or swim in even filthier sewage.

Quo vadis?

W

here are you going? This is the most important question for a traveller. Most of you must be like myself, if you get the urge and time off, you will think of travelling. For some, the lure of travel will mean going on a cruise. For others, it means packing the family car and heading to the village which has always held a fascination for them. Still others will hop onto a plane and be in another climate and culture within hours.

We are all travellers. Stability is illusion. If Heaven is not the answer, then our whole faith is false. If it is, then there is nothing that is more important in the whole wide world. Indeed, the whole world is only Heaven’s womb.

The big, blazing, terrible truth about man is that he has a heaven-sized hole in his heart, and nothing else can heal it. We pass our lives trying to fill the Indian Ocean with marbles. No one longs for fluffy clouds and sexless cherubs, but everyone longs for Heaven. No one longs for any of the Heavens that we have imagined but everyone longs for something no eye has seen, no ear has heard; something that has not entered into the imagination of men.

By Marc de Souza

People believe that thinking about Heaven will distract them from living well here and now. It is exactly the opposite, and the lives of the saints prove it. Those who truly love Heaven will do the most for the earth. They know life is never just a being. It is a becoming, a relentless flow on full of beauty that breaks through every pore of God’s own earth.

A pregnant woman who plans a live birth cares for her unborn baby. The woman who plans for an abortion does not. Highways that lead somewhere are well maintained, dead-ends are not. So if we see life as a road to Heaven, some of Heaven’s own glory will reflect back onto that road, if only by world anticipation. The world is charged with the grandeur of God and every event smells of eternity.

The entire world is one family and we are children of that same God, that save Divine Spark, however hard we try to cover that up. There are no grown-ups. Inside each one of us, there is a child trying to get out. This child does not want to be responsible and it hates the monotony of routine work or odd jobs. But if we let that child out too often, our self-image slips. When we get old,

we only exchange our toys: business for bats, sex for sleds, and power for popguns. At death, our Father calls: “Come, little one, time to put away your toys and come.” Home that is what Heaven is.

We are all fellow voyagers on this planet earth. We race through space with fierce speed. We are all inhabitants going in the same direction, but we put boundaries on our spinning globe. We fence some in and some out, and we live as aliens to each other.We spend and waste our lives accumulating objects that will only turn to dust and ashes. Pursue not so much the material as the ideal, for ideals alone invest life with meaning and are of enduring worth.

Add love to a house and you have a home. Add righteousness to a city and you have a community. Add truth to a pile of laterite stones and you have a school. Add religion to the humblest of edifices, and you have a sanctuary. Add justice to the far-flung round of human endeavour and you have the civilisation. Put them together, exalt them above their present imperfections, and you have a future lit with the radiant colours of hope.

Letters to the Editor Hats off Parrikar Claudius Fernandes, Quepem The demand of Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar to cap the amount of ore extracted and the request to government to come out with a policy stating the maximum quantity of ore that could be transported, is his visionary perception that can see the affection in the hearts of Goans, who oppose unabated mining and live in the mining belt. The commencement of another 68 mining sites in Sanguem and 25 in Quepem talukas respectively, would bring more misery to the residents. Besides deforestation on a large scale due to this purpose, more migrants will arrive in the state to work as truck drivers or mining workers. It will also strengthen the vote bank of the Minister/MLA. Parrikar’s plans

100 Years Ago

are undoubtedly in the interest of the people, and he is expected to keep the present government on its toes so that any excesses are dealt with firmly.

Language issue Richard Zackaria, Quepem This is in reference to the language issue.

We have studied in English primary classes and then options were there to chose Konkani or Marathi in the secondary class.

Parents know that English is a must in the state and even abroad. So why doesn’t the government make English a subject in the primary section? I know people who have studied well and know how to read English but don’t speak it. They speak in their native language. Does our government want this to happen in Goa in the not toodistant future?

Woes of a parent Brenda Passanha, Cavelossim

PRIMEIRO DIARIO NAS COLONIAS PORTUGEZAS

31 March 1911 Bridge collapse affects traffic

It is again reported that continues to be imperious to the public in general the road which from Quepem steers towards Fatorpa, due in part to the collapse of the bridge over Bali.

King visits Governor-General

The King of Sundem paid a visit to the Governor-General of Goa where he was warmly welcomed.

‘Escudo’ - new monetary unit

By Law in all the territories of Portugal with the exception of India the new monetary unit will be the Escudo in gold which will contain the same amount of fine gold equivalent to 5 grams.

Fetid reservoir water

Reports ‘0 Ultramar’ that the waters from the celebrated reservoir of Chimbel are to be used only to wash the road. This is because the same is unfit for human consumption due to fetid smell emanating from the same.

A few days ago, people from all walks of life gathered at Azad Maidan to pitch, in one voice, for English as the medium of instruction. People of Goa have always lived together in harmony. It is only some elements who are out to gain popularity, by dividing people on the medium of instruction issue.

Ironically, children of VIP’s including ministers shift their children to English medium schools as they can afford to pay the huge amount of donations and fees.

So aam admi government, please change the medium of instruction to English with one subject in the regional language, from the primary level. Let us, poor people, also benefit from your policy.

Outrageous suggestion Allwyn George, Carmona This has reference to the letter by Adelmo Fernandes (Herald, 29 March) suggesting renaming Goa to “Goem”. His suggestion is outrageous and absurd in nature. Perhaps it is his way of attracting readers’ attention.

It would be wise on his part to suggest renaming Vasco first in Konkani or Marathi and then try to suggest renaming Goa. His ideas might be very innovative to the

Letter of the Day An inappropriate Bill John Eric Gomes, Porvorim The CM says he is empowering the public and government to provide delivery of public services to the people. The basic requirement is the will to enforce the plethora of laws already existing so as to enforce justice and efficiency. Therefore, the Citizens Charter is better than this Bill. It lays down exactly what each department is supposed to do in detail, is time bound, who is responsible in the department etc. This puts the onus on the government. It was mandatory for all departments, wide publicity was envisaged and details have been explained to citizens. The bureaucracy, despite the Consumer Protection Council’s best efforts, buried it! The Public Services Guarantee Bill puts the onus onto the public! Public has to first complain to the Appellate Authority and follow the RTI Act procedures.

Who will have the time and the patience? If the CM is serious, he will not waste time and effort in this unnecessary Bill, get all Departments to update (order is already there) and follow the Citizens Charter strictly with a severe penalty for non compliance, inform the public and give them access wholeheartedly, and then just see the difference.

But our government does not have the capability to confront our powerful army of bureaucrats. As long as corruption is permitted to reign supreme, nothing substantial can improve for the public!

Marathi lobby of Shashikala and the Dhavlikar brothers, who are already suffering from political oblivion.

Goan parents priorities Arwin Mesquita, UAE It was interesting to see a very large gathering of people, for the recently held meeting at Azad Maidan on the Medium of Instruction. I want to ask these parents, if this Medium of Instruction is the only thing they hold important for their children. Are they not concerned about the rapid rate of destruction of Goa, its land, culture, and identity? It appears that we Goans are generally a selfish and narrow-minded lot, who are unable to see the bigger picture and the wider threat to Goa and Goans.

Portuguese language

I wish the government takes a wise initiative in this process, considering the vast literature and documents that are still in use now.

Revise “O Maria” timings Jonas Correia, Aldona Congratulations to Rajendra Talak and his team for the successful screening of “O Maria” for a hundred days. It is a beautiful movie which is worth watching.

The sad part is that there is only one show in the evening at 6.45pm. People without transport of their own find it difficult to return home after the show ends.

The Inox management should screen at least one matinee show on a Sunday or alternatively, advance the show to 1.45pm for the benefit of Goans.

Vicente E Do Rego, Dubai

Righteous should reign

This has reference to B V S Priolkar’s letter ‘Grants for Portuguese’ (Herald, 29 March).

I fully accept his views. Portuguese language should have been part and on par with Konkani language.

A big bravo and hats off to the administrator of north zone communidade, Sabaji Shetye for taking stern action against the old committee of communidade of Saligao and

Santana Nazareth, Saligao

handing over the charge to the new moreeffective committee headed by Eric Remedios.

We also congratulate Eric Remedios, the newly elected president of Saligao communidade and are looking forward to his initiatives in rectifying the wrongs/illegalities done by the ex-committee. We also wish him all the very best.

Tragic accident Marcos Alemao, by email The tragic accident that took place at Margao yesterday which terminated the life of Vinod Naik from Orlim and Amonkar from Betalbatim, should be condemned. The driver may have consumed alcohol or was busy on his mobile while driving. The reason cited as brake failure is unbelievable.

How can the bakes of a new bus fail within a short time of three months?

Many motorists speak on their mobiles whilst driving. This has become very common but traffic cops do not take cognizance of this serious offence. The RTA has passed strict measures to curb this menace; but many fearlessly use mobiles while riding/driving. I have seen many talking on mobiles while riding/driving in front of the cops noses, but they fail to stop and fine them.

The government should impose severe fines and impose a complete ban of mobiles and alcohol while driving.

Liberation felicitations Melson F M Louis, Margao Goa completes 50 years of liberation on 19 December 2011 from colonial rule. The Goa Tourism department could introduce son-et lumiere (Sound and Light) show as a permanent programme in the premises of the historic Fort Aguada jail for the benefit of tourists who wish to know about the heroic deeds and tortures meted out to the freedom fighters who were lodged in the jail, in their struggle for liberation of Goa. Apart from the freedom fighters that have made it to the history books, we should at least try to pay tributes to the brave hearts who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of liberation of Goa’s liberation against Portuguese rule.

Paths of Wisdom

Gwalior Fort

Gwalior Fort in Gwalior, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, stands on an isolated rock, overlooking the Gwalior town, and contains a number of historic buildings. It is one of the biggest forts in India and a postage stamp has been issued by the Indian Postal Service to commemorate the importance of this fort. From historical records, it is established that it was built in the 8th century. The fortress and the city have been integral to the history of the kingdoms of North India.

It is said that the Mughal Emperor Babur (1483–1531) described it as ‘The pearl in the necklace of the forts of Hind’. The fort, also given the epithet ‘Gibraltar of India’, provides a panoramic view of the old Gwalior town, which is to its east.

The fort’s history relates to two parts namely, the main fort and the Gurjari Mahal and the Man Mandir palace. The first part was built during the early Tomar rule, while the second part, the Gurjari Mahal (now a Museum) and the palace, was constructed by Raja Man Singh Tomar in the 15th century for his favourite queen, Mrignayani.

Gwalior Fort also occupies an unique place in the human civilisation as the place which has the first recorded use of zero ever.

Also referred as ‘Shunya’ in Sanskrit, this site is of mathematical interest, because of what is written on a tablet recording the establishment of a small 9th century Hindu temple on the eastern side of the plateau (marked by the ‘0’ on the nineteenth century map at the left).

By accident, it records the oldest ‘0’ in India for which one can assign a defnite date.

(Source : Wikipedia)

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

OHERALDO

pg7:Layout 1 3/30/2011 10:12 PM Page 1

Pg 7

INDIA

oPinionatEd Medium of Instruction - VI

Of dual standards and strange bedfellows

By PIo KevIn BarreTTo

In response to the rally of the Forum for rights to children’s education(FORCE), a new opposition seems to be foisted by old minds warped by their outdated mode of thinking. Besides inducing the vandalism of politics into a subject which is the sincere anguished voice of parents of Goan children, these anarchic brains are actually batting for the unaided schools lobby whose trade is virtually threatened by the genuine demand of parents to include English as a medium of instruction in aided schools of Goa. This new outfit, pompously called “Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch” is full of retired brittle bones and is actually a front of unaided private schools who are ensuring that some opposition worth the salt is made, lest the demand for inclusion of English has a smooth passage and their own private trade closes down.

Heading this manch has a spent force called Shashikala Kakodkar, whose father unsuccessfully failed to merge Goa to Maharashtra . She is obviously nursing his wounds and is energising herself to fulfill her father’s lost causes by instead opposing English and pitching for Marathi. (Most Goans who even voted for her father in the Opinion Poll will be thanking their stars today that his plans never took shape else Goa would have been relegated to another rambling district of Maharashtra.)

Add to this group a certain Mr Arvind Bhatikar, incidentally an IAS officer, who seems to have found a new arena to spend his retirement days after the GBA venture. To him, saving Goa has probably taken a new dimension, and it appears that saving Goan children from excelling is his latest mantra. His support for this unholy cause obviously undermines the ideals of the Goa Bachao Abhiyan and will befittingly serve to dwarf his credentials. To add some saffron colour to this group, is the voice of Mr Suresh Amonkar and you do not need to imagine hard to discover the wisdom of his presence. Throw in a freedom fighter like Mr Naguesh Karmali, whose stubborn colonial hangover simply refuses to relieve him. Curiously, in this group enters a seemingly errant clergyman in Fr Mousinho Ataide who threatens to be the rebellious martyr owing allegiance to no one, but to his own brand of Konkani and Marathi and whose mysterious penchant for unwittingly inducing closure of the Archdiocesan board of schools seems to be unrelenting. Pillioning his joyride is another priest Fr Jaime Couto. Together, they bring the desperate Catholic flavour to the table. Sprinkle all these language policemen with a stale heap of septuagenarian and octogenarian self-appointed educationists and you have a perfect recipe of redundant ingredients shaping up an insipid crusade.

Most of these people have no idea where the world is currently placed or where it is headed. Instead, they are desperately wishing to enforce an era of their whims. An era which they wished existed. They live in the cloistered past and have no vision for the future, because their eyesight has turned myopic, they bite more than their few teeth can chew and their legs are weak and bereft of any strength of direction. Their views showcase their shrunken minds and their foresights are the joy of a beggar’s dream. They have no wisdom to perceive proposals or plans for the employment of Goan children but their frailties surprisingly gush with the last remnants of fossilised energy with detrimental plans galore to lead our children into the throes of a backward class.

In a few years they will be history, but they wish their hegemony of dictatorial thought continues. Despite being under one banner pitching for mother tongue as the medium of instruction, all these characters have their own private mother tongues. For some, it is Konknni Devnagari. Some others are immersed in “shudh” Marathi for the super tongue, and while the two clergymen should have been obvious ambassadors of Romi Konkani, their behavioral symptoms indicate that it is either Devnagari Konknni or Shudh Marathi galloping in their veins. These two appear to be twiddling on the fence probably wondering which side is more greener to take the plunge. This whole team of strange bed fellows who otherwise bayed for each others blood on each others mother tongue, now speak a language of convenience. Their motivation is only to oppose English which has brought the world together. This motivation to oppose English seems to be clearly inspired by the strong lobby of private unaided English schools who have lost their sleep ever since the massive rally demanding English to be included in aided schools was made.

Most unaided schools face certain closure if English is made the medium of instruction while the ones who survive will have fewer takers and so this lobby appears to have worked overtime to carve a boring club of so called champions of many mother tongues ( and its bitter cousins) which is merely a front for the unaided lobby. Probably even on their payroll.

One would think that since the Forum for rights to children education (FORCE) have not antagonised any language or religion but have merely pleaded for inclusion of English as a medium of instruction, everybody would live happily ever after. Every Goan having the choice to decide where to educate their children was their sincere plea. But instead of hailing such noble and harmless pleas, the self-attested language protectors have displayed their bankruptcy of thought to oppose the move.

If you call these people over their mobile phone to enquire about their new sense of madness , the first thing they are bound to greet you with is the all too English “hello”. Obviously their private mother tongues failed to provide them with an appropriate translation. But the lack of ordinary depth of their mother tongues does not matter to them. They are like horses with blinkers, in a hurry to transform Goans into donkeys.

If these lazy bhasha champions have any love for their language they should conduct mass awakenings among their Marathiwadis and ensure that those aided schools have good enrollment.

But who are these wasted brains to tell the rest of Goans to follow their brand of education? The two priests who have joined these Marathiwadis are not only a disgrace to the community but an insult to the church which has finally woken up to the harsh reality awaiting it.

It is a known fact that at the time of implementing the regional languages as the medium of instruction, the government had also stipulated not to allow any more English schools in Goa. However, the government flouted its own provision by allowing the number of English private schools to rise from a mere 11 schools to a staggering 127. How come this number rose so high if there was no demand for English schools from Goans? Today middle class Goans have to pay thousands in fees to educate their children in English, which is the obligation of the government. And while there is a hue and cry about the prices of petrol, milk, onions and chicken, average Goans are quietly being robbed daily of their hard earned money by unaided schools for the basic right of education, because the government of Goa desires so.

As one speaker at the FORCE meeting pointed out- “ the education in English is only for the rich and not for the Aam Admi”. The Aam Admi of Goa is condemned to learn in the vernacular tongue or spend a huge sum for education in English.

A close look in unaided English schools in Goa will clearly reveal that Goans irrespective of religion are keener to send their children to English medium schools. Our MLAs are themselves bent on English medium schools. Why are they then bent on applying another standard for the rest of Goans? Why are our leaders resisting our desire?

The FORCE should also demand closure or takeover of all unaided schools which have sprung up in Goa after 1990 since their introduction was in direct contravention of the provisions laid down by the government. If there is no desire to see aided English among Goans, how can unaided English among Goans be justified?

If our politicians do not rise up and show their strength of character to include English as the medium of instruction, the Church should show its mettle by opposing all these candidates in the forthcoming elections. The FORCE should also abandon any reluctance to stay away from elections and field its own candidates and canvass to open the eyes of the masses to the deception of the government in power. While this may help communal forces, it is preferable to reject people who do nothing to improve our living and are instead playing to the gallery of thoughtless comedians.

GOA, TUESDAY 29 MARCH, 2011

Samjhauta Express blasts probe still on: Govt PTI NEW DELHI, MARCH 30

The Centre today said the probe into the Samjhauta Express train bomb blasts, in which 43 Pakistani nationals were killed, was still on to find out the identities of all perpetrators of the crime.

A day after the Indo-Pak Home Secretary level talks, where Islamabad wanted to know the progress of the case, the Home Ministry said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted "painstaking" investigation in the 2007 bomb attack case.

The investigators visited different locations in a number of states and also involved experts from the Forensic Science and Railways in their probe.

"A breakthrough in the case was achieved in the month of December 2010 on the arrest of a key conspirator, who confessed not only of his involvement in the criminal conspiracy but also divulged names of coconspirators, who had caused

nOn Monday and Tuesday, during the Home Secretary level talks, Pakistan wanted to know the progress of the case and the Indian side conveyed that the probe was still on and when it would be completed, the same would be shared with Islamabad. the blasts. Further investigation is continuing," the Home Ministry said in a statement.

The blasts took place in two coaches of the Samjhauta Express in the intervening night of February 18 and 19, 2007 near Panipat in Haryana.

Sixty-eight people lost their lives and 12 others injured. Out of 68 who died, 15 bodies could not be identified and out of 53 identified bodies, 43 were of Pakistani nationals. Out of 12 injured persons, 10 were Pakistani nationals.

On Monday and Tuesday, during the Home Secretary level talks, Pakistan wanted to know the progress of the case and the Indian side conveyed that the probe was still on and when it

would be completed, the same would be shared with Islamabad.

Right-wing activist Swami Aseemanand, who is currently in jail, had in his confessional statement admitted his involvement in the blast and divulged names of co-conspirators who had caused the blasts.

According to the forensic investigation, low intensity explosive material were used in an improvised manner kept in suitcases with incendiary oil kept in pet bottles.

The design of the bombs was such that in addition to the explosion in two compartments which completely got damaged, it also caused huge fire in three other compartments.

Will ensure safety, security of Indians: Bahrain to India

PTI NEW DELHI, MARCH 30

Bahrain today assured India that it would ensure the safety and security of the 3.5-lakh strong Indian community in that country, which is witnessing widespread anti-government protests.

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohamed Al-Khalifa met External Affairs Minister S M Krishna here and held discussions on issues of mutual interest, including recent developments in Bahrain and the region.

During the meeting, Shaikh Khalid conveyed the "firm assurance" of the Bahraini leadership about ensuring the safety and security of the Indian community and appreciated their contribution to the progress and development of Bahrain, an official statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Krishna thanked his counterpart for this "reassurance" with

BJP demands probe into Gonda incident PTI

LUCKNOW, MARCH 30

Alleging that farmers in UP are being forced to commit suicide due to anti-farmer policy of the state government, BJP today demanded a high-level probe into the Gonda incident where a youth immolated himself after his father was arrested for loan recovery.

"There should be a high-level probe into the incident in which Ved Prakash Pandey immolated himself due to official apathy as he was not heard by any officer even when he was ready to pay the money," BJP's UP president Surya Pratap Shahi told reporters here.

On March 27, Pandey immolated himself in front of Gonda district magistrate's residence after his father was arrested for non-repayment of loan taken to purchase a tractor.

"Farmers are being forced to commit suicide in the state due to anti-farmer policy of Mayawati government and administrative atrocities," Sahi, who visited the youth's village Pure Urai yesterday, alleged.

He said an FIR should be lodged against district officials including the DM and an inquiry by revenue board chairman should be ordered into the matter.

AP minister resigns PTI HYDERABAD, MARCH 30

Andhra Pradesh agriculture minister Y S Vivekananda Reddy has submitted his resignation to the Chief Minister as his term as an MLC has ended.

"He (Vivekananda Reddy) has submitted resignation as his term ended yesterday and I have asked him to continue," Chief Minister told reporters here.

V ivekananda Reddy is a brother of late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. Though he has cited end of term as MLC as the reason for quitting, there is speculation that he may contest bye-elections to Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency or the Pulivendula Assembly constituency, as a Congress candidate.

regard to the Indian community's well-being in Bahrain which is hit by anti-government protests.

He expressed the hope that the peaceful resolution of all issues through dialogue would pave the way for the continued economic development and prosperity of the people of Bahrain.

In his opening remarks, Shaikh Khalid said: "It is always important for us to have such meeting... to discuss issues of mutual concern and to discuss regional matters and all threats that threaten us all."

"We are on the right track.

We are together facing common threats. Threats of terror, threats of unrest and threats of destabilising the lives of our people."

Referring to the safety of Indians in Bahrain, he said "when I visited the Indian community in Bahrain, I talked to them, I listened to them, I reassured them. I told them that they have

served our country and its development, it was our time to serve them by reassuring them that Bahrain is their home."

"When I was talking to them I did not feel I was talking to expats. I felt I was talking to my countrymen, people living with us and sharing their lives."

Shaikh Khalid, who arrived here yesterday evening after a visit to Pakistan said he is here to re-assure India that Bahrain is committed to this ongoing ever developing strong relationship.

In his opening remarks, Krishna said he was thankful to the Government and the people of Bahrain for extending a warm welcome to the sizable Indian community there who in turn have contributed to Bahrain's development.

"This contribution has been recognised by the Bahraini leadership and we thank them for their continued support to the Indian community," he said.

Sarabjit’s sister tries to meet Gilani PTI CHANDIGARH, MARCH 30

Dalbir Kaur, the sister of Sarabjit Singh who is on a death row in a Pakistan prison, today made a vain bid to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani during his stay at a hotel here.

As Gilani along with his entourage entered the Hotel Taj located in the heart of the city, Dalbir Kaur along with Sarabit's daughter Swapandeep Kaur and some other persons carrying a placard with a photograph of Sarabjit made efforts to have an audience with Gilani.

However, the water tight security arrangements at the hotel and around it prevented Dalbir Kaur from meeting Gilani.

"We can't allow her to meet Gilani till we get some clearance from the visiting guest side," a police officer said.

Kaur said she had high hopes that the Pakistan government would pardon her brother as he was a case of mistaken identity.

"Had I got a chance to meet Gilani I would have prayed before him to take some steps from my borther's release as he was not involved in the Karachi bomb blast case about two decades back," she said.

"I am also trying to contact the lawyer who had filed a mercy plea for my brother," she said.

Despite several attempts, Dalbir Kaur could not get any positive response.

NEWS

OHERALDO

Pg 8

GOA, THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011

Radioactive dust found in Hong Kong AGENCIES HONG KONG, MARCH 30

Radioactive dust believed to be from a crippled nuclear power plant in Japan has been detected nearly 3,000 kilometres away in Hong Kong, officials said Wednesday.

The amounts detected were so miniscule it would take up to 2,500 years of continued exposure to have any perceptible effect on human health, an official from the Hong Kong Observatory said.

The radioactive dust, believed to have blown in on a westerly wind, was the first detected in Hong Kong since the March 11

DEATH ELSA ETELVINA VALDEMIRA COLAÇO e SOUZA. (VELIM/IGREJA VADDO, ANJUNA) BORN : 9-6-1934 DIED : 29-3-2011

Beloved wife of Justino Da Conceição e Souza. Mother/in -law of Luis/Luella, Agnelo/Sheila, Fatima/Agnelo D’souza, Nirmala/Joaquim Fernandes.Grandmother of Tracy/Nelson Figueiredo,Jason,Elisha,Kezia,Latoya,Joseph,Franklin, Vanessa,John,Samantha,Derek. Great grandmother of Rachel. Sister/sister-in-law of Mauro/Violeta Colaço,Branca/ Leonardo Azaredo.Sister-in-law of Ana Teresa/late Frank Carrasco,Vicente(Lulu),Agnelo/late Regina,late sqr.ldr Jose/Sandra.Funeral cortege will leave her residence tomorrow, 1st April 2011 at 3pm for mass and burial at St Michael’s Church,Anjuna.

NO CONDOLENCE VISITS PLEASE

Relatives and friends kindly accept this as the only intimation.

goanrites@gmail 9822122003/9822136397

earthquake and tsunami, which damaged the plant in Fukushima and matches similar readings on the east coast of China in recent days.

"It would take 800 to 2,500 years of continued exposure to the detected levels in order to receive the radiation dosage equal to one X-ray," a government spokesman said.

Hong Kong's 600 Japanese restaurants have lost an estimated 20 percent of busin e s s s i n c e t h e M a rc h 1 1 disaster because of fears over radiation contamination.

B'desh court sets time for probe in ULFA case

Khmer Rouge torture victims seek justice

PTI DHAKA, MARCH 30

AFP PHNOM PENH, MARCH 30

A Bangladeshi court today granted police 45 more days to complete investigation into the 2004 ULFA weapon haul case, in which a top leader of the main Opposition BNP is a key suspect.

The prosecution had sought for the "last time" the extended period. Metropolitan Sessions Judge AKM Shamsul Islam in Chittagong granted the time as the prosecutors said the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) needed the time "reach concrete decisions on some crucial points" in the case linked to United Liberation Front of Asom.

"We hope this is the last petition we are submitting, seeking the extended time" for 13th time, public prosecutor Kamal Uddin told the court as CID officials said they nearly wrapped up their investigations while they also submitted their updated case dairy or docket before the judge.

But the court asked the CID officials to keep it informed of the new findings or developments of the investigations during the next 45 days while the prosecutor said the investigators would need to gather more evidence on the destination and origin of the consignment.

Uddin said the CID would also quiz another time a former director general of forces intelligence and review the suspected involvement of some civil officials in the process.

Detained former junior minister for home and influential member of former prime minister Khalida Zia's past Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP) Lutfuzzaman Babar is a key suspect of the case.

Ten truck loads of weapons were seized in Bangladesh's biggest ever arms haul while the consignment was destined to northeastern India for separatist ULFA. The court officials said the judge blasted the case's investigation officers questioning their competence as the prosecution sought for 12th time last month more time to complete the "further investigation".

"How dare you appeared in the court without the case docket (documents). What are

Survivors and relatives of some of the 15,000 people who died in a Khmer Rouge prison run by torture chief Duch made a final call for more reparations as his appeal case drew to a close Wednesday.

Cambodia's UN-backed court sentenced Duch, 68, in July to 30 years in jail for war crimes and crimes against humanity for overseeing mass murder at the notorious prison Tuol Sleng -or S-21 -- in the late 1970s.

The only reparations the court awarded the victims, known as the civil parties, was to include their names in the judgment and agree to publish Duch's apologies.

Financial compensation for victims is not an option but their lawyers on Wednesday called for other forms of collective and moral redress, such as memorials or free psychological support.

Their appeal followed those of the defence and the prosecution earlier this week and marked "the last moment for

civil parties to get justice", Brice Poirier from Avocats Sans Frontieres, which represents some of the victims, told AFP. Lawyers are also asking for more civil parties to be admitted after the lower court rejected 24 of the 90 applicants, saying they had failed to prove their harm was closely linked to Duch's actions.

This had caused "distress" to individuals already "traumatised once by the actions of the accused", lawyer Karim Khan told the Supreme Court Chamber.

In their appeal on Monday, Duch's lawyers called for his acquittal and release, saying the court had no right to try him because he was "just a minor secretary" following orders.

The prosecution argued on Tuesday that Duch had failed to show "real, sincere remorse" and demanded life imprisonment, to be reduced to 45 years for time spent in unlawful detention before the tribunal was established.

A ruling on the appeals is expected in late June.

Anne Heindel, a legal advisor to the Documentation Centre

FROM PAGE 1 problem, as the demolition would commence on Indo-Pak ties Thursday at 9 am.

26/11 attacks and that Singh had told Gilani that “genuine normalization” in India-Pakistan ties can take place in an “atmosphere free of terror and violence”. Gilani shared the sentiment, she said.

She said India wants the evidence provided to Pakistan about those involved in the Mumbai attacks to be used and a “proper closure” should be brought to it.

In this context, she noted that during the home secretary-level talks held in Delhi on Monday and Tuesday, the Indian side had taken up the issue of Mumbai attacks.

Gilani renewed his invitation to Singh to visit Pakistan, but Rao said the dates need to be discussed and finalized through diplomatic channels.

The commerce Secretaries of two countries will meet next month and she will meet her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir in the middle of this year, she said.

“This will be followed by the meeting of foreign ministers of both countries,” she said.

Rao said the meeting has once again reaffirmed the intention of both the governments to take forward the dialogue process because “dialogue is a process through which we can understand each other better, through which we can resolve our outstanding issues and the goal of this dialogue is normalisation of relations in an uninterrupted manner.”

“It would be fair to say just as we spoke of the spirit of Thimphu after the Prime Ministers met on the margins of SAARC in April last year today there is a Mohali spirit that pervades our relationship,” she said.

“It is extremely positive and encouraging spirit that has been generated as a result of today’s meeting. It was a wide-ranging conversation,” she said.

It was a wide-ranging conversation in the backdrop of the spirit of sporting combat, which strengthened the competitive game, she said.

“Sporting contacts epitomises many other contacts like people to people contacts and helps a great deal in cementing understanding and friendship between the two countries,” Rao said.

Gilani suggested that the Indian cricket team should visit Pakistan and play matches there.

Residents stage rally been deployed in Vasco to avoid a law and order

MONTHS MIND In Ever Loving Memory of

MR FELIX JOHN FERNANDES (Sarzora - Chinchinim)

A Eucharistic celebration will be held for the soul of our beloved Papa at 8:00am tomorrow Friday the 1st of April 2011 at Our Lady of Assumption Church, Sarzora followed by prayers at the grave offered by his sorrowful family.

Relatives, neighbours & friends kindly accept this as the only intimation ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The bereaved family express their sincere gratitude to all priests, relatives, friends and neighbours for their kind attendance, assistance, floral tributes, condolences and who shared in their grief. goanrites@gmail 9822122003/9822136397

of Cambodia, which collects evidence of Khmer Rouge atrocities, said the civil party appeal reminds the court that the proceedings are not just about legal arguments but about "the lives of flesh and blood victims".

A bespectacled Duch could be seen scribbling notes throughout the hearing.

Duch was originally given a 35-year jail sentence but this was reduced for the period of illegal detention.

Given time already served, he could walk free in less than 19 years, to the dismay of many victims of the brutal 1975-1979 regime.

Led by "Brother Number One" Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Khmer Rouge wiped out up to two million people through starvation, overwork and execution.

S-21, in Phnom Penh, was at the centre of the regime's security apparatus.

Duch has been detained since 1999, when he was found working as a Christian aid worker in the jungle. He was formally arrested by the tribunal in July 2007.

However, Thursday’s demolition could certainly have an impact on commercial establishments in Vasco, if the past record clearly suggests that whenever the fishing community has carried out any agitation, Vasco city has remained closed.

“We have been threatened to close our shops on Thursday and we don’t want to take any risk,” said a restaurant owner from Vasco city.

Ahuja gets 7 years RI court said it had considered circumstantial evidence — the DNA report was positive, the hymen was torn, there were blood marks on the victim’s clothes, semen was found on the quilt and curtains and Shiney’s hand bore scratch marks of the victim.

The court also noted that the 2009 incident had occurred at Shiney’s house here, the victim’s clothes were torn and there was evidence to show that she had struggled. It also accepted her statement before a magistrate alleging she was raped, Dighe said.

After the conviction, the judge asked Shiney what he had to say about the quantum of sentence. The actor pleaded for leniency, saying he had a family to look after and a career to pursue.

The prosecution, however, sought life imprisonment or 10 years RI for the convict. The court then sentenced him to seven years RI. On September 3 last year, the victim had identified Shiney in the court and said she used to work at his residence as a domestic help. But when asked about the incident, she said she was never raped. Following this, the court had declared her hostile.

The police, in a 109-page chargesheet, had charged Shiney with rape and wrongfully confining the victim.

Shiney, in his defence, had argued that he was falsely implicated.

Asked whether Shiney would appeal against his conviction, Shiney’s lawyer Srikant Shivade told reporters “yes certainly”.

He said the judge had relied upon the victim’s statement that she had been raped and did not believe her evidence in the court denying the incident.

Clad in pink shirt and jeans, the 38-year-old actor, who was on bail, was accompanied by his wife Anupam in the court.

OHERALDO

Pg 9

WORLD

GOA, THURSDAY•31 MARCH, 2011

Gaddafi’s forces recapture oil towns; rebels call for help PTI TRIPOLI/WASHINGTON, MARCH 30

Hammered by Gaddafi's tanks, heavy guns and rockets, rebel forces were in panicky retreat in east Libya today, fleeing from the oil towns of Ras Lanuf and Brega prompting US and its allies to mull arming the ragtag fighters.

Having halted the rebels march 100 kms from their leaders hometown of Sirte, Gaddafi's armoured columns chased the rebels right into Ras Lanuf, 370 kms west of the opposition stronghold of Benghazi, Al Jazeera reported.

Faced by a heavy barrage of shells exploding all round them, the rebel fighters fled on board pickup trucks reversing in advance triggered by heavy strikes carried out by French and British fighters on March 19.

"We can't fight tanks with our machine guns," the Arab channel quoted opposition fighters as saying, as they beseeched for inter vention by allied war planes.

nWe can't fight tanks with our machine guns, the Arab channel quoted opposition fighters as saying, as they beseeched for intervention by allied war planes.

"Tell Sarkozy and Cameron that we need help and without air strikes Gaddafi will massacre us," the rebel fighters said as Obama administration did not rule out the possibility of arming the rebels.

"I'm not ruling it out. But I'm also not ruling it in. We're assessing what Gaddafi is upto," US President Barack Obama said.

The US President said though the "noose" was tightening around Gaddafi, but they were still not signs that he was seeking to negotiating an exit from

Libya.

"Our expectation is that as we continue to apply steady pressure, not only militarily but through other means, Gaddafi will step down," Obama said.

Correspondents on the frontline reported that the rout of rebels illustrating how much they rely on international power policy.

"Only a day earlier, they had been marching westward, cocky they would take Sirte Gaddafi's main bastion in Central Libya.

They reached 100 kms of the city before they were hammered

by Gaddafi's forces, who pushed them back to Bin Jawad," Al Arabia correspondent said from the frontline. But now Gaddafi's artillery is shelling even the key town of Brega.

As heavy battles raged on the eastern front, allied bombers and Tomahawk missiles kept up their pounding of the capital Tripoli.

Loud explosions rocked the city close to Gaddafi's heavily

guarded residence and the military targets in the suburbs of Tajura.

The first explosion was heard around 1630 GMT near Bab AlAzizya district, which houses Gaddafi's residence and few more exploded minutes later, the BBC correspondent in the city reported.

Heavy fighting also continue to rage around the western town of Misruta, Libya's third largest city, which has been under siege by Gaddafi's forces for the past two weeks.

Local residents said more than 150 people have been killed in the city after Gaddafi's tanks stormed into the city centre.

The prospects of supplying heavy weaponry to the rebels has triggered a fierce debate in the US, New York Times said with some fearful that providing arms would deepen American involvement in a civil war and intelligence reports that some rebel fighters may have links to al Qaeda.

Hindu temple attacked in Oz

PTI MELBOURNE, MARCH 30

Australia's oldest Hindu temple in New South Wales was attacked by unidentified masked gunmen who fired several shots at it, triggering panic among the community members.

Sri Mandir at Auburn, which is more than three decades old, was attacked by two men, who were wearing balaclavas or ski masks, on the night of March 19.

The attackers were caught on CCTV firing shots at the temple.

No one was killed or seriously injured in the incident, which created panic among the temple's priest and worshippers, local media reported.

A police spokeswoman was quoted as saying by the 'Sydney Morning Herald' newspaper that detectives were working closely with the community as part of investigation into the incident.

Rohit Revo, a Sydney resident and editor of a local newspaper 'The Indian', said the footage of the attack was handed over to police, but nothing has been done to solve the issue.

"Few bullets hit the wall at

the temple entrance, just a feet away from the main door. One of the bullets grazed through the wall and ricocheted hitting the emergency door on the side of the temple," he was quoted as saying.

"A bullet was also fired on the roof of the temple which found its way through the false ceiling inside the temple. Looking at the bullet marks on the temple walls suggests that specialised big bullets were used in the operation," he said.

Normal bullets are of a very small width but these bullets have created bigger holes on the walls, Revo said.

"Neighbours are also sick of the escalating violence and have extended silent support to the temple by sending them e-mails etc but fear speaking in the public," he said, adding the recent incident was not the first one as the temple has been attacked several times since 2004.

Last November, some people armed with metal bars had smashed two windows of the temple, when six worshippers were inside.

Four stricken N-reactors in Japan to be decommissioned PTI TOKYO/FUKUSHIMA, MARCH 30

Battling to contain its atomic crisis, Japan today said it will scrap four stricken reactors at its Fukushima nuclear plant, as radiation seeping into seawater reached its highest level yet -3,355 times the usual amount - and the President of the quakehit facility's operator hospitalised.

Authorities also said that they were mulling plans to cover the damaged reactor buildings with special fabric sheets to limit radiation, days after plutonium was found in the soil of the crippled nuclear plant, situated 220 km northeast of Tokyo.

Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda ordered a check of all nuclear reactors in the country to prevent a recurrence of the atomic crisis triggered by the March 11 monster magnitude9 quake and tsunami that left nearly 30,000 people dead or unaccounted for in Japan's northeast.

Radioactive iodine-131 at a concentration of 3,355 times the maximum allowable level under the law was detected yesterday in a seawater sample t a ke n n e a r t h e c r i s i s - h i t Fukushima plant, the government's nuclear agency said.

boy finds message in bottle after 24 years AFP MOSCOW, MARCH 30

A 13-year-old Russian boy found a message in a bottle on a beach and was reunited with its German author, who wrote the note 24 years ago, tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda reported Wednesday.

Daniil Korotkikh found the beer bottle earlier this month when walking on the beach near Kaliningrad and his father translated the note inside, which was dated September 7, 1987, Komsomolskaya Pravda reported.

"When I was walking along, I spotted a bottle in the dunes and saw that there was a note inside," Korotkikh told Russian television channel NTV. "Only a few people are lucky enough to find a letter in a bottle."

The letter was signed by five-year-old Frank Uesbeck, who enclosed his address in Coesfeld in western Germany.

Russian journalists tracked down Uesbeck, now 29, a married bank worker, who said he barely remembered sending the bottle with the note, which was written by his father and he signed in shaky letters.

"I was shocked," Uesbeck told NTV television.

His parents still live at the address shown in the letter and his father showed a photograph of Frank holding the bottle, which they threw into the sea while travelling to Denmark.

"It's just incredible. Can it really be possible that the letter is still readable after so many years in the water?" Uesbeck said in an interview translated into Russian.

Korotkikh and Uesbeck were shown speaking via a video link and the Russian schoolboy showed off the letter, which he has framed.

The highest concentration observed so far in seawater from the troubled plant suggests radiation originating from reactor cores, where fuel rods have partially melted, may have been continuously leaking into the Pacific Ocean, Kyodo said.

Hidehiko Nishiyama, a spokesman for the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, said the exact cause of the high iodine concentration remains unknown but added that data taken by the plant operator indicated that radiation which has leaked at the site during the ongoing crisis "somehow" flowed into the sea.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the plant's operator, said it will decommission four stricken reactors at the troubled facility. "We have no choice but to scrap reactors 1 to 4 if we look at their conditions objectively," Tsunehisa Katsumata, the company's Chairman, said at a press conference.

His remarks came hours after the company said that its President Masataka Shimizu was hospitalised yesterday because of hypertension and dizziness, the latest crisis to hit the embattled TEPCO which is struggling hard to contain the atomic

A Japanese civic group member holds a placard to protest against Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) over the nuclear leakage at the comnpany's Fukushima nuclear power plant, following the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami outside the TEPCO headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Terror suspect in Bali bombings caught in Pak AP WASHINGTON, MARCH 30

A senior Indonesian al-Qaida operative wanted in the 2002 Bali bombings has been arrested in Pakistan, a rare high-profile capture that could provide valuable intelligence about the organisation and possible future plots.

Umar Patek, a suspected member of the alQaida-linked militant group Jemaah Islamiyah, was arrested this year in Pakistan, foreign intelligence sources said yesterday.

It is not clear whether Pakistan stumbled on Patek or his capture was the result of an intelligence tip. Details about what he was doing in Pakistan also remain murky, raising questions about whether he was there to plan an attack with al- Qaida's top operational leaders as the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States approaches.

Patek, 40, a Javanese Arab, is well-known to intelligence agencies across the world.

He is believed to have

served as the group's deputy field commander in the nightclub bombings that left

202 people dead, many of them foreigners.

The US was offering a USD 1 million reward for the arrest of the slight Patek, who is known as the "little Arab" in the attack that killed seven Americans.

News of his arrest came from two intelligence officials in Indonesia and Philippines. Patek's exact whereabouts were not immediately known. Both spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the information.

The question of what to do with him could become a key indicator of how President Barack Obama will handle major terrorist suspects captured

abroad. However, American officials declined to comment on the case.

Under former President George W Bush, he likely would have been moved into the CIA's network of secret prisons. For instance, one of Patek's accused co-conspirators in the nightclub bombing, Hambali, spent years in the prison system and is now being held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

But the CIA's secret prisons are closed and Obama is trying to empty Guantanamo, not add new inmates.

Patek is believed to have been among a group of Indonesians, Malaysians and Filipinos who travelled to Afghanistan and Pakistan during the 1980s and 1990s for training and fighting.

On their return to Southeast Asia, they formed Jemaah Islamiyah, blamed for a string of suicide bombings targeting nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, and a Western embassy in Indonesia. Together more than 260 people have died.

problem.

His hospitalisation follows reports that 66-year-old Shimizu had fallen sick on March 16 and taken some days off from manning a liaison office set up between the government and the utility to regain control of the plant.

Katsumata has already taken over Shimizu's role temporarily in leading efforts to bring the crisis under control, the company said, adding that the President would return to work as soon as he recovers.

TEPCO said that while the cost of compensation in connection with the nuclear disaster will be daunting and undermine it financially, the company will try hard to remain afloat and avoid nationalisation.

After losing their cooling functions due to the deadly natural disaster on March 11, four of the six reactors at the nuclear power plant have leaked radioactive materials into the air and sea.

As workers continued their efforts to prevent the reactors from overheating and restore their cooling systems, Katsumata apologised for the crisis at the plant.

"We apologise for causing the public anxiety, worry and trouble due to the explosions at re-

JUI chief escapes bid on life PTI ISLAMABAD, MARCH 30

Pakistan's hardline JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman today escaped an assassination bid by a suicide bomber, who blew himself up near a police post in the country's restive northwest killing at least seven people and injuring 18 others.

The bomber, who was riding a motorcycle, detonated his suicide vest minutes after Rehman's motorcade passed the police post in Swabi area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, district administration chief Syed Abdul Jabar Shah told reporters.

A police official was among the seven persons killed by the powerful blast, Shah said. Most of the dead and injured were Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) supporters who had gathered at the police post to greet Rehman, witnesses said.

Seven of the injured were in a serious condition and could be shifted to Peshawar for treatment, officials said.

A JUI spokesman said Rehman, who had arrived in Swabi to address a public meeting, was safe.

No group claimed responsibility for the blast.

Military rule ends in Myanmar, but army retains grip AFP YANGON, MARCH 30

Myanmar's military handed power to a nominally civilian government after almost half a century of army rule Wednesday, as the junta was disbanded and a new president appointed.

But the army hierarchy retains a firm grip on power in the resource-rich Southeast Asian country, and many analysts believe Senior General Than Shwe will attempt to retain some sort of control behind the scenes.

The handover came after controversial elections last Novem-

ber -- the country's first in 20 years -- which were marred by the absence of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and claims of cheating and intimidation.

Quoting an order signed by strongman Than Shwe, Myanmar state television reported the junta's State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) "has been officially dissolved".

Than Shwe, who has ruled with an iron fist since 1992, is apparently no longer in the hitherto most powerful position of head of the army.

But Myanmar analyst Aung

Naing Oo said: "Everyone will be required to report to him for quite some time." He added the handover was similar to the slow withdrawal of Than Shwe's predecessor, late dictator Ne Win. "We have not had any kind of democracy in the past 50 years so it is more like an experiment," the Thailand-based analyst said.

"There are more questions than answers."

The SPDC, previously known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council, or SLORC,

seized power in 1988, but Myanmar has been under military authority since 1962 and the generals continue to dominate the impoverished nation.

Former prime minister Thein Sein, a key Than Shwe ally, was sworn in as president on Wednesday.

He is among a slew of generals who shed their army uniforms to contest the elections last year and are now civilian members of parliament, which also has a quarter of its seats kept aside for the military.

actor buildings and the release of radioactive materials," he said.

He said the company would make maximum efforts to restore the cooling systems of the Nos. 1-4 reactors to bring them into a stable condition called "cold shutdown". The Nos.5 and 6 reactors were already in a state of cold shutdown.

"Our greatest responsibility is to put everything into bringing the current situation to an end and under control," Katsumata said. Nishiyama, on his part, said the polluted seawater will not pose immediate health risks because fishing is not being conducted in the evacuationdesignated area within 20 km of the plant and radiation-emitting substances would be "significantly diluted" by the time they are consumed by marine species and then by people.

APPOINTMENTS t ½»Ͳ®Ä ó®ã« s͕ t ½» Êçã ó®ã« Ù Ù ƌ͘ ZĞĚĚLJ͛Ɛ ŝƐ ĂŶ ŝŶƚĞŐƌĂƚĞĚ ŐůŽďĂů ƉŚĂƌŵĂĐĞƵƟĐĂů ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ͕ ĐŽŵŵŝƩĞĚ ƚŽ ƉƌŽǀŝĚŝŶŐ ĂīŽƌĚĂďůĞ ĂŶĚ ŝŶŶŽǀĂƟǀĞ ŵĞĚŝĐŝŶĞƐ ĨŽƌ ŚĞĂůƚŚŝĞƌ ůŝǀĞƐ͘ dŚƌŽƵŐŚ ŝƚƐ ƚŚƌĞĞ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐĞƐ Ͳ WŚĂƌŵĂĐĞƵƟĐĂů ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĐƟǀĞ /ŶŐƌĞĚŝĞŶƚƐ͕ 'ůŽďĂů 'ĞŶĞƌŝĐƐ ĂŶĚ WƌŽƉƌŝĞƚĂƌLJ WƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ ʹ ƌ͘ ZĞĚĚLJ͛Ɛ ŽīĞƌƐ Ă ƉŽƌƞŽůŝŽ ŽĨ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ W/Ɛ͕ ĐƵƐƚŽŵ ƉŚĂƌŵĂĐĞƵƟĐĂů ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ͕ ŐĞŶĞƌŝĐƐ͕ ďŝŽƐŝŵŝůĂƌƐ͕ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƟĂƚĞĚ ĨŽƌŵƵůĂƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ E Ɛ͘ tĞ ŚĂǀĞ ĞdžĐŝƟŶŐ ĐĂƌĞĞƌ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƟŽŶ ĨƵŶĐƟŽŶ Ăƚ ŽƵƌ ĨŽƌŵƵůĂƟŽŶ ŵĂŶƵĨĂĐƚƵƌŝŶŐ ƵŶŝƚ ŝŶ ,LJĚĞƌĂďĂĚ͘ ZĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚƐ͗ ŶLJ ŝƉůŽŵĂ ;ĨƵůůͲƟŵĞͿ ǁŝƚŚ ϭͲϰ LJĞĂƌƐ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ĂƌĞĂƐ ŽĨ ƚĂďůĞƚ ĐŽŵƉƌĞƐƐŝŽŶ ͬ ĐŽĂƟŶŐ͕ ĐĂƉƐƵůĞ ĮůůŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ďůŝƐƚĞƌ ͬ ĐĂƌƚŽŶĂƚŽƌ ͬ ďŽƩůĞ ƉĂĐŬŝŶŐ͘ ĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞƐ ĨƵůĮůůŝŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĂďŽǀĞ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚƐ ĐĂŶ

tĂůŬͲŝŶ ĨŽƌ ĂŶ ŝŶƚĞƌǀŝĞǁ ŽŶ ϯ Ɖƌŝů ϮϬϭϭ Ăƚ ϵ͗ϬϬ D ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞ ůĂƚĞƐƚ ĐŽƉLJ ŽĨ ƚŚĞŝƌ s͕ ƉĂLJƐůŝƉ ĂŶĚ ƉĂƐƐƉŽƌƚ ƐŝnjĞ ƉŚŽƚŽŐƌĂƉŚ ƚŽ͗ ,ŽƚĞů &ŝĚĂůŐŽ ϭϴƚŚ :ƵŶĞ ZŽĂĚ͕ WĂŶĂũŝ͕ 'ŽĂ Ͳ ϰϬϯϬϬϭ dŽ ŬŶŽǁ ŵŽƌĞ ĂďŽƵƚ ƵƐ͕ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ǀŝƐŝƚ www.drreddys.com

OHERALDO

pg10:Pg12 3/30/2011 10:28 PM Page 1

BIZ

Pg10

GOA, THURSDAY, 31 MARCH, 2011

Iron ore exports fall for 8th month HERALD BUSINESS DESK PANJIM, MARCH 30

India's iron ore exports fell for the eighth straight month in February because of a continuing ban on shipments by Karnataka and exports are likely to face further pressure as the country hikes freight rates again.

Exports of the steelmaking ingredient dropped 18.6 per cent from a year ago to 10.137 million tonnes in February, data from the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI) showed on Wednesday. That brought ex-

ports in April-February to 85.43 million tonnes, down 18 per cent from a year earlier.

"Exports in March are likely to be much worse than what we saw in February," said R K Sharma, secretary general of FIMI, adding Chinese buyers are waiting for global prices to ease further from February highs.

Spot iron ore prices have lost 12 per cent since hitting record peaks near USD 200 a tonne in mid-February as high prices and tighter credit restrained demand from top importer China.

Tighter supply out of India had helped iron ore prices soar last month and it looks like Indian shipments will remain so as the Indian Railways said it will impose a "busy season" charge of 7 per cent on iron ore freight rates from April 1 to June 30 and from October 1 to March 31. The Railways had al-

ready hiked railway freight rates by Rs 100 to Rs 1,600 per tonne from March 3.

Apart from Karnataka, the states of Orissa and Chhattisgarh are also seeking a ban on exports. Buyers of Indian iron ore include Sinosteel, Baoshan Iron & Steel and Nippon Steel.

Iron ore exports from India are expected to fall to 90 million tonnes in the current fiscal year ending March 31 from 91.7 million tonnes a year ago, and should drop another 35 per cent in the next fiscal year because of the higher taxes and other curbs, FIMI said earlier this month.

Goa, India's top exporting state, shipped 46.23 million tonnes in April-February, up 1.2 per cent on year, while exports from Orissa's Paradip port dropped 4.4 per cent to 10.67 million tonnes, FIMI data showed.

Hotel Leelaventure to invest Rs 100 cr in Goa property HERALD BUSINESS DESK PANJIM, MARCH 30

Hotel Leelaventure will invest Rs 100 crore to upgrade its property in Goa in 2011 and is looking to expand its presence in India by opening new company-owned properties and taking up management contracts. “We are open to opportunities for management contracts to establish an all India footprint. We could look at locations such as Kolkata, where we do not have any presence right now and additional properties in Bengaluru and Mumbai,” Sanjay Pasricha, Vice-President Marketing and Sales, Hotel Leelaventure.

Talking about the upgradation plans, Pasricha said, the hotel in Goa will soon undergo renovation for which the company will spend Rs 100 crore.

“We are increasing the number of rooms from 186 at present to 206. New restaurants are being added along with special

spa and healthcare facilities.

The rooms are being torn up and will be re-done to give them a new look,” he said.

Currently, the company operates seven luxury hotel properties in Goa, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Udaipur, Kovalam (Kerala), New Delhi and Gurgaon. All the hotels are owned and managed by the company except the one in Gurgaon, which is under a management contract.

Besides, the company is also upgrading another hotel in Kerala in the next fiscal. “We also have plans to upgrade the 156 room hotel at Kovalam in Kerala, but the budget for the same has not been finalised yet,” he said. The company’s new 260-room property in Delhi has been opened to the public recently.

In order to woo customers from across the globe, the company has tied up with Global Hotel Alliance, an alliance of 12 independent hotel brands.

MTS offers ½ paisa per second for ‘Lifetime’ HERALD BUSINESS DESK PANJIM, MARCH 30

Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL) that provides telecommunication services under the brand MTS, announced an exciting Value Maximiser offer.

For the first time in India, customers across Maharashtra and Goa can now avail half paisa per second tariff plan for lifetime on all local calls without any condition.

Additionally, a customer will also get a talk time worth Rs 200 and an MTS handset all for

Rs 799 only.

This offer is valid on all local calls across Mumbai, Maharashtra and Goa telecom circles. The handset bundle offer where in the customers would get a Rs 200 as talk time, half paisa for lifetime along with a handset, is available across Maharashtra and Goa except Mumbai Telecom Circle.

Besides Voice, MTS has been really strong in terms of Data Business. MTS has more than 50,000 data customers in Maharashtra and Goa enjoying high speed network.

The new BMW 6 Series Convertible

New BMW 6 Series Convertible rolls out HERALD BUSINESS DESK PANJIM, MARCH 30

The new BMW 6 Series Convertible has been launched in Udaipur. The new BMW 6 Series Convertible is available as a petrol variant and can be ordered at BMW dealerships across India.

The new BMW 6 Series Convertible will be available in India as a completely Built-up Unit (CBU) and the all India exshowroom prices is Rs 95,00,000 exclusive of sales tax/ VAT applicable on sale to the customer. Prices and options are subject to change without prior notice.

The new BMW 6 Series Convertible sets a benchmark for exclusive open-top driving.

Sophisticated styling with aesthetic proportions, elegant lines, sporty ‘shark nose’ of the BMW kidney grille, closeness to the road and wide and low design language make the new BMW 6 Series Convertible appear uncompromisingly dynamic. Exclusive interior with clear driver orientation, sleek styling, masterfully Grafted details and room for four adults set a new bar in this segment.

The new BMW 6 Series Convertible comes with an eightspeed sports automatic transmission with rapid and precise gear changes with gear shift paddles on the steering wheel. It also features Drive Dynamic Control, which allows

drivers to vary the car’s sporting characteristics and comfort by choosing the desired suspension settings (Normal, Sports and Sports+), The new BMW 6 Series Convertible will be available in Alpine White as non-metallic paintwork and in the following metallic colours: Orion Silver, Titanium Silver, Black Sapphire, Havanna, Space Grey, Deep Sea Blue and Vermillion Red. Dakota leather is the standard upholstery and is available in the following colour combinations: Black, Ivory White and Cinnamon Brown.

The following interior trims are available: Fine-wood trim poplar grain grey and Finewood trim American Oak.

Assocham wine industry growth forecast exaggerated: wine expert HERALD BUSINESS DESK PANJIM, MARCH 30

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has forecast that the wine industry is likely to grow at around 35 per cent by 2012, but industry experts think this expectation is exaggerated and is based on wrong figures for the past couple of years, according to a report in ‘MoneyLife’.

Subhash Arora, a wine expert who also runs the Indian Wine Academy, said "The ASSOCHAM report is conflicting, confusing and confounding.

The figures are unrealistic with an unlikely growth rate projection with a very pessimistic estimate for 2008.”

Titled ‘Emerging Industry

trends in Indian Wine Market’, the report states that the Indian wine market (in value terms) stood at Rs800 crore as of 2008 and is likely to touch the Rs2,700 crore mark by the end of 2012. It also says that wine consumption in India is likely to reach around 14.7 million litres (in volume terms) by the end of 2012, from around 4.6 million litres in 2008, thus registering a growth of 35 per cent.

Mr Arora, writes on his website Delwine: "There seems to be a basic lacuna in the figures.

Whatever the figures for 2008 that have been assumed, 2009 was a disaster and 2010 barely reached the level of 2009. The current year has shown buoyancy and 30-35% annual increase is most likely in 2011

and 2012. But if the figures of 2010 are assumed to be close to 2008, it would be farfetched to expect an almost three and a half times growth during the next two years."

"The report on sales value also does not clarify whether the figures are first point sales by the producers and importers and whether they include customs duty, excise duty, VAT and other government taxes, or (whether) they are estimates based simply on the MRP of wine sold, or are ex-factory prices," Mr Arora explains.

Mr Arora also points out that "the study fails to name Goa, which produces over 200,000 cases (1.8 million litres) of lowend fortified wine, a majority of which is consumed within Goa."

BoI opens branch at Colva

Saint Gobain unveils Sunban windows HERALD BUSINESS DESK PANJIM, MARCH 30

Concerned about the summer heat and the electricity bills concurrently shooting up?

Time to switch to Saint Gobain’s Sunban range of solar control reflective glasses, all designed to keep the heat out, allow optimum amount of natural light into your home and cut down the electricity bills.

Unlike regular window glasses, the Sunban range of solar control glasses come with a metallic coating which have a twin functionality of restricting heat penetration into your building by a remarkable level of up to 80 per cent while simultaneously letting in an optimal quantity of natural daylight into your building.

This attribute of the product to cut the heat to a large percentage and allow optimum amount of light concurrently reduces the load on air conditioning and also lessens room lighting costs signifi-

Sensex up 169 points Strong FII inflows amid firm global trends and easing oil prices pushed up the BSE Sensex for the seventh day in a row today to over 19,290, up 169 points.

FIIs have pumped in Rs 4,343.34 crore (close to USD 1 billion) in last six trading sessions to March 29.

Interest rate sensitive counters from consumer durables, realty, banking and auto segments attracted good buying on easing global crude oil prices, after they recently touched 2-1/2-year highs.

The fall has eased concerns of inflation and a sharp hike in interest rates, marketmen said.

Banking counters remained in the limelight resulting in the sectoral bankex notching up sharp gains of about 10 per cent in the last seven trading sessions.

Aban Offshor, 620, 626.9, 611.2, 618.3 Abb Ltd., 814.95, 830, 802.05, 812.3 Abg Shipyard, 369.3, 371.3, 362.1, 363.6 Acc Limited, 1044, 1084.6, 1043.05, 1078.65 Adani Enterp, 621.8, 638, 614.8, 630.85 Aditya Birla, 810, 819, 799, 802.45 Allahabad Ba, 230.15, 235, 226.1, 231.65 Alstom Proje, 567.5, 593.9, 567.15, 586.05 Ambuja Cemen, 138.25, 151.9, 138, 150.25 Andhra Bank, 149.2, 153.75, 149.2, 152.45 Ashok Leylan, 57.1, 57.9, 56.1, 56.4 Asian Paints, 2515.85, 2574.95, 2485.25, 2536.2 Axis Bank Li, 1426.9, 1432.15, 1413.55, 1426.45 Bajaj Hindus, 72.2, 72.4, 71.2, 72.15 Bank Of Baro, 941.95, 974, 941.95, 961.45 Bank Of Indi, 473, 480, 472, 479.05 Beml Limited, 704.1, 704.1, 690.05, 693.55 Bharat Elect, 1695, 1695, 1680.2, 1687.95 Bharat Forge, 340, 347.5, 339.25, 341.05 Bharat Petro, 614.9, 619.7, 605.75, 613.55 Bharti Airte, 360, 361.65, 354.45, 359.4 Bhel, 2079.75, 2092.5, 2058.2, 2061.2

Bhushan Stee, 447.55, 452, 442.4, 446.45 Biocon Limit, 340.75, 343.1, 338.55, 342.1 Bombay Dyein, 368.35, 381, 368.35, 371 Bosch Limite, 6499, 6620, 6456.05, 6556.9 Brigade Ente, 89.6, 91.5, 88.5, 89.55 Cairn India, 354.1, 354.6, 345.25, 347.2 Canara Bank, 621, 626.5, 615.6, 621.35 Central Bank, 139, 143, 136.15, 142.45 Century Text, 344.4, 356.2, 343, 354 Cesc Ltd, 316, 316, 310.35, 314.5 Chambal Fert, 76.5, 78.7, 76.15, 78.45 Chennai Petr, 202, 225, 202, 221.3 Cipla Ltd, 313.6, 332.75, 313.25, 327.85 Colgate Palm, 830.05, 830.05, 815.1, 817.1 Container Co, 1232.2, 1235, 1200, 1205.75 Crompton Gre, 276, 284, 274.5, 275.05 Cummins Indi, 664.95, 686, 659.1, 674.3 Dabur India, 96, 97, 94.5, 95.75 Deccan Chron, 83, 83.8, 80.1, 80.4 Dish Tv Indi, 65, 67.85, 64.6, 66.5 Divi’s Labor, 649, 686, 647, 678.75 Dlf Limited, 255, 265.3, 254, 263.5 Dr. reddy’s, 1617.9, 1644.65, 1616, 1634.4 Edelweiss Ca, 38.6, 40.9, 38.4, 40.25

cantly. The components of sunlight essential for good health are filtered and permitted in by this solar control glass, making your home a healthier place to live in.

The Sunban glass range is categorised into two broad types: The economy range; SunBan Reflectasol is an online coated reflective solar control glass with glare reduction and also imparts an aesthetic look to the building.

The high end range; SunBan Antelio Plus and Sun Ban Cool lite with advanced solar control properties, allows optimum light transmission and has low reflection properties.

Sunban glasses are available at Saint Gobain authorised dealer outlets across the country in a range of appealing colours – Light Gold, Green, Bronze, Dark Grey, Sapphire Blue, Royale Blue, Imperial Blue, Forest Green. For more details on this range visit: http://in-saint-gobain-glass.com

Educomp Solu, 435, 437.4, 430.1, 432.6 Eih Limited, 81.8, 83.1, 80.5, 80.95 Engineers In, 301.9, 305, 300.25, 303.1 Essar Oil Lt, 122.5, 127.1, 122.2, 126.8 Essar Shippi, 92.05, 94, 91.15, 92.2 Exide Indust, 140.95, 141.55, 139.85, 140.7 Federal Bank, 405, 424.5, 402.9, 420.45 Financial Te, 840.05, 868.9, 827, 856.55 Gail (india), 453.15, 463, 452, 459.15 Gammon India, 112.35, 119, 112.35, 116.15 Glaxosmithkl, 2069.2, 2110, 2069.15, 2095.45 Glenmark Pha, 276.5, 281.9, 275, 280.9 Gmr Infrastr, 38.6, 39.4, 38.25, 39.1 Godrej Indus, 180.1, 185.4, 179.95, 180.7 Grasim Indus, 2441.05, 2479, 2428.65, 2457.7 Great Offsho, 257.7, 258.7, 253.1, 256.9 Gtl Infra.Lt, 36.55, 37.75, 36.55, 37.15 Gujarat Mine, 133.5, 137.9, 133.5, 136.45 Gujarat N R, 50.4, 51.25, 50.05, 50.3 Gujarat Stat, 100.4, 102, 99.5, 99.95 Gvk Pow. & I, 26.55, 26.9, 26.25, 26.55 Hcl Technolo, 481.2, 485.6, 471.2, 476.3

Hdfc Bank Lt, 2315, 2364, 2306, 2341.5 Hdfc Ltd, 685.95, 700, 685.65, 698.45 Hero Honda M, 1554, 1573.7, 1550, 1557.55 Hindalco in, 209.5, 210.2, 204.4, 205.25 Hindustan Co, 36.5, 38.15, 36.4, 37.7 Hindustan Ma, 58.85, 60.6, 58.85, 59.15 Hindustan Pe, 349.05, 360, 346.7, 358.45 Hindustan Un, 275, 280.45, 275, 278.05 Hindustan Zi, 142.85, 144.35, 136.5, 137.85 Housing Dev, 164.9, 173.4, 164.3, 172 Icici Bank L, 1105, 1115.45, 1100.55, 1109.1 Idea Cellula, 67.75, 67.75, 64.9, 65.9 Ifci Ltd, 54.2, 54.65, 53.6, 53.9 India Cement, 93.7, 97.75, 93.3, 97.2 India Infoli, 73.35, 73.95, 72.1, 73.6 Indiabulls F, 152.6, 152.75, 148.65, 149.55 Indiabulls R, 121, 124, 119.6, 122.8 Indian Bank, 233, 235.5, 232, 233.15 Indian Hotel, 82.25, 85.25, 82.15, 84.5 Indian Oil C, 327, 342, 325, 339.3 Indian Overs, 146.55, 149.6, 145.5, 146.6 Indus Dev Ba, 144, 147.2, 143.2, 145.7 Indusind Ban, 267.9, 279.5, 267.1, 276.2 Infosys Tech, 3172, 3203.5, 3156.65, 3170.9

Rev Fr Diogo M Fernandes cutting ribbon to inaugurate Colva branch of Bank of India. Zonal Manager NC Gandhre, Branch Manager Uday Gude and Dy Zonal Manager, SBS Kerkar are also present.

HERALD BUSINESS DESK PANJIM, MARCH 30

Bank of India, Goa zone has opened its 39th branch at Colva village at the hands of Rev Fr Diogo M Fernandes, Parish Priest/Principal of Our Lady of Merces Church, Colva in the presence of Zonal Manager, NC Gandhre and Deputy Zonal Manager, SBS Kerkar and Panch members of Village Panchayat Colva.

The inaugural function was well-attended by around 150 villagers of Colva and nearby places.

Speaking on the occasion, Parish Priest, Rev Fr Diogo M Infra. dev., 157.4, 158, 155.25, 155.85 Ispat Indust, 22.3, 22.7, 22.2, 22.25 Itc Ltd, 179.9, 181.35, 176.75, 177.6 Ivrcl Infras, 83, 84.8, 82.9, 84.1 Jai Corp Lim, 162.7, 166.25, 162.15, 163.7 Jaiprakash A, 88.7, 92.7, 88.7, 92.25 Jet Airways, 466.1, 472.3, 465.05, 469.75 Jindal Saw L, 198.05, 206.05, 195.05, 203.7 Jindal Steel, 683.95, 695.9, 680.25, 688.75 Jsw Steel Li, 920.1, 927.95, 912, 917.9 Kotak Mahind, 457.45, 461.6, 453.8, 459.1 Lakshmi Mach, 2228, 2275, 2210, 2245.7 Lanco Infrat, 40.4, 40.6, 38.85, 39.05 Larsen & Tou, 1654.1, 1690.95, 1650.05, 1656.65 Lic Housing, 224, 227.9, 223.35, 226.2 Lupin Limite, 408, 419.35, 404.45, 416.55 Mahanagar Te, 45.9, 46, 45.1, 45.45 Mahindra & M, 689.2, 712, 689.2, 709.95 Maruti Suzuk, 1246, 1295.8, 1238.85, 1269 Max India Lt, 162, 162, 158, 161 Moser-baer (, 42.5, 42.5, 41.6, 41.85 Mrpl, 62.5, 64.7, 62.5, 64.35 Nagarjuna Fe, 27.8, 28.65, 27.5, 28.5

Fernandes lauded the contribution of the bank and welcomed them to Colva village. He appealed to villagers to avail the services of the bank and benefit from various schemes it offers.

In his inaugural address, the Zonal Manager, NC Gandhre informed the audience that the Bank of international stature has come to their doorsteps and appealed villagers to avail services of the branch. He said that Bank of India has a presence in all the continents of the world, true to its slogan ‘Sun never sets for Bank of India’. The Bank is expected to reach a global business mix of

National Alu, 100.4, 100.7, 97.85, 98.25 Neyveli Lign, 108, 109.6, 106.15, 106.85 Ntpc Ltd, 188, 190.8, 187.05, 188.85 Oil And Natu, 285, 289.95, 280.55, 282.4 Omaxe Limite, 137.9, 139.2, 137, 137.1 Oriental Ban, 383.2, 395.7, 383.2, 391.45 Pantaloon Re, 264.2, 275, 262.15, 267 Parsvnath De, 48.8, 49.8, 44, 44.85 Petronet Lng, 121, 122.35, 117.55, 117.95 Power Fin Co, 246, 254.4, 245.6, 249.85 Power Grid C, 100, 101.35, 99.85, 101 Praj Industr, 72.45, 73.7, 71.6, 73.1 Punj Lloyd L, 64, 66, 63.9, 65.55 Punjab Natio, 1172.8, 1230, 1172.8, 1217.55 Rajesh Expor, 109.9, 110.3, 107.2, 107.9 Ranbaxy Labs, 440.5, 445.8, 438, 442 Rashtriya Ch, 79, 80.5, 79, 79.85 Reliance Cap, 585.1, 589.15, 577, 580.05 Reliance Com, 110.15, 111.75, 108.4, 109.8 Reliance Ene, 1125, 1158, 1110, 1123.23 Reliance Ind, 632.65, 644, 630, 631.9

Rs 5 lakh crore by end of March 2011, a giant step forward. In Goa, Bank is number one amongst nationalized bank.

In the beginning, SBS Kerkar, Deputy Zonal Manager welcomed the gathering and thanked all dignitaries present.

Amongst the dignitaries present were Panch members, Angela Borges, Suzie Fernandes and Magdalina, Fr Theotore Bruno Gomes, Joaquim Fernandes.

The function was compered

by RYS Sancordekar, Manager, IT and vote of thanks was proposed by Branch Manager, Colva Branch, Uday Gude.

Reliance Ind, 1027.5, 1037.5, 1024.1, 1032.5 Reliance Pow, 124.1, 126.15, 124.1, 124.65 Rolta India, 139, 140.2, 137.3, 139.1 Satyam Compu, 65.6, 67.2, 65.6, 66.35 Sesa Goa Ltd, 288.55, 294.7, 285.35, 288.1 Shipping Cor, 109.85, 110, 107.65, 109.55 Siemens Ltd, 876.1, 878.1, 874.5, 876.1 Sintex Indus, 150.75, 152.5, 149.95, 151.85 Sobha Develo, 285.5, 288.9, 284.15, 285.7 State Bank O, 2779.9, 2870.7, 2775.3, 2856.1 Steel Author, 170.5, 172.4, 166, 167.05 Sterlite Ind, 171.5, 174.4, 171.3, 172.2 Sun Pharmace, 448, 449.5, 441.15, 444.85 Sun Tv Netwo, 451.95, 451.95, 431, 434.7 Suzlon Energ, 44.3, 44.9, 44, 44.2 Tata Communi, 246, 248.95, 243.05, 244.7 Tata Consult, 1148, 1164, 1144.9, 1151.95 Tata Motors, 1241.5, 1258.7, 1238.6, 1249 Tata Power C, 1328.1, 1349.8, 1310.1, 1324.75

Tata Steel L, 616, 622.95, 614.7, 615.8 Tata Teleser, 15.4, 16.5, 15.35, 16.35 Tech Mahindr, 681, 712, 656, 676.95 The Ge Shpg., 263.5, 269.8, 261, 265.75 The Phoenix, 181.55, 185.9, 179.8, 184.25 Thermax Ltd, 594.55, 625, 584, 617.15 Titan Indust, 3604.05, 3877, 3604, 3845.3 Torrent Powe, 246.55, 257.6, 242.75, 250.5 Triveni Engg, 95.4, 97.2, 95, 95.95 Tv18 India L, 75.75, 76.5, 75, 75.6 Uco Bank, 107, 108.7, 106.3, 108.25 Ultratech Ce, 1099, 1145, 1090.3, 1125.7 Union Bank O, 344.15, 348.65, 341.4, 343.6 Unitech Ltd, 39.1, 41.4, 39, 41 United Phosp, 152, 152.45, 149.5, 151.75 Videocon Ind, 191.95, 192, 188.5, 189.45 Vijaya Bank, 79, 81.4, 78.75, 80.6 Voltas Ltd, 172.95, 183, 172.95, 181.65 Wipro Ltd, 462.55, 475, 462.55, 472.85 Yes Bank Lim, 309, 321.95, 309, 320.75 Zee Entertai, 124.55, 125.2, 117, 124.7

Pg 13

GOA, THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011

An illustration created by James White released on Tuesday in Tokyo shows the cover of "Quakebook.

Pg 14

SPORTS

GOA, Thursday, 31 March 2011

Ponda set for veterans soccer HERALD SPORTS DESK PANJIM, MARCH 30

Bardez Veterans will take on Raia Veterans on April 3 in the inaugural match of 1st All-India Veterans football tournament organised by Ponda Football Veterans at sports complex ground, Ponda.

Air India, Mumbai, Kerala Veterans, Golden Gunners, Mumbai and Kolhapur Veterans are the outstation teams.

Twelve teams will participate in this one week tournament with outstation teams given the quarter-final seeding.

Candolim Veterans will lock

horns with Ponda Football Veterans on April 4. On April 5, Curtorim Veterans will meet Custom and Central Exise while Chandor Veterans will take on Salgaocar Veterans on April 6. All matches will start at 4.15 p.m.

The quarter-finals will begin on April 7. There will be two matches each day. The first match will begin at 3.30 p.m. Air India, Mumbai with Godfrey Pereira will take on the winners of the third match Curtorim/Customs and the second match will start at 5 p.m. that will see Kolhapur Veterans in action with the winners between Candolim and Ponda.

On April 8, Golden Gunners, Mumbai will take on Raia/Bardez winners and the last quarter-finals will see Kerala Veterans take on Salgaocar/Chandor winners.

The semi-finals will be held on April 9 while the finals are slated for April 10. The winners will receive Rs 51,000 while the runners-up will have to be content with Rs 31,000 and trophies.

Goa Velha oust St Caitan goa velha super soccer HERALD SPORTS DESK PANJIM, MARCH 30

Goa Velha United beat St Caitan, Merces 3-1 in Villagers of Goa Velha Super soccer at Goa Velha ground on Wednesday. Goa Velha led 2-0 at the lemon break.

A youthful Goa Velha, played excitingly and kept St Caitan on the run with a good display of attacking socccer.

St Caitan tried their level best to contain the Goa Velha forwards but found it very difficult.

Goa Velha shot into the lead through Peter Lopes scoring off a pass from his teammate.

Vazel Joy Gonsalves doubled the lead for Goa Velha off a pass from Anthony.

St Caitan despite being 2 goals down put up a spirited fight and crossing over, Audut reduced the margin for St Caitan.

Praveen Naik hammered the last nail in St Caitan’s coffin just before the final call.

Salgaocar’s chances in I-League not affected by Goa League defeat: Gomes

Fr Agnel down Rossman Cruz

Mohun Bagan at home in January until the reversal last weekend and will be facing Pune FC away on Sunday in a very tricky encounter. However, Gomes feels that losing in the local League will not have any bearing on the team.

“The I-League is a totally different competition, it has its own weight and we are leading the table. We have played with different players here and made lots of changes, it will not be the same for the ILeague and there will be our regular players and with them it will be an entirely different play. I am very much sure that the loss here will not in any way affect our chances in the upcoming match,” explained Gomes.

Salgoacar are on 40 points with Churchill Brothers, East Bengal and Dempo following closely. Gomes feels that his team’s performance against the other contenders will be crucial. “People are talking about our defeat in the Goa Pro League but for us it will be very important to get a perfect start in Pune and a positive result against our local opponents as well as East Bengal as they are close to us. So, it will be vital for us not to drop points, specially when we play at home. We have observed that the boys are mentally prepared and are ready

HERALD CORRESPONDENT MARGAO, MARCH 30

R A J Gomes.

HERALD SPORTS DESK PANJIM, MARCH 30

Salgaocar Sports Club were stunned when they lost to Sporting Clube de Goa in Goa Kingfisher Pro-League that ended their three-month undefeated streak of the ILeague leaders but general secretary, R A J Gomes insists that it will not affect his team’s chances of winning the coveted title.

The Goan League toppers last lost to

for this and I can feel the mood of every player. There’s a lot of commitment and hard work from all the players and that’s the reason we are on top, we want to stay there till the end and if everything goes according to our plans and God willing, than it will end up like that,” Gomes expressed confidently.

With nine matches remaining for the conclusion of the League, Salgaocar may have to collect at least another 20 points from a maximum 27 points but Gomes says that his team has to win as many matches as possible. “There are lots of points at stake and we have to win more than five matches of the remaining nine and make sure that we don’t drop points. There are matches for us here at home and it will be very crucial for us to win here. Our fans are also very excited about our progress and we are expecting a lot of support from them during the matches, it encourages the players and give us the motivation to do better. All our players had done extremely well so far and I am very sure that they will continue the good work when the League resumes on Sunday,” Raj said, before disclosing that the squad is fit without any major injuries to the players.

Vasco all set to face Special children bag honours Chandni FC HERALD SPORTS REPORTER MAPUSA, MARCH 30

GCA’s physiotherapist, Ketan Bhatikar who has been elected as an executive committee member of Indian Association of Physiotherapists. He is the youngest candidate to be elected in the history of IAP in the last 50 years. He was elected out of 22 candidates and received a majority of 5781 votes

Vasco Sports Club are raring to go as they take on Chandni Football Club, Kerala in their opening I-League Second Division match, on Thursday at the Race Course Stadium, Madurai, Tamil Nadu at 6 p.m.

The team landed at their hotel on Tuesday at midnight and were tucked straight into bed by their coach Gavin Araujo. “We are happy with the surroundings and the organisers are even promoting the match locally which is a plus point,” remarked Gavin.

The Vasco team trained at 4 p.m. on Wednesday at the sta-

dium which is a stone’s throw from their hotel. They had hoped to practice under floodlights as the game is under floodlights but the local organisers refused as they felt it was unnecessary waste of money and power.

Their opponents, Chandni FC are one of the five Kerala Clubs contesting in this season’s ILeague’s Second Division.

Vasco probable line-up: Milagrio Medeira, Prajot Naik (captain), Julius Akpele, Remus Gomes, Thomas D’Souza, Jose Colaco, Jerose Oliveira, Sachin Gawas, Joel Sequiera, Koko Sakibu, Joy Ferrao (vice-captain).

Barretto Boys win HERALD SPORTS DESK PANJIM, MARCH 30

Barretto Boys defeated Rebello Pandal 5-4 via the tie-breaker in Cruz Memorial football tournament at Carmona panchayat ground, Carmona on Wednesday. There was no score at full time.

In the penalties, Stanley, Edwin, Milton, Cady and Jujusidhi converted for Barretto Boys while Bruno, Rollin, John and Gilu scored for Rebello Pandal.

Qualifiers for India football teams groups in West Asia and the 3rd placed best team amongst all the groups QWILL qualify.

India have been placed in the Group C of West Zone along with Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Bahrain and Kyrgyzstan for the AFC U-16 Championship 2012 qualifiers.

India will take on Kyrgyzstan on Match Day 1, Bahrain-Match Day 2, Uzbekistan-Match Day 3 HERALD SPORTS REPORTER PANJIM, MARCH 30

India will lock horns with United Arab Emirates in Round 2 (UAE) of 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, Asian qualifiers.

India will travel to UAE for an away game on July 23 while the home tie will be played on July 28.

India will take on Qatar in the Round 2 of the Olympic Football tournament London 2012, Asian qualifiers.

The first match for the Indians will be an away tie, which is scheduled to be held on June 19, while the return leg will be held on June 23.

India have been clubbed with Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan in Group C for AFC U-19 Championship 2012, qualifiers.

The matches scheduled are as follows: India v. Turkmenistan, Iran v. India, Uzbekistan v. India, India v. Afghanistan and Pakistan V. India.

The top two teams from four

n India will take on Qatar in the Round 2 of the Olympic Football tournament London 2012, Asian qualifiers. and play their final qualifying group match against Tajikistan on Match Day 4.

The top two teams from four groups in West Asia and the third placed best team from the group qualify to the next stage.

Meanwhile, it was yet another Uttam Rai’s show as the talented youngster picked up a sublime hat-trick for India U-15 boys against IMG U-18 boys.

The Indian boys have shown their mettle and have impressed time and again in the practice and exposure games and once again came out with flying colours defeating IMG U-18 boys 3-0.

The students of Lokvishwas Prathisthan Special School for Mentally Challenged Children, Canacona alongwith school headmaster, Arvind More and teachers.

Photo: Kathy Pereira.

HERALD CORRESPONDENT CANACONA, MARCH 30

Students of Lokvishwas Prathisthan Special School, Bhatpal, Canacona, for mentally challenged children, bagged two gold, one silver and a bronze medal at the State Level Special Olympics recently in Margao.

Canacona girls dominated in 100m dash and bagged two gold

medals. Sindiya Mhalshi won a gold while Veena Fernandes came close to bag a silver.

In the boys group, Krupesh Velip bagged two medals, winning a gold in 200m and a bronze in 100m run.

Abhay Velip of Canacona emerged 5th in 100m dash for boys.

School headmaster Arvind More, alongwith other staff

members congratulated the students and their proud parents for the achievements.

These students will now take part in the State level competition which will be held shortly, according to a press note issued

by Mahendra Phaldessai, a National awardee primary school teacher and a member on the special school committee.

Mario glad over National coach appointment HERALD SPORTS REPORTER MAPUSA, MARCH 30

Goan goalkeeping coach Mario Aguiar has expressed excitement after receiving a call to join the India U-16 boys selection camp in Goa from April 1 to 22.

“I got a call from the AIFF technical director, Colin Toal to join the camp and I am overjoyed," remarked Mario.

The camp will be held at Cuncolim and Assolna grounds.

Mario will have three Goan youngsters Klins Mendes, Alison Pereira and John Pereira who were selected after an impressive per formance while representing Goa at Mir Iqbal Hussein Trophy in February.

Jude Barretto and Francisco Bruto Da Costa are the other Goan coaches who are

n Jude Barretto and Francisco Bruto Da Costa are the other Goan coaches who are part of the regular coaching staff. part of the regular coaching staff.

In total, 80 youngsters have been selected and 30 will be kept for the second phase due to take place in May. Currently, there are 16 Indian players training in the US at the IMG Academy which includes Goa’s Myron Mendes.

They will be part of the second phase.

The trials are being held to shortlist players for the AFC U-16 championship qualifiers

due to be played later in the year.

On Wednesday, after the draw at the AFC house in Kula Lumpur, India were placed in Group ‘C’, alongwith last years runners-up Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Bahrain.

The top two teams will qualify for the AFC U-16 championship 2012.

There are eight goalkeepers on show and Mario will be recommending four for the second phase.

This is Mario's second assignment with the National team, after having worked with the U16 team last year. Since then, Mario has been busy in his coaching role with the SAG. He has also had stints with his local club, Piedade Youth Association, Divar, the Goa University girls team and training Goa's Santosh Trophy goalkeepers.

curtorim panchayat cup

Fr Agnel Youth Club, Paroda beat Rossman Cruz Sports Club, Nagoa 5-4 via the tie-breaker to sail into the quarter-finals of AllGoa Curtorim Panchayat Cup inter-village football tournament organised by Curtorim Gymkhana at Curtorim ground, on Wednesday. There was no score at half time.

The teams attacked from the start with both the goalkeepers busy in averting danger with good dives.

Fr Agnel attacked the rival citadel time and again and called the shots against the rival citadel. They nearly broke the deadlock but Sheldon Dias’ smart header missed the mark narrowly.

On the other hand, Rossman Cruz did not lag behind and tested the rival goalkeeper when Mario Fernandes’ smart header missed the target narrowly after being fed by Christiano Dias from the left.

Changing ends, the teams showed more urgency in their approach and went all out in search of goals. Rossman Cruz found success in the 62nd minute when Mario tapped in, thanks to Fr Agnel’s goalkeeper Anthony Dias’ poor goalkeeping.

Paroda’s keeper fumbled with the collection and Mario tapped it in.

However, their joy was shortlived as four minutes later Milton D’Costa punished the rival keeper with a snap shot to put his team on level terms.

The teams went all out in search of the match-winner but failed to get past each other’s rearguard.

In the tie-breaker, Luciano Colaco, Anthony Dias, Milton D’Costa and Sheldon Dias were on target for Paroda while Mario Noronha, Christiano Dias and Menino Pereira converted for Rossman Cruz.

GFA Second Division: Benny XI SC v. Laxmi Prasad SC, Duler Stadium, Mapusa, 4 p.m.

Novino Gold Cup soccer quarter-final: Milagres SC, Mapusa v. Sodiem SCA, Dr Gustavo Monteiro Stadium, Candolim, 4.30 p.m.

Rusi Daver soccer: Nagoa SC v. Rossman Cruz SC, Verna, Saligao Sporting ground, 4.30 p.m.

Curtorim Panchayat Cup soccer : Betalbatim SC v.

Macazana Welfare Club, Curtorim ground, 4.45 p.m.

SWC Cup soccer: Sao Jose de Areal SC v. Clube Sao Miguel de Taleigao, Zaino ground, Velim, 4.45 p.m.

Villagers of Goa Velha Super soccer: Mickey Boys, Betalbatim v. Rebello Pandal, Curtorim, Goa Velha ground, 4.30 p.m.

Cruz Memorial soccer: Mauricio and Sons, Betalbatim v. Nuvem Boys, Carmona panchayat ground, 4.30 p.m.

Vidhya Sankul annual day: Vidhya Sankul campus, near ITI, Tuem, Pernem, 9.30 a.m.

GOA DIARY

GPL semi-finalists

PANJIM (HSD) -- Mech Vac, GSA, Dempo and Sarvodaya qualified for the semi-finals of GPL cricket organized by GCA. Mech Vac will meet GSA at Goa Cricket Academy ground, Porvorim on March 31, April 1, 2 and Dempo will clash with Sarvodaya at Panjim Gymkhana on April 1, 2, 3.

Points tally: Dempo Cricket Club 18, Goa Sports Academy 15, Mech Vac Fabricators 12, Sarvodaya Royals 11, Salgaoncar SC 8, Al Fatah PVG Worriors 5.

SAG football trials

PANJIM (HSD) -- The SAG will conduct football trials on April 5, 6, 7 and 8 at Tivim and Assnora centres. Successful participants will be invited for a football camp from April 10 to 20.

Details may be obtained from Gajanand Kambli on 9552879283.

Soccer camp at Mapusa

PANJIM (HSD) -- The GOA Learning Soccer School will organise a football camp for boys of 10 to 14 years of age at Saraswat ground, Mapusa from April 1 onwards.

Details may be obtained on 9823281781.

Fatima Convent High School, Margao, runners-up of State Level U-17 girls throwball tournament organised by DSYA. Standing (l to r): Delancy D’Mello, Maryann Pereira, Crystal Fernandes, Swency Fernandes, Danica Cardozo, Charlotte D’Costa and Saisha Patel. Sitting (l to r): Damaciana Fernandes (PE teacher), Sr Regina Greta AC (principal), Nina Coutinho (PE teacher) and Larsen D’Sa. Squatting (l to r): Sanita Tavares, Ashiya Shaikh, Raissa Gonsalves, Jennifer Gonsalves and Harsha Naidu.

www.oheraldo.in

Pg15

GOA, THURSDAY, 31 MARCH, 2011

Clarke takes charge

n I just want to say what a honour it is to be named captain of Australia and a huge surprise to see Ricky stand down.

PTI MELBOURNE, MARCH 30

Michael Clarke was today appointed as Australia's Test and ODI captain, a day after his mentor Ricky Ponting stepped down from the post following their shocking World Cup exit.

According to a Cricket Aus-

Vettori quits T20 cricket REUTERS WELLINGTON, MARCH 30

tralia statement, Clarke, who was long seen as Ponting's successor, will take charge of the team in the upcoming threematch ODI series in Bangladesh.

All-rounder Shane Watson will be Clarke's deputy in both Tests and ODIs while Cameron White will continue to lead Australia's Twenty20 side, the statement added.

"I just want to say what a honour it is to be named captain of Australia and a huge surprise to see Ricky stand down," Clarke, who turns 30 on Saturday, said at a news conference in Sydney.

"I have always respected those who have come before me in this role and humbled to think of my name being mentioned alongside theirs."

Ponting, who led Australia in more than 300 Test and ODIs, has also found a place in the Bangladesh-bound team where he would be taking orders from his former deputy.

But Clarke laughed off suggestions that Ponting was "the elephant in the room" and said the short Bangladesh series will provide him with an opportunity to strike the right chord with his former captain.

"I certainly don't think Ricky is any elephant in any room," he said.

"He's been an amazing player

for a long time and I know Ricky will allow me to do my job to the best of my ability. Bangladesh will be a great test for that to see how it all unfolds.�

"I'm confident that if he can continue to play as well as he has done for such a long time, I'm certain it can work," added Clarke, who is Australia's 43rd Test skipper.

Ranked a lowly fifth in Test matches and suffering from the Ashes loss at home as well as the shocking World Cup ouster, Australian cricket is presently at its lowest ebb.

But Clarke expressed optimism that Australia has the talent and potential to regain their numero uno status in world cricket.

"The key for me is we go back to old-fashioned basics. That's batting, bowling and fielding.

I'm not going to reinvent the wheel," he said.

"We want to be the best team in all forms and that is going to take time."

He also said hoped the responsibility of captaincy would help him in regaining his form, which has dipped in the recent past.

"I hope it helps. I think that's another thing that Ricky's taught me, to be leading from the front on the field is so important," Clarke said.

Daniel Vettoti has called it a day from Twenty20 cricket after New Zealand's ouster from the semifinals of the ongoing World Cup but said he is yet to make up his mind on his ODI future.

After New Zealand's fivewicket defeat in the semi-final at the hands of Sri Lanka in Colombo on Tuesday, Vettori also confirmed that he will step down as captain in all the three formats of the game.

The left-arm spinner, however, said that he remained committed to Test cricket but with New Zealand not scheduled to play an ODI until October, he said he would take time to consider his 50-over future.

"I've played my last Twenty20 match ... (but) it's about six months to the next one-dayer so I have a lot of time to sit down and think about it and talk to my family," he was quoted as saying by the New Zealand media.

"Tests are a big part of why I play the game, for team and myself, because there is no better feeling than winning a Test," he said.

Vettori announced his decision to quit captaincy before New Zealand's departure for the Word Cup.

a few days time," Sangakkara told reporters at the post-match press conference.

"Dilshan and I should have finished it off. Dilshan batted very well. My job was to hang around with Dilshan and build a partnership.

When we were two down with 60 runs to go, we should have got there easier, but in hindsight it was good for our middle order to win it for us," Sangakkara, who was named Man- ofthe-Match for his 54, said.

Sri Lanka will now take on the winners of today's high-profile semi-final between India and Pakistan in Mohali.

"We will be preparing for the finals. We don't have to get carried away. We are in the finals and that's great and we need to keep our heads down and keep in mind that there's a lot of work left to be done in the next few days. Today was the biggest match of our lives," the Sri Lankan skipper said.

Tuesday's game was also Sri Lanka's last at home in the ongoing World Cup. "It was emotional. It was the last game we play at home in front of our crowds. The next match is not going to be here.

We enjoyed the occasion and appreciate the support of the spectators," Sangakkara said.

About retiring spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan's last

match on home soil, he said, "We wanted to give Murali a good send-off. Murali is the icon of Sri Lanka, on the field and off the field. He's a fantastic human being and a great team man."

It was also the last game as captain for New Zealand's Daniel Vettori and he said some mistakes in batting cost his side dearly.

"We set up a great start, but we lost too many wickets at the end. We scrapped hard today and the top order really set it up. We missed out by not capitalising on that. I think that's where we lost the game," Vettori said.

"We have been an outstanding fielding side all throughout the tournament. We fought hard but it wasn't enough today. Sri Lanka are going to be a tough side in the final, particularly with their bowling unit. I've enjoyed the tournament and the captaincy," he added.

Final lot to us: Sangakkara PTI COLOMBO, MARCH 30

Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara was forthright in stating that it means a lot for him and his team to play in the final of the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Sri Lanka qualified for the grand final in Mumbai on April 2 after they beat New Zealand by five wickets in a tense semi-final clash at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo yesterday.

"It means a lot to us.

This is what we planned for over two years. We missed a great opportunity in 2007 when we reached the finals and again we've got a great opportunity in

Fedex, Nadal, Djokovic stroll to Miami wins AFP MIAMI, MARCH 30

The world's top tennis trio strolled into the quarter-finals of the ATP and WTA Miami Masters, following a two-hour afternoon rain interruption which sent Tuesday's programme well into Wednesday morning.

Number one Rafael Nadal lived up to expectations as the Spaniard strives for a first Miami title. The top seed reached the last eight over Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-1, 6-2 in just 59 minutes.

It was a similar outcome for second seed Novak Djokovic as he won his 21st consecutive match of the season over compatriot and Davis Cup teammate Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-2.

Third seed Roger Federer did not get on the court until well after midnight -- the latest start of his career came at 12:37 am - but wasted no time in a 6-3, 61 hammering of Belgian Olivier Rochus lasting just 51 minutes.

Former US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro was at a loss for words after a disappointing fourth-round ouster at the hands of American Mardy Fish 7-5, 76 (7/5).

Spanish sixth seed David Ferrer beat compatriot Marcel Granollers 6-1, 6-2 and South African Kevin Anderson put out American John Isner 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).

Number seven Tomas Berdych battled to get past German Florian Mayer 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7/4) and next plays Nadal in a re-run of the 2010 Wimbledon final.

There was third-round disappointment for Jo -W ilfried Tsonga as the French 15th seed was unable to recover in his rain-interrupted match from Monday against Dolgopolov.

Dolgopolov finished off the final set to post a 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 7-5 win and set up a date with Nadal.

In women's play, battling Kim Clijsters saved five match points to overhaul Serb Ana Ivanovic 7-6 (7/4), 3-6, 7-6 (7/5) to reach

the quarter-finals.

German hope Andrea Petkovic began fulfilling her promise with an upset of Serbian sixth seed Jelena Jankovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Maria Sharapova, the 16th seed, was broken ten times and treated by a trainer after rolling her ankle as she outlasted Alexandra Dulgheru 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/5).

Indians, Pakistanis unite to skip work AFP MUMBAI, MARCH 30

Work across India and Pakistan came to a grinding halt on Wednesday as bureaucrats, factory workers, farmers and millions of other cricket fans gathered to watch the World Cup semi-final.

The clash between the two rival nations in Mohali, northwest India, took precedence over almost all business.

Telephones rung unanswered in government ministries, share trading slowed and roads were eerily empty of traffic.

People calling in sick may have struggled to convince their employers -- who perhaps did not expect a full day's work anyway.

"I will fall ill, the weather is just not right for my health," joked 24year-old Manish Saxena, who works at a private Mumbai diamond export firm, ahead of the match.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani -- who himself travelled to India to watch the historic tie -- announced a national half-day holiday.

No such blanket holiday applied in India, but many firms bowed to the inevitable and gave their workers the afternoon off.

Travel guide company Wcities, which is based in San Francisco, was one business that closed its Indian offices at midday.

"We have been given a half-day, but only on the condition that we

make up for the work next week," staffer Melwyn D'Silva told AFP. Santosh Mangaonkar, who owns an advertising firm in Mumbai, also awarded his staff a half-holiday.

"This is a rare event. They have worked hard for some months -- it is time to make an exception," Mangaonkar told AFP. Global consultancy firm KPMG also shut all its offices in India for the afternoon, while Google posted photographs on its Twitter feed of staff crowding around television screens.

India's banks and financial institutions worked as normal -- in theory at least -- as the event fell just before the end of the country's financial year on March 31, but

many employees were glued to the match coverage.

"Trading was lacklustre in afternoon trade, but that was understandable," said Alok Churiwala, director with Mumbai-based brokerage Churiwala Securities.

In Pakistan, where cricket is a welcome distraction from violence and political instability, the whole country cheered on their national heroes.

Thousands of devout Muslims in Lahore, Karachi and Quetta took part in mass prayer sessions, asking God to guide their team to victory.

The main cricket stadium in Lahore broadcast the game live on huge screen to fans who allowed in for free.

pg16:Layout 1 3/31/2011 12:28 AM Page 1

www.oheraldo.in

Pg16

GOA, THURSDAY, 31 MARCH, 2011

Contact us on: sports@herald-goa.com

INDIA CONQUER PAK

achin eeks ummit uccess

AFP MOHALI, MARCH 30

Sachin Tendulkar led a charmed life to hit a crucial 85 in Wednesday's semi-final win against Pakistan before targetting his first World Cup title in front of his home fans in Mumbai.

Tendulkar was dropped four times in his man of the match innings to anchor India to 260-9 against their arch-rivals before his team's bowlers applied the pressure and the brakes to secure a 29-run win.

"The final in Mumbai will be a fantastic occasion. We will focus on the job in hand and try to get the job done," said Tendulkar of Saturday's title match against Sri Lanka.

Tendulkar again missed out on making 100 international centuries but had the satisfac-

Harbhajan Singh celebrates the dismissal of Umar Akmal with teammates Suresh Raina and M S Dhoni in Mohali on Wednesday.

AFP MOHALI, MARCH 30

Disciplined bowling by India saw them beat Pakistan by 29 runs on Wednesday to set-up a World Cup final against Sri Lanka in Mumbai on Saturday.

Pakistan, chasing 261 for victory, were dismissed for 231 with a ball to spare after all of India's five bowlers took two

wickets apiece.

Misbah-ul-Haq, who topscored for Pakistan with 56, helped take them from 208 for nine to a situation where an unlikely 30 was needed off the last over.

But Zaheer Khan held his nerve, bowling four dot balls before Misbah holed out to Virat Kohli to the delight of a capacity

India: V Sehwag lbw b Riaz 38, S Tendulkar c Afridi b Ajmal 85, G Gambhir st K Akmal b Hafeez 27, V Kohli c U Akmal b Riaz 9, Yuvraj Singh b Riaz 0, MS Dhoni lbw b Riaz 25, Suresh Raina not out 36, Harbhajan Singh st K Akmal b Ajmal 12, Zaheeer Khan c K Akmal b Riaz 9, A Nehra run out (K Akmal/Riaz) 1, M Patel not out 0. Extras: 18. Total: 260 for 9. Fall of wickets: 1-48, 2-118, 3-141, 4-141, 5187, 6-205, 7-236, 8-256, 9-258. Bowling: Gul 8-0-69-0; Razzaq 2-0-14-0; Riaz 10-0-46-5; Ajmal 10-0-44-2; Afridi 10-0-45-0; Hafeez 10-0-34-1.

Pakistan: Kamran Akmal c Yuvraj b Zaheer 19, Mohammad Hafeez c Dhoni b Patel 43, Asad Shafiq b Yuvraj 30, Younus Khan c Raina b Yuvraj 13, Misbah-ul-Haq c Kohli b Zaheer 56, Umar Akmal b Harbhajan 29, Abdul Razzaq b Patel 3, Shahid Afridi c Sehwag b Harbhajan 19, Wahab Riaz c Tendulkar b Nehra 8, Umar Gul lbw b Nehra 2, Saeed Ajmal not out 1. Extras: 8. Total: 231 all out. Fall of wickets: 1-44, 2-70, 3-103, 4106, 5-142, 6-150, 7-184, 8-199, 9-208, 10-231. Bowling: Zaheer 9.5-058-2; Nehra 10-0-33-2; Patel 10-1-40-2; Harbhajan 10-0-43-2; Yuvraj 10-1-57-2.

Man-of-the-match: Sachin Tendulkar

3Bollywood

actress Mink Singh poses in Mumbai as she prepares to watch semi-final on Wednesday.

Bollywood 4 actor Aamir Khan talks to his wife Kiran Rao in the stands during the semifinal match at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.

crowd.

India's 260 for nine after winning the toss against their archrivals was built around man-of-the-match Sachin Tendulkar's 85.

But they might have made considerably less had not the star batsman been dropped four times in an innings that still left him one short of a hundred international hundreds.

Left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz led Pakistan's attack with career-best figures of five for 46.

Pakistan saw Kamran Akmal start their pursuit with a first ball four off Zaheer.

But the left-arm quick had his revenge with a slower ball the opener sliced to Yuvraj Singh at point to leave Pakistan 44 for one.

Mohammad Hafeez made 43 before he was caught behind after trying to sweep seamer Munaf Patel.

Yuvraj, out for a golden duck, atoned in front of his home

crowd with two wickets for no runs in five balls as Pakistan slumped to 106 for four.

The left-arm spinner bowled Asad Shafiq (30) as the batsman made room to cut and then had the experienced Younus Khan (13) caught at cover

by Suresh Raina.

Umar Akmal, h o w e v e r, counter-attacked in trademark style, pulling and driving Yuvraj for the first two sixes of the match.

But on 29 he was bowled by an arm ball from local hero Harbhajan Singh to leave Pakistan 142 for five.

Pakistan required 84 off the last 10 overs and needed a big innings from big-hitting but out of form skipper Shahid Afridi.

Indian fans cheer during the semi-final match between India and Pakistan in Mohali on Wednesday.

Afridi only managed 19 before he sliced Harbhajan to Virender Sehwag at cover-point and at 184 for seven the game was almost up for Pakistan.

Earlier, the 25-year-old Riaz kept his side in the match.

Riaz, on as first change, struck fifth ball when he had dangerman Sehwag, hitting across the line, lbw for 38 including nine boundaries.

Te n d u l k a r, opening with Sehwag, subsequently square-drove Riaz for four to become the first batsman ever to score 400 runs in three separate World Cups.

But off-spinner Saeed Ajmal nearly had him out twice in successive balls for 23, a reviewed lbw and tight stumping call both

going against Pakistan.

Then, on 27, Tendulkar pulled leg-spinner Afridi hard to short mid-wicket only for Misbah to drop the catch.

Tendulkar was dropped again, on 45, when Younus at mid-off failed to hold on to a mistimed drive off leg-spinner Afridi.

Riaz, however, had Kohli caught

by Umar Akmal at backward point and next ball clean bowled Yuvraj with a swinging full toss.

Tendulkar was given a third reprieve by Pakistan on 70 when wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal failed to hold a tough chance off an edged Afridi leg-break.

And he was on 81 when a leaping Umar Akmal at short mid-wicket dropped a checked drive against off-spinner Hafeez.

However, Afridi ended his innings when he took a sharp catch at short extra-cover off Ajmal. Tendulkar faced 115 balls with 11 fours.

Riaz had Dhoni lbw before completing his five-wicket haul when Zaheer was caught behind.

tion of having played in all five of India's World Cup wins over Pakistan.

Now he hopes to be at the forefront of Saturday's campaign where India will look to capture a second World Cup title, 28 years after their first and only triumph.

"It's always memorable to play against Pakistan and to be on the winning side five times against them is a memory I will always cherish�.

"But it was a brilliant effort in the field and by the bowlers today. When we batted we had to make sure we got a fighting total. I thought 310 or 315 would have been a good par score.

"Then the ball started stopping and spinning and something closer to 270 was par."

Lifestyle

Relationships

Thursday, 31 Mar 2011

Sports

Business

Health

Art

Culture

Environment

Education

Information Technology

Entertainment

Fashion

Travel

GOA’S HEARTBEAT

‘A Musical Evening’ to celebrate the Great Tagore

Koiteachea kamak kuradd naka - Anonymous

Tourism

Parenting

email us at: goasheartbeat@herald-goa.com

But when you get music and words together, that can be a very powerful thing - Bryan Ferry

A visitor in Goa asks the question many people have wondered about…

Where do Goans go for Holidays?

Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt

Two musical stalwarts, Dr Indrani Sen and Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt will come together to perform for Goan audiences in a musical programme, titled ‘A Musical Evening’. Free and open to all, the event will take place on April 3 at the Kala Academy. It is being held to pay tribute to one of the world’s prominent litterateurs, Rabindranath Tagore

Dr Indrani Sen

T

HERALD FEATURES he Bengali Cultural Association, Panjim, a 30-year-old organisation which has been promoting Bengali culture in Goa through various activities like dance, music, film and theatre festivals is organising a musical soiree titled ‘A Musical Evening’. It is a special tribute to Nobel laureate and India’s national poet, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary celebration. The programme will be held at the Kala Academy’s Open Air Auditorium, CampalPanjim on April 3 at 6pm.

The cultural extravaganza, being presented in association with the Directorate of Art and Culture and the State Bank of India, will feature two stalwarts of music and melody of the modern era; Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Dr Indrani Sen. Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt is all set to gale the audience with enchanting classical melodies followed by some exciting fusion music, marrying the enchanting tunes of the mohan veena with the Western rhythms of keyboard and bass. The creator of the mohan veena and Grammy Award winner, Vishwa Mohan has mesmerised the

world with his pristine, pure, delicate yet fiery music. A foremost disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar, he belongs to that elite body of musicians which traces its origin to the Mughal emperor Akbar's court musician Tansen and his guru the Hindu mystic Swami Haridas. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt has attracted international attention by his successful Indianisation of the Western Hawaiian guitar. He has perfectly assimilated the sitar, sarod and veena techniques by giving it an evolutionary design and shape and by adding fourteen more strings helping him to establish the instrument mohan veena. With blinding speed and faultless legato, Bhatt is undoubtedly one of the most expressive, versatile and greatest slide players in the world. A Sangeet Natak Academy and Padma Shri awardees, he with his sheer virtuosity and limitless supply of melodies won the most sought music award, the Grammy in 1994. It was handed over to him and Ry Cooder for their world music album, ‘A Meeting

By The River’ enhancing his celebrity status not only as a star performer but also as an improviser and a soulful composer.

Dr Indrani Sen will be presenting Rabindra Sangeet (Tagore’s songs) in honour of this great poet. Dr Sen is possibly the most talented young female vocalist, for her distinctive style combined with well- modulated delivery, who has excelled not only in songs of Tagore and Nazrul, but in Bhajans, Geets, Ghazals and modern Bengali songs, devotional and many other forms of light classical music as well as in her Hindi renditions of the songs of Tagore and Nazrul. Her live performances all over India and in various cities of the USA, Bangladesh, UK and UAE have won the hearts of many. With a number of records, CDs and audio cassettes, covering varied fields of Bengali music to her credit, she is a regular playback singer for Bengali and Hindi films (about 135 till date) and TV serials (150 till date) and a recipient of many awards.

The event commemorating the 150th Birth Anniversary of Tagore is free and open to all. The organisers invite everyone from Goa to attend and enjoy a wonderful evening of melody.

G

oa is not a place. It is a state of mind. It is an unshakeable belief in the power of sun, sand and surf to alleviate human suffering. It also poses a minor problem, if one happens to live there. On his first trip to the state, and clearly overwhelmed by the picture-perfect beaches and blondes, the first question that struck this writer was if you were lucky enough to live in Goa, then where do you head for holidays?

Peter Rufus burst out laughing when he heard this question.

Rufus, in his 40s, has the best job in the world. He owns a place called Sam’s Beach Shack on Mobor beach, South Goa. His daily routine consists of turning out in bermudas and serving vodka and orange juice to woozy American tipplers till late at night.

“Holiday....,” he drawled, “I went to see the Taj Mahal a few years back....that’s it.

You can say I love my quiet life!”

Rufus, of course, doesn’t need a holiday. But what about the rest in this state of 1.4 million people?

“My holiday consists of going to Anjuna or Calangute (both North Goa beaches) when I’m bored. Why go anywhere else?” shrugged Narayan Ghondse, 65, a Margao resident, taking particular delight in teasing this visitor about his Delhi roots. “First time to the sea? Goa’s beaches are the best in the world. You’ll miss them when you return to your hot, dusty city,” he chuckled.

Ignoring the put-down, the visitor continued his walk around the quaint little area of Margao, which still retains its Portuguese roots. The houses are delightfully designed cottages and have exceptionally well-maintained gardens. And the shops have names like ‘Jesus Car Repair’ and ‘Rodrigues Restro Bar’.

Gearless bikes are the preferred mode of transport – simple, fun and no hassles; much like the people living there.

Marketplaces are lined with shops selling knick knacks like imitation jewellery, Ganesha statues and wall hangings. If you want to bargain, don’t haggle with the shop owner – just flash a smile. It’ll get many tasks done here.

On catching up with Rufus for dinner, the shack owner said, “I told my mom about your question,” he told me. “And she said that being Goans, we’re the hosts. If the hosts leave their homes, where will the world come to party?”

Well said, Mrs Rufus.

(Courtesy: IANS)

Goa to have Konkan Fruit Fest this year: BSG President

A

HERALD FEATURES t the end of the Annual General Body Meeting and triennial elections to the Executive Committee of the Botanical Society of Goa (BSG) held recently, Dr Heman Y Karapurkar announced that the BSG will present the annual Konkan Fruit Fest that was temporarily suspended during the last two years. Dr Karapurkar, under whom the KFF was started in 2003 in association with the then Panjim Municipal Council (now Corporation of the City of Panaji or CCP), was elected unopposed as the President of BSG for 2011-14 with a broad-based panel of executive committee members comprising Agriculture officers, organic farming promoters and Botany lecturers from college and school levels. Dr Suvarna Fonseca-Antao was elected as the Vice President and Dr K G Hiremath, the Immediate Past President.

The BSG was conceived by Dr S Z Qasim at an all Goa plant show organised by the Plant Lovers led by Maia de Figueiredo at the National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula in 1980 and registered in 1990 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 with Dhempe College as its registered office.

All posts on the executive committee had single nominations with only four applications for the five posts of Executive Members. The current panel comprises Dr H Y Karapurkar, President; Miguel Braganza, Secretary; Rena Fernandes, Treasurer; Dr Suvarna FonsecaAntao, Vice President; Yogita Mehra, Joint Secretary and Olavio Fernandes, Ana Dias e Camara, Manjiri Kelkar and Antonio Silveira as Executive Members.

Dr H Y Karapurkar said that the task before the new executive

committee would be to revive the activity calendar of BSG. The very first item would be to conduct the annual Konkan Fruit Fest. This would be followed up with the Plant Utsav in October-November, 2011, and the Home Garden Competition in January, 2012.

Everyone can add a bit of green into their lives and make best use of what nature offers us, either by participating in such activities or initiating initiatives of your own. Be a part of the movement to green the minds and, through that, to green the good Earth by: DInforming your neighbours, relatives and friends in Goa the Konkan Fruit Fest which is back after a two-year break.

D Request and remind you everyone you know who has fruit plants to to take good care of of their produces and select fruits for the competition.

D Request and remind your friends, relatives and neighbours who make good jams, jellies, juices, squashes, wines, vinegar, perada, mangada, shattam, etc to make them this year before April 27, 2011 and enter them in the competitions.

DEncourage your near and dear ones who love eating fruits to take part in the fun competition of eating as much fruit as possible in 3 minutes flat!

D Encourage all your acquaintances who are garden enthusiasts to go for the event and see what others have grown in Goa, to talk to them and use the information gained.

D To encourage your friends, relatives and neighbours who have surplus fruits or fruit products to sell to get in touch with BSG even if they do not want to remain present and set up their stall at the fruit fest.

Lifestyle

Relationships

Sports

Business

Health

Art

Culture

Environment

Education

GOA’S

Information Technology

Entertainment

info ‘nf’un zone

Thursday, 31 Mar 2011

WHAT’S UP IN GOA??

‘The Iron Wall’, a documentary will be screened on March 31 at 5.30pm at International Centre Goa, Dona Paula. Call 2452805-10.

‘Aquino de Braganca: Battles waged, lasting dreams’, the book will be released on April 2 at 5.15pm at Hotel Mandovi, Panjim. Call 9822122436 or 9859461649.

‘CARZ’, a one-day workshop on cars for kids by Rohan Coelho will be held on April 16 from 9am to 6pm at Sunaparanta - Goa Centre for the Arts, Altinho-Panjim. E-mail info@sgcfa.org. Call 2421311.

‘Mumbai Melange 2011’ - A Group Show of Mumbai Artists, organised by Gallery Gitanjali will be held from April 2 to 12 from 9am to 9pm at Gallery Gitanjali, Fontainhas-Panjim. Call 9823572035.

‘Indradhanush’, a 3-day cultural festival, organised by the Ganga-Zuari Academy will be held from April 22 to 24.

There will be competitions in the areas of dance, singing, essay and drawing. Registration closes on March 31. Call 9822486204 or 9404434878.

A 5-day workshop in shell craft jewellery, organised Sunaparanta - Goa Centre for the Arts will be held from April 4 to 8 from 3pm to 6 pm at Sunaparanta, AltinhoPanjim. Registration closes on March 28. Call 2421311.

An art exhibition of shamanistic art

by Sohela an Iranian artist will be held from April 1 to 12 from 9.30am to 9pm at Gallery Gitanjali, FontainhesPanjim. Call 9823572035.

Manthan 2011, organised by the Padre Conceicao College of Engineering, Verna will be held from March 31 to April 1 at the college campus, Verna. Call 2791266/67.

A One Day State Level Research Scholars Meet organised by the research and consultancy cell of Dnyanprassarak Mandal’s College, Assagao will be

Fashion

Travel

Tourism

Parenting

Pg2

email us at: goasheartbeat@herald-goa.com

HOROSCOPE held on March 31 in the college campus. E-mail mrpatil@yahoo.com. Call 9420979228.

‘Special Provision for Goa–Article371’, is the topic of the workshop, organised by the Asha Family Responsibilities and Rights Association and BCC to be held on April 2 from 4pm to 6pm at Benaulim Community Centre, CD GEN Complex, Benaulim, Goa. E-mail trustasha@yahoo.co.in. Call 2256445 or 9822166876.

‘Right To Information’, will be the topic of the workshop organised by Asha Family Responsibilities and Rights Association and Villagers of Candolim to be held on April 3 from 9.45am to 12pm at St Theresa’s School Hall, Candolim. Call 2256445 or 9822166876. Email trustasha@yahoo.co.in.

Morning group cycling rides, organised by Goa Cycling Club will be held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 6.50am. The meeting point is Cafe Coffee Day, Miramar. Call 8888862462.

You can't avoid dealing with the problem between you and 21 Mar - 19 Apr a friend any longer. Try to get others to see how awesome they are today -- you can do yourself a lot of good by doing good for your people.

It's a great time to improve the lot of whatever group you find yourself part of.

Taurus Futuristic thinking is not for you today -- you are living each day 20 Apr - 20 May as it comes. Try to get a sense of trends and what's coming up - your energy is not focused on the present so much as it is on the future. That doesn't mean lottery numbers, but it could mean smart investments!

Simple misunGemini derstandings can create some complicated situations -- be 21 May - 20 Jun c l e a r t o d a y.

Your career path is veering off in an unexpected direction -- but not an unfortunate one!

Pay attention and see what you can do to make your work life your life's work. You can do it!

You will be full of good energy today, and you should be prepared to use it!

22 Jun - 23 Jul Listen to your instincts today -- they are smarter than your rational brain. They may guide you in a weird direction, but if you have faith, you should find that things start to make sense soon.

Today is not a good day to take part in financial dealings with other people.

24 Jul - 23 Aug This is not the time to use the same old tricks -- work out something new!

It's a really good time for you to engage your creative side and see what you can make of it in the long run.

People around you are moving at a somewhat slower pace 23 Aug - 22 Sep than you are.

Follow their lead! Say no to anything new today -- unless you want to get super-busy in the very near future. It's one of those times when you feel freer than you really are, and life is just about to take a turn for the weird.

People are willing to be much more flexible than you've 23 Sept - 22 Oct b e e n g i v i n g them credit for.

Today is all about harmony, and since you've undoubtedly got your own life in balance, that means it's a good time to reach out and show others how it's done. You're never preachy, so they might actually listen!

Scorpio There aren't any rules about how to get someone's 23 Oct - 22 Nov attention. Use your imagination! Your romantic side is out in force today, and you should be able to show someone special how you really feel or even meet someone new and wonderful. Be on the lookout for ways to make life hotter.

Sagittarius A p p l y

Capricorn This is a wonderful day to work on any sort of creative proj22 Dec - 20 Jan ect, especially writing. You can expect a few requests for assistance today -- and you are glad to help out! It's one of those days when you're sure to find that your own energy is more than enough to handle other people's problems.

Aquarius Your generous nature is coming out in full force today, but 21 Jan - 19 Feb try not to overs p e n d . Yo u r spiritual side is strong today, and it's easier than usual to find deep truths in the mundane reality around you. That doesn't mean you wander around in a daze -- far from it!

You'll transform an aspect of your life or discover 20 Feb - 20 Mar s o m e t h i n g about yourself today. Try not to worry too much about how much you're really helping -- as long as you are making the effort, you are sure to make life better for the most important people in your world.

Aries

Libra

your newest ideas to your life today.

You can serve 23 Nov - 20 Dec as a powerful example. Today is filled with coincidences and parallels. You should be able to see the story of your life laid out in newspaper headlines, billboards and random mutterings from total strangers on the street.

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

Pisces

DID YOU KNOW? How New Zealand got its name

bedaub

A Preparatory Course for students of Portuguese, organised by the Goa Association of Teachers of Portuguese will be held for std 10 students and std 8 and 9 from March 25 to May 6 and from April 15 to May 15, respectively. The courses will be held at the Institute Camoes, Panjim. Call 9011838139 or 9822483778.

Pronunciation bih-DOB Function Verb Meaning 1: to smudge over; to besmear or soil with anything thick and dirty 2: to overdecorate; to ornament showily or excessively Example Sentence Joe was scared to go home after the game as he was bedaubed with muck.

Summer Camp April 2011, organised

by Xavier Centre of Historical Research, Alto Porvorim will be held from April 4 to 30 from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

E-mail xchr.events@gmail.com. Call 2417772.

LAFFS

The island country of New Zealand comprises two main landmasses, the North Island and the South Island, and numerous smaller islands. Aotearoa, which literally translates as ‘land of the long white cloud’, is the current Māori name for New Zealand, and is also used in New Zealand English. Māori traditionally had several names for the two main islands; including Te Ika a Māui (the fish of Māui) for the North Island and Te Wai Pounamu (the waters of greenstone) or Te Waka o Aoraki (the canoe of Aoraki) for the South Island.

Abel Tasman sighted the islands in 1642 and named them Staten Landt, assuming they were connected to land off the southern tip of South America. In 1645 Dutch cartographers renamed the islands Nova Zeelandia after the Dutch province of Zeeland. British explorer James Cook subsequently anglicised the name to New Zealand.

WIZARD OF ID

Funny Quote

“Never judge a book by its movie.”

‘PhotoFlare2011’, the annual international photography festival, organised

by Sunaparanta - Goa Centre for the Arts and the GEC Photography Club will be held on April 9 and 10 at Sunaparanta, Altinho-Panjim. Registration is open. Call 2421311.

– J W Eagan

DAILY GROOK TEMPER DAMPER

by Francis Rodrigues rhythmic failure learnin the drums, gives the teacher tempo tantrums!

GARFIELD

MIND BENDERS

SUN MOON TIDES

Tongue Twister Thursday 34° C | 22° C Dawn 06:10

High —

Clear

Sunrise 06:32

Moon rise

Vincent vowed vengence very vehemently

04:14 Moon set

Low 03:18

Riddle Me This

Sunset Dark 18:47 19:09

I do not hold the desert, only a sample. My innards descend ever so slowly... But in time I am turned over to begin again. What am I?

16:20

TIDES High Low High 09:22 15:13 21:37

D Tide timings are for Mormugao Harbour. For Panjim/Calangute add 20 mins. For Colva add 30 mins

Last ‘Riddle Me This’ Answer: Your name

21:00 Maid in Manhattan 23:20 Red Cliff 10:45 12:40 14:50 17:05 19:05 21:00 23:40

Ultraviolet Three Men and a Little Lady The Proposal Starship Troopers 2 Vantage Point Goldeneye Made of Honor

09:15 12:00 14:00 16:45 18:45 21:00 22:45

Batman Superman IV Paris When It Sizzles Platoon Leader House of Wax Spiders Spiders II

09:15 13:30 17:30 21:00

Khel Haseena Maan Jaayegi Benaam Badsha Hero No. 1

11:30 15:00 19:00 22:30

10:10 12:25 14:25 16:50 18:55

Khoobsurat Naam Trishakti Dangerous Minds

August Rush Secret Window Big Fish The Air I Breathe Cruel Intentions

08:30 Mr Ya Miss 12:00 Jis Desh Mein Ganga Rehta Hai 16:00 Beta 20:00 Kranti

08:00 12:00 16:00 20:00

Eena Meena Deeka Main Tera Dushman Naseeb Apna Apna Dharam Veer

13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30

11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:22 13:44 14:06 14:28 15:00

Papad Pol Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo Lapataganj FIR Ring Wrong Ring Mrs. Tendulkar Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma Gutar Gu Gili Gili Gappa Papad Pol Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo Mrs. Tendulkar Lapataganj FIR

Yeh Ishq Haaye!!

Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani Dhoond Legi Manzil Humein Yeh Ishq Haaye!!

Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani Dhoond Legi Manzil Humein Geet Rang Badalti Odhni Dhoond Legi Manzil Humein

IDIOT BOX 10:00 Tere Liye 10:30 Saath Nibhana Saathiya 11:00 Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya 11:30 Maayke Se Bandhi Dor 12:00 Gulaal 12:30 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai 13:00 Tere Mere Sapne 13:30 Hamari Devrani 14:00 Sapno Se Bhare Naina 14:30 Maryaada ... Lekin KabTak? 15:00 Chaand Chupa Badal Mein 15:30 Maayke Se Bandhi Dor 16:00 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai 16:30 Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya 17:00 Sasural Genda Phool 17:30 Saath Nibhana Saathiya 18:00 Behenein 18:30 Star Parivaar Awards 2011 : Yadon Ki Barat 19:00 Saath Nibhana Saathiya 19:30 Sasural Genda Phool 20:00 Chaand Chupa Badal Mein 20:30 Maayke Se Bandhi Dor 21:00 Gulaal 21:30 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai 22:00 Tere Liye 22:30 Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya

11:30 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 17:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 22:30

12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30

Dus Ka Dum- 100% Salman Kismat Chhajje Chhajje Ka Pyaar Krishnaben Khakhrawala Saas Bina Sasural C.I.D C.I.D Classics Krishnaben Khakhrawala Chhajje Chhajje Ka Pyaar Maa Exchange Saas Bina Sasural Kismat

Apno ke liye Geeta ka Yahan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli Choti Bahu Pavitra Rishta Sanskaar Laxmi Sanjog Se Bani Sangini

SUDOKU 821

15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30

11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00

Preet Se Bandhi Yeh Dori...

Bhagonwali Apno ke liye Geeta ka Choti Bahu Jhansi Ki Rani Pavitra Rishta Bhagonwali Apno ke liye Geeta ka Dil Se Diya Vachan Choti Bahu Jhansi Ki Rani Yahan Main Ghar Ghar Kheli Pavitra Rishta Preet Se Bandhi Yeh Dori...

Sanjog Se Bani Sangini Sanskaar Laxmi

15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30

Rang Badalti Odhni Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani Yeh Ishq Haaye!!

Dhoond Legi Manzil Humein Geet Yeh Ishq Haaye!!

Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani Rang Badalti Odhni Geet Yeh Ishq Haaye!!

Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani Dhoond Legi Manzil Humein Geet Rang Badalti Odhni Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani

Mrs. Tendulkar Lapataganj Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Mrs. Tendulkar

12:25 13:20 14:15 15:10 16:05 17:00 18:00 19:00

Masters of Illusion House : Private Lives Criss Angel Mindfreak Fear Factor The Amazing Race Top 20 Countdown Criss Angel Mindfreak Fear Factor

20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Most Daring House Masters of Illusion Most Daring

16:00 18:00 19:00 22:30

12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00

Dexter The Bold and The Beautiful Friends Las Vegas The Good Guys Community The Simpsons Dexter Las Vegas Koffee With Karan How I Met Your Mother Modern Family Las Vegas Dexter

10:00 ICC Cricket World Cup 2 21:00 ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 H/ls : Quarter Final 4: Sri Lanka vs. England 22:00 ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 H/ls

12:00 16:00 18:00 18:30 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30

Chhota Bheem Marathon Pokemon M.A.D Chhota Bheem Anpanman Breadman Just for Laugh Gags Takeshi's Castle Mr. Bean The Pink Panther Show

11:00 ICC Cricket World Cup 22:00 ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 H/ls

12:00 15:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00

Indonesian PGA Ch’ship Sony Ericsson Open - Miami Sec Women's Gymnastics X Games 16 Football Crazy Premier League World Simply the Best Sportscenter Asia Uca/uda College Cheerleading Ch’ships 22:00 Football Crazy 11:30 12:00 14:00 15:00 15:30

FIFA: Futbol Mundial NBA UEFA Europa League H/ls European Tour Weekly Serie A Show

WWE: Raw European Tour 2011 Real NBA WWE: Raw

12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30

Nat Geo Amazing!

World's Deadliest Animals Drugs Inc : Cannabis Mission Army Engineering Connections Nat Geo Amazing!

Super Cat I Didn't Know That Nat Geo Wild America's Deadly Obsession : Snakes 21:00 Mega Factories : Audi 22:00 Mega Bridges : Hoover Dam Bridge

07:00 Rthymic Breathing 07:30Kids Club 08:00 English News 09:00 Wiz Biz Quiz 09:30 Snaden Shawn Dance Jhalak 2011 10:00 English News 11:00 Doodhsagar 11:30 Mapusa Dance Competition 12:00 Trend setter 12:30Namah 13:00 English News 14:00 Sunset Symphany 14:30Art Living 15:00Success Mantra 15:30Wiz Biz Quiz 16:00 English News 17:00 Mapusa Dance Competition 17:30Kids Club 18:00 English News 19:00 Grace Abounds 19:30Grape Escapade 20:00English News 21:00Snaden Shawn Dance Jhalak 2011 21:30Wiz Biz Quiz 22:00English News Note: Subject to change

Instructions for Sudoku 9 x 9 letter: To solve a Sudoku puzzle, every number from 1 to 9 must appear in each of the nine vertical columns, in each of the nine horizontal rows and in each of the nine boxes

SUDOKU SOL 820

HERALD CROSSWORD - 821 Across 1- Pitfall; 5- Immerse; 10- A long way off; 14- Verdi heroine; 15Gave a hoot; 16- Ballet bend; 17Bakery worker; 18- Ablaze; 19- Deodorant brand; 20- Reduce; 22Added; 24- Airport abbr.; 25Learned; 26- South American herder; 30- Attentive, warning of danger; 35- Female sheep; 36Prefix with profit or fiction; 37Spud; 38- Old French dance; 41Give another abode; 43- Concert venue; 44- Accelerate; 45- Become an ex-parrot?; 46- Vive ___!; 47Unfinished detail; 50- Precious stones; 53- Cow chew; 54- Professional hunting guide; 58- Bad blood; 62- Big rig; 63- Governor in Mogul India; 66- Bandleader Nagy; 57- Compassionate; 59- Joan of art; 60- DPuente; 67- Small mountain lake; 68- Play for time; Day beach; 61- Boot bottom; 64- Has been; 6569- Like some history; 70- Dog-powered snow veCockpit abbr.; hicle; 71- Flavor; 72- Architect Mies van der ___; Down SOLUTION - 820 1- Follow; 2- Receiver Jerry; 3- Citrus coolers; 43.26 light years; 5- Climbing, as a plant; 6- Bumbler; 7- Altdorf's canton; 8- Turkish palace; 9- Perfect places; 10- Church recess; 11- Rate of flow of fluid; 12- Yorkshire river; 13- Hollow grass; 21- Biblical verb ending; 23- Not o'er; 25- Succeeded; 26Kingly; 27- Alert; 28- Not once; 29- Fish eggs; 31Philosopher ___-tzu; 32- Chopin composition; 33Gum; 34- Cornered; 39- Lennon's lady; 40- Coniferous evergreen forest; 41- Stutz contemporary; 42- Capable of being evoked; 44- "Treasure Island" monogram; 48- Sky light; 49- Newspaper executive; 51- Dadaist Max; 52- Mazda model; 54Grounded fleet; 55- Get better; 56- Hungary's

Lifestyle

Relationships

Sports

Business

Health

Art

Culture

Environment

GOA’S

Education

h

Information Technology

Entertainment

e n in p p a h ’ n ot ‘

g

Fashion

Travel

Tourism

email us at: goasheartbeat@herald-goa.com

Thursday, 31 Mar 2011

Music Band Shine On Duo to launch Website

Parenting

Pg4

Popular Singers to entertain at Swar Barase

S

HERALD FEATURES hine On Duo Band, a popular husband-wife duo from South Goa, is launching their website www.shineduo.com. The duo comprises Silvina Lopes, a versatile and talented singer from Goa Velha and her husband Sidney Soares, a professional keyboard player and sound engineer from Loutolim.

The website will be launched at the hands of Jerome Mendes, Managing Director of Leonaras, Verna. Mendes himself is a music lover and promoter of Goan music worldwide.

Shine On Duo will be performing live for this event called ‘Adeus Nite’.

It will be held at Leonaras Pub and Restaurant, Verna today, March 31 from 7:30pm onwards.

Wealth of Goan Handicrafts at Exhibition-cum-Sale

HERALD FEATURES specially conceptualised musical concert, titled, ‘Swar Barase’ by Vaishnavi Creations, Margao will be held today, March 31, 2011 at 7pm at Shree Dev Jageshwar Mandir, Aquem as part of the five-day Shigmotsav 2011 organised by Madgao Shigmotsav Samiti, Margao. Renowned singer Rahul Saxena, Aarohi Mhatre, Sanhita Chandorkar and Chaitanya Kulkarni will be performing live at the concert, presenting various numbers in Hindi and Marathi. Film actress Samira Gujar will compere the programme.

Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Asha D Kamat, the Chairperson of Margao Susheela Nayak, Damodar Naik, the Executive President of Shigmotsav Samiti, Girish Chodankar, Ashok Shirodkar, Councillors will attend the event.

The five-day festivities of Shigmotsav 2011 began on March 30 at Margao with the performance of ‘Mujara Mhaza Lavanicha’ at Costa Grounds presented by a group from Mumbai.

The ‘Swarchandan’ programme based on ‘Abhang’, ‘Bhavgeet’, etc will take place on April 1, 7pm onwards at the Multipurpose Ground while ‘Marathichya Paul Khuna’ will be presented at Shree Krishna Mandir, Calconda on April 2. The celebrations will conclude with the grand float parade on April 3 which will commence at Hospicio Hospital, Margao wherein film celebrities are expected to attend. The annual fancy dress and folk dance contest will also be organised on March 3 at the Municipal Square, Margao.

A

HERALD FEATURES arthen Hands, an ongoing exhibition cum sale of handicrafts, is being organised by Goa Handicrafts Rural and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation (GHRSSIDC) and will go on till March 31, 2011 at the Don Bosco Oratory Hall, Panjim. The exhibition has on display works like shell craft, embroidery, wood carving, quilt making and various other crafts made by artists from Goa and other parts of the country. The show is a business to business activity cum retail exhibition, gives an opportunity for handicraft buyers to interact directly with the artisans. The exhibition cum sale includes companies and individuals such as Creative Greens, which is a handicraft company from Siolim that works exclusively with betel nut leaves to create photo frames, lamps and bowl sets and Suchita Malkarnekar from Margao who makes quilt from good quality material and has even employed women to work with her. Different activities like workshops and seminars have also been organized at the venue for the artists.

Simultaneously, a handicrafts competition has been organised at the same venue with the exhibits being displayed in another part of the oratory. Exclusively for Goan artists, the displays include wood carving, shell craft, coconut shell art and works on terracotta. The competition results will be declared on April 2, 2011.

E

Photos by Rozario Estibeiro

Photos by Rozario Estibeiro

Deepti Salgaoncar, Fatima da Silva Gracias Amitav Ghosh and Frederick Noronha

‘Cozinha de Goa’ d e s a e l e R HERALD FEATURES he release of Fatima da Silva Gracias’ latest literary offering, ‘Cozinha de Goa’ recently took place at the Sunaparanta – Goa Centre for the Arts in Altinho. It was an evening full of distinguished guests and pleasant socialising. Eminent author Amitav Ghosh did the honours of releasing the book amidst a visibly excited crowd. Post the release, a happy Fatima signed copies of her book. The book is out on stands.

T

Nandini Sahai and Harshada Kerkar

Dr Celsa Pinto

Risoleta and Chiara Gomes

Maria Aurora Couto

Lifestyle

Relationships

Sports

Business

Health

Art

Culture

Environment

Education

Information Technology

t r en ’ n ‘ m a l g

GOA’S

Entertainment

ds

Fashion

Travel

Tourism

email us at: goasheartbeat@herald-goa.com

Thursday, 31 Mar 2011

S

hakira has finally confirmed her romance with Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué by tweeting a very couple-like photo with him. The romantic snap shows the smiling pair in front of a beach setting with the sun beaming down on them and their arms wrapped around each other, with the simple message: “I present to you my sunshine,”.

The Colombian pop star, 34, and the 24-year-old Barcelona FC star became the focus of intense media attention earlier this month when gossip magazines published photographs of the couple holding hands and kissing in Barcelona.

The duo met while filming the video for Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), but denied they were an item for months.

T

heir latest venture, Raavan, was not a massive box-office success to say the least, but the Bachchans are not known for giving up easily and now real life couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan are back with another film!

Abhi and Ash have reportedly accepted to star in Raj Kumar Santoshi’s Ladies & Gentleman about a wife and her unfaithful husband. Talk about an interesting story for the happy pair!

“I had actually offered this film to Aishwarya five years ago.

And look at destiny. It’s come back to her. Every role is earmarked for a particular actor.

I feel Aishwarya is perfect for this film,” said director Raj Kumar Santoshi.

“Though Aishwarya has done comedy before, this is a new genre for Abhishek and for them as a pair. This comedy takes me into the same genre as Andaz Apna Apna and Ajab P rem Ki Ghazab Kahani. But the humour here is not slapstick,” the director added.

Salman to sip Coffee with KJo?

G

etting the Dabangg Salman Khan on board has never been an easy task, and convincing him to appear on his foe’s (SRK) pal Karan Johar’s chat show Koffee With Karan was no different. Well, gossip has it that the Ready hero Salman, who at the outset was not ready to sip coffee with filmmaker Karan Johar on the latter’s chat show, has now agreed to appear on the show on being paid Rs 50 lakh for his Being Human charity foundation.

If rumours are to be believed, Sallu will be appearing in the third season of Koffee With Karan very soon.

Though the entertainment channel on which the show is aired, was shilly-shallying to pay the hefty sum, the show’s host Karan at once accepted Salman’s demand and voiced that he would be paying Rs 50 lakh to the actor’s charity foundation from his own pocket. But because of some unknown reasons the idea failed and Sallu didn’t appear on the show.

It’s also being said that besides convincing Sallu for his show, KJo has also offered a role to the Dabangg Khan in his next, which the latter is still mulling over.

Jennifer Garner to play Super-sleuth Miss Marple

J

ennifer Garner has landed the title character in Walt Disney Pictures’ upcoming big-screen adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple mystery novel series. One of the most famous creations by Christie, Marple was an elderly woman, who looked sweet and frail, but had a sharp woman mind behind her gentleness to uncover the mysteries and crimes. According to sources, the character – immortalised in countless films and TV shows over the past 50 years – is traditionally an elderly woman, but Disney’s reboot will revolve around a much younger Marple cracking crimes. Sources add that Mark Frost, who has experience with mysteries, having scripted much of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, will write the script, while Garner and producing partner Juliana Janes will produce through her Vandalia Films company, with Disney overseeing the project. Garner will also be seen in the comedy Arthur opposite Russell Brand and Helen Mirren.

Beware of Passion Busters in the Bedroom

M

Pg4

Aishwarya and Abhishek in Ladies & Gentleman

Shakira finally confirms Romance with Piqué

any of the daily habits, from the cold remedies you use to the food you eat, could be behind your flagging libido. Treating the problem with drugs could not probably be the answer. In fact, the solution might be simpler. A few of the passion busters are: White bread: Eating too much white bread and other refined carbohydrates can zap your sex drive, says Helen Bond of the British Dietetic Association. “Foods such as white bread release the sugar more quickly than their wholegrain counterparts and too much sugar is associated with energy slumps,” which mean no energy for sex, she adds.

Cold and flu remedies: Over-the-counter cold and flu remedies are well-known libido dampeners, says John Tomlinson, specialist in men’s sexual health and trustee of the Sexual Advice Association.

Iron deficiency: “Low iron levels are thought to reduce the quality

Parenting

of blood flow and so sap energy,” explains Radha Modgil, a physician in West London with a special interest in sexual health.

Apple shaped figure: “Increased waist circumference, or being an apple shape, reduces the amount of a protein called sex hormonebinding globulin (SHBG) which is produced in the liver,” explains Mark Vanderpump, consultant endocrinologist at the Royal Free Hospital in London.

Diabetes: When it comes to sex, good blood flow is important, says Tomlinson. “Not only does diabetes cause nerve damage, which means you’re less sensitive to touch, but 50 per cent of men with diabetes will eventually suffer from erectile dysfunction and low testosterone, which are huge reasons for low sex drive.”

Kids exposed to Violence think Aggression is Normal

A

new study has found that the more children are exposed to violence, the more they think it’s normal. Unfortunately, the more they think violence is normal, the more likely they are to engage in aggression against others.

Researchers asked nearly 800 children from 8 to 12 years of age about whether they had witnessed violence at school, in their neighbourhood, at home, or on TV. They also asked the participants if they had been a victim of violence. The survey also measured responses to whether aggression was appropriate. The final section of the questionnaire measured how aggressive the child was, based both on their own report and what their classmates said about them. Six months later, they surveyed the children again, asking the same questions.

This allowed them to test whether witnessing violence or being a victim of it led to higher levels of aggression half a year later.

The schoolchildren who had witnessed violence were more aggressive. Witnessing violence also had a delayed effect; observing violence at the first phase of the study predicted more aggression six months later, over and above how aggressive the children were in the beginning. The same effect occurred for being a victim of violence. Victimisation at the first phase of the study was associated with more aggression six months later, even given the high levels of aggression at the study’s start. The increased aggression was caused in part by a change in how the children thought that violence was normal. Seeing violence-at home, school, on TV, or as its victim made it seem common, normal and acceptable and hence led to more of it.

Editor –in-chief: R F Fernandes. Editor: Ashwin Tombat. Chief Editor-Features: Christina Viegas.

How Internet and Smartphones affect Eating Habits

A

new study has shed light on how new media technology, including the Internet and smartphones, are changing college students’ eating habits and their relationship with food. The findings by Rochester Institute of Technology indicate that individuals are more likely to have meals while sitting at the computer than at the kitchen table, and that they use social media as the main avenue to obtain recipe and nutritional information.

“I sought to investigate how the explosion of new media is changing traditional notions of meals and how this is transforming human interaction,” noted Madeline Varno, a senior communications major at RIT and principle author of the study.

Varno conducted an extensive survey of college students at RIT, which assessed how meals were prepared and eaten, how students interacted with others during meals and how they obtained information about nutrition, potential food choices and recipes. It also assessed the importance of meals in students’ social lives.

“Eating is now just one of several activities being multitasked at once, all of which generally involve computers and smartphones, including surfing the Web, communicating with friends via Facebook and doing homework,” she continued.

“This does not mean that students are any less social; in fact, they are often interacting with more people than if they were sitting in a dining room, but the method of that socialisation is now directly connected to new media.”

Varno also found that people were more likely to ask friends on Facebook or Twitter about recipes than consult a cookbook and often used social media to assess the relevance and validity of food and nutrition information.

Courtesy: Agencies

Regd Office: St Tome Road, Panjim, Goa. Tel: 6658512, 6658500, 2224202, 2228083. Fax: 2222475. Email: goasheartbeat@herald-goa.com.