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O HERALD O The Voice of Goa — Since 1900 panjim, tuesday, september 7, 2010
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India: US unveils stamp on Mother Teresa Pg 9
Business: Goa ranked 5th in terms of FDI inflow Pg 12
priCe rs. 3.00 (air surcharge rs. 2.00) pages 18
Sports: Dope flunk of six wrestlers confirmed Pg 17
Sops to ring in cheer for some! HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, SEPT 6
The mystery of government is not how it works but how to make it stop. —P. J. O’Rourke
IN BRIEF SC stays death rap The Supreme Court today stayed the death sentence of two terrorists — Adam Bhai Suleman and Abdul Qayum Mufti— whose conviction for killing 37 people at the famous Akshardham temple in Gujarat in 2002 has been upheld by the High Court. A bench headed by Justice B Sudershan Reddy while staying the execution of the sentence issued notices to the CBI and the Gujarat government on an appeal filed by the duo challenging their conviction in the case. -- (PTI)
Four killed in Kashmir Violence erupted in north Kashmir today leaving four persons dead and 12 others injured when security forces allegedly opened fire on a stone-pelting mob that had attacked Inspector General of Police S M Sahai’s convoy in Pattan area. Police initially used batons to chase away a group of youths who had blocked the SrinagarBaramulla National Highway at Palhalan in Pattan area, 30 kms from here, police said. -(PTI)
Fishermen released A group of 141 Indian fishermen were today released by Pakistani authorities from a jail in the southern port city of Karachi, completing the process of freeing 442 fishermen who have completed their prison terms. -- (PTI)
No Cong-Govt rift, says PM PTI NEW DELHI, SEPT 6
Ruling out early retirement, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today rejected suggestions of a “disconnect” between his government and the Congress party while making it clear that he would not ask every cabinet colleague to “shut up”. A characteristically gentle but firm prime minister made it clear that there was no “drift” in the government. “Allowing people to express their views is not necessarily a sign of drift,” he said. In an 80-minute interaction with a group of editors at his official residence here, Singh indicated that he would “look at” (Continued on page 10)
The State cabinet today cleared several proposals which were hanging fire, bringing in cheer to a section of people ahead of the festive season. The cabinet approved the regularization of 413 computer teachers who were working on contract for last 10 years besides increasing the minimum wages of NREG beneficiaries and enhancing the pension amount for journalists. Disclosing this to media persons at the post cabinet press briefings, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat stated that the 413 posts have been created for the teachers who have passed PGCET (post graduation common entrance test). Around 527 teachers were on a hunger strike early this year over the discontinuation of their contracts and demanded regularisation of services, forcing the government to bow down to their demands. “The cabinet has approved the creation of 413 computer teachers’ posts in the aided schools to absorb the teachers who have been working on con-
Sara steers away from job racket HERALD REPORTER MARGAO, SEPT 6
The estranged wife of former Tourism Minister, Mickk y Pacheco, Sara has said she is in no way connected to overseas recruiting, immigration racket or money laundering. A day after Mickky created doubts in the media on the question of Sara sending boys abroad even after their separation four years ago, she told the media that the recruiting agency Fransa Manpower was opened by her in 1998 with the help of then member of parliament Francisco Sardinha and the company was shut down within a year in 1999. She said that Mickky might have been sending boys abroad by using her business venture
Abducted cops freed by Maoists PTI LAKHISARAI/PATNA, SEPT 6
Maoists today released the three abducted Bihar policemen in Lakhisarai district bringing to end the nine-day- old hostage crisis, three days after another police officer was killed in captivity. The three policemen—subinspectors Abhay Prasad Yadav and Rupesh Kumar Sinha and Bihar Military Police havildar Ehshan Khan—set free unconditionally near Simra Rari, 165 km from Patna, on the border of Chanan-Kajra forests and hills in Lakhisarai district this morning, were unharmed and in good health and were reunited with their anxious families. The release after several nerve wracking moments over the fate of the abducted men brought relief to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was under intense pressure to secure the release of the hostages.
Sara accompanied by women’s activist, Auda Viegas explaining her stand on the US immigration racket. Photo by Santosh Mirajkar.
after its closure, adding that only a thorough investigation into the immigration racket and money laundering would unearth the true facts. “I have not sent any boys abroad after 1999. May be, Mickky had been giving the letters and using my signature to send the boys abroad”, (Continued on page 10)
tract for the last 10 years,” Kamat said at the press conference. “The government has started the process of recruiting the 81 teachers who were in government schools while the process of these 413 teachers will begin
soon after the cabinet clearance today,” Kamat said. The cabinet also approved the increase in wage rate in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to Rs 157. The NREG beneficiaries were
413 computer teachers on contract to be regularised l Increase in wage rate in NREG scheme approved from Rs 110 to Rs 157 l Pension for journalists hiked from Rs 2000 to Rs 4000 l Valpoi to get land for construction of administrative building and ITI. l
Babush vows to strike off contract teachers system HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, SEPT 6
In what sounded like another tall promise, Education Minister Babush Monserrate on Monday spoke about terminating the contract system for teachers at all levels in a bid to bring about the much-needed parity in the noble profession. Monserrate, who was speak-
CAT saves the day for retiring staff HERALD CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, SEPT 6
In a major relief to government staff on the verge of retirement, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has held that the employees reaching superannuation should not be transferred merely because they had stayed at a particular place for a considerably long time. The order passed by CAT member N D Dayal came on a petition by three administrative officers of the Health Department transferred from Delhi to Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad respectively with immediate effect. Even while holding the government’s prerogative to transfer any employee, the order said those on verge of retirement should be treated in a (Continued on page 10)
HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, SEPT 6
of the vessel. The SIMPL had earlier promised to remove the vessel for free of cost but subject to condition that it is given ownership of the vessel which was outright rejected by the government. Making a complete U turn Chairman of SIMPL Anil Salgaocar today submitted before
PANJIM, SEPT 6 – The State cabinet today approved confiscation of the four properties in North Goa which were bought by foreigners by violating Foreign Exchange Management Act. Three of these properties are in Morjim while one is in Anjuna, Chief Minister Digamabar Kamat said while addressing a press conference after chairing the cabinet meeting. “We had referred around 400
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The youth charged with the murder of Naresh Dourado at Vasco, on August 2, is a victim of family problems, staff members of the industrial training institute (ITI) at Altinho told Herald. Snehal Dias (19), has been arre s t e d f o r t h e m u rd e r o f Dourado and, according to Vasco police, the ITI student has admitted the killing. “He came from a troubled family. He shared his problems with us when the management questioned his poor attendance a couple of months back… once he even had bruises on his hands,” said a lecturer on condition of anonymity. The student, escorted by the
Snehal Dias
Vasco police team was brought to the institute on Monday, to search for a ‘key.’ Sources say that the team visited the ITI at
about 5pm and after a 30-minutes search, they apparently located a car key at the instance of the accused. Snehal has been missing his classes for over a month since July 26 and skipped his final exam of first year basic broadband training (BBT) on August 25. “He last came to pay advance fees for the second year training, after which he did not turn up to collect his hall ticket for the final exams. Neither did he answer his exams. When the institute contacted him at home, we were told that he was at his married sister’s home for a few days,” said another lecturer. In a batch of 20 students, Snehal failed to develop regular interaction with his colleagues,
HERALD REPORTER
Kamat also said that his cabinet has approved the enhancement of the pension of journalists from Rs 2000 to Rs 4000. The State will make a contribution of Rs 11-12 lakhs annually to the Contribution Fund. Valpoi: The cabinet has approved the transfer of lands to the Valpoi Municipal Council and the Directorate of Craftsmen Training for the construction of an administrative building and an industrial training institute (ITI) respectively. “A total of 6580 square metres land would be transferred to VMC for administrative building at the payment of Rs 13 lakhs while 20,560 sq mts land would be given to DoCT for the state of the art ITI at Valpoi,” he said. Asilo: The newly constructed Asilo Hospital would start operating from September 9, with the shifting of the gynaecology and paediatric out patient departments, the chief minister said. He stated that during the course of time the medicine and scan centre would also be shifted there.
HC stays allotment of Palolem shacks HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, SEPT 6
The Bombay High Court at Goa has asked the State government to keep on hold shack allotment at Palolem beach after a petition exposing intense violation of norms by shacks was brought to its notice by a local. The division bench comprising justices D G Karnik and M Reis passed the order in a public interest litigation filed by one V ikas Bhagat from Palolem, which stated that there has been rampant violation of the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) notification
SDMA that the company now wants to remove the vessels without having ownership, said a government official who was part of the meeting. The SMIPL has given a proposal to remove the vessel within 220 days (40 days for mobilisation of the resources and 180 days for actual work) coupled with a performance guarantee of Rs 1 crore. However, Salgaocar declined to extend the performance guarantee pointing out that he is offering to remove the vessel for free whereas the government would be spending Rs 125 crore if the contract is awarded to M/s Titan Salvage. He was asked to extend performance guarantee in view of higher performance guarantee offered by Titan Salvage, (Continued on page 10)
Vasco murder accused had family probs HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, SEPT 6
Confiscation of properties approved
ing at the official 49th Teacher’s Day function, observed, “We believe the contract system must end once and for all. Our belief is that quality education requires quality teachers for which they should be given their dues and at all levels, appointments should be on a regular basis.” He said a step in this direction would be their commitment to regularise the services of more than 520 contract computer teachers in the State.
SDMA still all at sea on removing Princess Indecision about whom to award the contract to remove M V River Princess continues as the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) even today failed to arrive at any conclusion as Salgaocar Mining Industries Pvt Ltd , (SIMPL) baffled SDMA submitting that “it is now willing to remove the grounded vessel without acquiring its ownership.” Though no decision was taken at today ‘s meeting which met under Chief Minister Digambar Kamat who is also the chairman of SDMA , it was decided to submit proposals of all three bidders — Titan Salvage, Madgaokar Salvage and SMIPL to the High Court on Wednesday when it will hear a public interest litigation (PIL) pertaining to removal
paid Rs 110 before this, he said adding the additional Rs 47 would be borne by the State. To a query Kamat replied that the rates were revised considering the government decision to increase minimum wages to Rs 157 for unskilled workers.
as he preferred to remain aloof. Holding low self-esteem, according to his trainers, Snehal was an average student and by nature he seemed a non-violent, calm and a composed student. “We cannot give him a clean chit in the present murder case as the investigation is still on… but as far as we know, he has never been violent throughout his presence here. In fact, he chose to remain isolated from everybody even during class hours,” said the lecturer. Dourado was brutally murdered in the flat of his brother at Chicalim, Vasco. The police were clueless for nearly a month till they cracked down on the student. Further investigations are underway.
while erecting the shacks. “There is a complete commercialisation of the beach. The shacks erected right in the sea water is obstructing the free movement of the people,” the petition reads. The State government in its
reply stated that they will monitor the shack activities, which are violating the law. The court observed that the erected shacks are not just along the beach but have gone beyond the high tide area. The government has sought three weeks time to file its reply and has been directed not to grant any permission for allotment of shacks till then. The petition has made Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority, State government, South Goa collector, deputy collector and the mamlatdar, (Continued on page 10)
Workers to go ahead with stir, despite ESMA HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, SEPT 6
The Goa Convention of Workers will go on with their one day strike today even as the State government invoked the Goa Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1988 (ESMA) today. In a press release issued here, the government under sub-Section (1) of Section 3 of the Goa Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1988 (ESMA) (Goa Act 20 of 1989), has prohibited strike by Electricity Department employees in all the esablishments/units/divisions/sub-divisio ns/complaintcentres/sub-stations with immediate effect. The government has also declared River Navigation Department as essential services under the above act and prohibited strike in all the units / sections / ferry locations with immediate effect. However, the Goa Convention of Workers said that it will go ahead with its strike. The strike is a part of a nationwide strike called by the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC). The Goa Convention of Workers comprises all major trade unions in Goa including AITUC, INTUC, BMS, CITU, etc. Suhhash Naik, convenor of the GCW said that workers and citizens will gather at 9 am near the Kadamba bus stand, Panjim and then organize a massive morcha near Custom’s House. The strike is intended to force the government to roll back the price rise of food grains, essential commodities, petroleum products, etc.
Their strike has been so frequently ON and OFF, government provided them with this signal...