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O HERALD O
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The Voice of Goa — Since 1900 panjim, Saturday, january 8, 2011 postal reg. no. Goa 101 priCE rs. 3.00
(air Surcharge rs 2.00) pages 14+8
Goa’s Heartbeat: Malaika is the Pg 4 newest yoga junkie
Business: Take action against hoarders, FM tells CMs Pg 10
Sibal slams CAG
THE COAST IS CLEAR
PTI NEW DELHI, JAN 7
In an unusually strident criticism of the government auditor, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday slammed the CAG for its projection of Rs 1.76 lakh crore as presumptive loss on account of 2G spectrum allocation, terming its methodology as “utterly erroneous.”
He said there was “no loss at all” to the exchequer due to allocation of licences and 2G spectrum in 2008. The period pertains to his predecessor A Raja who was forced to quit on the issue of alleged scam in spectrum allocation over which the Comptroller and Auditor General had (Continued on page 8)
Sports: Auction to mark fresh IPL beginning Pg 14
8000 coastal dwellings in Goa to be saved with new CRZ notification
States to identify other violations
HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JAN 7
Goa’s traditional coastal community, who risked the ominous possibility of their dwellings getting axed, will now have a much awaited cloak of protection. The new Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification, 2011, was formally notified on Friday bringing it in force, replacing the 1991 CRZ notification, after 18-month-long process of consultations and expert reviews. The new notification does not mean condoning or regularising violations of the 1991 CRZ notification, barring cases of fishermen families. The notification states that the dwellings of the traditional coastal communities including fisherfolk, tribals which were permissible under CRZ notification 1991, but which have not obtained formal approval from the concerned authorities shall be regularised if they have not been used for any commercial activity or sold or transferred out of the traditional coastal
Case lodged against six paper setters HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JAN 7
Five days after Herald exposed the MBBS paper leakage scam, the Agassaim police on Friday registered a case against six paper setters in the matter. Police Inspector Vishwesh Karpe told Herald that they have registered a case based on the Goa University inquiry report. The case is registered after an inquiry into a corruption complaint made by Kashinath Shetye and others, wherein they alleged that General Medicine I and II papers of third year MBBS were deliberately leaked with the motive for wrongful and monitory gains. “The GU committee report had ample evidence that the question papers of the third year MBBS are leaked. The report recommended that a detailed investigation is required into the leakage,” Karpe told Herald. A case under the Goa Prevention of Malpractices Act (Continued on page 9)
Vegetable supply from Belgaum resumes HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JAN 7
The regular supply of vegetables to Goa resumed on Friday after the Belgaum traders withdrew their three-day strike. Goa State Horticulture Development Corporation’s Chairman Sankalp Amonkar told Herald that the vegetable supply from Belgaum has resumed after Goa Government’s intervention. “We explained to them the prevailing problem all over the country and that staging protest against supplying vegetables was creating more problems to common man. We also told them that if they continue with the protest, we would re-route imports from other neighbouring places,” Amonkar said. The stocks in 350-odd outlets run by Corporation ran dry as supply of vegetables from Belgaum was stopped since Wednesday afternoon. Amonkar at a press briefing (Continued on page 8)
PROTECTIVE NET n
Construction and repair of structures within no development zone permitted for existing structures.
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All foreshore facilities for fishing and fishery allied activities may be permitted by Gram Panchayat in the CRZ area.
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The eco sensitive Khazan land shall be mapped and no development activities will be permitted.
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Protection for turtle nesting sites on beaches of Mandrem, Morjim, Galgibag and Agonda.
PAGE 2: Ok... but not satisfied, says Matanhy communities. Around 8,000 dwellings along the coastline faced the axe of demolition, after a question mark was raised over their existence vis-a-vis CRZ 1991 notification. What has come to the fishermen’s rescue is the move to reduce “no development zone” to 100 metres from the earlier 200
metres. The “no development zone” stands reduced from 200 metres from the high-tide line to 100 metres only to meet the increased demand for housing of fishing and other traditional coastal communities. In a significant announcement, the State government on (Continued on page 9)
HERALD CORRESPONDENT NEW DELHI, JAN 7
Although the CRZ 2011 notification came as a huge relief to the fishing community, the other violators would not be lucky enough as the Centre has stated it will direct the States to identify such violations within four months. Union Minister for Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh said that directions will be issued early next week to the States to identify such violations within four months from January 7 using latest maps and satellite imagery and initiate action under the Environment Protection Act within four months thereafter. Details of such violations and action taken will be listed on the websites of the ministry and the concerned coastal zone
management authority, while action already initiated where violations have been established will continue unimpeded, Ramesh said. He also invited public comments on the draft law on coastal zone regulations prepared on the recommendation of the expert committee headed by Dr M S Swaminathan to protect the traditional rights and interests of fishermen and coastal communities on the lines of the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Apart from codifying the 25 amendments made in the 1991 notification, the new notification has several positive features, he said. The new CRZ notification 2011 replaces the 1991 CRZ notification, but without condoning the old violations. (Continued on page 9)