Dabolim will stay, but Mopa needed for future: Francisco Sardinha

TNN Jan 20, 2013, 03.12AM IST

PANAJI: South Goa MP and Congress leader Francisco Sardinha said that he will safeguard the interests of the people of South Goa by ensuring that the Dabolim airport remains operational even after Mopa airport is built.

While addressing mediapersons on Saturday Sardinha said that the government has spent 380 crore on the new terminal at Dabolim.

In the same breath, Sardinha also said he supports the construction of the Mopa airport as he is thinking of the “requirements of the state in the next 50 years”.

With ‘Goemkar’, a new regional group recently holding a public meeting on the issue of the Dabolim airport, Sardinha said “Mopa is not a new issue…Land acquisition began seven years ago.”

“Don’t get carried away by groups of people who will not do anything in the interest of Goa,” he added.

Stating that he was the MP of South Goa, Sardinha said, “I will not do anything against the interests of the people. But we have to think 50 years ahead. I don’t want posterity to curse us.”

Sardinha said, “I want Mopa to be built, provided the highway from Canacona to Pernem is built first.” He felt if Mopa doesn’t come, another airport will come in Sindhudurg which will benefit Maharashtra.

He also condemned the deteriorating law and order situation in the state in light of increasing instances of rape as well as murder.

When questioned if he would be replaced as party candidate in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Sardinha said, “I am confident that I will be given the ticket.”

SOURCE: THE TIMES OF INDIA

Beaches, towns, villages, Canacona is a mess

By Ashokkumar U Desai, TNN | Jan 22, 2013, 02.04 AM IST

CANACONA: Indiscriminate dumping of garbage in open spaces by tourism stakeholders including shack, tent and restaurants operators forced Agonda villagers to stage a protest rally to the Agonda panchayat office on Sunday.

Fifty percent of seasonal tourism stakeholders at Agonda have no permission from the panchayat office nor from the fire and emergency services nor do they have a systematic garbage management facility. “As a result, they dump garbage in any open space at night time,” said Saplesh Desai, panch at the Agonda panchayat.

He blamed tourism stakeholders for dumping garbage along village roads, water bodies, residential areas, roadsides, and forest areas and also blamed Agonda sarpanch Dijula Pagi for this.

Likewise, garbage littered around in the municipal jurisdiction of Canacona municipality has drawn stinging criticism from all quarters of society as the treatment plant set up at a cost of over Rs 2 crore has been rendered ineffective. The situation is becoming worse with every passing day, but no relief in sight.

Known for its famous beaches, Canacona will slowly lose its tag as a tourism destination if a proper policy is not put into place. Palolem, Patnem, Rajbag and other coastal areas apart from Chauri is littered with refuse, giving an ugly look to the villages. Villagers also fear that the unsightly environment condition will slowly make it a breeding ground for vector-borne diseases.

Pramod Fal Desai, deputy sarpanch of Agonda village panchayat, said “Though the garbage treatment plant at Dumanem, on the way to Agonda, was meant to treat garbage collected from the taluka, it is posing health-related problems to locals as well as passersby owing to lack of proper treatment facilities.”

Municipality supervisor D Krishna said, “Only five metric tonnes of garbage can be treated at the treatment plant on a daily basis, but, the collection has been more than 10 metric tonnes during this season every day.”

Canacona municipal council (CMC) engineer Ajay Fal said that as per the agreement, the garbage plant is being operated by company executives for one year till municipality staff are trained and their job is to provide only electricity and water, besides some minor machinery maintenance.

Agonda sarpanch Dijula Pagi complained that the garbage treatment plant built at a cost of around Rs 2 crore has become a breeding ground for flies and bacteria. The people of Agonda are affected since a huge quantity of garbage is being dumped at the plant everyday and the plant is operational once in a week, the sarpanch said.

A starred hotel has already been served a notice for dumping garbage along the roadsides, said municipality Inspector D Yesso. When CMC chairperson Ajay Bhagat was questioned on the issue, he said that the garbage treatment plant on land admeasuring 4,225 sq m, at Dumanem is not sufficient to treat garbage collected daily, he said he will take up the issue before the council at the monthly meeting.

Speaking to TOI, Pradip Naik, chief officer of the Canacona municipality, said he had instructed the municipal engineer, supervisors and inspector to take strict action against those who violate laws by disposing garbage in public places.

Canacona Community health officer Vinod Naik said that vector-borne diseases have increased in Canacona and the government needs to pay urgent attention towards garbage being dumped in open spaces.

SOURCE: THE TIMES OF INDIA

Siolim murder victim cremated after CM’s intervention

MAPUSA: The final rites of Arun Toraskar, who was murdered on Saturday night at Dando, Siolim, was conducted by his family after the intervention of chief minister Manohar Parrikar, who assured them that all accused will be brought to book and justice will be done.

Ten persons have been arrested by police so far while the main accused Rupesh Salgaonkar and three others are still on the run, police said.

Shack owner and food caterer Toraskar, 45, from Siolim, was murdered at Dando, Siolim, in full view of a police constable, allegedly following a dispute with the local temple committee on Saturday night.

The family members and the relatives of the victim had refused to accept the body which was sent for an autopsy to the Goa medical college and hospital, Bambolim, until the main accused was arrested.

Till Sunday, five persons, Subhash Salgaonkar, Ulhas Dabholkar, Sham Dabholkar, Nonu Salgaonkar and Ashok Salgaonkar were held in connection with the murder.

Police said the main accused is Rupesh Salgaonkar.

On Sunday, the family refused to accept the body. On Monday, the chief minister visited the victim’s family and assured them of action against the accused.

“All the accused will be arrested and brought to book. Justice will be done, no one will be spared. This is my assurance,” Parrikar said.

Parrikar also condoled Toraskar’s wife, two sons and brother. After the assurances by Parrikar, the family was ready to accept the body which arrived at about 4.30pm.

The final rites were performed at 5.30pm in the presence of around 500 people.

On Monday, five more persons including Ashok Shirodkar, Suraj Shirodkar, Sumit Shirodkar, Ratesh Shirodkar and Ritesh Shirodkar were arrested.

SOURCE: THE TIMES OF INDIA

SC notice to Goa on plea to ban ore exports

TNN | Jan 22, 2013, 02.17 AM IST

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Goa government on an application seeking to ban movement of iron and manganese ore or their export from the state in the wake of its environment panel’s stinging report on the massive illegal mining operating for years.

A bench comprising Justices Aftab Alam, K S Radhakrishnan and Ranjan Gogoi sought a response from the state on an application filed by Goa Foundation, which said despite a SC ban on mining after the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) pointed out massive illegalities, the officials were ready to permit transportation of iron and manganese ore through the state on the ground that these were mined outside Goa.

The NGO through counsel Prashant Bhushan said chief minister Manohar Parrikar on January 14 had said that minerals mined outside the state would be allowed to be routed through Goa for export purposes. He said this could be used as a ruse to export illegally mined mineral in the state.

“It is apparent that the state is going to permit many such transactions and exports of ore allegedly extracted outside the state making a complete mockery of the apex court’s October 5 order,” the NGO said.

It said the CEC has already asked the Goa government to keep in abeyance permission for such transportation of ore through the state and for export.

SOURCE: THE TIMES OF INDIA