Anjunaa beach may be screened for Goa govt officials before release

The Producers of the movie "Anjunaa Beach" are tentatively planning to screen the movie before the officials of the Goa government and journalists before its scheduled release for the public.

Sakeel S Saifee, writer and director of the movie said that they are discussing whether to screen the movie before its theatrical release on July 29 or to re schedule the release date.

The movie has run into controversies. We dont want any further objections to this movie and as such we are planning to screen the movie for government officials , Scarlet keelings family and media persons" Saifee said.

The film became contentious when it was learnt that the movie was shot without official permission and subsequently Adv Varma warned to move for an injunction against the film if there has been a distortion of the facts in the case.

Sakeel's dramatic announcement to have bribed the Anjuna Police for allowing the shooting on the beach created flutters in the police department forcing them to conduct an enquiry.

Although excited over the movie's release, the director is upset that the censor board had deleted certain scenes and has demanded subsidy from the state government.
It is only because of Goa government that the censor board deleted certain important scenes " he lamented.

Goa Fishworkers oppose ADBs program for Colva beach

An ambitious programme valued at over Rs 1125 crore from the Asian Development Bank sponsoring sustained coastal protection and Management investment for Colva and Coco beaches in Goa, drew strong objections from the National fishworkers forum.

The National Fish workers forum(NFF) is expected to hold a "quit India" remembrance action day on August 9 in all coastal areas to highlight the issue of fish workers, other coastal people and the countrys rich coastal ecology.

Briefing newsmen at the end of two day consultation at Colva, NFF Mathany Saldanha said that the ADB tried to push for the construction of expensive geo-textile tubes as an artificial reef with projected intention of coastal; protection for tourism projects. "These properties are actually CRZ violation structures which have destroyed sand dunes. The geo tube based technology has failed at Candolim. The NFF condemns the whole process of using the coast like experimental guinea pigs for these unproven and non-scientific technologies" Saldanha asserted.

On the Prime Ministers 2008 eight mission National Action plan on climatic change(NAPCC) Saldanha said the plan does not have anything to say on coasts and the fishing community and demanded separate coastal mission as a part of the Prime Ministers national action plan on climatic change.

Goa Pollution control board to issue notices to mines without forest clearances

The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has decided to issue notice to mining units, who have failed to produce NoC from Chief Wildlife Warden (CWW) and permission under Forest Conservation Act, 1980 to suspend mining operations. GSPCB told this to the High Court in Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Goa Foundation (GF) on Wednesday, when the petition came up for hearing before a Division Bench of Justices S A Bobde and F M Reis.

Adv Norma Alvares who appeared on behalf of the petitioner submitted a list containing names of 19 mines that are operating without air and water consent. This also include names of three mining companies including Dempo Mining Corporation Pvt Ltd, operating from Mulgao. Two days back Mulgao witnessed total destruction of agriculture when a mining dump collapsed.

In a view of submission made by GSPCB, High Court has given a two weeks time to initiate action against mines in operation without air and water consent, and also file an action taken report while posting the matter for next hearing on August 3.

Of the 91 working mines , 19 are operating without air and water consent. It is also the contention of the petitioner that the NOCs granted by CWW and Forest clearances are not in accordance with law. It has further contended that CWW is not the authority to grant NOCs and appropriate authority is standing committee of National Wild Life where the activities are within 10 kms from the boundary of wildlife sanctuary .

In this regard, Forest department has intimidated the Board that CWW has started issuing permissions after obtaining legal opinion from the government.

Language of delay: Forms now in Konkani & Marathi

PANJIM: The Education Department sought to create further confusion and chaos among parents by announcing that a fresh proforma will be issued to parents through schools for filling up forms to decide on the language of choice for their children, in Konkani and Marathi.

Meanwhile, around fifty thousand-odd forms filled by parents exercising their choice of language has reached the Education Department on Thursday — the deadline for the submission of forms.
Later, speaking to Herald Deputy Director Anil Powar said, “The Department will issue proforma in Marathi and Konkani so that parents can read the forms and fill them in the language of their choice”.

The Department actually admitted that this was due to the pressure mounted by the BBSM which threatened to protest vociferously if the proforma was not sent in Konkani and Marathi.
The Education Department will now have to deal with the existing filled forms and the huge delay the process of sending and receiving filled forms in other languages would take.

“We will begin classifying all the forms from tomorrow. It is a huge task and is expected to take time as we sift through the forms of each school”, sources in Education Department said.
However, sources, said that there are several issues that are expected to crop up during the course of implementation.

“What if a school has just one or two students whose parents choose regional language? Will they be thrown out of school? Will they have a separate division just for them?” sources asked.
The logic baffles. The Department is in no position to explain how this will further help the process and why this move was made after the process of seeking parents views were taken.
Meanwhile, the Education Department will begin dealing with the forms it has already received.
Besides, the Department will also have to separately conduct inspections to see if schools have the necessary infrastructure before granting them permission to open separate divisions for the different choices of parents.

Questions are also being raised about the availability of textbooks in English with sources saying that even if the order was given to print text books, it would take at least another two months to be available.

The directorate of education supplies free textbooks to children under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan scheme.
Commenting on the situation, sources in the Education Department said that all these issues will be raised before the Government and that the new medium of instruction will not be implemented until all hurdles are cleared.
Courtesy : Herald

Goa Chaka Chak campaign yet to create impact in state

PANAJI: The state is not sparkling clean as yet, though the Chaka Chak, Goa (CCG) campaign was rolled out with much fanfare nearly five months ago on Republic day.

The village panchayats are either totally disinterested or the interest levels are not enough to carry it forward, say garbage managers.

Lack of political will, inactive management committees and problems in identifying sites are major reasons for Chaka Chak Goa moving at a snail's pace. "The panchayats are too slow in taking the schemes forward," says Patricia Pinto, state coordinator, CCG.

Many environment conscious villagers, irked by the sight of garbage strewn around, are keen on installing a waste management system. "But you can't force a village to have a system if the people sit back and wait for things to happen," says Pinto.

The garbage management committees in panchayats, which can serve as pressure groups at village level, are largely dormant. "Though there are some villagers in these committees, they are not pressurizing the panchayats to avail of the scheme," Pinto said.

"The sarpanchas and panchas do not seem interested. And we have to keep calling them to form the committees," says Valerie Madre Deus, CCG North Goa coordinator. Agrees K D Sadhale, co-ordinator for central Goa. "The campaign has elicited lukewarm response from some sarpanchas. They are more interested in awarding the contract to some private agency to lift the garbage on an annual basis," he said. Moreover, the panchayat bodies are run by paid staff, who already have their work cut out.

But while many panchayats are yet to form committees, a few village groups are compelling their panchayats to take up plans for door-to-door collection. "Villagers in Mandrem, Siolim and some other panchayats are pushing their panchayats to show initiative in taking up the scheme," said Clinton Vaz, CCG South Goa coordinator.

"Some panchayats contacted us, but the main requirement to avail funds is setting up of infrastructure to store the collected waste," Pinto said. In some panchayats, these bodies are yet to find a place while others are yet to commence work to erect a shed or enclosure for dry waste.

Infrastructure should not be a problem if panchayats are determined to pursue the scheme, Vaz said. "Some panchayats have taken rooms or godowns on hire while Varca and another panchayat are storing it in one of the rooms of their own panchayats," he said.

Sadhale said that opposition to locating storage points is also hindering selection of sites. "Some do not want the storage point near their compounds," he said.

Courtesy:Times Of India

Goa’s handicrafts will soon get a helping ‘haat’

PANAJI: A crafts bazaar, 'Goa Haat', will soon be set up across six acres of land on the eastern side of the Rua de Ourem creek in Panaji, opposite the directorate of tourism. Modelled along the lines of the Delhi handicrafts bazaar, 'Delhi Haat', the bazaar is aimed at giving a boost to Goan tourism and handicrafts.

Official sources told TOI that while the blueprints for the Goa Haat -- to be set up at a cost of Rs 5 crore sanctioned by the central government -- are ready, the approval of the Panaji planning and development authority (PDA) is awaited. The project will be tendered within two to three months, sources said.

It is learnt that tourism secretary D C Sahoo visited the 'Delhi Haat' to study its functioning, and the 'Goa Haat' is expected to function in a similar fashion. For example, stalls in the 'Delhi Haat' are allotted to a vendor for only 14 days, after which a new vendor occupies the stall. This prevents a vendor from claiming tenancy rights, sources said.

The 'Goa Haat' will not utilize the entire six acres of land near the creek. Only four acres will be used for the stalls and two acres will remain untouched so that the greenery of the area is preserved.

The 'Goa Haat' will have 25 permanent stalls which will be allotted to the tourism or handicraft corporations of different states in India on a lease basis to conduct their sales throughout the year. Another 40 stalls will be open, temporary stalls without shutters. Here, artisans of different states will be asked to apply for allotment of stalls for two or three weeks and the allotments will be done in advance. A certain percentage of the stalls will be reserved for Goan artisans who will also enjoy some preference in allotment of the stalls, sources said.

The concept of allotting stalls on a rotation basis is favourable to the government because it eliminates the permanent occupation of a stall. The government hopes that the stalls showcasing handicrafts from different states of India will attract tourists to the 'Goa Haat' giving it a national colour, feel and generate revenue, sources said.

Sources also disclosed that the tourism department has plans to utilize the other part of the land adjacent to the land allotted for 'Goa Haat'. The department is considering starting entertainment facilities like laser shows, amphitheatres, etc on the adjacent plot on a public-private-partnership basis without involving government funds, sources said.

Courtesy: Times Of India