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The Voice of Goa - - Since 1900
Panjim I March, 12, 2011 I Postal Reg. No. Goa 101 I Price Rs. 3.00 I Air Surcharge Rs 2 I Pages 16+8
HOw JAPAN DEALS wITH EARTHquAKES >> P8
tsunamiPARRIKAR CALLS BABuSH gOONDA >> P2
goaDHONI BANKS ON OPENERS TO FIRE >> P15
sports
saturday
weekend
visit us at: www.oheraldo.in
There comes a time,
when we heed a cer-
tain call. Its time for
that call. When Panjim must
come together as one. IF
these lines are from that im-
mortal We are the world
song, it is because the cir-
cumstances are the same. If
that song was about giving
for the children of Africa, this
call is also about giving for
the future of Panjm
This has been an arduous
campaign for the CPP polls.
At times it has been an unfair
campaign. It has been a cam-
paign of malpractices. It has
been a campaign of trying to
grab Panjim because huge
personal fortunes will be
made. It has been a cam-
paign with one possible dis-
astrous fallout. No matter
who comes first, the people of
Panjim may not. Only you
can change this course.
Only you know if you want
to vote for your town where
you live and work and where
your children are and will
grow. You will know if the
past grandeur of this town, its
heritage, its values and its
peace need to be preserved
or surrendered at the altar of
redevelopment, changing of
zones and cutting of trees.
When you go out and vote,
you will have clear choices.
Vote for a corporation where
promises will not be kept,
corruption will rule, garbage
will rot, streets will be
choked, funds will reach pri-
vate coffers but will be
drained out of government
ones and people with crimi-
nal cases will be your rulers.
Or vote for your city where
you are a stakeholder.
The system of taking peo-
ple into confidence has been
eroded. The mask of devel-
opment is an elixir for devel-
opers and builders. Has this
>Continued on pg 10
EDIT
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE
JAPAN SWALLOWED
LAND OF THE RAVAGING SEA: Light planes and vehicles sit among the debris after they were swept by a tsumani that struck Sendai airport in northern Japan on Friday.
PTI
8.9QUAKE MAGNITUDE
Japans most powerful earth-
quake of 8.9 magnitude in
nearly a century triggered a
massive tsunami.
200-300BODIES FOUND
Around 200-300 bodies were
found in Wakabayashi area of
Sendai city.
500MISSING
Over 500 people were re-
ported missing.
50ALERTS
Australia, Philippines, Tai-
wan and Indonesia also is-
sued tsunami alerts.
2000EVACUATED
2,000 residents living by a nu-
clear plant in Fukushima,
evacuated after a reactor
cooling system failed.
11N-REACTORS SHUT
A total of 11 nuclear reactors
shut down automatically at
the Onagawa plant,
Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2
plants and Tokai No. 2 plant.
Over a thousand feared killed l Ship carrying about 100 washed away l Passenger train withan unknown number of people missing l Fire breaks out in one of the nuclear facilities
PTI
TOKYO, MARCH 11: A massive
tsunami triggered by Japans
most powerful earthquake in
nearly a century today
wrought devastation in
northeast coastal Japan,
sweeping away houses, ships
and cars and setting ablaze
several buildings, killing over
360 people.
Around 200-300 bodies
were found in Wakabayashi
area of Sendai city, close to
the epicentre of the 8.9 mag-
nitude quake as the tidal
waves carried debris of build-
ings, overturned ships, cars
and vehicles that came their
way deep into the mainland,
Kyodo news agency said.
At least 60 people were
killed in Iwate prefecture and
other places. A 67-year-old
man was killed after being hit
by a crumbling wall in Chiba
prefecture, while a woman in
her 50s died after a portion of
a roof of a hall collapsed in
Tokyo.
The National Police
Agency said 531 people were
reported missing and 627
others were injured in the
quake and the 33-foot tidal
waves in the countrys north-
east coast. The toll could go
up significantly as reports of
damage trickled in.
Television images showed
fires raging in several build-
ing complexes as also a major
petrochemical complex in
Sendai. The tsunami also
flooded the Sendai airport.
A ship carrying about 100
people was washed away by
the huge tidal waves in
Japans northeast coast and
its fate was not known, public
broadcaster NHK reported,
citing Miyagi prefecture po-
lice.
A passenger train with an
unknown number of people
aboard, running near Nobiru
station on the Senseki Line
connecting Sendai to Ishino-
maki, was unaccounted for,
the Japanese new agency
said, quoting the police.
A wall of water several
kilometres wide triggered by
the earthquake, the most
powerful since the 1923
tremor in Great Kanto area
in Tokyo and its vicinity
which was 7.9 on Richter
scale and had killed more
than 140,000 people, carried
all that it destroyed deep into
the mainland.
Buildings, even in far away
Tokyo, shook vigorously and
live footage by NHK showed
a wide, muddy stream mov-
ing rapidly across a residen-
tial area near Natori River in
Miyagi,
levelling everything in its
path.
The quake struck at 2:46
pm local time (11:16 am IST)
and alerts were issued across
the Pacific, including areas as
far away as South America,
United States west coast,
Canada and Alaska.
Kyodo quoting the fire and
disaster management agency
said more than 80 fires were
reported from Iwate, Miyagi,
Akita, Fukushima, Ibaradi,
Chiba and Kanagawa prefec-
tures.
Over 600 people, many of
them students, were seen
stranded atop a school rooftop
>Continued on pg 10
TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: There is no tsunami
threat to India and the Goan
and Konkan coastline from
the earthquake in Japan as
there are significant num-
bers of land mass above the
sea that break these waves
and do not allow it to propa-
gate far says Dr. Satish
Shetye, Director, National In-
stitute of Oceanography.
Lifting the lid off the mys-
tery whether Goas coastline
is well monitored against a
possible tsunami eventuality.
Dr. Shetye explains
Tsunamis are not moni-
tored by satellites but by sea-
level monitoring stations
installed at each and every
port in India as well as a few
open sea locations. It is these
stations that register the
changing wave pattern
height, drift and speed to
>Continued on pg 10
No tsunami threatto India: NIO
-
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, MARCH 11: The
State Election Commission
(SEC) today decided to hold
election and counting for the
Corporation of the City of
Panaji (CCP) on March 13 it-
self and has banned victory
processions to ensure law
and order remains under
control.
The district magistrate on
Friday issued two separate
notifications under section
144 of Criminal Procedures
Code (CrPC) banning vic-
tory processions and burst-
ing of firecrackers by
candidates or supporters be-
tween 9 pm of March 13 and
6 am of March 14.
In yet another notification,
the magistrate has ordered
the closure of commercial
establishments like hotels,
restaurants, bars, grocery
shops, recreation centers
and others situated within
the radius of 100 meters of
each of the Polling Stations
in the jurisdiction of CCP on
the polling day.
District Collector Mihir
Vardhan said that these
measures are initiated as po-
lice anticipate law and order
problems due to polling and
counting on the same day.
The apprehension raised
by police was mainly due to
victory processions that
might take ugly turns, he
told a press conference.
It was brought to our no-
tice that most of the com-
mercial establishments
within 100 meters of polling
booths remain crowded with
the supporters of different
candidates, leading to prob-
lems, Vardhan said in the
notification.
The State Election Com-
mission officials on Friday
held review meeting with
the senior police officials to
ensure that there is free and
fair polling.
Vardhan said police would
begin preventive arrests in
next 48 hours.
He said the Commission
has received 14 complaints
of violation of election code
of conduct in the run up to
the polls. We are investigat-
ing all the cases, he said
adding, eight observers and
11 sector magistrates will
keep vigil to prevent election
related malpractices.
There are large number
of officials who are available
on the field to make sure that
there is no luring of voters by
illegal means, Vardhan
claimed.
The 30 wards in CCP will
have 68 polling booths
where elections would be
conducted on Electronic
Voting Machines (EVMs). In
order to ensure that EVM
malfunctioning do not halt
the process, 30 spare ma-
chines are kept in reserve.
Of the total 32,090 voters,
86 are physically challenged
to whom fifteen wheel chairs
and attendants would be
provided at the polling
booths.
The commission officials
said that there are 378 voters
missing with family linkages
while 16 are without family
linkages.
In all 86 voters from the
list are dead while 36 are du-
plicate voters, which mean
their names appear in two
different wards. This is ba-
sically because the names of
the two persons with differ-
ent spellings are been regis-
tered, Vardhan said.
Vardhan informed that
there are 6656 senior citizen
voters, who will be given pri-
ority for voting by the staff.
There is one voter who is a
prisoner. But prisoners dont
have right to vote so his
name is being monitored to
ensure that there is no
bogus voting, the collector
said.
There are five blind vot-
ers, of whom four are bed
ridden.
The election commission
has designated 450 polling
staff that will set up booths
on Saturday afternoon itself.
The trials for voting will be
conducted on Saturday.
Vardhan informed that
222 security personnel
would be deployed at vari-
ous booths, while 120 secu-
rity personnel will be
patrolling the areas. He said
that although there is no
sensitive polling booth, but
in case of clustered polling
booth, a senior police officer
of the rank of head constable
or assistant sub inspector
would be in charge.
Whats the feedback you
got from voters when you
visited them?
I can definitely, say that
people are frustrated with
the erstwhile panel. The be-
lief among non-BJP voters
that Congress is secular
hence they must vote for it,
irrespective of the fact they
take people on a jolly ride of
corruption is slowly break-
ing. And that, I think, can
change the entire arithmetic
of politics in Panjim.
For whom is this is a big-
ger fight Manohar Parrikar
or Babush Monserrate?
Its a fight for genuine peo-
ple of Panjim to get a better
future for their city
Does that mean Babush
will be booted out from
Panjim?
It will be tough for him,
this time.
Why do you think the
marginalised sections of
the society feel closer to
Babush?
I hate his brand of politics
but the guy has to be given a
credit. He has the ability to
reach out to the lowest de-
nominator in the society. He
has reached out where we
intellectuals have failed to
go. But we must also under-
stand that he enslaves his
voters with jobs and money.
So let people ask if that is the
way to go.
What do make of this
group, Friends of Panjim?
They have got similar in-
terest to keep Babush out.
They appear to be com-
pletely BJP inclined
whereas we believe, in no
council or assembly or any-
where the BJP should have
brute majority to indulge in
saffron politics.
The PINC has com-
pletely blacklisted Babush
panel. Does that mean all
his panel members are cor-
rupt?
There are many decent in-
dividuals but it is visibly evi-
dent that they have failed to
challenge the person who
calls the shots.
I will name Regina
Almeida, Prasad Amonkar,
Mangaldas Naik, are good
people but they do not
have the guts to face-up
Babush.
2 www.oheraldo.in
goa We people have been brainwashed, fed the samestories, told what to do. And we have blindly fol-lowed. I have supported Babush. When I went with2000 supporters to him, he said I was late and hewould field me next time. I did not want to wait. And Irealised I can do this on my own. -- Chinawarr
I can definitely, say that people are frustratedwith the erstwhile panel. The belief amongnon-BJP voters that Congress is secularhence they must vote for it is slowly break-ing. And that, I think, can change the entirearithmetic of politics in Panjim. -- Dr Oscar
Goa I Saturday 12, March 2011
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, MARCH 10: Will
Panajiites Initiative for
Change (PINC) able to make
a dent in the vote bank of
Taleigao MLA Babush Mon-
serrate?
Whatever the results may
be, but the entry of PINC has
added a new dimension to
CCP polls.
It is too early to predict if
the PINC has changed the
dynamics of politics between
Opposition Leader Manohar
Parrikar and Taleigao MLA
Babush Monserrate but it
has certainly altered the
electoral battle which was
forecasted as one-sided two
months back.
Dr Oscar Rebello, a front
leader of PINC prefers to
keep dignified silence on
whether their efforts will
yield dividend in terms of
electoral victories for the
candidates they are support-
ing -- he is nonetheless con-
fident that Babush will
definitely find it tough to win
this CCP election.
The PINC is supporting
twenty-nine candidates, of
whom sixteen are from the
BJP supported panel
Panaji First, some from the
NCP floated panel and some
independent candidates.
We have done our best
and have spoken to all the
sections of people, when
questioned as to whether
they would be successful in
beating Babush who has
been planning to turn Pan-
jim into Taleigao.
While many see the entry
of PINC as welcome
change some are skeptical
about its initiative.
Yes, there is room for
skepticism, says Dr Rebello
however pointed out that
they do not have magic
wand to change everything,
instantly. Nonetheless, we
have taken the step because
we want change in Panjim.
Also, the question raised is
what happens after the elec-
tions? What if the PINC sup-
ported candidates change
sides or do not live up to the
expectations of the voters?
The PINC has also as-
sured that it would monitor
performance of the corpora-
tors. A monitoring commit-
tee consisting active citizens
of Panjim should be formed
irrespective of which panel
comes to power.
Will PINC change colour of Panjim?Its a fight for Panjim to get better future
Dr Oscar Rebello
SHWETA KAMAT
PANJIM, MARCH 11: Tukaram
Chinawarr may not even
show up in the hall of fame of
the Panjim Corporation. But
we hope he does! He may
not walk the corridors of the
House and take part in de-
bates about the city where
he migrated to. But we hope
he does. He may just go back
to slumming it at home in St
Inez with his driver dad and
municipal sweeper mom.
But we hope he moves up in
life.
Who is Tukaram Chi-
nawarr. And why do we have
these hopes? Tukaraam Chi-
nawarr is a slum boy million-
aire who has emerged from
the debris of blocked mind-
sets as beacon of hope. In
spite of his, well, humble
background, his folks still
sent him to Don Bosco
School and Dempe Collage
and to Salgaocar College.
And today he is an inde-
pendent candidate in ward
number 8 contesting against
Babush Monserrates star
candidate and former mayor
Tony Rodrigues. So how is
he different?
In a chat with Herald he
says and when he talks you
listen. We people have been
brainwashed, fed the same
stories, told what to do. And
we have blindly followed. I
have supported Parrikar and
I have supported Babush.
When I went with 2000 sup-
porters to him, he said I was
late and he would field me
next time. I did not want to
wait. And I realised I can do
this on my own. And I have
walked my own path.
He has the swagger of
youth, the confidence of
crowd behind him and a
hope for many who want to
move out of a vote bank
taken for granted and open
their own treasure chest of
hope
Yes, he is a migrant. But
he has a different mindset.
They will never dirty St
Inez nullah if they are pro-
vided proper toilet blocks
and basic amenities,
Tukaram, who is a sales ex-
ecutive, reacted.
His father, Kamal though
is worried. He is fighting
against mighty people. We
wish him luck though.
With no much money in
his pocket to entice voters,
this lad is already a popular
figure in the ward. Panjimi-
ites Initiative for Change
(PINC) has supported
Tukaram.
PINC leader Oscar Re-
bello was seen canvassing
for him in the St Inez area.
He is a guy with energy and
commitment. There is huge
support for him. We need
such genuine corporators,
Rebello said.
Another voter, Suresh
Malgi said that for last 8
years people in this ward
supported Babush and his
candidate Tony Rodrigues.
Tony showed his colours
soon after he got elected, he
said.
He has managed to keep
the bribes and goodies doled
by the powerful. His victory
will prove him to be a cham-
pion of the powerless. A tag
that more fancied opponents
have so far bought but never
got.
Slum boy extraordinaire If you havent heard of Tukaram Chinawarr,maybe its time you should
forward march: Tukaram Chinawarr on campaign trail in the St Inez area, on Friday.
Photo by Sachin Ambadoskar
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, MARCH 11: This is
the right opportunity for the
people of Panjim to throw
out land grabber, loan shark
and a goonda politician,
said leader of Opposition
Manohar Parrikar.
At a press conference
ahead of CCP elections
slated for Sunday, Parrikar,
whose panel Panaji First is
fighting a bitter battle
against Babushs panel,
charged that people have an
opportunity now.
And I know people of
Panjim will take this oppor-
tunity, he said.
Asked who he was refer-
ring to in the above state-
ment, Parrikar said
obviously Babush Monser-
atte.
This is the best opportu-
nity for Panjimites to throw
out Babush and finish him
politically with proper vot-
ing, Parrikar said adding
People must come out (in
large numbers) and vote
without fears; and (obvi-
ously) a large turnout will be
beneficial for Panaji First.
Parrikar said Babush
claims to be a law abiding
citizen and innocent in all
cases registered against him.
He says he is not involved
in Panaji police station ston-
ing case, violent act at IT
Habitat, attack on Youth
Congress demonstrators; he
says his men did not assault
Aires Rodrigues; and he also
says there was no rape of the
German girl, Parrikar said.
The former chief minister
also demanded immediate
transfer of Panjim SDPO
Deu Banaulikar.
Banaulikar is acting as a
stooge of Babush Monser-
atte. We have demanded im-
mediate transfer of the DySP.
We have written to the State
Election Commissioner in
this regard, he said.
Asked about the chances
of his panel, he said, the
peoples response is very
encouraging.
He said that Panjimites
are intelligent enough to de-
cide what is best for them
who cannot be won over by
corrupt politicians. Conse-
quently, Our opponents are
frustrated (at winning over
the voters), hence are in-
dulging in violent activities
and luring voters with
money power and goodies.
He said Sandeep
Vaigankar against whom
there are several criminal
complaints including the as-
sault on Aires Rodrigues
case is trying to create a ter-
ror in the minds of people in
St Inez.
On the Taleigao Develop-
ment Front, he said all
those talks are crap.
Babush talks of develop-
ment in Panjim, but go and
see for yourself in Ward 18
which is stinking of sewage
waste and in ward 16 which
is full of garbage heaps, he
said adding the internal
roads are in bad shape.
Only making gardens,
footpaths and railings is not
development. Taleigao is fac-
ing acute water shortage,
power, garbage and sewage
are major issues, he said.
Why the BJP supported panel in
2006 could not benefit even as many
developmental works were carried
out in the city during your tenure
as mayor?
I think, we took that election very
lightly. The panel did not put in hun-
dred per cent efforts. Also, the rival
panel had used muscle and money
power to win.
Money power has been used in
these elections too, but you do not
appear to be protesting strongly
against the ill-practice?
We have lodged a complaint but
they need proof. In fact, we have had
lodged two-
three com-
plaints but all
they are asking is for proof.
Candidates from your panel are
also accused of using money to woo
voters.
There is no truth in it -- we are not
into buying votes.
This CCP election appears to be
a fight between the two politicians
who are fighting for their own turf
rather than for Panjim.
Whatever the case may be,
Babushs declaration to contest from
Panjim is actually benefiting Par-
rikar. The whole community is
united to throw his panel out.
Dont you think certain sections
are voicing their angst against
Babush only because he wants to
be an MLA of Panjim?
I dont think so. We have received
support from all the quarters of soci-
ety and if we win, it will be peoples
victory and not just of our panel.
The PINC is supporting some of
our candidates and we would be
more than happy to consider their
views in bring about de-
sired change in the city.
In how many wards
you see your panel candidates
emerging victorious?
We expect to win more than eight-
een seats with two or three wards, in
Taleigao.
Why manifestos remain unful-
filled?
I have done all the works assured
in our manifesto. Works such as jog-
gers park, market complex, road
widening at Miramar, New Patto
bridge were executed during our
tenure.
Babushs plans to contest Panjim seat benefiting ParrikarA former mayor Ashok Naik is a simple and humble man. Even his opponents are in awe of him due to hissimple mannerism and clean image. In an interview with Bindiya Chari, Naik speaks about the chances of hispanel winning the polls.
CCP POLLS THE BIG GUNS
Parrikar calls Babush goonda
Parrikar addressing a press conference in the city, on Friday.
CCP vote counting to be held on March 13 itselfVictory processions banned; closure of establishments ordered
17 anti-socials warned
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, MARCH 11: Goa
Police today issued no-
tices to 17 anti-social ele-
ments in Panjim warning
them against indulging in
any criminal activities.
Considering their past
criminal records, the
warning notices have
been issued to 17 delin-
quents including notori-
ous Babani Sheikh, his
brother Imtiyaz Sheikh,
Paulo DCruz, Adam
Sheikh Usman, Azim
Khan and Viraj Gaunekar.
We have received
credible information that
you are likely to indulge in
criminal activities such as
threatening people living
in Panjim and that there
are chances of committing
cognizable offence, the
notice said.
Photo by Sachin Ambadoskar
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, MARCH 11: The
results for all the 30 wards
of the CCP are expected to
be out within half an hour,
officials said.
District Magistrate Mihir
Vardhan stated that the
counting would begin at
Goa College of Pharmacy
at 8 pm and it is expected to
be over by 8.30 pm on
March 13.
The victory procession
and burning of firecrackers
is already banned on that
day.
The Election Commis-
sion in association with the
National Informatics Cen-
tre (NIC) has set up a web-
site www.northgoa.nic.in
which will update the
polling percentage and
even counting results.
Vardhan said throughout
the day, the website will be
updated every two hours
while results will be in-
stantly displayed on the
website.
The commission has also
made arrangements at four
different places including
Miramar, ESG, bus stand
and Azad Maidan to show
the results live on giant
screens.
We appeal to people not
to crowd at the counting
station and instead watch
the results on screen,
Vardhan said.
Local cable channels will
also show the results live.
Election results likely by 8.30 pm
-
3 www.oheraldo.in
goa This is the best opportunity for Panjimitesto throw out Babush and finish him politi-cally with proper voting. People must comeout (in large numbers) and vote withoutfears; and (obviously) a large turnout will bebeneficial for Panaji First. -- Parrikar
Babushs declaration to contest from Panjim is actually benefiting Parrikar. Thewhole community is united to throw hispanel out.
-- Ashok Naik
Goa I Saturday 12, March 2011
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
PORVORIM, MARCH 11: Ma-
pusa Police on Friday ar-
rested Nachinola Sarpanch
Martina Fernandes in con-
nection with a forgery case.
According to Mapusa PSI
T Dhavasker, contractor
Dashrath Shirodkar in a
complaint filed with Mapusa
Police on February 5 stated
that Nachinola Sarpanch
Fernandes and the pan-
chayat secretary had forged
his signature and withdrew
Rs 66,581 from the bank on
November 18, 2005 by
preparing bogus vouchers in
his name in respect of con-
struction work of Balwadi.
Mapusa Police arrested
Sarpanch Fernandes under
Nachinola Sarpanch arrested for forgerySections 408, 465 and 420 read with 34 of IPC. She was later released on bail.
-
4 www.herald-goa.com
xaxtiamchi
The Law is very clear that a party once recognizedcannot claim to enjoy continuous recognition inperpetuity. It has to show minimum electoral sup-port for recognition or continued recognition asper the Order.
-- EC Order
Our stand that the party has notbeen merged into the Congress hasbeen vindicated by the EC. No doubt,the Delhi High Court has stayed theEC order.
- Antonio Gauncar
Goa I Saturday 12, March 2011
n The Congress has already gone into election gear, with Chief Minister Digambar Kamats constituency kicking off the party election campaign from Margao a month ago.
Attempts are being made in certain quarters to revive the BJP-MGP alliance, this being the election year. But, all appears quiet in these two Salcete-based regional parties United Goans Democratic Party and the Save Goa Front. The UGDP faces an uphill task in the coming Assembly polls to retain the sentimental Two Leaves symbol, Meanwhile,de-recognition is staring at the Save Goa Front ever since its two MLAs -- Churchill Alemao and Reginaldo Lourenco -- quit the party to embrace the Congress. GuilhermeAlmeida reports.
MARGAO: In the 2009 Lok
Sabha polls, the United
Goans Democratic Party was
denied the right to use the
popular Two Leaves Sym-
bols by the Election Commis-
sion. Result: For the first time
in the 17-year old electoral
history of this regional outfit,
the party had to contest elec-
tions on the Scissors sym-
bol.
But, the problems facing
the regional party seems to
be far from over. The coming
Assembly polls will provide a
last opportunity for the
UGDP to use the Two Leaves
Symbol. Reason: The party
had won just one seat out of
the 40 seats in the 2007 As-
sembly polls and had man-
aged to secure just 5.04 per
cent of the total valid votes
indicating that the party has
failed to satisfy the conditions
laid down for the recognition
of the political parties.
Much water has flown down
the River Sal since the last two
years and nothing much has
been heard of the regional out-
fit in Salcetes countryside its
sphere of influence.
A visit to the party head-
quarters behind the Gomant
Vidya Niketan, Margao re-
veals the state of affairs. A
Two Leaves symbol on the
staircase welcomes one to the
second floor of the building.
This office was bustling with
activity during the Lok
Rusty UGDP faces uphill task
Into Oblivion: The party board pointing to the office, which stands closed most part of the year.
Santosh Mirajkar
Sabha polls, but since then is
often found closed.
Admits Party Secretary
General, Adv Anacleto Vie-
gas: The party has not been
active in recent times, but we
will now gear up for the com-
ing Assembly polls.
The secretary general de-
fended the less percentage of
votes secured by the partys
decision to field candidates
only in certain constituencies,
but the big drop in the vote
percentage is also attributed
to the presence of the
Churchill-led Save Goa Front
in the fray, which pocketed
the anti-Congress votes
across Salcetes countryside.
But, Viegas knows for sure
that party is indeed facing an
uphill task, not only to
strengthen the organization,
but to retain the Two Leaves
symbol by securing a certain
percentage of valid votes in
the coming polls.
Unlike other political par-
ties, the UGDP is run by pro-
fessionals and not by full time
politicians, he asserted.
Incidentally, since the UGDP
first made its entry in the states
electoral politics by winning
three Assembly seats in the
1994 polls under the leadership
of then party supreme,
Churchill Alemao, theres been
no looking back for this regional
party. Alemao himself rose to
become the MP from South on
the Two Leaves Symbol.
Though the Election Commission has allowed the party the facility of using the Two
Leaves symbol at election for a period of six years till the coming Assembly polls the
writing on the wall is clear for the UGDP.
The Election Commission has made it amply clear that it is satisfied that the UGDP is
not longer entitled to continue with the recognition as a state party in the state of Goa. The
Party shall hereafter cease to be recognized under the Election Symbol (Reserved & Allo-
cation) order, 1968 as a state party in the state of Goa and shall not be entitled to the exclu-
sive reservation of the symbol Two Leaves as its reserved symbol in Goa, The EC ruled.
The EC order had maintained that the party does not fulfill any of the condition for recog-
nition as a state party as laid down under the 1968 Order. The Law is very clear that a
party once recognized cannot claim to enjoy continuous recognition in perpetuity. It has to
show minimum electoral support for recognition or continued recognition as per the
Order, the order stated.
Referring to the performance of the party in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls and the 2007 As-
sembly elections, the Election order observed: It shows that the party does not satisfy any
of the conditions laid down for the recognition of the political parties. The law laid down
by the Supreme Court is very clear that a party once recognized cannot claim to enjoy
recognition in perpetuity.
The writing on the wall is clear for UGDP
Herald: Though this is an
election year, all seems quite
in the UGDP, why.
Radharao: If one goes by
the term of the current As-
sembly, theres still one year
and three months to go for
the polls, though we expect
the polls to be held within a
years time. Its not just the
UGDP, but the mood of elec-
tions have not yet caught up
with the political parties. I
feel Goa will get into the elec-
tion mood only after the elec-
tion in Tamil Nadu.
Herald: It appears the
party is yet come out of the
humiliating defeat in the As-
sembly polls followed by the
Lok Sabha elections.
Radharao: Its true that the
Party fared badly in the last
Assembly polls, especially in
Salcete because of the
Churchill factor. The UGDP
represented the anti-Con-
gress forces in South Goa, but
when Churchill came out of
the Congress, he had a much
better way of fooling the peo-
ple. In the end, the UGDP
was the looser because we did
not get the votes in Salcete
because the anti-Congress
votes went with Churchill.
This time round, however,
there is lot of anti-congress sen-
timents prevailing amongst the
people and this votes will not go
to the BJP. But, at the same time,
Congress in for surprise oneve of polls: Radharao
for any political party to succeed,
they need huge finances. It is a
reality that without money,
nothing works in Goa.
Herald: But, the party is
facing an uphill task in the
coming polls to save the Two
Leaves symbol.
Radharao: I feel that in the
present contest, the party
symbols are not that relevant
in the polls. People are no
longer concerned with party
symbols. Two Leaves symbol
may not be charismatic for
the voters. But, we would like
to retain the symbol as the
Two Leaves is associated
with our identity.
Herald: There are reports
that Radharao is working
overtime to rope in Benaulim
MLA Mickky Pacheco into
the UGDP.
Radharao: I can definitely
say that there are several
leaders, who have set their
eyes on a non-Congress polit-
ical movement. These lead-
ers are mostly from the
Congress but the Congress
leadership doesnt even know
who these leaders are. This
time, the Congress might
have a bigger shock as many
powerful politicians will
come out of the party on the
eve of polls.
Herald: In that event,
there may be possibilities
that these leaders float a new
regional outfit instead of em-
bracing the UGDP.
Radharao: No doubt, the
UGDP has interests in Goa
and Goans. I personally feel
that a new political formation
in the interest of Goans
should be welcomed.
Herald: Theres an allega-
tion that the UGDP wakes up
only on the eve polls to allot
tickets to rebels from other
parties for a consideration.
Radharao: There is no
question of any consideration
involved while allotting tick-
ets. If it was true, the party
would have fielded candi-
dates in almost all the 40 con-
stituencies. But, the reality is
that the party could not find
candidates.
We had to struggle to find
the candidates. In such a sce-
nario, who would pay to the
leaders. No one would pay
when there is no demand. We
are not in a position to de-
mand because we dont have
a strong organisation.
MARGAO: Four years after it
was launched with much fan-
fare, the Save Goa Front
party is facing an uncertain
future.
After party supremo
Churchill Alemao along
with Curtorim MLA Regi-
naldo Lourenco and other
party leaders embraced
the Congress, the party
had to contend with a
fierce battle on the leader-
ship issue between rival
camps headed by Antonio
Gauncar and Raul
Pereira.
And, the leadership issue
continues to haunt the
party till date. The leader-
ship question is presently
pending in the Delhi High
Court after the court stayed
the order of the Election
Commission recognizing
Gauncar as the SGF presi-
dent.
Thats not all. The Elec-
tion Commission has
asked the party to show
cause why the party
should not be derecog-
nized as the state party on
grounds that the party two
MLAs are longer in the
party fold.
Formed under the
leadership of Sidhanath
Buyao on the eve of the
2007 Assembly polls, in-
cumbent PWD Minister
Churchill Alemao took
over the reigns of the re-
gional outfit, soon after
he resigned from the
Lok Sabha and the quit
the Congress party to
contest the Assembly
polls.
In the hustings, the party
Identity, leadership crisis plagues SGF
Change of Fortune: Former SGF supremo Churchill Alemao at a public meeting of the party during the 2007 elections.
Even as the question over SGFs leadership is
pending in the High Court, petition filed by former
Tourism Minister, Mickky Pacheco for the disqual-
ification of PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao and
Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco is pending
with Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker Pratapsing
Rane.
Hearing of the petition has not taken place for quite
some time as the Speaker is apparently awaiting the deci-
sion of the Delhi High Court to decide the question on the
Election Commissions decision holding invalid merger of
the SGF with the Congress.
Both Alemao and Reginaldo had claimed that the
SGF had merged with the Congress lock, stock and
barrel a claim disputed by Gauncar and his
group.
Disqualification petition pending with Speaker
tried to cash in on the anti-
Congress sentiments on a
host of issues, including
Dabolim airport et al and
succeeded to some extent.
The party managed to bag
two seats, with Alemao
emerging victorious in
Navelim, and Reginaldo
Lourenco in Curtorim de-
feating senior Congress
leaders, Luizinho Faleiro
and Francisco Sardinha re-
spectively.
Says Antonio Gauncar,
who has kept the party flag
flying high after the party
MLAs embraced the Con-
gress: Our stand that the
party has not been merged
into the Congress has been
vindicated by the Election
Commission. No doubt, the
Delhi High Court has
stayed the EC order, but it is
a matter of time that the
case would go in our
favour.
The silver lining for the
Gauncar camp is that the
Election Commission has
held as invalid the merger of
the party with the Congress
as claimed by Alemao and his
group.
In fact, the EC has been
quite categorical, stating
that the merger of the
SGF with the Congress as
claimed by a certain
group cannot be held as
valid merger as the said
resolution was not ap-
proved by the requisite
number of members of
the general body. Thats
not all. The EC said the
guidelines laid down by
the Supreme court in
Capt William Sangma was
not followed vis--vis
merger.
Incidentally, its now
nearly two years since the
Delhi High court had
stayed the Election Com-
mission decision recog-
nizing Gauncar as the
SGF president and de-
claring SGFs merger into
the Congress as invalid.
However, the petition
filed by former SGF gen-
eral secretary Kennedy
Afonso is pending in the
high court for nearly two
long years.
Herald: For months now,
nothing has been heard of
the Save Goa Front in the
state.
Antonio: I agree that the
party has been keeping low
for quite sometime. But, the
reason behind is on account of
the matter pending in the
Delhi high court for the last
two years. The rival faction
has challenged the Election
Commissions decision recog-
nizing me as the SGF presi-
dent. The people are with the
party. The moment the high
court gives its verdict, the
party will organize itself in a
big way.
Herald: What is the status
of the stay granted by the
High court on your recogni-
tion by the Election Commis-
sion as SGF President.
Antonio: I am expecting
the court verdict within the
next one month or two. And,
I am confident that the high
court will uphold the decision
of the Election Commission.
Herald: The SGF has
faced de-recognition by the
Election Commission after
the party two MLAs
Churchill Alemao and Regi-
naldo Lourenco joined the
Congress three years ago.
Antonio: After the Elec-
tion Commission proposed
to derecognize the party, we
have replied to the Commis-
sion stating our stand on the
issue. The EC had proposed
to de-recognize the party on
grounds that the party
SGF will support regional forces, says Gauncar
MLAs are no longer in the
party. We have also men-
tioned in our reply that a
disqualification petition is
pending with the Speaker
against Churchill and Regi-
naldo.
Herald: What role do you
foresee for the SGF in Goan
politics in the absence of
charismatic leaders in its ranks.
Antonio: It is true that the
SGF has no charismatic
leader in its ranks. The or-
ganization too is weak and
needs to be strengthened.
The people too are fed up
with Goan politics. They had
reposed their faith in the
politicians, but are left disap-
pointed. We will try to revive
the party after taking the
views and opinion of the peo-
ple.
Herald: What is your stand
on attempts to bring anti-
Congress forces under one
banner.
Antonio: My stand is very
clear on this issue. If all the
regional forces decide to
come under one banner, we
will fully support the move if
it is in the interests of Goa
and Goans.
-
5 www.oheraldo.in Goa I Saturday 12, March 2011
-
Last month, I had begun by outlin-
ing the foundations of Goas in-
dustry and the challenges it has
faced and overcome. It is now time to
look ahead and forecast Goas challenges
and the roadmap to overcome them
However, with the present extraction
and production technologies, Goa will be
out of iron ore in about 20 years. There
is no new investment coming into the
state and constant agitations and project
disruptions and government apathy to
encourage new industry is taking its toll
on the state. For the first time now,
Goa has to draw up a road map to chart
out its future. While the roadmap will
have many pathways which will lead to
the main road, I would like to focus on
one of the key paths Logistics.
Goa needs a Logistics Hub near San-
coale which can be integrated with the
Mormugao Port, the Airport, Container
Freight Station at Verna and the Railway
Container Yard, all located within a ra-
dius of 10 km. Colombo (Sri Lanka) a
major international port could be used
to serve as an international gateway for
Goa. Minor ports coming up at Revas
near Ratnagiri, Redi (in Maharashtra)
can be tapped. Goa is also well con-
nected by two national highways
NH4A and NH17. If the government in-
tegrates all this and links it to a logistic
hub, in one to two years, we can have a
world class facility and become an inter-
national destination, attracting the right
industries.
The hub, in addition to providing em-
ployment for locals will increase revenue
and boost infrastructure and tourism. It
will also have other benefits namely:
n Become a hub for coastal cargo
shipping along the west coast of
India.
n Convert major portion of interstate
cargo flow into coastal sea and rail
mode making costs cheaper.
n Logistics parks can be set up with
specialized warehouses for specific
industries like food, construction,
pharma, textiles etc.
n Reduce congestion of heavy vehi-
cles in cities.
n Improve potential for fish and meat
exports from Goa, by creating a cold
storage chain.
Meanwhile, the following challenges
need to be overcome. Goa also faces a
major issue of migrant labourers. Al-
though the number of migrant labourers
employed as security personnel, house
maids etc. are much more than that in
factories and construction, the visibility
of such labourers is much higher in the
latter. There is also a major problem of
unemployment among Goan youth.
There are around 2,00,000 youth in Goa
for whom jobs will have to be created
and they require employment or ca-
reers. And much more will be added
every year. More than 2,50,000 students
study in different schools and colleges in
Goa from primary to the post graduate
level and around 1,00,000 people are on
the live register of the employment ex-
change. In the absence of any job oppor-
tunities, nearly 90 per cent of the
engineering graduates are going out of
state to seek employment. Today the job
creation in the state is negligible. Jobs
with the State Government have already
reached a saturation stage.
Moreover, the number of people who
are going to enter the job market are
much more than those who are due for
retirement in years to come. Also the in-
crease in staff salaries on account of sixth
pay commission will definitely hamper
governments ability to undertake wel-
fare programmes, infrastructural devel-
opment activities and also to create jobs.
So, the only option for jobs is from the
private sector. This sector needs all the
support and help that it rightfully de-
serves.
Ihave a love hate relationship with
the gym for almost 10 years now.
Must say, its more hate than love.
Truth be told, I dont have much of a
physique. At the risk of sounding dis-
gusting Im all flab.
Every once in a while, when I feel fat,
I start working out. Tell myself this time
its going to be forever. Buy those expen-
sive shoes. Register at a gym; pay a six
month membership at least, to tie me
down to the cause. And then, on receiv-
ing a few compliments on losing weight,
[mostly from my mother who always
thinks Im losing weight] I stop working
out. Tell myself I dont have the time.
Work is more important. The excuses
are countless. Then I start putting on
weight again. And the cycle thats been
going on for the last 10 years continues,
without any real improvement in my
physical appearance.
Actually, we do the same in all aspects
of our life. At work, we start a certain
project and abandon it half way through
when the going gets tough or the initial
euphoria dies down. Start on a fresh
note with our colleagues and subordi-
nates but after a while, go back to our
original behavior. In terms of personal
development, we get into the habit of
reading and learning but then go back
to our regular routine.
The key to any kind of improvement
is consistency. Anyone can do a certain
thing for a couple of days or weeks. But
working out through the year consis-
tently, thats what brings you results. The
most successful professionals across the
board share that one thing in common.
Consistency in action towards the pur-
suit of goals.
In life, we usually concentrate on the
bigger decisions in life. Honestly, whats
more important are the small decisions
you take every day. Those decisions,
without us really realizing, become the
make or break decisions. At seven pm
in the evening, when it is my designated
time to work out, when I choose TV,
thats a part of me broken without me re-
alizing the impact.
So what will it take to do stuff consis-
tently? Simply put - going against the
tide. Our mind will play games with us.
Make up a thousand excuses for not
doing the things that we have decided to.
And we listen to that voice. Not because
we really believe what that voice is say-
ing. But its just the easier thing to do at
that point. I dont have a text book solu-
tion but here are a few things that have
helped:
1.Be very conscious of your small de-
cisions. Concentrate on a few big deci-
sions and then follow them up rigorously
with the smaller right decisions every
day.
2. Power through the weaker mo-
ments. Every time your mind starts
playing devil, dont give yourself too
much time to reason. Quickly get into ac-
tion. Wear those shoes and start jogging.
3. Keep the right and relevant com-
pany. The kind of people who manage to
motivate you. Who have a track record
of success in the area you desire to im-
prove. Most importantly, dont give up on
yourself. You may have gone back and
forth in the past. But trust me; another
shot at improving yourself never goes
waste. Irrespective of past failures, pull
up your socks, and get started. Today!
opinion6 www.oheraldo.in
Will Panjim be held hostage to Modassirsego? He and he alone will be solely re-sponsible if there is any violence or unto-ward incident after the poll results areannounced.
Edit
The key to any kind of improvement isconsistency. Anyone can do a certainthing for a couple of days or weeks. Butworking out through the year consistently,thats what brings you results.
Swapnil Kamat
WEEKENDEDIT
Vol. No CXI No. 070 I Goa I Saturday 12, March 2011
In the absence of any jobopportunities, nearly 90per cent of the engineer-ing graduates are goingout of state to seek em-ployment.
PEOPLESEDIT
WEEKEND INBOX
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Mumbai - 400001 (Tel: 22840702/22844908). RNI No: 43667/83.
Printed and published by Vinayak Pai Bir for and on be-
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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.
Goas growth needs one clear logic logistics
nitin
KunColieKar
The gym issue
Is there no checking the State Election Commissioner Mr
Modassir The man who is supposed to be the guardian of
the election commission, who committed a major blunder by
signing the poll notification on a date when he was on leave? He
compounded the blunder by trying to defend himself saying that
he had signed the poll schedule before going on leave. If that was
so, he should have ethically put the date on which he signed with
a clause so that the notification would come into effect from a
later date.
This act of his is as cheap as a school boy marking himself pres-
ent on a day when he is not in school. The sad truth is that while
school boys have time to learn their lessons, a retired officer who
takes up a post retirement job to enjoy the comforts of Goa is past
his active learning stage. This is a character trait which will stay.
But why at Goas expense?
Meanwhile, the Election Commissioner has committed an-
other absurdity. He has insisted that the votes be counted after 8
pm on Sunday. Before even trying to understand his logic, the
move itself is shocking to everyone. Any Election Commissioner
worth his salt understands and knows the pulse of every election.
This election will be close. This will be tense. There is every pos-
sibility of several complaints of malpractices being lodged and
clashes between rival groups of supporters. Isnt it easier to han-
dle this in the light of day than in the dead of night?
These night rider tactics of Modassir has left everybody baf-
fled, not in the least the beleaguered Panjim police. They made a
fervent plea to the SEC to change his mind and postpone polling
by a day so that the tired forces on poll duty could get a nights
rest, regroup and be ready for counting. Modassir refused, and
what was his reason? The police did not mention it during earlier
meetings with him. Is that a good enough reason to reject a gen-
uine plea?
Will Panjim be held hostage to Modassirs ego? He and he
alone will be solely responsible if there is any violence or unto-
ward incident after the poll results are announced. Will Modassir
leave his office and hit the streets to be with policemen if there
are clashes? Lets get real. We are dealing with Babush Monser-
rate, whose supporters have attacked police stations and beaten
up Youth Congress supporters. In addition there are people who
have parted ways with him and are contesting against his candi-
dates. There is sufficient ground for a flashpoint.
All this begs the question. Is the Home Minister of this state
non-existent? Or the Chief Minister? The Home Minister should
have acted strongly and called on the Governor to impress upon
him the foolhardiness of counting the votes late at night on Sun-
day and pushed for the postponement of polling.
The two main political players, Manohar Parrikar and Babush
Monseratte, have not taken a stand on this either. They should
have. Of course, the people of Panjim will be faceless bystanders.
On a Sunday evening, when families will be out on the beach, in
restaurants or going for walks, they wouldnt want the aftermath
of victory processions or angry protests to hit them. Wouldnt it
have made a healthy difference if Panjimites got some peace by
pushing counting till Monday morning?
But the show wont be over so soon. In a further addition to the
theatre of the absurd the counting will be shown in the INOX
multiplex, the heart of Panjims entertainment, especially on
weekends. This spot will become another flash point when elec-
tions will be announced.
Is this Modassirs idea of an entertaining election? This isnt
really a T20 or a World Cup match. Seriously speaking, the coor-
dination between the police and the SEC may leave a lot to be
desired. But the SEC, who is the captain, should have had better
control over this process, thought this out wisely and given room
for last minute changes for the sake of a safe and secure election.
His rigidity is not acceptable. If an IAS officer wanting to retire
needs a post retirement job, placing him in charge of the states
poll process isnt the right chair for him. It is a measure of the se-
riousness with which this office is taken, when they make people
like Modassir the states Election Commissioner.
Will someone checkthe errant Modassir?
Anti-urination act
I went through the column A Vision
and a Mission by Dr Joe DSouza (Her-
ald, 9 Mar) and would like to comment
on the issue of public urination by peo-
ple at various places in and around Pan-
jim. I had been to the CCP office to meet
the commissioner and to get the names
of the inspectors who are responsible
for implementation of the anti-urina-
tion act, but they were not available. It is
a bit difficult to garner support, at this
time.
However, I can assure Dr Joe and on be-
half of myself and the Panaji First Panel,
that it will be our endeavour to imple-
ment the anti-urination act and take ac-
tion against the violators.
Manoj Patil, Caranzalem
Why stoop so lowParrikar?
The history of Goa and the short BJP
rule in the state riddled with the worst
sins of omission and commission and
communal indiscipline all point an ac-
cusing finger to the person who was at
the helm of things Manohar Parrikar
who came to power from the back door
as the BJP never ever got an over-
whelming majority in the state of Goa. In
the weekend edition of the Herald, while
speaking to Sujay Gupta, Parrikar went
on to explain how Babush is a monster
(according to him). He also lied in the in-
terview on the controversy wherein he
wanted to strike off the Good Friday hol-
iday. The people of Goa are no fools and
do not live in a fools paradise like Par-
rikar. In fact the ruin of Panjim is for all
to see and Panjims long standing MLA,
Parrikar has presided over the ruin of
the capital city over the years. Today,
faced with almost defeat at the hands of
the Babush panel, Parrikar is suddenly
doing a volte face by calling the pot
black. Parrikar should visit Taleigaon
and see the development and progress
made by Babush, accusations notwith-
standing and then take a look at
his own backyard and see how much de-
velopment he and his panel has
done in Panjim.
Cedric da Costa, Margao
Recommendationsfor next budget
As per the budget provisions and press
reports, the salaried tax payers whose
salaries are Rs5 lakh per annum only
shall not be required to file their income
tax returns if the entire tax liability is dis-
charged by the employer through de-
duction of tax at source. This is a
welcome step. At present, income/loss
from house property can be adjusted
broadly for Tax Deduction at Source
(TDS) from salaries. Also, the limit from
all such sources salaries, plus interest,
and other sources of income can be fixed
at Rs10 lakh. It shall reduce income tax
department work without loss of rev-
enue and a good number of salaried per-
sons having a total income up to Rs10
lakh will get relief and will be saved from
the burden of filing returns. However,
the real implications shall be known only
when such a scheme is notified.
Mahesh Kapasi, New Delhi
Guardians of law aremurderers
People need to know why PSI Vijay
Chodankar is not suspended along with
4 other accused in the Cipriano murder
case?Mere suspension is not enough.
This is a murder case and the accused
cops should be sentenced for murder.
The lame excuses given that Cipriano
suffered from fits and alcohol abuse are
only a pack of lies. Television and news-
papers should release photos of the ac-
cused cops so that the people are aware
of who they are. Even Kasab and Ma-
hanand Naik are given a fair trail, why
did Cipriano have to die in custody at the
hands of police? Now, they are being
shielded. Is this a Jungle law?
K K Swami, Panjim
Recommendationswelcome
I welcome the Law commissions recom-
mendation to bring strict laws to put
erring builders behind bars. Builders
with Municipal Council members have
been looting Goans. Mapusa today re-
sembles an overflowing garbage bin.
Builders have built a huge building
without leaving an inch of space and the
Mapuca Municipal Council has been is-
suing occupancy certificate without
even an inspection. The Law commis-
sion should hand down stringent pun-
ishment to its own advocates who have
got their offices in residential areas,
much against the prescribed rules laid
down by government.
Bosco Vaz, Mapusa
For let ters to the edi tor contact us at edi tor [email protected]
Psalms of the forlorn Caetano de abreu
When I ponder about my
earlier years spent in rela-
tive comfort and bliss, in
the company of my loved ones life,
was in full contentment. I do consider
myself forlorn if I view in genuine per-
spective the malaises plaguing me
and Goans, which in present circum-
stances we are paying for our mis-
takes with our mother tongue, which
is Konkani, craftily sidelined to give
rise to unknown derivatives. Ration-
ally psalms are joyous canticles sung
in praise of the Almighty; however in
this context they are more like dirges
lamenting the departed, in which case
it is our cultural life and innocent de-
portment.
The Goan mannerism, since about
three decades ago, have undergone a
sea of changes with successive gov-
ernments playing lip avuncularism
with no constructivism to alleviate the
plight of its constituents, and to aggra-
vate the matter the religion is playing
a predominant role in ushering in the
abhorring divisive politics. The mat-
ter in matrix is synergized with
Manohar Parrikar, playing his flute to
lead the unorganized pack. With Pan-
jim remaining in total neglect it is rel-
evant to ask, How we can ever repose
faith on a man, after he is elected the
fourth time, when as the elected
member of Panjim constituency he
has done nothing except to break co-
conuts when carpeting of roads was
in progress, is he compatible to break
coconuts only?
It is to be regarded that Parrikar in
his quest to become Montri is formu-
lating coalitions for the control of CCP
which in the long run he is making his
presence felt to covet his fourth con-
secutive return to the assembly by
tying up surreptitiously with the likes
of Mickey Pacheco. Micky is playing
the mickey with the Goan electorate,
when for the Panjimites he is an ob-
noxious entity. To make the matter
more obvious he is supported by
Avinash Bhonsle to spew bile on
Babush Monserrate.
I am not expressing that Babush is
a paragon of virtue. Quite to the con-
trary, however I must express what
the present Goa Government is dish-
ing us is foregone conclusion. Dooms-
day is in sight, where like-minded
Goans are the forlorn and the de-
praved? We are goat-like people who
deservedly merit wolf-like rulers, as it
is dramatically expressed, as you sow,
you shall reap.
Nevertheless we can rally together
and usher Goa to its old semblance.
We can be forlorn but not totally lost
in the slush of ignominy, although
what is required is a bit of will and
gumption when the going gets
though, the tough should be going.
Swapnil
Kamat
WORKLESSONS
INDUSTRYSPEAK
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7 www.oheraldo.in
Tsunamishock
Michelle and I send our deepest condo-lences to the people of Japan, particularlythose who have lost loved ones in theearthquake and tsunamis.
Barrack Obama.
I was saddened to hear of thetragic loss of life caused by theearthquake which has strucknorth east Japan today.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
Goa I Saturday 12, March 2011
livelihood destroyed : Flames rise from houses and debris half submerged in tsunami in Sendai, Miyagi Prefec-
ture (state) after Japan was struck by a strong earthquake off its northeastern coast.
AGENCIES
TOKYO, March 11
The powerful 8.9-mag-
nitude earthquake
that sent Japan into
chaos was the largest in the
countrys recorded history -
and the fifth-largest to hit the
world since 1900.
It triggered a giant
tsunami in the Pacific Ocean,
sweeping away boats, cars,
homes and people. Heres a
look at the worlds most
powerful earthquakes and
tsunamis since 1950.
October 2010, Indonesia: A
volcanic eruption and
tsunami kill more than 500
people hundreds of miles
apart. Thousands are sent
fleeing and scores of houses
are destroyed by waves after
the 7.7-magnitude quake.
February 2010, Chile: A dev-
astating 8.8-magnitude
earthquake strikes Chile,
triggering a tsunami, which
threatens a quarter of the
globe. It kills 524 people.
September 2009, South Pa-
cific: The 8.0-magnitude
earthquake is the biggest of
2009, sending four killer
waves rising up to 20 feet
that hit American Somoa,
Somoa and Tonga. It kills
194 people.
September 2007, Indonesia:
An earthquake with an 8.4
magnitude hits Sumatra,
triggering a wave in Padang
that kills at least 25 people.
April 2007, Solomon Is-
lands: Thirteen villages are
completely wiped out when
the 8.1-magnitude earth-
quake hits. The tsunami that
follows kills 52 people. Thou-
sands are left homeless.
March 2005, Indonesia: An
8.6-magnitude quake in
Sumatra kills about 1,300
people, mostly on the island
of Nias.
December 2004, Indian
Ocean: An undersea earth-
quake triggers a series of
devastating tsunamis. It kills
more than 230,000 people in
14 countries, sending waves
up to 100 feet high. It is one
of the deadliest natural dis-
asters in recorded history.
Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India
and Thailand are the hard-
est hit.
August 1976, Philippines:
The 8.0-magnitude earth-
quake and tsunami disaster
is the worst in the history of
the Philippines. It leaves at
least 5,000 people dead.
May 1960, Chile: A 9.5-mag-
nitude earthquake is the
largest ever recorded. Ap-
proximately 1,655 are killed,
3,000 are injured and 2 mil-
lion are left homeless from
the quake and ensuing
tsunami.
November 1952, Hawaii: A
9.0-magnitude earthquake in
Kamchatka sets off 30-foot-
high waves in Hawaii. There
are no reported deaths.
The worst so far
AP
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Tsunami shockGoa I Saturday March 12, 20118 www.oheraldo.in
J apan gave the word tsu-nami - meaning harbour wave - to the world; the de-structive sea surges have been recorded throughout the countrys history. Tsunamis are triggered by earthquakes, hun-dreds of which strike Japan each year. An offshore quake in 1707 is said to have caused a tsunami that hit the island of Shikoku, leaving several thousand people dead.
Further back, in the 15th cen-tury, a giant wave is said to have swept away a hill-top hall housing the Daibutsu, a huge bronze Bud-dha, in Kamakura, a town south of Tokyo. Japan is perched on top of several converging tectonic plates. Geological instabilities cause around 1,000 tremors each year.
Many of the small ones go unde-tected by the public, and residents
are used to taking medium-sized quakes in their stride. Some earth-quakes, however, are etched in the national consciousness.
In 1923 a huge earthquake struck Tokyo. Known as the Great Kanto Earthquake, the 7.9 magnitude tremor and subsequent fires that blazed through wooden houses killed around 100,000 people.
Seventy-two years later, another powerful 7.3 magnitude quake hit the port city of Kobe in western Japan. Highways were toppled and thousands of buildings damaged. Some 6,400 people were killed and more than 400,000 injured; fires blazed across the city.
It is widely thought that Tokyo is expecting another powerful quake - and that this quake is now over-due. So Japan puts considerable effort into preparing its response
systems, its infrastructure and its citizens for potential disasters. The government has invested heavily in monitoring systems. Founded in 1952, the Tsunami Warning Service is operated by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
It monitors activity from six regional centres, assessing infor-mation sent by seismic stations both on and off-shore known col-lectively as the Earthquake and Tsunami Observation System. File image of Japanese children taking shelter under their desks during an earthquake drill Earthquake pre-paredness is drilled into Japanese children during their school years. Using this system, JMA aims to send out a tsunami warning within three minutes of an earthquake striking.
When a quake hits, data concern-
ing the magnitude and location are immediately flashed up on televi-sion by national broadcaster NHK. The message then adds whether a tsunami warning has been is-sued and if so, for which areas. In most towns and cities, loudspeaker systems can broadcast emergency information to residents. In some rural areas, residents also have radios distributed by the local gov-ernment over which instructions to evacuate can be broadcast.
Children practise ducking un-der the desk in earthquake drills throughout their school years. All adults are told where their closest evacuation centre - a park or sports field, for example - is located.
Infrastructural checks are also in place. High-rise buildings in major cities are designed so that they sway rather than shake during
earthquakes, making them safer. In the wake of the Kobe earth-quake, new regulations for quake-proofing buildings came into force, and some local governments offer citizens a structural health check on their homes. Some coastal ar-eas have quake-resistant tsunami shelters, while others have built floodgates to withstand inflows of water from tsunamis. And if an earthquake above a certain mag-nitude strikes, the bullet train will stop and nuclear and other plants will automatically go into tempo-rary shutdown. All in all, Japan is widely acknowledged to be one of the most earthquake-prepared nations.
But for all these safeguards, the risks posed are severe, as the latest massive earthquake has shown. Agencies
NATORI : Houses are in flame while the Natori river is flooded over the surrounding area by tsunami tidal waves in Natori city, Miyagi Prefec-ture, northern Japan, March
11, 2011, after strong earth-quakes hit the area. AP/PTI
M illions of people in greater Tokyo were stranded far away from home on Friday evening after Japans big-gest earthquake on record shut down the capitals massive subway system. Sirens wailed through To-kyo, television helicopters buzzed overhead and people rushed to the citys ubiquitous 24-hour con-venience stores, quickly emptying shelves of bento boxes, sandwiches and instant noodle cups. Countless workers, who had earlier fled vio-lently swaying office blocks, found themselves stuck far from their families -- and unable to speak to them because the overloaded mo-bile phone system could not carry most calls.
I have no idea how Ill get home, said an 18-year-old woman waiting outside Ginza subway sta-tion.
She described how ceramics shat-tered around her in a department store when the huge quake hit mid-afternoon. The government used loudspeaker alerts and television broadcasts to urge people to stay near their workplaces rather than risk long walks home, as highways leading out of the city centre were choked and hotels quickly booked out. Please do not try to force your way home when there is no means of transportation, but stay in your
offices and other safe places, said an emergency advisory carried by national public broadcaster NHK.
Night is falling, the NHK newscaster said as chilly darkness fell across the nation. If long-
distance commuters try to cross prefecture borders on foot at night, they may fall victim to secondary accidents.
The greater Tokyo region -- a sprawl that takes in Yokohama
and vast suburban areas across the Kanto plain -- is the worlds largest urban area, with more than 30 million people, many of whom commute for hours every day. The spaghetti-like railway grid
of the Tokyo Metro System and Japan Railway lines criss-crossing the megacity remained shut down for hours after the 8.9-magnitude monster quake violently shook buildings across the city.
Despite the scale of the disaster, Tokyo was spared the worst by the quake, which hit offshore and spawned a tsunami that devastated coastal areas. Volcano-dotted Ja-pan is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and Tokyo is situated in one of its most dangerous areas.
Seismologists say that the Big One -- a huge quake below or near Tokyo, forecast to kill thousands -- is, statistically speaking, long overdue.
The city sits on the intersection of three continental plates -- the Eurasian, Pacific and Philippine Sea plates -- which are slowly grinding against each other, build-ing up enormous seismic pressure.
The governments Earthquake Research Committee warns of a 70 percent chance that a magnitude-eight quake will strike within 30 years in the Kanto plain.
The last Big One to hit Tokyo was the 1923 Great Kanto Earth-quake that claimed over 140,000 lives, many of them in fires that ripped through wooden buildings. In 1855 the Ansei Edo quake also devastated the city. AFP
AFTERSHOCKS IN JAPANMore earthquakes measuring over 7.0 on the Richter scale could occur in and around Ja-pan within a month, authori-ties said Friday. The National Meteorologi-cal Administration made the forecast after a massive earthquake hit the northeast of Japan Friday, Kyodo news agency said. At least 18 people were killed and over 100 injured in the massive 8.9-magnitude quake that struck about 373 km from the capital Tokyo and sparked a tsunami. IANS
GAS LINES, ALARMED TOURISTSThe tsunami warning issued late on Thursday for Hawaii prompted civil defense officials to order all Hawaiian coastal areas evacuated by 2 a.m. lo-cal time, about an hour before the first wave was expected to hit the islands at 1:00 p.m. GMT.The evacuation zone included the famous Waikiki Beach, the main hotel and tourist hub in Honolulu on the island of Oahu. AFP
NEW ZEALAND ON TSUNAMI ALERTNew Zealand civil defence offi-cials issued a tsunami warning for the country on Friday and warned people to stay clear of beaches following a massive earthquake in Japan.A tsunami marine warning is in effect for New Zealand, New Zealand Civil Defence said in a bulletin.Historical events and pre-calculated tsunami models indicate that the largest effects (less than one metre wave height at the coastline) is ex-pected along the coasts of the central and northern North Island, it said. AFP
JAPAN WORKS ON NUCLEAR PLANT COOLING A fire broke out in the turbine building of Onagawa nuclear plant in Miyagi Prefecture on Friday, Kyodo News reported, after an 8.9-magnitude earth-quake struck Japan and trig-gered a huge tsunami.It was not immediately clear if there was a risk of a radio-active leak as a result of the fire at the plant operated by Tohoku Electric Power. Miyagi prefecture was one of the ar-eas worst hit by the tsunami.Kyodo also reported that an emergency core-cooling unit had been activated at Fuku-shima nuclear plant, without giving further details.Earlier Friday Prime Minister Naoto Kan had said no radia-tion leaks have been detected from Japans nuclear power stations after the massive quake struck the country.Four Japanese nuclear power plants closest to the epicentre of the quake have been safely shut down, the UN atomic watchdog said Friday.The quake struck just under 400 kilometres (250 miles) northeast of Tokyo, the US Geological Survey said. It was followed by more than a doz-en aftershocks, one as strong as 7.1. AFP
How deals with
Ground zero
WAVE AFTER WAVE
IWANUMA : Earthquake-triggered tsunami waves sweep along Iwanuma in northern Japan on Friday March 11, 2022. The magnitude 8.9 earthquake slammed Japans eastern coast Friday, unleashing a 13-foot (4-meter) tsunami that swept boats, cars, buildings and tons of debris miles inland. AP/PTI
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bizlifeThere has been a complete non application of mind. Fines constitute 90 per cent of Goas exports of low grade ore, so a 15 per cent increase in duty will kill the industry
Senior offi cial
We depend a lot on charter tourism and have already signed contracts which do not allow us to change the prices. So the 10 per cent hit directly erodes our margin
Charles Bonifacio
Goa I Saturday March 12, 20119 www.oheraldo.in
Herald Pcs
C ontrary to what the outside world knows, the actual busy season for the tour-ism industry starts when the season closes. Char-ter deals are negotiated, bulk room bookings are done, commissions and prices are fixed. Often long term deals across three years keep the bot-tom-line steady. With the close of the official tour-ist season round the cor-ner the industry was just about getting its plans in order for a better season next year when the bud-get Tsunami struck. A ten percent hike in ser-vice tax for the industry
made the tourism menu go cold.
This cold cut means simply this. Hotels will hike room rates and airlines prices. Natu-rally, this will hit other peripheral services too. Worse still hotels that have lock in rates will get the old rates from charter companies but pay higher service tax. So they will naturally recover from domestic tourists on short term holidays.
The industry is in dol-drums. We depend a lot on charter tourism and have already signed contracts which do not allow us to change the prices. So the
10 per cent hit directly erodes our margin, said Charles Bonifacio, CEO of the Alfran Group of Hotels and past president of the Travel and TourismAssociation of Goa (TTAG).
The tourism industry in Goa which accounts for about 60 per cent of employment in the state was already suffering from what the industry called high taxes. Almost 65 per cent of the rev-enue generated by this industry was going to-wards Central and State taxes. Air travel too will be affected which in turn affects us. Jet fuel prices
were already rising and the increase in service tax will send airfares further up, he added. According to industry experts, the fares both for domestic and international air travel will go up between 5-10 per cent.
Bonafacio adds, Apart from the instant 10 per cent hit, when we do revise rates with our counterparts in other countries, Goa and other destinations will become less attractive compared to the South East Asian countries, Result: Bye Bye Goa. Hello Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore!
n Why are your emergency services above par?Our team of ten full time super-specialist doctors are on call 24x7. In other words we dont depend on visiting doctors in super-specialty areas. This core team has a back up of 40 part timers, all of whom again live in Goa, and also visiting doctors. We also have 20 residential medical officers.n Can you elaborate on your services?Our two ambulances, which we offer free to senior citizens under AADHAR, are virtual ICUs on wheels available at your doorstep 24x7. These are air conditioned with an advanced life support system manned by a doctor and nurse. The ambulances are equipped with a ventilator, defi-brillator, multi channel monitor-ing system with ECG, pulse oxy-meter, [NIBP] and syringe pump and are in constant contact with the base hospital en route. n Has there been a serious emergency in recent times?A worker in a steel unit in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate had an accident and his genitalia had to be amputated. We could begin surgery within two hours of us getting the call, preparing him and stabilizing him etc. In fact the delicate surgery itself took six hours. Hes ready to be discharged shortly. n Do you see yourselves as serving local interests?
We certainly do because Goa never had a super specialty hos-pital when the Goa government came out with its medical insur-ance scheme. Then, the drain-age out of Goa was total. This is decreasing now and we are now also getting patients from Karwar, Sawantwadi and a few from Mumbai and Bangalore as well. We intend to start an aes-thetic surgery unit in May 2011 and dental care will become a part of this. Take for example Dr George Koshy. He was a pioneer in neuro-surgery in north western Maharash-tra and has performed 7,000 operations. He is a part of the core team here. We could also transform the erst-while NUSI hospital, with which we have a 30-year manage-ment agreement, from a basically secondary care centre -primarily dealing with urology and a bit of orthopaedics to a super-specialty hospital or a one-stop destination for all medical care.n How does your busi-ness agreement work?Both sides have invested a total of Rs 70 crore so far, mainly in new buildings and equipment and we have
a revenue sharing agreement which is top line sharing rather than bottom line sharing. n Do you see yourself of being of any special help to locals?We do because our studies have shown that Goans suffer from urological problems (stones in the kidney) because they live close to the sea. The study also revealed cardiac disease as the second problem facing Goans. We even did an angioplasty on a 24-year-old patient. Then, there is arthritis because Goans continue to work in the fields
MINING GETS A STEEL BLOW
The hike of export duty for iron ore fines and lumps to 20 per cent will cause immediate and long term damage to Goas most profitable industry mining. Team Herald looks at the lack of logic and the politics behind this decision
T hey have it all. They are the front end of a pro-cess that involves environmental clearances, logistics, agita-tions, criticisms and taxes all faced by the much at-tacked mining industry. Yet, while the steel industry rakes in the profits and wields a clout as strong as the metal they produce, Goas mining industry is bat-tling the latest blow given to it by the Finance Minister in this years budget. An export duty hike from 5 per cent to 20 per cent for fines and an-other, albeit smaller, increase from 15 per cent to 20 per cent on lumpy ore.
The hike, for an industry already reeling under a steep rise in royalty (Rs 750 crores in 2010-11) has led to a strong reaction from indus-
try organisations and mining companies. There has been a complete non application of mind. Fines constitute 90 per cent of Goas exports of low grade ore, so a 15 per cent increase in duty will kill the industry, says a senior mining official.
Industry experts state that the non application of mine is evident when export du-ties have been abolished for pellets. The export market for pellets is negligible and there is limited demand in the domestic market. Moreover China, one of the biggest importers of ore has an overcapacity of pellet-making. They prefer to buy Indias fines that they can blend with Brazilian and Australian ores.
The logic seems particu-larly flawed in the Goa situ-ation, since pellet making
required heavy power which Goa does not have. In addi-tion to the power deficit, the only pellet making unit in the state Mandovi pellets has shut down.
Glenn Kalavampara, Secretary, Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association told Herald that the GMOEA has formally sent a representa-tion to the center for a recon-sideration of the duty hike. The GMOEA has also asked the two Congress MPs from Goa, Fransisco Sardinha and Shantaram Naik to help. Informally efforts are on to get the MPs to lobby in par-liament and in the AICC for reconsideration.
The tragedy for the in-dustry is, that unlike the powerful steel magnets, the mining industry does not have a godfather in Delhi. The move to increase export
duty is clearly seen as the handiwork of the steel giants especially one of them to rein in export of iron for the domestic steel industry. But here too, this effort makes no sense since the majority of ore produced in Goa is un-fit for the domestic industry which needs high grade ore of over 65 per cent.