FIRST CHARTERED TRAIN
The chartered flights landing in the State, carrying tourists from foreign countries, is not new to Goa and Goans, but a chartered train that arrived at Margao on August 18 was something new, which attracted everyone’s attention particularly of those in the tourism industry. The train with 12 bogies arrived with 850 people on board at Margao this afternoon from Rajkot in Gujarat, opening a new chapter in the tourism field. This is for the first time in the history of tourism in the State, that a full train was chartered to carry tourists.

JAUNDICE, MALARIA INVADE THE STATE
While 135 cases of jaundice have been reported from the capital city in the past fortnight, 120 cases of malaria have also been detected in the State. The sudden spurt in jaundice has resulted from severe contamination of drinking water supplied by the PWD due to a leakage in sewerage pipe line.

GOA'S COLOURFUL FESTIVAL GANESH CHATURTHI ON 31ST AUGUST Among all of Goa's festivals, the Ganesh Chaturthi, popularly know as Chovoth, is the day on which Lord Ganesh was born. From the religious point of view or otherwise, it is definitely one of the rarest festivals. The Chathurthi arrives around harvest time when the Goan granary gets replenished for the year and the rural mass is in a joyous mood to enjoy. A whole lot of rare traditions too are associated with it. Here one Hindu God who has been praised in dance, music and song. The female folk visit the houses in small troups to dance the fugddi, a vibrant traditional dance. Later in the evening the menfolk come around to sing the aarti along with the ghumttam (traditional Goan drums), cymbals and harmonium.

The bhatt (Hindu priest) initiates the religious ceremonies through a puja on the first day, and after the puja the floodgates of fun, fireworks and festivity are opened. It would end only on the following day at sundown when the Ganesh images are taken for immersion at a special well in the village, at the river bank or seashore. The man of the house takes the idol on his head, his family follows with oil lamps and agarbathis. The incessant bursting of crackers is a typical feature of the Chovoth. Ganapati Bap'pa moria, Pudchea vorxi lovkor ia!

PLANNING TEAM COMING
Members of the Planning Commission will arrive in Goa on 22 August 2003 and conduct a review meeting on financial planning and management in that State.

ROLE OF MINING FIRMS IN ENVIRONMENT DESTRUCTION
The role played by mining companies in Goa in the extraction of mineral ore causing damage and hardship to agriculturists coupled with the wanton destruction of environment in the remote areas featured at length at a seminar on ‘Women and Mining’ in New Delhi. A group of women , who attended the seminar from the remove villages in Sanguem and Quepem constituency, where mining is at its peak, detailed the destruction caused by mining companies.

FIGUEIREDO’S BIRTH CENTENARY
The Kala Academy is organizing the birth centenary celebration of Maestro Antonio de Figueiredo on 19 and 20 August at the Dinanath Mangeshkar Kala Mandir at 6.00 pm. Maestro Antonio de Figueiredo was India’s very first maestro in Western classical music, having got himself trained in Lisbon, Paris and other European cities. After making his mark in Europe, he decided to come down to Goa and start India’s first Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra Sinfonica de Goa as well as a comprehensive musical school, Academia de Musica. He was born in Loutulim in Goa on 20 August 1903.

HELP GOVT MAKE GOA A MODEL STATE
The Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar, has sought people's co-operation of the government efforts to transform Goa into a 'model' state in the country, while delivering his address after unfurling the national tricolour outside the State Secretariat.

NO BAN ON SOFT DRINKS SANS TESTS
"All soft drinks are bad for health and do not form a part of good and healthy living," opined Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar yesterday. However, he clarified that the government would consider effecting a ban on sale of softdrinks in the State provided the result of tests from samples of various aerated drinks collected by the Good and Drugs Administration prove to be harmful for human consumption. He also stated that government could stop the sale of such products in canteens/departments run by the State.

PAPAYA-SHAPED GANESH
With hardly a fortnight left for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, a Ganesh-shaped papaya, which was produced at the farm of a Margao resident, is attracting crowds.

PWD ENGINEERS SUSPENDED
Three PWD engineers have been placed under suspension in connection with the alleged deterioration of roads in Kundaim Industrial Estate after these were repaired during summer.