Mathany becomes a minister at last
	On June 14, UGDP MLA from Cortalim, Mathany Saldanha, was handed Tourism, Sports and Youth Affairs and Ports Administration portfolios, which were held by former minister Mickky Pacheco. In a swift and sudden move, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had Saldanha sworn in as a minister in the two-year-old Parrikar-led government at a function at Raj Bhavan while Tourism Minister Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco was dropped from the 13-member Cabinet.
Saldanha’s change of heart to join the BJP-led government gave a shock to one and all in Goa, including his party – the United Goans Democratic Party. Saldanha, however, said that he had acted at the appropriate time, because the Parrikar government has served Goa well. The outgoing Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco, who was ousted while he was on a trip abroad, however, claims that despite the turn of events, he will still support CM Parrikar.

Baina bulldozed
In one of the biggest demolition exercises witnessed in the State, so far, the government machinery razed about 250 illegal cubicles in a 20,000 sq m area in the Baina red-light area, rendering several families homeless. The displaced commercial sex workers were to be rehabilitated at the Bal Niketan in Ribandar, but agitated Ribandarites put up a solid opposition and even prepared for a Ribandar Bandh. However, the sex workers were not prepared to accept the government’s rehab package. When the government officials arrived to transfer them from Baina to be rehabilitated at Ribandar, all the cubicle doors were found locked and a mere handful of gharwallis in the area. Though the BJP and the Vascoites have responded favourably to the government’s move, most of the NGOs and concerned citizens feel that the act was “illegal” and “inhumane”.

Goa celebrates “Sao Joao” fest
Tradition inflamed anew on June 24 evening in Goa's suburbs, particularly at the picturesque riverside Siolim village in North Goa, with youngsters honouring the age-old ritual of jumping in the well to celebrate the feast of St John the Baptist, shouting "Viva Sao Joao, Viva!" with Goa’s rustic percussions – Ghumott-Madlem – providing the accompaniment. Another tradition specific to Siolim - the Sao Joao Boat Parade - also proved a throbbing event in front of the church of St Anthony, where beautifully decorated boats from Vaddy and Marna converged near the stage put up by the water's edge, along with those sailing up the river from Badem in Assagao, Zhor Vaddo in Anjuna, Chapora and elsewhere.
http://www.goacom.com/goanow/2004/jun/SaoJoao.htm

St Francis exposition
The Archbishop-Patriarch of Goa, Reverend Filipe Neri Ferrao, has appealed to the Christian community in Goa to participate actively in various programmes and events that would be organised at various levels during the XVI Solemn Exposition of the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier from November 21 to January 2, 2005. In the meanwhile, the government proposes to provide inland waterway transport from various ferry points crossing to Old Goa to ferry pilgrims during the Exposition period. A sub-committee has also been constituted to look into arrangements for accommodation to meet demands of low income pilgrims, has identified several schools and sites for setting up camps to accommodate about 10,000 pilgrims in Old Goa and the neighbouring villages.

Jazz Junction In Goa Again
Jazz Junction made its debut at Panjim's fashion and jazz show L'affaire Xtraordinaire in April this year and soon after made waves at the 'Down to Earth' jazz festival in Panjim. Since then the band has been performing to rave reviews all over the country and is ready to release a debut album recorded live at the Razzberry Rhinoceros in Mumbai. The band will be back in Goa to perform at the Marriott Resort's 'Ozone' on the 26th and at Goa's jazz club 'Jazz Goa' on the 27th. Jazz Junction's performance in Goa this time around is courtesy Jazz Goa, the organisation that will feature worldwide visiting jazz musicians in an informal club setting at Gonsalves Mansion, Campal. Jazz Goa plans on making these informal live jazz sessions a regular affair on the last Sunday of every month. Membership to Jazz Goa is open to all music lovers and not only jazz connoisseurs.

Train tragedy claims 15 lives
	In the second major accident on the Konkan railway in less than a year, 15 passengers were killed and about 62 injured when a speeding Mumbai-bound Matsyagandha Express from Mangalore derailed after hitting boulders on the tracks over a bridge at 6.08 am on June 16, between Karanjadi and Veer near Roha in Raighad district of Maharashtra, about 200 km from Mumbai.
Despite the much-publicised claim of the Konkan Railway of investing Rs.60 crore in safety works in the first phase of its project, over 60 passengers have lost their lives in the last two years following major mishaps on the 760-km long Konkan route. Recurring cases of landslides on the tracks of Konkan Railway are the result of insufficient information about the topography and a shallow geological survey, claim two engineering geologists, Dr RB Gupte and Dr BM Karmarkar. To prevent a recurrence of the tragedy, the Konkan Railway has decided to provide safety net on all rock slopes.

In support of roman script Konkani begins
At a meeting of Konkani lovers held at the TB Cunha hall in Panjim on June 19, an ad hoc committee was unanimously appointed with Tomazinho Cardozo as its convener, to take ahead the work of rejuvenating the Dalgado Konkani Academy, which aims to protect, preserve and promote Konkani in the Roman script. Fr Pratap Naik, SJ, welcomed the gathering. The Dalgado Konkani Academy aims to make the masses aware of the Konkani language in the roman script and of Goa’s rich culture and heritage, to provide financial help for writers to publish their work and also organise literary and cultural competitions and other events regularly, to attract more and more people towards Konkani. It was also decided to organise a one-day gathering – academic and cultural - of all the lovers of Konkani in Margao in December, when a special publication containing articles from the roman script writers, will be released. Fr Peter Raposo, sfx, was unanimously appointed to head the editorial board.