Non Resident Indians (including Goans !) to get voting rights

NEW DELHI: In a landmark decision meant to give non-resident Indians "a sense of belonging", the Indian government yesterday decided to grant them voting rights by amending the country's electoral law. At a meeting here presided over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Cabinet approved the tabling of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2006, in Parliament's Budget Session beginning today. The amendment will amplify the definition of an Indian "ordinarily resident" in the country in the Representation of the People Act. This will enable "NRIs who have absented from the place of their ordinary residence in India owing to their employment, education or otherwise to get themselves enrolled in the electoral rolls and exercise their voting rights," said a statement issued after the cabinet meeting. "The amendment will entitle eligible citizens of India to cast their votes in parliamentary and assembly elections when they are in their constituencies and thus fully participate in the democratic process of nation building and uphold their pride and prestige as citizens of India," the statement said. (GT)
 

People of Calangute grateful to Victoria

CALANGUTE, Feb 15: The Calangute Constituency Citizens Action Forum and the local village Panchayat jointly felicitated Deputy Speaker and Santa Cruz MLA Victoria Fernandes recently, for having supported and helped them to exclude Calangute Village from the Mapusa Planning and Development Authority. Calangute Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira applauded her success and said that it was entirely due to Mrs Fernandes’ strenuous efforts and hardwork, even at the risk of going against her party. Cyriaco Dias, freedom fighter and famous veteran tiatrist, in his address expressed the gratitude of the people of Saligao to Mrs Victoria Fernandes and said that “Mummy” will always be remembered fondly by Goans in the way they remember late Dr Jack de Sequeira. Brian Sequeira compered the well attended function, while Eknath Nagvenkar and Sneha Salgaocar also spoke on the occasion. (GoaNewsClips)
 

What you should do about all that's printed in your name
BY RAHUL GOSWAMI

Newspapers and journals in Goa have little to recommend themselves with. They are, without exception, failures. The only reason they continue to exist and continue to be consumed has to do with an equal failure, this on the part of the reading public, who demand nothing more from them. The reading audiences in Goa, despite their occasional and wholly inadequate complaints about the material served to them on newsprint, have through their inaction shaped the colourless communication that passes for news media in this state. The news media, for its part, has been happy to oblige an undemanding audience with its own version of a common minimum programme, a percentage approach to the business of informing, educating, entertaining. Sadly, this is the state of affairs that obtains not in Goa alone. (GT)

Acute shortage of nurses in Goa

PANJIM: "The ratio of nurses to patients in government hospitals is quite low in Goa," observed Arvind Kulkarni. Arvind has come from Delhi on February 6 and is visiting different government and non-government hospitals and institutions in the state in view of learning the status of the nursing profession in Goa. "Though the number of hospitals have increased, there is an acute shortage of nurses. Though there are enough of candidates it is observed that often they are not employed despite the shortage of nurses. This quite shocking," he said. (GT)

2 DEAD IN MASS SUICIDE BIT ON MIRAMAR BEACH

PANJIM: In a shocking incident on February 14 morning, five members of a family from Kerala allegedly consumed poison, and four of them were found lying on the Miramar seashore in an unconscious state. While the mother, Bina (45) and a son Pradeep 925) were declared dead, three siblings - Akash (19), Ashwini (17) and Amrita (12) are battling for their lives at the Goa Medical College Hospital, Bambolim. (GT)

State plans new ration cards

PANJIM, Feb 15: The state government intends to issue new ration cards by January 2007, Civil Supplies Minister Atanasio alias Babush Monserrate told the Goa Assembly today. Chandrakant Kavlekar had brought to the notice of the government that cardholders are finding it difficult to produce the ration cards for official purpose as the cards are torn or in bad condition. (H)