Goa News Clips
 

Body of UK Goan boy found in canal HERALD CORRESPONDENT LONDON, JAN 27 A schoolboy’s body found in Fobney Lock, in Whitley, near Reading, is believed to be that of a missing UK Goan boy Jonathan Marques. His family were inconsolable yesterday after a team of divers from the Thames Valley Police Specialist Search and Recovery Team found the body, nearly three weeks after the boy went missing. Jonathan’s mother Arcanja collapsed and had to be treated by paramedics when police broke the news at around 1 pm that the body appeared to be wearing a Blessed Hugh Faringdon School uniform. A rucksack containing the 15-year-old’s schoolbooks was also recovered from the water by the gates of the Kennet and Avon Canal, close to where he was last spotted almost three weeks ago. Friends and family members, as well as a school chaplain, immediately began gathering at the home in Bamburgh Close, Whitley, to console his heartbroken relatives and pay their respects. Close friend Evan Correia said: “Everyone is devastated. The family is crying. They are very sad. No one expected this to be true. We all thought he would come home safely – every day we thought this.” Jonathan vanished after leaving his home on his way to the Southcote School on January 6. The 11-year-old student had been in the UK for three years after moving with his family from Goa, but was believed to be unhappy and wanted to move back to India. During the massive 20-day search, police divers scoured waterways and streams around Fobney Lock, amid fears that Jonathan may have plunged through the ice as he took a shortcut to school. Detective Chief Inspector Stan Gilmour, who led the investigation, said officers had spotted ‘a hole in the ice’ during an initial search of the thinly frozen water. Jonathan’s friends and family and members of the Goan community have been at the forefront of the search, handing out leaflets and organising a mass march along his school route. The formal identification of the body was to take place after the post-mortem, which was to be carried out today. Family, friends pay respects: Jonathan Marques’s family and close friends gathered at Fobney Lock on Tuesday morning to pay their respects to the teenager. A small group laid flowers and pictures by the riverbank at the spot where the body was pulled from the water by police divers, yesterday morning. Jonathan’s dad Menino wept as prayers were said for his son. Classmates from Blessed Hugh Faringdon School left their ties on posts by the river as a mark of respect. A school friend, Shane Bowyer, 15, said: “I hope he’s happy and he knows that all his mates are praying for him.” His cousin Ancet Marques, who moved to Swindon from Goa last year, said: “We don’t know what to think. It is so sad. We must try and deal with it and accept what has happened.

Goans richer than other Indians 17 Jan 2009, 0723 hrs IST, TNN http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-3992025,prtpage-1.cms   PANAJI: Goans have more wealth than their counterparts in other states. This was discovered by the National Family Health Survey 3, which reveals that the state handsomely meets the three essential requirements of roti, kapda aur makaan. The report states that over 55% of Goan households are in the highest wealth quintile (a fifth of a given amount). Only 23% of Goa's households are in the three lowest wealth quintiles as compared to about 60% in the rest of the country. In Goa only 3% of the households fall in the lowest wealth quintile, of which 1% are in urban areas and 5% in rural areas. Among all states, Goa along with Punjab is third, behind Delhi and Himachal Pradesh in terms of electrification, as 85% urban households and 59% rural households live in pucca house and more than 96% have electricity. The NFHS-3, conducted in 2005-06, is based on a sample of 3231 households to obtain information on population, health and nutrition in the state and reveals that two-third households in state (82% in urban and 44% in rural areas) have piped water, while 24% of households have no toilet facilities. Of these, 14% are in urban areas. The report also states that a majority of the people go to the private medical sector for treatment, either due to lack of a government facility in the vicinity, poor quality of government health care and long waiting periods in government health facilities. Education is also a priority in the state and only 13% of women and 6% of men have never gone to school. About 49% of the people in the age group of 15 to 49 have completed 10 or more years of education. However, NFHS-3 figures show that Goa has yet to attain 100% literacy. According to the survey, a person is literate if they have either completed at least standard VI or passed a simple literacy test conducted as part of the survey. The results showed that 84% women and 90% of men in the age of 15 to 49 are literate. The survey goes on to say that adults in Goa suffer from a dual burden of malnutrition, as about one-fourth of adults are too thin, while on the other hand 20% of the women and 15% of the men are overweight or obese. The report also states that 52% of women and 60% of men have a healthy weight for their height. In comparison, about one-fourth (26%) of the children under the age of five years are stunted or too short for their age, which indicates that they are undernourished for some time. Incidentally, the prevalence of anaemia in children in the state has declined over the years, but that among married women this has increased by 3%. About 38% of women and children and 10% of men in the state are anaemic. Yet the nutritional status of children in Goa is better than in most other states, the report noted.

Commercialisation of State worries Goan Bishop in Pakistan 22 Jan 2009, 0029 hrs IST, Paul Fernandes, TNN From http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-4013893,prtpage-1.cms PANAJI: It was a quiet homecoming to his mother's house' in Ucassaim after eight years for the Bishop of Faisalabad Diocese in Pakistan. But the street near his ancestral house is already abuzz. "He celebrated mass for aged persons today," a senior citizen said, pointing to the bishop's house. The quiet big house bursts into life after his brother, Treson opens the door. "Coming to Goa is an enriching experience with its rich history and past," gushed Bishop Joseph Coutts as he settles in a chair. After missing St Francis Xavier's feast, his relatives were happy after he arrived on Monday night. "His doctor forbade him from travelling after a bout of pneumonia," explained his brother, Treson. Born in Amritsar barely two years before India's partition, he had been cut off from his father's home state Goa, as he has spent his life in Pakistan. His father, Pedro Jose Couto of Ranoi, Aldona, worked for Imperial Chemical Industries for 50 years in Mumbai, Karachi and Amritsar. "The British didn't like my father's long Portuguese name and told him "Peter Joseph Coutts should do fine for him," explains Treson. After initial schooling and basic seminary training in Lahore, he went to Rome to study Philosophy and returned to Karachi in 1976. After working as professor in National Seminary, Karachi, he was finally appointed bishop of Hyderabad, Sind and ten years later, transferred to Faisalabad - formerly Lyallpur and also called Manchester of India for its textile industry. He is not much aware about the life and culture of Goans in Pakistan. "In Faisalabad, we are just four Goans - two priests and a nun and myself," he said. Karachi, which has a higher concentration of Goans, though westward migration has reduced it, is 1,300 kms away from his city. He admits his knowledge of Konkani is limited. "My parents spoke Konkani at home, but we had no Goan communities to practice the language," he said adding, "We used to receive Vavraddeancho Ixtt' (Workers Friend), a Konkani weekly still published from Pilar. Dhor Mhoineach Rotti, another Goan periodical, first rolled out of the press in Faisalabad. The press is still called Rotti Press." About how Catholics live in Pakistan, Bishop Coutts sums it up cautiously, "Constitutionally, religious minorities have freedom in Pakistan. We do have our difficulties but we make our voice heard to the government," he says. The federal minister of minority affairs, a Christian, takes care of their interests. "There are also some Christian members of parliament," said Bishop Coutts. The Couto family had three priests, including Bishop of Jalandhar Anil Couto, who served in the Lord's vinyard. "Our uncle Antonio Couto was a parish priest in Vasco and mother's uncle Jose Roumaldo Menezes a canon in Goa." He is concerned about the Christian community and how they relate with others. "What is happening in Orissa and how Christians are treated in India is a violation of human rights and reflects the government's failure to protect citizens," he says. Knowing that time on his fourth visit will be spent quickly, he says nostalgically, "I wish I could visit historical places, and Dudhsagar." He is also concerned with the growing commercialisation in Goa. "I wish Goans do more to protect their environment and natural beauty, and its history, culture and flavour" he said.

HOMES BACK FINALLY? NON-RESIDENT Indians (NRIs) from Goa will soon be able to get back possession of their homes or buildings from tenants, From Goanet http://ca.mg3.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.rand=c24mn3a8at2hh A large number of Goans settled abroad, who've rented out their ancestral homes, have been left stranded, unable to get the tenants evicted. VITHALDAS HEGDE in the Weekend tracks the progress on the legislation aimed at making it easier to get homes back for these non-resident Goans and finds out that it could be enacted very soon. NON-RESIDENT Indians (NRIs) from Goa will soon be able to get back possession of their homes or buildings from tenants, as the state government has decided to re-introduce the Goa Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control (Amendment) Bill. The Bill seeks to amend Section 23 A of the Act by inserting a new sub-section (3B) to protect the property rights of the NRIs and to enable them to recover possession of their premises when they have bonafide reasons for their own occupation or for any member of their family. The Bill was introduced by Revenue Minister Jose Philip D'Souza in the Goa Legislative Assembly on March 24 last, but was referred to a Select Committee. The Select Committee, headed by D'Souza as chairman, consists of Parliamentary Secretaries Francis Silveira and Nilkant Halarnkar, leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar and MLAs Agnelo Fernandes, Laxmikant Parsekar and Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco. The Committee met only once, on October 24, 2008, and decided to elicit written comments from its members besides public opinion and views of the Commissioner for NRI Affairs and others concerned. It was decided to incorporate salient features from similar legislations enacted by other states. According to Secretary (Legislature) R Kothandaraman, there were not many comments from the general public. Provisions of the proposed legislation require an NRI to make an application to the Rent Controller, who will then pass an order for eviction of the tenant based on the application supported by a certificate from the concerned District Magistrate, confirming the NRI status of the applicant and that he now wants to reside in the state. The District Magistrate would issue the certificate based on an affadavit sworn by the NRI before the competent authority, to the effect that besides fulfilling the requirement that he does not possess any other suitable residence in the area. The Goa Cabinet had earlier approved the amendment to the Goa Building (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 1968, on December 10, 2007. But when opinion of the Law Department was sought, it opined that if the Cabinet decision is implemented, it would be a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution. The Cabinet also deliberated on the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction (Amendment) Act, 2001, which stipulates that the beneficiary NRI should reside in the retrived premises for a fixed, minimum number of years before disposing it either by way of sale or renting it out again. The Punjab Act stipulates that NRIs of Punjabi origin who recover possession of a building under the Act, he or she shall not transfer it through sale or any other means or let it out again, before a five-year period from the date of taking possession. Violation of this requirement will entitle the evicted tenant to repossession of the building. WHAT THEY SAY: Eduardo Faleiro, Commissioner of NRI Affairs The reason for the legislation is that a perion who after working abroad plans to return home, he has no other roof over his head. During my visit to Punjab a few years ago, I met then then Chief Minister Capt Amrinder Singh, who told me about this useful Act called the East Punjab Urban Rent Restriction (Amendment) Act, implemented there. The Act was challenged by a Punjab resident in the Supreme Court, who upheld its validity by a judgement in October 2005, justifying why NRIs should get the benefit of summary trial. I gave a copy of the Punjab Act to the Goa government, so that there is no problem while drafting the Bill. The embargo in the Punjab Act is also justified since the purpose of the legislation is for the NRI's own occupation. The NRGs had been making representations from time to time about the lack of a suitable legislation to protect their property rights in Goa in their absence. This Act will help them in protecting their rights in Goa, especially in property-related matters. WHAT THEY SAY: Jose Philip D'Souza, Revenue Minister After I introduced the bill in the Legislative Assembly, it was referred to a Select Committee. The Select Committee met only once and decided to seek comments and views from the public. We may convene another meeting soon and take a final decision since I intend to re-introduce the Bill in the oncoming session of the Goa Assembly. Though the Punjab government has passed a similar Act with an embargo on sale of the recovered property for a five-year period, we may curtail this to three years. I think five years is a long time, whether the owner sells his property or now. FEEDBACK TO: Eduardo Faleiro: loksevagoa@rediffmail.com  +91-9890893111 Jose Philip D''Souza: +91-9822131104, +91-9922941761 Francis Silveira: +91-9822168092 Nilkant Halarnkar: +91-9822156083, +91-832-2257035 Manohar Parrikar: manoharparrikar@yahoo.co.in  +91-9822131213 Agnelo Fernandes: +91-9822100510 Laxmikant Parsekar: +91-9822129088 Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco: +91-9822485327 Secretary (Legislature) R Kothandaraman, there +91-9765002222 COURTESY: Gomantak Times, Jan 11, 2009

Future generations should not be deprived of a quality life: says NRI affairs Commissioner Eduardo Faleiro 24 Jan 2009, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-4024101,prtpage-1.cms PANAJI: Commissioner for NRI affairs Eduardo Faleiro has said that the principle of sustainable development requires a long term and cautious approach to development so that future generations are not deprived of a quality life. Faleiro was speaking at a seminar organised by Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), in association with the International Goan Organization of Toronto, on sustainable tourism development' at the Surendrababu Timblo hall, Panaji, on Friday. While pointing out that tourism contributes significantly to the state's economy, Faleiro said that it is essential that development of tourism should be sustainable with due attention to its economic aspect as well as the social, cultural and environmental aspects. He said that all steps should be taken to ensure the safety of tourists and they should also be educated on proper and desirable behaviour. "Foreign ambassadors who approach the state government with complaints from their citizens should be requested to use their good offices so that tourists are informed before departure from their countries on the dress code and behavior which is acceptable here," said Faleiro. He also congratulated the state government for launching the beach safety management scheme. The seminar commenced with the presentation by Adolph de Souza, quality assurance assessor and arainer, Perth-Australia. Faleiro, who was the chief guest felicitated Odette Mascarenhas for the her book 'Masci- The man behind the legend'.

'Goa fishing jetty used to illegally land Pakistan nationals' Thursday, 22 January , 2009, 19:58 http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14843108&?vsv=TopHP1 Panaji: In a sensational disclosure, the Chairman of the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) has alleged fishermen working out of a jetty located within the port premises often illegally ferried Pakistani nationals from international merchant ships to the Goan shores and vice versa. In a detailed article published simultaneously in several regional dailies, MPT chairman Praveen Agarwal said the Khariwado fishing jetty located at Berth No 11 at the port was a serious security concern to the state of Goa and the country. 26/11 could not have been carried out without Pak help: Navy chief "Instances of Pakistani seamen employed on international merchant ships being ferried by Khariwado fishing trawlers and boats to the shore have been frequently reported, even though this is expressly prohibited by law," Agarwal said in the article, which has stirred a political controversy here. "There is a strong likelihood that the Khariwado fishing jetty could easily be used for illegal and anti-national activities," the article titled 'MPT compelled to close Khariwado jetty for security reasons,' said. The MPT Chairman's comments assume significance in light of the 26/11 terror strikes in Mumbai. Goa was on a terror alert throughout December, after reports of a repeat strike in the coastal resort state during the tourist season. '26/11 attacks could have been averted' Agarwal further states in his article that there are others who share his concerns. "Merchant ships have reported to the international shipping community that owing to this, their ships are in extremely insecure condition while (berthed) at Mormugao Port." He further said the Khariwado slums have been notorious for smuggling and illegal activities for the last 30 years. The central Home Ministry, Intelligence Bureau (IB), Director General (Shipping) - the statutory authority for implementing the International Ships and Ports Facility (ISPF) code in India, as well as various committees set up to improve security and safety measures at Indian ports - had all recommended the immediate relocation of the fishing jetty outside the sensitive Vasco Bay, he said. The MPT Chairman said that the state government's inability to give the Khariwado villagers an alternative location for setting up a jetty was the reason why the MPT is now fearing loss of business. "Earlier, the MPT had obtained all clearances - except for government of Goa's approval - and even raised funds of Rs 15 crore (Rs150 million) for construction of a new fishing jetty at Gina Penta, Chicalim. It was only because the state government did not give its consent to the proposed location, that the MPT had to shelve the project," he claimed, adding that the cost today had risen to nearly Rs 35 crore (Rs 350 million). Mumbai Police file case against terror 'witness' However, state Revenue Minister Jose Phillip D'Souza, who is also a leader of the Khariwado fishermen's community ridiculed Agarwal's claim, saying that the MPT has been trying to displace fishermen from Khariwado under the guise of terror. "He cannot close the jetty just like that. Who does he think he is?" D'Souza said, adding the fishermen would move out of Khariwado only if they were provided with a full-fledged jetty. "The MPT has been promising a jetty. But they have never kept their promise," he said.

Schools of Controversy From a state which had a wide choice of rural-and-urban schools, we are now creating an artificial scarcity in Goa. Thanks to the ill-conceived, opportunistic (from varied angles) and badly motivated approach, primary education in Goa is being segregated on class lines. While the few, pricey English-medium primary schools are being avidly sought, a wide range of (mostly Church-run) schools are seeing better-off students leave them. Instead of studying in their own villages, young kids are forced to go to urban and semi-ruban areas. [Frederick Noronha, Herald]

'Registering "kudds' as trusts important' Registering Goan clubs or 'kudds' as they are popularly known, as charitable trusts under the Societies Registration ACt 1860 in Mumbai, is a first step towards safeguarding the existence of these unique and more than 150-year-old institutions, speakers told stakeholders at meetings in Navelim and Mapusa on January 25. "This has to be done on priority basis so that steps to constitute a federation of registered clubs, which will help us fight for our rights collectively, can then be taken," Jose D'Costa, a member of the newly formed group tentatively called Federation of Goan Clubs in Mumbai, said. [TOI]

Real food for new Goa Today the rice is rarely red, and a return by Goa's growers to the 22 varieties which existed even 40 years ago will be a tonic for moribund comunidades and farmers who have become enslaved to industrially planned agricultural systems. The pallid white and cream rice that populate our paddy fields are crippled by limitations of the robust red rices, full of character and flavour, which the Konkan was long known for. But even so, rice in Goa forms part of a cycle of crop-biomass-soil protein-energy which has been interrupted for too long. As this rabi harvest came to a close, fields all over Goa were being fired and every evening, the air was thick and blue with smoke. [Rahul Goswami, GT]

COASTAL STATES NEED MORE AID: ANTONY VASCO: Union Defence Minister AK Antony, on January 21, said the need to beef up coastal security would prompt the Centre to extend more support to governments of coastal states. Speaking with journalists after commissioning of an advanced offshore patrol vessel for the Coast Guard, at Goa Shipyard, Vasco, Antony also clarified that according to the Indian Coast Guard, an agency responsible for maritime security in Indian territorial waters, has just 30% of its actual requirements such as vessels/ships, aircrafts and manpower.. to man the country's 7,516-km coastline. [GT]

Arpora, Nagoa locals oppose farmhouses, massage parlours Residents of Arpora-Nagoa-Baga have opposed farmhouses and massage parlours in the village. At a recent gram sabha, residents rejected outright the regularisation of the farmhouse in the village, when Panchayat secretary said they were in receipt of a court order directing the panchayat to regularise the farmhouse. [H]

Vintage Camera makes owner proud Mr Olencio Coutinho, who runs the Hollywood Studio in Panjim, is not an old, artifact collect in the true sense of the term. It is an ancient Bellow Plate camera that has fortuitously come down to the photographer from his family. Lovingly preserved, this vintage camera now occupies place of pride at home, while being proudly displayed only on special occasions. Says Mr Coutinho, “For sure, this camera is at least 100 years old.” [Shoma Patnaik, NT]

RP 2021: Villagers want government to listen to them Raising a legal issue regarding the enforcement of the Regional Plan 2021 after it is finalised, a speaker at a people's assembly to share experiences about the ongoing planning process, questioned whether the town and country planning department will honour the villagers blueprint for the future. Fr Bismarque Dias of St Estevam asked, "Will the resolutions of the gram sabha on planning (questionnaires) be binding on government and have legal sanctity or is it a mere consultative process?" [TOI]