THE novenas preceding the feast of Goencho Saib began on Wednesday, November 24, 2021. In a bid to conform with Covid protocols, the number of daily novena masses have been increased to 10 and will be spaced out to avoid crowding. The first mass will be held at 5 am, leaving a half hour gap between each service. Those attending the mass will have to wear masks, sanitise and maintain one metre physical distance. On the feast day also there will be 10 masses with a High Mass scheduled for 10 am.
HIKE IN MOBILE BILLS
AIRTEL has hiked its pre-paid packages by 20-25% on current tariff. The decision has been taken to improve profitability and prepare for 5G technology. The minimum entry tariff will go up to Rs99 from the current Rs79 effective November 26. The other two mobile operators – Vodafone-Idea and Reliance Jio are also likely to hike their charges.
TMC COUP IN MEGHALAYA
THE Trinamool Congress in Meghalaya has managed to persuade 11 of the 17 Congress MLAs to defect in its favour. The Congress government in the state has been reduced to a minority. Defectors include former Congress chief minister of Meghalaya, Mukul Sangma, who has threatened that the revolt against the Congress will spread to other north-eastern states. It is perhaps not a coincidence that the defections come closely in the wake of Luizinho Faleiro being appointed as the TMC Rajya Sabha MP. It may be recalled that Luizinho Faleiro was the Congress general secretary-in-charge of the north-eastern states and had succeeded in installing the Congress in power in many of these states.
CONG CANDIDATES FOR POLLS
Senior Congress Vice-President M K Shaikh has revealed that the party will start the selection process of candidates for the assembly elections scheduled for February 2022 from November 26, 2021. The block committees for south Goa met on November 26 and 27 and recommended names of candidates for south Goa. The block committees of north Goa will meet on November 28 and December 1 to recommend the names of candidates for the north Goa constituencies. The Congress will be the first party to announce its candidates for the forthcoming assembly elections.
AAM AADMI PARTY PROMISES…
IN all sounds like a jest but let it also go on record. If the BJP’s Narendra Modi came to power on the promise of Rs15lakh in every Indian’s bank account (Indians are still waiting), now we have the Aam Aadmi party’s Arvind Kejriwal promising a whole host of freebies if it is elected into power in Goa: Free electricity, no power cuts; Rs5,000 allowance/month for those who lost jobs due to mining ban/COVID; high-quality hospitals and mohalla clinics, free surgeries, free tests, free medicine for all Goan; Rs1,000 to each woman above 18 years in addition to Griha Aadhar Yojana; jobs for every Goan youth, unemployment allowance of Rs3,000/month till job given; free pilgrimage for all Goans ot either Ayodhya, Shirdi, Vailankanni or Ajmer Sharif; free high-quality education from birth to graduation to each Goan child; and an add-on is a very tall, tall promise to take a pinch of salt perhaps. AAP will remove corruption and provide an honest government! The last promise took our breath away but we like Mr Kejriwal’s argument: If the politicians of this country enjoy everything free, there is not the slightest reason why he cannot stop corruption and save enough money so that the people too enjoy the freebies which the sarkari aadmi enjoys! Why not, indeed. We love his rationale and wish him luck. The people of India deserve better.
IFFI HIT BY UNSEASONAL RAIN
THE metrological department has forecast that the unseasonal showers will continue for five days starting Saturday 27 November 2021. This implies that the closing ceremony of IFFI scheduled for Sunday will also be affected just as the opening ceremony. The dinner organised by the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) for Saturday night will also be affected by the thunder showers accompanied by lightning predicted for the next five days starting Saturday.
MINING LEASE AUCTION
THE State government has decided for the first time to auction eight IMO mining leases by the middle of December. The leases could not be auctioned earlier as there was only provision for renewal. Following the Supreme Court striking down the renewal of leases, the decks have been cleared for auctioning the erstwhile mining leases. The State has taken the help of the State Bank of India to conduct the auctions.
SOPTE IN MANDREM
FORMER Goa BJP Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar will not get the Mandrem seat that he has been fighting for. The BJP has reportedly decided to give the seat to Dayanand Sopte. Sopte, who was elected on a Congress ticket in 2017, but defected to the BJP recently.