FDA POSTS RIGGED
THE Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president, Girish Chodankar, on Tuesday (Dec14) produced a list of candidates claiming that they had been selected for different posts in the Food & Drugs Administration (FDA). Chodankar alleged that the recruitment process was manipulated by the concerned minister Vishwajit Rane. While a candidate for the LDC post from Banastarim secured 82 marks and was first, Rane’s candidate who had failed was selected. The mark sheets were allegedly burnt.
UK CHILD POSITIVE
A 13-year-old child of Indian origin who arrived from the United Kingdom (UK) on Tuesday (Dec14) tested positive for the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Fortunately, the child’s parents tested negative. The child has been shifted to an isolation facility. Of the 237 Goan passengers who arrived on Air India flight tested negative except for the 13-year-old child. A COVID-19 pill made by Pfizer is reported to be effective against Omicron.
ARE MONKEYS VERMIN?
IN the wake of demands that peacocks and bisons be termed “vermin” due to the damage they cause to the crops, now a new animal has been added. The farmers of Sattari have demanded that monkeys should be declared as “vermin.” Declaring an animal or species as “vermin” gives anyone the right to kill them. However, many farmers from different villages objected to declaring the monkey who is symbolic of Hanuman as vermin! The corridors of the Union defence ministry at the Centre were crawling with monkeys, according to the late defence minister, Manohar Parrikar.
GOENCHO AVAAZ JOINS CONGRESS
THE social activist organisation Goencho Avaaz which had taken up the three environmentally damaging projects have merged with the Congress. Goencho Avaaz strongly opposed the double-tracking of the South Western Railway, the expansion of the national highway and the 240 MW power transmitter in the middle of the Mollem sanctuary. Captain Viriato Fernandes is expected to be the Congress candidate for the Dabolim constituency.
MAMATA SEEKS ALLIANCE
WEST Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has invited all opposition parties to join her in defeating the BJP. Already the MGP headed by Deepak Dhavlikar and the lone Benaulim NCP MLA Churchill Alemao has joined TMC. However, the Congress is not inclined to join the TMC. On the contrary both Mamata and Prashant Kishor have attacked the Gandhi family claiming that “No one has the divine right to be the PM.”
GOA CHARTERS BEGIN
THE first charter flight from Kazakhstan arrived in Goa on December 15. The charter flights from UK are not expected to start till mid-January 2022. It is expected that there will be three charter flights a week from Kazakhstan carrying 170 passengers a week. The flights which will arrive on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday will bring a total of 500 passengers a week — much to the cheers of Goa’s shack owners!
BANK DEPOSIT INSURANCE
THE Finance Ministry has decided to increase the ceiling on insurance of bank deposits to Rs5 lakh. Earlier, fixed deposits in banks were insured only up to a maximum of Rs1.5 lakh. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman claims that over 80% of all bank depositors have Rs5 lakh or less in national banks. So much so a large number of depositors will benefit. However, public sector banks which have high liabilities may run the risk of being privatised. In fact, all the nationalised banks in the country observed a strike on Thursday-Friday (Dec16-17) to protest the selected privatisation of public sector banks.
DISCLOSE INGREDIENTS
THE Delhi High Court has mandated that all restaurants in the national capital should provide details of ingredients used in their food items. It is presumed that this demand is at the instance of Hindutva fanatics who suspect that beef may be used in food items. The Ram Gaua Raksha Dal has claimed that it has a right to know the ingredients under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
HELLO, MALABAR TREE NYMPH!
GOA’S annual bird and butterfly festival is on and an enthusiastic Chief Minister Pramod Sawant gave his blessing to declaring the black and white beauty the Malabar Tree Nymph butterfly as the state butterfly of Goa. He said that the state of Goa is not just about sun, sea and sand but also about hinterland treasures and Goa Tourism is promoting hinterland tourism which tries to tell tourists that Goa is more than beachside resorts.
The CM was speaking as chief guest at the inaugural function of the 5th editor of the Bird Festival of Goa organised by the Goa Forest department at the International Centre of Goa, Dona Paula in Panaji. He also welcomed the participation of 16 delegates from India and four from abroad. The delegates will be visiting the Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary at Chorao island to say hello to the myriad varieties of birds, butterflies and other natural fauna which have made Goa their home. May be count the number of Malabar tree nymph butterflies which flutter by!