GROW YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES!
You will be surprised to know that strawberries grow quite well in Goa and you may eat your own garden grown strawberries, berries without toxic chemicals sprayed on them. In this regard Green Essential has announced a strawberry saplings sale on October 15 and 16,2022 at their Socorro and Seraulim Stores. You may find more details with Yogita @ 808700070. The plants are priced at Rs40 or Rs100 per three plants. For tips on how to grow strawberries in Goa watch this short video: https://youtu.be/rryitHhGwgM
WELLNESS TOURISM FOR GOA
GOA is drawing up plans to become a prime Ayurveda and wellness tourism hub on the strength of a slew of initiatives. So said Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant while inaugurating a curtain raiser event of the 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) & Arogya Expo which is to take place at the Kala Academy from December 8 to 11, 2022. Goa is eager to harness the benefits of AYUSH visa which has been announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently, to develop tourism, health and wellness centres. Goa has the best health tourism options, said the CM. Present at the function were AYUSH Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the chief guest, as also Shripad Yesso Naik (Union Minister of State for Tourism) and Vishwajit P Rane (Goa Minister of Health). The four-day expo is supported by Central and state governments and the Union Ministry of AYUSH, reportedly it has registered as many as 5,000 Ayurveda stakeholders –industry leaders, practitioners, traditional healers, educationists, students, drug manufacturers, growers of medicinal plants and marketing strategists, and they will be from across the world. “Ayurveda for One Health” is the focal theme of the event. This event has been organised by World Ayurveda Foundation, an initiative of Vijnana Bharati and it is the biggest event in the country’s traditional wellness system.
Goa has to catapult into the global Ayurveda arena as soon as possible to reap the rewards of the wellness industry. According to Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant Goa’s medical and wellness establishments will be ramped up with the involvement of Ayurveda practitioners, Goans may look forward to the setting up exclusive health and wellness centres along the lines of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs). He said about 41 such centres are on the cards and MoUs will be signed. He said, “Two 50-beds AYUSH hospitals under the National Ayush Mission (NAM) scheme will be set up soon. An Ayush hospital will be inaugurated on December 8 at Dhargal in Pernem taluk.”
Needless to say the WAC expo as it repeats itself in Goa will be a good platform for Ayurveda students, stakeholders, practitioners and experts to learn and exchange views and ideas. Present at the curtain raiser event on October 14 was Shri Sonowal who said this year’s focal theme is “Ayurveda for One Health.” Also that traditional medicine has now been well accepted by the global community due to its credibility and WAC should be used to promote Goa for medical and wellness tourism. Also, the Ministry of AYUSH and all stakeholders will henceforth celebrate Ayurveda Day annually as Dhanantari Jayanti on October 23.
The mega expo is being organized by the All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi, which is nodal Agency. Around 22 ministries and departments of Government of India are collaborating. Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik said the World Health Organisation (WHO) is part of the WAC for the first time and it will trigger immense interest of participants. Vishwajit Rane said WAC is being held when Ayurveda has acquired the global status and the state is keen on leveraging the benefits of medical tourism. Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Union Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) said through campaigns like Jan Sandesh, Jan Bhagidari and Jan Andolan, awareness of the benefits of Ayurveda will reach the lay public.
The welcome address was given by Dr P M Varier, Managing Trustee, Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala, and Chairman, National Organising Committee, WAC & Arogya. Pawan Kumar Godatwar, WHO representative, gave a presentation about the upcoming event and Arogya expo, present were Tanuja Nesari (director, All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi), Dr Satheesh Shenoy (vice-chairperson, Vijnana Bharati) and Suhas Godse (Chairperson, Local Organising Committee, WAC).
KIRTAN MAHOSTSAV
IT is time to celebrate girls! International Day of the Girl child has been declared onOctober 11 in order to generate awareness among the society on gender equality and empowerment of women and girls. A State level function “Kirtan Mahostsav” will be organized by Directorate of Health Services, Panaji in collaboration with Gomantak Sant Mandal Sanchaalit Kirtan Vidhyalaya, Ponda on October 16, 2022 at Mahalaxmi Hall, Bandora, Ponda between 9.30 am to 5.30 pm. ‘Kirtan Mahostsav is to pass on the message of “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” — by reciting, praising and glorifying the spiritual and religious ideas of Stree Shakti from present and past contexts.
The kirtan will see performances by girl students in two categories: In the junior category (12-15 years) there will be : Manasvi Naik from Ponda, Ishwari Kandolkar from Marcela, Sana Satelkar from Harmal Pernem, Bhakti Valvoikar from Porvorim and Aditi Bhagat from Khandola. In the senior category (17-22 years) there will be Siddhi Dabale from Uskai Bardez, Chinmayee Kamat from Volvoi, Gayatri Kadam from Ponda, Neha Upadye from Mapusa, Sampoorna Bhagat from Betki Khandola, Ramaa Shenvi from Porvorim, Shivani Vaze from Shiroda, and Aakansha Prabhu from Mapusa.
The Director of Health Services has appealed to the public to attend the kirtan in large numbers to boost the morale of the girl students.
GOA’S FIRST SOLAR FERRY, FLOATING JETTY
UNION Minister of AYUSH & Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal was in town and in the presence of Chief Minister of Goa Dr Pramod Sawant inaugurated the Floating Jetty and Solar Electric Hybrid ferry boat at Ferry Point in Panaji on October 13, Panaji. The minister praised Goa as a most beautiful state with beaches and scenic spots attracting tourists from across the world.
The floating jetty and solar ferry would add to innovative facilities to enhance global and domestic tourists. This is the best way to transform Goa as one of the most attractive destinations in the country. He praised the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which is responsible for such development rapidly along with modernization, digitization and mechanization in the entire Ports and Shipping Sector.
Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on turn said that the solar electric hybrid ferry is the first such project in Goa and worth approximately Rs3.97 crores. The Goa government hopes to introduce and operate more solar ferry boats at various parts of Goa and this will help reduce dependence on fossil fuels. In the meantime the new ferry boat will operate from Chorao to Panaji on a trial basis for passengers. While prices have still to be fixed for the first 15 it is free bon voyage for all!
Present were Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Tourism Shripad Naik, Minister for Social Welfare Subhash Phaldessai, Minister for Revenue Atanasio Monserrate, Mayor of Panaji Rohit Monserrate and others.
RTI IS REVOLUTIONARY!
GOVERNOR of Goa P S Sreedharan Pillai describes the Right to Information Act (RTI), 2005 a revolutionary legislation. It has become like a fundamental right. He was speaking at the inaugural of a one-day conference on “Role of Public Authorities under the RTI Act, 2005” at Dona Paula on October13, 2022. The governor said the spirit of legislation or policy depends on its success with the people and educating masses about important legislations should be looked into by the public authority. The conference was attended by heads of departments as well as departmental heads of the government.
The conference was organized by Goa State Information Commission (GSIC) and Goa Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (GIPARD). The governor urged the gathering to repose faith in ordinary people and stressed on how people in a democracy are supreme. He said that Public Information Officers (PIOs) are guardians of the RTI and asked them to look into the aspirations of the people.
“Go through verdicts of honorable Supreme Court and High Courts,” he advised for their verdicts are binding as the law of the land. He also said that every public worker should come under the purview of the Act and that the Raj Bhavan in Goa will be people friendly. He cautioned the gathering how sometimes people could file queries with vindictive motives, but one should rise to the occasion and do justice to the people.
State Chief Information Commissioner, GSIC, Vishwas Satarkar spoke of the hurdles faced and their success rate in disposing backlog cases. He said transparency and accountability were the basic feature of a democracy and the aim of the RTI was to promote this in the working of public authorities. Chief Secretary and Chairperson of GIPARD, Puneet Kumar Goel, IAS, spoke of the activities of GIPARD, and Mission Karmayogi launched by Prime Minister Modi to enhance governance through civil service capacity building which also targets training lower functionaries in government who interact with the public.
Others present on the occasion included Director General, GIPARD, Dr V Candavelou, IAS, Director, Information and Publicity, Dipak Bandekar; Assistant Director, GIPARD, Seema Fernandes, Secretary, GSIC, Bhushan Savaikar. Resource person former Additional Collector, Government of Maharashtra, Pralhad Kachare, spoke about the important sections of RTI Act, 2005 and role of public authorities under the RTI Act 2005 at the conference.