NOMINATIONS FOR MAHAVEER AWARDS
THE Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation of Tamil Nadu invites nominations from eminent citizens of the country, administrators and the general public for the 27th Mahaveer Awards. The awardees are selected by a Jury headed by former Chief Justice of India Justice M N Venkatachaliah. The Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation is a Public Charitable Trust established by Nugalchand Jain in 1994. The aim of the foundation is to identify, encourage and honour individuals and institutions providing selfless service to society and also encourage others to follow suit. The Mahaveer Awards in four fields each carry a sum of Rs10,00,000 (Ten lakh), citation and memento. Nominations are sought in the fields of Non-Violence and Vegetarianism, Education, Medicine, Community and Social Service. The foundation receives nominations from almost all States of the country and these are shortlisted by a committee before the jury decides the awardees. Awards will be presented eminent personalities as informed by the Department of Information & Publicity.
SHRAM DHAM INITIATIVE
THE visiting Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla handed over the keys of homes to the beneficiaries of the Shram Dham initiative on June 15, 2023 in Panaji. Present for the occasion were Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, Union Minister for State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Shripad Naik and other dignitaries. The homes in Canacona have been built under the sponsorship of the Shree Balram Charitable Trust and there are 20 beneficiaries.
Speaking at the public function organized at the Government Higher Secondary School Complex at Mastimol, Cancona, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that with the Shram Dham initiative the dream of a developed India will definitely come true. He said more than 3 crore needy families have benefited though the Pradhan Mantri Avas Yojana. Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant congratulated Shree Balram Charitable Foundation for the good work towards community and reiterated the government’s commitment to support needy persons. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Atal Ashray Yojana are two schemes from which needy can get financial support, he said. MLAs Ganesh Gaonkar, Sankalp Amonkar, Ulhas Tuyekar, Krishna Daji Salkar, V Satish, Sadanand Tanawade, Narendra Sawaikar were present on the occasion. Vishal Dessai welcomed everyone while Divakar Dessai proposed a vote of thanks.
CM RELEASES `AMRIT SAROVAR’
CHIEF Minister Dr Pramod Sawant in the presence of Minister of Water Resources Subhash Sbhirodkar and Chief Secretary Dr Puneet Kumar Goel (IAS) Secretary-Water Resources Subash Chandra (IAS) and Chief Engineer Pramod Badami unveiled a coffee table book on Amrit Sarovar, June 10, 2023. This is a compilation of the work done on 164 Amrit Sarovar in the State by the Water Resources Department.
Amrit Sarovar is a national mission launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 24, 2022 to develop 50,000 Amrit Sarovar in the country. It also showcases the celebration of Azadi Ka Amrit Mohotsav where on August 15 flag hoisting was done on 35 lakes at the hands of freedom fighters and the kin of martyrs.
The state has selected 165 lakes for development and rejuvenation, of which 164 are completed. Dr Sawant congratulated the Water Resources Department for their achievement while Subhash Shirodkar also gave a surprise visit to Sapu Lake at Velim.
SEWAGE IN PANJIM CHAMBERS!
(This is a contribution by Stephen Dias)
“What kind of a situation our city of Panjim has reached, which I could never imagine in my life! I have spent almost 80 years in this city and now what I see in my own eyes in the city of Panjim is sad. The sewage in these chambers?
I was standing at “Mr Baker” shop to buy some sweets and one guy comes and without proper permission from the owner of this shop, connects a long cable to give a supply to their drilling machine to dig up the road to access the cover of the chamber which was buried 50 cms deep.
“Earlier, I remembered, and told the in-charge of the team that the permission from Deputy Collector was needed to break the asphalt road, but now nothing sort of permissions are needed. I was curious to look what they are doing. A PWD supervisor was instructing the workers to dig up with their cutter to break the road to get access of next chamber cover.
“Immediately I smelled more of sewage there also and lots of quantity of sewage came out. And I asked what is the next plan?
“The supervisor said we have to dig up many in this row until they remove obstructing material. I asked why that was not done prior of asphalting of this road. This way you are damaging the asphalt. He said there is no other solution until we keep on opening all these chambers which are in line.
“A few dogs came nearby investigate the sorry scene of sewage overflowing. Some people who were in Cafe Tato came out and closed their mouth as the smell was stinking, and many passers-by said the PWD and Sewage department stinks and must be taken to task. I asked, Why not CCP also? If this is the condition of Panjim city and that too in front of the main road near Municipal garden, what must it be like in other parts of the city?
“I have earlier reported in the news that I could get smell the sewage from Dona Paula to Panjim and St Inez, including Caranzalem area and the water in the channels was black in colour. This continues. If this news goes abroad what will be our capital city’s position which was once upon a time one of the best in the world.”
ST GIRL TOPS NEET
IT IS heart-warming to hear that a young woman from the lower strata of society in Vasco da Gama port town has topped the National Eligibility Entrance Test 2023 — not only in Goa but in the country. ST students are allowed special concessions. Grasina Colaco scored 680 marks out of 720 marks at the medical entrance exam. Colaco studies at St Andrew Higher Secondary School in Vasco. Colaco is keen on getting admission to medical college at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi and may she get it.
NATIONAL MEET OF BHAKTS
THE Hindu Janajagruti Samiti which is the parent organisation of the Sanatan Sanstha is planning a meeting of all hardcore Hindutva organisations in the country at Ramnathi in Ponda from June 16 to 22, 2023. This is going to be a “global Hindu national festival” in Goa and there will be discussions on how take the Hindutva agenda forward. In the context of what Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant recently said about his desire to wipe out all traces of Portuguese influence, the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti also plans to make a film called “Goa Files.” The film will be akin to the “Kerala Story” and “Goa Files” will focus on the atrocities committed by the Portuguese during their 500 years of ruling Goa.
HIKE IN GMC SEATS
THE number of seats in MBBS have been increased to 250. It is also proposed to increase the number of post-graduate diplomas and degree courses. Till recently several departments like nephrology and diabetes were single doctor departments. This meant that they could not take residents and interns. With the nephrology and endocrinology department raised to the status of full-fledged departments qualified to teach post-graduate courses the HoDs got much-needed relief.
HEALTH PROBLEMS
PATIENTS have multiple health problems. One patient we know has a rectal prolapse which means the entire anal mass comes out every time the patient goes to the bathroom. Plus, there is the added aggravation of acid reflux which causes a build-up of nasty acids in the throat. Though there is no evidence in the discharge papers of the Orthopaedic Department of the Goa Medical College & Hospital the patient has been told he has spinal TB perhaps and should take the 9-month long TB medicine course.
At 76 the patient is not inclined to go through the torture of more medicines he may or may not need. Now all this is aggravated by a prostate problem and says our sad patient: “There was a time when I had dozens of very good doctor friends who would readily visit me at home if I complained of some problem real or unreal. I have also in my time done major favours for some doctors. When I was the editor of the `Herald’ the GMC dean would visit me at my underground basement flat with concern and affection to make sure I was okay and nothing adverse happened to me. Today I keep hoping that one of my old doctor friends will remember and visit me to see if my quality of health may be improved…so that I may live a little longer to see some good political history happening in Goa!”
GOA REVOLUTION DAY
JUNE 18 marks Goa Revolution Day. This day commemorates the call given by Socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia for Goa’s liberation from Portuguese colonialism. The Portuguese had completely banned all free speech. Lohia came to Goa and decided to openly disobey curfew orders to read out a statement demanding complete restoration of freedom of speech at the historic Lohia Maidan in Margao. This call by Lohia marks the final phase of the Goa’s Liberation struggle. Lohia had actually come to Goa on a holiday at the invitation of his friend Julio Menezes who had been a classmate of his in Germany.