PENALTY FOR PARENTS!

YOUNG people under the age of 18 years  who are caught driving their parents – mother’s or father’s —  cars or bikes,  have been warned to stop doing it. The young folk have been warned by the Police department of Goa that their parents will be punished if they are caught driving their parents two-wheelers or four-wheelers! This is because there is a growing breed of minors merrily taking liberties with their parental vehicles and enjoying joyrides irresponsibly and unaccountably. Anyone caught taking a carless joyride in father’s or mother’s car may be slapped with imprisonment of up to ten years.

Meanwhile, Paresh Bhatte, the main accused in the shocking Banastari accident case, has deposited Rs2 crore, for distribution to victims and relatives who have suffered losses and injuries in this most infamous of recent accidents in Goa.

GRAMIN MITRA FLOP

UNDER the Gramin Mitra scheme the government planned to deliver government services at home. This included processing for the people various  certificates like income certificate or a domicile resident certificate or land income certificate, senior citizens card, updating their DDSSY government insurance, etc.

Reportedly, the scheme which requires citizens to dial on 14471 for lodging their needs is being underutilized – in one place only four people called for help to acquire certificates (one for caste registration!) and these were delivered to the individuals and families concerned. Another complaint is that the help number 14471 is constantly engaged and one may go crazy trying to speak to someone who may help you or put you off. The State Ministry for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications and Minister Rohan Khaunte has warned registrars and sub-registrars not to delay on requests for  certificates.

 SANJEEVANI SELLS FRUIT

THE Sanjeevani Sugar Factory at Dharbandora has switched over to a more profitable venture and that is of growing vegetables and fruit. The factory is virtually closed with the sugar crushing machines out of order. Very little sugarcane is being grown on the 25 hectares of land in the possession of the government-run factory. However, the employees decided to come together to make the new idea swing and they’re working overtime preparing the ground, getting seeds, sowing them…working on the land almost around the clock or so to speak to make this new venture of growing vegetables and fruit for Goans a success. Indeed, they are now owning their own outlets for selling their agricultural produce. The factory employees collectively earned Rs25 lakh in the last financial year and that’s something to cheer about and write about some more! Perhaps Goa’s dependence on fresh veggies and fruit from Belgaum will soon come to an end and Goan farming will meet all the needs required on a day to day basis. We are not sure if the farming they are doing here is organic in nature.

TESTS FOR KG TEACHERS

THE Education department has made it  compulsory for teachers at KG and primary level to pass an eligibility test. The test has been prepared by the National Council for Education Research. At present most of the teachers in primary schools have no training or academic qualifications. It has been pointed out that demanding BEd qualification for  elementary education to little tots is a waste of time. Teachers with a B Ed degree are to be used for teaching students from the fifth standard onwards.

CUT IN LPG PRICE

THE Modi government with great magnanimity has finally come down on the price of LPG domestic cylinders, but only by Rs200. Modi claims that this is his Raksha Bandhan gift to the women of this great country. Towards this gift he has released 35 lakh new Ujjwalla Yojana gas connections where women in rural areas get their connections free. However, please note, there is no new cut in the prices of commercial cylinders. Reportedly though a large number of domestic cylinders are directed for commercial use in various business like restaurants and elsewhere.   

PUNISHED FOR SCOLDING!  

AS many as five teachers in an urban primary school in capital city Panaji  have been punished for scolding a girl student. The father of the girl has registered a complaint saying that his daughter was scolded by the teachers. There is no claim that the girl was physically or verbally abused. It is obvious that the influential father is victimizing the teachers for reasons best known to him…apparently the girl’s exam papers were not accepted by the teachers during exam time, but nobody knows the real reasons!

STATUS OF J & K

THE BJP government is thinking of revoking the special status for the state of Jammu & Kashmir. The Supreme Court has  pointed out that there is no such provision for this in the Constitution.  The BJP government has revoked Article 370 which conferred special status to the state of J & K.  People from outside Kashmir were not permitted to buy land in the Kashmir valley. Moreover, Jammu & Kashmir which made up as one state has been split into two Union territories. The Supreme Court has directed that J &K should not be reverted to being a state again as before.