J, K & L FOUNDATION DAY CELEBRATED AT GOA RAJ BHAVAN
JAMMU, Kashmir & Ladakh Foundation Day was celebrated at the old Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan, Panaji on October 31, 2023. The celebration comprised of a melange of various colourful cultural events with Governor P S Shreedharan Pillai gracing the occasion along with First Lady Reetha Sreedharan. The foundation day is celebrated as “Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” all over the country. Speaking on the occasion Governor Pillai said the world is our family and he appealed for unity, “Accept yourself, love yourself and keep moving forward.” He extended his best wishes to the state of Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh, adding that these areas have immense potential and are loaded with talent.
Also present, M R M Rao (IAS, Secretary to Governor) who welcomed the guests; Sandesh Gadkari compered and Shreya Gurav proposed vote of thanks.
TIGER RESERVE CONTEMPT!
The High Court has issued a contempt notice to the Goa government on its failure to declare Mhadei river basin as a tiger sanctuary. It may be recalled that the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court directed the government to declare as defined the Mhadei Wildlife Tiger Sanctuary. However, the government said it was difficult to do so because of the human settlements in the areas which would be affected by declaration of a tiger sanctuary. According to it this is a weak case because a national a national tiger survey had stated that there should be at least a count of five tigers being present in the sanctuary area for a tiger sanctuary declaration. However, the Mahadei river basis is also the corridor for tiger movement from Goa to Karnataka and vice versa, say activists fighting for a tiger sanctuary. In any case the deadline given by the HC has elapsed and so an order of contempt has been issued to the state government and nobody is clear how this fight will resolve itself.
TEESTA GETS SCBL
THE Supreme Court has served Testa Setalvad with her husband Javed Anand with a SCBL regarding several cases filed against them. Teesta has been one of the main activists in the exposure of corruption engaged by the ruling government in ignoring the post-Godhra violence in 2002. Teesta is the daughter of an attorney general who has been fighting virtually for the Godhra riot affected victims with her husband Javed’s help. Finally, it took SC to give Teesta and her husband justice with the grant of bail. They have to continue to participate in the ongoing inquiry though.
NO FREE RIDE ON FERRY!
ONCE upon a time nobody paid for a ferry ride but now both passengers and vehicular riders of scooters and motorbikes have to pay for the water transportation. Now the two-wheelers also have to pay a stiff fee for taking a ride of the ferry. The two-wheelers can buy their passes online for Rs150 per month, it’s Rs600 per month for four-wheelers. Without passes two-wheelers and four-wheelers pay Rs5 and Rs40 per ride on the ferry. There is a fight going on about how unfair it is to charge the two-wheeler riders who are from a poorer economical class. It is much more convenient for two-wheeler commuters to take the ferry from Panaji or Ribandar to Diwar or Chodna or Betim, than take the far longer road route. This also reduces incidence of road accidents. Fuelling the protests about the high fees is the contention that the ferry boats are old and almost obsolete and have not been modernized like elsewhere in the world. It is a very critical situation where a ferry can take you half way across the river and come to a halt in the middle of the Mandovi River!
GRABBED LAND TO BE RETURNED
THE Goa government has issued an order to make it easier for land which has been grabbed illegally to be returned to the original owner. It may be recalled that there have been several reports of land grab by second and third parties in the newspapers. This is particularly true of land belonging to non-resident Goans. Even a Goan Olympic champion has been vocal about his ancestral land has been grabbed by third parties. Reportedly, officials the Land Registry have been colluding in these grabbing of land by non-Goans. However, now that the government is doing something about it, it is good news that land lost through malpractices and corrupt parties will see some justice being done; what is identified as no man’s land will be taken over by the government.
PILLAI CHAIRS AGM OF IRSN
THE Annual General Body meeting of the Indian Red Cross Society, Goa State under the presidentship of Governor of Goa PS Sreedharan Pillai, was held at the Raj Bhavan (old durbar hall), recently. Addressing IRS members the governor was all praise for the Red Cross Society for its invaluable contributions and dedication to humanitarian services. Their service embodies the spirit of humanity, he said. He released the annual report of the Goa ICRS for the year 2022-23. ICRS chairperson Gaurish Dhond highlighted various works carried out by the IRS, this included blood camps to supply blood to the Blood Bank of the GMC at Bambolim as also the Asilo Blood Bank in Mapusa. Hygiene kits of bath and laundry soaps, detergent tablets, coconut oil, toothpaste and tooth brushes, disposable shaving razor, sanitary napkins and other required things were distributed through various IRCS taluka branches to Municipality workers, rural areas and needy people. Oxygen cylinders and concentrators were provided to those who needed them, like various other organizations in and around Goa and neighbouring states on returnable basis, without any charges.
The Indian Red Cross Society, in association with Madhav, Madhavi & Mahendra Dhond Memorial Trust, donated one Maruti Eco Van to Atmavishwas Special Schools, TB Nutritional Support Kit under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, supported by Governor of Goa under Nikshay Mitra-Nutritional Support TB kit were handed to respective 11 Primary Health Centers he informed. ICRS chairperson presented the Annual Administrative report for the year 2022-23. Others present were Manguirish Pai Raiker (vice-person, IRS) read out the minutes of the annual meeting. Mario Pinto de Santana, treasurer, presented the budget estimate for the year 2023-24 and Dr Lenny Da Costa (IRS member) proposed a vote of thanks.