EVER HEARD OF `KAAVI’ ART?

APPREDIATING A TRADITIONAL GOAN ART FORM: Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai is all set to give Goa’s unique and traditional technique of painting known as ‘Kaavi Art’ a fresh lease of life. This is in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of promoting local art forms. Governor Sreedharan has been visiting Adwalpale and Bicholim to take a look at the art form in various temples and churches of Goa. He was accompanied by Rita Sreedharan Pillai, M R M Rao, IAS, Secretary to the Governor and Mihir Vardhan (former Secretary). Charmed by the unique traditional technique of painting he said it’s something which deserves to be revived and promoted and in this respect a 4-day workshop is being conducted by Raj Bhavan in the Annexe of new Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan from February 14 to 17, 2024. Budding artists will attend and learn the art of painting kaavi art. It will protect and promote a dying art form, the governor observed. He also appreciated the beauty of villages in Goa and said his new book `Heavenly Islands of Goa” which will be completed soon, it highlights Goan traditions. He visited Shree Sharvani Temple where Dr Chandrakant Shetye, MLA welcomed him. Also present were Gajanan Palkar (Sarpanch), Pradip Revodkar (ZP, Member), Shivanand Shenoi Salgaonkar, members of the Devasthan and others. The governor offered prayers at the temple and afterwards he went to see the kaavi art at Shree Hanuman Temple in Adwalpale village. He also visited the heritage house of Anand Dessai at Lamgao, Bicholim and here he evinced keen interest in the beautiful traditional Kaavi art at his residence.EVER HEARD OF `KAAVI’ ART?

QUALITY CONTROL PARAMOUNT!

WITH public money being spent on development works, every Panchayat and Municipality is duty bound to ensure that very rigorous Quality Control Standards are not bypassed in their attempt to hastily get it completed.
Every project has to be a very lasting one. A successful project is one which can achieve a balance between cost, time, quality and meets the agreed goals of the project. This can only be achieved with transparency, accountability and zero tolerance to corruption. To ensure that every project is properly and meticulously executed, we need to ensure Quality control by persons well equipped to technically and administratively monitor and ascertain strict compliance of established standards.
Quality is never an accident, it is always the result of forward planning and research, sincere effort, intelligent direction, and skilful execution. It represents the wise choice of many alternatives. Great projects require the highest quality output at every stage. Quality is a journey which has to be ensured from the foundation stone till the very completion of any project.
—Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar

PROTECT PLACES OF WORSHIP
OUR country is blessed with different religions and places of worship and people regularly visit them. There is a need for us to respect and protect these places of worship as they are blessed with divine graces which will keep us united with relationship with people of all faith and religions. There is a need for the concerned authorities to look at these places of worship and its surroundings do not be converted into a market place or a begging place.
—Cajetan Peter D’souza, Mumbai

THIS YEAR’S GOA BUDGET!
MICROSCOPIC 0.04% increase in size of this year’s budget (Rs26,855 crore) compared to last year (RS26,844 crore), yet Dr Pramod Sawant wants us to believe that GSDP will grow at almost 14% this year. Seems like this budget was made by IT Cell keeping eyes on 2024 elections. Aimless budget.
—Adv Amit Palekar, AAP leader, Panaji (courtesy Social Media post)

PANJIM DESTROYED!
PANJIM looks like it is destroyed. Look at the roads anywhere you go today and February 6 was a surreal experience for me. The whole city looks like it’s being systematically destroyed. As each road is being destroyed, the public moves to another route to bypass the destroyed zone, only to find that even before the previous zone is fixed the destruction has spread to the new zones.
How are businesses surviving I wonder. How are people who live in and around surviving? It was supposed to be Smart City! This is Smart City? It is Ruined City.
Will my beloved Panjim ever recover from these never ending roadworks destruction? Will Panjim survive from this kind of assault?
—Stephan Dias, Dona Paula, Panaji