FUNDS FOR MODI
THERE is an appeal on social media by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant. It is an appeal for funds for the 2024 parliamentary elections. Strangely, the appeal is for funds in the name of Narendra Modi. It would have been logical for Pramod Sawant to ask for funds for the BJP candidates in Goa. For even for the Central BJP party any appeal for funds should be made by the President of the national BJP JP Nadda, or from the state unit president Sadanand Shet Tanavade. Will the chief minister confirm that the appeal is from him?
BILL GATES AT AMBANI WEDDING
AMONG the top corporate honchos at the Anant Ambani wedding in Jamnagar were Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook. Bill Gates has posted on Facebook thanking Mukesh Ambani for inviting him. Bill and Milinda Gates have come to India very often. The Microsoft operating system is the primary software in computers and smart phone. The monopoly of Microsoft is not been broken yet. Mark Zuckerberg apparently suffered a loss of Rs2 billion when there was a global breakdown of the Facebook network for two hours. This shows how much revenue Facebook makes.
GOOGLE ADS
GOAN OBSERVER has a small payment dispute with Google. Google and Facebook permit the boosting of posts for which they charge. There was some misunderstanding about our pending dues of Rs12,000 which we decided to pay up to settle the matter. However, they been refusing to accept our payment. In the process, they long since stopped paying for the ad revenue on our website. They continue to get advertising on our website. We used to get $100 from Google every four months or quarterly but don’t any more. If there is somebody from Google or Facebook please contact us. We don’t know with whom to sort out this matter which troubles us immensely.
GARRY KASARPO
THE former world chess champion Garry has been declared a terrorist by Soviet Russia. All the decedents have been put down ruthlessly by President Putin. The world seems to be heading for dictatorship as Donald Trump has staged a recovery in the US primaries. This is the first stage of presidential elections. Trump is however facing many charges including cheating in business deals to the tune of millions of crore.
MODI SARKAR
NARENDRA Modi keeps talking about the guarantee of the Modi sarkar. Modi sarkar is actually the government formed by the BJP party. The leader of the largest single party is called by the president to form the government. There can be no Modi or Indira sarkar in a democratic country like India. In any case the term of the Modi sarkar has ended. At the centre there is no provision for dissolving parliament. Ahead of a general election. Modi is only a caretaker prime minister. When the elections dates are declared Modi cannot take any policy decisions. The Election Commission has made this very clear.
ST HUNGER STRIKE
LEADERS of the ST are on a hunger fast for a quota in the Lok Sabha and the assembly election. Though other backward classes have reservations, the ST are not represented. The ST comprising Gaudi, Kunbi and Velip make up 12% of Goa’s population. They are the original residents of Goa. We were pleasantly surprised to see members of the community entering professions like physiotherapy. Among the physiotherapists treating me at the GMC was Manjuta Gaude, who has completed a four-year course in physiotherapy. (Contributed by Rajan Narayan)
ARCHAEOLOGY DEPT’S WEBSITE LAUNCHED
MINISTER for Social Welfare, Archives & Archaeology Subhash Phal Dessai has launched the official website of the Department of Archaeology, at the Secretariat, in Porvorim today. The minister while speaking on the occasion said the website will enable the public to access information related to protected monuments and sites in Goa and provide information related to the work the department is doing in the field of archaeology.
“This website will help tourists and also students interested in history to decide on places of historical importance and plan visits accordingly,” said Phal Dessai. The website which was initially designed by a group of students from Goa Engineering College (GEC) students was later worked on by the IT Department.
Present at the launch event on March 4, 2024 were Director of Department of Archaeology Nilesh Fal Dessai and other dignitaries. People can access the website by visiting https://archaeology.goa.gov.in/
EVMs & VVPATs TRAINING CAMPAIGN
THE Office of the Chief Electoral Officer has initiated a focused training and awareness campaign on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail Systems (VVPATs) ahead of Lok Sabha Election, 2024. The campaigns have taken place in all the 40 assembly constituencies, at district collector and office of mamlatdar, and also at various public places and educational institutions across Goa.
This proactive effort aims to enhance voter confidence, promote transparency in the electoral process and encourage active participation in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Demonstrations were organized to give voters a hands-on experience of using EVMs and VVPATs. Trained election officials guided participants through the voting process, explained each step and addressed queries or concerns they may have. The demos of EVMs and VVPATs started from January 1, 2024 and will continue in all the constituencies till the announcement of the election scheduled for upcoming general elections to the Lok Sabha, 2024.
Around 25,044 people visited EVM demonstration centres in North Goa and in South Goa 12,114. The number of people who cast mock votes at the EVM demo centres in North Goa is 24,077 and in South Goa 12,093 and this was till February 29. Social media platforms, websites, and digital communication channels were used to reach out to tech-savvy voters and provide them with engaging content and educational resources on EVMs and VVPATs. This digital outreach ensures that information is easily accessible to a wide range of voters. During this time street plays and skits were also performed in public spaces to engage citizens and raise awareness about EVMs and VVPATs in an entertaining and informative manner.
GOVERNOR DISTRIBUTES FUNDS TO CANCER PATIENTS
ON March 3, 2024 Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai distributed financial assistance to 144 cancer patients from his discretionary funds. A special program was organised at Old Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan and present for the occasion were MRM Rao (IAS, Secretary to Governor) and Sanjeev C Gauns Dessai (Add. Secretary to Governor).
Governor Pillai regularly offers financial assistance to people in need of kidney dialysis, or afflicted with cancer, and also other patients. Speaking on this occasion the governor said initiatives started by the Goa Raj Bhavan are being initiated in other states too and financial assistance is being granted to patients.
On the subject of cancer the governor said that now proper treatment is available and 80% of the patients get speedy relief with the drugs. He underlined the need of boosting mental power of such patients and said one should have faith in the medical system. Cheques of financial assistance were also given to the Additional Collector North and South and Mamlatdars of Tiswadi, Quepem, Ponda and Salcette taluka. Shryeya Gurav proposed vote of thanks.