AFTER meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and entrepreneurial techno giant Elon Musk the stage is set for the manufacture of Tesla’s electric cars in India. Tesla is reported to have advertised retail positions in a Mumbai newspaper. The company has listed 13 jobs on its social media platform for various customer service jobs.
We do not know if Elon Musk Ero Space Company will tie up with India to launch space rockets. It may be recalled that Musk’s Ero Space Company is the only one which succeeded in launching a private space expedition to a space station.
NO TO RAILWAY STATIONS
UNLIKE in the rest of the country where locals are happy to welcome new railway stations, ajeeb Goans are opposing them. Konkan Railways has proposed the setting up of several new railway stations to improve connectivity. Residents of Goan villages however fear that having a railway station would bring them thousands of migrants. The Sao Jose de Areal panchayat has refused to provide land for the railway station. Railway stations require a lot of land, the platforms need yard facilities too. It is a fact that the influx of migrants has increased sharply after the commissioning of the Konkan Railway in Goa. Where is the infrastructure to entertain more migrants?
FIR AGAINST MIGRANT FIXER
THE Vasco police have registered a case against Stanley George on the charge of cheating two young men from Vasco to the extent of Rs18.5 lakh – with the promise of jobs in the United States. The two men were allegedly sent to the US across the border to Mexico. Unfortunately, they were caught by the illegal migration authorities on the US side. The two Goans among the second lot of 116 Indians were deported back to their homeland India in chains by the US last Saturday, February 15, 2025 like slaves. Even criminals deserve better treatment.
SANGAM HIGHLY POLLUTED
THE National Green Tribunal has formed high levels of fecal bacteria in the Sangam waters at Prayagraj which is attracting crore of pilgrim for the holy dip. A quality assessment report prepared by the Central Pollution Board indicates the presence of untreated sewage and human and animal waste in the Ganga and Yamuna rivers which is 660 times the permitted level. The fact that several crore peoples take the holy dip adds to the pollution. It is unfortunate that Narendra Modi and Draupadi Murmu took the dip in the highly polluted sangam area of the rivers at Prayagraj. It may be noted that governor of Goa, Sreedharan Pillai, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and other senior cabinet ministers including Rohan Khaunte and Mauvin Gudinho also visited the Kumbh mela recently to do their cleansing of sins “dubki.”
SHIVAJI’S GOA CONNECTION
SHIVAJI never came to Goa as claimed by some politicians. Shivaji’s connection with Goa was marked by his military campaign against the Portuguese and his strategy to challenge foreign powers along India’s western coast. Shivaji was one of the few Indian rulers who had a navy. Shivaji’s navy sought to take control of the Konkan coast and confront the Portuguese in Goa. His fleet raided Portuguese territories. Shivaji did not permanently conquer Goa but his action weakened the Portuguese influence. Shivaji forces are reported to have attacked Bardez in North Goa and Salcete in South Goa as part of his strategy to control coastal regions. The Portuguese and Shivaji maintained an uneasy peace through negotiations. The Portuguese even supplied some war material to Shivaji. But it is true it was only after Shivaji’s death that the Portuguese managed to extend their rule over the new conquests of Pernem, Sattari, Bicholim, Ponda and Canacona.
ROTTWEILERS AND PITBULLS BANNED
THE two most ferocious species of dogs are rottweilers and pitbulls and they are now banned in Goa after a number of cases of savage attacks on citizens. The State cabinet has now banned the import and petting of this breed of canines. Those who have already own them have to register their dogs and give an undertaking that the owners are responsible and accountable in case of any harm caused in case their dogs bite anyone. Last year a pitbull fatally injured a 7-year-old child in Anjuna.
MERCEDES HIT SIOLIM WOMEN
THE Anjuna police have arrested the 21-year-old young man Archit Sangelkar, a photographer, for driving his Mercedes car rashly. The driver hit pedestrian Judith Fernandes near the San Juan chapel in Siolim. She was critically injured. The driver ran away from the scene without even calling an ambulance to take of his victim in trouble.
TEMPLES DESTROYED
CHIEF Minister Pramod Sawant claims that the Portuguese destroyed several temples in the old conquests of Salcette and Bardez. There is however no independent evidence of any temples being destroyed by the Portuguese. Some Hindutva elements have even claimed that there was a temple at the site of Sancoale Church that is dedicated to St Jose Vaz. It is however a historical fact that many temples were shifted from Salcette to Ponda to escape harassment by the Portuguese.
ASSAULT ON MINORS
THERE is an increasing number of reports of sexual assaults on minors after friendships formed on Facebook. The latest instance is that of a minor girl from Chattisgarh being attacked by Sushan Nayak, a resident of Sarzora in Salcette. A case has been registered under the Protection of Children Act. The girl reportedly became pregnant. There is some confusion about cases of girls in their teens who may be wooed with gifts to engage in consensual sex. Which means having sex with mutual consent. Even the Supreme Court has asked the police not to file cases against such young lovers.
ADS ONLY IN INTERVALS
A BENGALURU consumer court has ordered INOX not to show advertisements before the start of movies. The court asked the multiplex not to waste the time of the audience to see a film. A complaint have been lodged that the first 25 minutes of the film are needlessly devoted to commercial ads. The court has ordered that the ads should be screened during the interval instead and ordered INOX owners to pay a compensation of Rs20,000 to the complainant.
CM APPEALS FOR NAKSHA PILOT PROJECT
CHIEF Minister Dr Pramod Sawant while speaking at the launch of NAKSHA (National Geospatial Knowledge Based Land Survey of Urban Habitations), said that this pilot project which is being fully funded by the Central government will help in urban planning in the long run and facilitate seamless and fair land dealings, besides helping in urban planning and disaster management.
He was speaking at a function organized by the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records in Panaji. “Goans are fortunate,” he added, despite Goa being a small state, three places, namely Panaji, Margao and Cuncolim, have been selected for this project. The CM assuaged fears that may come up in people’s minds over the project which will be implemented in phases — surveys will be through drones and preparing GIS based 3-D maps and title deeds, updating relevant property tax records based on the GIS system of the properties and integration of all maps-said that people shouldn’t get scared and the concerned Municipal Councils should give all assistance to the project. “This project will not change any records such as land titles. “These GIS based 3-D maps will be available for taxation, encroachment removal and city planning activities,” he said adding, “NAKSHA is a step towards Vikasit Bharat 2047.”
The Naksha logo and information booklet was also unveiled on the occasion.
Commissioner cum Secretary, Revenue, Sandip Jacques, IAS, said that this is a nationwide project which will help the Government and the common man. It will help improve land revenue collection, remove land disputes and sought the cooperation of these urban bodies for the survey to be completed within the stipulated time frame.
Earlier, Director of Settlement and Land Records, Shri Rohit Kadam, in his welcome address said that NAKSHA would efficiently help manage land records.
Present on the occasion were Collector, North, Dr Sneha Gitte, IAS, Ms Egna Cleetus, IAS, Collector, South Goa, among others. Also present were representatives from Municipal Corporations and panchayats.
Earlier, Shri Amrendra Kumar Singh, IES, gave an overview of project Naksha, which is being implemented by the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, Union Government, under the Digital India Land Records Modernization Program (DILRMP), with the help of Survey of India, on a one-year pilot project basis to create Land records in about 152 urban local bodies in India.
STUDIO 07 ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS
CALLIN art lovers! Studio 07, a premier fine arts academy and studio of port city Vasco da Gama, is presenting its 8th annual exhibition on February 23 and 24 at Art Gallery at Sanskriti Bhavan, Patto, Panaji.
The exhibition will be inaugurated on Sunday, Feb 23 at 6pm by Minister for Art & Culture Govind Gaude in the presence of philanthropist businessman Sanjay V Satardekar as guest of honor, along with esteemed artist, art critic and columnist Nagueshrao Sardessai as a special invitee.
The theme for this year’s exhibition is “Monuments: Legacy of Stone – A Small Step Towards Rising Awareness.” It showcases the extraordinary talent of Studio 07’s students in their interpretation of monuments and their significance vis-a-vis culture and history. Exhibition is open to public on Monday, Feb24 from 9am to 6pm.
VMSCL 3RD EDITION: JUSTICE G D KAMAT MOOT COURT COMPETITION
THE VM Salgaocar College of Law-hosted Justice GD Kamat National Moot Court Competition 2025 takes place from February 21-23, 2025. Valedictory ceremony will be held on Feb 23 at Z Square Banquets, Panaji, Goa. This 3rd edition of the prestigious moot court competition takes place in physical mode at the VMSCL campus and brings together some of the brightest law students from across the country. The competition pays tribute to the remarkable legacy of Justice Gurudas D Kamat, the first Goan chief justice of the Gujarat high court.
PATIENT WHO SWALLOWED ROACH REPELLENT!
IT was one more learning lesson for the genial and eminent gastroenterologist surgeon Dr Jose Philip Alvares at the Victor Hospital down south Goa early this week. An elderly patient was referred to him with a stomach problem and nobody could guess what it could be. A scan was immediately done and it revealed something mysterious in the stomach but could make out what it was, so Dr Alvares had to do an endoscopy and guess what the foreign body was which he removed? You will never guess.
He removed Roach Repellent tablets which the patient must have taken in a moment of amnesia. Says Dr Alvares, sometimes there are a lot of things on a patient’s table and if the patient also suffers memory lapses …such incidents can happen! Please be careful about what you put on the table when it comes to seniors. Sometimes they may think it is their medicine and put it in their mouth.
Mercifully, this patient was saved a lot of agony in time (see pics here). When it comes to seniors at home it is always wise not only to ensure a night lamp by the bedside but also someone nearby within reach alert enough to help a patient looking for something.
ALL THIS IS HAPPENING IN THE US OF A!
IT IS happening. What? The tide is turning, the worms are turning, so great is the anger against President Donald Trump, who is making such clean sweeps in his haste to Make America Great Again (MAGA, his election slogan) that people are out of jobs overnight. Plus, all kinds of aid is being stopped (in the name of corruption, whose corruption we will never know), he’s packing up illegal immigrants back to their countries of origin very rudely…never mind that farmers can’t find labor to pick their orchard fruit!
IT IS happening. What? The tide is turning, the worms are turning, so great is the anger against President Donald Trump, who is making such clean sweeps in his haste to Make America Great Again (MAGA, his election slogan) that people are out of jobs overnight. Plus, all kinds of aid is being stopped (in the name of corruption, whose corruption we will never know), he’s packing up illegal immigrants back to their countries of origin very rudely…never mind that farmers can’t find labor to pick their orchard fruit!
Also, in a turnabout he’s on goody goody terms with Russia’s super oligarch Vladamir Putin, while condemning Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy for waging war against Russia; all the talk of pushing the surviving Palestinians on Gaza strip to Egypt and the other Middle Eastern countries…and developing the bombed out area into a prime real estate holiday haven! Well, he’s now winning more enemies than friends in Europe and around the world.
To rub salt on wounds he read out a poem on social media about immigrants in the USA being like beautiful toxic snakes… biting the hand which feeds them! Well, retaliation is swift. The people’s Union which sees USA’s democracy dying have now called for a 24 hour US Economic Blackout on Friday, February 28, 2025. On this day all anti-Trump Americans will not shop for anything online or offline. And especially boycott the big corporate malls of big daddies like Walmart, etc.
It’s left to be seen who impeaches President Donald Trump and who locks his best friend Elon Musk! We wish life would get this exciting in India.
Also, in a turnabout he’s on goody goody terms with Russia’s super oligarch Putin, while condemning Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy for waging war against Russia; all the talk of pushing the surviving Palestinians on Gaza strip to Egypt and the other Middle Eastern countries…and developing the bombed out area into a prime real estate holiday haven! Well, he’s now winning more enemies than friends in Europe and around the world.
To rub salt on wounds he read out a poem on social media about immigrants in the USA being like beautiful toxic snakes… biting the hand which feeds them! Well, retaliation is swift. Those who see USA’s democracy dying have called for a 24 hour US Economic Blackout on Friday, February 28, 2025. On this day all anti-Trump Americans will not shop for anything online or offline. And especially boycott the big corporate malls of big daddies like Walmart, etc.
It’s left to be seen who impeaches President Donald Trump and who locks his best friend Elon Musk! We wish life would get this exciting in India.