Margao: September 26, 2017…  Reading makes human being rich and moulds one’s mindset.  Reading is thus very more important said Minister for Art and Culture, Shri Govind Gaude and urged the youth to make reading a habit, knowledge from which can help face any eventualities in life.

 He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating States first Government Town (Nagar) Library at Quepem in presence of MLA, Quepem and Leader of Opposition, Shri Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar; Shri Raul Pereira, Chairperson, Quepem Municipal Council; Shri Prashant Shirodkar, Deputy Collector, Quepem; Shri Sagun Velip, Chief Officer, Quepem Municipal Council; Shri Ashok Parab, Deputy Director, Art and Culture Department; Shri Carlos Fernandes, Curator and Fr Domnic Savio.

          Speaking further, Shri Gaude said reading makes one more knowledgeable. Today’s reader will be tomorrow’s leader. To do any good work, one requires passion and positive energy which can be derived from reading. Library is an energy centre for human’s intellectual development, he asserted.

            He urged the students to read material apart from subject books which will help them in their future. Reading can change one’s life. Department will provide E book and digital library to Quepem Library soon he remarked.

Shri Chandrkant Kavlekar expressed his happiness with the opening of this library as the long pending demand of citizens of Quepem has been fulfilled and dream comes true. Reading can make one more knowledgeable and time can be spent in acquiring knowledge, he said.

Shri Raul Pereira, Chairperson urging the people to make optimum use of the Library in the vicinity and promised to provide Air Condition system to make people use it even during warm weather conditions.

Panaji:  September 26, 2017 …. The Government is committed to improve the infrastructure for the development of State and its people, said Chief Minister, Shri Manohar Parrikar adding that it is responsibility of the people to maintain the projects.

Shri Parrikar stated that the financial condition of Goa is getting strong day by day. All the development projects are carried out for the betterment of people. Till date not a single project has been rejected for non-availability of funds, he remarked.

Chief Minister, Shri Manohar Parrikar made this statement during the day long visit to Sankhalim constituency while hearing to the various grievances being faced by the people from seven PanchayatS and one Municipality from Sankhali Constituency on his day long Jan Sampark Abhiyan, yesterday.

The Chief Minister has decided to visit all 40 constituencies as a part of Jan Sampark Abhiyan to redress the public grievances at their doorsteps.

At the start of his day long visit to Sankhali Constituency the Chief Minister was welcomed by Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly Dr. Pramod Sawant along with Sarpanch of Amona Village Panchayat Shri Sandesh Naik at Amona Bridge which was followed by a rally.  Later, he visited the Vetal Temple and also listened to the grievances of public from Amona Panchayat.

Shri Parrikar was also welcomed by Navellim Village Panachayat and Truck Owner Association at Navellim.

During the course of hearing of public grievances, the Chief Minster reiterated the Government’s commitment to redress the problems of public in a State and asserted that the Online Public Grievances Redressal System has been launched to facilitate the people to lodge their complaint online. He appealed to the people to use the portal to register and redress their issues.

Highlighting the importance of cleanness Chief Minister called upon the people to keep their area clean. Involvement of people in Swachh Bharat Mission is necessary, he said and added that everyone has to take care of one’s own garbage in its area and keep their toilet clean for better health care. He urged the people to avoid the use of plastic. Goa is a touristic place and tourist love clean places, he added.

Shri Parrikar informed that the Virdi Bridge will be thrown open to the people in December fulfilling the long pending demand of the village of road connectivity to their neighbouring villages. He also informed that a study is underway to ascertain whether to increase the height of Dam or to construct new support dam in the vicinity of Anjunem Dam to meet the demand of the people for providing sufficient potable water.

Shri Parrikar visited village Panchayat Amona, Navellim, Surla, Velguem, Palli, Kudnaim and Sankhalim Municipality where he acquainted himself with the problems faced by the people of the respective areas.

During the day long visit the Chief Minister listened to the grievances of Public representatives pertaining to the roads, drinking water, Electricity, agriculture, sulabh Toilet, Nallah Bandhara in their respective areas At Ravindr Bhavan, Sankhalim. Chief Minister also instructed the concerned officers to initiate immediate action with due procedure to redress the same.         

He said discipline alongwith the dedicated responsibility towards work is main source of success. He urged the public representatives to prepare a proper list of grievances faced by the public of their areas and submit to his office for quick redressal.

He also assured to look into the demand of the people to depute a full time Chief Officer to Sankhali Municipality at the earliest.

Shri Dharmesh Saglani, Chairperson SMC, Sarpanchs, Panchayat Members, Government Officers were present on the occasion

Chief Minister, Shri Parrikar also inaugurated beautification of surrounding of Shree Navdurga Temple at Village Panachayat Pale- Kothambi, work of which is to be executed by GSIDC at a cost of Rs 1.50 lakhs.

Chairman, GSIDC, Shri Deepak Pawaskar,  was also present on the occasion.

Panjim,24 September:  Days ahead of  World Tourism  Day, Hon’ble  Chairman  of Goa Tourism Development  Corporation, Mr. Nilesh Cabral  impressed on  Botany students of Goa University to  cultivate greater  knowledge of  Goa’s rich and vast bio-diversity and to  be part of  tourism sustainability  for the growth and betterment  of tourism in Goa.

Mr. Cabral, recently interacting with Botany (eco-tourism) students at the GU said, “Goa’s forestry is higher than the national average with bio-diversity sites which are the most beautiful. Today visitors from urban India including foreign tourists throng to Goa to explore and experience this unique facet and you as young students can utilize this avenue to further your prospects in the tourism sector.”

Emphasizing  on the  theme  of  Sustainable Tourism:  a tool for development, Mr. Cabral   detailed the various goals enlisted by United National General Assembly,   which he said would need  to be  achieved by putting  one’s whole self into it and  taking on the challenges  with  a vision.”

The GTDC Chairman explained to the young audience the challenges faced by the tourism corporation while adding new avenues for developing tourism adventure activities. He said, “The journey is tough but if you work with your conscience and mind no obstacle is difficult to overcome.”

He explained  to the  young Botany students  the  various  employment  opportunities that  their  subject has to offer  in the tourism sector, especially  eco-tourism and hinterland  tourism.

He also impressed on the students to be creative, ideate on new tourism projects revolving around sustainability and to be enterprising and self employed in different ways.

He said that the Goa Tourism Development Corporation is looking for innovation and has also associated with young entrepreneurs in several tourism activities.

During the two hour interaction session at Goa University, Mr. Cabral responded to various queries from the Botany students and further encouraged them to pursue careers in tourism as a tool for sustainability and developing the future of tourism as an industry in Goa.

the entire session was co-ordinated by Dr. Nandakumar Kamat.

Panjim, September 24: Goa Tourism participated in the 23^rd International Trade Fair for Travel & Tourism Forum at OTDYKH 2017 in Moscow from September 19-21, 2017. Mr. Manohar Ajgaonkar, Minister for Tourism, Govt of Goa attended this International event along with officials from Dept of Tourism and Goa Tourism Development Corporation.

While attending the event at Moscow, Mr. Manohar Ajgaonkar, Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Govt of Goa said “Goa Tourism received an overwhelming response from International delegates attending the OTDYKH and tourism travel and trade operators who assembled in Moscow from across the globe. Over 300 Travel Trade members visited our pavilion and several charter companies requested for policies to grant more parking berths at the Goa International airport to increase tourist arrivals. There has been a significant rise in Russian tourist arrivals to Goa and is directly related to the promotion campaigns that the Ministry of Tourism is conducting through its participation in International events.”

Year after year, Goa Tourism showcases its new initiatives and activities at international tourism events and this year too, Goa Tourism took this opportunity to promote its unique facilities and facets to people from across the globe.

There has been a significant increase in Russian tourist arrivals to Goa with a 55% increase in 2016 against 33% in 2012. Goa received as many as 3, 76,957 Russian tourists in the year 2016 alone. Goa, which is popular among travellers in the western countries, attracted 614 chartered flights during the tourist season lasting from October 2016 to May 2017. These flights brought 1, 60,728 lakh Russian tourists to Goa.

Goa Tourism had put up an attractive pavilion showcasing Goan traditions, heritage and all its tourism attractions. Besides the travel and trade visitors from Moscow, the Goa Tourism pavilion also welcomed a delegation of Regional Travel Trade from around Russia.

Several b2b sessions were also conducted giving travel and tour operators an insight into Goa’s new portfolios and new attractions in the state.