Panaji, Sept. 26, 2014

Chief Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar today launched the online payment of water  supply bills in the distinguished presence of Minister for Public Works Department Shri Ramkrishna alias Sudin Dhavlikar at Minister’s Block, Secretariat, Porvorim.

  The Public works Department in association with Department of Information Technology will make available online payment of water bills through portal              (https://www.goa.gov.in).  With this facility, the water supply consumers will be able to pay water bills online through e-payments modes such as Credit Card, Debit Card, Internet Banking and payment through SBI branch.         The service charges to avail online payment by Debit Card, Internet Banking is absorbed by Government, whereas the service charges to avail online payment through Credit Card is levied on the Consumer, according to PWD authority.

          Speaking on the occasion the Chief Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar  said that  the Government is endeavouring to deliver e-payments facilities for all Government payments including  online payment of electricity bills in a phased manner for the benefit of the people in the state.

           Shri Parrikar said, with the online facilities, the consumers will  be able to make payments like water supply bills at his convenient place thereby providing relief to them.

           Speaking further the Chief Minister said that all efforts will be made to make Goa  garbage free by December 2015.  He  appealed to the people of Goa  to participate in ‘Swach Bharat Nital  Goem’ programme which has started from September 25, 2014 and will continue till October 23, 2014. He also urged the people to dispose their day-to-day garbage  in a proper manner.

         PWD Minister  Shri  Ramkrishna Dhavlikar said that online payment of water supply bills facility will be extended to entire South Goa consumers and North Goa  will be covered within two months. He said,  this online payment facility will be made available  to all water supply consumers  within one year.

           The function was attended by Shri. D.J.S. Borkar, Principal Chief Engineer, PWD, Shri. Nilesh Phaldessai, Director of Information Technology and other Senior officers.

September 25, 2014  …. Chief Minister, Shri Manohar Parrikar today launched the Swach Bharat Nital Goem programme in the city today.

The Chief Minister who launched the cleanliness drive as part of the Swach Bharat Nital Goem programme appealed to the people including the Government employees to join this national mission in making Goa clean and garbage free.

Under the programme entire areas of Junta House were cleaned in which the Chief Minister also participated alongwith others.

Swach Bharat Nital Goem programme has kick-started in various parts of the State today. The month-long programme will continue up to October 23 which is aimed at making Goa garbage-free by December 19, 2014.

           Chief Minister said the Government will take the campaign seriously to make Goa clean and Garbage free before the target date.  He instructed the concerned officials to provide bins in every Department for collecting garbage from office premises and further advised to avoid plastic usage in the office.

Shri Parrikar also directed the Director of Transport to inspect and prepare a statement of all the dumped vehicles in Departmental area and tow them to police parade ground. He said the vehicles will be auctioned or disposed as scrape after following codal formalities. 

Commissioner of CCP, Shri Sanjit Rodrigues, and other Officers were present on the occasion.

Panaji; Sept, 25, 2014 … The Directorate of Art & Culture will honour 15 eminent personalities in the field of Art & Culture by conferring the prestigious Goa State Cultural Award for their contribution and achievements in their respective art forms like Music, Drama/Tiatra, Folk Art, Bhajan, Kirtan, Craft, Literature, Painting etc. The awards are for the year 2013-14. These awardees have set an example to the youth of Goa and art encouraging them by dedicating their life for promotion and preservation of Art & Culture of the State.

The recipients are Shri Prabhakar Vithal Gaonkar, Theatre (Drama),           Shri Balwant Baburao Shirgaonkar, Theatre (Drama), Smt Antonette Mendes, Theatre (Drama), Smt. Josefina Dias, Theatre (Tiatr), Shri Lourenco Fernendes Theatre (Tiatr), Shri N. Shivdas. Literature, Fr. Vasco Rego, Literature, Smt. Jess Fernandes, Literature, Smt Maria Aurora Couto, Literature,  Shri Vithal Khandolkar,  Music, Shri Chandrakant Vernekar, Music, Shri Narayan Arjun Haldankar, Bhajan, Shri Ajit Painginkar, Folk Art, Shri Mahendra Chodankar, Fine Art, Shri Shivanand Khedekar, Fine Art. 

The awards comprises of a cash purse of Rs. 50,000/- each, a certificate, shrifal, Nataraj Replica and shawl.

Government also honors one best cultural Institution every year in the field of Art & Cultural and for the year 2012-13 the award will be conferred on Shree Naguesh Mahalaxmi Prasadik Natyasamaj, Ponda.  The award consists of a Memento and Cash purse of Rs.1.00 Lakh.

The Goa State Cultural Awards for Individuals and best Cultural Institution will be presented to the awardees at a special function to be organized by the Department shortly.

Panaji ; Sept 25, 2014 … To deliver e-payments facilities to the people of Goa, the Public Works Department, in association of Department of Information Technology, Government of Goa will be enabling Online Payment of Water Bills through State Portal (https://www.goa.gov.in).

This facility will provide the water supply consumers to pay Water Bills Online through various e-payments modes such as credit Card, Debit Card, Internet Banking and Payments through SBI branch. In order, to facilitate these Online Payments the State is using State Bank of India Payment Gateway.

The service Charges to avail Online Payments by Debit Card, Internet Banking is absorbed by Government, whereas the Service Charges to avail Online Payments through Credit Card is levied on the Consumer.

The consumers will be enabled to pay Water bills at his convenient place and time thereby by relieving the Consumers in standing in long queues and saving their valuable time.

Currently, the Online Payments of Water Bills will be extended to south Goa Consumers and within 2 months it will be extended to North Goa in Phased manner.   

25/09/2014 /….. The LOC of the U17 FIFA World Cup 2017 confirmed the appointment of Mr. Javier Ceppi as Tournament Director and Mr. Joy Bhattacharjya as the Project Director for the Mega Event slated to be held in October 2017 in India.

The appointment process was concluded after an interview panel comprising of Mr. Kushal Das, General Secretary, AIFF; Mr. Windsor John, Deputy General Secretary AFC; Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran, FIFA Development Officer and Mr. Subrata Dutta, AIFF Executive Committee Member, also the Senior Vice President, AIFF; had interviewed the Candidates in late August, 2014 at Football House.

The short listed Candidates were then interviewed by Mr. Praful Patel, President, AIFF before the appointments were finalised.

Mr. Kushal Das, General Secretary of AIFF stated: “We are extremely pleased with the appointments as both Javier and Joy bring to the table a great amount of experience and expertise.”

He added: “Javier was involved in the U-17 World Cup in UAE in 2013 and is also a Director of the U-17 World Cup which will be held in Chile in 2015 and comes with a great deal of knowledge on how FIFA U-17 World Cups are conducted.”

“Furthermore, Joy has very good experience of Media activations and is well known for his creativity and knowledge of managing Events and Production in India. We all felt that both of them complement each other perfectly in delivering a World Class Event as well as creating the youth activation for the U-17 FIFA World Cup which is so necessary to change the face of Indian Football.”

The LOC of the U-17 FIFA World Cup 2017 will be based at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi and both Javier and Joy will take up their responsibilities from November 1, 2014 onwards.

24/09/2014 … National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO), Goa, will celebrate the 72^ndFoundation Day of its parent organization, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on  26^th of September,. On this occasion, students and members of public are invited from 9.30 to 12.30 to visit an exhibition showcasing models of research ships, oceanographic instruments as well as exhibits such as sea horses, marine minerals and marine archaeological artifacts and tolearn about different activities of the institute.  Films on ocean sciences will also be screened and there will be a lecture on ‘Careers in Oceanography” by one of the scientists of the Institute.

 A public lecture on “Natural calamity and human tragedy in Uttarakhand in the Himalaya” byProf. KS Valdiya, Padmashri and Honorary Professor of Geodynamics, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore is also scheduled at 16:00 on 26^thSeptemberin the Cardium(NIO Auditorium).On 29^th September at 16.00 pm, Prof. Valdiya will also deliver a lecture in Hindi on “Puraankaalmein Bharat kelogon kiekataakaaadbhut saphalprayaas”in the Cardium (NIO Auditorium).

 The speaker, Prof Valdiya, is a distinguished scientist, academician, author, and an active environmentalist, internationally recognized for his path-breaking work in the fields of geology and environmental science. Prof Valdiya’s fundamental studies on Uttarakhand Himalayas serve as a template for interpreting the structural architecture of the Himalayas.  For the last few years, Prof. Valdiya has been working on scienceoutreach programmes to popularize science among young students. Prof. Valdiya has been a recipient of several prestigious awards including PadmashriandHindi SeviSammaan (AtmaramPuraskaar) in 2007, G.M Modi Award for Science and Environment in 2012,National Mineral Award of Excellence in 1997, D.N. Wadia Medal in 1995, National Mineral Award in 1993, S.K. Mitra Award in 1991, Shanti SwarupBhatnagar Prize in 1976 and Chancellor’s Medal in 1954. He has been the Pitambar Pant Environment Fellow of Department of Environment & Forests (1982–1984) and National Lecturer of University Grants Commission (1977–1978). He is a Fellow of Indian National Science Academy, Indian Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, India, Third World Academy of Sciences and Geological Society of India. He is an Honorary Fellow of Geological Society of America and Geological Society of Nepal. He has served as Council Member in INSA (1984–1986) and as Member, Science Advisory Committee of the Prime Minister (1983–1988).

 CSIR-NIO invites all to visit its campus at Dona Paula on these days and interact with the scientists.

Panjim, 24^nd September 2014: Adding a new and snazzier dimension to its iconic Scooty brand, TVS Motor Company recently launched its much awaited TVS Scooty Zest 110.

The all new TVS Scooty Zest 110 offers customers an optimum balance of power, performance, ride quality and handling along with a host of other attractive features, while staying true to its Scooty DNA. TVS Scooty Zest 110 comes with fresh and modern styling, replete with vibrant graphics in eye-catching colours. Its larger zippy, refined nextgen 109.7 cc engine effects a remarkable initial pickup of 0-60 kmph in a mere 11.1 seconds. TVS Scooty Zest 110 offers outstanding ride comfort, while seamlessly straddling extremes to maximize the joy of riding.

The styling of TVS Scooty Zest 110 embodies elegance while flaunting a design language that invokes expressions of fun, freshness and freedom for young girls. Its soft form blends smoothly with crisp and fluid lines and tense highlights. TVS Scooty Zest 110 effortlessly lives up to the promise of being a stylish yet efficient and agile commuter.

TVS Scooty Zest 110 has the best maneuverability, while simultaneously providing superior road grip, stability and control by way of its ergonomics, ride handling geometry and tubeless tyres. Comfortable seating delivered by a broader and longer double stitched seat, telescopic front suspension and hydraulic mono shock rear spring suspension, assure the rider of a peppy and stress free ride. TVS Scooty Zest 110 enjoys best-in-class under-seat storage capacity of 19 litres and yet, is among the most compact scooters in its category.

TVS Scooty Zest 110 comes with a gamut of new features including a backlit speedometer, new LED tail lamps, new twilight lamps, a textured floor board, all new painted switch panels, new leaf shaped mirrors and a new compact muffler with stainless steel guard. The scooter also gets retractable bag hooks and under seat hooks. A highly useful feature is a novel open glove box where the rider can keep her small artefacts.

TVS Scooty Zest 110 returns an impressive mileage of 62 kmpl, under simulated test conditions as per TVS Motor standards. The scooter is equipped with a TVS patented econometer which allows the rider obtain the maximum mileage. It also has a long idling indicator to enhance mileage.

Other attractive features include a parking brake, TVS Motor Company patented EaZy centre stand, bigger and brighter head lamp, an auto choke and easy kick start.

TVS Scooty Zest 110 is priced at Rs. Rs. 43,300 (ex-Showroom Goa) and available in five exciting metallic colours including a first time Terrific Turquoise, Powerful Pink, Fiery Red, Dynamic White and Daring Black.

Panaji; September 24, 2014 … Disha Charitable Trust is organizing all Goa Drawing Painting Competition for the children of special schools from all over Goa, at Clube Tennis de Gasper Dias, Miramar, Panaji. This year’s competition is the 14^th one in succession and nearly 550 such childrens from all special schools are likely to participate in the competition.

          Chief Minister, Mr. Manohar Parrikar, will be the Chief Guest for the function and will give away the prizes and trophies.

24/09/2014 … The Konkan Railway Corporation, has decided to provide additional halts to Train No.02005/02006 Lokmanya Tilak Terminus – Karmali AC Double Decker Special at Kudal and Thivim stations.

 Accordingly, Train No.02005 Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT)  – Karmali will leave LTT at 14.50 hrs will reach  Karmali at 07.15 hrs  next day, and in return journey the train will leave Karmali at 16.00 hours and will reach LTT at 6.15 hrs the next day. These timings will continue till October 31, 2014.

Whereas the timings of the train has been changed with effect from 1^st November, 2014.  Accordingly, the train will leave LTT at 14.15 hrs and will reach  Karmali at 08.05 hrs  next day, and in return journey the train will leave Karmali at 15.25 hours and will reach LTT at 07.12 hrs the next day. 

23/09/2014 …. ‘’International Coastal Clean-Up Day’’ was coordinated by Indian Coast Guard all over the Country on 20 Sep 14. Every year, this event is held on the third Saturday in the month of September. The event in the state of Goa was coordinated by Coast Guard District Headquarters 11 in collaboration with Goa Shipyard Limited in its quest to ensure clean environment. This event was also supported by hotels like Bogmallo Beach Resort, Marriot Resort, Taj Fort Aguada, Taj Exotica, Heritage Village Club, Leela, Baywatch Resort, Kenilworth Resort and Park Hyatt. The major beaches covered were Bogmallo, Miramar, Sinquerium, Benaulim, Cansaulim, Mobor, Sernabatim, Uttorda, Arrosim.

The event started at 0830 on all the beaches wherein Coast Guard, police organization, Hotel staff, village panchayats and enthusiastic volunteers joined hands for the noble cause and cleaned the beaches around the state by picking up garbage littered around. With the motto of the event being ‘’Keep beaches litter free’’, the aim of the programme was to spread awareness about the coastal pollution and motivate the public especially the younger generation about keeping the environment clean.

The main event was held at Bogmallo Beach; Shri Laxman Kaulvekar Sarpanch of Chicolna Bogmallo village panchayat was the chief guest. Speaking on the occasion, DIG MV Baadkar, the Deputy Inspector General Coast Guard Goa, said that on this day the beaches around the world are cleaned on volunteer basis in an organinsed way, to bring awareness among the general populace about the importance of keeping the beaches clean. So, it is the duty of all of us to ensure that beaches of Goa are always litter-free. This is the only way to ensure that we and our future generations enjoy this gift of nature for all times to come. Awareness must be spread to the young generation and personnel who are using the coastal areas, so that pollutants are not discharged into the rivers and sea. He thanked Goa Shipyard Limited, all hotels and panchayats who supported this event and made it a great success.