9-april-2013 … Former st andre mla Francisco Silveira recently inaugurated the beautification works of the jesus of Nazareth chapel situated at siridao in st andre constituency …

A large crowd had gathered to be a part of the inauguration ceremony of the beautification project costing to the tune of over crores of rupees starting from chapel to siridao church and was blessed at the hands of parish priest of the chapel fr hermus …

Speaking on the occasion former st andre mla Francisco Silveira thanked the church authorities for cooperating with the then congress led state government for getting the beautification work done at the siridao chapel

8-april-2013 … Calangute mla michael lobo on Saturday apologized over the issue of his mla colleagues who were found riding bikes from the highway bridge at porvorim to the assembly complex without wearing helmets on Friday morning …

It may be noted that Five BJP, three independents including a minister and a Goa Vikas Party legislator were found violating traffic rules on Friday morning when all the ten mla’s drew to the State Legislative Assembly complex from the Highway without wearing helmet, with one of the bike being without number plate.

The incident had taken place minutes before the state legislative assembly assembled for the day on last Friday with nine legislators on five high powered bikes rode to the assembly complex of which some bikes had no rear view mirrors and also to the surprise of all the security persons and traffic police stationed at the highly guarded complex.

Speaking to media reporters over the incident calangute mla Michael lobo said he fully agreed that his mla colleagues were at fault since the zuari bridge was a national highway and on the national highway road helmet was a must

Michael said though mla’s had not done it purposely as it was for a fun ride and none of the mla’s understood the effect it would have over the issue

7-april-2013 … Five BJP, three independents including a minister and a Goa Vikas Party legislator were found violating traffic rules on last Friday morning when all the ten mla’s drew to the State Legislative Assembly complex from the Highway without wearing helmet, with one of the bike being without number plate.

Minutes before the state legislative assembly assembled for the day today, nine legislators on five high powered bikes rode to the assembly complex of which some bikes had no rear view mirrors and also to the surprise of all the security persons and traffic police stationed at the highly guarded complex.

BJP’s Glenn Ticlo, Pramod Sawant, Michael Lobo, Nilesh Cabral and  Carlose Almeida, Independents Avertano Furtado-fisheries minister, Rohan Khaunte and Naresh Sawal and Goa Vikas Party legislator Fransisco Miccky Pacheco drove to the complex on Harley Davidson and Enfield Bullets.

None of the legislators, who had discussed on the issue of compulsion of helmets on the highway in the current assembly session, were wearing helmets. Goa government has made helmet compulsory for the riders on the Highways, while pillion rider is exempted from being fined.

Speaking to media reporters over the issue Nuvem mla micky Pacheco said that he had not violated the rules and had worn a helmet till the gate of the assembly complex

Meanwhile commenting over the issue transport minister sudhin dhavlikar said that if any mla was found guilty of violating traffic rules that action would be taken on the concerned mla as the motor vehicles act

Meanwhile congress mla alexio reginaldo lourenco said that it was a bad precedent set up by some of the ruling mla’s to drive with the bikes without helmets

Meanwhile speaker on the goa legislative assembly rajendra arlekar said that he was not aware about any such thing taking place inside the assembly complex …

The state bjp party has said that the invitation for inviting pope francis to goa for the 2014 exposition should first come from the officials of the church authorities and once it is confirmed then only the state government could come in to the picture of making proper arrangements for the pope visit to goa

Addressing press media at the party head office in Panjim spokesperson and vice president of the state bjp party dr Wilfred mesquita said that it was up to the church authorities in India and goa to take on call on weather the pope should be invited to visit India or not …

Meanwhile spokesperson of the goa archdiocese fr Francisco caldeira said that though they would love to have pope francis in the state it was up to the bishop conference together with the government could decide on pope’s visit to the country Meanwhile the state bjp party also announced of holding various programmes on the occasion of bjp parties foundation day in goa

6-april-2013 … The appointment of B. Sudershan Reddy as Goa’s first Lokayukta will be challenged by Adv. Aires Rodrigues before the Bombay High Court at Goa next week.

Adv. Aires Rodrigues on Saturday stated that the entire selection and appointment process of B. Sudershan Reddy was contrary to the law laid down by the Supreme Court earlier this year while deciding petitions pertaining to the appointment of Lokayuktas in Gujarat and Karnataka.

Alleging that the selection of the Goa Lokayukta was not transparent and shrouded in mystery, Adv. Rodrigues also wondered as to why the distinguished Goan retired High Court judges were not considered for the post.

Adv. Rodrigues further stated that the Rs 500 fee being charged with every complaint filed before the Goa Lokayukta would also be challenged as it would discourage and deter the common man from filing complaints of corruption and maladministration before the Lokayukta.

5-april-2013 … Former revenue minister jose phlip dsouza has sought to know from the state government the reason of transferring elvis gomes from the post of executive director of sports authority of goa to the director of municipal administration ….

addressing media persons in the capital city the former revenue minister jose philip dsousa said that it was surprising to know that a dynamic officer like elvis gomes who had done exceptionally well in sports administration was transferred from one office to another without any reason

Jose also said that there ha to be a reason for the transfer of elvis gomes from the sag post who had done a lot for get the state sports infrastructure in to place

The state tourism department is has said that it would ask the owners of the playboy club in goa to give in a written affidavit to the state government stating that there wont be any vulgarity inside the playboy club …

It may be noted that Adult entertainment company Playboy is set to open its first club in India in north Goa’s Candolim beach .

According to sources the club will open by mid-December on a 22,000 sq ft of space and The costumes of the bunnies which are integral to the Playboy culture, will be based on Indian sensibilities and morals

Speaking to goanreporter tourism minister Dilip Parulekar said that if the club indulges in any obscenity or nudity, the government would withdraw their permission.

Parulekar said though the state government was facing a lot of problems due to many things that were going in and around the state coastal beaches and therefore would ask for a written affidavit from the party swearing in that there wont be any type of vulgarity in the playboy club

Meanwhile Former Congress MLA of Calangute Agnelo Fernandes who is a partner of the cafe said that there wont be any nudity in their café and they would not have any problem to give in a written affidavit to the government over the required proposal

03-04-2013 … The office of Goa’s first Lokayukta, headed by Justice B Sudershan Reddy, will now begin functioning from April 5.

Though presently the office is located at the government guest house at Altinho which is a temporary arrangement state government has allocated a part of the Old GMC building at Ribandar as the permanent office of the Goa Lokayukta.

Justice Reddy, former judge of the Supreme Court, took the oath of office two weeks ago.
Speaking to media reporter’s justice reddy said lokayukta day to day function would start from 5th of April from 10 am onwards and would be received everyday from Monday to Friday

Appealing to the various sections of the society in goa Reddy said that all should work together in helping the institution in consolidating itself so that corruption was eradicate from the land of goa

Meanwhile even though justice reddy had said that the office would take complaints from 5th of April social activist advocate Aires Rodrigues became the first complainant to file a complaint at the office of lokayukta in goa

Adv. Aires Rodrigues on Wednesday filed a complaint before the Goa Lokayukta against Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar who is also the Planning Minister and Dattaprasad Kholkar, Deputy Chairman of the Goa State Planning Board.

in his complaint under Section 11 of the Goa Lokayukta Act aires has accused Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Planning Board Deputy Chairman Mr. Dattaprasad Kholkar of having misused their office to high-handedly, illegally and fraudulently appoint one Diksha D. Pednekar as Peon in the office of the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Board. .

02-04-2013 … Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday handed over amount sanctioning letters to 100 beneficiaries registered under the goa mining scheme at the conference hall inside the assembly complex in porvorim …

Under the scheme the present 100 beneficiaries whose forms have been processed by through gel includes tipper owners whose livelihood has been affected due to the closure of the mining industry and would get an amount of rs 8000 per truck while a person having two trucks would get an amount of rs 12,000 with the benefits coming up right from the month of October 2012 …

In the present sanctioned letter the state government has given the installment amount of march 2013 while the remaining months amount would be directly credited in to the beneficiaries bank account though hdfc bank

Though Parrikar said that he was hopeful of mining industry to start this year itself he asked people to look out for other alternative than mining in to the state of goa

Industries minister mahadev naik who was also present on the occasion blamed the erstwhile congress government for the mess created in to the state mining industry

01-04-2013 … With more than a year left for the 2014 exposition of the relics of st francis Xavier to begin at old goa in the state of goa, roman Catholics in goa and around the country could get a glimpse if possible of watching closely the newly elected roman catholic pope francis during the 2014 exposition of st francis Xavier at old goa according to rector of basilica of bom jesus fr savio baretto ….

The Jesuit society in goa has been upbeat and excited after Jorge Mario Bergoglio who is the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, and the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere who was on 13 March 2013 elected at the papal conclave as the new pope Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, on 13 March 2013 and are feeling that pope francis should visit goa during the 2014 exposition of the relics of st Francis Xavier next year….

Speaking to goanreporter rector of basilica of bom jesus fr savio baretto said that he as a member of the Jesuit society in goa was happy to know that a Jesuit who is a follower of st Francis Xavier has been chosen to lead the roman Catholics in the world and since 2014 exposition is coming closer and closer he felt that pope Francis should visit India specially goa during the 2014 exposition next year

Fr baretto said that a request should also come from the people in and around the country for pope francis visit to goa and in that line many people have also shared their feeling with me even with phone calls asking me as why we don’t call the pope for the 2014 exposition