The Voice of Goa - - Since 1900

Panjim I March, 12, 2011 I Postal Reg. No. Goa 101 I Price Rs. 3.00 I Air Surcharge Rs 2 I Pages 16+8

HOw JAPAN DEALS wITH EARTHquAKES >> P8

tsunamiPARRIKAR CALLS BABuSH gOONDA >> P2

goaDHONI BANKS ON OPENERS TO FIRE >> P15

sports

saturday

weekend

visit us at: www.oheraldo.in

There comes a time,

when we heed a cer-

tain call. Its time for

that call. When Panjim must

come together as one. IF

these lines are from that im-

mortal We are the world

song, it is because the cir-

cumstances are the same. If

that song was about giving

for the children of Africa, this

call is also about giving for

the future of Panjm

This has been an arduous

campaign for the CPP polls.

At times it has been an unfair

campaign. It has been a cam-

paign of malpractices. It has

been a campaign of trying to

grab Panjim because huge

personal fortunes will be

made. It has been a cam-

paign with one possible dis-

astrous fallout. No matter

who comes first, the people of

Panjim may not. Only you

can change this course.

Only you know if you want

to vote for your town where

you live and work and where

your children are and will

grow. You will know if the

past grandeur of this town, its

heritage, its values and its

peace need to be preserved

or surrendered at the altar of

redevelopment, changing of

zones and cutting of trees.

When you go out and vote,

you will have clear choices.

Vote for a corporation where

promises will not be kept,

corruption will rule, garbage

will rot, streets will be

choked, funds will reach pri-

vate coffers but will be

drained out of government

ones and people with crimi-

nal cases will be your rulers.

Or vote for your city where

you are a stakeholder.

The system of taking peo-

ple into confidence has been

eroded. The mask of devel-

opment is an elixir for devel-

opers and builders. Has this

>Continued on pg 10

EDIT

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE

JAPAN SWALLOWED

LAND OF THE RAVAGING SEA: Light planes and vehicles sit among the debris after they were swept by a tsumani that struck Sendai airport in northern Japan on Friday.

PTI

8.9QUAKE MAGNITUDE

Japans most powerful earth-

quake of 8.9 magnitude in

nearly a century triggered a

massive tsunami.

200-300BODIES FOUND

Around 200-300 bodies were

found in Wakabayashi area of

Sendai city.

500MISSING

Over 500 people were re-

ported missing.

50ALERTS

Australia, Philippines, Tai-

wan and Indonesia also is-

sued tsunami alerts.

2000EVACUATED

2,000 residents living by a nu-

clear plant in Fukushima,

evacuated after a reactor

cooling system failed.

11N-REACTORS SHUT

A total of 11 nuclear reactors

shut down automatically at

the Onagawa plant,

Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2

plants and Tokai No. 2 plant.

Over a thousand feared killed l Ship carrying about 100 washed away l Passenger train withan unknown number of people missing l Fire breaks out in one of the nuclear facilities

PTI

TOKYO, MARCH 11: A massive

tsunami triggered by Japans

most powerful earthquake in

nearly a century today

wrought devastation in

northeast coastal Japan,

sweeping away houses, ships

and cars and setting ablaze

several buildings, killing over

360 people.

Around 200-300 bodies

were found in Wakabayashi

area of Sendai city, close to

the epicentre of the 8.9 mag-

nitude quake as the tidal

waves carried debris of build-

ings, overturned ships, cars

and vehicles that came their

way deep into the mainland,

Kyodo news agency said.

At least 60 people were

killed in Iwate prefecture and

other places. A 67-year-old

man was killed after being hit

by a crumbling wall in Chiba

prefecture, while a woman in

her 50s died after a portion of

a roof of a hall collapsed in

Tokyo.

The National Police

Agency said 531 people were

reported missing and 627

others were injured in the

quake and the 33-foot tidal

waves in the countrys north-

east coast. The toll could go

up significantly as reports of

damage trickled in.

Television images showed

fires raging in several build-

ing complexes as also a major

petrochemical complex in

Sendai. The tsunami also

flooded the Sendai airport.

A ship carrying about 100

people was washed away by

the huge tidal waves in

Japans northeast coast and

its fate was not known, public

broadcaster NHK reported,

citing Miyagi prefecture po-

lice.

A passenger train with an

unknown number of people

aboard, running near Nobiru

station on the Senseki Line

connecting Sendai to Ishino-

maki, was unaccounted for,

the Japanese new agency

said, quoting the police.

A wall of water several

kilometres wide triggered by

the earthquake, the most

powerful since the 1923

tremor in Great Kanto area

in Tokyo and its vicinity

which was 7.9 on Richter

scale and had killed more

than 140,000 people, carried

all that it destroyed deep into

the mainland.

Buildings, even in far away

Tokyo, shook vigorously and

live footage by NHK showed

a wide, muddy stream mov-

ing rapidly across a residen-

tial area near Natori River in

Miyagi,

levelling everything in its

path.

The quake struck at 2:46

pm local time (11:16 am IST)

and alerts were issued across

the Pacific, including areas as

far away as South America,

United States west coast,

Canada and Alaska.

Kyodo quoting the fire and

disaster management agency

said more than 80 fires were

reported from Iwate, Miyagi,

Akita, Fukushima, Ibaradi,

Chiba and Kanagawa prefec-

tures.

Over 600 people, many of

them students, were seen

stranded atop a school rooftop

>Continued on pg 10

TEAM HERALD

PANJIM: There is no tsunami

threat to India and the Goan

and Konkan coastline from

the earthquake in Japan as

there are significant num-

bers of land mass above the

sea that break these waves

and do not allow it to propa-

gate far says Dr. Satish

Shetye, Director, National In-

stitute of Oceanography.

Lifting the lid off the mys-

tery whether Goas coastline

is well monitored against a

possible tsunami eventuality.

Dr. Shetye explains

Tsunamis are not moni-

tored by satellites but by sea-

level monitoring stations

installed at each and every

port in India as well as a few

open sea locations. It is these

stations that register the

changing wave pattern

height, drift and speed to

>Continued on pg 10

No tsunami threatto India: NIO

HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, MARCH 11: The

State Election Commission

(SEC) today decided to hold

election and counting for the

Corporation of the City of

Panaji (CCP) on March 13 it-

self and has banned victory

processions to ensure law

and order remains under

control.

The district magistrate on

Friday issued two separate

notifications under section

144 of Criminal Procedures

Code (CrPC) banning vic-

tory processions and burst-

ing of firecrackers by

candidates or supporters be-

tween 9 pm of March 13 and

6 am of March 14.

In yet another notification,

the magistrate has ordered

the closure of commercial

establishments like hotels,

restaurants, bars, grocery

shops, recreation centers

and others situated within

the radius of 100 meters of

each of the Polling Stations

in the jurisdiction of CCP on

the polling day.

District Collector Mihir

Vardhan said that these

measures are initiated as po-

lice anticipate law and order

problems due to polling and

counting on the same day.

The apprehension raised

by police was mainly due to

victory processions that

might take ugly turns, he

told a press conference.

It was brought to our no-

tice that most of the com-

mercial establishments

within 100 meters of polling

booths remain crowded with

the supporters of different

candidates, leading to prob-

lems, Vardhan said in the

notification.

The State Election Com-

mission officials on Friday

held review meeting with

the senior police officials to

ensure that there is free and

fair polling.

Vardhan said police would

begin preventive arrests in

next 48 hours.

He said the Commission

has received 14 complaints

of violation of election code

of conduct in the run up to

the polls. We are investigat-

ing all the cases, he said

adding, eight observers and

11 sector magistrates will

keep vigil to prevent election

related malpractices.

There are large number

of officials who are available

on the field to make sure that

there is no luring of voters by

illegal means, Vardhan

claimed.

The 30 wards in CCP will

have 68 polling booths

where elections would be

conducted on Electronic

Voting Machines (EVMs). In

order to ensure that EVM

malfunctioning do not halt

the process, 30 spare ma-

chines are kept in reserve.

Of the total 32,090 voters,

86 are physically challenged

to whom fifteen wheel chairs

and attendants would be

provided at the polling

booths.

The commission officials

said that there are 378 voters

missing with family linkages

while 16 are without family

linkages.

In all 86 voters from the

list are dead while 36 are du-

plicate voters, which mean

their names appear in two

different wards. This is ba-

sically because the names of

the two persons with differ-

ent spellings are been regis-

tered, Vardhan said.

Vardhan informed that

there are 6656 senior citizen

voters, who will be given pri-

ority for voting by the staff.

There is one voter who is a

prisoner. But prisoners dont

have right to vote so his

name is being monitored to

ensure that there is no

bogus voting, the collector

said.

There are five blind vot-

ers, of whom four are bed

ridden.

The election commission

has designated 450 polling

staff that will set up booths

on Saturday afternoon itself.

The trials for voting will be

conducted on Saturday.

Vardhan informed that

222 security personnel

would be deployed at vari-

ous booths, while 120 secu-

rity personnel will be

patrolling the areas. He said

that although there is no

sensitive polling booth, but

in case of clustered polling

booth, a senior police officer

of the rank of head constable

or assistant sub inspector

would be in charge.

Whats the feedback you

got from voters when you

visited them?

I can definitely, say that

people are frustrated with

the erstwhile panel. The be-

lief among non-BJP voters

that Congress is secular

hence they must vote for it,

irrespective of the fact they

take people on a jolly ride of

corruption is slowly break-

ing. And that, I think, can

change the entire arithmetic

of politics in Panjim.

For whom is this is a big-

ger fight Manohar Parrikar

or Babush Monserrate?

Its a fight for genuine peo-

ple of Panjim to get a better

future for their city

Does that mean Babush

will be booted out from

Panjim?

It will be tough for him,

this time.

Why do you think the

marginalised sections of

the society feel closer to

Babush?

I hate his brand of politics

but the guy has to be given a

credit. He has the ability to

reach out to the lowest de-

nominator in the society. He

has reached out where we

intellectuals have failed to

go. But we must also under-

stand that he enslaves his

voters with jobs and money.

So let people ask if that is the

way to go.

What do make of this

group, Friends of Panjim?

They have got similar in-

terest to keep Babush out.

They appear to be com-

pletely BJP inclined

whereas we believe, in no

council or assembly or any-

where the BJP should have

brute majority to indulge in

saffron politics.

The PINC has com-

pletely blacklisted Babush

panel. Does that mean all

his panel members are cor-

rupt?

There are many decent in-

dividuals but it is visibly evi-

dent that they have failed to

challenge the person who

calls the shots.

I will name Regina

Almeida, Prasad Amonkar,

Mangaldas Naik, are good

people but they do not

have the guts to face-up

Babush.

2 www.oheraldo.in

goa We people have been brainwashed, fed the samestories, told what to do. And we have blindly fol-lowed. I have supported Babush. When I went with2000 supporters to him, he said I was late and hewould field me next time. I did not want to wait. And Irealised I can do this on my own. -- Chinawarr

I can definitely, say that people are frustratedwith the erstwhile panel. The belief amongnon-BJP voters that Congress is secularhence they must vote for it is slowly break-ing. And that, I think, can change the entirearithmetic of politics in Panjim. -- Dr Oscar

Goa I Saturday 12, March 2011

HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, MARCH 10: Will

Panajiites Initiative for

Change (PINC) able to make

a dent in the vote bank of

Taleigao MLA Babush Mon-

serrate?

Whatever the results may

be, but the entry of PINC has

added a new dimension to

CCP polls.

It is too early to predict if

the PINC has changed the

dynamics of politics between

Opposition Leader Manohar

Parrikar and Taleigao MLA

Babush Monserrate but it

has certainly altered the

electoral battle which was

forecasted as one-sided two

months back.

Dr Oscar Rebello, a front

leader of PINC prefers to

keep dignified silence on

whether their efforts will

yield dividend in terms of

electoral victories for the

candidates they are support-

ing -- he is nonetheless con-

fident that Babush will

definitely find it tough to win

this CCP election.

The PINC is supporting

twenty-nine candidates, of

whom sixteen are from the

BJP supported panel

Panaji First, some from the

NCP floated panel and some

independent candidates.

We have done our best

and have spoken to all the

sections of people, when

questioned as to whether

they would be successful in

beating Babush who has

been planning to turn Pan-

jim into Taleigao.

While many see the entry

of PINC as welcome

change some are skeptical

about its initiative.

Yes, there is room for

skepticism, says Dr Rebello

however pointed out that

they do not have magic

wand to change everything,

instantly. Nonetheless, we

have taken the step because

we want change in Panjim.

Also, the question raised is

what happens after the elec-

tions? What if the PINC sup-

ported candidates change

sides or do not live up to the

expectations of the voters?

The PINC has also as-

sured that it would monitor

performance of the corpora-

tors. A monitoring commit-

tee consisting active citizens

of Panjim should be formed

irrespective of which panel

comes to power.

Will PINC change colour of Panjim?Its a fight for Panjim to get better future

Dr Oscar Rebello

SHWETA KAMAT

PANJIM, MARCH 11: Tukaram

Chinawarr may not even

show up in the hall of fame of

the Panjim Corporation. But

we hope he does! He may

not walk the corridors of the

House and take part in de-

bates about the city where

he migrated to. But we hope

he does. He may just go back

to slumming it at home in St

Inez with his driver dad and

municipal sweeper mom.

But we hope he moves up in

life.

Who is Tukaram Chi-

nawarr. And why do we have

these hopes? Tukaraam Chi-

nawarr is a slum boy million-

aire who has emerged from

the debris of blocked mind-

sets as beacon of hope. In

spite of his, well, humble

background, his folks still

sent him to Don Bosco

School and Dempe Collage

and to Salgaocar College.

And today he is an inde-

pendent candidate in ward

number 8 contesting against

Babush Monserrates star

candidate and former mayor

Tony Rodrigues. So how is

he different?

In a chat with Herald he

says and when he talks you

listen. We people have been

brainwashed, fed the same

stories, told what to do. And

we have blindly followed. I

have supported Parrikar and

I have supported Babush.

When I went with 2000 sup-

porters to him, he said I was

late and he would field me

next time. I did not want to

wait. And I realised I can do

this on my own. And I have

walked my own path.

He has the swagger of

youth, the confidence of

crowd behind him and a

hope for many who want to

move out of a vote bank

taken for granted and open

their own treasure chest of

hope

Yes, he is a migrant. But

he has a different mindset.

They will never dirty St

Inez nullah if they are pro-

vided proper toilet blocks

and basic amenities,

Tukaram, who is a sales ex-

ecutive, reacted.

His father, Kamal though

is worried. He is fighting

against mighty people. We

wish him luck though.

With no much money in

his pocket to entice voters,

this lad is already a popular

figure in the ward. Panjimi-

ites Initiative for Change

(PINC) has supported

Tukaram.

PINC leader Oscar Re-

bello was seen canvassing

for him in the St Inez area.

He is a guy with energy and

commitment. There is huge

support for him. We need

such genuine corporators,

Rebello said.

Another voter, Suresh

Malgi said that for last 8

years people in this ward

supported Babush and his

candidate Tony Rodrigues.

Tony showed his colours

soon after he got elected, he

said.

He has managed to keep

the bribes and goodies doled

by the powerful. His victory

will prove him to be a cham-

pion of the powerless. A tag

that more fancied opponents

have so far bought but never

got.

Slum boy extraordinaire If you havent heard of Tukaram Chinawarr,maybe its time you should

forward march: Tukaram Chinawarr on campaign trail in the St Inez area, on Friday.

Photo by Sachin Ambadoskar

HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, MARCH 11: This is

the right opportunity for the

people of Panjim to throw

out land grabber, loan shark

and a goonda politician,

said leader of Opposition

Manohar Parrikar.

At a press conference

ahead of CCP elections

slated for Sunday, Parrikar,

whose panel Panaji First is

fighting a bitter battle

against Babushs panel,

charged that people have an

opportunity now.

And I know people of

Panjim will take this oppor-

tunity, he said.

Asked who he was refer-

ring to in the above state-

ment, Parrikar said

obviously Babush Monser-

atte.

This is the best opportu-

nity for Panjimites to throw

out Babush and finish him

politically with proper vot-

ing, Parrikar said adding

People must come out (in

large numbers) and vote

without fears; and (obvi-

ously) a large turnout will be

beneficial for Panaji First.

Parrikar said Babush

claims to be a law abiding

citizen and innocent in all

cases registered against him.

He says he is not involved

in Panaji police station ston-

ing case, violent act at IT

Habitat, attack on Youth

Congress demonstrators; he

says his men did not assault

Aires Rodrigues; and he also

says there was no rape of the

German girl, Parrikar said.

The former chief minister

also demanded immediate

transfer of Panjim SDPO

Deu Banaulikar.

Banaulikar is acting as a

stooge of Babush Monser-

atte. We have demanded im-

mediate transfer of the DySP.

We have written to the State

Election Commissioner in

this regard, he said.

Asked about the chances

of his panel, he said, the

peoples response is very

encouraging.

He said that Panjimites

are intelligent enough to de-

cide what is best for them

who cannot be won over by

corrupt politicians. Conse-

quently, Our opponents are

frustrated (at winning over

the voters), hence are in-

dulging in violent activities

and luring voters with

money power and goodies.

He said Sandeep

Vaigankar against whom

there are several criminal

complaints including the as-

sault on Aires Rodrigues

case is trying to create a ter-

ror in the minds of people in

St Inez.

On the Taleigao Develop-

ment Front, he said all

those talks are crap.

Babush talks of develop-

ment in Panjim, but go and

see for yourself in Ward 18

which is stinking of sewage

waste and in ward 16 which

is full of garbage heaps, he

said adding the internal

roads are in bad shape.

Only making gardens,

footpaths and railings is not

development. Taleigao is fac-

ing acute water shortage,

power, garbage and sewage

are major issues, he said.

Why the BJP supported panel in

2006 could not benefit even as many

developmental works were carried

out in the city during your tenure

as mayor?

I think, we took that election very

lightly. The panel did not put in hun-

dred per cent efforts. Also, the rival

panel had used muscle and money

power to win.

Money power has been used in

these elections too, but you do not

appear to be protesting strongly

against the ill-practice?

We have lodged a complaint but

they need proof. In fact, we have had

lodged two-

three com-

plaints but all

they are asking is for proof.

Candidates from your panel are

also accused of using money to woo

voters.

There is no truth in it -- we are not

into buying votes.

This CCP election appears to be

a fight between the two politicians

who are fighting for their own turf

rather than for Panjim.

Whatever the case may be,

Babushs declaration to contest from

Panjim is actually benefiting Par-

rikar. The whole community is

united to throw his panel out.

Dont you think certain sections

are voicing their angst against

Babush only because he wants to

be an MLA of Panjim?

I dont think so. We have received

support from all the quarters of soci-

ety and if we win, it will be peoples

victory and not just of our panel.

The PINC is supporting some of

our candidates and we would be

more than happy to consider their

views in bring about de-

sired change in the city.

In how many wards

you see your panel candidates

emerging victorious?

We expect to win more than eight-

een seats with two or three wards, in

Taleigao.

Why manifestos remain unful-

filled?

I have done all the works assured

in our manifesto. Works such as jog-

gers park, market complex, road

widening at Miramar, New Patto

bridge were executed during our

tenure.

Babushs plans to contest Panjim seat benefiting ParrikarA former mayor Ashok Naik is a simple and humble man. Even his opponents are in awe of him due to hissimple mannerism and clean image. In an interview with Bindiya Chari, Naik speaks about the chances of hispanel winning the polls.

CCP POLLS THE BIG GUNS

Parrikar calls Babush goonda

Parrikar addressing a press conference in the city, on Friday.

CCP vote counting to be held on March 13 itselfVictory processions banned; closure of establishments ordered

17 anti-socials warned

HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, MARCH 11: Goa

Police today issued no-

tices to 17 anti-social ele-

ments in Panjim warning

them against indulging in

any criminal activities.

Considering their past

criminal records, the

warning notices have

been issued to 17 delin-

quents including notori-

ous Babani Sheikh, his

brother Imtiyaz Sheikh,

Paulo DCruz, Adam

Sheikh Usman, Azim

Khan and Viraj Gaunekar.

We have received

credible information that

you are likely to indulge in

criminal activities such as

threatening people living

in Panjim and that there

are chances of committing

cognizable offence, the

notice said.

Photo by Sachin Ambadoskar

HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, MARCH 11: The

results for all the 30 wards

of the CCP are expected to

be out within half an hour,

officials said.

District Magistrate Mihir

Vardhan stated that the

counting would begin at

Goa College of Pharmacy

at 8 pm and it is expected to

be over by 8.30 pm on

March 13.

The victory procession

and burning of firecrackers

is already banned on that

day.

The Election Commis-

sion in association with the

National Informatics Cen-

tre (NIC) has set up a web-

site www.northgoa.nic.in

which will update the

polling percentage and

even counting results.

Vardhan said throughout

the day, the website will be

updated every two hours

while results will be in-

stantly displayed on the

website.

The commission has also

made arrangements at four

different places including

Miramar, ESG, bus stand

and Azad Maidan to show

the results live on giant

screens.

We appeal to people not

to crowd at the counting

station and instead watch

the results on screen,

Vardhan said.

Local cable channels will

also show the results live.

Election results likely by 8.30 pm

3 www.oheraldo.in

goa This is the best opportunity for Panjimitesto throw out Babush and finish him politi-cally with proper voting. People must comeout (in large numbers) and vote withoutfears; and (obviously) a large turnout will bebeneficial for Panaji First. -- Parrikar

Babushs declaration to contest from Panjim is actually benefiting Parrikar. Thewhole community is united to throw hispanel out.

-- Ashok Naik

Goa I Saturday 12, March 2011

HERALD CORRESPONDENT

PORVORIM, MARCH 11: Ma-

pusa Police on Friday ar-

rested Nachinola Sarpanch

Martina Fernandes in con-

nection with a forgery case.

According to Mapusa PSI

T Dhavasker, contractor

Dashrath Shirodkar in a

complaint filed with Mapusa

Police on February 5 stated

that Nachinola Sarpanch

Fernandes and the pan-

chayat secretary had forged

his signature and withdrew

Rs 66,581 from the bank on

November 18, 2005 by

preparing bogus vouchers in

his name in respect of con-

struction work of Balwadi.

Mapusa Police arrested

Sarpanch Fernandes under

Nachinola Sarpanch arrested for forgerySections 408, 465 and 420 read with 34 of IPC. She was later released on bail.

4 www.herald-goa.com

xaxtiamchi

The Law is very clear that a party once recognizedcannot claim to enjoy continuous recognition inperpetuity. It has to show minimum electoral sup-port for recognition or continued recognition asper the Order.

-- EC Order

Our stand that the party has notbeen merged into the Congress hasbeen vindicated by the EC. No doubt,the Delhi High Court has stayed theEC order.

- Antonio Gauncar

Goa I Saturday 12, March 2011

n The Congress has already gone into election gear, with Chief Minister Digambar Kamats constituency kicking off the party election campaign from Margao a month ago.

Attempts are being made in certain quarters to revive the BJP-MGP alliance, this being the election year. But, all appears quiet in these two Salcete-based regional parties United Goans Democratic Party and the Save Goa Front. The UGDP faces an uphill task in the coming Assembly polls to retain the sentimental Two Leaves symbol, Meanwhile,de-recognition is staring at the Save Goa Front ever since its two MLAs -- Churchill Alemao and Reginaldo Lourenco -- quit the party to embrace the Congress. GuilhermeAlmeida reports.

MARGAO: In the 2009 Lok

Sabha polls, the United

Goans Democratic Party was

denied the right to use the

popular Two Leaves Sym-

bols by the Election Commis-

sion. Result: For the first time

in the 17-year old electoral

history of this regional outfit,

the party had to contest elec-

tions on the Scissors sym-

bol.

But, the problems facing

the regional party seems to

be far from over. The coming

Assembly polls will provide a

last opportunity for the

UGDP to use the Two Leaves

Symbol. Reason: The party

had won just one seat out of

the 40 seats in the 2007 As-

sembly polls and had man-

aged to secure just 5.04 per

cent of the total valid votes

indicating that the party has

failed to satisfy the conditions

laid down for the recognition

of the political parties.

Much water has flown down

the River Sal since the last two

years and nothing much has

been heard of the regional out-

fit in Salcetes countryside its

sphere of influence.

A visit to the party head-

quarters behind the Gomant

Vidya Niketan, Margao re-

veals the state of affairs. A

Two Leaves symbol on the

staircase welcomes one to the

second floor of the building.

This office was bustling with

activity during the Lok

Rusty UGDP faces uphill task

Into Oblivion: The party board pointing to the office, which stands closed most part of the year.

Santosh Mirajkar

Sabha polls, but since then is

often found closed.

Admits Party Secretary

General, Adv Anacleto Vie-

gas: The party has not been

active in recent times, but we

will now gear up for the com-

ing Assembly polls.

The secretary general de-

fended the less percentage of

votes secured by the partys

decision to field candidates

only in certain constituencies,

but the big drop in the vote

percentage is also attributed

to the presence of the

Churchill-led Save Goa Front

in the fray, which pocketed

the anti-Congress votes

across Salcetes countryside.

But, Viegas knows for sure

that party is indeed facing an

uphill task, not only to

strengthen the organization,

but to retain the Two Leaves

symbol by securing a certain

percentage of valid votes in

the coming polls.

Unlike other political par-

ties, the UGDP is run by pro-

fessionals and not by full time

politicians, he asserted.

Incidentally, since the UGDP

first made its entry in the states

electoral politics by winning

three Assembly seats in the

1994 polls under the leadership

of then party supreme,

Churchill Alemao, theres been

no looking back for this regional

party. Alemao himself rose to

become the MP from South on

the Two Leaves Symbol.

Though the Election Commission has allowed the party the facility of using the Two

Leaves symbol at election for a period of six years till the coming Assembly polls the

writing on the wall is clear for the UGDP.

The Election Commission has made it amply clear that it is satisfied that the UGDP is

not longer entitled to continue with the recognition as a state party in the state of Goa. The

Party shall hereafter cease to be recognized under the Election Symbol (Reserved & Allo-

cation) order, 1968 as a state party in the state of Goa and shall not be entitled to the exclu-

sive reservation of the symbol Two Leaves as its reserved symbol in Goa, The EC ruled.

The EC order had maintained that the party does not fulfill any of the condition for recog-

nition as a state party as laid down under the 1968 Order. The Law is very clear that a

party once recognized cannot claim to enjoy continuous recognition in perpetuity. It has to

show minimum electoral support for recognition or continued recognition as per the

Order, the order stated.

Referring to the performance of the party in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls and the 2007 As-

sembly elections, the Election order observed: It shows that the party does not satisfy any

of the conditions laid down for the recognition of the political parties. The law laid down

by the Supreme Court is very clear that a party once recognized cannot claim to enjoy

recognition in perpetuity.

The writing on the wall is clear for UGDP

Herald: Though this is an

election year, all seems quite

in the UGDP, why.

Radharao: If one goes by

the term of the current As-

sembly, theres still one year

and three months to go for

the polls, though we expect

the polls to be held within a

years time. Its not just the

UGDP, but the mood of elec-

tions have not yet caught up

with the political parties. I

feel Goa will get into the elec-

tion mood only after the elec-

tion in Tamil Nadu.

Herald: It appears the

party is yet come out of the

humiliating defeat in the As-

sembly polls followed by the

Lok Sabha elections.

Radharao: Its true that the

Party fared badly in the last

Assembly polls, especially in

Salcete because of the

Churchill factor. The UGDP

represented the anti-Con-

gress forces in South Goa, but

when Churchill came out of

the Congress, he had a much

better way of fooling the peo-

ple. In the end, the UGDP

was the looser because we did

not get the votes in Salcete

because the anti-Congress

votes went with Churchill.

This time round, however,

there is lot of anti-congress sen-

timents prevailing amongst the

people and this votes will not go

to the BJP. But, at the same time,

Congress in for surprise oneve of polls: Radharao

for any political party to succeed,

they need huge finances. It is a

reality that without money,

nothing works in Goa.

Herald: But, the party is

facing an uphill task in the

coming polls to save the Two

Leaves symbol.

Radharao: I feel that in the

present contest, the party

symbols are not that relevant

in the polls. People are no

longer concerned with party

symbols. Two Leaves symbol

may not be charismatic for

the voters. But, we would like

to retain the symbol as the

Two Leaves is associated

with our identity.

Herald: There are reports

that Radharao is working

overtime to rope in Benaulim

MLA Mickky Pacheco into

the UGDP.

Radharao: I can definitely

say that there are several

leaders, who have set their

eyes on a non-Congress polit-

ical movement. These lead-

ers are mostly from the

Congress but the Congress

leadership doesnt even know

who these leaders are. This

time, the Congress might

have a bigger shock as many

powerful politicians will

come out of the party on the

eve of polls.

Herald: In that event,

there may be possibilities

that these leaders float a new

regional outfit instead of em-

bracing the UGDP.

Radharao: No doubt, the

UGDP has interests in Goa

and Goans. I personally feel

that a new political formation

in the interest of Goans

should be welcomed.

Herald: Theres an allega-

tion that the UGDP wakes up

only on the eve polls to allot

tickets to rebels from other

parties for a consideration.

Radharao: There is no

question of any consideration

involved while allotting tick-

ets. If it was true, the party

would have fielded candi-

dates in almost all the 40 con-

stituencies. But, the reality is

that the party could not find

candidates.

We had to struggle to find

the candidates. In such a sce-

nario, who would pay to the

leaders. No one would pay

when there is no demand. We

are not in a position to de-

mand because we dont have

a strong organisation.

MARGAO: Four years after it

was launched with much fan-

fare, the Save Goa Front

party is facing an uncertain

future.

After party supremo

Churchill Alemao along

with Curtorim MLA Regi-

naldo Lourenco and other

party leaders embraced

the Congress, the party

had to contend with a

fierce battle on the leader-

ship issue between rival

camps headed by Antonio

Gauncar and Raul

Pereira.

And, the leadership issue

continues to haunt the

party till date. The leader-

ship question is presently

pending in the Delhi High

Court after the court stayed

the order of the Election

Commission recognizing

Gauncar as the SGF presi-

dent.

Thats not all. The Elec-

tion Commission has

asked the party to show

cause why the party

should not be derecog-

nized as the state party on

grounds that the party two

MLAs are longer in the

party fold.

Formed under the

leadership of Sidhanath

Buyao on the eve of the

2007 Assembly polls, in-

cumbent PWD Minister

Churchill Alemao took

over the reigns of the re-

gional outfit, soon after

he resigned from the

Lok Sabha and the quit

the Congress party to

contest the Assembly

polls.

In the hustings, the party

Identity, leadership crisis plagues SGF

Change of Fortune: Former SGF supremo Churchill Alemao at a public meeting of the party during the 2007 elections.

Even as the question over SGFs leadership is

pending in the High Court, petition filed by former

Tourism Minister, Mickky Pacheco for the disqual-

ification of PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao and

Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco is pending

with Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker Pratapsing

Rane.

Hearing of the petition has not taken place for quite

some time as the Speaker is apparently awaiting the deci-

sion of the Delhi High Court to decide the question on the

Election Commissions decision holding invalid merger of

the SGF with the Congress.

Both Alemao and Reginaldo had claimed that the

SGF had merged with the Congress lock, stock and

barrel a claim disputed by Gauncar and his

group.

Disqualification petition pending with Speaker

tried to cash in on the anti-

Congress sentiments on a

host of issues, including

Dabolim airport et al and

succeeded to some extent.

The party managed to bag

two seats, with Alemao

emerging victorious in

Navelim, and Reginaldo

Lourenco in Curtorim de-

feating senior Congress

leaders, Luizinho Faleiro

and Francisco Sardinha re-

spectively.

Says Antonio Gauncar,

who has kept the party flag

flying high after the party

MLAs embraced the Con-

gress: Our stand that the

party has not been merged

into the Congress has been

vindicated by the Election

Commission. No doubt, the

Delhi High Court has

stayed the EC order, but it is

a matter of time that the

case would go in our

favour.

The silver lining for the

Gauncar camp is that the

Election Commission has

held as invalid the merger of

the party with the Congress

as claimed by Alemao and his

group.

In fact, the EC has been

quite categorical, stating

that the merger of the

SGF with the Congress as

claimed by a certain

group cannot be held as

valid merger as the said

resolution was not ap-

proved by the requisite

number of members of

the general body. Thats

not all. The EC said the

guidelines laid down by

the Supreme court in

Capt William Sangma was

not followed vis--vis

merger.

Incidentally, its now

nearly two years since the

Delhi High court had

stayed the Election Com-

mission decision recog-

nizing Gauncar as the

SGF president and de-

claring SGFs merger into

the Congress as invalid.

However, the petition

filed by former SGF gen-

eral secretary Kennedy

Afonso is pending in the

high court for nearly two

long years.

Herald: For months now,

nothing has been heard of

the Save Goa Front in the

state.

Antonio: I agree that the

party has been keeping low

for quite sometime. But, the

reason behind is on account of

the matter pending in the

Delhi high court for the last

two years. The rival faction

has challenged the Election

Commissions decision recog-

nizing me as the SGF presi-

dent. The people are with the

party. The moment the high

court gives its verdict, the

party will organize itself in a

big way.

Herald: What is the status

of the stay granted by the

High court on your recogni-

tion by the Election Commis-

sion as SGF President.

Antonio: I am expecting

the court verdict within the

next one month or two. And,

I am confident that the high

court will uphold the decision

of the Election Commission.

Herald: The SGF has

faced de-recognition by the

Election Commission after

the party two MLAs

Churchill Alemao and Regi-

naldo Lourenco joined the

Congress three years ago.

Antonio: After the Elec-

tion Commission proposed

to derecognize the party, we

have replied to the Commis-

sion stating our stand on the

issue. The EC had proposed

to de-recognize the party on

grounds that the party

SGF will support regional forces, says Gauncar

MLAs are no longer in the

party. We have also men-

tioned in our reply that a

disqualification petition is

pending with the Speaker

against Churchill and Regi-

naldo.

Herald: What role do you

foresee for the SGF in Goan

politics in the absence of

charismatic leaders in its ranks.

Antonio: It is true that the

SGF has no charismatic

leader in its ranks. The or-

ganization too is weak and

needs to be strengthened.

The people too are fed up

with Goan politics. They had

reposed their faith in the

politicians, but are left disap-

pointed. We will try to revive

the party after taking the

views and opinion of the peo-

ple.

Herald: What is your stand

on attempts to bring anti-

Congress forces under one

banner.

Antonio: My stand is very

clear on this issue. If all the

regional forces decide to

come under one banner, we

will fully support the move if

it is in the interests of Goa

and Goans.

5 www.oheraldo.in Goa I Saturday 12, March 2011

Last month, I had begun by outlin-

ing the foundations of Goas in-

dustry and the challenges it has

faced and overcome. It is now time to

look ahead and forecast Goas challenges

and the roadmap to overcome them

However, with the present extraction

and production technologies, Goa will be

out of iron ore in about 20 years. There

is no new investment coming into the

state and constant agitations and project

disruptions and government apathy to

encourage new industry is taking its toll

on the state. For the first time now,

Goa has to draw up a road map to chart

out its future. While the roadmap will

have many pathways which will lead to

the main road, I would like to focus on

one of the key paths Logistics.

Goa needs a Logistics Hub near San-

coale which can be integrated with the

Mormugao Port, the Airport, Container

Freight Station at Verna and the Railway

Container Yard, all located within a ra-

dius of 10 km. Colombo (Sri Lanka) a

major international port could be used

to serve as an international gateway for

Goa. Minor ports coming up at Revas

near Ratnagiri, Redi (in Maharashtra)

can be tapped. Goa is also well con-

nected by two national highways

NH4A and NH17. If the government in-

tegrates all this and links it to a logistic

hub, in one to two years, we can have a

world class facility and become an inter-

national destination, attracting the right

industries.

The hub, in addition to providing em-

ployment for locals will increase revenue

and boost infrastructure and tourism. It

will also have other benefits namely:

n Become a hub for coastal cargo

shipping along the west coast of

India.

n Convert major portion of interstate

cargo flow into coastal sea and rail

mode making costs cheaper.

n Logistics parks can be set up with

specialized warehouses for specific

industries like food, construction,

pharma, textiles etc.

n Reduce congestion of heavy vehi-

cles in cities.

n Improve potential for fish and meat

exports from Goa, by creating a cold

storage chain.

Meanwhile, the following challenges

need to be overcome. Goa also faces a

major issue of migrant labourers. Al-

though the number of migrant labourers

employed as security personnel, house

maids etc. are much more than that in

factories and construction, the visibility

of such labourers is much higher in the

latter. There is also a major problem of

unemployment among Goan youth.

There are around 2,00,000 youth in Goa

for whom jobs will have to be created

and they require employment or ca-

reers. And much more will be added

every year. More than 2,50,000 students

study in different schools and colleges in

Goa from primary to the post graduate

level and around 1,00,000 people are on

the live register of the employment ex-

change. In the absence of any job oppor-

tunities, nearly 90 per cent of the

engineering graduates are going out of

state to seek employment. Today the job

creation in the state is negligible. Jobs

with the State Government have already

reached a saturation stage.

Moreover, the number of people who

are going to enter the job market are

much more than those who are due for

retirement in years to come. Also the in-

crease in staff salaries on account of sixth

pay commission will definitely hamper

governments ability to undertake wel-

fare programmes, infrastructural devel-

opment activities and also to create jobs.

So, the only option for jobs is from the

private sector. This sector needs all the

support and help that it rightfully de-

serves.

Ihave a love hate relationship with

the gym for almost 10 years now.

Must say, its more hate than love.

Truth be told, I dont have much of a

physique. At the risk of sounding dis-

gusting Im all flab.

Every once in a while, when I feel fat,

I start working out. Tell myself this time

its going to be forever. Buy those expen-

sive shoes. Register at a gym; pay a six

month membership at least, to tie me

down to the cause. And then, on receiv-

ing a few compliments on losing weight,

[mostly from my mother who always

thinks Im losing weight] I stop working

out. Tell myself I dont have the time.

Work is more important. The excuses

are countless. Then I start putting on

weight again. And the cycle thats been

going on for the last 10 years continues,

without any real improvement in my

physical appearance.

Actually, we do the same in all aspects

of our life. At work, we start a certain

project and abandon it half way through

when the going gets tough or the initial

euphoria dies down. Start on a fresh

note with our colleagues and subordi-

nates but after a while, go back to our

original behavior. In terms of personal

development, we get into the habit of

reading and learning but then go back

to our regular routine.

The key to any kind of improvement

is consistency. Anyone can do a certain

thing for a couple of days or weeks. But

working out through the year consis-

tently, thats what brings you results. The

most successful professionals across the

board share that one thing in common.

Consistency in action towards the pur-

suit of goals.

In life, we usually concentrate on the

bigger decisions in life. Honestly, whats

more important are the small decisions

you take every day. Those decisions,

without us really realizing, become the

make or break decisions. At seven pm

in the evening, when it is my designated

time to work out, when I choose TV,

thats a part of me broken without me re-

alizing the impact.

So what will it take to do stuff consis-

tently? Simply put - going against the

tide. Our mind will play games with us.

Make up a thousand excuses for not

doing the things that we have decided to.

And we listen to that voice. Not because

we really believe what that voice is say-

ing. But its just the easier thing to do at

that point. I dont have a text book solu-

tion but here are a few things that have

helped:

1.Be very conscious of your small de-

cisions. Concentrate on a few big deci-

sions and then follow them up rigorously

with the smaller right decisions every

day.

2. Power through the weaker mo-

ments. Every time your mind starts

playing devil, dont give yourself too

much time to reason. Quickly get into ac-

tion. Wear those shoes and start jogging.

3. Keep the right and relevant com-

pany. The kind of people who manage to

motivate you. Who have a track record

of success in the area you desire to im-

prove. Most importantly, dont give up on

yourself. You may have gone back and

forth in the past. But trust me; another

shot at improving yourself never goes

waste. Irrespective of past failures, pull

up your socks, and get started. Today!

opinion6 www.oheraldo.in

Will Panjim be held hostage to Modassirsego? He and he alone will be solely re-sponsible if there is any violence or unto-ward incident after the poll results areannounced.

Edit

The key to any kind of improvement isconsistency. Anyone can do a certainthing for a couple of days or weeks. Butworking out through the year consistently,thats what brings you results.

Swapnil Kamat

WEEKENDEDIT

Vol. No CXI No. 070 I Goa I Saturday 12, March 2011

In the absence of any jobopportunities, nearly 90per cent of the engineer-ing graduates are goingout of state to seek em-ployment.

PEOPLESEDIT

WEEKEND INBOX

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Disclaimer: Except for the editorial above, articles and letters in Herald represent the views of the concerned authors, and do not necessarily

reflect the views of the Herald editor, publisher, and/or owners.

Goas growth needs one clear logic logistics

nitin

KunColieKar

The gym issue

Is there no checking the State Election Commissioner Mr

Modassir The man who is supposed to be the guardian of

the election commission, who committed a major blunder by

signing the poll notification on a date when he was on leave? He

compounded the blunder by trying to defend himself saying that

he had signed the poll schedule before going on leave. If that was

so, he should have ethically put the date on which he signed with

a clause so that the notification would come into effect from a

later date.

This act of his is as cheap as a school boy marking himself pres-

ent on a day when he is not in school. The sad truth is that while

school boys have time to learn their lessons, a retired officer who

takes up a post retirement job to enjoy the comforts of Goa is past

his active learning stage. This is a character trait which will stay.

But why at Goas expense?

Meanwhile, the Election Commissioner has committed an-

other absurdity. He has insisted that the votes be counted after 8

pm on Sunday. Before even trying to understand his logic, the

move itself is shocking to everyone. Any Election Commissioner

worth his salt understands and knows the pulse of every election.

This election will be close. This will be tense. There is every pos-

sibility of several complaints of malpractices being lodged and

clashes between rival groups of supporters. Isnt it easier to han-

dle this in the light of day than in the dead of night?

These night rider tactics of Modassir has left everybody baf-

fled, not in the least the beleaguered Panjim police. They made a

fervent plea to the SEC to change his mind and postpone polling

by a day so that the tired forces on poll duty could get a nights

rest, regroup and be ready for counting. Modassir refused, and

what was his reason? The police did not mention it during earlier

meetings with him. Is that a good enough reason to reject a gen-

uine plea?

Will Panjim be held hostage to Modassirs ego? He and he

alone will be solely responsible if there is any violence or unto-

ward incident after the poll results are announced. Will Modassir

leave his office and hit the streets to be with policemen if there

are clashes? Lets get real. We are dealing with Babush Monser-

rate, whose supporters have attacked police stations and beaten

up Youth Congress supporters. In addition there are people who

have parted ways with him and are contesting against his candi-

dates. There is sufficient ground for a flashpoint.

All this begs the question. Is the Home Minister of this state

non-existent? Or the Chief Minister? The Home Minister should

have acted strongly and called on the Governor to impress upon

him the foolhardiness of counting the votes late at night on Sun-

day and pushed for the postponement of polling.

The two main political players, Manohar Parrikar and Babush

Monseratte, have not taken a stand on this either. They should

have. Of course, the people of Panjim will be faceless bystanders.

On a Sunday evening, when families will be out on the beach, in

restaurants or going for walks, they wouldnt want the aftermath

of victory processions or angry protests to hit them. Wouldnt it

have made a healthy difference if Panjimites got some peace by

pushing counting till Monday morning?

But the show wont be over so soon. In a further addition to the

theatre of the absurd the counting will be shown in the INOX

multiplex, the heart of Panjims entertainment, especially on

weekends. This spot will become another flash point when elec-

tions will be announced.

Is this Modassirs idea of an entertaining election? This isnt

really a T20 or a World Cup match. Seriously speaking, the coor-

dination between the police and the SEC may leave a lot to be

desired. But the SEC, who is the captain, should have had better

control over this process, thought this out wisely and given room

for last minute changes for the sake of a safe and secure election.

His rigidity is not acceptable. If an IAS officer wanting to retire

needs a post retirement job, placing him in charge of the states

poll process isnt the right chair for him. It is a measure of the se-

riousness with which this office is taken, when they make people

like Modassir the states Election Commissioner.

Will someone checkthe errant Modassir?

Anti-urination act

I went through the column A Vision

and a Mission by Dr Joe DSouza (Her-

ald, 9 Mar) and would like to comment

on the issue of public urination by peo-

ple at various places in and around Pan-

jim. I had been to the CCP office to meet

the commissioner and to get the names

of the inspectors who are responsible

for implementation of the anti-urina-

tion act, but they were not available. It is

a bit difficult to garner support, at this

time.

However, I can assure Dr Joe and on be-

half of myself and the Panaji First Panel,

that it will be our endeavour to imple-

ment the anti-urination act and take ac-

tion against the violators.

Manoj Patil, Caranzalem

Why stoop so lowParrikar?

The history of Goa and the short BJP

rule in the state riddled with the worst

sins of omission and commission and

communal indiscipline all point an ac-

cusing finger to the person who was at

the helm of things Manohar Parrikar

who came to power from the back door

as the BJP never ever got an over-

whelming majority in the state of Goa. In

the weekend edition of the Herald, while

speaking to Sujay Gupta, Parrikar went

on to explain how Babush is a monster

(according to him). He also lied in the in-

terview on the controversy wherein he

wanted to strike off the Good Friday hol-

iday. The people of Goa are no fools and

do not live in a fools paradise like Par-

rikar. In fact the ruin of Panjim is for all

to see and Panjims long standing MLA,

Parrikar has presided over the ruin of

the capital city over the years. Today,

faced with almost defeat at the hands of

the Babush panel, Parrikar is suddenly

doing a volte face by calling the pot

black. Parrikar should visit Taleigaon

and see the development and progress

made by Babush, accusations notwith-

standing and then take a look at

his own backyard and see how much de-

velopment he and his panel has

done in Panjim.

Cedric da Costa, Margao

Recommendationsfor next budget

As per the budget provisions and press

reports, the salaried tax payers whose

salaries are Rs5 lakh per annum only

shall not be required to file their income

tax returns if the entire tax liability is dis-

charged by the employer through de-

duction of tax at source. This is a

welcome step. At present, income/loss

from house property can be adjusted

broadly for Tax Deduction at Source

(TDS) from salaries. Also, the limit from

all such sources salaries, plus interest,

and other sources of income can be fixed

at Rs10 lakh. It shall reduce income tax

department work without loss of rev-

enue and a good number of salaried per-

sons having a total income up to Rs10

lakh will get relief and will be saved from

the burden of filing returns. However,

the real implications shall be known only

when such a scheme is notified.

Mahesh Kapasi, New Delhi

Guardians of law aremurderers

People need to know why PSI Vijay

Chodankar is not suspended along with

4 other accused in the Cipriano murder

case?Mere suspension is not enough.

This is a murder case and the accused

cops should be sentenced for murder.

The lame excuses given that Cipriano

suffered from fits and alcohol abuse are

only a pack of lies. Television and news-

papers should release photos of the ac-

cused cops so that the people are aware

of who they are. Even Kasab and Ma-

hanand Naik are given a fair trail, why

did Cipriano have to die in custody at the

hands of police? Now, they are being

shielded. Is this a Jungle law?

K K Swami, Panjim

Recommendationswelcome

I welcome the Law commissions recom-

mendation to bring strict laws to put

erring builders behind bars. Builders

with Municipal Council members have

been looting Goans. Mapusa today re-

sembles an overflowing garbage bin.

Builders have built a huge building

without leaving an inch of space and the

Mapuca Municipal Council has been is-

suing occupancy certificate without

even an inspection. The Law commis-

sion should hand down stringent pun-

ishment to its own advocates who have

got their offices in residential areas,

much against the prescribed rules laid

down by government.

Bosco Vaz, Mapusa

For let ters to the edi tor contact us at edi tor weekend@herald-goa.com

Psalms of the forlorn Caetano de abreu

When I ponder about my

earlier years spent in rela-

tive comfort and bliss, in

the company of my loved ones life,

was in full contentment. I do consider

myself forlorn if I view in genuine per-

spective the malaises plaguing me

and Goans, which in present circum-

stances we are paying for our mis-

takes with our mother tongue, which

is Konkani, craftily sidelined to give

rise to unknown derivatives. Ration-

ally psalms are joyous canticles sung

in praise of the Almighty; however in

this context they are more like dirges

lamenting the departed, in which case

it is our cultural life and innocent de-

portment.

The Goan mannerism, since about

three decades ago, have undergone a

sea of changes with successive gov-

ernments playing lip avuncularism

with no constructivism to alleviate the

plight of its constituents, and to aggra-

vate the matter the religion is playing

a predominant role in ushering in the

abhorring divisive politics. The mat-

ter in matrix is synergized with

Manohar Parrikar, playing his flute to

lead the unorganized pack. With Pan-

jim remaining in total neglect it is rel-

evant to ask, How we can ever repose

faith on a man, after he is elected the

fourth time, when as the elected

member of Panjim constituency he

has done nothing except to break co-

conuts when carpeting of roads was

in progress, is he compatible to break

coconuts only?

It is to be regarded that Parrikar in

his quest to become Montri is formu-

lating coalitions for the control of CCP

which in the long run he is making his

presence felt to covet his fourth con-

secutive return to the assembly by

tying up surreptitiously with the likes

of Mickey Pacheco. Micky is playing

the mickey with the Goan electorate,

when for the Panjimites he is an ob-

noxious entity. To make the matter

more obvious he is supported by

Avinash Bhonsle to spew bile on

Babush Monserrate.

I am not expressing that Babush is

a paragon of virtue. Quite to the con-

trary, however I must express what

the present Goa Government is dish-

ing us is foregone conclusion. Dooms-

day is in sight, where like-minded

Goans are the forlorn and the de-

praved? We are goat-like people who

deservedly merit wolf-like rulers, as it

is dramatically expressed, as you sow,

you shall reap.

Nevertheless we can rally together

and usher Goa to its old semblance.

We can be forlorn but not totally lost

in the slush of ignominy, although

what is required is a bit of will and

gumption when the going gets

though, the tough should be going.

Swapnil

Kamat

WORKLESSONS

INDUSTRYSPEAK

7 www.oheraldo.in

Tsunamishock

Michelle and I send our deepest condo-lences to the people of Japan, particularlythose who have lost loved ones in theearthquake and tsunamis.

Barrack Obama.

I was saddened to hear of thetragic loss of life caused by theearthquake which has strucknorth east Japan today.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth

Goa I Saturday 12, March 2011

livelihood destroyed : Flames rise from houses and debris half submerged in tsunami in Sendai, Miyagi Prefec-

ture (state) after Japan was struck by a strong earthquake off its northeastern coast.

AGENCIES

TOKYO, March 11

The powerful 8.9-mag-

nitude earthquake

that sent Japan into

chaos was the largest in the

countrys recorded history -

and the fifth-largest to hit the

world since 1900.

It triggered a giant

tsunami in the Pacific Ocean,

sweeping away boats, cars,

homes and people. Heres a

look at the worlds most

powerful earthquakes and

tsunamis since 1950.

October 2010, Indonesia: A

volcanic eruption and

tsunami kill more than 500

people hundreds of miles

apart. Thousands are sent

fleeing and scores of houses

are destroyed by waves after

the 7.7-magnitude quake.

February 2010, Chile: A dev-

astating 8.8-magnitude

earthquake strikes Chile,

triggering a tsunami, which

threatens a quarter of the

globe. It kills 524 people.

September 2009, South Pa-

cific: The 8.0-magnitude

earthquake is the biggest of

2009, sending four killer

waves rising up to 20 feet

that hit American Somoa,

Somoa and Tonga. It kills

194 people.

September 2007, Indonesia:

An earthquake with an 8.4

magnitude hits Sumatra,

triggering a wave in Padang

that kills at least 25 people.

April 2007, Solomon Is-

lands: Thirteen villages are

completely wiped out when

the 8.1-magnitude earth-

quake hits. The tsunami that

follows kills 52 people. Thou-

sands are left homeless.

March 2005, Indonesia: An

8.6-magnitude quake in

Sumatra kills about 1,300

people, mostly on the island

of Nias.

December 2004, Indian

Ocean: An undersea earth-

quake triggers a series of

devastating tsunamis. It kills

more than 230,000 people in

14 countries, sending waves

up to 100 feet high. It is one

of the deadliest natural dis-

asters in recorded history.

Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India

and Thailand are the hard-

est hit.

August 1976, Philippines:

The 8.0-magnitude earth-

quake and tsunami disaster

is the worst in the history of

the Philippines. It leaves at

least 5,000 people dead.

May 1960, Chile: A 9.5-mag-

nitude earthquake is the

largest ever recorded. Ap-

proximately 1,655 are killed,

3,000 are injured and 2 mil-

lion are left homeless from

the quake and ensuing

tsunami.

November 1952, Hawaii: A

9.0-magnitude earthquake in

Kamchatka sets off 30-foot-

high waves in Hawaii. There

are no reported deaths.

The worst so far

AP

Tsunami shockGoa I Saturday March 12, 20118 www.oheraldo.in

J apan gave the word tsu-nami - meaning harbour wave - to the world; the de-structive sea surges have been recorded throughout the countrys history. Tsunamis are triggered by earthquakes, hun-dreds of which strike Japan each year. An offshore quake in 1707 is said to have caused a tsunami that hit the island of Shikoku, leaving several thousand people dead.

Further back, in the 15th cen-tury, a giant wave is said to have swept away a hill-top hall housing the Daibutsu, a huge bronze Bud-dha, in Kamakura, a town south of Tokyo. Japan is perched on top of several converging tectonic plates. Geological instabilities cause around 1,000 tremors each year.

Many of the small ones go unde-tected by the public, and residents

are used to taking medium-sized quakes in their stride. Some earth-quakes, however, are etched in the national consciousness.

In 1923 a huge earthquake struck Tokyo. Known as the Great Kanto Earthquake, the 7.9 magnitude tremor and subsequent fires that blazed through wooden houses killed around 100,000 people.

Seventy-two years later, another powerful 7.3 magnitude quake hit the port city of Kobe in western Japan. Highways were toppled and thousands of buildings damaged. Some 6,400 people were killed and more than 400,000 injured; fires blazed across the city.

It is widely thought that Tokyo is expecting another powerful quake - and that this quake is now over-due. So Japan puts considerable effort into preparing its response

systems, its infrastructure and its citizens for potential disasters. The government has invested heavily in monitoring systems. Founded in 1952, the Tsunami Warning Service is operated by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

It monitors activity from six regional centres, assessing infor-mation sent by seismic stations both on and off-shore known col-lectively as the Earthquake and Tsunami Observation System. File image of Japanese children taking shelter under their desks during an earthquake drill Earthquake pre-paredness is drilled into Japanese children during their school years. Using this system, JMA aims to send out a tsunami warning within three minutes of an earthquake striking.

When a quake hits, data concern-

ing the magnitude and location are immediately flashed up on televi-sion by national broadcaster NHK. The message then adds whether a tsunami warning has been is-sued and if so, for which areas. In most towns and cities, loudspeaker systems can broadcast emergency information to residents. In some rural areas, residents also have radios distributed by the local gov-ernment over which instructions to evacuate can be broadcast.

Children practise ducking un-der the desk in earthquake drills throughout their school years. All adults are told where their closest evacuation centre - a park or sports field, for example - is located.

Infrastructural checks are also in place. High-rise buildings in major cities are designed so that they sway rather than shake during

earthquakes, making them safer. In the wake of the Kobe earth-quake, new regulations for quake-proofing buildings came into force, and some local governments offer citizens a structural health check on their homes. Some coastal ar-eas have quake-resistant tsunami shelters, while others have built floodgates to withstand inflows of water from tsunamis. And if an earthquake above a certain mag-nitude strikes, the bullet train will stop and nuclear and other plants will automatically go into tempo-rary shutdown. All in all, Japan is widely acknowledged to be one of the most earthquake-prepared nations.

But for all these safeguards, the risks posed are severe, as the latest massive earthquake has shown. Agencies

NATORI : Houses are in flame while the Natori river is flooded over the surrounding area by tsunami tidal waves in Natori city, Miyagi Prefec-ture, northern Japan, March

11, 2011, after strong earth-quakes hit the area. AP/PTI

M illions of people in greater Tokyo were stranded far away from home on Friday evening after Japans big-gest earthquake on record shut down the capitals massive subway system. Sirens wailed through To-kyo, television helicopters buzzed overhead and people rushed to the citys ubiquitous 24-hour con-venience stores, quickly emptying shelves of bento boxes, sandwiches and instant noodle cups. Countless workers, who had earlier fled vio-lently swaying office blocks, found themselves stuck far from their families -- and unable to speak to them because the overloaded mo-bile phone system could not carry most calls.

I have no idea how Ill get home, said an 18-year-old woman waiting outside Ginza subway sta-tion.

She described how ceramics shat-tered around her in a department store when the huge quake hit mid-afternoon. The government used loudspeaker alerts and television broadcasts to urge people to stay near their workplaces rather than risk long walks home, as highways leading out of the city centre were choked and hotels quickly booked out. Please do not try to force your way home when there is no means of transportation, but stay in your

offices and other safe places, said an emergency advisory carried by national public broadcaster NHK.

Night is falling, the NHK newscaster said as chilly darkness fell across the nation. If long-

distance commuters try to cross prefecture borders on foot at night, they may fall victim to secondary accidents.

The greater Tokyo region -- a sprawl that takes in Yokohama

and vast suburban areas across the Kanto plain -- is the worlds largest urban area, with more than 30 million people, many of whom commute for hours every day. The spaghetti-like railway grid

of the Tokyo Metro System and Japan Railway lines criss-crossing the megacity remained shut down for hours after the 8.9-magnitude monster quake violently shook buildings across the city.

Despite the scale of the disaster, Tokyo was spared the worst by the quake, which hit offshore and spawned a tsunami that devastated coastal areas. Volcano-dotted Ja-pan is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and Tokyo is situated in one of its most dangerous areas.

Seismologists say that the Big One -- a huge quake below or near Tokyo, forecast to kill thousands -- is, statistically speaking, long overdue.

The city sits on the intersection of three continental plates -- the Eurasian, Pacific and Philippine Sea plates -- which are slowly grinding against each other, build-ing up enormous seismic pressure.

The governments Earthquake Research Committee warns of a 70 percent chance that a magnitude-eight quake will strike within 30 years in the Kanto plain.

The last Big One to hit Tokyo was the 1923 Great Kanto Earth-quake that claimed over 140,000 lives, many of them in fires that ripped through wooden buildings. In 1855 the Ansei Edo quake also devastated the city. AFP

AFTERSHOCKS IN JAPANMore earthquakes measuring over 7.0 on the Richter scale could occur in and around Ja-pan within a month, authori-ties said Friday. The National Meteorologi-cal Administration made the forecast after a massive earthquake hit the northeast of Japan Friday, Kyodo news agency said. At least 18 people were killed and over 100 injured in the massive 8.9-magnitude quake that struck about 373 km from the capital Tokyo and sparked a tsunami. IANS

GAS LINES, ALARMED TOURISTSThe tsunami warning issued late on Thursday for Hawaii prompted civil defense officials to order all Hawaiian coastal areas evacuated by 2 a.m. lo-cal time, about an hour before the first wave was expected to hit the islands at 1:00 p.m. GMT.The evacuation zone included the famous Waikiki Beach, the main hotel and tourist hub in Honolulu on the island of Oahu. AFP

NEW ZEALAND ON TSUNAMI ALERTNew Zealand civil defence offi-cials issued a tsunami warning for the country on Friday and warned people to stay clear of beaches following a massive earthquake in Japan.A tsunami marine warning is in effect for New Zealand, New Zealand Civil Defence said in a bulletin.Historical events and pre-calculated tsunami models indicate that the largest effects (less than one metre wave height at the coastline) is ex-pected along the coasts of the central and northern North Island, it said. AFP

JAPAN WORKS ON NUCLEAR PLANT COOLING A fire broke out in the turbine building of Onagawa nuclear plant in Miyagi Prefecture on Friday, Kyodo News reported, after an 8.9-magnitude earth-quake struck Japan and trig-gered a huge tsunami.It was not immediately clear if there was a risk of a radio-active leak as a result of the fire at the plant operated by Tohoku Electric Power. Miyagi prefecture was one of the ar-eas worst hit by the tsunami.Kyodo also reported that an emergency core-cooling unit had been activated at Fuku-shima nuclear plant, without giving further details.Earlier Friday Prime Minister Naoto Kan had said no radia-tion leaks have been detected from Japans nuclear power stations after the massive quake struck the country.Four Japanese nuclear power plants closest to the epicentre of the quake have been safely shut down, the UN atomic watchdog said Friday.The quake struck just under 400 kilometres (250 miles) northeast of Tokyo, the US Geological Survey said. It was followed by more than a doz-en aftershocks, one as strong as 7.1. AFP

How deals with

Ground zero

WAVE AFTER WAVE

IWANUMA : Earthquake-triggered tsunami waves sweep along Iwanuma in northern Japan on Friday March 11, 2022. The magnitude 8.9 earthquake slammed Japans eastern coast Friday, unleashing a 13-foot (4-meter) tsunami that swept boats, cars, buildings and tons of debris miles inland. AP/PTI

bizlifeThere has been a complete non application of mind. Fines constitute 90 per cent of Goas exports of low grade ore, so a 15 per cent increase in duty will kill the industry

Senior offi cial

We depend a lot on charter tourism and have already signed contracts which do not allow us to change the prices. So the 10 per cent hit directly erodes our margin

Charles Bonifacio

Goa I Saturday March 12, 20119 www.oheraldo.in

Herald Pcs

C ontrary to what the outside world knows, the actual busy season for the tour-ism industry starts when the season closes. Char-ter deals are negotiated, bulk room bookings are done, commissions and prices are fixed. Often long term deals across three years keep the bot-tom-line steady. With the close of the official tour-ist season round the cor-ner the industry was just about getting its plans in order for a better season next year when the bud-get Tsunami struck. A ten percent hike in ser-vice tax for the industry

made the tourism menu go cold.

This cold cut means simply this. Hotels will hike room rates and airlines prices. Natu-rally, this will hit other peripheral services too. Worse still hotels that have lock in rates will get the old rates from charter companies but pay higher service tax. So they will naturally recover from domestic tourists on short term holidays.

The industry is in dol-drums. We depend a lot on charter tourism and have already signed contracts which do not allow us to change the prices. So the

10 per cent hit directly erodes our margin, said Charles Bonifacio, CEO of the Alfran Group of Hotels and past president of the Travel and TourismAssociation of Goa (TTAG).

The tourism industry in Goa which accounts for about 60 per cent of employment in the state was already suffering from what the industry called high taxes. Almost 65 per cent of the rev-enue generated by this industry was going to-wards Central and State taxes. Air travel too will be affected which in turn affects us. Jet fuel prices

were already rising and the increase in service tax will send airfares further up, he added. According to industry experts, the fares both for domestic and international air travel will go up between 5-10 per cent.

Bonafacio adds, Apart from the instant 10 per cent hit, when we do revise rates with our counterparts in other countries, Goa and other destinations will become less attractive compared to the South East Asian countries, Result: Bye Bye Goa. Hello Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore!

n Why are your emergency services above par?Our team of ten full time super-specialist doctors are on call 24x7. In other words we dont depend on visiting doctors in super-specialty areas. This core team has a back up of 40 part timers, all of whom again live in Goa, and also visiting doctors. We also have 20 residential medical officers.n Can you elaborate on your services?Our two ambulances, which we offer free to senior citizens under AADHAR, are virtual ICUs on wheels available at your doorstep 24x7. These are air conditioned with an advanced life support system manned by a doctor and nurse. The ambulances are equipped with a ventilator, defi-brillator, multi channel monitor-ing system with ECG, pulse oxy-meter, [NIBP] and syringe pump and are in constant contact with the base hospital en route. n Has there been a serious emergency in recent times?A worker in a steel unit in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate had an accident and his genitalia had to be amputated. We could begin surgery within two hours of us getting the call, preparing him and stabilizing him etc. In fact the delicate surgery itself took six hours. Hes ready to be discharged shortly. n Do you see yourselves as serving local interests?

We certainly do because Goa never had a super specialty hos-pital when the Goa government came out with its medical insur-ance scheme. Then, the drain-age out of Goa was total. This is decreasing now and we are now also getting patients from Karwar, Sawantwadi and a few from Mumbai and Bangalore as well. We intend to start an aes-thetic surgery unit in May 2011 and dental care will become a part of this. Take for example Dr George Koshy. He was a pioneer in neuro-surgery in north western Maharash-tra and has performed 7,000 operations. He is a part of the core team here. We could also transform the erst-while NUSI hospital, with which we have a 30-year manage-ment agreement, from a basically secondary care centre -primarily dealing with urology and a bit of orthopaedics to a super-specialty hospital or a one-stop destination for all medical care.n How does your busi-ness agreement work?Both sides have invested a total of Rs 70 crore so far, mainly in new buildings and equipment and we have

a revenue sharing agreement which is top line sharing rather than bottom line sharing. n Do you see yourself of being of any special help to locals?We do because our studies have shown that Goans suffer from urological problems (stones in the kidney) because they live close to the sea. The study also revealed cardiac disease as the second problem facing Goans. We even did an angioplasty on a 24-year-old patient. Then, there is arthritis because Goans continue to work in the fields

MINING GETS A STEEL BLOW

The hike of export duty for iron ore fines and lumps to 20 per cent will cause immediate and long term damage to Goas most profitable industry mining. Team Herald looks at the lack of logic and the politics behind this decision

T hey have it all. They are the front end of a pro-cess that involves environmental clearances, logistics, agita-tions, criticisms and taxes all faced by the much at-tacked mining industry. Yet, while the steel industry rakes in the profits and wields a clout as strong as the metal they produce, Goas mining industry is bat-tling the latest blow given to it by the Finance Minister in this years budget. An export duty hike from 5 per cent to 20 per cent for fines and an-other, albeit smaller, increase from 15 per cent to 20 per cent on lumpy ore.

The hike, for an industry already reeling under a steep rise in royalty (Rs 750 crores in 2010-11) has led to a strong reaction from indus-

try organisations and mining companies. There has been a complete non application of mind. Fines constitute 90 per cent of Goas exports of low grade ore, so a 15 per cent increase in duty will kill the industry, says a senior mining official.

Industry experts state that the non application of mine is evident when export du-ties have been abolished for pellets. The export market for pellets is negligible and there is limited demand in the domestic market. Moreover China, one of the biggest importers of ore has an overcapacity of pellet-making. They prefer to buy Indias fines that they can blend with Brazilian and Australian ores.

The logic seems particu-larly flawed in the Goa situ-ation, since pellet making

required heavy power which Goa does not have. In addi-tion to the power deficit, the only pellet making unit in the state Mandovi pellets has shut down.

Glenn Kalavampara, Secretary, Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association told Herald that the GMOEA has formally sent a representa-tion to the center for a recon-sideration of the duty hike. The GMOEA has also asked the two Congress MPs from Goa, Fransisco Sardinha and Shantaram Naik to help. Informally efforts are on to get the MPs to lobby in par-liament and in the AICC for reconsideration.

The tragedy for the in-dustry is, that unlike the powerful steel magnets, the mining industry does not have a godfather in Delhi. The move to increase export

duty is clearly seen as the handiwork of the steel giants especially one of them to rein in export of iron for the domestic steel industry. But here too, this effort makes no sense since the majority of ore produced in Goa is un-fit for the domestic industry which needs high grade ore of over 65 per cent.