NO PWD FOR ALEIXO!
THE most lucrative Public Works Department has been denied to Aleixo Sequeira. Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawan has retained the PWD portfolio. Aleixo will have to be content with Environment, Law & Judiciary and Legislative Affairs portfolios. Aleixo blackmailed the BJP into inducting him in the Cabinet. He was a sworn in last Sunday, November 19, 2023 at a quick swearing in ceremony at the Raj Bhavan at 7pm. Remember Aleixo was part of the eight MLAs who defected to the BJP more than a year ago.
PLOT TO KILL
IN the wake of the allegations that Indian government agencies killed a Sikh leader in Canada, the US claims that it has thwarted the plot to kill Guru Patwant Singh in the United States. The FBI claimed it had prevented an attempt to kill by Indian government agencies. The US has claimed that the research and analytical wing of the Indian government was abandoned after FBO. The US does not make the details public. It is believed that Harpreet was a Khalistan supporter.
COMMUNIDADE LAND
THERE are on-going attempt to encroach on Communidade-owned lands in Goa. This follows the land grabbing efforts of the BJP Minister Vishwajit Rane. The Code of Communidade permits it to allot land only to members of the communidade. The communidade is a cooperative of the villagers or gaunkars it maints the bunds and irrigation channels. Successive governmeants have already dilutred the communidadae rules ot allow for land for public use.
SALMAN AND DELILAH
SALMAN Khan, the Bollywood superstar has got a new heroine at IFFI. He was photographed at the IFFI venue red carpets with ESG Vice-Chairperson Delilah Lobo (also MLA of Saligao and wife of Calangute MLA Michael Lobo). Salman Khan’s arrival at IFFI further proves the commercialisation of the festival and it may be recalled that Arvind Sinha, chairperson of the Indian Panorama non-feature film jury, has objected seriously to the presence of even Karan Johar at the opening ceremony of the on-going 54th edition of the film festival. Salman Khan also called upon Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to pay his respects while he was taking in the sights at this year’s IFFI. Perhaps he is planning to buy some property in Goa if hasn’t already done so.
BEHIND AUSTRALIA WIN!
IT was Patricia Rosario of Goan origin who was the manager of the Australian team which won the World Cup in the one-day cricket tournament in Ahmedabad. Earlier we learn Patricia successfully managed the women’s hockey team. Patricia was promising tennis player before her dreams were shattered by a hand fracture. She was working in the Gulf as manager of the Kuwait football team when she decided to migrate to Australia just a few years ago. After the World Cup victory she took a break to visit with her parents in India. A photograph of her with the World Cup has gone viral.
IT’S CONSTITUTION DAY ON NOV 26!
PERHAPS not many of us know that we have a Constitution Day and it is celebrated on November 26 every year. The celebration celebrates the adoption of the Constitution of India which is one of the best in the world if not the best as many say in comparison to many other countries. An important part of the celebration is to do with the reading of the Preamble to the Constitution reaffirming our commitment to uphold democracy in all the departments of the government, autonomous bodies, organizations and institutions, including educational institutions. This year Constitution Day will be celebrated at the open spaces of the Secretariat at Porvorim and will see the Chief Secretary read out the Preamble to the Indian Constitution.
CHILDREN’S DAY FOR SCPCR
THE Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights observed World Children’s Day with a unique full-day fun and learning program for over 60 hearing-impaired children at the Grand Hyatt Goa, Bambolim on November 20, 2023 in collaboration with Goa Association of the Deaf (GAD). The program was supported and hosted by the luxury hotel.
The children from five special schools, namely Lokvishwas Pratishthan School for Hearing Impaired Children, Dhavali, Ponda; St. Xavier’s Academy School for Special Children, Old Goa; Sanjay Centre for Special Education, Porvorim; Gujarati Samaj Educational Trust Special School for Handicapped, Margao and New Dawn Ashadeep Special School, Vasco Da Gama, participated in the event. Children are raising their voices on issues that matter to them and calling for adults to create an inclusive future for them. This program was curated for hearing impaired children to highlight and honor their unique needs and struggles.
Speaking on the occasion Peter F Borges (chairperson, Goa State commission for Protection of Child Rights) said it is more important than ever that the world listens to their ideas and demands of these children and ensure them quality education and better social protection. The program was inaugurated in the presence of Ajit Panchwadkar (Director of Social Welfare) and Jaco Le Roux (Area Vice-President, Leisure Hotels & General Manager Grand Hyatt Goa) along with other dignitaries.
The children enjoyed the demos of cupcake decoration, towel art, yoga, dance and drawing, besides the screening of a few films on the hearing-impaired community produced by the Goa Association of the Deaf.
The Commission will recommend several measures to the government to improve the wellbeing of the children, bring visibility to their issue and advocate for a more inclusive society.
TRIPURARI POORNIMA IS HERE!
THE government of Goa in association with the Directorate of Art & Culture, Department of Tourism, Goa Tourism Development Corporation, Department of Information & Publicity, other Government departments, Shree Dev Vithal Panchayatan Devasthan, Vitthalpur Sankhali and Deepawali Utsav Samittee, a local cultural organization from Vitthalapur, Sankhali every year celebrates Tripurari Poornima Festival on the banks of river Valvonti at Vitthalapur, Sankhali. This is a state festival showcasing various traditional activities like lighting traditional lamps in the river Valvonti (Deep Dan), releasing of traditional Saarangas or handcrafted balloons in the sky, also “Tripurasur-Vadh” – a cultural program.
The main attraction is a spectacular state level boat competition held on the river Valvonti. More than 50 handcrafted boats from the state over will sail the river. This year the festival will be held on Sunday, November 26, 2023 from 7 pm onwards. Many government ministers including Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant along with local dignitaries will be witnessing the celebration. There will be prizes, trophies and certificates and the event promises to be an exciting one.
ULTRA PERFORMANCES GOA PAVILION THE Goa Pavilion set-up at the India International Trade Fair, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi is receiving overwhelming response from the people of Delhi and those residing in neighbouring states. The tremendous response is attributed to the performances by the artistes attached to Kala Sangam, Priol, led by Dinesh Priolkar. The troupe has been performing varied forms of arts with emphasis on depicting the rich cultural traditions of Goa which includes traditional Samai dance, Dhangar dance, Virabhadra, Ghodemodni , Jagor, Dhekhni and Kunabi dance. Apart from this an audio visual based on Aatmanirbhar Bharat Swayampurna showcases Goa’s achievements in infrastructure development, welfare schemes and initiatives.