Amended noise action plan of Goa
Goa government has notified the ‘Amended Noise Action Plan’ to purportedly streamline the processes related to curbing noise pollution in the state, as specified before the High Court on April 30. The
Goa
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Environment tte--tte
By Val & Tino On the occasion of the World Environment Day (WED), we moved around town for a survey to assess the degree of public awareness. In keeping with the day's spirit, we took the walking option, simultaneously ensuring that no traces of carbon in the footprints were left behind.
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Meet throws light on the powers of gram sabha
Goans who are up in arms against mega projects in the villages are using gram sabha (village council) to oppose such projects. But questions have been raised by politicians and some intellectuals too, whether the gram sabhas have the powers to stop mega projects. In the light of this, it becomes important to understand the real meaning of gram panchayat and the gram sabha and more importantly to make people aware of their rights in a panchayat set-up.
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Mining firm accused of releasing silt
The Gawda Kunbi Velip and Dhangar Federation of Colomba unit on Friday filed a complaint at the Quepem police against a mine operating at Gulkon Donger for releasing polluted water and mining silt into their agricultural fields.
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SEZs: documents reveal 19 firms applied
Documents on SEZs (special economic zones) reveal that altogether 19 companies had applied to the Goa government for setting up SEZs in the State. Of these, the Pratapsing Rane-headed coalition government had made recommendation to Board of Approvals, Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, in 15 cases. These included two government SEZs promoted by Dayanand Narvekar-headed Information Technology (InfoTech) Corporation, namely IT Habitat in Dona Paula and IT Park in Socorro.
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A momentous day!
At long last, we have direct action from the government on the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) that neither the Goan people nor the Goa government want, but the Union Commerce Ministry seems to want to impose on the people of Goa. By cancelling in one stroke the land given to the SEZs for gross irregularities in its allotment, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat has gladdened the heart of every Goan.
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Mega projects must pass through gram sabha scanner: South ZP
The South Goa Zilla Panchayat has resolved to ask the government not to allow mega projects in the State's countryside without taking into account the infrastructure. It was also resolved that all mega projects should be mandatorily placed before the gram sabha meetings before granting approval. Initiating the discussion on the burning issue, Chinchinim Zilla member, Joe Dias said the villages suffered from inadequate infrastructure such as water and power and wondered what would be the situation once these big housing projects takes concrete shape.
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SEZ: A roller-coaster ride in Goa
SEZ tale in Goa has been of favouritism, irregularities, procedural impropriety, and totally anti-Goa. Since it was first discussed in December 2004 during the BJP regime, SEZ story took a monsterous form in 2006. Pratapsing Rane was the chief minister and Luizinho Faleiro the Industries Minister.
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Sonsodo garbage exposed to rains
If the avowed objective of the proposal to cap the Sonsodo garbage dumpyard with tarpaulin was to arrest seepage of rain water into the waste, tonnes of waste continues to be exposed to rains at the site till date. For, the Margao Civic body is still in the process of opening up the tender and issuing work orders to cap the waste with tarpaulin sheets, notwithstanding that the 35,000 tonnes of waste is already soaked with rain water. It is learnt that the delay was caused due to lack of interest shown by JCB machine operators by staying away from the tender.
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Mud at Porvorim landslide posing threat!
The memories of the Porvorim landslide last year have come back haunting as the mud from one of the benches has come down crashing posing a threat to the motorists. The landslide site on Mandovi bridge approach road at Porvorim was posing grave danger to the traffic even as possibility of a bigger landslide looms large. Sensing danger, the Public Works Department decided to construct a retaining wall 290 metres in length and three metres in height to prevent any further damage.
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Govt not taking scrapping of SEZs seriously: GMAS
Goa's Movement Against SEZs has expressed shock over the statement made by the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Board of Approval for SEZs, Mr G K Pillai, who has accused the Government of Goa of not taking any steps for the last six months, to close down the SEZs and that the Goa Government has even asked for this year's lease rent of land from some developers. In a letter written to the CM today, the convenor of GMAS Matanhy Saldanha suspected that some games are being played and that the government is not displaying its seriousness on the matter.