“The museum is completely settled and there is no place for additional galleries. We already have 14 galleries which are preserving the ancient, historical and cultural traditions of Goa,” Goa state Museum director Radha Bhave said.

“As we have no more place in the museum, we are forced to have temporary exhibitions,” Bhave said.

The Goa government realising this problem has decided to set-up a similar venture, this time through state art and culture department, in the city.

Adil Shah palace on the Mandovi river bank, a structure which used to house state Legislative Assembly till recently, has been taken over by the state art and culture department to house this museum.

“A committee has been formed which will present the report on the kind of museum to be set-up here,” art and culture director Prasad Lolienkar said.

The new museum will take shape in next three years, he said. “It will have permanent art gallery, exhibition place, experimental theatre and also a children’s section,” the director said.

The state government intends to have a cultural centre at this place, which has a place used by king Adil Shah, who ruled Goa before Portuguese invaded this territory.

Courtesy: deccanherald

According to South Goa Superintendent of Police Shekhar Prabhudesai, they have seized the truck bearing registration No GA01-W-5785, which was filled with almost 17 swords and 16 choppers.

But the people here claimed that the number of swords and choppers was more than the police disclosed.

It is being said that the truck belongs to one Abdul Mazid. People on condition of anonymity said that his (Abdul) brother is linked with several criminals and involved in anti-social activities and was also involved in eve-teasing incident that ignited violence in the last week.

Police seized the truck after receiving a sure tip-off from their informer.  They immediately rushed to the spot and seized the contrabands. But so far no one is arrested in this regard.

Margao police are investigating the case.

Courtest: daijiworld

Mukund Korgaonkar Round Forester releasing a turtle into the sea after it lost one of its limbs when it was trapped in a net. The turtle was rescued and treated earlier by Korgaonkar, Amar Heblekar Range Forest Officer and Rudyard D’Silva Dy. Range Forest Officer, at Sinquerim

Pic by Rozario Estibeiro

-Herald, Goa Daily

MINISTER FOR Forest Felipe Neri Rodrigues called on Maharashtra chief minister Vilas Rao Deshmukh at his residence on Wednesday (July 2), in connection with the problems faced by the residents of northern region of Goa due to unnatural migration of wild elephants from Karnataka through the state of Maharashtra.

As a result of such unnatural migration of wild elephants, huge crop loss has been faced by the villagers of northern parts of Goa. It has also resulted in death of forest personnel and the entire village is in a state of panic.

 Felipe Neri Rodrigues

The minister who was accompanied by MLA Pandurang Madkaikar, discussed several issues with the chief minister of Maharashtra. Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat also met the Maharashtra chief minister earlier and appraised him of the seriousness of the issue and as a consequence a meeting with the forest minister of Goa was arranged.

The points discussed at the meeting included assistance of Maharashtra government in driving out the wild elephants from northern region of Goa. The meeting also discussed the point that during the course of driving of the wild elephants from Goa to Karnataka through Maharashtra, it was noticed that the people in Sawantwadi region were putting deliberate efforts to push back the wild elephants into the territory of Goa, thereby making efforts of the Goa Forest Department unsuccessful.

It was also impressed upon the government of Maharashtra to request the people of Maharashtra state to cooperate in the venture of Goa Forest Department to drive the wild elephants to Karnataka through Maharashtra state.

It was also stressed at the meeting that the Maharashtra Forest Department may evolve a joint strategy with Goa Forest Department to drive back elephants to Karnataka. Alternatively, both the state governments may seek the help from Central government or international agencies to tranquilise and transport the elephants to their natural habitat in Karnataka.

Courtesy: merinews

Kamat, who met Congress President Sonia Gandhi today, said the people of the State are opposed to SEZs. “We do not want anything against the wishes of the people,” he added.
All India Congress Committee General Secretary B K Hari Prasad, who is also the party in-charge of Goa, added, “The Congress is with the people of the State on the issue.”
The chief minister did not specify if he discussed the SEZ issue and the accompanying political problems in the State with Sonia.

Kamat said the SEZs can come up only on land where one crop is grown. “In Goa, two crops are grown. Moreover, land is a scarce commodity in the State,” he said.
The chief minister said not much work has been done on the SEZs, approved by the previous National Democratic Alliance government so far. “We will apprise the courts of our position when the matter comes up for hearing later this month,” he added.

-Herald, Goa Daily

The duty, effective from June 13, 2008 is applicable to all kinds of iron ore, irrespective of its iron content.

The Central government in its circular had said that the duty structure is changed to further strengthen a policy regime that enables conservation of good quality ore and ensures its availability to domestic industry at a reasonable price.

But the mining lobby in this tiny coastal state has several apprehensions regarding the move.

“The increase will severely impact Goan iron ore industry,” Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association President Shivanand Salgaonar told reporters here while briefing presspersons in presence of Chairman and Managing Director of Dempo group of companies, Srinivas Dempo, Sesa Goa managing director P K Mukharjee and others.

The increased duty will force the producers to stop extraction of low grade ore and its export, Salgaoncar said.

“This will affect the mining industry in particular and Goan economy in general,” he said.

Any effort to curb export of iron ore, without matching domestic consumption for the ore currently produced would severely affect the iron ore industry and the employment and economic activity dependent on it, he added.

Courtesy: Business Standard

A man supposedly wanted for his role in the Holocaust and who’s name surprisingly bore resemblance to the 18th century composer and even had an 18th century piano for sale.

The news was delivered to the inboxes of media houses on Friday by a group called Perus Narkp and soon went into print.

Some even quoted an intelligence official in Karnataka, who insisted Bach had not just been arrested but even moved to Germany. Others had a map of how Bach had evaded arrest elsewhere and landed in Goa.

You would think a press release from an unknown group about a war criminal sharing a name with a famous composer being caught in the jungles of Goa trying to sell a stolen 18th-century piano would be worth double-checking. Well apparently not.

Perus Narkp, the agency that sent out the press release does not exist. Rework Perus Narkp and you get ‘Super Prank’ and its possible source is the Goan blog, allegeldy run by former journalist of the Goan Herald.

So how did the story make it to the papers? How did editors not smell a rat? Were the checks and balances missing?

Courtesy: NDTV

Want to enjoy exotic beaches, try water sports and have a fill of delicious sea-food? Then Goa is the place to be.

And if you are planning a holiday in Goa this monsoon, then there are some good news for you.

Goa Tourism Development Corporation has come up with attractive monsoon packages, which were announced at the three-day tourism fair held at Tulsi Bhavan in Bistupur.

Director of Goa tourism Elvis Gomes said: “The packages are affordable. It is a place were people can enjoy water sports, live in houseboats as well as pristine beauty of nature.

The special monsoon packages are for four days and three nights where tourist can stay in three-star or four-star hotels. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in the package. A cruise trip on river Mandovi and two-day sight-seeing are also part of the package. And the pocket pinch for these packages range between Rs 3,500 and Rs 6,700 per couple depending on the facilities.

“We are targeting the corporate executives of the steel city,” said public relations officer of Goa tourism Deepak Narvekar.

“We want the people of the state to experience beauty of Goa and so we have come all the way to Jamshedpur to make them have a feel of the place,” he said.

The tourism fair evoked a good response from the people of the city and numerous enquiries poured in about the packages.

The fair concluded today with a roadshow where a musician Bondo enthralled the people with his music.

Courtesy: Telegraph

“We are planning a children’s film festival in Goa. Organisers of the South East Asia film festival also approached us for holding a film festival in Goa,” said Kamat.

Kamat said that the government is planning the construction of a full-fledged film studio for Goa. He added that all filming equipment will be provided once the studio is ready.

Accepting the suggestion by the filmmaker from Afghanistan Latif Ahmedi, Kamat said that he would to allow Goa to be a venue for seminars between filmmakers of different countries. Further, he promised to extend support to filmmakers from all over the world to shoot movies in Goa. Kamat said that tax sops would also be given for ‘good films’ for their screening in Goan theatres.

The press conference was held following the filming of the Marathi movie ‘Mare Paryant Fanshi’ which was made with assistance from Goa government’s scheme of finance to local filmmakers. Appreciating the film, Kamat said, “It was a very bold move on the part of the Goan producers to premiere the movie at the SAFF. The film is very well-made. I liked it very much and I congratulate the filmmakers for their effort.”

The film, produced by Jyoti Kunkolienkar and Pramod Salgaonkar and directed by Chandrakant Barve, premiered among a auditorium full of audience and was seen being widely appreciated by the viewers.

Courtesy: Times Of India