BY A GT REPORTER
PANJIM: A crucial meeting of the coalition partners - Congress and NCP - has been called at the Chief Minister's official residence at Altinho at 12 noon on Monday (March 30), to declare the candidate for the North Goa Parliamentary seat, which has been allotted to NCP.
A meeting held Sunday evening remained inconclusive after most of the leaders from both parties opposed Nirmala's candidature and surprisingly favoured former Pernem MLA Jitendra Deshprabhu. It is learnt that Deshprabhu had already left for New Delhi and expected to join the NCP if he was chosen as the candidate.
Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, GPCC president Subhash Shirodkar, NCP state president Dr Wilfred de Souza, Revenue Minister Jose Philip D'Souza, Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco, Education Minister Babush Monserrate and Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes attended the meeting. The meeting was earlier scheduled at the residence of Speaker Pratapsing Rane at Altinho but was shifted to the Chief Minister's residence after the former expressed his inability to attend the meeting.
When contacted, Revenue Minister Jose Philip told GT that another meeting would be held today afternoon after which the NCP candidate would be declared. Though he refused to divulge details of yesterday's meeting, he admitted that both Nirmala and Deshprabhu's names figured during the meeting.
Meanwhile, the central committee of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) also met at Panjim yesterday and finalised the names of its president Pandurang Raut and Lavu Mamledar, a former police officer for North Goa and South Goa constituencies respectively.
Monday, March 30, 2009
I cleared file for Football Academy: Mickky
Tourism Minister Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco, who also holds the housing portfolio, is being blamed for the AIFF-Bharti Airtel Football Academy exiting Goa. GT caught up with the minister to know the reasons why the minister held on to the file relating to the land transfer for the academy.
Q. At the recent Dabolim airport expansion function, did Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel instruct you to clear the Housing Board file for land at Panzarconni-Cuncolim? Why did you not oblige Patel, who is also your party's leader?
Ans: Yes, it is true that Patel, who is also the AIFF's acting president had asked me to clear the file for the football academy. Upon his word, I wrote to Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) to sign the agreement. Also in the first cabinet meeting, I had a talk with GSUDA that any project on that land would be undertaken by Housing Board with GSUDA being paid Rs 5 crore. The file had also been sent for whetting. Simultaneously, Sports Minister Manohar (Babu) Azgaonkar moved a proposal at the cabinet meeting seeking the land for the academy.
Q. Was the issue ever raised in the cabinet? What was the decision? If the cabinet had approved the football academy, then are you not bound by this decision?
Ans: Yes, the sports minister had moved the file bypassing me. You have to remember that the property belongs to Housing Board which is my portfolio. This is not right. But for the betterment of Cuncolim, I had sent the file for whetting on February 6 with a letter to the GSUDA for signing the agreement. But the Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao approaches the media claiming that the file has not been transferred.
Q. Did the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat not discuss this matter with you?
Ans: Kamat did ask me and I informed him that I had sent the file to GSUDA for signing the agreement for land transfer. But it had still not been transferred since Joaquim (who also heads GUDA) had not signed it.
Q. You are known to be an ardent football lover and previously owned Fransa Football Academy. So why were you against the AIFF-Bharti Football Academy at Cuncolim?
Ans: Though I am not into football right now, I do love football and have realised that after many years of playing football, one could not complete one's education with there being a maximum 12 years of playing life. So also I did not disband the Fransa team that had bagged many trophies within three years due to any financial reasons but because the AIFF bends the rules as they please. The AIFF president Priya Ranjan Das Munshi has never passed any resolution providing footballers proper recognition when they have represented the country. Else, what steps have been taken by the AIFF to reward these talented footballers? Can they provide any guarantee of job security? What sort of justice is this?
Q. Doesn't Goa which is synonymous with football and which has produced many good footballers need an academy?
Ans: Yes, it does require. But football that is in a Goan's blood cannot be the only goal. Promoting and safeguarding the interests and lives of every player is essential as they have no job security. There are so many retired players who are now forgotten. Goa has produced many good players who are representing the country. But what can it afford them after their career is over? A good deal of money is presently being pumped into cricket that is enough for the rest of one's life.
Q. Did Joaquim, who is also GFA president and is now been elected to the AIFF executive, meet you and speak to you about the proposed football academy at Panzarconi-Cuncolim?
Ans: Joaquim never spoke to me. But I feel that Joaquim has malafide intentions since he has changed his decision of having a technical college in the area.
Q. Was there any request made to you by the Cuncolim residents? Did they meet you on this issue? What was their demand?
Ans: Cuncolim residents did meet me requesting not to have the football academy. But I told them that since it is your village, you should tell the local MLA. They claimed that this football academy decision came later as there was initially a proposal to set up a technical institute.
Q. Now that the proposed AIFF-Bharti Football Academy has been scrapped at Panzarconi-Cuncolim, what use will this land be put to?
Ans: Now that the academy is scrapped, I will have to send a letter to GSUDA not to sign the agreement stating that I will return the money back to the GSUDA. I will personally tour the area to ask the villagers what they want and fulfill their demands.
Q. Will you take Joaquim, who is the local MLA into confidence?
Ans: No, the local MLA gives one promise to the Cuncolim residents but immediately changes it due to his vested interests.
Q. Will there be a ground constructed there?
Ans: This is not the only land. If at all the AIFF requires, they can ask me as the housing minister, I have some property and can still acquire the land and hand it over to them.
Q. At the recent Dabolim airport expansion function, did Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel instruct you to clear the Housing Board file for land at Panzarconni-Cuncolim? Why did you not oblige Patel, who is also your party's leader?
Ans: Yes, it is true that Patel, who is also the AIFF's acting president had asked me to clear the file for the football academy. Upon his word, I wrote to Goa State Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) to sign the agreement. Also in the first cabinet meeting, I had a talk with GSUDA that any project on that land would be undertaken by Housing Board with GSUDA being paid Rs 5 crore. The file had also been sent for whetting. Simultaneously, Sports Minister Manohar (Babu) Azgaonkar moved a proposal at the cabinet meeting seeking the land for the academy.
Q. Was the issue ever raised in the cabinet? What was the decision? If the cabinet had approved the football academy, then are you not bound by this decision?
Ans: Yes, the sports minister had moved the file bypassing me. You have to remember that the property belongs to Housing Board which is my portfolio. This is not right. But for the betterment of Cuncolim, I had sent the file for whetting on February 6 with a letter to the GSUDA for signing the agreement. But the Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao approaches the media claiming that the file has not been transferred.
Q. Did the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat not discuss this matter with you?
Ans: Kamat did ask me and I informed him that I had sent the file to GSUDA for signing the agreement for land transfer. But it had still not been transferred since Joaquim (who also heads GUDA) had not signed it.
Q. You are known to be an ardent football lover and previously owned Fransa Football Academy. So why were you against the AIFF-Bharti Football Academy at Cuncolim?
Ans: Though I am not into football right now, I do love football and have realised that after many years of playing football, one could not complete one's education with there being a maximum 12 years of playing life. So also I did not disband the Fransa team that had bagged many trophies within three years due to any financial reasons but because the AIFF bends the rules as they please. The AIFF president Priya Ranjan Das Munshi has never passed any resolution providing footballers proper recognition when they have represented the country. Else, what steps have been taken by the AIFF to reward these talented footballers? Can they provide any guarantee of job security? What sort of justice is this?
Q. Doesn't Goa which is synonymous with football and which has produced many good footballers need an academy?
Ans: Yes, it does require. But football that is in a Goan's blood cannot be the only goal. Promoting and safeguarding the interests and lives of every player is essential as they have no job security. There are so many retired players who are now forgotten. Goa has produced many good players who are representing the country. But what can it afford them after their career is over? A good deal of money is presently being pumped into cricket that is enough for the rest of one's life.
Q. Did Joaquim, who is also GFA president and is now been elected to the AIFF executive, meet you and speak to you about the proposed football academy at Panzarconi-Cuncolim?
Ans: Joaquim never spoke to me. But I feel that Joaquim has malafide intentions since he has changed his decision of having a technical college in the area.
Q. Was there any request made to you by the Cuncolim residents? Did they meet you on this issue? What was their demand?
Ans: Cuncolim residents did meet me requesting not to have the football academy. But I told them that since it is your village, you should tell the local MLA. They claimed that this football academy decision came later as there was initially a proposal to set up a technical institute.
Q. Now that the proposed AIFF-Bharti Football Academy has been scrapped at Panzarconi-Cuncolim, what use will this land be put to?
Ans: Now that the academy is scrapped, I will have to send a letter to GSUDA not to sign the agreement stating that I will return the money back to the GSUDA. I will personally tour the area to ask the villagers what they want and fulfill their demands.
Q. Will you take Joaquim, who is the local MLA into confidence?
Ans: No, the local MLA gives one promise to the Cuncolim residents but immediately changes it due to his vested interests.
Q. Will there be a ground constructed there?
Ans: This is not the only land. If at all the AIFF requires, they can ask me as the housing minister, I have some property and can still acquire the land and hand it over to them.
It’s Sardinha again
BY A GT REPORTER
PANJIM: The All India Congress Committee (GPCC) on Saturday (March 28) announced sitting MP Francisco Sardinha as its candidate from South Goa constituency for the Lok Sabha elections slated on April 23.
Sardinha’s candidature was finalised at a meeting of the Central Election Committee (CEC) chaired by AICC president Sonia Gandhi.
This is for the third time Sardinha will contest the Lok Sabha election from South Goa constituency. He first won the seat in 1998 mid-term elections and again got elected in the by-election held in October 2007.
When contacted, Sardinha thanked the party for giving him the ticket again to contest the Lok Sabha election. “I am sure that all party men will work during the election. The victory is ours and that will give another opportunity to serve the people for next five years,” Sardinha said.
Asked about the fate of the amendment to The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Bill introduced in the Parliament, Sardinha said that his Private Member’s would lapse with the dissolution of the current Parliament and added that it would again bring the amendment in the first session of the new Parliament.
He said that the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification affecting the traditional fishermen was in the concurrent list and expressed confidence that the Congress party would solve this issue in the larger interest of the people of Goa.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the North Goa seat as been alloted to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), who will announce its candidate by today, March 29.
PANJIM: The All India Congress Committee (GPCC) on Saturday (March 28) announced sitting MP Francisco Sardinha as its candidate from South Goa constituency for the Lok Sabha elections slated on April 23.
Sardinha’s candidature was finalised at a meeting of the Central Election Committee (CEC) chaired by AICC president Sonia Gandhi.
This is for the third time Sardinha will contest the Lok Sabha election from South Goa constituency. He first won the seat in 1998 mid-term elections and again got elected in the by-election held in October 2007.
When contacted, Sardinha thanked the party for giving him the ticket again to contest the Lok Sabha election. “I am sure that all party men will work during the election. The victory is ours and that will give another opportunity to serve the people for next five years,” Sardinha said.
Asked about the fate of the amendment to The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Bill introduced in the Parliament, Sardinha said that his Private Member’s would lapse with the dissolution of the current Parliament and added that it would again bring the amendment in the first session of the new Parliament.
He said that the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification affecting the traditional fishermen was in the concurrent list and expressed confidence that the Congress party would solve this issue in the larger interest of the people of Goa.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the North Goa seat as been alloted to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), who will announce its candidate by today, March 29.
Here comes Fomento on Mission Sonsoddo!
While the inferno of controversies continues to rage over Sonsoddo, Fomento Group now awakening to its Corporate Social Responsibility has offered to manage the garbage site, reports JULIO D’SILVA.
Although the stink due to the garbage at Sonsoddo has died down since Goa Foundation started managing it since November last year and though the fire that engulfed it has been capped, controversies dogging this site refuse to die down with the Fomento Group now awakening to its Corporate Social Responsibility and offering to manage the site.
It may be recalled that Goa Foundation had offered to manage the site and set in place the necessary equipment to handle the nearly 40 tonnes of garbage dumped at the site everyday. They also offered to treat and dispose the accumulated garbage.
After much deliberations and delays primarily initiated due to Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao’s aversion to Goa Foundation, the authorities approved their proposal, as the five-member committee appointed by the government to whet their proposal, backed it.
Having started the work at Sonsoddo on 27th November 2008, Goa Foundation has baled nearly 60 tonnes of plastic waste and prepared 60 tonnes of compost from the meat and vegetable garbage that was brought everyday to the site.
“The baled plastic and compost is totally worth around Rs 2 lakh and the municipality is in the process of issuing tenders to sell it,” disclosed Claude Alvares of Goa Foundation.
Margao Municipal Chairperson Savio Coutinho however pointed out that there were no takers for the plastic at the moment as due to the recession, there are no takers for plastic to be recycled. He also admitted that a company from Maharashtra had evinced interest in lifting the compost.
However, it has not been smooth sailing for Goa Foundation, as it had to struggle at every moment. “The council took one month to provide me with a 100 metre long pipe of one-inch diameter that was required to tackle the fire at the site,” disclosed Dr Alvares while pointing out that though they are only supposed to handle the garbage that is brought in daily, they are offering to treat the nearly 120 tonnes of accumulated garbage at the site that had caught fire.
While pointing out that their work has been stalled because the MMC is yet to provide them with a three-phase connection, Dr Alvares said it was because of these delays that he moved the court that has now directed that a fire tender be provided to them to tackle the fire that is raging underneath and has merely been capped by dumping mud on top.
Experts opined that fire at the site was inevitable since any decomposing process releases methane gas, which is highly inflammable and those working at the site revealed that practically everyday there is fire sprouting from some place or the other which has to be doused.
“There is fire raging underneath, which cannot be seen because of the mud dumped on top. But if you dig, you are bound to find the fire which probably only the monsoons may be able to put off,” opined Subhash Kamat the supervisor at Sonsoddo.
But even as the situation at Sonsoddo was as mentioned above, the situation has now taken an interesting turn with Fomento Group offering to manage the site.
“We have to consider their proposal even though they have not given any details, because there is no financial liability involved and I do not want any allegations against me tomorrow,” said Coutinho.
He informed that Fomento has offered to manage the Sonsddo site on Design, Build, Operate and Transfer basis, but not given any time-schedule for this entire exercise. Besides, Coutinho disclosed that a few clarifications are required from Goa Foundation.
“Initially Goa Foundation had proposed to set up two machines that would sieve the garbage at the rate of 75 tonnes per hour but are now proposing to purchase two machines of 45 tonnes capacity,” pointed out Coutinho.
Besides, he revealed that Goa Foundation had quoted an amount of Rs 51 lakh for the first phase that involved tackling the daily garbage. “We have done it departmentally for the moment by using our staff and it has cost us only around Rs 10 lakh,” said Coutinho justifying why he has to take the Fomento’s proposal seriously.
Dr Alvares clarified that the capacity of the machines was a genuine typographical error on the covering letter though on all other documents the capacity was clearly mentioned as 45 tonnes.
As for the expenditure, he pointed out that the work has not yet commenced on the scale it was meant to be because of the procedural and other delays. “I am not into this for business but as an environmentalist, I genuinely feel that Sonsoddo can be an example for others to show how garbage can be managed scientifically,” he asserted.
“I would be more than happy if somebody takes over the site and manages it. In fact, that is our aim - set up the infrastructure and then let somebody manage it,” said Dr Alvares reacting to Fomento’s offer.
However, he was wary of the offer coming from Fomento. “In the first place, they have no expertise as they cannot handle the garbage at their hotel Cidade de Goa while we have the expertise and we have worked at Sonsddo earlier,” he said.
Senior Director of Fomento Resources, Francisco Lume Pereira clarified that his company was only facilitating the project by engaging the services of Pune based ILNFS Ecosmart to initially study the situation and then manage the site.
“As we do not have the expertise, we have engaged the services of ILNFS that is managing the garbage site at Okla in New Delhi, which has also been visited by Chief Minister Digambar Kamat,” he said while adding that the company is managing 10 other garbage sites in the country.
ILNFS is currently studying the site and in the last half of February 2009 took bore hole samples of the accumulated garbage to study the character of each strata and within two months are expected to give their suggestion on how the site is to be managed.
“Our Chairman Audhut Timblo, in the last week of January this year, suggested that we take up this project as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility probably after visiting his mother who lives in the vicinity of Sonsddo,” said Pereira.
Sujoy Gupta, Vice President-Communications of the company stressed the point of Margao being close to the heart of the Timblos as they hail from the area and how Timblo wanted to do something for the city and particularly in handling the garbage that is giving the town an ugly look.
Although the stink due to the garbage at Sonsoddo has died down since Goa Foundation started managing it since November last year and though the fire that engulfed it has been capped, controversies dogging this site refuse to die down with the Fomento Group now awakening to its Corporate Social Responsibility and offering to manage the site.
It may be recalled that Goa Foundation had offered to manage the site and set in place the necessary equipment to handle the nearly 40 tonnes of garbage dumped at the site everyday. They also offered to treat and dispose the accumulated garbage.
After much deliberations and delays primarily initiated due to Urban Development Minister Joaquim Alemao’s aversion to Goa Foundation, the authorities approved their proposal, as the five-member committee appointed by the government to whet their proposal, backed it.
Having started the work at Sonsoddo on 27th November 2008, Goa Foundation has baled nearly 60 tonnes of plastic waste and prepared 60 tonnes of compost from the meat and vegetable garbage that was brought everyday to the site.
“The baled plastic and compost is totally worth around Rs 2 lakh and the municipality is in the process of issuing tenders to sell it,” disclosed Claude Alvares of Goa Foundation.
Margao Municipal Chairperson Savio Coutinho however pointed out that there were no takers for the plastic at the moment as due to the recession, there are no takers for plastic to be recycled. He also admitted that a company from Maharashtra had evinced interest in lifting the compost.
However, it has not been smooth sailing for Goa Foundation, as it had to struggle at every moment. “The council took one month to provide me with a 100 metre long pipe of one-inch diameter that was required to tackle the fire at the site,” disclosed Dr Alvares while pointing out that though they are only supposed to handle the garbage that is brought in daily, they are offering to treat the nearly 120 tonnes of accumulated garbage at the site that had caught fire.
While pointing out that their work has been stalled because the MMC is yet to provide them with a three-phase connection, Dr Alvares said it was because of these delays that he moved the court that has now directed that a fire tender be provided to them to tackle the fire that is raging underneath and has merely been capped by dumping mud on top.
Experts opined that fire at the site was inevitable since any decomposing process releases methane gas, which is highly inflammable and those working at the site revealed that practically everyday there is fire sprouting from some place or the other which has to be doused.
“There is fire raging underneath, which cannot be seen because of the mud dumped on top. But if you dig, you are bound to find the fire which probably only the monsoons may be able to put off,” opined Subhash Kamat the supervisor at Sonsoddo.
But even as the situation at Sonsoddo was as mentioned above, the situation has now taken an interesting turn with Fomento Group offering to manage the site.
“We have to consider their proposal even though they have not given any details, because there is no financial liability involved and I do not want any allegations against me tomorrow,” said Coutinho.
He informed that Fomento has offered to manage the Sonsddo site on Design, Build, Operate and Transfer basis, but not given any time-schedule for this entire exercise. Besides, Coutinho disclosed that a few clarifications are required from Goa Foundation.
“Initially Goa Foundation had proposed to set up two machines that would sieve the garbage at the rate of 75 tonnes per hour but are now proposing to purchase two machines of 45 tonnes capacity,” pointed out Coutinho.
Besides, he revealed that Goa Foundation had quoted an amount of Rs 51 lakh for the first phase that involved tackling the daily garbage. “We have done it departmentally for the moment by using our staff and it has cost us only around Rs 10 lakh,” said Coutinho justifying why he has to take the Fomento’s proposal seriously.
Dr Alvares clarified that the capacity of the machines was a genuine typographical error on the covering letter though on all other documents the capacity was clearly mentioned as 45 tonnes.
As for the expenditure, he pointed out that the work has not yet commenced on the scale it was meant to be because of the procedural and other delays. “I am not into this for business but as an environmentalist, I genuinely feel that Sonsoddo can be an example for others to show how garbage can be managed scientifically,” he asserted.
“I would be more than happy if somebody takes over the site and manages it. In fact, that is our aim - set up the infrastructure and then let somebody manage it,” said Dr Alvares reacting to Fomento’s offer.
However, he was wary of the offer coming from Fomento. “In the first place, they have no expertise as they cannot handle the garbage at their hotel Cidade de Goa while we have the expertise and we have worked at Sonsddo earlier,” he said.
Senior Director of Fomento Resources, Francisco Lume Pereira clarified that his company was only facilitating the project by engaging the services of Pune based ILNFS Ecosmart to initially study the situation and then manage the site.
“As we do not have the expertise, we have engaged the services of ILNFS that is managing the garbage site at Okla in New Delhi, which has also been visited by Chief Minister Digambar Kamat,” he said while adding that the company is managing 10 other garbage sites in the country.
ILNFS is currently studying the site and in the last half of February 2009 took bore hole samples of the accumulated garbage to study the character of each strata and within two months are expected to give their suggestion on how the site is to be managed.
“Our Chairman Audhut Timblo, in the last week of January this year, suggested that we take up this project as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility probably after visiting his mother who lives in the vicinity of Sonsddo,” said Pereira.
Sujoy Gupta, Vice President-Communications of the company stressed the point of Margao being close to the heart of the Timblos as they hail from the area and how Timblo wanted to do something for the city and particularly in handling the garbage that is giving the town an ugly look.
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