On not being satisfied with the present arrangement on disposal of bio-medical waste, the High Court has asked the government to file an affidavit on the matter.

Finance Minister Dayanand Narvekar has asserted that agricultural land in the State too shall be protected on the lines of ban on sale of land to foreigners.

bombay High Court in Goa has asked the state government to initiate immediate action against owners and operators of all illegal basalt quarries in the state and against government officials

Over twenty years ago, Goa enjoyed the peak of its fishing industry.

Door-to-door collection of waste from hotels, besides residential houses came to an abrupt halt in the Commercial Capital in the last two days for want of labourers.

With many a Margao household receiving drinking water only in trickles, the BJP activists of the city unit on Wednesday gheraoed PWD officials and demanded explanation for the water scarcity. Assistant Engineer, Vijay Kudchadkar attributed the water scarcity in some parts of the city to the ongoing pump replacement work at the Selaulim Dam. He, however, assured the delegation that water supply to the City would stabilise within two days as the work of pump replacement is almost completed. Led by BJP leader Sharmad Raiturcar, the BJP activists, including some women, demanded to know why work on the replacement was carried out without issuing any notice to the water consumers. He pointed out that a notice was inserted in the newspapers around February 15 and sought to know whether work was on for the last fortnight. "Is there any accountability for the PWD officials. How come you suddenly carried out a shut down', he questioned. Raiturcar claimed that many a household in Comba, Khareband and Aquem in the Chief Minister's constituency had to go without water for the last two days. He also sought to know whether household connections would be issued to households with PWD officials disconnecting the public water taps. Accusing the present Government for being insensitive to the common man, Raiturcar threatened to intensify the agitation if the situation fails to improve immediately. Assistant Engineer, Kudchadkar told the BJP activists that two of the damaged pumps are being replaced and attributed the delay to the company's delay in supplying the pumps.

It should not come as any surprise to Goans that our fishing trawlers are returning almost empty or with very little catch, pushing the prices of fish to the sky. The resources of fish in the sea are not infinite, if the rate of harvesting fish exceeds the natural rate of renewal. Overfishing has its inevitable consequences

Acquisition of land for developing special economic zones (SEZs) is a major cause for concern, says the Economic Survey for 2007-08, which was released yesterday by Finance Minister P Chidambaram. The Finance Ministry presents the Economic Survey in Parliament every year, just before the Union Budget. It is the ministry's view on the economic development of the country in the year gone by, and the prospects for the year ahead. The survey has also expressed "apprehension' about the possible "misuse of the (SEZ) scheme and relocation of existing industries into SEZs'. It says the Board of Approval (BoA) headed by Commerce Secretary G K Pillai, which approves SEZ proposals, would not give a go-ahead to SEZs that "have carried out or propose to carry out compulsory acquisition of land

SHACHI CHATURVEDI On January 31, in the community hall of South Goa’s famous Shantadurga temple a public hearing is convened to discuss the renewal of mining lease to

Every chair of the community hall of the Shree Shantadurga temple in South Goa

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