Rail men split over Elena's death
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: Konkan railway officials appear to be divided over the manner in which Elena Sukhonova, 19, could have died. The Russian teenager’s mutilated body was found on the railway tracks about 3.5 km north of Thivim station on May 8.
While KRC PRO Baban Ghatge, says that in his six years of service as PRO he has never seen anyone fall from the train onto the tracks, two ticket checkers told the police this was possible. Ghatge, was called by the cops after he disputed their theory that Elena could have fallen from the train and come under the wheels of the train.
“It is my opinion that if someone falls from the train, they will fall away from the tracks and not on the tracks. This statement is based on six years of experience with the KRC,” said Ghatge.
Two ticket collectors, however, dispute this. “We have recorded the statements of two ticket checkers who told us that there have been cases wherein passengers falling from trains have fallen on the tracks,” said a senior police official.
Backing his theory, Ghatge said, “We have come across several cases of people falling from running trains, but no one was dragged onto the tracks. I have also discussed the matter with the Railway Protection Force (RPF).” Ghatge admitted that he has not visited the spot where the Russian’s body was found.
The Konkan railway official reiterated that his statements to the media were not in his official capacity but his personal opinion. He said that KRC has no official comment to issue in the case. “Our only official statement is that the police are investigating the case and they should be allowed to carry out the investigations,” said Ghatge.
He also said that not a single foreigner purchased a ticket from Thivim station during the early hours of May 8. “We have also submitted a list of reserved passengers to the police and Elena’s name doesn’t figure in it,” he added.
Meanwhile, the sessions court rejected the anticipatory bail plea filed by Vishant Kundaikar, owner of the O’Pinhal Buckingham Shack on Calangute beach.
16 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Each doctor in Goa costs state Rs 77.44 lakhs
Each doctor in Goa costs state Rs 77.44 lakhs
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: The state spends approximately Rs 77.44 lakh on every student graduating from the Goa medical college and hospital, yet once armed with a medical degree few of them opt for government service.
Over 95% of doctors who obtain their degree through the GMC never work in the public sector. “Majority of the doctors don’t stay on in Goa. They either go abroad for higher studies or join other institutes or corporate hospitals as the salary is higher,” said head of department of pathology and medical education cell of GMC Dr R Wiseman Pinto.
There are currently 56 vacancies at the GMC (28 senior residents and 27 consultants), and 80 at the directorate of health services for doctors and other specialists. As many as nine DHS health centres are functioning without a medical officer.
Pinto conducted a survey, a first-of-its-kind study, to determine the cost of training at GMC. This was computed through the traditional method of total expenses as against the number of the students, he said. The Rs 77.44 lakh includes direct costs (faculty salaries and stipends) and indirect costs (non-teaching personnel salaries, equipment, books, civil works, machinery and scholarships) incurred by the state’s only teaching hospital.
“For any student, the entire expenditure at GMC has to be taken into account because all expenses are for the students’ benefit. There are at present about 547 students at the GMC,” said Dr Pinto.
As against the expenditure, general category students pay a fee of about Rs 1.14 lakh for the MBBS course, while reserved category students pay Rs 58,620 and all India students pay about Rs 1.15 lakh. This doesn’t include the hostel fee of Rs 1,000 per year.
There is, however, a solution to curb the brain drain, though the government is yet to implement it.
“Medical students joining the course sign a bond which has a clause that should the government require them to work in the public sector for a year, they would have to do so. In case they fail to work then they would have to pay a fine of Rs 2 lakh if they have a MBBS degree or Rs 3 lakh if they have a PG qualification,” said Pinto.
15 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: The state spends approximately Rs 77.44 lakh on every student graduating from the Goa medical college and hospital, yet once armed with a medical degree few of them opt for government service.
Over 95% of doctors who obtain their degree through the GMC never work in the public sector. “Majority of the doctors don’t stay on in Goa. They either go abroad for higher studies or join other institutes or corporate hospitals as the salary is higher,” said head of department of pathology and medical education cell of GMC Dr R Wiseman Pinto.
There are currently 56 vacancies at the GMC (28 senior residents and 27 consultants), and 80 at the directorate of health services for doctors and other specialists. As many as nine DHS health centres are functioning without a medical officer.
Pinto conducted a survey, a first-of-its-kind study, to determine the cost of training at GMC. This was computed through the traditional method of total expenses as against the number of the students, he said. The Rs 77.44 lakh includes direct costs (faculty salaries and stipends) and indirect costs (non-teaching personnel salaries, equipment, books, civil works, machinery and scholarships) incurred by the state’s only teaching hospital.
“For any student, the entire expenditure at GMC has to be taken into account because all expenses are for the students’ benefit. There are at present about 547 students at the GMC,” said Dr Pinto.
As against the expenditure, general category students pay a fee of about Rs 1.14 lakh for the MBBS course, while reserved category students pay Rs 58,620 and all India students pay about Rs 1.15 lakh. This doesn’t include the hostel fee of Rs 1,000 per year.
There is, however, a solution to curb the brain drain, though the government is yet to implement it.
“Medical students joining the course sign a bond which has a clause that should the government require them to work in the public sector for a year, they would have to do so. In case they fail to work then they would have to pay a fine of Rs 2 lakh if they have a MBBS degree or Rs 3 lakh if they have a PG qualification,” said Pinto.
15 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Cases of undetected crimes on rise in state
Cases of undetected crimes on rise in state
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: From the years 2004 to 2008 an average of around 34% to 38% crime cases go undetected in the state, reveals the statement of crime of
the Goa police for the last five years from 2004 to 2008.
However, an average of 62 to 65% crime cases have been detected and almost a similar or lesser number of cases chargesheeted. But compare this to national statistics, wherein the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) has stated that about 80.1% of cognizable crimes were chargesheeted.
Between 2004 and 2008, the state has seen an increase in incidents of theft and burglary. But the number of undetected cases outnumbers those detected. About 946 cases burglary and 1639 cases of theft in last five years still remain undetected. In contrast, the number of cases of burglary and theft detected in last five years is 426 and 950 respectively. The police, however, have been able to detect 61 robbery cases of the total 109 cases from 2004 to 2008. Of the 22 dacoities, 8 remain undetected. In cases of cheating, if the police have been able to crack 219 cases in the last 5 years, then 115 lie undetected.
Goa, in the last 5 years, witnessed 205 murders, of which 54 are still undetected. There have been 129 rapes of which 118 have been detected. About 94 cases of kidnapping were registered in the last 5 years. Of these, 19 is still undetected.
Even as counterfeiting notes as well as documents have become a major cause of worry in the state, the Goa police's effort to crackdown on those who indulge in such activities doesn't seem to have yielded results. This is dramatized by the fact that of the 49 counterfeiting cases, only 8 have been detected in the last five years. There has been 1082 fatal accidents in the state from 2004 to 2008, of which about 209 are still undetected.
15 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: From the years 2004 to 2008 an average of around 34% to 38% crime cases go undetected in the state, reveals the statement of crime of
the Goa police for the last five years from 2004 to 2008.
However, an average of 62 to 65% crime cases have been detected and almost a similar or lesser number of cases chargesheeted. But compare this to national statistics, wherein the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) has stated that about 80.1% of cognizable crimes were chargesheeted.
Between 2004 and 2008, the state has seen an increase in incidents of theft and burglary. But the number of undetected cases outnumbers those detected. About 946 cases burglary and 1639 cases of theft in last five years still remain undetected. In contrast, the number of cases of burglary and theft detected in last five years is 426 and 950 respectively. The police, however, have been able to detect 61 robbery cases of the total 109 cases from 2004 to 2008. Of the 22 dacoities, 8 remain undetected. In cases of cheating, if the police have been able to crack 219 cases in the last 5 years, then 115 lie undetected.
Goa, in the last 5 years, witnessed 205 murders, of which 54 are still undetected. There have been 129 rapes of which 118 have been detected. About 94 cases of kidnapping were registered in the last 5 years. Of these, 19 is still undetected.
Even as counterfeiting notes as well as documents have become a major cause of worry in the state, the Goa police's effort to crackdown on those who indulge in such activities doesn't seem to have yielded results. This is dramatized by the fact that of the 49 counterfeiting cases, only 8 have been detected in the last five years. There has been 1082 fatal accidents in the state from 2004 to 2008, of which about 209 are still undetected.
15 May 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
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