Goa unsafe, says bereaved dad
TNN
PANAJI: Remember retired headmaster BB Pradhan from Mahesh Bhatt’s Saaransh, who is forced to visit various offices to collect the ashes of his
son killed in America? Sometimes real life does imitate reel life. Dmitry Prosnyakov, a Russian, lost his son in 2007 and two years later he is in Goa to seek clues of why and how his son was murdered.
Unlike Pradhan who gets his son’s ashes, Prosnyakov has not been so lucky. On the contrary, his experience in the state has upset him enough to say that Goa is “not a safe place”. “As soon as I reach Russia I will write to the foreign affairs ministry stating that Goa is not a safe place. People in Russia need to know about it, so that young children like Anton don’t come to Goa in search of love and peace and get killed.”
His son Anton, a student of aeronautical engineering in Russia, had gone missing in November 2007. Anton had arrived in New Delhi from Russia on August 25, 2007 with his girlfriend Marina Pulina, 22. They travelled to Srinagar, Leh, Mumbai and arrived in Goa in October 2007. They stayed initially at Vagator and then moved to Chapora. With no news from their son for a long time, Anton’s parents complained to the Russian foreign affairs ministry that their son had been missing since November 2007. The decomposed body was found in the bushes at Vagator.
It took some 18 months to confirm that the dead body was that of their son. When DNA tests and super imposition tests confirmed the body as that of Anton, they tried to get the body, but were informed by the police that the body had been “cremated” even as the DNA report was awaited from Hyderabad. Finally, only Anton’s skull was sent recently to Russia.
Prosnyakov on Sunday visited the Hindu crematorium where his son was cremated. He broke down by the river Mandovi, where he was told his son’s ashes were immersed. “It was important for me to visit the place where my son was cremated”, he said.
12 October 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Monday, October 12, 2009
Govt wants 100 more shacks in North Goa
Govt wants 100 more shacks in North Goa
Preetu Nair, TNN
Calangute— and its neighbouring Candolim, that houses the “princess”, could just get more congested, if the tourism department’s proposal to
increase the number of shacks by 100 in the “open spaces” on these two beaches becomes areality.
In a letter to the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) on Friday, the tourism department requested GCZMA to increase the number of shacks at Candolim and Calangute as “there is still open space available on these beaches”. The tourism department has sought 58 more shacks at Calangute and 42 more at Candolim. Interestingly, the request comes almost a week after GCZMA unanimously rejected the proposal to increase the number of beach shacks in the state.
GCZMA member secretary Michael D’Souza confirmed receiving the letter. “We have received a request from the tourism department requesting for more shacks at Calangute and Candolim. The matter is under examination,” D’Souza said.
Speaking to TOI, tourism director Swapnil Naik said, “We hope GCZMA considers our proposal as the coastal MLAs and shack owners welfare society believe there is scope for allotment of more shacks in Calangute and Candolim.”
12 October 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Preetu Nair, TNN
Calangute— and its neighbouring Candolim, that houses the “princess”, could just get more congested, if the tourism department’s proposal to
increase the number of shacks by 100 in the “open spaces” on these two beaches becomes areality.
In a letter to the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) on Friday, the tourism department requested GCZMA to increase the number of shacks at Candolim and Calangute as “there is still open space available on these beaches”. The tourism department has sought 58 more shacks at Calangute and 42 more at Candolim. Interestingly, the request comes almost a week after GCZMA unanimously rejected the proposal to increase the number of beach shacks in the state.
GCZMA member secretary Michael D’Souza confirmed receiving the letter. “We have received a request from the tourism department requesting for more shacks at Calangute and Candolim. The matter is under examination,” D’Souza said.
Speaking to TOI, tourism director Swapnil Naik said, “We hope GCZMA considers our proposal as the coastal MLAs and shack owners welfare society believe there is scope for allotment of more shacks in Calangute and Candolim.”
12 October 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Cops running up a sweat in punishment- Goa
Cops running up a sweat in punishment
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: The thumping of footsteps on the ground at the state police headquarters in Panaji could sound strange and disconcerting and leave one wondering why a couple of cops with rifles in their hands are running around in the midday sun. Exercise hour? An anti-terror drill? Revelation of the real reason might leave you empathizing with the sweaty men in khaki or leave you smiling and saying, “Serves them right.”
These are policemen undergoing punishment after being caught bunking work or taking a quick nap while on duty. “The message is clear: Discipline is must and those who bunk or avoid duty will be punished,” says SP (North) Bosco George. Extra drill as punishment is nothing new, but it was followed only on paper. Those punished would get away lightly with the connivance of the duty master of their respective police stations.
“An erring personnel would attend drill for just 15 minutes or so and then disappear. But records would show he had completed his hour-long drill,” explained a senior official. Offences would often be repeated because of this lax attitude. Every month, on an average about 30 to 40 policemen are sent to the orderly room for bunking or indiscipline. In August, about 40 were sent to the orderly room, of whom some 25 were punished with extra drill.
The North Goa police felt some urgent steps had to be taken to curb increasing indiscipline in the force and introduced centralized extra drill. “It was felt that this would be more effective than having drills at the respective police stations. Strict enforcement of punishment will ensure policemen do not repeat their mistakes,” said George. An officer of the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) was nominated to oversee the extra drill, which may vary from two days to a week. And senior officers claim it is already showing results. “Now there is fear and complaints have reduced. It’s fear of not just the punishment but also that of being noticed by others, including senior officials,” explained an official.
The punishment is generally awarded to cops who are absent at the roll call, patrol duty, night rounds, or those who avoid duty or indulge in indiscipline like reporting late or dozing during duty hours. Incidentally, while about 30 policemen face punishment every month, in 2009 about 400 policemen in North Goa were rewarded for good work. “Both reward and punishment are essential to instill discipline and loyalty in the force,” said George.
11 October 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
Preetu Nair, TNN
PANAJI: The thumping of footsteps on the ground at the state police headquarters in Panaji could sound strange and disconcerting and leave one wondering why a couple of cops with rifles in their hands are running around in the midday sun. Exercise hour? An anti-terror drill? Revelation of the real reason might leave you empathizing with the sweaty men in khaki or leave you smiling and saying, “Serves them right.”
These are policemen undergoing punishment after being caught bunking work or taking a quick nap while on duty. “The message is clear: Discipline is must and those who bunk or avoid duty will be punished,” says SP (North) Bosco George. Extra drill as punishment is nothing new, but it was followed only on paper. Those punished would get away lightly with the connivance of the duty master of their respective police stations.
“An erring personnel would attend drill for just 15 minutes or so and then disappear. But records would show he had completed his hour-long drill,” explained a senior official. Offences would often be repeated because of this lax attitude. Every month, on an average about 30 to 40 policemen are sent to the orderly room for bunking or indiscipline. In August, about 40 were sent to the orderly room, of whom some 25 were punished with extra drill.
The North Goa police felt some urgent steps had to be taken to curb increasing indiscipline in the force and introduced centralized extra drill. “It was felt that this would be more effective than having drills at the respective police stations. Strict enforcement of punishment will ensure policemen do not repeat their mistakes,” said George. An officer of the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) was nominated to oversee the extra drill, which may vary from two days to a week. And senior officers claim it is already showing results. “Now there is fear and complaints have reduced. It’s fear of not just the punishment but also that of being noticed by others, including senior officials,” explained an official.
The punishment is generally awarded to cops who are absent at the roll call, patrol duty, night rounds, or those who avoid duty or indulge in indiscipline like reporting late or dozing during duty hours. Incidentally, while about 30 policemen face punishment every month, in 2009 about 400 policemen in North Goa were rewarded for good work. “Both reward and punishment are essential to instill discipline and loyalty in the force,” said George.
11 October 2009, The Times of India, Goa edition
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