ATTN: GERMAN SPECIAL POLICE ARREST NAZI WAR CRIMINAL NEAR GOA

Around 20 Journalists in Goa received this email from Perus Narkp. The email also had an attachment giving details of the arrest of the suspected Nazi war criminal.



Is this one of the hoax in Indian Journalism?
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Perus Narkp

Subject: Subject: ATTN: GERMAN SPECIAL POLICE ARREST NAZI WAR CRIMINAL NEAR GOA

Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008

Dear Ma'am/Sir
Please find enclosed a three page press note issued by the Perus Narkp, Intelligence wing of the German Chancellor's Core to the media in Goa.
The Perus Narkp have arrested a former Nazi War Criminal Johann Bach on the Goa -- Karnataka regions border, in Khanapura. He was living in Calanguta for the last some months.
The 88-year old Johann Bach was responsible for the genocide of 12,000 Jews at a Berlin concentration camp. He had been absconding for the last 40 years.
The top secret joint operation which resulted in Bach's arrest was carried out by senior agents of the Perus Narkp in co-ordination with senior Intelligence Officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
The accused has been and will be kept at a secret undisclosed location until the first hearing at the ICJ, Hague.
A special media briefing will be held on Sunday by the top officials of Perus Narkp and Ministry of Home Affairs Government of India.
The 3 page press note carries the sequence of events leading to Bach's arrest along with his file photograph.

You are requested to release this story immediately today and give this successful joint operation by intelligence teams of both Germany and India wide publicity in the lead up to the press conference on Sunday. Perus Narkp will be dispatching personal invitations to representatives of media houses tomorrow.

Looking forward to your co-operation


Hamman Smit
Dr�ngen Sie Offizier (Press Officer)


C.C.1. Copy to all accredited journalists in Goa, India and journalisten in Berlin
C.C.2. Copy to PIB, India and Bundesinformationsstelle Germany


Perus Narkp

13/108

Town Berlin Polize

Shede Road

Berlin VT 05602

802-223-4409

802-223-4415

perus.narkp@berlin.com
wolfez@dps.berlin.vt.us

SEA OF TROUBLE AHEAD?CRZ scanner on foreigners

CRZ scanner on foreigners
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: On the one hand the Enforcement Directorate, Mumbai, is investigating illegal purchases of land by foreigners in the state. On the other, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) is examining whether structures constructed by foreigners are in violation of CRZ rules and the Environment Protection Act.
GCZMA has discovered constructions by foreigners, especially Russians, that have been built in violation of CRZ rules. Though the precise number is not known, government sources said, “There are quite a number of constructions by foreigners in violation of CRZ. A majority of the violations are by Russians. In Morjim alone, there are more than ten constructions that have violated CRZ norms.”
Some of the major properties under the GCZMA scanner are: Artlidori Resort Pvt Ltd, Casa Blanca and La Valencia hotel, all in Morjim. GCZMA is also reviewing a property purchased by a Russian company—True Axis Resort Pvt Ltd—which purchased about 22,631 sq m of land falling under CRZ area. Incidentally, True Axis is also under investigation by Enforcement authorities as it had purchased about 20,000 sq m of agriculture/forest land in Morjim despite a ban on foreigners purchasing agricultural/forest land in India.
GCZMA member secretary Michael D’Souza said, “We are awaiting a report from the office of the North Goa Collector and only then will we initiate appropriate action against foreigners who have constructed in violation of CRZ and EPA.”

‘Nobody can build in violation of CRZ’

Panaji: Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) is investigating cases of CRZ violations by foreigners in the state.
Environmental lawyer Norma Alvares said, “Nobody can build in violation of CRZ. The question of foreigners building residential houses in CRZ doesn’t arise at all. If they are building resorts, they require permission from the ministry of environment and forests. This is given after the village panchayat forwards the application to GCZMA, which can recommend the approval of permission.” GCZMA officials say that no such permission have been sought from them.
According to GCZMA authorities, the major violators are foreigners who have constructed in partnership with Indians. Explaining the modus operandi, Rajan Ghate, who spearheaded the movement protesting the sale of land to foreigners said, “A foreigner holding a commercial visa teams up with a Goan and they float a partnership firm. The firm invests in properties in Goa, starts a business, buys land and develops it. After a few months, the Goan partner resigns, leaving the properties in the hands of the foreign national.”
However, Vikram Varma, advocate for the Consul General of Russian Federation in Mumbai, said, “We have not received any notice from GCZMA as yet about CRZ violations. On receipt of any such information, we will scrutinise the cases individually.”

June 28, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Foreigners get the Goa jitters

Foreigners get the Goa jitters
Sell Off Homes, High Commission Worried
Preetu Nair | TNN

Calangute: Foreign nationals who had ‘legally’ invested in property in Goa are placing these on sale, worried over the growing resentment against foreigners purchasing property in Goa.
Take the case of Stephanie (57) and Richard Parker (59) from West Coast, UK. Highly paid executives in an American firm, this couple decided to make Goa their post-retirement home. In 2000, they purchased an old bungalow in Candolim for about Rs 20 lakh and spent another Rs 30 lakh fashioning it into their dream house. Eight years later, they are anxious to dispose of the property and return to the UK.
“We love Goa and connect with the people here. That’s the reason why, after seeking legal advice, we sold our ancestral property in UK and purchased a home in Goa. But now we are eager to sell our house as we are deeply agonized and alarmed by the way we are being targeted, though we have not violated any law,” said Richard.
The Parkers don’t figure in the 400-odd names that makes up the list of the Directorate of Enforcement of those who have been served show-cause notices for having purchased properties allegedly in violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999.
Russians and the Britishers top the list of foreign nationals who have invested in properties in Goa, mostly by forming companies or by complying with the mandatory 180 days residence in the country.
Yet, wary of future trouble, they are eager to sell off the same property. “We wanted to settle in Goa because with the £3,000 pension we would have been able to live a more comfortable life in Goa than in the UK. But it’s better to be at home than in a place where you are worried about either your property being taken away or your visa being denied,” added Richard.
“There is a class of well-educated European professionals who purchased property in Goa but now there is a sense of insecurity amongst such settlers, which is increasingly encouraging them to exit from Goa with their investments,” said advocate Vikram Varma.
But law minister Dayanand Narvekar doesn’t think that those who have complied with all the formalities should have reason to worry. Said Narvekar, “I don’t think foreigners who have purchased property legally in Goa in compliance of FEMA rules and with money coming through proper RBI channels, should have any problems.”
The Parkers, however, are not the only Britishers eager to liquidate their property. Harry (55) and Caroline (48) Smith, who put in Rs 25 lakhs to purchase a bungalow three years back and then spent another Rs 25 lakh on renovation, have put their property on sale. “The market value of the house is Rs 80 lakhs plus. But even if we get the amount we had invested in the house, we are more than willing to sell,” added the Smiths.

Government’s tough stance worries foreigners

Calangute: Trouble for foreigners owning property in Goa began two years ago with the launch of a movement against the sale of land to foreigners. But it is the state government’s decision not to sell land to foreigners that has many worried.
“An increasing number of Britishers in the coastal belt want to sell off their properties at a decent price or start a company and transfer the house in the company’s name,” admitted a real estate broker from the North Goa coastal belt.
This was confirmed by Calangute sarpanch Joseph Sequeira, who said, “The foriegners are feeling helpless and troubled with the stand taken by the state government. There are an increasing number of foreigners who are now coming to the panchayat to register a company and then transfer their house in the name of the company. Under FEMA a foreign owned company can purchase house.”
The British Deputy High Commission in Mumbai is concerned about the problems their citizens are having in the state.
“We would be very concerned if there were to be any question of property acquired legally by British citizens being expropriated through the retrospective application of any new legislation. We have raised our concerns with the Indian authorities at both the state and national level and will continue to do so,” said the High Commission spokesperson.
There is another problem too. A large number of Britishers are being cheated by developers promoting their available apartments on the net. British National Claire Solomon (45) saw an advertisement on the internet, contacted the developer, entered into an agreement and paid an advance amount of about Rs 10 lakh to purchase a one bedroom flat in Calangute. Everything appeared above board until she came to Goa to register the sale deed and take possession. “It is then that I was told that I can’t possess a house in Goa as I don’t fulfill FEMA regulations. My money is lost and I feel cheated,” said Claire.
Explaining this advocate Raju Poulekar said, “When selling property to foreigners, builders don’t explain the legality of buying such property and often the foreigners fall into a trap.”

(Few names of UK nationals changed to protect identity)

June 27, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

The Big Fat Goan Story

Surgery could help too

Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: Bariatic surgery, a procedure in which the stomach is shrunk to reduce food intake, is gaining popularity in Goa. In the last six months, seven such operations were carried out at a Margao hospital. Three patients were Goans, the rest foreigners. Michael Fernandes (name changed on request) was the first Goan to go under the bariatic scalpel. “I was 132 kg and could hardly stand. After the surgery, I lost 34 kg and am more active,” says the 37-year-old. Adding that he feels “healthier today than I ever did in my teens”, the insurance agent says the weight loss helped him “land a job of my choice”. There are three types of bariatic surgeries—laparoscopic gastric banding (lap band), gastric bypass and gastric sleeve. These are decided depending on individual problems. “For a morbidly obese person (with a BMI above 40), bariatic surgery (that costs between Rs 2 and Rs 3 lakh) is the only solution, as there is a 50-60% weight loss,” says Dr Rajkumar Palaniappan, bariatic surgeon at Apollo Victor hospital. However, the surgery is not without complications. “Nearly 20% develop vitamin B deficiency and have to take vitamin tablets for life. Some also become anaemic, if they are not careful about their diet,” he says.
Michael agrees that he has to be careful about his diet and can’t smoke or drink. But he is not complaining. “I am happy to be alive and I now feel healthier,” says Michael.
What is BMI?
Body Mass Index (BMI) indicates body fatness. It is calculated by dividing a person’s body weight by the square of one’s height. For example, if you weigh 52 kilos and your height is 5 ft (1.52 mtrs), your BMI is 23.111 {BMI = weight (kilos)/height (sq m)}.
BMI categories: Below 18.5 - Underweight 18.5 to 24.9 - Normal 25 to 29.9 - Overweight 30 & above - Obese

The Big Fat Goan Story

Surgery could help too

Preetu Nair | TNN
Panaji: Bariatic surgery, a procedure in which the stomach is shrunk to reduce food intake, is gaining popularity in Goa. In the last six months, seven such operations were carried out at a Margao hospital. Three patients were Goans, the rest foreigners. Michael Fernandes (name changed on request) was the first Goan to go under the bariatic scalpel. “I was 132 kg and could hardly stand. After the surgery, I lost 34 kg and am more active,” says the 37-year-old. Adding that he feels “healthier today than I ever did in my teens”, the insurance agent says the weight loss helped him “land a job of my choice”. There are three types of bariatic surgeries—laparoscopic gastric banding (lap band), gastric bypass and gastric sleeve. These are decided depending on individual problems. “For a morbidly obese person (with a BMI above 40), bariatic surgery (that costs between Rs 2 and Rs 3 lakh) is the only solution, as there is a 50-60% weight loss,” says Dr Rajkumar Palaniappan, bariatic surgeon at Apollo Victor hospital. However, the surgery is not without complications. “Nearly 20% develop vitamin B deficiency and have to take vitamin tablets for life. Some also become anaemic, if they are not careful about their diet,” he says.
Michael agrees that he has to be careful about his diet and can’t smoke or drink. But he is not complaining. “I am happy to be alive and I now feel healthier,” says Michael.
What is BMI?
Body Mass Index (BMI) indicates body fatness. It is calculated by dividing a person’s body weight by the square of one’s height. For example, if you weigh 52 kilos and your height is 5 ft (1.52 mtrs), your BMI is 23.111 {BMI = weight (kilos)/height (sq m)}.
BMI categories: Below 18.5 - Underweight 18.5 to 24.9 - Normal 25 to 29.9 - Overweight 30 & above - Obese

Silent killer stalking Goans

Silent killer stalking Goans
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: Goan adults are far more overweight than other Indians and this is causing a serious concern among health professionals. And when it comes to being obese, Goan women outdo the men.
The percentage of women who are overweight or obese is 27, much higher than the all India figure of 14.8%. The men are not far behind though, with 20.8% of Goan men being obese or overweight, again higher than the all India percentage of 12.1. This has been revealed by the Health Intelligence Bureau report, 2007, of the Directorate of Health Services.
The year of reference for the data is 2005-06 and it reveals the nutritional status of adults (age 15 to 49).
“Obesity is a growing disease among Goans. It is a silent killer,” said Dr Digambar Naik from Vrundavan Hospital, Mapusa. Naik added that 60% of the patients above the age of 40 who come to the hospital are obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30.
“Abdominal obesity is a problem in Goa and about one-third of the adult population is obese,” said Dr Rufino Monteiro from Vintage Hospital, Panaji.
A person with a BMI between 25 and 35 is deemed obese or overweight and those with BMI of 35 and above are considered to be morbidly obese.
“The socio-economic status in Goa being the highest in the country, we have the additional burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular ailments and cancer, which are linked to sedentary lifestyles that lead to obesity,” said Goa Medical College’s preventive and social medicine associate professor Dr Jagdish Cacodcar.

Sedentary lifestyle causing obesity

Panaji: Goans are more obese than other Indians, a study by the directorate of health services has revealed.
The problem lies in the lifestyle of the people. “We have a sedentary lifestyle, with not much physical activity. Besides, we are increasingly eating junk food that is adding to the problem,” said Dr Wiseman Pinto, head of the Pathology department, GMC.
Doctors said that obesity has to be controlled in childhood or it leads to pyscho-social problems, cardiovascular problems, endochrinal diseases, pulmonary, gastro-intestinal, muscular skeletal problems and even cancer in adulthood.
“With morbid obesity, majority of the organs collapse,” said Panaji based physician Dr Oscar Rebello. However, there has been no specific study in the state to show that obese people are more susceptible to hypertension, diabetes, heart attack, stroke and arthritis than healthy people.
Leading heart specialist Dr Uday Khanolkar, who daily sees about four new patients with heart ailments, said that though obesity is an independent risk factor for heart ailments, there are also other common risk factors such as age, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, genetic predisposition and consumption of cholesterol rich foods.
However, there is some good news. “Some 70% of overweight persons can return to normal weight with exercise and diet. However, the other 30% move from being obese to morbid obesity and develop complications related to obesity” said Dr Rajkumar Palaniappan, bariatic surgeon at Apollo Victor hospital, Margao.

June 26, 2008, The Times of India , Goa edition

ANUJ JOSHI MURDER

ANUJ JOSHI MURDER
Joshi killer had burgled his house 4 times
Accused Claims His Intention Was Not To Murder, But To Demand Rs 50,000
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: Somnath Shelar alias Raju Samanth, who has confessed to the gruesome and baffling murder of restaurateur Anuj Joshi at his house, barely a few yards from the Calangute police station, had burgled Joshi’s house four times before he
was arrested for the crime in October 2005.
However, a police complaint was lodged only once by the deceased.
Shelar was arrested on June 7, 2008 by the Calangute police for murdering Joshi on July 2, 2006. Police officials said that Shelar, after he was arrested in October for theft at Joshi’s house, was sent to eight months judicial custody.
“After his release, Shelar left for Pune and for 10 days was sleeping at the Pune railway station,” said an officer from the Calangute police.
Though Shelar is a resident of Memanwadi village in the Daund taluka of Pune, he has not visited his home since last eight years.
Police officials said that after 10 days, Shelar returned to Goa and few days later bought a kitchen knife from Mapusa.
“He claims that his intention was not to murder Joshi, but to demand Rs 50,000 from him by threatening with a knife,” said police.
They said that Shelar went to Joshi’s house on the night of July 1, but seeing the watchman, changed his plans and went to the woods near Joshi’s house to rest.
“He returned on the morning of July 2 at 6.30 am. On seeing Joshi sleeping, he tried to open the cupboard. When Joshi woke up and tried to confront Shelar, he hit him on the head thrice with an adjustable spanner, before he collapsed on the floor. Then he slit his throat with the kitchen knife,” the police said
Shelar’s crime doesn’t end here. The police said that he then tried to destroy evidence by washing the bloodstained clothes he wore and cleaning the knife.
“He left the clothes to dry in the room, wore one of Joshi’s bermuda pants and tshirt and escaped from the house at 7.30 am with Rs 10,000 and the victim’s mobile phone,” the police said.
Incidentally, in 2005 Shelar had also stolen Rs 10,000 and a mobile from Joshi’s house.
Joshi, 43, was found lying dead on the first floor bedroom of his hillside bungalow with his throat slashed on July 2.
Joshi had returned home around 3.30 am after closing “The Bar”, a very popular pub and watering hole in Baga for tourists as well as locals.
“After murdering Joshi, he went to Mapusa and caught a bus to Pune and from Pune went to Mumbai. Though we had sent our team to Pune we couldn’t trace him as he was hiding in Mumbai,” a police official said. The police team from Calangute was in Pune for 15 days.
According to the police, a month after Joshi’s murder, the accused, was picked up by the Pune police for burglary and he was sent to Yerawada jail, Pune for ten months.
“He befriended others with similar criminal backgrounds and started indulging in burglary along with them after his release from jail. Everytime after committing a burglary he would come to Goa with his group for holidays,” said a police official.
However, the third trip proved unlucky for Shelar as the Goa police had got information about his activities in Pune and were keeping a watch on him.
Shelar was caught on the very day he arrived in the state in a jeep along with his three friends.
“It is a gang of four members, between the age group of 19 and 25 and all of them are involved in criminal activities in Pune and Goa,” the Calangute police said.

June 26, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

‘Good governance requires consistency’

‘Good governance requires consistency’
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: Upset with the arbitrary behaviour of the state government regarding the SEZ issue, Cipla officials said that the move to scrap the notified SEZs in the state would have an adverse impact on the investment climate in Goa.
“We believe that good governance requires consistency in policy and that once you declare a policy and people have acted on that, it is wrong to reverse it and cause difficulties and losses to investors,” said Amar Lulla chief executive officer of Cipla Ltd., Mumbai.
Reacting to the government’s decision to withdraw the allotment of land and their submission to the high court of Bombay at Goa that the government has lifted the stop work order issued to Meditab Specialities Pvt Ltd, which was setting up a SEZ in Keri, Ponda, Lulla said, “We will have to take steps as are legally advised. This can’t be the end of the road for us, as we have already invested close to Rs 200 crore in the project.”
He said that they had invested in Goa pursuant to the government policy inviting development of SEZs. “The whole purpose was to set up a dedicated SEZ for pharma units. This would have brought substantial investment and employment benefits to Goa.
Further, the units were to be non-polluting and putting no infrastructure burden on the State. The idea was to set up a world class pharma park in Goa,” he said.
Meditab, that was allotted land at Keri, Ponda for setting up a pharma park/SEZ had approached the court stating that the chief secretary of the state, J P Singh had threatened them. They were allotted 12,32,000 sq mts land by Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) on April 28, 2006 and a year later, on April 10, 2007, the development commissioner, ministry of commerce and industry, GoI notified the area as SEZ for sector-specific pharmaceutical industries.
In May 2007, Meditab allotted two plots of land to Cipla Ltd to set up its units for manufacturing aerosol. Trouble started from November 22, 2007, when people started objecting to the Meditab SEZ project.
Lulla said that many strongly believe that the SEZ movement is a politically motivated movement and is not one which is reflective of the views of the majority of the people of the state.
“The SEZ is clearly in the public interest and the opponents are misinformed and misguided. The Goa government is legally and constitutionally bound to implement the SEZ policy which was a validly notified policy and on the basis of which we have acted and incurred huge costs and liabilities. The attempt by the government to change its stand is unjustified and illegal,” he added.

June 26, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Goa;Youth form 40% of HIV patients

Youth form 40% of HIV patients
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Panaji: HIV/ AIDS has been found to have a profound impact on teens and young adults and nearly 40% of new HIV infections and almost one-third of the global total of people living with the disease are aged between 15 and 24.
In Goa, about 23% of the detected HIV cases in 2007 belonged to the age group 15-29, said Goa State AIDS Contol Society (GSACS) project director Dr Pradeep Padwal.
Dr Padwal said that while more than one-third of the females infected belong to the age group 15-29 in the state, about one-fifth of the infected males belonged to this age group.
“Males and females were almost equally infected in the age group 15-29, whereas in the higher age groups the proportion of males around 70%,” he said.He was speaking at a media consultation programme ‘A coordinated response to HIV/AIDS in Goa- Building partnerships with the media’ on Tuesday, which was organised by Zindagi, a state network of people living with HIV in collaboration with Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR) under the aegis of Indian network of people living with HIV.
Dr Padwal said, “The government has taken good measures to effectively control the epidemic in the last ten years and the HIV spread has plateaued in the last three years.”
Observing that HIV /AIDS which was considered as a
male disease two decade ago, is now distributed almost equally among male and female, he said that more than one-third of the females infected during 2007 in Goa were in the age group 15-29 as compared to less than one-fifth of the infected males.
He said that women are more vulnerable than men to HIV infection because of biological, economic, social and cultural factors. “Male-to-female transmission is 2 to 17 times higher than vice versa. While the proportion of females to total HIV cases detected was about 35.7% in 2007, it ranged between 10 to 12 % during 1995-98,” Dr Padwal observed.
Goa along with Gujarat and Pondicherry are moderate prevalent states and trends indicate that HIV spreads from urban to rural areas and from high-risk groups (HRG) to low risk group (LRG).
“The time lag for the infection to spread from HRG to LRG is 3 to 5 years, as the infection will spread from CSWs to their clients that act as the bridge population and then to wives/ other sexual partners of these clients during the period,” he said.
According to him, the future course of the epidemic will largely depend on efforts in preventing HIV infection among young people.
“For this we have to form strategies to help young people to protect themselves, access to sound information, help to build skills for living, provide a safe and supportive environment as well as quality health services including counseling and also there is a need for special skills and ways of communicating with children,” said Dr Padwal.
To catch people young, the director of GSACS believes that schools are important channels.
“Teachers are the key people who influence children’s behaviour and easy accessibility of young children in different age group to impart age appropriate knowledge,” he added.

June 25, The Times of India, Goa edition

TIMES IMPACT

TIMES IMPACT
Vishwajit’s balm for patients
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Panaji: Doctors at the Goa Medical College and hospital will now have to ensure that the medicines they prescribe to patients admitted at the hospital are available at the hospital pharmacy.
“All GMC department heads have to check with the GMC pharmacist about the availability of medicines and then prescribe them to patients,” said health minister Vishwajit Rane. If a particular medicine is not available in the GMC pharmacy, the hospital will have to procure it, and not the patients, as was the practice so far. This is to
ensure that patients admitted at GMC don’t have to spend money on purchasing drugs.
“It is necessary for us to evaluate the free medicine scheme. There are reports in the newspapers and I have also come across complaints from patients admitted to GMC and also from their relatives that they have been forced to purchase medicines from outside, though the government gives medicines free to all patients admitted in the hospital. This is happening despite the government sanctioning about Rs 5 crore annually for free medicines,” said Rane.
TOI had reported on Saturday that despite the an increase in the budget allocation for medicines from Rs 200 lakh in 2003-04 to Rs 500 lakh in 2006-07, medicines were scarce at the GMC pharmacy. TOI had also spoken to doctors who admitted that there is not just a lack of drugs and basic amenities like gloves and cotton, but that patients are asked to purchase these.
GMC medical superintendent Rajan Kuncolienkar has been appointed as the nodal officer to ensure that the inpatients get medicines free. AT YOUR SERVICE
Govt for 24-hr
pharmacy
at GMC
Panaji: The health minister Vishwajit Rane said on Tuesday that the doctors at the Goa
Medical College and Hospital will have to ensure that the medicine they prescribe to patients admitted at the hospital is available at the hospital pharmacy.
“evaluation of the availability of medicines would be done on a weekly basis,” said Rane.
“If necessary, the medical superintendent shall procure the medicines in order to ensure that the patients do not have to go out and purchase
medicines. This is to ensure that the common man seeking treatment at the GMC is not put to any hardship,” said Rane.
Rane said they are considering making a provision for a 24-hour pharmacy at GMC and also suggested that the two district hospital — Asilo at Mapusa and Hospicio at Margao — may tie-up with private chemists to provide medicines round the clock to patients.
The director of health services has been asked to ensure the availability of medicines in the two district hospitals.
Meanwhile, the Yatri Niwas at the GMC complex would be inaugurated on Thursday and the new nursing college would be commissioned on July 4.
The health minister said that he has asked the director of health services Rajnanda Dessai to consider starting a course in home nursing at the nursing college.
The GMC is also set to get its own housekeeping staff, besides female security for women admitted in the female wards. “We have already tendered for the same,” Rane said.

25 June,2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Landlords defend sale to non-Goans

Landlords defend sale to non-Goans
We Have The Right to Dispose Our Properties To The Highest Bidder
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: As activists demand that the sale of land to outsiders at exorbitant prices be banned, thereby stopping the rape of Goa by builders, land owners or bhatkars in Goa believe they have the right to sell their land to the highest bidder.
“The price of land has gone up because there is a demand. Today we are a capitalist society and if anyone wants to keep the land for Goans then they should purchase it at market value from landlords and preserve it,” said Agostinho Proenca, a land owner from Calangute.
Proenca doesn’t see any reason over people cribbing about landlords selling land at hefty prices.
“Check out the cost of living in Goa. Who would sell land or for that matter anything at a lower price. As a seller I am not interested in what a buyer or a builder does with the land. There are government agencies in place in Goa to check on these issues,” added Proenca.
Victor Albuquerque, chairman and managing director of the Alcon Victor Group, said, “If the price of land is high, then the price of flats also naturally increases. Nowadays, the cost of the land is almost equal to the cost of the construction of a multi storeyed building.”
“There are prime properties like Dona Paula where the cost of constructing the bungalow is less than the cost of the land,” he added.
Landlords believe that it’s not the seller who should be blamed if a Goan buyer can’t afford the rate of land.
They also feel that holding on to the land is risky. Landlords complain that it is becoming extremely difficult to maintain the land; for one, there are encroachers, problems with tenants, and mundkars out to ‘grab land’ from landlords.
“There is no justice. If you retain your property, a mundkar could encroach and neither the panchayat nor government helps. The only option is either to sell off the property at the price the mundkars demands or approach the court. I don’t have time to follow up matters in the court, so I am developing buildings in the vacant plots,” says Dr A J Cardoso, a landlord from Santa Cruz.
While tenants are actual tillers of an agricultural land, mundkars are those who looked after the property for the bhatkar over generations.
“The general feeling amongst bhatkars is that after the Mundkar and Tenancy Act, landlords have been suppressed and so they feel cheated. So when you get a higher price you should sell the property,” said Alba Sequeira, a land owner from Siolim.
However, she said that she would prefer selling her plot to a Goan, provided they are willing to pay what she called a ‘moderately high’ sum.
In the past year, opposition against sale of land to foreigners and even Indians, alleging that the price of land has skyrocketed to such an extent that it has become unaffordable for a middle class Goan to purchase a house or land in the state, has grown.
Interestingly, given a choice, not many would like to sell their plots to non Goans, but rue that more than often the locals are not willing to pay the price.
“I prefer selling my land to Goans, but I also sell it to non Goans settled in Goa, if they are willing to pay the price,” said Vishnudas Kare from Gogol, Margao.
Some landlords argue that if Goans can travel, work, purchase land, build houses and settle anywhere in the country or the world, others too have a right to settle in the state.
“I will definitely sell my property to a person who pays a higher price and completes the transaction legally. Can we stop another Indian from buying property in Goa? Haven’t Goans purchased property and built homes in Mumbai and rest of the country and abroad,” added Savio Mendonca, a landlord from Siolim.

June 23, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Scarlett Keeling Case;Julio fears arrest, files anticipatory bail plea

SCARLETT KEELING CASE
Julio fears arrest, files anticipatory bail plea
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Panaji: British teenager Scarlett Keeling’s friend in India, Julio Lobo, a resident of Siolim, has filed an anticipatory bail application before the children’s court on Monday fearing his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Julio in his application said that he fears that he would be falsely implicated in the case.
The CBI officials who are presently in Goa to investigate the rape and murder of the British teenager had interrogated Julio on June 20.
Julio in his bail application has alleged that the officials who searched his house on Saturday took away his aunt’s torch stating that he had used the torch when he was on the beach near
Lui’s shack - in front of which Scarlett’s body was found - inspite of him insisting that he never went in search of the deceased teenager.
He has also said in his bail application that at present the CBI officers have for the first time taken on a new attack against him by claiming that he was on the Anjuna beach on the early morning of February 18, 2008 - the day on which Scarlett was found dead - with a torch and as such had met the girl around the time at which she died.
A notice has subsequently been served to the CBI and the matter will be heard on June 27, 2008.
Besides, another of the accused in the case, Placido Carvalho alias Shana Boy, has also made an application before the children’s court stating that a passport size photo of his seized by the CBI should he returned to him or that the investigating agency should be directed not to make, maintain or distribute any copies of the said photograph.
The matter will be heard on July 4, 2008.

June 24, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Search on for Scarlett’s Israeli friend

Search on for Scarlett’s Israeli friend
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Panaji: The CBI officials who are in Goa to investigate the alleged rape and murder of Brit teenager Scarlett Keeling have been searching for an Israeli boy who was friendly with Keeling before she met Julio Lobo.
Police officials reveal that Keeling had met the boy soon after she had come to Goa and he had also helped her mother, Fiona Mackeown around soon after Keeling’s body was found. However, highly placed sources reveal that the Isareli has already left the country.
It is learnt that the CBI raided Lobo’s house and took a torch and few papers, including a paper from Julio’s aunt’s diary in which she had written a name “Fiona” (which is also Scarlett’s mother’s name) and a phone number written in pencil. Top officials reveal that the CBI also questioned Lobo about his relationship with Keeling and asked him whether he went searching for Keeling on the early morning of February 18, 2008 when the British teenager was allegedly drugged, raped and murdered on the Anjuna beach.
During the initial stages of the investigation, police officials had informed that the main accused in the case, bartender Samson D’Souza had left Scarlett in the water to die, after he saw someone approaching towards them with a torch.
Besides, sources revealed that the CBI also raided Shanaboy’s house on Saturday and questioned him again on his role in the murder. “The accused has been asked to come to our office at Altinho on Monday,” sources in the CBI confirmed.

June 23, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Goa Medical College;Desperately seeking resuscitation

Desperately seeking resuscitation
At GMC, heal on own Hundreds use their services everyday, but with equipment and staff stretched to breaking, Goa’s govt hospitals are...
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: Irrespective of the ailment, being a patient at the Bambolimbased Goa Medical College and Hospital, commonly called the GMC, is painful indeed.
Take this list of woes told to TOI by patients past and present:
If you are to be operated, you may have to purchase gloves and disposable syringes for the doctors who will operate on you. Once operated, if you are shifted to a general ward, you run the risk of contracting infections. If you opt for the private ward instead, where you pay about Rs 450 a day, you run the risk of developing convulsions due to the faulty oxygen supply.
Things are no better in the Intensive Coronary Care Unit (ICCU). The dysfunctional air conditioning has forced patients to carry their own table fans in the recent past.
As for medical procedures such as X-rays, CT scans and echocardiography (Echo), they are either short stocked (X-ray films) or non-functional, forcing patients to throng to private practitioners. In the case of procuring a CT scan the patient has to travel to Margao-based Hospicio hospital.There’s more. Despite the budget allocation for medicines being increased from Rs 200 lakh in 2003-04 to Rs 500 lakh in 2006-07, there is a shortage at the GMC pharmacy. And the ambulances, presumably well equipped, have neither wheelchairs nor stretchers, forcing patients brought in to be carried.
To top it all, ill-maintained wards, cobwebs, soiled beds, unclean toilets and bathrooms, garbage scattered around the premises and sometimes in the wards, broken window panes... the list is endless.
“My mother, who had to undergo a back surgery, was infected with bed sores in the general ward and we had to shift her to a private ward to escape any kind of infection,” said Sarla Samant (Name changed on request).
Things were no better in the more expensive ward. “Mom suffered a terrible convulsion and was in urgent need of oxygen, but the central oxygen supply, which comes via the pipes to all the rooms, was not working and the oxygen cylinder that was brought was found to be leaking and the manometer was faulty,” said Samant.
Horrified, Samant said, “Even basic facilities are missing. In the wards, taps leak. In private rooms there are no night lamps. And dirty linen is used for patients. Instead of beautifying the hospital, authorities should look at fulfilling these basic medical facilities,” she added.
With primary and secondary health care facilities failing in Goa, the burden falls on GMC, said hospital authorities. While there are 26 government hospitals in the state, with a collective bed capacity of 2,454 beds, about 1,030 beds are at the GMC alone. Official figures show a 1:636 doctor-patient ratio at GMC, but doctors said the pressures on them were huge.
“Not only is there a lack of drugs, basic amenities like gloves and cotton is not available in the surgery ward, and patients are asked to purchase these,” said doctors. A forensic doctor added, “Since the last two months, we don’t have scalpel blades and we’ve had to purchase these from the pharmacy on an almost daily basis.”
The Good
All services available at one hospital Economical Qualified doctors and nurses Superspeciality treatment available
The Bad
No gloves Untidy bedsheets, dirty corridors Dysfunctional machines Delay in operations

June 21, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Mike Masala rues being witness in Scarlett case

Mike Masala rues being witness in Scarlett case
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: British national Michael Mannion, a crucial eyewitness in the Scarlett Keeling rape and murder case, has advised all British nationals never to volunteer to depose in India if they are a witness to a crime.
Unhappy with the way he has been treated by the police, Mannion said, “I am quite disappointed. As a witness I had volunteered to assist the prosecution and had complied with every directive of the investigating agency. I will certainly not recommend any British national to ever come forward and depose on matters if he or she is ever a witness to the crime.”
Mannion, 35, popularly known as Mike Masala in Anjuna, is the main witness in the teenager’s rape and murder and has deposed before the police that he had seen Samson D’Souza, a bartender (one of the two accused) lying atop Scarlett on the night of Scarlett’s death. Mannion, who left Goa a little after Scarlett’s bruised body was found on Anjuna beach on February 18, had stated that he feared for his life from Samson and therefore left the state, but not the country. In March, he appeared before superintendent of police (North) Bosco George to depose in the case only after a lookout notice was posted, barring his leaving the country. This was done after Manion approached the British consulate in Mumbai saying that he has vital information in the case and needed protection. SCARLETT KEELING CASE
Mannion irked for being detained in Goa
Panaji: British national, Michael Mannion, a crucial eyewitness in the Scarlett Keeling rape and murder case,
lamented that despite having recorded his statement before the police, the police have not allowed him to go back to his country.
“I was promised by the Goa police that immediately after my deposition and statements, I would be permitted to go home. Having named the accused in my statements, I now fear for my life and I have also informed the Goa police that my father is on his death bed and as a son I want to be with him. Despite this, I have not been allowed to go,” said Mannion. Giving Manion moral and emotional support is his brother Paul.
“I had always wanted to come forward to depose for the sake of justice, but when I think of the stress I have undergone as a witness and the fact that I can’t attend to my sick father, I do regret my decision to depose in the case,” Manion added.

June 19, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Goa;‘It’s 7.30 pm. Too late. Can’t come to OT’

‘It’s 7.30 pm. Too late. Can’t come to OT’
Kidney Patient Rushed Out Of GMC To Pvt Hospital As Anaesthetist Plays Truant
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: Ramesh Rawal a 65-year-old kidney patient had to be rushed out of the Goa Medical College hospital and operated in a private hospital, as the government anaesthetist refused to attend to the patient, stating that it was “too late”.The patient, who was brought from Maharashtra was admitted to the urology department at GMC, complaining of urine retention. As his condition deteriorated with danger of his kidney collapsing, the doctors decided on an emergency procedure and securing permission from the dean of the GMC, the surgery was fixed for 7.30 pm.
However, as the anaesthetist refused to attend to the patient, he had to be taken to a private hospital in Panaji, where he was operated upon and brought back to GMC, for post-operative treatment, before being discharged.Admitting this happened, GMC dean, Dr V N Jindal played down the situation saying, “Yes, a patient had to be shifted out of GMC and was operated in a private hospital. But it was due to a little misunderstanding. The matter is
settled now.”
Before returning to his home state, the patient lodged a complaint with the directorate of Health Services, based on which, the government has initiated an inquiry against associate professor of anaesthesiology Dr Shaila Kamat, who had refused to attend to the patient, and anaesthesiology department head Dr Marilyn Nazareth.
Sources in the health department confirmed this and said that the doctors had not only put a patient’s life at risk but also violated the Hippocratic Oath. The Hippocratic Oath that every doctor takes states: “I will follow that method of treatment which according to my ability and judgement, I consider for the benefit of my patient and abstain from whatever is harmful or mischievous.”
“If the case is high risk, then the anaesthetist can refuse to attend to the patient after examining the patient or it can even be a case of mere neglect. But the GMC dean is the best person to handle it,” added Disciplinary and Ethics committee chairman of Goa Medical Council Dr Ulhas Karpe.
(Patient’s name changed to protect identity)

June 20, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Goa;Mike Masala rues being witness in Scarlett case

Mike Masala rues being witness in Scarlett case
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: British national Michael Mannion, a crucial eyewitness in the Scarlett Keeling rape and murder case, has advised all British nationals never to volunteer to depose in India if they are a witness to a crime.
Unhappy with the way he has been treated by the police, Mannion said, “I am quite disappointed. As a witness I had volunteered to assist the prosecution and had complied with every directive of the investigating agency. I will certainly not recommend any British national to ever come forward and depose on matters if he or she is ever a witness to the crime.”
Mannion, 35, popularly known as Mike Masala in Anjuna, is the main witness in the teenager’s rape and murder and has deposed before the police that he had seen Samson D’Souza, a bartender (one of the two accused) lying atop Scarlett on the night of Scarlett’s death. Mannion, who left Goa a little after Scarlett’s bruised body was found on Anjuna beach on February 18, had stated that he feared for his life from Samson and therefore left the state, but not the country. In March, he appeared before superintendent of police (North) Bosco George to depose in the case only after a lookout notice was posted, barring his leaving the country. This was done after Manion approached the British consulate in Mumbai saying that he has vital information in the case and needed protection. SCARLETT KEELING CASE
Mannion irked for being detained in Goa
Panaji: British national, Michael Mannion, a crucial eyewitness in the Scarlett Keeling rape and murder case,
lamented that despite having recorded his statement before the police, the police have not allowed him to go back to his country.
“I was promised by the Goa police that immediately after my deposition and statements, I would be permitted to go home. Having named the accused in my statements, I now fear for my life and I have also informed the Goa police that my father is on his death bed and as a son I want to be with him. Despite this, I have not been allowed to go,” said Mannion. Giving Manion moral and emotional support is his brother Paul.
“I had always wanted to come forward to depose for the sake of justice, but when I think of the stress I have undergone as a witness and the fact that I can’t attend to my sick father, I do regret my decision to depose in the case,” Manion added.

June 19, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Goa;Irked DGP lashes out at police complaint panel

Irked DGP lashes out at police complaint panel
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: The State Police Complaint Authority (SPCA) is acting beyond its jurisdiction and eroding the very foundations of the criminal justice system through its interference in the day-to-day administrative functioning of and investigations by the police, the director general of police has complained to the chief secretary in a confidential letter.
The letter was sent by DGP B S Brar to the chief secretary on June 9 requesting the state government to take immediate steps to prevent the collapse of the police administration and to maintain the sanctity of the criminal justice system as the conflict between the police and SPCA had reached “grave proportions” due to “constant and vehement interference” by the SPCA.
The SPCA was set up under a directive from the Supreme Court , which while defining the role of SPCA said it was to “take cognisance of only allegations of serious misconduct by police personnel which would include incidents involving deaths, grievous hurt or rape in police custody. The district level complaint authority would, apart from the above cases, also inquire into allegations of extortion, land and house grabbing or any incident involving serious abuse of authority”.
Chief secretary J P Singh admitted receiving the complaint. “The government is examining the matter in consultation with all concerned,” he said.
The DGP said that the criminal justice system consisting of the police, prosecution and the judiciary is being bypassed. “The CrPC has empowered the police and competent courts with various statutory powers which are being unlawfully disregarded. This will lead to the breakdown of the criminal justice system as envisaged under the law, including the CrPC,” he said.
The DGP also complained that the SPCA is admitting all kinds of applications and calling police officers, even of the rank of SP, who are then paraded, humiliated, pressurised in front of frivolous complainants, few of whom have been accused of serious offenses, including murder, or have been booked under the explosives act. “Inquiries conducted by SPCA are now taking the shape of trials where the police officers are treated as accused,” the letter said.
If the SPCA continues to call officers and other policemen in all types of complaints, it will not only erode the moral authority of the body, but also adversely affect the noble and lofty intentions of the SC to bring objectivity in policing, the DGP said.

June 18, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Goa;Drug traffickers get smart

Drug traffickers get smart
Mafia Constantly Invents New Ways To Evade The Law
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: Goa is not just an epicentre, where drugs are sold at rave and trance parties, but now Goa has become a transit point for drugs, from where it is shipped out to European countries and even neighbouring states.
“Inter-state and inter-country drug trafficking has raised serious concerns for us in Goa and it has serious ramifications. While the police have borders, drug dealers have no borders,” said DGP BS Brar.
The Goa police has finally woken up to the fact that there is an urgent need to check trafficking of narcotic drugs from Goa to other states and out of the country and have requested the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to set-up its unit in the state. Customs officials agree that in keeping with the trend, the drug traffickers are coming up with innovative ideas to escape the law. “Not only are they using minors as 'mules' and carbonised suitcases to export their drugs to Europe”, said a custom official, these drugs -- charas, heroin and cocaine are either taken by air from Mumbai or through chartered flights by European "passengers", whose complete trip and stay in Goa is sponsored by the well-networked drug mafia, the officials informed.
Unsold drugs like coke or cocaine and MDMA have a shelf life of 500 days and once the season is over, the demand in Goa is less. “The remaining drugs are exported out of the country,” said a cop from Anti-Narcotic Cell.
Carbonised compartments fitted in suitcases and bags hamper the detection of drugs, added customs official. “There is not a single officer or sepoy in the narcotics cell of the Customs department. We have just one superintendent, who has additional responsibilty. This is the situation since the last two years,” added Customs official.
Interestingly, according to the custom officials, while European “passengers” take the charter flights, the Isarelis lure young girls or women, who are addicted to drugs, to carry a “consignment” for a friend.
In return, they are promised a free trip. Take the case of an Italian minor girl who was caught at the Dabolim airport in Goa with ecstasy tablets and MDMA drugs on March 14, 2006.She was due to board an Indian Airlines flight to Mumbai enroute to Auckland (New Zealand) via Singapore and the whole trip was sponsored. She was arrested under the NDPS Act and sent to Apna Ghar, Merces.
In 2007, about 70 kgs of narcotic drugs were recovered by the police in North Goa and about 30 drug peddlers were arrested.
Admitting the trend, SP (Anti Narcotic Cell) Omprakash Kurtarkar said, "Wherever there is demand, there is supply. Outsourcing of drugs from Goa to other states or even out
OUTSOURCING DRUGS
TRICK 1: Using carbonised suitcases Method: Suitcases are purchased and 4 locals in Anjuna expertise in putting carbonized compartments in the suitcase. Drugs are stored in a carbonized compartment, then screened for any errors by using a personal Xray machine. Rs 1 to 2 lakh for packing 5 to 10 kg of charas. To pack, 1 to 2 kg of cocaine, the price is Rs 5 to 10 lakh. This was exposed when the minor Italian girl was caught at the Dabolim airport with the drug consignment TRICK 2: Using minor girls or women Method: Drug is stored in condoms and put in the vagina of the girl and trafficked abroad. It is also stored in special carbonated boxes, manufactured in Mumbai and packed into hollow arti-facts. TRICK 3: Pill will Method: Ecstasy pills are mixed with calcium tablets.
June 18, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition

Goa:Frequent power cuts lead to rise in inverter sales

Frequent power cuts lead to rise in inverter sales
Preetu Nair | TNN

Panaji: Frequent power cuts in the state have sent people scrambling to suppliers of inverters, raising sales to 650 per cent as compared to around five years ago.
“There is a huge demand for the appliance as people are increasingly complaining of erratic electricity supply. I have been installing three to four inverters per day this monsoon,” said Vasco Dias of Superlife Battery Agencies, Panaji.
As the state witnesses frequent power cuts, especially at night and with the electricity department officials unable to act instantly to restore power, inverters have become a necessity rather than a luxury. “It is now popular amongst the middle class, for whom an inverter has become indispensable,” said Steve Gomes of Milson Batteries.
According to suppliers, sales of inverters that were just about 200 per year about five years back have risen to more than 1500 in a year, a 650 per cent rise in sales. The highest selling inverter for households
is the 800 VA model that can keep three fans, six tube lights and a television running. This appliance costs approximately Rs 19,000 with a recognised battery brand.
Higher income groups opt for the 2.5 KVA model inverters, which can supply power to 10 fans, 16 tube lights and two televisions. This model costs between Rs 45,000 to Rs 50,000.
All inverters can provide backup electricity of up to three hours.
“We have frequent power cuts during the monsoon and use the inverter almost daily. With the failure of the government to provide uninterrupted power supply, we si ply need inverters,” said Anand Madgavkar a resident of Dona Paula.
Added Lucio D’Sa from Ribandar, “I purchased an inverter because of my children. When the lights go out they can’t study. In the monsoon its all the more important to have an inverter.”
“The fear of power failure and uncertainty about when the power supply will be restored has encouraged people to invest in inverters. We sell two to three everyday during monsoon,” reiterated Nikhil Shah of Crown Electronics, Panaji.
“With the growing demand, inverter companies have also come in with sleek and technically advanced appliances that ensure 100 per cent safety,” added Gomes. Cashing in on the rise in interest of inverters, suppliers in Goa are offering free installation and trolleys.
June 17, 2008, The Times of India, Goa edition