from daijiworld's special correspondent
Engineers strike work in the state
Panaji: Electricity engineers across the state today resorted to pen down strike demanding sacking of agriculture minister Fransisco Pacheco from the state cabinet.
Three hundred junior engineers, 82 assistant engineers and 20 executive engineers, spread across the state, have joined the stir demanding removal of Pacheco from the State Cabinet," stated Siddharth Sakhardande, president, Electricity Department Junior Engineers' Association.
"Either Pacheco should be dropped from the cabinet or he should step down gracefully... Police should also arrest the minister for physically assaulting a junior engineer," he added.
Junior engineer Kapil Natekar has lodged a complaint at Colva police station in south Goa, 33 kms away from here, saying that the minister assaulted him at his personal office on June 15.
The engineers would also hold a massive rally in the city on Wednesday demanding action against Pacheco, he said.
Meanwhile, Pacheco's supporters had gathered in large numbers at Betalbhatim on Tuesday morning, to express support to their leader.
They have also decided to gherao engineers at respective sub-stations during the day and seek their clarification on the alleged frequent electricity trippings in the coastal towns, including Betalbhatim, Majorda and Benaulim, sources said.
Underground cabling under consideration
Panaji: Goa government is assessing feasibility to lay underground cables in the coastal areas especially those with the tourist importance, power minister digamber kamat told the state legislative assembly today.
Kamat said that coastal areas prone to interruption and also having tourist importance is being assessed for feasibility for laying underground cables.
"Thereafter cost estimate will be prepare and submitted to ministry of power for sanction under accelerated power development and reforms programme (APDRP)," the power minister said adding,"the work will be taken up for execution only after sanction by the ministry for power."
In a written reply on the floor of the house, Kamat said that in some coastal areas prone to interruptions due to falling of trees, palms etc, underground cabling works have already been sanctioned under APDRP and shortly is being taken for execution.
Power minister said that the underground cabling work in Panaji at an estimated cost of Rs 35.47 crore and Margao with 32.97 crore which is underway. "The work in Margao and Panaji is expected to be completed by March, 2007," he stated.
International conference to be held in the state
Panaji: International Conference on Planning and Designing of Healthcare Facilities, a three-day seminar, is being jointly organised by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi and Indian Institute of Architects (IIA). This event is organised as a part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of AIIMS, New Delhi. The conference will be held from September 15-17, 2006, at Hotel Cidade-de-Goa, Goa.
"Planning, design and final architectural expression in healthcare is reflective of the gradual shift in outlook of healthcare institutions from merely treating the sick to a concerted approach to harness healthy living," says Dr Shakti Kumar Gupta, Medical Superintendent, Dr RP Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, AIIMS, New Delhi, and also one of the chief organisers.
Some of the objectives of this conference are to highlight the changing role of future hospitals in evolving healthcare environment, explore avenues for integration of IT in healthcare delivery as a virtual outreach arm of multi-specialty care, assess future projections for healthcare sector and financing of healthcare facilities etc.
A large number of select experts are expected to participate in this conference, which includes hospital promoters, healthcare/ hospital policy-makers, representatives from financial institutions, facility managers, health and hospital administrators, hospital planners, project consultants and many more.
Dr A Ramadoss, Hon'ble Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare will be the Chief Patron for the conference and Dr Samlee Pliangbangchang, Regional Director for SouthEast Asia Region, WHO, has agreed to be the Guest of Honour.
The speakers will include experts from India, and architects, project consultants and senior faculty from the US, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Sweden, UK and South Asian countries. Dr Gupta will release his new book - 'Modern Trends In Planning and Designing of Hospitals Principles and Practice' during the conference. The book provides a holistic view of the existing and futuristic concepts in planning and designing of hospitals
Ganesh Chaturthi idols
Panaji: This Ganesh Chaturthi, your Ganesh idol will weigh more and will be environment friendly, if state government's decision is implemented in toto.
The state government has decided to ban Ganesh idols carved out from plaster of paris, which is not environment-friendly material. Goa will celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi festival at the end of next month wherein Ganesh idol is worshipped almost in all the Hindu households.
Replying a question on the floor of the house, Industries minister Luizinho Faleiro said that district collectors have been asked to enforce the ban. "Director of Industries, trade and commerce has also been instructed not (not) to register any unit dealing in the plaster of paris," he said.
The industries minister conceded that the state government does not have data about plaster of paris idols brought from the other states in Goa.
The state-government-run Goa Handicraft corporation has decided to encourage clay made idols to compensate the vacuum made following ban on plaster of paris idols.
Though no official figures are available with the government, officials state that Goa requires around 30,000 idols of which 10,000 are of plaster of paris usually brought from neighbouring Pen, Kolhapur and Pune area.