SpeakGoa demands judicial inquiry into Sunburn Scam allegations

PRESS RELEASE

Thursday 28^th February 2013, Panjim; Goa: SpeakGoa has demanded a judicial inquiry into allegations of corruption and tax evasion during Sunburn 2012 held in North Goa in the last week of December 2012. The Manohar Parrikar-led government in Goa has overlooked and turned a blind-eye to the allegations of bribery and tax evasion totally over Rs 15 crore. As per our figures, about Rs 5 core were distributed as bribes, kickbacks and other freebees and given out as largesse to various government and police officials, including MLAs and others in positions of power to enable the event to go on “smoothly”and to ensure that the organizers were not pulled up on any minor or major counts at the last moment or while the event was in progress.

In addition to the above Rs 5 crore paid under-the-table a tax evasion of about Rs 13 crore is quite likely given the numbers present at the venue on the three days of the event.

The Managing Director of Percept Mr Harinder Singh – organizers of Sunburn, has gone on record in writing stating that the maximum numbers of free passes were given out and the increase in the number of free passes was over 200 per cent this year (2012). In our opinion, free passes which were given to the Tourism Department for distribution to celebrities and other prominent citizens of Goa were sold in black and even at lower rates than the official rates on the last day in full view of entertainment tax and corporate tax officials. The Commissionerate of Commercial Taxes (CCT) deployed only 8-10 inspectors when there should have been at least 300 inspectors to catch touts red-handed given that there was a crowd of over 5 lakh persons in the vicinity of the event and in the Candolim area on the last day of the event.  Eyewitnesses say that there were about 80 to 100 touts selling passes in black quite openly. The government very well knows that there is a huge black marketing of passes during such events, very often by the organizers themselves. In spite of this, the government failed to take adequate steps to control and halt black-marketing of tickets.

We have reason to believe that Rs 90 lakh to Rs 110 lakh worth of tickets were sold in the “free or complimentary category” on the last day alone, and were sold unofficially in black outside the event venue. No entertainment tax was paid on these tickets and the state lost valuable revenue causing a loss of about Rs 13 crore to the State Exchequer

About Rs 5 cr of bribes, kickbacks and free passes for govt officials at Sunburn 2012 alleges SpeakGoa

Social forum SpeakGoa has accused the Manohar Parrikar-led government  in Goa of overlooking and turning a blind-eye to over Rs 5 crore of bribes, kickbacks and other freebees which were given out as largesse to various government and police officials, including MLAs and others in positions of power to enable the event to go on “smoothly”. Without naming anyone specifically, SpeakGoa through a press release issued on Thursday said, “We have been investigating the loss of revenue to the State of Goa through our own limited sources and with the available data from various government departments. It is very evident that over Rs 5 core of bribes, kickbacks and “gifts” were given to various government officials, government departments including the police and other enforcement agencies to turn a blind eye and ensure that the organizers were not pulled up on any minor or major counts at the last moment or while the event was in progress.

Earlier independent Fatorda MLA and convener of the Goemkar movement Vijai Sardesai, had alleged that about Rs 2.5 crore of Sunburn tickets were allegedly sold in black, marked as complimentary or free passes thus avoiding entertainment tax on them. Sardesai has been harping all along that several top ranking officials, including those from the Tourism Ministry and the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), alleging that government and police officials including MLAs got huge paybacks and bribes.

According to the SpeakGoa press release, Harinder Singh Managing Director of Percept had openly claimed in writing that the maximum numbers of free passes were given out and the increase in the number of free passes was over 200 per cent this year (2012). SpeakGoa has alleged that free passes given to the Tourism Department for distribution to celebrities and other prominent citizens of Goa were sold in black and even at lower rates than the official rates on the last day in full view of entertainment tax and corporate tax officials. The Commissionerate of Commercial Taxes (CCT) deployed only 8-10 inspectors. There should have been at least 300 inspectors to catch touts red-handed given that there was a crowd of over 5 lakh persons in the vicinity of the event and in the Candolim area on the last day of the event.  According to SpeakGoa, “Eyewitnesses say that there were about 80 to 100 touts selling passes in black quite openly. The government very well knows that there is a huge black marketing of passes during such events, very often by the organizers themselves. What steps were taken to prevent this and how many touts were arrested?”

SpeakGoa has alleged that Rs 90 lakh to Rs 110 lakh worth of tickets were sold in the “free or complimentary category” on the last day alone, and were sold unofficially in black outside the event venue. No entertainment tax was paid on these tickets and the state lost valuable revenue.  Earlier during the event, Sandesh Prabhudesai of HCN TV had claimed that there was almost 90 per cent of tax evasion by the organizers of Sunburn and the state of Goa lost about Rs 10.3 crore in 2011. In 2012 the news channel claimed that the tax collected should have been in the range of Rs 30 crore. SpeakGoa has alleged that the state exchequer lost about Rs 13 crore at the minimum this year due to tax evasion and black-marketing of complimentary passes. “Our estimates of the crowd at the event after speaking to hundreds of eye witnesses and people who attended the event shows beyond doubt that the State should have got at least Rs 13 crore in entertainment tax,” the SpeakGoa spokesperson has alleged.

Goa completely ignored in Budget 2013: FPEEG

PRESS RELEASE

 

Thursday 28^th February 2013, Panjim; Goa: The Forum for Promoting Employment & Entrepreneurship in Goa (FPEEG) is disappointed with the Union Budget 2013 for the simple reason that it has nothing specific for the State of Goa which has recorded the highest rate of unemployment in the country. Tourism – both domestic and international is one of the major sources of revenue but the 2 per cent hike in Service Tax both for the hospitality industry as well as for the security services industry could have a negative impact with more tourists turning to the unorganized sector instead of patronizing restaurants and hotels in the organized sector.

Many small beach shacks and restaurants in the coastal belt are finding it difficult to survive in present scenario. These beach shacks and restaurants depend on the inflow of tourist traffic, which is only seasonal. The hike in Service Tax will hit them hard and many of them may prefer to fudge records to make ends meet. The budget makes no allocation or compensation for the State of Goa given the mining mess in the State with no early respite in site. The attempt to increase revenue through the indirect taxes method will only see a price rise, which will affect tourists both domestic and foreign, most of whom are already disheartened with the increasing prices of food, board and lodge and fuel in the State.

Goa was largely dependent on the long staying tourists from the UK and the rest of Europe who came in charters and were the big spenders who stayed for durations ranging from a few weeks to a few months.  With the hike in prices of fuel, food, accommodation and the like, these tourists are moving to other locations like Thailand and other south-east Asian countries where the prices of agricultural produce and accommodation are much lower.

The Railway Budget too does not hold much promise for Goa. The need of the hour was additional Express trains from Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi particularly during the peak tourist season from November to May which with the exception of one or two have been completely ignored by the Railway Budget.

About FPEEG:

FPEEG or Forum for Promoting Entrepreneurship & Employment in Goa strives to create awareness about employment opportunities in the Small-Scale sector besides providing vocational training and guidance | General Secretary: Maneesh Arora | Email: fpeeg.goa@gmail.com

Goa CM Manohar Parrikar: Alemao supported fake degrees racket

Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar Wednesday accused former PWD minister Churchill Alemao of patronising a fake degree racket, recently busted by police, saying the illegalities eroded the sanctity of the department.

“Alemao, during his tenure as PWD minister, was directing various candidates to this academy (which operated the racket), giving fake certificates before recruiting them as engineers in PWD department”, Parrikar said in his reply to a question on affairs of PWD Department in Legislative Assembly. The crime branch recently exposed the racket after raiding a private academy in Margao.

According to police, the racketeers used to provide bogus educational certificates, purportedly of various recognised universities, including the Board of Secondary Education, Gwalior.

“The bogus certificates were bought from this academy by candidates who have now become engineers”, Parrikar said, adding that the illegalities committed by Alemao has eroded the sanctity of PWD department. Alemao, a senior Congress leader was PWD minister in Digambar Kamat-led government.

SOURCE: PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Goa Congress slams BJP for paying sacked miners

Panaji : The Goa Congress lashed out at the Manohar Parrikar-led government Tuesday for paying mining firm employees who had been sacked after the ban on mining in the state.

Leader of opposition in the state assembly Pratapsing Rane said that instead of doling out money, the government should ask the mining companies to re-hire the workers they have sacked.

“How long is the government going to give them money? These are employees of private organisations. Today it is the mining companies, tomorrow it will be some other private companies,” Rane told the assembly during a discussion on the motion of thanks to the Goa governor’s speech.

“We can take an assurance from the companies that they (employees) should be taken back at the same post they had,” Rane said.

Goa’s Governor B.V. Wanchoo in his speech Monday had announced that the state government was working out a financial package for people affected by the mining ban, through which each affected individual would receive about Rs.6,000 per month as dole until the mining impasse was resolved.

Four months ago, the Supreme Court enforced a mining ban in Goa after a judicial commission unearthed a Rs.35,000 crore illegal mining scam being carried out by an unscrupulous nexus comprising politicians, bureaucrats and mining companies.

SOURCE: IANS

 

Mining lobby attacks Goa Governor for ignoring their plight

Panaji: The mining lobby on Wednesday attacked Goa Governor Bharat Veer Wanchoo, calling him an “agent” of the Central government and accusing him of being callous to those affected by the ban on iron ore mining in Goa.

Lobbyists seeking revocation of the ban on iron ore mining in the state spoke to reporters after Wanchoo “snubbed” the pro-mining lobby protesters who have been camping near the Martyrs’ Memorial here for the last two weeks.

On Wednesday morning, the Governor and other leading political dignitaries, including Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, arrived at the memorial in the capital to pay their tributes to Goa’s freedom fighters. However, the Governor returned to Raj Bhavan without speaking to protesters at the site.

“He did not have the courtesy to address us. We have been protesting here for the last two weeks. The Governor is not concerned about the sufferings of the people of his state,” Communist Party of India (CPI) state general secretary Christopher Fonseca told reporters here.

Fonseca heads the Goa Mining Affected People’s Front, which is protesting the loss of jobs caused by the Supreme Court-imposed mining ban. Fonseca also said that the Goa government was not taking convincing steps to resolve the mining crisis in the state.

“It has been four months since the ban has been in place. The government has not given a single convincing argument to the Supreme Court to ensure that the ban is removed,” Fonseca said.

Fonseca’s comments come only a couple of days after the Governor, in his inaugural address to the Goa Legislative Assembly, said that the Manohar Parrikar-led state government was working to introduce a financial package for people living in the mining belt, who had lost employment due to the mining ban.

The package involves giving out monthly dole to the tune of Rs 6,000 per head to those who have lost their mining jobs. The dole, however, has been criticised by the Opposition, which has said that instead of dishing out money, the state government should crack down on mining companies to ensure that workers are not laid off without any pressing reason.

SOURCE: IANS

 

Mopa Airport: Process begins for green signal to proposed airport at Mopa in Goa

PANAJI: The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has started the process of giving clearance to the proposed greenfield airport at Mopa in Goa, the state Assembly was informed today.

“The matter was discussed at the meeting of the Environment Ministry on January 28. There are further studies which are still required and they would be taken now,” Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Assembly.

Independent legislator Vijay Sardesai had raised the issue of environment clearance to the airport at Mopa, about 70 km from here.

The MLA, who heads the movement involving locals against the airport, claimed that various preconditions suggested by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) had been ignored by the Goa government which appears in a hurry to go ahead with the project.

“ICAO had suggested that a comprehensive strategy should be put in place before going ahead with the project as another airport already exists in the state,” Sardesai said.

The Chief Minister, quoting an ICAO report published in 2007, said there was a need to have two airports in Goa as the existing one at Dabolim would get saturated due to increasing flow of passenger traffic in the tourist state.

Parrikar rejected the notion that Mopa airport would benefit Maharashtra, more than Goa, due to its close proximity with the neighbouring state.

“The airport is 25 kms away from Maharashtra border,” he said and requested the Assembly Speaker to allow half an hour debate on the issue so that “Goa Government’s stand on the issue can be clarified”.

SOURCE: THE ECONOMIC TIMES

A carnival sans fish in Goa?

 Fish gets scarce in Goa over the weekend…

 

 

By Martin De Souza – Goa Newz Network

Thanks to the long, extended weekend, Goa had hordes of tourists pouring in from neighbouring states like Maharahstra and Karnataka. However, many of the tourists who wanted to taste some of the sea food which Goa is internationally famous for, were disappointed and some of them even returned home angry. Lobsters, king crabs, tiger prawns, king fish  pomfrets and other expensive fish were not available in most of the small local beach side restaurants and shacks on Sunday.

If the Goa State government does not act quickly and resolve the issue, the strike will impact the restaurant business in Goa during the Carnival, says Salvador De Costa convener of the SpeakGoa movement who is contemplating submitting a memo on behalf of the restaurant owners in North Goa to chief minister Manohar Parrikar and the Tourism Minister. “Goa is expecting at least 10 lakh visitors during the Carnival this year and with an acute shortage of sea food, prices of other food items are also likely to rise exponentially as wholesalers want to make maximum profit, opined De Costa.

Some of the restaurants which did have fish in stock were charging double the regular rates quoting the ongoing trawler strike and fish shortage in Goa.  Trawlers from the neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka have also joined the strike causing a huge shortfall of fish in the market for local consumption. Martins Corner at BetalbatimBeach in south Goa hiked their rates by about 15 to 25 per cent over the weekend for sea food items. Guests who went to Martins over the weekend were disappointed since their favourite seafood was not available, according to a regular at the famous restaurant. Café Ritz – the small eatery at Panaji known for its fish thali had only a few options to offer – on a normal day they have at least 25-30 varieties of sea food. This weekend the menu was down to 15-18 sea food options. Other smaller restaurants were serving “cold-storage fish” and even the quantity was much lesser.” Says Cajetan Britto of Brittos – the very popular sea food restaurant at BagaBeach, “We ran short of certain varieties of sea food including crabs and pomfrets over the weekend. However, since Brittos is primarily a sea food restaurant and we buy fish in huge quantities, we had options to offer our guests. But smaller restaurants were badly affected. The price of sea food also has gone up and even the bigger restaurants felt the pinch over the weekend. Many restaurants like Brittos have a fixed price menu which is applicable throughout the year. We cannot change the price and unlike other restaurants who charge on a daily basis we could not hike our rates.”

The trawler owners are angered by the diesel price hike coupled with the re-classification of fishing as an industrial activity – earlier fishing was classified as an agricultural activity and was eligible for various subsidies including a lower rate on diesel.

With the new classification in force trawler owners now have to shell out Rs 61.35 for a litre of diesel — an increase of a whopping Rs 11 per litre from the earlier subsidized price. Trawlers in Goa have announced an indefinite strike from January 29 if the price of diesel is not reduced. With the state government not taking notice of the trawler owners’ demands, fish may soon vanish from the menu of most Goans in the coming days. The shortfall in the supply of fish has had a collateral effect on vegetables and milk products which also saw a small increase in price. Many tourists from Maharashtra and north India were shocked at the price of fish and decided to go in for a vegetarian or chicken menu thus increasing the demand for vegetables and chicken over the weekend.

Says a Micheal Fernandes (name changed on request) a restaurant owner in the prime tourist area of Candolim in North Goa  “The price of seafood has gone up almost three times for some varieties of sea food. Even the normal fare has doubled. There is no fish is the market and those who venture out into the sea charge double for whatever they have got.” Fernandes owns one shack and two restaurants in North Goa and says he may have to take fish off his menu completely in a day or two.  Goa has approximately 1,200-1300 trawlers which net nearly 70-75 million tonnes of fish annually. Most trawlers at the major fishing jetties at Cutbona, Betim and Chapora were anchored and did not venture out into the sea, says Fernandes blaming the local government for inaction in the matter.

(Martin De Souza is a senior journalist based in Goa) 

Designer Umair Zafar’s glam line-up for La Mode Wedding Festival at Fahrenheit Hotels & Resorts

GOA NEWZ NETWORK

Fashion designer Umair Zafar has lined up a host of glam dolls to walk the ramp for the La Mode Wedding Festival at Fahrenheit Hotels and Resorts, Baga in Goa. While Umair Zafar was not ready to reveal the names of the models and actresses who would walk the ramp, a little birdie told us that Femina Miss India runner up Ridhima Pai, actresses Sakshi Pradhan, Gauhar Khan, Sayali Bhagat, Nisha Kothari and many more may walk the ramp at the super glam event.

Fahrenheit Hotels and Resorts, Baga is all set to host the La Mode Wedding Festival on 16th and 17th February this year. Says Mumbai-based celebrity fashion designer Umair Zafar, one of the main participants at the La Mode Wedding Festival, “All participating designers at the La Mode Wedding Festival are burning the mid-night oil, preparing exotic collections and other related bridal wear. About 20 designers from different parts of India are participating in this event and it will be a great collection of bridal wear all at one place. The event will also showcase other wedding-related participants like stylists, make up experts, jewelry and accessory designers etc. Some of the designers who have confirmed their participation include Verma Demello, Preeti Jhawar, Meghna Medhi and Tanuja from Guwhati. The bridal wear brand “The Miss” from Mumbai will also be part of the exhibition. Goan designer Wendell Rodrigues will not be able to participate due to prior commitments in Chennai during the same time.

La Mode International is one of India’s premier fashion and lifestyle magazines, since 1990 and has launched many faces in the past who were upcoming models and who are known names in Bollywood today for eg Malaika Arora Khan, Sushma Reddy, Namrata Shirodkar , Rahul Dev, Tisca Chopra, Priyanshu, Aryan Ved and many more. Besides well-known models (and now actors) like Arjun Rampal, Madhu Sapre, Milind Soman, Candice Pinto, Aanchal Kumar and many more were associated with La Mode International.

La Mode launched their E-magazine in 2003 along with the print edition. Says Baljeet Olhan, editor and publisher of La Mode International, “Considering the current global warming scenario and the Save the Planet campaign all over the world, we decided to support the Go Green Cause and from December 2012 completely eliminated the print edition. The magazine is now only in the E-mag version and is proud to present to Goa the first edition of the La Mode Goa Wedding Festival.”

A fashion show each day of the event will form the main attraction of the event which will be followed by an after party, explains Umair Zafar.

Goa eyes one million tourists during 3-day Goa Carnival

 

 

Press Trust Of India / Mumbai/ New Delhi Jan 26, 2013, 00:49 IST

 

 

Goa Tourism on Friday said it is targeting 10 lakh tourist arrivals during the forthcoming Goa Carnival which will be held from February 9 this year.

“We are aiming at least 1 million tourists to visit Goa during the forthcoming three-day Goa Carnival. We expect over two lakh tourists per day to visit the state during this period,” Goa Principal Secretary, Tourism, R K Verma said.

For the first time, the carnival will include food and cultural festival, which would start on February 8 and continue for the next five days, he added.
“Attracting tourists to Goa is important as tourism contributes 30-35 per cent to state domestic product,” Verma said. When asked about the number of tourists who visited the carnival last year, Goa Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar said, “Last year, most of the festivities were cancelled due to a school bus accident.”

As a new initiative this year, bollywood actors like Neha Dhupia, Sayali Bhagat and others have been roped in for the float parade in Panaji.

The festival as usual will feature four float parades in four cities, Panaji, Margao, Vasco and Mapusa, Goa tourism said.

On the initiatives being taken by the state government to attract tourists through out the year, Goa Tourism Development Corporation MD Nikhil Desai said, “Apart from the beaches of Goa we are also promoting heritage tourism, adventure tourism, festival tourism and western ghats tourism.” The government is also taking major initiatives for infrastructure development and capacity expansion, Parulekar said.

SOURCE: BUSINESS STANDARD