By Mayabhushan Nagvenkar, IANS,

Panaji: Contradicting Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat’s claim that there was no illegal mining in the state, the union mines ministry has confirmed illegalities in nearly 50 percent of the operational mines.

In a letter, dated Oct 25, Joint Secretary, Mines G.Srinivas told state Mines Secretary S. Kumaraswamy to shore up measures to curb illegal mining in the state, rocked by a mega illegal mining scam, which the opposition has pegged at Rs.25,000 crore.

“Taken on a mine level basis, 44 mines had had exceeded the said 20 percent target production limits,” Srinivas has said in his letter, a copy of which is available with IANS. Goa has nearly 100 operational open cast iron ore mines.

The letter confirming illegal and excessive mining in Goa comes on the heels of constant denials by Kamat – the minister of mines for 12 years – that illegal mining is marginal.

The Congress led coalition government in Goa has come under fire from the opposition over the scam.

The union mines ministry has also asked Goa’s department of mines and geology (DMG) to conduct special field trips to establish whether mining in Goa’s 100 odd operational mines is being conducted in accordance with the provisions of the forest conservation laws.

Anti mining agitators have complained that a majority of the mining operations fringing forest and wild life sanctuaries in Goa are brazenly flouting environment and forest norms.

“The ministry is of the view that mining operations should take place only with appropriate clearances, including, wherever required, under Forest (Conservation) Act 1980. In order to ensure compliance, you may like to issue directions to field units of the DMG to undertake the requisite inspections including follow up earlier inspections, so that there are no violations in this regard,” Srinivas wrote.

“The DMG may also simultaneously prepare a list of such mining leases that have sought renewal but are pending environment and forest clearances and are operating under deemed extension, to ensure that such mines adhere to a mining plan,” he said.

The mines ministry has also asked the state government to keep track and maintain an inventory of low grade iron ore reject dumps, which in the recent past were being illegally excavated and exported to China, which had opened markets to low grade iron ore to fuel its infrastructure projects.

To check large scale transportation of illegal ore, the union ministry has also asked the state to evolve a system of transit passes during transportation to ensure that the ore being ferries was legitimately extracted.

“In respect of operating mines, since an approved mining plan document is available with the state government, it is also necessary for the state government to introduce a check on the source of the ore and to introduce a system for allowing movement of minerals only through issue of transit passes after ensuring that not only royalty is paid for the mineral sought to be transported, but also after ensuring that the total minerals moved are accounted through the approved mining plan,” the letter said.

Goa exported 54 million tons of iron ore in the last fiscal.

(Mayabhushan Nagvenkar can be contacted at mayabhushan.n@ians.in)

October 28, 2011 | Business | Written by Akshita

Mumbai, Oct 28: Get ready to throw ripe red tomatoes at each other in the verdant green climes of Goa with the waves from the Arabian Sea in the background.

Seen on Discovery Channel and recent Bollywood film ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’, Spain’s famous Tomatina festival is being brought to India for the first time in a big way, an organiser said here Friday.

The event, titled ‘Sundown Tomatia Festival Goa-2011′, is expected to attract hordes of tourists from India and abroad Nov 5 at a private seaside resort, Club West End, in north Goa, said Ginu Joseph, director of the Mumbai-based Chrysolite Media Pvt. Ltd.

‘The festival is conceived by actor Rahul Raj Singh, his colleagues at Magnum Opus Films, with the support of Spain Consulate in Mumbai and Goa’s tourism department,’ Joseph told IANS.

The 12-hour event will see more than 30,000 revelers in typical Spanish fashion lunging tomatoes at each other, jumping and dancing. Water jets will spray cool water from different sides, with the choicest of menus to keep the participants in healthy, fighting spirits, he said.

Though the number of truckloads will be finalised on the basis of the number of participants – currently estimated at over 30,000 – Joseph promised ‘there will be enough for all to enjoy the most memorable festival of their life’.

The mega-event will be followed by a two-night musical extravaganza, the Sundown Beach Party at La Calypso resort on Baga Beach.

‘A line-up of over a dozen national and international DJs will keep the crowds on their feet for two nights of beach party with dance and music and good food,’ Joseph said.

According to Joseph, the event will attract celebrities from Mumbai besides Indians and foreigners holidaying in Goa for the Diwali vacations, and the locals.

Asked what would follow next? ‘Probably a bull-fight festival in February!’ said Joseph smilingly.

In September, the Karnataka government had declined to permit the tomatoes festival in Bangalore and Mysore after protests by social activists and citizens.

IANS

PTI | 06:10 PM,Oct 27,2011

Panaji, Oct 27 (PTI) Its time to say goodbye to stinking fish-markets and argumentative lady vendors for Goans, as supermarkets in prominent cities of the state have ventured into the business of selling raw and hygienic fish. Fish, which is central to non-vegetarian food in Goa, conventionally is sold at crowded, stinking markets. Supermarkets pitching in for the fish selling business has come as a respite to consumers, who always wanted a break from the routine of visiting littered markets. “We began in November 2008 when we realised that many people refused to go to fish markets although they relish the marine dish,” Salmon Fresh Foods Private Limited, Director, Vikram Salgaonkar told PTI. Salmon runs a supermarket at Caranzalem, a locality next to Panaji city, which is also a hamlet of traditional fisher-folks. The first thing Salgaonkar did was to get a licence from Ministry of Food Processing, which authorised it to vend the fish, which the company sells along with grocery and other commodities on the shelf. “Initially, the response was less. But now it has picked up. Its a trend now,” he said, claiming that their prices are comparatively cheaper than the regular fish market. The customer can just walk in and go out with a parcel of fish which is properly cleaned and cut to size as per his requirement, he said, adding that Salmon has also introduced a helpline to get raw fish ordered at home.

BY MICHAEL FISHER | NT
PANAJI: Goa is going to have a state-of-the-art wine mall soon where residents and tourists can pick up their choice drink from among over 2000 global and Indian brands.

The mall (name yet to be disclosed), which is going through its designing process, is coming up on one of Goa beach satellite hubs in North Goa. The architectural design mall, ground plus two floors, is built on 200-sq mt plot on the main road after Candolim.
There will be four shops on the ground floor, with the remaining shops spaced out on the two floors, and is aimed at catering to clientele from the state and surrounding areas.
This out of the way trendy place has a stunning refrigerated rack stacked with all types of beers, champagne, wines and ready to drink brew. There will be a special counter section for bar and bistro accessories such as cocktail mixers, and the latest blenders for mixing various types of healthy drinks. Because of its massive wine selection, it will also boast of non-alcohol brews.
Displayed on the walls are best looking murals-style drink menus. A wine and spirit sampling counter for the latest introductions. The Feni, along with other local brews, will be given a special section on the ground floor. The same floor will include the widest range from the entire country.
The mall is being built by a popular wine retailer in Panaji who is negotiating with foreign brands for an exclusive store in the mall, says the proprietors, Mr Rohan and Ranjeet Amonkar. There will be continuous promotions and offers coming from the brands.