News – Page 663 – Guyana Times International

Aum captured in flames at Vishnu Mandir in Canada

March 30, 2012 TIMES INT'L

By Annandi Merhai Vasant Navratri is a Hindu festival of Nav (nine) Ratri (nights) dedicated to Shakti (energy or power) in the form of Mother’s Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati. During Navratri, devotees observe a fast, and prayers are offered for the protection of health and prosperity. Devotees avoid meat, alcoholic drinks, grains, wheat, and onion during this fast. Navratri is also a period of introspection and purification; it is traditionally an auspicious and religious time for starting new ventures. For the first three days, the Goddess is worshiped as Durga…

Zara blood drive continues in New York

March 30, 2012 TIMES INT'L

After the successful launch of the Zara-sponsored Blood Drive on February 25, at New Haven Place, 451 Fulton Avenue, Hempstead, Long Island, the campaign continues on April 14 at Zara Realty Holding Corp., 166-07 Hillside Avenue, Jamaica (10-2pm). This will be followed by another on June 24, at the America Sevashram Sangha, 153-14 90th Ave, Jamaica, New York (11.30 -3pm). In commemoration of the 11th Anniversary of 9/11, this program started last year quite successfully according to National Coordinator Rahul M. Jindal, MD, PhD, MBA. George Subraj, President of Zara…

George Subraj calls for national kidney donor program in Guyana

March 30, 2012 TIMES INT'L

President of Zara Realty Holding Corporation Mr. George Subraj made an impassioned plea for an immediate Kidney Donor Program in Guyana on World Kidney Day, observed on March 8, 2012. “Chronic kidney diseases are on the rise internationally, but in Guyana the number of cases has increased multifold. The situation demands very watchful eyes. With a vibrant donor program we may be able to arrest this situation as transplant is the only real long term solution,” said Subraj on a National Communications Network (NCN) program accompanied by the foreign medical…

Guyana, UNICEF sign US$15.2M five-year plan

March 30, 2012 TIMES INT'L

Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) representative to Guyana Dr Suleiman Braimoh on Tuesday signed the Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP), valued at US$ 15.2 million for the period 2012 to 2016 at the Foreign Service Institute. The country programme is developed through agreements with the government of Guyana and UNICEF to campaign for the rights of children and greater equality in gender. It streamlines the responsibilities in executing such strategies mentioned in the plan. The foreign affairs minister in brief remarks thanked…

N.Y.-based Guyanese observing Navratri

March 30, 2012 TIMES INT'L

By Vishnu Bisram The Hindu festival of Navratri, nine nights of worshipping Mother Durga and her reincarnations, is being observed by the large Guyanese Hindu community in the greater New York area. The festival began on March 22 and concludes on Saturday March 30. Temples have been holding Ramayan sessions nightly during the period and many persons have been conducting poojas at their home. Temples throughout the metropolitan area have been packed with devotees throughout the obervances. The festival concludes with the celebration of Ram Naumi (the appearance of Lord…

“Expect a people’s budget” – finance minister

March 30, 2012 TIMES INT'L

By Michael Younge Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh said the 2012 National Budget, which will be presented on Friday, March 30, will be a ‘people’s budget’ containing measures and projects all aimed at meeting the needs of citizens and advancing the country’s economic development. Speaking with Guyana Times International during an interview, Dr Singh explained that he is optimistic ahead of his sixth budget presentation that there is much Guyanese and the opposition can celebrate about this “special” budget. Dr Singh stated that the budget will represent some of the…

Gy$ 40M used for prepping housing lands at Mahdia

March 30, 2012 TIMES INT'L

By Michael Younge Government has injected Gy$ 40 million for the preparation and parcelling off of lands at Mahdia that would see hundreds of Guyanese becoming homeowners over the next few months. Housing and Water Minister Irfaan Ali disclosed that some 120 house lots are being created in the New Mahdia Housing Scheme. Ali told the media that the housing scheme is being designed and set up to address the increasing demand for housing, which is resultant from the booming Region Eight economy. He said his ministry was proud to…

Legislative changes may be needed to accommodate ethanol production – Agriculture Minister

March 30, 2012 TIMES INT'L

Guyana may need to make several changes to its existing laws so as to accommodate the possibility of producing and utilising ethanol and bio-fuels locally. This disclosure was made by Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy who said the ministry was being proactive by commencing an assessment to determine what changes may be necessary before any ethanol production gets underway. Dr Ramsammy said while ethanol continues to be one of the commodities in high demand on the international market, the government of Guyana has every intention of ensuring that some of…

Abolition of corporal punishment in schools debate commences

March 30, 2012 TIMES INT'L

As government prepares to launch a series of consultations on the abolition of corporal punishment in the school system, Education Minister Priya Manickchand hosted a panel discussion on the issue last Saturday evening on the National Communications Network (NCN). The panel discussion, which also saw input from Dominique Gaskin, executive member of the Alliance For Change (AFC); Karen De Souza, head of Red Thread and Jennifer Cumberbatch, headteacher of Winfer Gardens Secondary, debated whether corporal punishments should be eliminated, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported. According to the education minister,…

“Opposition squandering opportunity of working together” – President

March 30, 2012 TIMES INT'L

President Donald Ramotar has maintained that the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) are squandering the opportunity to work with the government and, that the government’s move to the High Court is to protect the sanctity of parliamentary democracy. Addressing members of the media during a press conference last Friday at Office of the President, the head of state said that his continued monitoring of the situation in Parliament clearly shows that the “APNU and the AFC are squandering the opportunity of working together…