log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday The Goan (Playstore) Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday >>8 saturday JANUARY 9, 2021 8 pages Price ` 6 PANAJI MARGAO Goa VOLume VI, No. 200 Cops block Melauli entry points, defiant locals continue protest Some youth detained for trying to enter; no demarcation conducted on Fri the goan I network VALPOI Police forces on Friday blocked all roads leading to Melauli, even as defiant locals continued protest against the IIT project inside the village. Some youth were, however, detained as they tried to enter the village in support of the agitating locals. According to reports, a number of police teams were sent to Melauli and they blocked three entry points leading to the village, near the Government high school at Guleli, near the Khotoda panchayat building and along the Sacorda road. The police blocked the roads after anticipating that people from other areas would join the agitating protesters of Shel-Melauli and the tense situation could further escalate. While outsiders were not allowed to enter Melauli, locals were however permitted to move in and out of the village. Some youth, however, confronted the police and tried to enter Melauli, but they were detained. A force of policewomen were seen deployed at the Shel-Melauli Jalmi Temple, which is now the epicentre of the agitation. The huge police presence around the village did not deter the defiant locals from continuing their protests. While they have been protesting on the road towards in short >> Tiatrs, nataks likely from Apr in Margao MARGAO: The General Council of the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao which met on Friday discussed the resumption of tiatr shows at the cultural institution, with the Council willing to take a big step forward by granting concessions to the producers for the use of auditorium.>> pg 2 SWR still awaits forest clearance >> See pg 3 weather >> Max: 31.6 C Min: 24.0 C Humidity: 96% Tides Low: High: 00:40 13:37 06:30 20:59 Court reserves order on Melauli bail plea Police teams block access at all entry points to Melauli. Mumurme since the last few months, they decided to protest at the IIT site on Friday. Despite the huge police presence, the government survey team did not undertake any demarcation work on Friday. Speaking to reporters, a police official said the Goa Police had decided to block all entry points as precautionary measures to avoid people from other parts of Goa from entering Melauli in support of the agitating locals. Meanwhile, police officials said over 150 persons have been booked for allegedly pelting stones on the police during the violent clashes at Shel-Melauli. 15 women injured from its force, claim Goa police PANAJI: Goa Police on Friday claimed that 15 policewomen posted on law and order duty at Melavali on January 6 sustained grievous injuries during the alleged violent attack by anti-IIT protestors. The Police Department has released a list of the names of these 15 female police personnel from IRB, Bicholim police station and Anjuna police station who >Continued on P5 Uday Sawant VALPOI: The Panaji Principal District and Sessions Court has reserved orders on the bail application of Vishwesh Prabhu, who was arrested in connection with the Shel-Melauli clashes, for Monday. The court has also reserved orders on the anticipatory bail application of Diana Tavares. Police sources said Prabhu was not sent to a police lockup but he was admitted in hospital after he complained of hypertension. Locals snub Velip’s appeal to end stir VALPOI: Efforts by tribal leader Prakash Velip to pacify the agitating locals and persuade them to withdraw their agitation were rejected by locals, who remained firm on their agitation against the IIT project. Velip visited Shel-Melavali late Thursday evening and interacted with the protesting locals. He appealed to them to withdraw their agitation against the IIT as it is an education project which would also help develop the area and offer many facilities to the locals. Locals, however, refused to entertain his pleas and said they would go ahead with their agitation as it would adversely affect their livelihood. They also rejected a proposal to send a delegation to meet the chief minister. Court sets aside charges against L-Day detainees More wards likely in 5 of ‘B’ Class municipal councils the goan I network number of other citizens -- at the Panaji Church for a song, dance, and art celebration to mark state’s liberation from the Portuguese rule. PANAJI The number of wards in five Class B Municipal Councils are to be increased ahead of the upcoming civic election in the State. The wards of Bicholim and Cuncolim civic bodies are to be increased from the current 12 to 14. The Municipal Council of Curchorem-Cacora will have its strength increased by one to 15, while the number of wards in Quepem Municipal Area will be hiked from 11 to 13. The current 10 wards of Canacona Municipal Council will be increased to 12. >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 PANAJI The North Goa Sessions Court on Friday quashed the charges against Goencho Avaz convenor Viriato Fernandes and Fr Bolmax Pereira among others and the order of the Tiswadi Sub-Divisional magistrate on the basis of which activists and students were detained in the capital on Liberation Day. Judge Irshad Agha had earlier reserved his orders for Friday after hearing arguments on behalf of Fernandes and Fr Pereira, and also the government pleader. The suit filed by Frernandes and Dr Pereira had sought Chicalim Parish Priest Fr Bolmax Pereira and Capt. Viriato Fernandes along with their legal team outside the District and Sessions Court in Panaji. quashing of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s order which Judge Agha allowed. Fr Pereira and Viriato Fernandes were arrested by the Panaji Police on Liberation Day, as they gathered -- with a the goan I network Cong for tie-up, AAP says no, not with ‘corrupt party’ the goan I network PANAJI he Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) while outrightly rejecting the possibility of any alliance with the Congress for the forthcoming Assembly elections in Goa has said the Congress, having realized that they have become redundant in Goa, are now trying to latch on to AAP, a party they had previously accused of being the “B team of BJP”. Reacting to Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President (GPCC) Girish Chodankar’s statement that the Congress cannot align with parties that helped BJP form the government in Goa and hence are T How can AAP even consider an alliance with the Congress which has been a foster mother to the BJP having supplied nearly 200 of its MLAs to them? — Rahul Mhambre open to an alliance with AAP, AAP Goa convener Rahul Mhambre retorted, “How can AAP even consider an alliance with the Congress which has been a foster mother to the BJP having supplied nearly 200 of its MLAs to them?” Thanking Chodankar for giving AAP a certificate that it is the only party fighting the BJP everywhere, be it the Lok Sabha or state assemblies, Mhambre said that he was glad that the Congress has realized the reality now which people of Goa had known for quite some time now and said AAP is the “A team to oppose BJP”. He pointed out that currently two sons of a Congress MLA have joined the BJP while the son of another prominent Congress MLA is a minister in the BJP government having joined that party and while pointing out that till date not a single MLA of AAP has defected. He said his party cannot align with a party that has constantly been provided elected representatives to the BJP. Mhambre said the Congress is in alliance with the BJP in Goa given the fact that many of the present legislators were earlier MLAs of the Congress and said both the Congress and BJP are thoroughly corrupt and Goa needs a clean and honest party now. “It is a known fact that whenever Congress has formed an alliance, it has been the reason why the alliance has failed. Why should AAP align with a party that has such a bad history?,” Mhambre demanded while asserting that Chodankar is just playing a gimmick to save the presidentship of GPCC for himself. >Continued on P5 3rd Test: India dominates RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Can’t trust any party associated with BJP in past, says Girish PANAJI: Congress president Girish Chodankar in an interview with Prudent Media aired on Friday stated that the Congress is open for an alliance with the AAP during the upcoming Goa Assembly polls. “Political parties which have never comprised with the BJP. If the AAP’s intentions of defeating the BJP are clear and they come forward, Congress should be open for an alliance,” Chodankar stated. Konkani gets a booster with Academy in Delhi the goan I network PANAJI Konkani which is Goa’s official language got a boost on Friday with the Delhi government decision to set up a Konkani Academy in the national capital. The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting held on Friday and announced by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal via his official handle on micro-blogging site Twitter. Kejriwal said in his tweet: “Congratulations to all Konkani speaking people and all those who love Konkani language. To promote Konkani language, Delhi Cabinet today approved setting up of a Konkani academy in Delhi.” The Konkani Academy in Delhi will be the fifteenth such Indian language academy set up by the Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government under its Art, Culture and Languages department which is headed by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. Sisodia said in a statement after the decision: “Goa has a 1 The Konkani Academy in Delhi will be the fifteenth such Indian language academy set up by the AAP government under its Art, Culture and Languages department The Konkani Academy will introduce various awards to 2 special place in every Indian’s heart. Delhi government’s Konkani Academy will bring forth the best of authentic Konkani culture to the capital.” The Konkani academy will introduce various awards to promote and reward the good works of people in the Konkani language and culture The government will also provide language courses through this academy and also celebrate and organize cultural festivals for Konkani-speaking people 3 promote and reward the good works of people in the Konkani language and culture. The government will also provide language courses through this academy and also celebrate and organize cultural festivals for Konkani speaking people. India, UK resume flight operations AGENCIES NEW DELHI Nearly a week after the government suspended flights to and from the United Kingdom amid concerns over the new Coronavirus strain, the two countries resumed normal flight operations from Friday. According to reports, the first flight carrying 256 passengers arrived in the national capital from London on Friday. The resumption of the normal flight operations comes nearly a week after the government suspended services between India and UK on December 23 over the new and more contagious strain of the virus. According to an announcement by Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri, 30 flights will operate every week - 15 each by Indian and UK carriers. This will stand till 23 >Continued on P5