log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday MONDAY JANUARY 11, 2021 GOA River Sal dredging: fishermen set host of conditions for CoP IN SHORT >> Mamata announces free COVID vaccine KOLKATA: Ahead of the state assembly election, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday announced free Coronavirus vaccine for people of West Bengal. In a letter to frontline workers, Mamata said that the Trinamool Congress government will ensure COVID-19 vaccine reaches free of cost to everyone in the state. M’rashtra opposition leaders’ security cut MUMBAI: government has reduced the security of Leader of Opposition in the assembly Devendra Fadnavis and his family, former UP governor Ram Naik and MNS president Raj Thackeray, and withdrawn the security cover of state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil. BJP termed it as ‘vendetta politics’. Indonesia locates plane’s black box Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday 8 pages PRICE ` 6 2 The Goan (Playstore) PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VI, NO. 202 GOA Minister: Delegate more powers to Zillas, hike budget allocation 3 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INDIA Rs 1,364 crore paid to 20.5 lakh undeserving beneficiaries: RTI 6 Goa vaccination drive from Jan 16; Covid warriors first 8 HOSPITALS IDENTIFIED FOR INOCULATION PROGRAMME IN THE STATE THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Even as questions are being raised in scientific quarters over the accelerated clearances to the Covid-19 vaccines and non-clarity over stage 3 trials and efficacy results, Goa is readying its infrastructure to launch its drive, possibly as soon as on January 16. Around 18,000 health care workers will be the first set of recipients of the much awaited vaccine Eight hospitals in Goa including five government hospitals have been identified by the health officials to roll out the vaccination drive. Health officials said, the Goa Medical College and Hospital in Bambolim, Hospicio Hospital Margao, Asilo Hospital Mapusa, Chicalim Health Centre and the Sub-District Centre guides states/UTs on Co-WIN management THE 8 HOSPITALS ARE … „„Goa Medical College „„Hospicio-Margao „„Asilo-Mapusa „„Chicalim Health Centre „„Sub District Hospital, Ponda „„Manipal Hospital, Dona Paula „„Healthway Hospital, Old Goa „„Victor Hospital, Margao Hospital Ponda are the five State-run hospitals identified. Three other private hospitals - - Manipal Hospital at Dona Paula, Healthway Hospital at Old Goa and Victor Hospital in Margao - - are the three private facilities where the vaccination drive will be held. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to hold a video-conference meeting with Chief Ministers on Monday where issues related to the vaccine roll out in the country will be discussed. CM Pramod Sawant said, after the video-conferencing meet with the Prime Minister, a meeting with officials of all concerned departments will be held to decide nitty-gritty >Continued on P5 JAKARTA: Authorities have pinpointed the location of two black boxes from a crashed Indonesian jet, they said Sunday, referring to cockpit voice and flight data recorders that could help explain why the aircraft went down with 62 people aboard.  >> See pg 7 Shareholders to file FIRs against MUCB directors Mike Pence to attend Biden’s inauguration NEW DELHI: With Covid-19 vaccination drive set to begin across the country from 16 January, Centre on Sunday guided states/UTs on Co-WIN management. The Co-WIN (COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network) app is a digital platform created for real-time monitoring of Covid-19 vaccine delivery and distribution by the Centre. States and UTs have been collecting data of healthcare and frontline workers who would be administered the anti-coronavirus vaccine on first priority and the data is being uploaded on the CoWIN software. “The Centre has been pro- actively carrying activities towards preparing for the nationwide roll-out of COVID-19 vaccine in close collaboration with States/UTs and all stakeholders. The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Sunday held a video conference with administrators from states and UTs on the Co-WIN software which forms the backbone of the last mile vaccine administration,” said Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in an official release. The meeting was chaired by Ram Sewak Sharma, Chairman of Empowered Group on >Continued on P5 SPORTS Aus dismiss set openers as India face uphill task in pursuit of 407 8 Govt refuses to budge from demarcation of land for IIT in Sattari THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In a show of adamancy, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday said the team of revenue officials will continue on Monday the survey and demarcation work of land in Sattari allotted to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Sawant admitted that work in the village of Melaulim had faced some obstruction but insisted that it will start again on Monday. He also advised the villagers not to fight there and cause obstruction to the government officials and instead engage in talks to resolve issues. Meanwhile, the situation in Melaulim remained peaceful even as a group of protesting villagers continued to stay in the forests more than two days after violence erupted there when a band of officials were attacked with stone-pelting. The police had resorted to a lathi-charge to bring the situation under control and virtually laid a siege in the MONDAY ACTION „„The Chief Minister said the survey and demarcation work will continue on Monday MELAULI CALM „„The situation in Melaulim remained peaceful even as a group of protesting villagers continued to stay in the area by deploying more forces there and also beefing up the strength at the Valpoi Police Station. The villagers have been protesting against the loss of their land to the prestigious IIT campus project for several months now. Earlier the government had already de-notified some 40,000 square meters of land from the original 10-lakh >Continued on P5 THE GOAN I NETWORK WASHINGTON: US Vice President Mike Pence will attend President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ inauguration on January 20, a senior official confirmed. This is second such instance where Pence has taken a split decision from that of Trump. The outgoing V-P loyally stood behind Trump for four years. After long, Chaudi’s Sat bazaar reopens CANACONA: The response may have been poor, but locals welcomed the reopening of the Canacona’s weekly Saturday bazaar at Chaudi after a gap of 42 weeks since the lockdown. According to sources, a few inter-state vendors brought their stocks, particularly vegetables and fruits, late Friday night and some loaded trucks arrived on Saturday morning.  >> See pg 3 WEATHER >> Max: 33.5 C Min: 25.0 C Humidity: 92% TIDES Low: High: 03:07 15:24 08:35 22:43 SNOW WARRIORS SET 10-DAY DEADLINE FOR LIST OF DEFAULTERS MARGAO In an unprecedented development, the beleaguered shareholders went ahead with the adjourned annual general meeting of the Madgaum Urban Cooperative Bank (MUCB) on Sunday sans the Board of Directors, setting a 10-day deadline for the Directors to disclose the list of loan defaulters or face gheraos at their residences and work place. The meeting further resolved to lodge criminal complaints against the BoDs for criminal liability. The shareholders vowed to take legal recourse if no FIR is registered against the BoDs. While the MUCB Board had on Friday postponed the adjourned annual general body meeting citing COVID restrictions, beleaguered shareholders kept a date at the Bhandari Bhavan, Margao as they turned up in sizeable numbers for the meeting on Sunday morning. Unlike in the past when the annual general meeting was presided over by the Bank chairman and Board of Directors, shareholders Dinisio Sardinha chaired the meeting before the assembly adopted a host of resolutions. Shareholders’ meeting in progress at the Bhandari Bhavan, Margao. Santosh Mirajkar The shareholders demanded that the BoDs provide the list along with all details as was requested in the Annual General Meeting held on December 26 last. In another resolution, the shareholders demanded that the Bank provide a list of movable and immovable properties and collateral securities, besides liquid cash with the bank as on date. The meeting called upon the management to trim the bank staff and merge them in other branches to stop further losses. The bank has been requested to shift the branches from rented premises to the bank’s own property and >Continued on P5 SOME RESOLUTIONS „„BoDs should provide list of defaulters along with all details within 10 days „„Will gherao directors at their residences or work place if list is not provided „„Will file criminal complaints against the BoDs for criminal liability „„Want staff trimmed, merged with other branches and rented premises shut Two sisters Qurat-ul-Ain Zohra and Aiman Zohra along with their mother give a final touch to a snow sculpture to honour health workers and their fight against COVID-19, after a heavy snowfall, outside their residence in Srinagar, on Sunday.  PTI SC to hear clutch of farm pleas today AGENCIES NEW DELHI After eight rounds of talks between the Centre and the farmer unions to end agitation against the new farm laws remained inconclusive, all eyes are now on the Supreme Court which is going to hear on a clutch of petitions related to the protests on Monday. The hearing on the pleas by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde comes ahead of Centre’s meeting with the farmer leaders on January 15 to break the deadlock. Earlier on December 17, 2020, the apex court had acknowledged the right of farmers to non-violent protests and suggested the idea of putting on hold the new farm laws to enable negotiations with agitating farmers. The Centre on the other hand had said that agriculturists would then not come forward for the talks. The top court had said, “It will not interfere with the farmers’ protest against the three farms laws. We are of the view at this stage that the farmers’ protest should be allowed to continue without impediment and without any breach of peace either by the protesters or police.” It also said that the court was of the view that the farmers’ right to protest should not infringe the fundamental rights of others to move freely and in getting essential food and other supplies as the right to protest cannot mean blockade of the entire city. Modi is now most followed Siraj called ‘Brown Dog’ & ‘Big Monkey’: BCCI source active politician on Twitter SAID BCCI SOURCE … PTI AGENCIES NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi has now become the most followed active politician on Twitter after the micro-blogging platform imposed a permanent suspension on outgoing US President Donald Trump. Twitter blocked Trump’s account after January 6 incident when hundreds of Trump’s supporters stormed inside the Capitol Hill leading to death of five people. Trump had 88.7 million followers before Twitter suspended his account and PM Modi currently has 64.7 million followers. Former US DONALD TRUMP BARACK OBAMA „„Had 88.7 million followers before Twitter suspended his account „„He is still the most followed politician on Twitter with 127.9 million followers NARENDRA MODI JOE BIDEN „„The Indian Prime Minister currently has 64.7 million followers President Barack Obama, however, is still the most followed politician on Twitter with 127.9 million followers. US President-elect Joe Biden has 23.3 million followers. When it comes to India, Un- „„The US President-elect has 23.3 million followers ion Home Minister Amit Shah has 24.2 million followers and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has 21.2 million followers. >Continued on P5 SYDNEY n the conditions of anonymity, a BCCI source revealed that Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj faced racist chants from a particular section of the crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG); he was called a ‘Brown Dog’ and a ‘Big Monkey’. The source claimed that even Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah received abusive words from a few spectators in the SCG crowd. Team India lodged a complaint regarding the same to match referee David Boon after the end of Day 3. However, Mohammed Siraj continued to hear racist chants while fielding on the boundary on Day 4. During the 86th over 1 2 both of which are racist slurs. The matter was immediately brought to the notice of onfield umpires. They were constantly abusing Bumrah too,” the BCCI source said. The source continued: “Actually, the players didn’t want to lose focus during the proceedings and decided that the matter would be reported only after the day’s play was over. However, the umpires have told us that the moment anything of that nature happens, the players should report immediately.” After Mohammed Siraj complained to the on-field umpires, play was halted for about eight minutes on Day 4. The New South Wales police began to take note of who exactly hurled the alleged racist Actually, the players didn’t want to lose focus during the proceedings and decided that the matter would be reported only after the day’s play was over O Mohammed Siraj in action on day four of the third cricket Test between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. PTI of Australia’s second innings, the 26-year-old complained to the on-field umpires about the same. Speaking to PTI, the BCCI source explained what the umpires had told the Indian team after Mohammed Siraj complained about the alleged racism he faced. “Siraj was referred to as ‘Brown Dog’ and ‘Big Monkey’ However, the umpires have told us that the moment anything of that nature happens, the players should report immediately >Continued on P5