log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday THURSDAY JANUARY 14, 2021 GOA ST organisations say they don’t trust health minister on IIT issue FOR SALE Exellent 2 BHK FLAT 105 sq.mtr.- 3 Balconies, Near Fairfield Mariott, Near Beach Gauravaddo, Calangute. Direct dealing with the Buyer / Party Brokers Excuse Contact: 7760805555 IN SHORT >> Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday 8 pages PRICE ` 6 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VI, NO. 205 2 GOA Municipal polls bonanza: Rs 8 crore works to be taken up in Mapusa Process to delimit CCP wards begins PANAJI: With its term ending and elections due in early March, the process to reorganise and delimit the 30 wards of The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) was set in motion on Wednesday. The executive magistrate of Tiswadi was asked by the Urban Development Department to complete the process of rationalisation of the 30 CCP wards by January 19.   >> See pg 3 Goa pact with IIFCL for infra projects PANAJI: The State government has decided to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of India owned India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL) for infrastructure projects including financing and project structuring. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said: “It is proposed to sign an MoU between Government of Goa and IIFCL shortly.”  >> See pg 3 Truckers: Resume mining activities MARGAO: President of Margao Salcete Truck Owners Association Franky Gomes has demanded the early resumption of mining activities so that the truck owners get business of transporting ore. Franky also questioned the movement by the NGOs against double-tracking and coal, saying any stoppage of coal will leave the truck owners high and dry, denying them business of transporting.  >> See pg 2 WEATHER >> Max: 35.1 C Min: 22.2 C Humidity: 84% TIDES Low: High: 05:42 17:38 00:06 11:12 3 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 7 NEWS India to buy 83 Tejas LCA fighters for Rs 45,696 cr 23,500 shots of Covid vaccine received: CM WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO ALL CENTRES 24 HOURS PRIOR TO VACCINATION DAY THE GOAN I NETWORK Students from Shahzada Nand College, wearing traditional Punjabi attire, perform ‘Gidha’ during an event to celebrate the ‘Lohri’ festival in Amritsar, on Wednesday.  PTI The Goan (Playstore) PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant informed that Goa has received 2,350 vials with 10 doses each, totaling 23,500 shots of Covid-19 vaccine ‘Covishied’ on Wednesday morning ahead of the nationwide drive for vaccination. “We have received 23,500 doses of the vaccine and we have stored them in a proper place to maintain the cold chain system. The doses will be distributed to all centres 24 hours prior to vaccination day. The first vaccination will be given as per appointment to frontline health workers and this will start from January 16 at seven of the eight notified hospitals in the state,” CM Sawant said. Vaccine consignments reach several cities The consignments that arrived at the Dabolim airport. The first consignment of Covid-19 vaccine arrived in Goa at around 6.30 am. The two boxes containing Covid-19 vaccine landed at Dabolim airport and were handed over immediately to the officials of the Health Department. ‘Covishield’ developed by the Serum Institute of India NEW DELHI: With less than a week left before India starts its nationwide inoculation drive, batches of coronavirus vaccine were shipped to multiple parts across the country on Wednesday. From Assam to Goa and from Jammu and Kashmir to Kerala, the vaccines were carefully transported to different parts of the country. As many as 3 crore healthcare and frontline workers will be the first in line to receive the shot. Pune’s Serum Institute of India and Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech received the Drug Controller General of India’s approval on January 3 for “restricted” use of their Covid-19 vaccines in an “emergency” situation. (SII) was recently granted emergency use approval. SII will provide the first 100 million doses of the vaccine at a Taleigao in CCP: Ultimatum served on the Monserrates special price tag of Rs 200 per dose, excluding the taxes, as per the Union Government’s request. ESI Hospital staff looking forward to get vaccinated MARGAO: With two days left for the Covid vaccination to roll out, health workers attached to the ESI hospital are also looking forward to get a dose of the vaccine. ESI Hospital plays host to around 120 regular staff, comprising of doctors and paramedics and the total number of employees, including contract workers, is pegged over 200.  >> See pg 2 “People should not create chaos. Within a short span >Continued on P5 SPORTS FC Goa coach pledges to take one game at a time 8 Shripad’s condition improving, now off ventilator: Sawant THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI A three-member team of All India Institute of Medical Sciences arrived in Goa late on Tuesday night and rushed to Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim to review the health condition of Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik. Naik’s vehicle met with a horrific accident on January 11 near Hillur-Hosakambi village in Ankola taluka of Karnataka’s Uttar Kannada district and Naik’s wife, Vijaya, and his close aide, Dipak Ghume, lost their life. AIIMS team has said that Naik is stable and that there is no need to shift him to Delhi. Speaking to reporters after visiting Naik, Dr Rajashree from AIIMS said, “The management in this hospital is very good. We are very satisfied about his status vis a vis the bleeding and blood pressure and other things. We have seen him and given a bit of advice on how to take him Last rites of Vijaya Naik today at Adpai PANAJI: Mortal remains of late Vijaya Shripad Naik will be placed at Sao Pedro residence between 9.30 am and 10.30 am on January 14 for well wishers to pay their last respects. Thereafter, the family will proceed towards their ancestral home at Adpai where the last rites will be performed at 1.30 pm. off the ventilator on Wednesday. We will make more decisions later about his management. As of now, he is quite stable. Presently,there doesn’t seem to be any need to shift him to Delhi. He is very well looked after here. We might not have to stay here for long and the team of doctors here is very good.” >Continued on P5 FESTIVE SPIRIT RESIDENTS SEEK CLARITY; WARN OF AGITATION THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI ‘Taleigaonkars’ on Wednesday served an ultimatum to their local MLA and Revenue Minister Jennifer Monserrate and Panaji MLA Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate to publicly clarify their stand until Sunday on the proposal to merge Taleigao panchayat into the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) or face an agitation. “From Sunday we will start mobilising the entire Taleigao village and launch an agitation against the move,” Advocate Pundalik Raikar said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon. Earlier in the day, Jennifer took to social media site Facebook to announce that there was no such move to merge Taleigao panchayat into the CCP. Raikar meanwhile accused the Monserrates of a sinister design to further their real estate vested interests which he said is destroying Taleigao’s verdant green cultivable lands with concrete edifices and an illegal network of roads by merging the panchayat into CCP. Raikar, Xavier Almeida and some others of a collective called ‘Taleigaonkars’ and over a hundred villagers who were present vowed to oppose JENNIFER DENIES PLANS OF MERGER „„In her Facebook post, Jennifer said: “The citizens of Taleigao have always been a force of stability and support to Atanasio Monserrate - Babush & me „„The opinion of our people is extremely valuable and matters to us in any MISSION OPPOSITION „„A collective called ‘Taleigaonkars’ and over a hundred villagers vowed to oppose the proposal to include Taleigao village in CCP’s jurisdiction „„They alleged that Jennifer was only the ‘dejure’ MLA of Taleigao while it is Monserrate who is the ‘de-facto’ MLA and takes all decisions unilaterally on Taleigao the proposal to include Taleigao village in CCP’s jurisdiction. Raikar also alleged that Jennifer was only the ‘dejure’ MLA of Taleigao while it is Mr Monserrate who is the ‘de-facto’ MLA and takes all decision making process involving Taleigao „„We assure the people of Taleigao that there is no proposal to include the Taleigao panchayat with the Corporation of the City of Panaji” decisions unilaterally on Taleigao. He said for the last nearly 20 years, Monserrate had only one agenda: Real Estate. He also listed a number of issues such as higher taxes, doubling of the garbage problem, displacement of Taleigaonkars with big real estate projects among others if the plan to merge the panchayat with CCP goes ahead. Meanwhile, in her Facebook post, Jennifer said: “The citizens of Taleigao have always been a force of stability and support to Atanasio Monserrate - Babush & me. The opinion of our people is extremely valuable and matters to us in any decision making process involving Taleigao. We assure the people of Taleigao that there is no proposal to include the Taleigao panchayat with the Corporation of the City of Panaji.” People making last-minute purchases in Panaji ahead of Makar Sankranti, a festival dedicated to the deity Surya, which will be celebrated across the nation on Thursday. Narayan Pissurlenkar Police teams exit Melauli, locals continue stir THE GOAN I NETWORK VALPOI It was a minor victory of sorts for Shel-Melauli locals agitating against the IIT project, after police teams were withdrawn from all entry points to the village. Police presence had intensified last week to provide security to the government surveyors conducting demarcation work for the IIT project and at all entry points to Melauli, to prevent people from elsewhere to join in the ongoing anti-IIT agitation by the Melauli locals. However, the police action >Continued on P5 16 granted anticipatory bail in Melaulim issue PANAJI: Around 16 people including Sankalp Amonkar of Goa Congress, Revolutionary Goan leader Manoj Parab and Rohan Kalangutkar have been granted anticipatory bail by the District and Sessions Court, Panaji. They have been asked not to enter Melaulim village for 2 months from today. They have also been asked to report to Crime Branch for 5 days, from Jan 18 to Jan 22 between 10 am to 12 noon. Debate on as Republicans join Will others write to CM on double-tracking & coal? Democrats to impeach Trump THE GOAN I NETWORK AGENCIES WASHINGTON The US House of Representatives on Wednesday began debating legislation to impeach President Donald Trump for the second time of his presidency. The House is set to first hold a vote setting rules for Wednesday’s debate. If it is approved, as expected, it will set the stage for a vote later in the day on passage of one article of impeachment charging Trump with inciting insurrection in a speech he made last week that led to rioting in the US Capitol. A week after Trump’s sup- AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRESS US House votes 221 to 203 to advance Trump Impeachment Bill porters stormed the Capitol, the US House of Representatives will vote to impeach him for his role in an assault on American democracy that stunned the nation and left five dead. The House is currently in session and will begin impeachment proceedings. At least five Republicans have said they would join Democrats to impeach Trump for the second time, just seven days before he is due to leave office and President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on January 20. A vote of the House majority to impeach would trigger a trial in the still Republican-controlled Senate, although it was unclear whether such a trial would take place in time to expel Trump from the White House. Democrats moved forward on an impeachment vote after Vice President Mike Pence rejected an effort to persuade him to invoke the 25th >Continued on P5 MARGAO ill Salcete’s lone minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues and the two BJP MLAs from the minority heartland -- Cuncolim MLA Clafacio Dias and Wilfred D’Sa -- follow in the footsteps of the Health Minister and tell Chief Minister Pramod Sawant they are strongly objected to coal and track doubling projects passing through Salcete? Filipe Neri and the two MLAs -- Clafacio and Wilfred told The Goan on Wednesday they need not write to the government on the controversial projects, having already petitioned the Chief Minister in the past on how the coal issue has W 1 Filipe Neri Rodrigues said he had raised people’s concern in the Cabinet on coal and track doubling, adding that the Chief Minister has been apprised of the sentiments on these issues Since I took up the matter with the Chief Minister, major work on the project has 2 raised concerns and apprehensions amongst the Salcete populace and their demand to cap these projects. In fact, the Salcete lone minister said he had raised people’s concern in the come to a halt. We have been waiting for the Union Ministers to come down to Goa, he said There’s no need for me to write any letter to the Chief Minister to scrap the coal and track doubling since I had already taken up with the matter with the Chief Minister, he said 3 Cabinet on coal and track doubling, adding that the Chief Minister has been apprised of the sentiments on these issues. “Since I took up the matter with the Chief Minister, major work on the project has come to a halt. We have been waiting for the Union Ministers to come down to Goa before the government take further decisions”, he said. Filipe Neri pointed out that the government is also waiting for the Supreme Court appointed committee to visit the state later this month. “There’s no need for me to write any letter to the Chief Minister to scrap the coal and track doubling since I had already taken up with the matter with the Chief Minister in the Cabinet”, he said. Incidentally, Filipe Neri sought to downplay Ports Minister Michael Lobo’s bold statements made in his presence in his home village Dramapur-Sirlim that both the ministers will go to any extent to take decisions in the interests of the people. “You know the functioning of Michael Lobo. He likes to talk and he made the statements. I have nothing more to say”, Filipe said. Nuvem MLA Wilfred D’Sa too toed the line of the Salcete Minsiter when he said that he along with the village sarpanchas had petitioned to the Chief Minister on the people’s fears and concerns on coal and track doubling. “We had all called on the Chief Minister and submitted a detailed memorandum on the coal issue. The Chief Minister is aware of the demands of >Continued on P5