log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday WEDNESDAY JUNE 29, 2022 14 pages GOA Navigational issues come back to haunt fishermen at River Sal IN SHORT >> 48-hr deadline to stop rail track work MARGAO: Anti-coal activists have sounded the war drums again. With work on the double tracking project continuing unabated, the Goyant Kollso Naka on Tuesday served a 48-hour ultimatum on Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to issue an order, stopping all ongoing track doubling works or face the wrath of the people.   >> See pg 2 Sudin backs Rane for scrapping ODPs PANAJI: Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar has backed Town and Country Minister Vishwajit Rane for his action in scrapping the Outline Development Plans (ODPs) and for other related actions, claiming that Rane is doing a good job. >> See pg 3 IMD predicts heavy rain on June 29, 30 PANAJI: IMD has forecast that there is a possibility of very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Goa on June 29 and 30 even as last week’s heavy rain in the state has brought down the rain deficit to just 13 percent. Sattari anganwadis set to go digital PANAJI: Anganwadis in Sattari will go digital from July 1, with the State government commissioning a digital Anganwadi project in the taluka. A pre-loaded tab will be given to students in Anganwadis.  >> See pg 3 Chopper crashes into sea, 4 dead MUMBAI: A brand new Pawan Hans Sikorsky chopper with 9 people on board crashed into the Arabian Sea, about 50 nautical miles from the Mumbai coast on Tuesday, killing four people . Zubair sent to 4-day police custody NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Tuesday extended by four days the custodial interrogation of Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair in a case related to an “objectionable tweet” he had posted in 2018 against a Hindu deity. Ambani resigns from Jio, son to head ops MUMBAI: Mukesh Ambani has resigned from the board of Reliance Jio and handed over the reins of the company to elder son Akash. WEATHER >> Max: 31 C Min: 24 C Humidity: 91% TIDES Low: High: 04.39 17.33 11.57 22.16 Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday PRICE ` 6 2 The Goan (Playstore) PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VIII, NO.12 GOA First electric pink rickshaw for women in Mapusa 3 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Can cucumber help prevent and manage diabetes? 9 Court orders State to hold p’yat polls within 45 days DIRECTS GOVT, SEC TO ISSUE NOTIFICATION IN 3 DAYS K E Y H I G H CO U RT O B SE R VAT I O N S THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Bombay High Court at Goa directed the State government and the State Election Commission to issue a Notification appointing the date for holding of elections to 186 Panchayats, whose terms have expired or due to expire shortly, within three days as well as complete the process within 45 days. The orders of the High Court were issued, after it rejected the Goa government’s contentions that it had taken a “conscious decision” to hold the panchayat polls in September in view of the ongoing monsoon season. “The monsoons, a yearly feature in Goa, cannot be „„Monsoons, a yearly feature in Goa, cannot be elevated to the level of ‘a natural calamity’... merely because there may have been some flash floods or even cyclones in the past „„Monsoons generally cannot afford an excuse for defying the constitutional mandate in Article 243-E „„This is the fourth instance in the last two decades when the State Government and the SEC have avoided or failed to comply with the constitutional mandate „„The delay and consequent defiance of the constitutional mandate has become a regular feature „„There are no reported instances of any action against those responsible for defiant breaches of the constitutional mandate „„Administrators appointed by govt must not to take any decisions of consequence rather than routine administrative matters elevated to the level of ‘a natural calamity’... merely because there may have been some flash floods or even cyclones in the past. Monsoons generally cannot afford an excuse for defying the constitutional mandate in Article 243-E,” a bench of Justices M S Sonak and R N Laddha, ruled. Advocate General Devidas Pangam had told the court that Goa receives rainfall of about 110 to 120 inches during the monsoons. “In the past, there have been cyclones and floods. The Government staff and machinery are involved in disaster management. Therefore, Prophet row: Man’s throat slit for supporting Nupur  NIA RUSHES TO THE SITE  INTERNET ACROSS RAJASTHAN SHUT  SEC 144 CLAMPED  ISIS LINK BEING PROBED PTI JAIPUR Two men slit the throat of a tailor in Udaipur on Tuesday, saying in a video post on social media that they are avenging an insult to Islam and triggering communal tension in the Rajasthan city. At 8 pm, curfew was declared till further orders in seven police station areas in the city as Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot appealed for calm. A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team has been rushed to the Udaipur city in Rajasthan to ascertain exact facts of the matter, particularly potential ISIS link, according to Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sources. The men who allegedly carried out the daylight murder posted videos online admitting to the crime and were taken into custody by police. In a video clip, one of the purported assailants declared that they had beheaded the man and then threatened Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying their knife will get him as well. Indirectly, the assailants referred to Nupur Sharma, the BJP leader suspended from the party over a remark on Prophet Mohammad. Smoke billows from a burning object after violence erupted following the murder of a tailor in Udaipur on Tuesday. Kanhaiya Lal, the tailor, was recently arrested by the local police over some remarks made on social media by him. The assailants entered his shop in the city’s Dhan Mandi area posing as customers. As the tailor took the measurements of one of them -- who later identified himself as Riaz -- attacked him with a cleaver. The other man shot the brutal murder with his mobile phone. The two men fled from the scene and later uploaded the clip on social media. In another video, the alleged assailant said they beheaded the tailor and threatened the prime minister for lighting this fire. HOW IT HAPPENED… „„Kanhaiya Lal was at his shop when attackers walk in pretending to be customers „„He measures one of the men, who suddenly attacks him „„The man strikes him with a cleaver as other films the murder „„Killers try to behead him but cannot... neck was slit „„Kanhaiya had been threatened multiple times over his social media posts in support Nupur Sharma Alarm bells over Covid deaths, three succumb THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Covid raised its ugly head again in the State with three more people succumbing to the virus in the last 24 hours. Of the three Covid deaths, 38-year-old female from Rivona, Sanguem who had been vaccinated with two doses succumbed to the virus. The second victim is a 50-year-old male from South Goa who had not been vaccinated even with a single dose. The third victim is a 47year old male from Margao. Two of these deaths occurred at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim. On June 26, Goa had reported two Covid deaths. Both the Covid deaths reported had not taken the precautionary dose. According to Health Department bulletin issued by the Directorate of Health Services, 168 new cases were reported on Tuesday. The total Covid count of the State is now inching towards the 1000 mark and presently stands at 932. The health bulletin also revealed that 156 people had fully recovered. With 1,381 samples being examined on Tuesday, the overall number of tests in the State went up to 19,78,512, the health bulletin said. with all responsibility, the State Government has taken a ‘conscious decision’ to hold the elections in September 2022,” Adv Pangam said. The Director of Panchayats even went to the extent of submitting that “on account of the rains, there are chances of the paper being spoiled or the ink being smudged, etc. when the voter handles the ballot paper while voting in the election.” “With respect to the Director, we think that this trivialises the constitutional mandate described by the Supreme Court as inviolable,” the High Court observed. The High Court however rejected the state >Continued on P5 SPORTS England’s captain Eoin Morgan retires from international cricket 14 Recruitment of JEs in PWD being scrapped, HC told THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In a significant indictment of the state of affairs under his own regime, the Goa government headed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has told the Bombay High court that it is scrapping the entire process of recruitment of junior engineers in the Public Works Department. The process was earlier put on hold by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant after complaints from his own MLAs that the process was rigged by the then PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar, who was later denied a ticket by the ruling BJP. The Goa government had launched a vigilance inquiry into the alleged sale of jobs by Pauskar, who was accused by his own party colleagues of selling government jobs for up to Rs 35-lakh. The job scam was also challenged before the Bombay Govt had launched a vigilance inquiry into the alleged sale of jobs by Pauskar, who was accused of selling government jobs for up to Rs 35 lakh High Court seeking scrapping of the process in the wake of the corruption allegations. BJP MLA Atanasio Monserrate has accused his party colleague and PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar of demanding and accepting Rs 25-30 lakh per post in the department of public works, recruitment for which is currently underway. Monserrate claimed he had “proof that Pauskar was selling the posts to the highest bidder” and called on the Chief Minister to scrap the current recruitment process. The Opposition Congress had also demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the scam. Midnight crash: 19 dead in Mumbai building collapse RESIDENTS WERE PUT ON NOTICE BY BMC PTI MUMBAI At least 19 people were killed and 14 injured after a four-storey building, which had been declared as dilapidated once but later held to be ‘reparable’, collapsed in Mumbai’s Kurla area around Monday midnight. Following the incident, another building in the complex of four buildings, Naik Nagar Housing Society, was evacuated as it too was deemed dangerous, and was later demolished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). According to senior BMC officials, residents of the building, constructed in 1973, had undertaken to carry out repairs, but apparently no repairs were carried out. Search and rescue operations were underway. As per a senior official, residents of the building had been repeatedly warned about the condition of the building, but they insisted on staying there. As many as 23 people were rescued from the debris since midnight. Fourteen of them were declared dead, said an official. In the evening, four persons were declared brought dead at BMC-run Sion hospital. A woman who was trapped under the debris was rescued Rescue operation underway after a four-storey building collapsed at Naik Nagar in Kurla East, Mumbai on Tuesday. by a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Rescuers cheered when she was brought out alive. When a BMC fire brigade team first reached the spot, locals informed them that around 20-22 people were trapped under the debris. Around a dozen fire engines were deployed besides two rescue vans and other equipment, the official said. Besides fire brigade and two NDRF teams, BMC officials and police were also involved in the search and rescue operation. The BMC had issued notices to the building repeatedly since 2013 under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, initially for repairs and then for vacating it and demolition, Additional Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said. “Even prosecution for non-compliance was initiated. Later the residents got structural audit redone and got the building categorised as repairable, but didn’t carry out the repairs,” said Bhide who visited the spot on Tuesday and reviewed the search and rescue. Despite the BMC’s warnings and attempts to get the building vacated, people continued to live in it, she claimed. The residents had even given undertaking they would continue to live there at their own risk and cost, Bhide said. Finally, ban on single-use Pre-packed labelled food items to attract GST plastic items from July 1 States want extension of GST compensation P FROM MEAT, FISH, CURD TO PANEER AND HONEY… PTI PTI NEW DELHI Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Tuesday said the government has given enough time to the industry and the general public to prepare for the ban on single-use plastic items and it hopes for everyone’s cooperation in implementing it from July 1. Environment ministry officials said the notification to ban 19 SUP items was issued under the Environment Protection Act (EPA) and any violation will invite punitive action, including a fine or a jail term or both, detailed under Section 15 of the Act. WHAT’S IN THE LIST „„Earbuds, plastic sticks for balloons „„Flags, candy sticks „„Ice-cream sticks, thermocol, plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, straws, trays „„Wrapping or packaging films around sweets boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets According to the All India Plastic Manufacturers Association (AIPMA), around 88,000 units are engaged in manufacturing SUPs in the country. These units employ about 1 million people. Beverage makers such as Parle Agro, Amul and Dabur had earlier urged the government to extend the deadline to implement the ban by six months given the limited availability of paper straws. TAXING TIMES FOR COMMON MAN CHANDIGARH re-packed and labelled food items like meat, fish, curd, paneer and honey will now attract GST, a tax that will also be levied on the fee that banks charge for the issue of cheques. This after the GST Council -- the highest decision-making body on the levy of goods and services tax -- accepted most of the recommendations of a group of ministers from States on withdrawing exemptions with a view to rationalising the levy, officials said. The panel headed by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and comprising representatives of all states „„12% tax on hotel rooms below Rs 1,000/day to be levied, as against a tax exemption currently „„18% GST to be levied on fee charged by banks for cheques (loose or in book form) „„Maps & charts including atlases will attract a 12% levy „„Goods that are unpacked, unlabelled and unbranded to remain exempt from GST „„Correction in inverted duty structure for edible oil, coal, LED lamps, printing/ drawing ink, finished leather and solar water heater CHANDIGARH: The Council is likely to discuss on Wednesday the demand for an extension of compensation paid to states for revenue lost from their taxes such as sales tax (VAT) being subsumed into a national GST, besides a 28 per cent tax on casinos, online gaming and horse racing. and UTs, on the first day of the two-day meeting accepted the GoM’s recommendation for reviewing the exemption from GST that packed and labelled food items currently get. So pre-packed and labelled meat (except frozen), fish, curd, paneer, honey, dried leguminous vegetables, dried makhana, wheat and other cereals, wheat or meslin flour, jaggery, puffed rice (muri), all goods and organic manure and coir pith compost will not be exempted from GST and will now attract a 5 per cent tax. Similarly, an 18 per cent GST will be levied on fee charged by banks for the issue of cheques (loose or in book form). Maps and charts including atlases will attract a 12 per cent levy. Goods that are unpacked, unlabelled and unbranded will continue to remain exempt from GST. Besides, a 12 per cent tax on hotel rooms below Rs 1,000/ day will be levied, as against a tax exemption currently.