log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday WEDNESDAY JULY 27, 2022 Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday 14 pages PRICE ` 6 The Goan (Playstore) PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VIII, NO. 40 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday Neeraj Chopra ruled out of CWG with injury  >> p14 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Read, Think & Act Launching in Goa on 29th July coming soon to schools near you www.readindia.info IN SHORT >> 19 Opposition MPs suspended from RS NEW DELHI: Nineteen opposition MPs, including seven from the Trinamool Congress and six from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, were suspended on Tuesday from attending the sitting of the Rajya Sabha for the entire week for disrupting the House proceedings. 150 test positive for Covid in State PANAJI: Covid cases continued to rise in the State with 150 people testing positive from the 1728 samples that were tested in the last 24 hours registering a positivity rate of 8.68%. With 82 recoveries, the active Covid caseload of the State saw a marginal rise and stands at 737. No proposal to create new States: Centre NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that there was no proposal under consideration of the Centre regarding the creation of a new state in the country. Shinde govt to review 400 orders of Uddhav MUMBAI: Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the new Eknath Shinde-BJP government is reviewing a whopping 400 orders of Uddhav govt in its last days to avoid unnecessary burden on the State exchequer. Sena symbol row: SC hearing on Aug 1 NEW DELHI: SC will hear a fresh plea from Uddhav Thackeray-led camp of Shiv Sena on August 1. The plea seeks a stay on proceedings before ECI on Shinde group's claim for recognition as the 'real' Shiv Sena. UK PM post: Sunak, Truss neck and neck LONDON: There was no clear winner between former Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss after the UK's prime ministerial candidates went head-tohead in their first TV debate. WEATHER >> Max: 31C Min: 25C Humidity: 89% TIDES Low: High: 03.47 16.44 11.08 21.29 Construction of Assagao bar now under a cloud RTI REVEALS P’YAT DID NOT ISSUE CONSTRUCTION LICENCE THE GOAN I NETWORK PLEA TO PANCHAYAT DIRECTOR MAPUSA It is now come to light that the controversial restaurant and bar in Assagao was allegedly built without obtaining necessary permission from the local panchayat. The Assagao village panchayat secretary in response to an RTI application has said that the village panchayat has not issued any construction or repair licences from 2019 till date to Anthony D’Gama or any person for House No 452 in survey no 236/22 situated at Bounta-vaddo, Assagao where the alleged restaurant and bar is being operated from. In a letter to the Director of Panchayat (DoP), Social activist Aires Rodrigues has requested the DoP to direct the Assagao panchayat to „„Direct Assagao panchayat to immediately seal the alleged illegal structure „„Take necessary steps as per law to demolish the alleged illegal construction and prosecute the person/ persons involved „„Sub-division 21 is a tenanted field which has been illegally filled in absolute breach of law „„Construction done without required approval and permissions from the concerned authorities including the panchayat immediately seal the alleged illegal structure and to take necessary steps as per law to demolish the alleged illegal construction and prosecute the person/persons involved in the construction. “The construction activity which reportedly started in 2019-2020 is now a huge bar and restaurant. It is pertinent to note that sub-division 21 is a tenanted field which has been illegally filled in absolute breach of law,” Rodrigues alleged. He further alleged that the construction has been done without the required approval and permissions from the concerned authorities including the panchayat and that any illegal construction cannot be used for any Uproar in Margao market after hoteliers storm fish testing lab DEMAND TO SEE THE EFFICACY OF TESTS THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO The SGPDA wholesale fish market witnessed an uproar in the wee hours of Tuesday after a group of hoteliers demanded to see the fish testing conducted at the market to check the efficacy of the tests. The Fatorda police made its presence felt at the fish testing laboratory in the market after the hoteliers and officials of the Quality Council of India (QCI) came face to face over the fish testing. While the hoteliers demanded to see the efficacy of the fish testing, the QCI officials rejected the demand on the plea that the protocol in place does not permit the staff to conduct the tests in the presence of the public. The hoteliers also demanded to know whether the staff manning the fish testing laboratory had the requisite educational qualifications to conduct the exercise. “We just wanted to see how the staff are conducting the tests to detect formalin. We wanted Monsoon takes a break, expected to revive in Aug THE GOAN I NETWORK from the fishing transporting trucks in the PDA market, pointing out that the fish tested at the laboratory is never returned to the traders or fishermen. MAPUSA Apart from light rainfall reported at some places, the State has not received any major showers for the last more than a week even as the days are turning warm. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that a weak monsoon condition is prevailing over Goa and it may continue for another seven to ten days. However, the monsoon is expected to revive in the early second week of August. “There are no systems to enhance the rainfall activity near Goa region and as such the monsoon currents are weak. There are indications that the ‘monsoon trough’ (a rainfall indicating pattern) is expected to move further northward which will further reduce the rainfall activity,” said Rahul Mohan, a senior IMD official. The monsoon which got off to a delayed start saw a weak pattern in the first 20 days of June but picked up speed in the last week of the month and first two weeks of July. >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 QCI roped in for tests: FDA chief MARGAO: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director Jyoti Sardesai has pointed out that fish testing at the SGPDA wholesale fish market is being carried out by Quality Council of India (QCI) on behalf of the FDA, Goa. She further said that QCI is using the latest fish testing kits developed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Shedding light on the fish testing laboratory at SGPDA market after early morning uproar, Sardesai told The Goan that QCI has been roped by the Goa government to conduct fish testing at the borders at Polem and Patradevi, besides SGPDA wholesale fish market. She said the QCI officials conducting fish testing at the border check posts and at the wholesale fish market send their reports to the FDA Goa on a daily basis. She also said not a single instance of fish laced with formalin has come to light since the QCI was roped in to conduct tests. to know what the test was all about and whether they were eligible to conduct the tests”, the hotelier said. They also raised the question how the staff manning the laboratory is disposing off the fish brought for testing business activity. Rodrigues has urged the DoP to direct the Assagao panchayat to seal the alleged illegal structure and take steps to demolish the construction and prosecute the persons involved in the alleged illegal activity. Silly Souls Cafe and Bar, the posh restaurant operated by Union Minister Smriti Irani’s daughter Zoish Irani in Assagao, hit the headlines after it was found that its owners renewed the restaurant’s liquor licence using the name of a deceased person. Narayan M Gad, the excise commissioner of Goa, had a show-cause notice to the restaurant after receiving a complaint from Rodrigues, who stated that the owners had submitted “fraudulent and fabricated documents” to get the licence State gears to tackle monkeypox, eye on tourists THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI tating that no case of monkeypox has been detected in Goa as ywet, Dr Prashant Suryawanshi, State Epidemiologist and State Surveillance Officer, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) cell, stated that authorities are all geared to tackle any situation with monitoring at airport and port to keep an eye on international tourists arriving from affected countries. Suryawanshi further informed that directions have been issued to district hospitals, sub district hospitals, community health centres, Chicalim hospital and Cansaulim PHC to allot two beds for cases of monkeypox. S CHECKS AT AIRPORT, PORT BEGIN PANAJI: State Epidemiologist Dr Prashant Suryawanshi has said that for the moment, no monkeypox case is detected in Goa and also the public need not worry as the disease is not that dangerous. However, monitoring has already started at the airport and port to screen travellers arriving from affected countries,” he stated. “Right now, international monitoring is going on in the State. The airport and port authorities have been provided guidelines both by the Centre as well as the State. If any traveller shows symptoms of monkeypox they are examined and the authorities are given details of the centers where they need to send the patient,” Dr Suryawanshi stated. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Suryawanshi informed that four cases have been detected in the country, three in Kerala and one in Delhi. “They are all isolated, contacts have been traced and treatment given. If any case is detected in Goa, same procedure will be followed and we are ready to fight against the disease. We will see to it that the State is geared up to tackle any situation and ensure that there is no outbreak of the disease in the State,” he added. 2 BEDS AT HOSPITALS “The district hospitals, sub district hospitals, community health centres, Chicalim hospital and Cansaulim PHC have been directed to allot two beds for cases of monkeypox. Any suspect case will be admitted to these hospitals and given treatment, samples taken and sent to NIV, Pune for further analysis to confirm whether it is a case of monkeypox or not,” said Dr Suryawanshi. He added that the samples include throat swab, serum sample and sample of the rash or legion. “If the report is negative, the patient will be discharged otherwise the patient will be given symptomatic treatment which includes antibiotic, soothing agent for rashes or legion, etc.,” he informed. “In very rare cases where the situation worsens or for compromised patients, anti-virals need to be given,” the doctor said, while adding that there is possibility of dehydration due to which hydration of the patient has to be maintained. >Continued on P5 Soon, get birth, death certificates at click of button THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Urban Development Minister Vishwajit Rane has directed his department to begin issuing online birth and death certificates, as well as trade licences, with a digital signature. He said the process will start from the next week. “This will be done in accordance with the vision of ease of doing business envisioned by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said. Rane chaired a meeting with officials from the Department of Urban Development, Ramesh Verma (Secretary for UD), Gurudas Pilarnekar (Director) and chief officers of municipal councils to review operations of the department. He, however, warned municipal councils that funds will not be released to those civic bodies which do not submit audit reports and utilisation certificates on time. "We discussed streamlining the functioning of municipal councils, awareness drives, >Continued on P5 Four Goan IAS officers shunted to other States THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Four of the seven Goan officers who were promoted as IAS officers last year have now been transferred to other States. In the order of transfer issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday, Sanjit Rodrigues has been transferred to Arunachal Pradesh, Sanjiv Gadkar to Jammu & Kashmir, Yetindra Maralkar to Ladakh and Prasanna Acharya to Mizoram. These are four officers from a batch of seven officers of the Goa Civil Service who were promoted to the rank of IAS in March 2021. Menino D’Souza (2016), Narayan Sawant, Sanjit Rodrigues, Sanjiv Gadkar, Yatindra Maralkar and Prasad Lolaykear (2018) and Michael D’Souza (2019) were appointed in the IAS cadre of AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories).  Sanjit Rodrigues   Arunachal Pradesh   Sanjiv Gadkar   Jammu & Kashmir   Yetindra Maralkar  Ladakh   Prasanna Acharya  Mizoram In 2016, three Goa officers – Sandip Jacques, Arun Desai and Swapnil Naik – had also made it to the AGMUT cadre of IAS officers. In May, the State government had also issued transfer orders for IAS officers. South Goa Collector, Ruchika Katyal was transferred and posted as Commissioner of State Taxes. Among others, Additional Secretary (Housing) Michael D’Souza was transferred and posted as Managing Director, GIDC with an additional charge of Director Training. 31 elected unopposed in p’yat polls, papers of 14 rejected THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Elections to at least 31 wards across the State will not take place as candidates have been elected unopposed in the panchayat elections. A total of 14 nominations were rejected during scrutiny of nominations, leaving 5,723 nominations valid. The final count of candidates will be clear after withdrawal on Wednesday. The candidates who were elected unopposed are from Quepem (2), Salcete (9), Bardez (3), Bicholim (5), Sattari (6), Tiswadi (3), Pernem (2) Canacona (1). In Quepem taluka, candidates were elected unopposed in Ballim-Adnem Panchayat (Ward 7) reserved for ST women, and Caurem Pirla (Ward 6) reserved for women ST. In Salcete, candidates were elected unopposed in Nagoa (Ward 2, general), Velim (Ward 4, OBC), Ambelim (Ward 7, Govt declares public holiday on Aug 10 PANAJI: The government has declared ‘Public Holiday’ on August 10 in view of polling day for panchayat elections. The order states that it will be a "paid holiday" for workers provided they are entitled to vot. Those covered are industrial workers, daily wage workers of the government departments and State government industrial departments, commercial and industrial workers of private establishments in the State of Goa, workers of all private establishments, daily wage/casual workers employed in any business, trade industrial undertakings or any other establishments ST women), Benaulim (Ward 8, OBC), Chandor-Cavorim (Ward 4-general, Ward 5-women and Ward 6-general) and Macasana (Ward 6, women). In Bardez, candidates were elected unopposed in Nadora (Ward 3-general, Ward 4-OBC and Ward 5-OBC). In Bicholim, candidates were elected unopposed in Latambarcem (Ward 1, OBC), Advalpal Ward 2, OBC), Karapur-Sarvan (Ward 8, OBC), Pilgao (Ward 3, ST), and Mayem-Vaigunim (Ward 11, OBC women). In Sattari, candidates were elected in Dongurlim-Thane (Ward 4, general), Mauxi (Ward 7, OBC), Bhironda (Ward 4), Sanvordem (Ward 3) and Guleli (Ward 1, ST). In Tiswadi, candidates were elected unopposed in Batim (Ward 7, women), Cumbharjua (Ward 9, ST women) and St Estevan (Ward 5, OBC).