log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2022 GOA Phogat case: Custody of accused extended PANAJI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), probing the highprofile death of BJP leader Sonali Phogat, has begun interrogation of Sudhir Sangwan and Sukhwinder Singh, whose judicial custody was extended to another 14 days on Friday.  >> See pg 3 Shack owners seek cut in licence fees PANAJI: Demanding reduction in recently hiked license fees, beach shack owners met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant pointing out that the fees have been increased from Rs 65,000 per year to Rs 1.25 lakh by the Finance Department. Land grab: One more in SIT net PANAJI: Nure Faizal Bhatkar, closely linked with one of the main kingpins of land scam in Goa Muhammad Suhai, was on Friday arrested by SIT. Bhatkar’s involvement surfaced during an investigation where the property was sold based on forged documents.  >> See pg 3 Surla locals slam KTC bus service VALPOI: KTC buses provide an essential service to commuters, especially those in the remote areas of the State who rely on this service. However, if and when this service becomes erratic, people in the far-flung areas are most affected.  >> See pg 2 Covid positivity rate drops to 4.7% PANAJI: Goa got a breather on Friday with the health bulletin revealing that the positivity rate had dropped to 4.7 per cent. Of the 927 samples that were tested 44 were positive. With 79 recoveries, the active caseload further dropped to 355. Govt collecting data on unemployment PANAJI: Inspectors of the Labour Dept are in the process of collecting data of unemployed youth in the State, to get a clear picture of the unemployment scenario, Labour Minister Babush Monserrate said. He said the unemployment figure of 1.16 lakh placed on the floor of the house relates with the Employment Exchange. WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: TIDES 31 C 24 C 90% Low: 03.38 High: 10.11 16.19 22.06 2 GOA RG warns of bigger agitation if TCP Amendment not withdrawn RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Natural body butters to take care of your dry skin 11 SPORTS India wins eight-over shootout to level series versus Australia  BEEF SUPPLIES LIKELY TO BE HIT   PRICE RISE EXPECTED THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI/BELAGAVI The in-bound transportation of cattle and buffalo to Goa has been banned as a precaution against the fast spreading lumpy skin disease affecting the bovine population across Goa. The North Goa Collector has issued the order prohibiting the entry of the livestock from other States of India which will come into effect from Saturday. His South Goa counterpart is also expected to issue a similar order. To remain into effect until further orders, the ban on the entry of cattle and buffalo is expected to adversely affect stocks of the highly consumed beef and other products, including in the tourism industry, which is bracing up to start a fresh season in early WHAT IS LUMPY SKIN DISEASE „„Lumpy skin disease is a deadly viral disease which spreads when cattle come in direct contact with vectors like mosquitoes, lice, wasps, flies and ticks or through contaminated fodder and water „„The outbreaks occur during warm, wet weather, while the disease usually diminishes in the cooler winter months „„It is not a zoonotic virus, so it cannot be transmitted to humans „„The symptoms include high fever, reduced milk production, skin nodules, loss of appetite, increased nasal discharge and watery eyes, among others October. Meanwhile, expressing shock and surprise over the sudden ban imposed by the Goa government, traders in Belagavi have said they will ask the Qureshi Association in Goa contact Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in this connection. They have also sought to know how the Goa govern- BJP gets its act together, votes out MMC chief WINS MOTION BY 15-0 VOTES; OTHERS ABSTAIN THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO After last week’s election fiasco to the post of Margao Municipal Chairperson, the 15 BJP-backed councillors on Friday worked in unison to vote out Margao Municipal Chairperson Ganashyam Shirodkar from office. In fact, the no-trust motion had turned a mere formality after beleaguered Margao Municipal Chairperson Ganashyam Shirodkar had sent in his resignation to the Director of Municipal Chairperson Gurudas Pilarnekar on Thursday. Friday saw the 15-member BJP-backed Councilors together coming to the Municipal Council just before the Presiding Officer, Additional Secretary, Finance Vikas Gaunekar decided the no-trust motion by show of hands. Unlike the election for the post of MMC Chairperson, where Goa Forward-backed Ganashyam Shirodkar, had won the polls with the help of cross voting by five BJPbacked councillors, all the BJP-backed councillors remained present at the municipal hall and raised their hands in support of the motion. The motion was carried by 15-0 vote, as Shirodkar and Goa Forward-councillors abstained. BJP-backed Councilors raising their hands in support of the no-trust motion against MMC chief Ganashyam Shirodkar on Friday.  Santosh Mirajkar The ouster of MMC chairperson triggered celebrations amongst BJP-backed councillors, including councillor Damu, who suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Ganashyam during last week’s election. In fact, Shirodkar told media that BJP councillors are all united and will unitedly elect the candidate shortlisted by the Party. BJP leaders, including BJP Margao Mandal Rupesh Mahatme and others seemed in a jubilation mood as the news of the ouster of the MMC chairperson reached out. PTI RESTAURANT After relishing a range of food and hard drinks, the Rs 8,000 bill shocked them. The owner complained that the cops not only refused to pay the bill; they were a nuisance. Assistant Sub Inspectors Sohan Tulaskar (Panaji wireless) and Vijaybahadur Patel (Vasco police station); Head Constables Jayesh Agarwadekar (Traffic Cell, Vasco) and Vasudev Korgaonkar >Continued on P5 ON PAGE 2 No provision in Act mandating elections by secret ballot: Presiding Officer Denied entry to cover no-trust, scribes protest, allowed entry Overjoyed Kamat treads cautious path on candidate for MMC chief’s post 14 Drugs probe: Steve lands in Hyderabad, questioning begins THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The owner of Hill Top Goa Stephen John Stephen D’Souza (Steve) is undergoing a second round of questioning in Hyderabad (Telangana) in connection with the inter-State drug trafficking busted last month. Steve was flown to Hyderabad late Thursday night, shortly after the Mapusa Court granted two days transit remand. “Steve was taken for a medical examination in a government hospital soon after his arrival. He has been declared fit for custody. We will formally arrest him on Saturday and produce him before the local court for remand,” a senior officer told The Goan which was the first to report about Hyderabad police’s swift action to ensure Steve’s custody. Steve was arrested on September 21 while the hunt for several others is underway. Borkar had confessed Edwin’s bail rejected, cops launch hunt ment would cater to the huge demand of beef from Goa. “We are surprised about the sudden ban imposed by Goan authorities on supply of beef from the neighbouring cities in Karnataka and Maharashtra. As many as 40-50 cattle are sent to Goa every day from Belagavi and neighbouring towns in the district. If this is the case than how will Goan authorities cater to the demand,” asked Rizwan Bepari, a leading supplier to Goa, voicing the opinion of other leading suppliers. “We will take up the matter with the Qureshi Association in Goa and decide about the future course of action,” Bepari said. The current outbreak of the disease, which has spread to almost 15 States, has affected 18.5 lakh animals in the country. It is distinct from the virus that was prevalent in India in 2019, reports said, adding that 47 unique variants were found in the current version of the fatal viral disease that has killed over 80,000 cattle. As India is the largest producer of milk in the world, the spread of LSD across the cattle population in India thus has devastating effects on the rural economy and the livelihoods of dairy farmers, the study added. The outbreak has also caused concerns about milk production. With a production of about 210 million tonnes, India is the largest producer of milk in the world. The country is also seeing the fastest growth in production at 6 per cent, while production growth at the global level is just 2 per cent. Dempo to head country’s top management Association Road mishaps snuff out 2 lives at Chimbel, Usgao THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Goan industrialist  Shrinivas Dempo has taken over as president of the All India Management Association (AIMA), the prestigious national body best known for conducting MAT, the national entrance test for top B-Schools across India. Dempo, who is chairman of the Dempo group of  companies, was hitherto the senior vice-president of  AIMA and took over  from CK Ranganathan, the CMD of CavinKare whose tenure ended. Dempo will have the vice-chairman and managing director of Triveni Turbines Nikhil Sawhney taking his place as senior vice-president and the managing director of Apollo Hospitals, Suneeta Reddy as vice-president. “Humbled to be appointed President of the prestigious AIMA. Excellent leadership by CK Ranganathan. Looking forward to furthering the cause of Management education along with Sawhney, Suneeta, P Dwarkanath, Rekha Sethi and the entire team,” Dempo said in a tweet on Friday. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, other ministers and several prominent Goans congratulated Dempo via twitter. PANAJI: The Goa police have launched a massive hunt for Edwin Nunes minutes after the Metropolitan Court, Hyderabad rejected his anticipatory bail application on Friday. Out of bail in another narcotics case against him in Goa, Nunes had applied for anticipatory bail before the Metropolitan Court. With his plea rejected, the Anjuna police began a search for him. “We will intimate our counterparts once we arrest Nunes, to take his custody,” an officer said. about a dozen names to the Osmania University police and Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing, who are actively operating the drug network within and outside Goa. THE GOAN I NETWORK OLD GOA/PONDA Two persons were killed in separate mishaps at Chimbel and Usgao on Friday. In one incident, Deu Mardolkar (59) of Chimbel was killed on the spot after he was knocked down by a Kadamba bus at the dreaded Chimbel junction on Friday morning. According to information available, Mardolkar was returning home on his bicycle and when he was crossing the bypass road, he was knocked down by the Kadamba bus which was traveling towards Old Goa. Mardolkar died on the spot and his body was shifted to the GMC for post-mortem. After conducting the post-mortem, the body was handed over to the relatives for the final rites, which were held on the same day. Old Goa PSI Edwin Dias is conducting further investigations in the matter. Meanwhile, it is reliably learnt that Mardolkar was an employee of the CCP and he was supposed to retire in a few months. In the second case, Anagha Desai (44), a native of Kolhapur, was killed after being hit by a vehicle on the road in front of Nestlé Company in Usgao on Friday morning. According to reports, Desai was walking towards the com- The broken windshield of the KTC bus after the accident at Chimbel junction on Friday. In the first incident, Deu Mardolkar of Chimbel was killed after he was knocked down by a Kadamba bus at Chimbel junction while in the second mishap Anagha Desai was killed after being hit by a vehicle in front of Nestlé Company in Usgao pany at 6.15 am, when she was hit by a vehicle. Following the accident, the accused driver is reported to have fled from the spot with his car leaving the in- jured lady on the road and without informing the police. Anagha succumbed to injuries while being shifted to Primary Health Centre, Dharbandora. A Ponda police team went to the site and conducted the panchanama. During investigation, Ponda PI Vijay Kumar Chodankar managed to trace the vehicle and proceeded to Hubli, where they nabbed the driver of the jeep. The accused identified as 34-year-old Raghavendra Hanagi is a resident of Dharwad, Karnataka. Sharp increase in hate crimes against Indians in Canada 8 suspended cops back in service I RUCKUS AT PANAJI In the department where suspensions usually remain a forgotten case until months, here’s an instance where eight policemen suspended for creating ruckus in a Saligao-based restaurant are back into service in less than two months. In a blatant misuse of power, the group had come together at the bar and restaurant for alcohol and non-vegetarian cuisine to celebrate Gatari, ahead of the Shravan month that commenced on July 28. 3 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday Goa bans in-bound transport of cattle over lumpy skin disease IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS… THE GOAN I NETWORK The Goan (Playstore) 14 pages PRICE ` 8 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VIII, NO. 97 Looters presiding over Cong during polls to be blamed for defections: Sardinha IN SHORT >> Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday NEW DELHI ndia on Friday advised its nationals in Canada and those travelling to that country to exercise due caution and remain vigilant in view of the “sharp increase in incidents of hate crimes, sectarian violence and anti-India activities” there. In an advisory, the Ministry of External Affairs also said the High Commission/Consulates General in Canada have taken up these incidents with the Canadian authorities and requested them to investigate these crimes and take appropriate action. The perpetrators of these crimes have not been brought to justice so far in Canada, the MEA said. EXERCISE DUE CAUTION: MEA „„In view of the increasing incidents of crimes, Indian nationals and students from India in Canada and those proceeding to Canada for travel or education are advised to exercise due caution and remain vigilant „„Indian nationals and students from India in Canada may also register with the High Commission of India in Ottawa or the Consulates General of India in Toronto and Vancouver “In view of the increasing incidents of crimes as described above, Indian nationals and through their respective websites, or the MADAD portal madad.gov.in „„The registration would enable the High Commission and the Consulates General to better connect with Indian citizens in students from India in Canada and those proceeding to Canada for travel or education Canada WHY THE ADVISORY „„The advisory comes a day after India reacted sharply to the “so-called Khalistan referendum” in Canada, seeking Punjab as a separate country are advised to exercise due caution and remain vigilant”, the advisory said. Indian nationals and students from India in Canada may also register with the High Commission of India in Ottawa or Consulates General of India in Toronto and Vancouver through respective websites, or the MADAD portal madad. gov.in, the ministry said. The registration would enable the High Commission and the Consulates General to better connect with Indian citizens in Canada in the event of any requirement or emergency, it added. The advisory comes a day after India reacted sharply to the “so-called Khalistan referendum” in Canada, saying it was “deeply objectionable” that such a “politically motivated” activity by extremist elements was allowed to take place in a friendly country. India has taken up the matter with Canadian authorities through diplomatic channels and would continue to press Canada in this regard, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said when asked about the referendum issue. “You are all aware of the violence in this regard,” Bagchi had said and described the “so-called Khalistan referendum” as a “farcical exercise”. The government of Canada has reiterated they respect the sovereignty and integrity of India and that they will not recognise the so-called referendum that has taken place in that country, he added. Canadian authorities’ scant efforts to stop the “so-called referendum” seeking Punjab as a separate country had angered India.