log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 GOA 14 pages PRICE ` 8 Minister inspects water bodies, but no firm stand for bypass on stilts IN SHORT >> Teachers petition Gov on principals not taking lectures PANAJI: Principals of under-graduate colleges skipping their ‘teaching duties’ has come to be flagged by the association of college teachers in Goa. In a letter-petition to the Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai, who is also the Chancellor of Goa University, the College teachers association has alleged that College Principals are avoiding taking lectures which is mandated by University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines.  >> See pg 5 Ola, Uber at Mopa airport soon: Mauvin PANAJI: Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho on Thursday said the department is looking at providing streamlined choices of digitally enabled multi-modal transport facilities to passengers arriving at the Mopa Airport, including app aggregators like GoaMiles, Ola, Uber etc. Traffic drive mops up ` 56 lakh in fines PANAJI: The 10-day drive undertaken by the traffic police against traffic violators has fetched the department Rs 56 lakh. The drive which was held between September 14 to 25 recovered maximum fines of Rs 22.71 lakh from 2,271 riders without helmets. PMO team on study tour to Cotigao CANACONA: Officers from the PMO in New Delhi are on a two-day visit to the remote Cotigao village in Canacona taluka to study of the living conditions, people’s needs and geographical conditions of the indigenous community.  >> See pg 6 GCZMA notice to Sernabatim resort MARGAO: GCZMA has directed a resort at Sernabatim to immediately stop all construction work going on at the site and to show cause why a direction to demolish/ removal of the illegalities and to restore the land to its original conditions should not be issued.  >> See pg 2 Goa’s active Covid caseload declines PANAJI: Thirty-seven persons tested positive on Thursday registering a marked decline in the active Covid caseload which stood at 249. WEATHER >> Max: 32 C Min: 24 C Humidity: 91% TIDES Low: High: 07:08 19:28 01:31 12:42 Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday 2 The Goan (Playstore) PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VIII, NO. 103 GOA Locals, GE confront railway authorities at Arossim 5 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Amazing health benefits of Brazil nuts Drugs worth ` 15 cr headed for Goa seized in Mumbai n BOLIVIAN WOMAN ARRESTED n NIGERIAN DRUG DEALER HELD IN GOA THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI A major drug haul at Mumbai international airport resulting in the arrest of two foreigners in Mumbai and Goa has yet again exposed Goa’s active involvement in the lethal trade. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai Zone seized high-grade black cocaine from a Bolivian woman carrier on September 26, whose confession led to the arrest of a Nigerian drug dealer in Goa’s coastal belt. As per details shared by the NCB Mumbai Zone, Nava Marina, aged 35, had concealed 3.2 Kg of black cocaine worth Rs 15 crore in false cavities of her luggage. These were tightly packed in 12 sachets and laced with chemicals in order to escape the The seized black cocaine that was concealed in the cavities of the luggage. POLICE ON LOOKOUT FOR ANDHRA STUDENT WHO SURVIVED DRUG OVERDOSE >> See pg 5 baggage scanner. Armed with a reliable tip-off from its informants, the NCB team zeroed in on the woman as she waited in the lounge to board her connecting flight to Goa where she was expected to deliver the consignment to her co-accused. “She was questioned in a routine inquiry but was unable to give a satisfactory reply on her purpose of visit to India and what she carried in her luggage. After intense questioning she confessed to being a part of the larger international drug nexus,” the Women entitled to safe, legal abortion, rules SC Says rape includes marital rape for MTP Act PTI NEW DELHI In a significant ruling on reproductive rights of women, the Supreme Court held on Thursday that all women are entitled to safe and legal abortion till 24 weeks of pregnancy under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, and making any distinction on the basis of their marital status is “constitutionally unsustainable”. The top court also said that the meaning of offence of rape must include marital rape for the purpose of the MTP Act. A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, JB Pardiwala and AS Bopanna said the rights of reproductive autonomy give similar rights to unmarried women as that to married women. The bench, in its verdict, said the distinction between married and unmarried women under the abortion laws is artificial and constitutionally unsustainable and perpetuates the stereotype that only married women are sexually active. Under the MTP Act provisions, the upper limit for the termination of pregnancy is 24 weeks for married women, special categories including KEY SUPREME COURT OBSERVATIONS „„Married women may also form part of class of survivors of sexual assault or rape „„Marital status of a woman cannot be a ground to deprive her of the right of abortion „„Even unmarried women are entitled to terminate an unwanted pregnancy within 24 weeks „„Distinction between married and unmarried women under abortion laws is “artificial and constitutionally unsustainable” and perpetuates stereotype that only married women are sexually active „„Consequences of an unwanted pregnancy on women’s body and mind “cannot be understated” „„If women with unwanted pregnancies are forced to carry their pregnancies to term, the State would be stripping them of the right to determine the immediate and long term path that their life will take survivors of rape and other vulnerable women such as the differently-abled and minors. However, the time period is 20 weeks for widows and unmarried women, who are or were in consensual relationships, for allowing abortion under the statute. The bench delivered the verdict on the interpretation of the MTP Act and whether unmarried women or single women can be allowed like their married counterparts the benefit of abortion up to 24 weeks. The bench, on August 23, had reserved its verdict on interpretation of the MTP Act provisions which makes a distinction between married and >Continued on P6 NCB said. The Nigerian, whose identity was disclosed during the confession, was later arrested by the NCB Goa sleuths from a beach-side hotel. “Black cocaine is cocaine base mixed with other substances to turn it black, which makes its smuggling easier by disguising it as metal moulds or asphalt. It is also undetectable by drug sniffer dogs. The operation in this connection was on for three days. The Bolivian woman was traveling from Brazil to Goa with layovers at Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and Mumbai,” the statement reads. Both accused are undergoing questioning by the respective NCB teams and in most probability, the Nigerian will >Continued on P6 Govt issues directives to cut red tape THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In a  bid to cut red-tape and  eliminate delays in government-public  interface, Chief Secretary Dr Puneet Kumar Goel has issued an office memorandum directing heads of all departments to adhere to a past circular to accept self-certified copies of documents instead of insisting on ‘attested’ copies. “The State government has adopted the recommendation of self-certification provisions to simplify procedures made by the Second Administrative Reform Commission,” Goel said in the circular while pointing out that there are instances where departments are insisting on attested copies of documents or affidavits. Meanwhile, in yet another ‘circular’ all government departments have been directed to expedite routine administrative work including disposing files/cases/proposals within 3 working days. Files, proposals and correspondence received by officers shall be dealt with and disposed  off  within three working days from receiving it, according to the circular. Also, consultations and examinations at the department level are to be provided within seven working days for every file, case or proposal received by the department, it adds. It’s official! Tenancy, mundkar cases get year’s deadline THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI he State government has issued a notification directing the Revenue officials to dispose off the pending Mundkar and Tenancy cases within one year. The District Collectors are also tasked with submitting monthly reports to the government. The notification by the Revenue Dept comes nearly a fortnight after the Pramod Sawant-led Cabinet asked quasi-judicial officers -- mamlatdars and joint-mamlatdars -- to expedite the proceedings to dispose off in a year. “It is observed that there is large scale pendency of revenue cases under various Acts, especially, The Goa, Daman & Diu Mundkar (Protection from Eviction) Act, 1975 and Goa, Daman & Diu Agricultural Ten- T 11 WHAT THE NOTIFICATION SAYS „„Directs Revenue Court to not grant more than three adjournments in any particular case till its final disposal „„Next date of hearing fixed should not ordinarily be exceeding 10 days „„Both Collectors instructed to designate special mamlatdar to exclusively deal with the Revenue Court matters „„Hearings in these cases should mandatorily happen once the date is fixed „„Mamlatdars to hold revenue courts on Saturday to ensure timely disposal of the cases „„Mundkar and tenancy cases pending for more than three years to be taken up for hearing on day to day basis „„Collectors should regularly review performance and disposal of cases and submit reports to government on performance of every revenue officer every month  ancy Act, 1964… Rule 10(14) of the Goa Agricultural Tenancy Rules, 1965 mandates that “the Mamlatdar shall dispose off the application within period of one year from the date of service of notice to the other party,” it says. The issue of pendency and poor disposal of revenue court cases was raised by the Members of Goa Legislative Assembly in the monsoon session of the Assembly. Minister for Revenue Atanasio Monserrate had assured the House that all steps to ensure speedy disposal of these cases will be taken up in a time-bound manner. The notification further directs the Revenue Court to not grant more than three adjournments in any particular case till its final disposal while the next date of hearing fixed should not ordinarily be exceeding 10 days. Likewise, both Collectors are instructed to designate special Mamlatdar to exclusively deal with the Revenue Court matters and ensure that hearings in these cases should mandatorily happen once the date is fixed. Among other sets of instructions also include Mamlatdars to hold revenue courts on Saturday to ensure timely disposal of the cases; Mundkar and Tenancy cases pending for more than three years to be taken up for hearing on day to day basis and disposed of at the earliest; Collectors should regularly review performance and disposal of cases and submit reports to Government on performance of every revenue officer every month, etc.  Russian held with drugs worth `  lakh 9 PANAJI: ANC has arrested a Russian from a rental premises in the coastal belt of Morjim while he was in possession of a considerable amount of Hashish oil. The 38-year-old identified as Maxim Makarov has been remanded to 5 police custody. The ANC team led by its deputy superintendent of police Nerlon Albuquerque and inspector Arun Desai caught the tourist red-handed with 900 gms of the contraband valued at Rs 9 lakh. SPORTS Injured Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of T20 World Cup 14 Land grab: Former Bardez mamlatdar arrested by SIT THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Tainted government officer, Rahul Dessai is finally in the police net in the land scam after intense 12-odd hours of questioning on Thursday.   The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Crime Branch arrested the former Bardez Mamlatdar on Thursday night for facilitating and purportedly masterminding the scam. He is likely to be arrested in other cases of land fraud as SIT and Mapusa police are investigating five First Information Reports (FIRs) in total, so far.  Dessai faces two FIRs by the SIT for an offence wherein he is charged with conniving with a prime accused Royson Rodrigues and his accomplices to forge land-related documents and allow its sale for a whopping amount.  Sources said that Royson had confessed to the SIT that he connived with Dessai to Dessai faces two FIRs by the SIT for an offence wherein he is charged with conniving with a prime accused Royson Rodrigues and his accomplices to forge land-related documents and allow its sale for a whopping amount illegally transfer ownership rights. The government had failed to act promptly against the officer, who was recently transferred to Mormugao despite nearly two dozen complaints filed by various aggrieved parties against him. The Goan was the first to report on August 23 that neither arrest nor disciplinary action >Continued on P6 Did a burqa-clad woman try to kidnap Mapusa student? Parents say incident took place in school, file plaint THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA An attempt to kidnap a schoolgirl by a burqa-clad woman was reported in Mapusa on Thursday and while the parents filed a police complaint into the matter, the case was not registered till late night. According to the complaint, the incident took place on Thursday afternoon in the school premises, when an unidentified woman wearing a burqa entered the school and tried to abduct the victim girl. In her complaint, the girl’s mother stated that the woman had told her daughter that her father had met with an accident and that, she had been sent by the mother to fetch her. Suspecting something fishy, the alert girl is then reported to have asked the woman for her family code and this confused the woman. The girl got scared and ran back to the school music teacher and reported the matter to him. The girl’s mother claimed there was no security guard >Continued on P6