log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday MONDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2022 GOA IN BIG UPSET, MOROCCO BEAT BELGIUM 2-0 IN SHORT >> Govt optimistic on tourism front MARGAO: Saying the government is committed to lay new infrastructure services in order to get good tourists into the state, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Sunday said the next six months will be crucial for the state on the tourism front. He, however, sounded optimistic that the coming season will be really good for tourism in Goa.  >> See pg 5 Rachol rises against draft jetty policy MARGAO: The gram sabha of Rachol village panchayat on Sunday rejected the government’s draft Jetty 2022 policy. The gram sabha has resolved to forward the suggestions and objections adopted by the members to the government for necessary action.  >> See pg 2 Locals against nod for mega projects MAPUSA: The Verla-Canca gram sabha on Sunday decided not to issue licences for any multi-dwelling projects as the village did not have basic infrastructure in place. The villagers also sought action against illegal land filling and unauthorised constructions coming up in the paddy fields. >> See pg 3 MMC to re-examine house tax from Dec MAPUSA: The Mapusa Municipal Council (MMC) will take up the work of re-assessment of house tax in all 20 wards within the jurisdiction of the municipal area from the beginning of the next month. The civic body has engaged the services of ten senior civic officials under whom a team has been constituted. Colvale cops arrest two for bike theft MAPUSA: Colvale Police on Sunday arrested two persons involved in bike theft after local residents of Moira apprehended and handed them over to the police the previous day. The accused involved in the theft of a Yamaha motorcycle are present cooling their heels in the police lock-up. WEATHER >> Max: 32 C Min: 25 C Humidity: 91% TIDES Low: High: 07:54 19:45 02:13 12:56 The Goan (Playstore) 3 2 Curtains to come down on film festival today GOA Uguem Gram Sabha supports IIT; anti-IIT lobby raises objection DOHA he ‘football fever’ is at its peak across the world, as FIFA World Cup 2022, one of the greatest worldwide events since the Covid-19 epidemic, is underway in Qatar. The event is expected to draw about 1.2 million spectators from around the globe to the Gulf nation, but experts have raised concerns that football fans in Qatar may be at risk of catching the “Camel Flu”. According to a study published in the journal New Microbes and New Infections, Camel flu is one of eight potential ‘infection risks’, including Covid and monkeypox, which could crop up during the four- T INFO Ways to use olive oil for a pretty you! GRAND CLOSING CEREMONY PLANNED WITH TOP FILM PERSONALITIES THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The 9-day International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is set to draw to a close on Monday in the presence of a galaxy of Indian and International personalities from the film industry. The concluding ceremony will be graced by Telegu film actor Chiranjeevi , Akshay Kumar, Miss World 2017 and actor Manushi Chhillar among other film personalities at Shyama Prasad Mukharjee Stadium, Bambolim. The festival had commenced on November 20. Polish film Krzysztof Zanussi’s ‘Perfect Number’ will be the closing film. Red Carpet for closing film will commence at Inox-I, Panjim at 2 pm on Monday followed by the screening of the film. This edition of the festival presented a potpourri of 280 films from 79 countries. Special master classes for Goan film makers, special master classes for Persons with Disabilities, 53-hour film making challenge competition for 75 creative minds of tomorrow, exhibition show- King Momo and his Carnival troupe entertain the IFFI delegates at Inox courtyard in Panaji on Sunday. Narayan Pissurlenkar casing latest technologies in film making, Carnival and Shigmo Parades were some of the much appreciated additions to this year’s IFFI. The festival began with the screening of the opening film “Alma and Oskar” from Austria, that depicts the relationship between Viennese CM: PM’s Goa date to inaugurate Mopa airport not finalised THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The date is yet to be finalised and confirmed for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Goa for the twin purpose of inaugurating the Mopa airport and also address the World Ayurveda Congress slated to be held here from December 8-11. "The Prime Minister's Office has still not confirmed the Prime Minister's availability," said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who returned to Goa after a visit to Delhi where he had gone to campaign for the BJP in the ongoing Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections there. Earlier, media reports had quoted Sawant as saying that the Mopa airport will be inaugurated by Modi on December 11, on which day the World Ayurveda Congress hosted by Goa was to conclude. The 9th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) and Arogya Expo, is being held in the capital city from December 8 PMO has still not confirmed Prime Minister’s availability, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said after returning from Delhi where he had gone to campaign for BJP in the ongoing Municipal elections to 11. Dr Sawant is himself an Ayurveda doctor and North Goa MP Shripad Naik, who is a Central minister, holds the alternative medicine portfolio. Meanwhile, Sawant was optimistic that Goa will be allotted at least one event of the G-20 league of nations, the presidency of which was taken over by Modi as head of government of India, for the next two years. Sawant said, several meetings and events of G-20 leaders will be held in India during its presidency of the group of nations and that Goa will certainly be ready to host one. society Grand Dame Alma Mahler and Austrian artist Oskar Kokoschka. Big ticket films which won multiple awards at prestigious film festivals around the world, like Cannes, Berlin, Toronto & Venice were featured. Twenty-five feature films and 20 non-feature films from Massive protests in China over Covid lockdowns PTI BEIJING China's rare public protests opposing stringent Covid lockdowns turned political on Sunday with protestors shouting slogans against President Xi Jinping and the ruling Communist Party, as the demonstrations spread to the university campuses in Beijing and Nanjing. Shanghai, where thousands of protestors converged at the Wulumuqi Road -which is named after Xinjiang provincial capital Urumqi -on Saturday night, witnessed fresh demonstrations on Sunday despite the heavy presence of police. The protests, which began in the morning, intensified with the participation of hundreds of people by mid-afternoon, Thomas Hale, Correspondent of the Financial Times, who was present at the protest site, told BBC. According to videos posted on social media about the protests in Shanghai, people were heard openly shouting slogans such as “Xi Jinping, step down” and “Communist party, step down”, the BBC report said. Camel flu is new risk for fans in Qatar! AGENCIES Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday 12 pages PRICE ` 8 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VIII, NO. 161 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Years on, old Margao bus stand craving for attention (See page 11) Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday WHO IS AT RISK „„People with diabetes, renal failure, chronic lung disease and immunocompromised persons BE ON GUARD THE SYMPTOMS „„Experts have advised people to avoid contact with dromedary camels, drink raw camel milk or camel urine, or eat meat that has not been properly cooked „„MERS infection range from asymptomatic, to mild symptoms like fever, shortness of breath and cough, and might also develop into a severe acute respiratory disease that could lead to death week-long World Cup. Camel flu or the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is considered to be a deadlier cousin of Covid. The virus kills up to a third of people who get infected by it, according to World Health Organization (WHO)-backed experts. MERS was first reported in 2012 in Saudi Arabia, which borders Qatar, and since then caused multiple hospital outbreaks in the region. As per the UK-based science website IFLScience, since 2012, 2,600 cases of MERS, with 935 associated deaths were reported in 27 countries. Epidemiologic data from Qatar showed the occurrence of 28 cases of MERS (incidence of 1.7 per 1,000,000 population) and most cases had a history of contact with camels. The study noted that while Qatar had made its health sector ready for such occurrences, continued surveillance was required to stop the transmission of the disease. India were also showcased in the ‘Indian Panorama’ while 183 films were a part of international programming. The 2nd edition of ‘75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow’ was another attraction. The number of filmmakers being recognized is symbolic of 75 years of Indian Independence. 9 SPORTS Rain plays spoilsport again, NZ vs India ODI abandoned Goa's rescued sex-trafficking victims going missing raised at Nepal meet THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The issue of trafficking victims going untraced after being rescued and relocated and it adversely affecting prosecution and conviction of the accused traffickers was raised by Arz, a Goa-based NGO, at a joint Indo-Nepal meet at Katmandu. At the meet held on Sunday, Ms Juliana, a coordinator with Arz presented a paper on the trend of sex trafficking from Nepal to Goa, in which she flagged the issue of the rescued victims going untraceable once they go back to the Himalayan country. Nepal is one of the "source countries" for sex trafficking to Goa, she said, at the consultation on cross border sex trafficking from Nepal to India. It deliberated on the challenges and support required to combat sex trafficking. Agencies of both the countries' governments dealing with sex trafficking participated in the consultation. Arz, meanwhile, said a joint declaration issued at the end of the consultation pledged to combat cross-border sex trafficking between Nepal and India and to create a system to exchange information with the respective law enforcement agencies. 12 KTC likely to slam brakes on scheme to hire pvt buses Bids received from just 8 pvt bus operators to lease vehicles THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) may abandon its plan to hire private buses to strengthen its fleet and operations across public transport routes due to the poor response it has received. KTC officials said, it has received bids from just eight private bus operators to lease their vehicles and it would be difficult to make the plan viable and operational with these numbers. November 15 was the last date by which private bus owners had to file their bids to lease their vehicles to the State-owned public transport corporation. The scheme, to hire buses from private owners was launched by the KTC in October. The idea to hire buses from the private bus transporters was to expand the size of State-owned public transporter’s operational fleet without incurring the huge capital costs otherwise involved in purchasing the buses. ROUGH ROAD AHEAD „„The scheme to hire buses from private owners was launched by KTC in October „„The idea to hire buses from private bus transporters was to expand the size of KTC fleet without incurring capital costs „„Need to increase its fleet was felt by KTC as it faced a deficit of buses to cater to intra-State & Bal Rath routes „„For KTC it is viable to run Ops with hired buses only if they are relatively new -- around 5 to 6 years old The need to increase its fleet was felt by the KTC as it faced a deficit of buses to cater to many intra-State routes and also several Bal Rath routes, which cater to school going children. >Continued on P5