log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday SATURDAY JANUARY 7, 2023 GOA 14 pages PRICE ` 8 Goan Chaplaincy hosts Carol presentation in Swindon Harrow Goans organise New Year’s Eve Ball IN SHORT >> MSME office to be set up in Goa PANAJI: Union MSME Minister Narayan Rane on Friday announced that Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises will set up its office in Goa. All information related to schemes, technology, business will be made available to Goans at this office, he added. FIR registered against Xeldem postmaster PANAJI: A FIR has been registered against postmaster of Xeldem for criminal breach of trust through alleged misappropriation of Rs 2.90 lakh from various postal accounts. The postmaster is accused of accepting deposits from customers but not crediting the amount into their accounts. No new Covid variants in Goa, says doctor The Goan (Playstore) PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VIII, NO. 200 GOA Goa Corporate Social Responsibility Authority re-set with CM as head PANAJI: In a fourth raid in the first week of New Year, Crime Branch sleuths recovered Ganja worth Rs 5 lakh from a Sindhudurg youth on Friday. The arrest came soon after ANC arrested another peddler from Baga with Hashil Oil, worth Rs 5.10 lakh. WEATHER >> Max: 32 C Min: 22 C Humidity: 87% TIDES Low: High: 05:24 17:03 10:10 ------- THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The State will approach the Supreme Court of India, where its Special Leave Petition is pending, seeking a stay on the approval granted to the two DPRs of dams at Kalasa and Bhandura  in Karnataka to divert 3.9 tmc of water from the Mhadei river basin to that of Malaprabha river. An interim application seeking the stay will be filed before the Apex Court next week and also seek an injunction against any construction at the sites which Karnataka may intend to carry out. Goa’s Advocate General Devidas Pangam  said the decision to file the interim application has been taken on the legal ground that  Section 29 of the Wildlife Protection Act, imposes a complete embargo on diverting water in the wildlife sanctuaries for any pur- pose other than wildlife.  Pangam said that the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal (MWDT) itself has stipulated that for executing any work in the Mhadei basin, all permissions including the one from the Chief Wildlife Warden are required. “Both these legal grounds are strongly in our favour,” Pangam said, adding that the permissions and approvals of the Centre notwithstanding,  diversion of water from the Mhadei basin, more specifically the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary cannot be done. Pangam also said that the State government, apart from raising the matter legally in the  Supreme Court will also apprise Central agencies, including the CWC which approved the DPRs that Mhadei water diversion is not possible in law. >Continued on P5 NEW DELHI he government told the Supreme Court on Friday all efforts are being made to “conform” to the timelines laid down by the apex court for processing the names recommended by the Collegium for appointment as judges to constitutional courts and 44 names are likely to be processed within two-three days. Amid the frosty Executive-Judiciary ties over the system of judges appointing judges, AG Venkataramani told the top court the government will adhere to timelines and the recent recommendations made by the Collegium of high courts have been processed with “utmost dispatch”. A bench of Justices S K Kaul and A S Oka observed the delay in dealing with recommendations sent by the T Shikha says support from Goa team-mates kept her going How to prevent under-eye wrinkles! THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO As Goa is bracing up to take on the might of Karnataka and stop the neighbouring State from diverting the Mhadei water, discussion on the burning issue at the Margao Municipal Council on Friday gave indications of the state of things to come on the issue after a City Father demanded to know the stand of Kannadigas settled in Goa on the water dispute. In fact, Margao Municipal senior BJP-Councillor Sadanand Naik demanded to know the stand of the Kannadigas settled in Goa, saying those who have been demanding land to set up Kannada Bhavan in Goa should outline their stand on the Mhadei river issue. Speaking during the discussion at the special Council SAVE MHADEI: MMC MEET KICKS OFF ON STORMY NOTE >> See pg 2 meeting, Naik was categorical in saying that around five lakh people from Karnataka are settled in Goa and they should make known their stand on the issue. “If these people have been insisting land to set up the Kannada Bhavan in the recent past, the Kannada people should come out clear on their stand on Mhadei. For, people from Karnataka and Maharashtra, besides people from other states settled in Goa are also consuming water”. “These people always claim they too are Goans now since they had settled in the state long ago. If what they say is true, they should sup- Mandar murder: SC dismisses plea of accused THE GOAN I NETWORK ROYAL RIDE: Children dressed as Kings ride on horses to commemorate the Feast of Three Kings at Cuelim on Friday. The feast, also known as Epiphany, was celebrated in different parts of the State.   (Reports on PG 3) PANAJI In a big setback to the accused in the sensational Mandar Surlakar murder case, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the Special Leave Petition filed by four of them seeking their release from jail by including period of parole, furlough etc while considering the term of 14 years of their actual imprisonment. Earlier, HC had dismissed the pleas that 14-year period cannot include parole, furlough etc. While dismissing the SLP SC pointed out that if the pleas are accepted it will set a precedent. Soon, aerocity, amusement park at Mopa THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI As the Manohar International Airport, Mopa commenced operations on Thursday and social media went abuzz with the facility’s exotic looks and grand welcome of the first flight passengers, GMR Group has proposed to upgrade the facility by creating Aerocity and Amusement Park in the near future. GMR President and CEO Ranganathan Venkata Sheshan revealed the company’s plans for the muchhyped second airport in Goa. “The Mopa airport is slightly different from other airports, which are mostly corporate airports that draw business travellers. Goa, on the other hand, is a tourist destination and we want to Names of 44 judges within 2-3 days, Centre tells apex court PTI SPORTS INFO THE GOAN I NETWORK Govt notifies Goa’s Drone Policy 2022 Drugs worth `  0L 1 seized in raid RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Goa to approach SC Debate rages in Margao: Which even on garbage for stay on DPRs side are Kannadigas on Mhadei? PANAJI: Even as the Centre reported 11 new variants over the last few weeks, Goa has reported nil new variants of the Coronavirus. The handful of positive cases recorded in Goa are caused by the Omicron sub-variant, the State’s epidemiologist Dr Prashant Suryawanshi said. PANAJI: The Pramod Sawant government has notified the Drone Policy 2022 with a vision to position Goa as one of the key States in India’s drone ecosystem. The objective is to promote drone design, manufacturing, testing and maintenance facilities in the State.  >> See pg 3 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday 3 14 2 8 Another twist to Mhadei tangle CM slams panchas, councillors for graft Illegal houses at Davorlim: Need approval for sale, says BJP ST leader page 7 Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday It’s a matter of concern: SC NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court said on Friday it is a “matter of concern” that the government is sending back the names reiterated by the Collegium for judgeship in constitutional courts despite there being nothing in the present scenario to prevent the appointment post reiteration. Collegium for transfer of high court judges not only affects the administration of justice but also creates an impression as if third party sources are “interfering”. The bench also asked Venkataramani about the five names recommended by the collegium last month for elevation as judges of SC. “Would your lordships defer this for a little while? I have some inputs given to me but I may have some difference of opinion on that,” the Attorney General told the bench. He said out of the 104 recommendations made by the Collegium of high courts, which are pending with the government, 44 are likely to be processed and sent to the Supreme Court by this weekend. “Attorney General submits that he has instructions that the government will adhere to the timelines as provided in the judgement. It is towards that objective that he submits that out of the 104 recommendations made by the collegium of the high courts pending with the government, 44 are likely to be processed and sent to the Supreme Court by the weekend,” the bench said. build an Aerocity with the concept of Destination Airport,” he said. The Group had recently stated that it is developing three major Greenfield airport projects across India and Greece. While the first phase of the Mopa airport is ready; GMR, last November claimed it is poised to transform the economy and landscape of the surrounding areas (at Mopa and Bhogapuram in Andhra Pradesh ) when ready.   As a pioneer in implementing the path-breaking Aerotropolis concept in India, GMR Airports is developing unique airport cities on commercial lands available around its airports in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Goa. Sheshan explained that >Continued on P5 port the movement to protect Mhadei”, he said. Another BJP Councillor Mahesh Amonkar, however, tried to do a balancing act, by saying the Kannada people settled in his Khareband ward are also hurt by the Karnataka government’s attempt to divert Mhadei water. “Kannada people, who are part of our friends circle, are ready to sign any petition and join the battle to save Mhadei”, Mahesh said. Mahesh as well as former Chairperson Ganashyam Shirodkar pointed out that people of South Goa cannot say the issue does not concern them. “If there is water scarcity in North Goa due to diversion of Mhadei waters, the government will pump Selaulim dam to meet the water requirement in North Goa”, they said. PANAJI Even garbage and solid waste is a source of corruption for elected representatives in Goa it has emerged with no less than Chief Minister Pramod Sawant acknowledging on record how he has “seen how they indulge in corruption”. “I have seen how they indulge in corruption. Sixty to seventy thousand rupees are withdrawn in the name of waste management but not even Rs 20,000 is actually spent,” Sawant said in a pretty blunt speech to an audience which comprised of elected panchas, councillors, sarpanchas and civic body chiefs from across Goa. The occasion was a workshop organised by the Goa Solid Waste Management Corporation (GSWMC) which brought together officials of all government departments involved with solid waste disposal and also representatives CM: POINT BLANK „„I have seen how panchas and councillors indulge in corruption „„Rs 60-70,000 are withdrawn in the name of waste management but not even Rs 20,000 is actually spent „„Panchayats and municipalities will have to take responsibility of keeping areas under their jurisdiction clean  of panchayats and municipalities in a bid to synergise the work of these multiple agencies. Sawant, who was the chief guest at the inaugural of the >Continued on P5 Ready to host Purple Fest as annual event: Sawant Says PwDs get highest pension in Goa THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday expressed the State’s willingness to host Purple Fest annually. Addressing the gathering at the inaugural of the three-day event in Panaji, Sawant also proposed to hold the national event in Goa if other States are reluctant or not interested in this event.  “We are ready to host the Purple Fest as an annual festival in Goa if the other States are not ready to,” he said as the country’s first-ever celebration of diversity and inclusiveness, got off to a grand start, in the presence of Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar, State Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phaldesai and others.  Sawant informed the gathering that Goa grants Persons with Disabilities (PwD) the highest pension. Those with 80 percent disability get Rs 3,500 per month while a person with other disabilities gets Rs 2,500 monthly, higher than any other State in India.  Participants at the Purple Fest at Inox Courtyard, Panaji on Friday.  Narayan Pissurlenkar FESTIVAL: KEY TAKEAWAYS „„Persons with Disabilities get highest pension in Goa „„Those with 80% disability get Rs 3,500 per month while a person with other disabilities gets Rs 2,500 monthly, higher than any other State  „„Goa has more reservations for disabled persons as compared to other states „„Panaji city has been made a disabled-friendly city „„Plns afoot to develop other public buildings as disabled-friendly Goa also has more reservations for disabled persons as compared to other states. “We have made the capital Panaji a disabled-friendly city and we are planning to develop public buildings as disa- bled-friendly too,” he added.  Kumar appreciated the initiative stating that through Purple Fest, the Goa government has provided a great >Continued on P5