log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday MONDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2023 GOA Three years on, Sonsodo waste craves for treatment IN SHORT >> Police say amount in court robbery case is `  .75 lakh 4 PANAJI: Panaji police has pegged the muddemal amount stolen by the lawyer Mujahid Shaikh from the Civil and Criminal Court in Panaji at Rs 4.75 lakh. Police said the accused stole different envelopes attached in criminal cases containing cash of Rs 4,75,275, house breaking instruments, property documents and other articles adding all items have been recovered from his possession. Comunidade records may be digitised MAPUSA: Plans to digitise comunidade records and administering the archives, installation of surveillance cameras and forming of an advisory panel were some of the takeaways of the meeting of comunidades of North Zone held on Sunday.  >> See pg 3 Velsao opposes Mhadei diversion VASCO: Velsao gram sabha has resolved to fight against diversion of Mhadei, coal spillage, coal transportation and even going to court over a piece of land claimed by railways. Sarpanch Diana Gouveia said resolutions were accepted on coal transportation and Mhadei issue.  >> See pg 2 Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday The Goan (Playstore) 12 pages PRICE ` 8 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VIII, NO. 229 2 GOA Doubling of tracks is a project of the railways, not of port, asserts Rai 3 THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO The Congress took the platform of the launch of the Haath Se Haath Jodo Abhiyan in the State on Sunday with a call to the party rank and file to brace for a sustained battle on Mhadei if Chief Minister Pramod Sawant fails to condemn by Friday Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that the Mhadei issue has been resolved in consultation with Goa government. Newly-appointed Congress Goa desk in-charge, Manickam Tagore said the Political Affairs Committee of the Congress has served an ultimatum to Sawant to come clean on Mhadei by Friday evening. “We all hope that the Chief Minister will prove that he is not spineless and he would stand up against Shah by condemning the statement”, Tagore said while addressing the Congress rank and file at WITH EYE ON LOK SABHA ELECTIONS, CONG MAKES 3 PROMISES TO GOANS MARGAO: After the Bharat Jodo Abhiyan, the Congress party launched the Haath Se Haath Jodo Abhiyan in Goa on Sunday, with party leaders making three major promises to the people if the Congress returns to power in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Congress Goa desk in-charge, MP ManickManickam am Tagore said the Congress will reduce price Tagore of LPG cylinder to Rs 500, bring down price of petrol and diesel and accord importance to Micro small & medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector.  >> See pg 2 the launch of Haath Se Haath Jodo Abhiyan at Chinchinim on Sunday. Tagore demanded that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should resign and go home if he is afraid of the Union Minister, saying Sawant should have the guts to stand up and fight for Goa since he has been elected by the people of the State. “Mhadei issue is a people’s issue. People of Goa under- stand that the BJP has betrayed them on Mhadei. We are taking the issue very seriously. The Congress will take the issue to the logical conclusion”, he said, while saying the issue will be fought on the streets of Goa and at the highest level in Parliament. He said “with the Karnataka Assembly polls scheduled in April, BJP and Shah are out to divert the burning issues facing the neighbouring State includ- TIDES 35 C 21 C 85% Low: 05:43 17:22 High: 10:53 --- ROAD BLOCK: A trailer lies in the middle of the road after it crashed while negotiating a turn at Dapot-Maxem in Loliem on Sunday. (Report on pg 3) US shoots down Chinese balloon PTI WASHINGTON The United States military has downed the suspected Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic Ocean and launched a mission to recover all the equipment from its debris, drawing a strong reaction from China which on Sunday warned of repercussions over America's use of force against its civilian unmanned airship. At the direction of President Joe Biden, the US military shot down the Chinese surveillance balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, away from the US shores in South Carolina, with no damage to the life and properties, a senior defence Soon, Indians seeking US visa to face less wait time PTI NEW DELHI As the waiting period to get a US visa in India continues to remain over 500 days in most places, the US embassy has come up with a new initiative through which people could get appointments in a reasonable time period. Indians seeking the B1 and B2 visas -- meant for business and tourist purposes -- can now apply their visas at some American embassies abroad to cut the wait period. The US Embassy informed that Bangkok is one such destination where Indians can apply for a B1/B2 visa and would get to the interview stage in just 14 days. This is opposed to places in India where the wait is much longer. Mumbai has a wait period for 638 days, Kolkata 589 days, Delhi 596 days and Hyderabad 609 days. ON PAGE 2 Manickam taken aback after media query How did Kalsa project get EC without scientific report, Yuri asks Yadav ing price rise, communal tension, rampant unemployment et al. The BJP has the history of using election to raise issues and forget them after the polls”. Saying the people of Goa and Karnataka are peace loving citizens, Tagore said the BJP and Shah in particular are hell bent in creating the division amongst the people of the two States. “The betrayal by the Goa government on Mhadei is before our eyes. The Chief Minister is silent and this only indicates that he has surrendered to Shah”, he said, adding Congress workers will stand by the 1 PANAJI: A 21-year-old Gujarat native has been arrested by Anjuna Police for stealing a parked bike. The accused Rakesh Bhojaya was nabbed from Anjuna with the stolen bike. Max: Min: Humidity: Galvanic facial and the benefits it offers Former Pakistan prez Musharraf dies in Dubai Gujarat youth held for stealing bike WEATHER >> 9 INFO SPORTS Injured Hazlewood set to miss first Test against India ASKS SAWANT TO CLEAR AIR ON AMIT SHAH’S STATEMENT PANAJI: Anjuna police have booked a man from Bangalore for duping a UP native of Rs 25 lakh on pretext of leasing out a guest house. The accused promised the victim a guest house on lease and made him pay Rs 25 lakh. MAPUSA: A decomposed body of a 75-year-old woman was found inside a house in Bastora. Police rushed to the site after locals informed that foul smell was emanating from the house late Sunday. RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Cong Goa in-charge extends ‘hand’ to fight for Mhadei B’luru man booked for duping UP native Decomposed body found in Bastora Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday THE NEW INITIATIVES „„Indians seeking B1, B2 visas can now apply at some American embassies abroad „„Special interviews for first time applicants and increasing staff at consular offices „„US Embassy in Delhi and consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad will now conduct special Saturday interview days Taking to Twitter, the US Embassy India said, “Do you have upcoming international travel? If so, you may be able to get a visa appointment at the US Embassy or Consulate in your destination. For example, @ USEmbassyBKK has opened B1/B2 appointment capacity for Indians who will be in Thailand in the coming months." Amid visa delays especially for the states, the US Embassy launched a series of new initiatives last month. These include scheduling special interviews for first time appli- cants and increasing staff at consular offices to deal with increased footfall. The US Embassy in Delhi, and consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad will now conduct special Saturday interview days. The US is implementing remote processing of interview waiver cases for applicants with previous US visas. The new initiatives come as the US Mission to India processed over 1 lakh visa applications this January, the US Embassy in Delhi said. official told reporters. Fighter aircraft from Langley Air Force Base inspired a missile into the balloon, causing it to crash within the US airspace, said the official, adding as of now there are no indications that any people, civilian aircraft or maritime vessels were harmed in any way. Pakistan's wily former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf, the architect of the Kargil War in 1999, died on Sunday in Dubai after battling an incurable disease. 2 Musharraf, 79, who lived in self-imposed exile in the UAE to avoid criminal charges against him in Pakistan, died after a prolonged illness at the American Hospital in Dubai. 3 He was suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by a buildup of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body, according to his family.  >> Report on pg 7 people on the issue. GPCC Chief Amit Patkar and Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao also touched upon the contentious Mhadei issue while addressing workers. Asserting that the Goa government and Sawant are puppets in the hands of the Union Home Minister, Patkar said the Union Home Minister has given a clean chit to the Congress at Belagavi that the party and its leader Sonia Gandhi had always worked to protect Goa’s interest on Mhadei. Opposition leader Yuri said the BJP government has surrendered the interests of the country to the crony capitalists and urged the party workers to brace up for the battle to save Mhadei. South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha reminded that Mhadei river is the lifeline of Goa and Karnataka has no right to put up dams all along the river to divert the waters to the neighbouring State. 12 Centre to ban over 200 betting apps with Chinese links PTI NEW DELHI In a major crackdown, the Central government has initiated the process to ban and block 138 betting apps and 94 loan lending apps with Chinese links on an 'urgent' and 'emergency' basis, top government sources said on Sunday. Ministry of electronics and Info-Tech is learnt to have taken the decision based on the recommendations of the ministry of home affairs. As per sources, the MHA recommended the MeitY this week to ban and block these apps, and the ministry subsequently initiated the process as per communication. The move was taken after confirming that these apps attract Section 69 of the IT Act as they contain material which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India. The action behind the move is based on several complaints of extortion and harassment of common people who had availed small amounts of loans through the mobile apps being run by those entities and persons. The action is based on several complaints of extortion and harassment of common people who had availed small amounts of loans through the mobile apps being run by those entities and persons It is learnt that these apps are the brainchild of Chinese who hired Indians and made them directors in operation. As per inputs, desperate individuals are lured into taking on a loan and then jacked up the interest by up to 3,000 per cent annually. When debtors were unable to repay the interest, let alone the entire loan, individuals representing these apps started harassing those in debt. They sent them lewd messages, threatening to release their morphed photos and shaming them with messages to their contacts. The matter came into the spotlight after a spate of suicides, particularly in Andhra and Telangana, by those who opted for such loans or lost money to betting apps. 3 thugs wanted for dacoity in Gujarat nabbed in Goa Had looted `40 lakh from a businessman 2 were picked up while gambling at a casino THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Three Gujarati thugs who had around a week ago whacked Rs 40 lakh in a daring armed dacoity from a businessman at Gandhidham back home were nabbed by a team of Calangute police, two of them while they were gambling on a casino vessel in the capital. The Calangute police team led by PI Dattaguru Sawant was assisted in the operation by officials of the Gujarat Crime Branch. They first accosted Manu Singh Thakor at Candolim near the village football ground on Saturday. It was Thakor who then spilled the beans of the whereabouts of his two accomplices -- Chatrapal Singh and Surat Singh -- at a casino vessel in Panaji. Chatrapal and Surat were then traced to a particular casino by a team led by CYBER POLICE NAB TELANGANA MAN FOR HACKING HOTEL SERVER PANAJI: The Goa Police’s Cybercrime Cell managed to crack a case of hacking of the website of a famed resort in Goa and traced the culprit to Hyderabad in Telangana. Abrar Ahmad was arrested from Hyderabad on Sunday. Cybercrime cell sources said, Ahmad was misusing the credentials of the server and other operational software to alter information thus disrupting the reputed North Goa resort’s operations. The case was cracked by a team led by Police Inspector Devendra Pingale and consisting of Head Constable Yogesh Khandeparkar, police constables Sanyog Shetye, Ibrahim Karol and Hemant Gaonkar, all attached to the Cybercrime Cell. Police Sub-Inspector S S Varu and nabbed in a swift operation. The Gujarat Crime Branch team from Kutch (East), arrived in Goa on Saturday itself with information that they were traced to a location in the jurisdiction of Calangute police station. The trio had last Sunday (January 29), daringly accosted a businessman from Gandhidham and robbed him of Rs 40 lakhs. The businessman was severely injured in the >Continued on P5