log on to thegoan.net Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday @thegoaneveryday SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19, 2023 The Goan (Playstore) 16 pages PRICE ` 8 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VIII, NO. 242 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 MOVIES »PAGE 16 PLAY & PAUSE »PAGE 13 LIVE SMART »PAGE 14 SPORTS »PAGE 8 Let’s have a ball Let’s nacho! Spot. Check. Delete... Australia gains slight edge after even second day against India Tale of a director: Barnwal opens up about his journey, upcoming projects and more What do your shoes say about your attitude? 4 situations when to review your financial plan Bollywood star Ranveer Singh plays for Dwayne Wade’s celebrity all-star NBA team MAGAZINE MAGAZ Can all hopes be pinned on Chief Wildlife Warden’s permission? 9 Spring skin and hair care with make-up 10 Understanding epilepsy (fits), the fear and stigma Who is George Soros, billionaire investor who criticised PM Modi? 11 Auto Review Hyundai IONIQ5: Trendy Futuristic Longrunner >> SEE PG 2 The changing face of Goan carnival IN SHORT >> Laterite quarry at Sattari raided PANAJI: Mines Department raided illegal laterite quarry at Vantem-Sattari and seized lakhs worth machinery used in the quarrying activity following complains by locals. The locals have been up in arms against the quarry and had even launched a signature campaign against it. Bihar native held with Ganja MAPUSA: A Bihar native was arrested on charges of illegal possession of narcotics worth Rs 2.60 lakh, Calangute Police informed. The accused identified as Rampriya Kumar Chaudhary (22) is a resident of Bicholim. Extortion bid foiled, 11 arrested PANAJI: Fatorda resident Altaf Shah Sayed, suspected for having links with the banned organisation, Popular Front of India is among 11 persons arrested on charges of kidnapping two Hyderabad men in Goa for ransom. The accused demanded Rs 3.5 to 4 crore from the victims’ employer who soon lodged a complaint with the police in his home town. WEATHER >> Max: 33 C Min: 24 C Humidity: 62% TIDES Low: High: 04:11 16:06 09:23 21:01 Benny Dayal has come a long way conquering Bollywood and making forays into independent music Are you dealing with your superior’s unprofessional behaviour at the workplace? Panaji on ‘happy high’ as people soak in revelry Ranji final: Saurashtra takes firm grip against Bengal ...And some citizens protest over plight of Smart City ‘SMART CITY’ PROTEST „„‘Pity my City’, ‘Panjim deserves better’ ‘Smart Ways to Hell’, ‘Panjim our home, not your playground’, ‘Footbridge over troubled waters’ were some of the graffiti-styled posters the group either wore on their person or carried as placards BOATS DECORATED LIKE FLOATS SAILED PARALLEL IN MANDOVI RIVER ALONG FLOAT PARADE; HELICOPTER SHOWERS FLOWER PETALS OVER ROUTE THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The four-day ‘reign’ of King Momo commenced on Saturday at a splendid and colourful parade of dozens of floats along the traditional DB Marg route in the capital city, officially kicking off Carnival festivities. Thousands lined up along the nearly 1.5-km barricaded route from the New Patto Bridge to the Kala Academy at Campal. The float parade was flagged off by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in the presence of Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte and Panaji mayor Rohit Monserrate. Making a brief, impromptu speech Sawant urged Goans to join the Carnival revelry which he said is important to raise the State’s happiness index. He also congratulated Khaunte and the entire Goa Tourism team for the efforts to promote Carnival as a major tourist attraction successfully. It was a riot of song and dance as float after float A huge crowd assembled along the Panaji Carnival float parade route to witness the floats on Saturday as a helicopter showers petals on the parade route. ( More photos on pg 9 )  Pics: Narayan Pissurlenkar mounted on pick-ups and larger trucks filed past cheering onlookers throughout the 1.5-km route. Musical bands belted out popular tracks live from atop some of the truck mounted, colourfully and artistically decorated floats. Others had either pre-recorded music blaring from systems or DJs playing and most had groups Govt to introduce 3 major Green Tech initiatives Deadline to seek regularisation of structures extended by 90 days CM says IP critical for tech development THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday said that the government is keen to introduce three major Green Tech initiatives in the State to reduce human impact on the environment. He was speaking at the 14th edition of the Global Intellectual Property Convention (GIPC) 2023. “My government is keen to introduce these initiatives of innovative technologies such as 2MW Membrane based floating solar panels unique to Goa’s landscape, New Green Hydrogen Research and Development Center in line with the National Green Hydrogen Mission, Renewable Manufacturing Hub facilitating Solar Panel and Electrolysers pro- CM extends support to make Goa ‘Yog Bhumi’ PANAJI: A day after Yog Guru, Baba Ramdev announced to set up South India’s biggest Patanjali Ayurveda Wellness Centre in Goa, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday extended his support to make Goa a Yog Bhumi. “I assure you (Baba Ramdev) that the Goa government will offer all the required assistance to make Goa a popular Yog Bhumi” Sawant said while addressing the media after inaugurating a three-day-long Yog Shibir (Yoga Session) at Miramar beach early Saturday morning.  >> See pg 3 duction,” he said while addressing the gathering. He also emphasised that Intellectual Property (IP) is critical for the development of Green Technology, mentioning that finding the right balance between the protection of IP and the need to promote Green Technology is pertinent. “To address this, there’s a need for licensing >Continued on P5 THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Individuals who could not meet the past deadline to file their applications to get their unauthorised structures regularised will now get the opportunity to do so within the next 90-day period. The State government has notified the amendment to the original law which was recently assented to by the Governor, PS Sreedharan Pillai. The amendment to The Goa Regularisation of Unauthorized Construction Act was passed by the Goa Legislative Assembly on the third day of the winter session held in mid-January. Pillai had given his assent to the amendment on Tuesday. It provides for a 90-day window during which those who were unable to file their applications can do so now. dancing to the rhythms. The floats were in traditional, institutional, family and individual joker categories. From atop the Tourism department’s float, Margao’s Russel D’Souza who was picked as ‘King Momo’ this year, proclaimed his decree, exhorting people to indulge in fun activities for the next three days, at regular intervals along the route. In a novelty this year, there were boats decorated like floats which sailed parallelly in the Mandovi river which hugs the route of the float parade. The Tourism department also introduced this year a helicopter which did sorties over the route. On Sunday the float parade will be held in Margao and in Vasco city on Monday. The 4-day Carnival celebrations conclude on Tuesday with the float parade in Mapusa and an event in Morjim where the Tourism department is also simultaneously holding its annual ‘Food and Cultural Festival’. THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI A group of Panaji citizens and youth who innovatively dressed in costumes sporting posters and holding placards as they mingled in the crowds along the Carnival float parade route were initially accosted by a group of policemen. After a brief verbal encounter, the police let them off but not before they confiscated from them a prop in the shape of a coffin they were carrying to depict a mock “funeral of Panaji city” one of the protesters said. ‘Pity my City’, ‘Panjim deserves better’ ‘Smart Ways to Hell’, ‘Panjim our home, not your playground’, ‘Footbridge over troubled waters’ were some of the graffiti-styled posters the group either wore on their person or carried as placards. While there was no any official communication by the group, it was evident that they were displaying their angst over the haphazard execution of Smart City works besides a few other projects like the footbridge at the mouth of the St Inez Creek, the proposed Ropeway between Reis Magos and Panaji, among others. A video clip of the brief encounter between the group and the policemen at a location near the Entertainment Society of Goa office along the DB Marg, has gone viral in local social media groups. Goan ordained Bishop of Baroda THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Former Superior General of the Pilar Society Fr Sebastião Mascarenhas SFX was ordained Bishop of Baroda at the Episcopal Consecration ceremony held at Rosary High School Ground in Vadodara-Gujarat on Saturday. The Principal Consecrator was Archbishop of Bombay Cardinal Oswald Gracias, while the Co-Consecrators were Archbishop of Goa and Daman Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão and Archbishop of Gandhinagar Thomas Macwan. Bishop Sebastião’s own brother, Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, the Nuncio for India and Nepal, 22 Bishops, about 330-350 priests, around 400-500 religious sisters and 7,000-8,000 lay faithful were also present for the Episcopal Consecration. Delegates of the Goa government included PWD Min- The newly ordained Bishop of Baroda Sebastião Mascarenhas SFX ister Nilesh Cabral, IGP Omvir Singh Bishnoi IPS and Secretary for Revenue and General Administration Sandip Jacques IAS. Pope Francis had appointed Fr Sebastiäo Mascarenhas, SFX, former Superior General of the Missionaries of St Francis Xavier (Pilar Fathers), as Bishop of Baroda on December 31, 2022. Bishop Sebastião Mascarenhas SFX, who hails from Camurlim-Salcete, is the fourth bishop of Baroda diocese and is a member of the Society of the Missionaries of St Francis Xavier, popularly known as Pilar Fathers. Bishop Sebastiäo Mascarenhas, SFX, is now the third bishop from the Society of Pilar. His brother, Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, Auxiliary Bishop of Ranchi and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Daltonganj in Jharkhand, and Bishop-Emeritus of Port Blair Alex Dias are the two other bishops from the religious congregation, which was formed in 1887. Bishop Sebastiäo Mascarenhas began his early Priestly ministry in the Parish and School in Vapi, and at various intervals served in the missions of Nagar Haveli. After his Licentiate and Doctorate abroad, he joined the Mission Seminary at Pilar as Professor and Animator from 2000-2002 and then Rector and Professor of the >Continued on P5 mHealth intervention can help Goa to receive `  20 cr pending GST compensation 1 ISSUES TAKEN UP AT GST COUNCIL prevent secondary stroke: Study THE GOAN I NETWORK PTI NEW DELHI Mobile health intervention can lead to improved lifestyle-related behaviours that can prevent secondary stroke, according to a study conducted in India whose findings were published in the Lancet Global Health journal. Mobile health (mHealth) refers to the use of mobile and wireless devices to improve health and deliver care. The study was done across 31 stroke centres in India and the trial’s intervention was a package composed of SMS text messages, health education videos and stroke prevention workbooks for patients. The trial was conducted by SPRINT-India (Second- THE STUDY „„Mobile health (mHealth) refers to the use of mobile and wireless devices to improve health and deliver care „„The study was done across 31 stroke centres in India and the trial’s intervention was a package composed of SMS text messages, health education videos and stroke prevention workbooks for patients ary Prevention by Structured Semi-Interactive Stroke Prevention Package) under ICMR’s Indian Stroke Clinical Trial Network (INSTRuCT) of stroke-ready centres in India, one of its kind in developing countries and the fourth government-supported network around the world. Dr Meenakshi Sharma Scientist-G, Noncommunicable Diseases Division, ICMR stated that the SPRINT study is the first trial in India (and perhaps globally) to try to assess the role of an mHealth intervention in secondary prevention of stroke at such a large scale. It was a multicentre, randomised-controlled trial of a semi-interactive mHealth intervention among stroke patients, the ICMR said in a statement. The messages given on >Continued on P5 PANAJI he State of Goa will receive Rs 120 crore as balance GST compensation pending for June 2022 as the Government of India on Saturday decided to clear the entire pending balance GST compensation of Rs 16,982 crore for June 2022 for states across India. Since, there is no amount in the GST compensation Fund, Centre has decided to release this amount from its own resources and the same will be recouped from the future compensation cess collection, states a release by GST council. The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said this while addressing a press conference soon after the 49th meeting of the GST Council ended on Saturday in Delhi. T „„The Government of India on Saturday decided to clear the entire pending balance GST compensation of Rs 16,982 crore for June 2022 for states across India „„The council discussed matters pertaining to setting up of appellate tribunals and curbing tax evasion in pan masala and She also informed that Rs 16,524 crore to six states which have submitted the accountant general’s (AG) certificate will also be released. Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Telangana are among the six states which have submitted AG certificates. Though submission of AG certificate is a requirement for gutkha businesses „„The GoM report on taxation for pan masala was accepted by the council the states to seek GST compensation, Sitharaman said that it wasn’t a strict pre-requisite, as 90 per cent of funds are anyway released to the states, while the remaining amount is given after the AG certificate is submitted. The GST Council meeting, which was held at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi, discussed matters „„To reduce GST on pencil sharpeners and certain tracking devices „„Exemption on coal rejects supplied by and to the washeries approved by the Council „„Recommends rationalisation of late fee for delayed filing of annual returns pertaining to setting up of appellate tribunals and curbing tax evasion in pan masala and gutkha businesses. The group of ministers’ (GoM) report on taxation for pan masala was accepted by the council. At the meeting, the GST Council decided to reduce GST on pencil sharpeners and certain tracking devices. Exemption on coal rejects supplied by and to the washeries was also approved by the Council. Also, GST on a type of liquid jaggery has been reduced to nil from 18 per cent if sold loose. If it’s pre-packaged and labelled, the tax rate on it would be 5 per cent. The GST Council also recommended rationalisation of late fee for delayed filing of annual returns. However, no decision could be arrived at by the fitment committee for SUVs and MUVs. Sitharaman said that the GST Council decided to tax services supplied by courts and tribunals under the reverse charge mechanism. She also informed that the decision on the GST Appellate Tribunal has been accepted with change in language and the modification in draft will be circulated within a week.