log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday SUNDAY MARCH 26, 2023 Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday The Goan (Playstore) 16 pages PRICE ` 8 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VIII, NO. 277 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 MOVIES »PAGE 16 PLAY & PAUSE »PAGE 13 LIVE SMART »PAGE 14 Not a part of the rat race TILL THE LAST BREATH! Beware! SCAMMERS AHEAD SPORTS »PAGE 8 Mbappe delivers for France as captain in Euro qualifying THE KABIR SINGH CONNECTION? Ranbir shoots in hospital for Animal Naache Kshiraja: Surendranath’s daughter makes start as Odissi dancer IT ’S PRANK TIME! If you aren’t up for April Fools’ Day pranks this year, look to these five pranks that you can easily pull Satwik-Chirag duo enters semis of Swiss Open Yami Gautam Dhar gets candid about her latest film Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga >> SEE PG 2 ASSEMBLY SESSION: ALL EYES ON ISSUES MAGAZINE MAGAZ Producer of The Last Ecstatic Days, Prerana Thakurdesai, recounts her experience Govt moves to curb transfer of agri land n CABINET APPROVES DRAFT n BILL TO BE PASSED IN ENSUING ASSEMBLY SESSION THE GOAN I NETWORK 9 Why the religious fast for Lent, Ramzan and other holy days Disqualification of a Member of the Legislature Home remedies for crow’s feet on your face 10 Know your kidneys: Guide to keep your body filters healthy! Goan Catholics mark Santos Passos across State and what it means 11 Auto Review All New Hyundai Verna: King returns IN SHORT >> Russian assaulted at Morjim, 2 arrested PERNEM: Two staffers have been arrested on charges of assaulting and injuring a Russian woman at her room in a hotel at Morjim in the wee hours of Friday. The woman was in her room when two persons entered through the slanting window. >> See pg 3 CS holds inspection ahead of G20 summit VASCO: Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel along with G20 Summit Nodal Officer and Secretary (Protocol) Sanjit Rodrigues and other heads of the department carried out a joint inspection near the Goa Airport ahead of the G20 Summit. >> See pg 5 UP native arrested for abusing minor PANAJI: A Uttar Pradesh native has been arrested by Verna police for sexually abusing his minor daughter. WEATHER >> Max: 34 C Min: 20 C Humidity: 72% TIDES Low: High: 07:42 20:00 01:03 14:32 Here’s how to shield yourself from online gaming frauds PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has announced that his government will pass a legislation which will bring restrictions on the transfer of ownership of agricultural land in the upcoming budget session of the Goa Legislative Assembly slated to begin from Monday.  Sawant made the announcement in a tweet from his official handle late on Saturday evening. “In a major Cabinet decision our Government has approved the draft ‘The Goa Restriction on Transfer of Agricultural Land Bill, 2023’,” the tweet by the Chief Minister said. In another tweet, he said: “The Bill seeks to impose restrictions on the transfer of agricultural lands in the State of Goa to preserve and protect the land which is presently being used for cultivation of paddy.” This bill will be passed in the upcoming Assembly session he said. GOLDEN PUNCH Ponda-Panaji arm of Nitu, Saweety crowned Atal Setu opened world boxing champs n Two-wheelers allowed n Both Saweety Boora FOR POSTERITY? „„The Bill seeks to impose restrictions on the transfer of agricultural lands in Goa to preserve and protect the land which is presently being used for cultivation of paddy „„The govt, however, has not specified the nature of the restrictions the new law seeks to impose or how it will complement the existing laws which ban change in land use of agricultural land POWER-PACKED SHOW Conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes has been a controversial subject in Goa’s political narrative for decades.  Large-scale diversion for industrial or other more lucrative commercial uses including housings and real estate has mostly been promoted by several successive governments since the early 1990s, despite a ban on conversion already inherent in existing land laws. Land-filling of low-lying agricultural fields, clandestinely backed by politicians and a corrupt bureaucracy has often been blamed by greens for the drastic decline of agriculture, particularly paddy cultivation, over the years. Sawant, however, has not specified the nature of the restrictions the new law seeks to impose on transfer of land or how it will complement the existing laws which ban change in land use of agricultural land. The bill is reportedly drafted by the Revenue department. „„Nitu put up a stupendous performance to see off Mongolia’s Lutsaikhan Altansetseg 5-0 and claim the title in 48 kg category „„Saweety warded off a challenge from China’s Wang Lina in the 81 kg category Nitu Ghanghas and Saweety Boora etched their names in Indian boxing history as they were crowned world champions SPECTACULAR SUNDAY ON CARDS „„India are on course to match their best-ever performance in terms of gold medals with Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain set to take the ring on Sunday (Details on pg 8) CRÈME DE LA CRÈME „„The two now join an elite list that includes six-time champion Mary Kom, Sarita Devi, Jenny RL, Lekha KC and Nikhat Zareen Nitu Ghanghas lanes to be opened by April 10 The Ponda to Panaji arm of Atal Setu that was inaugurated on Saturday.  Narayan Pissurlenkar THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI As the traffic chaos in Panaji and Porvorim continued on Saturday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant inaugurated the Ponda to Panaji arm of Atal Setu while assuring to open one lane of the mega Bridge by April 2. “One lane of the Ponda to Panaji arm is open for vehicular movement including two-wheelers on a temporary basis. The Atal Setu strictly does not allow two-wheelers... permission for two-wheelers on the Ponda-Panaji arm is allowed for a short period. The Ponda to Mapusa arm will also be opened next week,” the CM said.   Additionally, one lane of Atal Setu will be opened by April 2, a day after the Goa Board examinations while both lanes will be ready by April 10. “We understand that Class X Board exams are starting on April 1. The re-opening of one lane for both sides of traffic will ease congestion,” he said. Sawant added that the technology used in resurfacing Atal Setu is advanced and will be the permanent solution to the uneven and potholed surface. >Continued on P6 Shack owners up in arms against govt’s move on ‘model’ shacks Petition CM, Khaunte; want policy streamlined THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS) has petitioned the State government opposing the Tourism Department’s decision to introduce ‘model’ shacks on the beaches of Goa. The department last month had announced introducing four ‘model’ shacks, worth Rs one crore each, to be subsequently leased to the highest bidder in a bid to generate higher revenue for the State. The upcoming project is expected to give tough competition to the existing shacks, which have been one of the main tourist attractions. In the petition to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte, the SOWS expressed disappointment over the decision. “The shacks are one of the few businesses in the coastal areas which are still in the hands of local people on the WHAT THE PETITION SAYS „„Shacks are one of the few businesses in the coastal areas which are still in the hands of local people „„Policy should be streamlined especially allotment of shacks from April till end of May to ensure allottees can make arrangements „„Govt should expedite issuance of licenses and demarcation „„Shacks must be incorporated in GPS so that variations and encroachments can be identified „„Tourism Dept must make provision for collection of sewage waste periodically „„Not possible for each shack owner to cart away waste due to lack of motorable access „„Electricity & water connections must be provided at the beach as soon as the licences are issued basis of the assurances given by various governments that tourism shall benefit the locals. Therefore we oppose such model Shack policy adopted by Department of Tourism,” reads the petition by SOWS President Cruz Cardozo.   The SOWS has further sought to streamline the shack policy including commencing the allotment from April till the end of May, to ensure the allottees can make arrangements to start their >Continued on P6 Baby boys born to mothers with Covid likely to have brain disorders: Study AGENCIES NEW DELHI ale babies born to mothers with SARSCoV-2 infection during pregnancy were more likely to be diagnosed with neuro developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder in the first 12 months after delivery, according to a study. The findings showed that Covid positivity was associated with nearly two-fold higher odds of a neuro developmental diagnosis at 12 months of age among male children. At 18 months, the effects were more modest in males, with maternal SARS-CoV-2 positivity linked to a 42% higher odds of a neuro developmental diagnosis at this age. M One ward at GMC reserved for Covid patients PANAJI: With Covid positive cases showing an upward trend, the government on Saturday announced that one ward at GMC would be reserved for Covid patients as a precautionary measure. Disclosing this, Health Minister Vishawajit Rane however ruled out any State specific adversary in view of rising Covid cases. He said Goa will follow all Central government guidelines related to Covid. However, the risk was not seen in girls, said researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the US. “The neuro developmental risk associated with maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection was disproportionately high in male Meanwhile, six Covid patients were admitted in hospital after a gap of several months even as Goa reported 34 new cases of the infection on Saturday. The health bulletin of the Directorate of Health Services stated that the active Covid count in the State stood at 190 with 34 new Covid cases being detected from 621 samples tested in the last 24 hours. infants, consistent with the known increased vulnerability of males in the face of prenatal adverse exposures,” said Andrea Edlow, Associate Professor and a Maternal-Foetal Medicine specialist at MGH. Previous studies found associations between other infections during pregnancy and increased risk of neuro developmental disorders in children, such as autism spectrum disorder, but it was unclear if such a link exists with Covid infection during pregnancy. Smart Advertising