log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday THURSDAY MAY 11, 2023 GOA 14 pages PRICE ` 8 Panaji chaos: CM vows to get work completed PANAJI: As apprehension is growing among residents and visitors to the capital city over the chaotic conditions and the approaching monsoon due to the ongoing ‘Smart City’ works, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday assured he will hold meetings with the contractors involved and draw up schedules for speedy restoration of roads and drains.  >> See pg 3 17 GCS officers promoted PANAJI: Additional Collector (South Goa) Dipak Desai and Director of Women & Child Development Deepali Naik are among 17 officers of Goa Civil Service promoted to Senior Administrative Grade. The order further states that these officers shall continue to hold their current position until further orders.  >> See pg 3 WEATHER >> Max: 34 C Min: 28 C Humidity: 82% TIDES Low: High: 08:24 21:39 01:15 15:52 The Goan (Playstore) PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VIII, NO. 323 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 3 14 2 9 Battle for K’taka: Exit polls give Cong the edge GOA POLLSTERS’ PREDICTIONS NEW DELHI Exit polls on Wednesday predicted a tight contest between the Congress and the BJP in the high-stakes Karnataka Assembly polls with most pollsters giving an edge to the grand old party. India Today-Axis My India predicted a clear majority for the Congress with 122-140 seats in the 224-member assembly and gave the BJP 62-80 seats. It gave 20-25 seats to the JD (S), the third major player in the race. News 24-Today’s Chanakya also forecast a majority for the Congress with 120 seats as against 92 seats for the BJP and 12 for the JD(S). The result for the three-cornered contest between the ruling BJP, the Congress and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda’s Janata Dal (Secular) will be announced on Saturday. While the ABP News-C Voter exit poll predicted that the Congress would get 100-112 Axis My India News 24-Today’s Chanakya ABP News-C Voter Republic TV-P MARQ India TV-CNX Polstrat Zee News-Matrize News Nation-CGS Times Now-ETG INC 122-140 120 BJP 62-80 92 100-112 94-108 110-120 99-109 103-118 86 113 83-95 21-29 85-100 24-32 80-90 20-24 88-98 21-26 79-94 25-33 114 21 85 23 seats, BJP 83-95, JD(S) 21-29, the Republic TV-P MARQ forecast that the Congress will get 94-108 seats, the BJP 85-100 and JD(S) 24-32. The India TV-CNX exit polls gave the Congress 110-120 seats and the BJP 80-90 seats. They predicted 20-24 seats for the JD (S). The TV9 Bharatvarsh-Polstrat exit poll stated that the Congress is likely to get 99- IPL: Chennai Super Kings beats Delhi Capitals by 27 runs How exercise decreases inflammation n SOME PREDICT TIGHT RACE BETWEEN BJP-CONG n JD(S) MAY PLAY KINGMAKER IN HUNG ASSEMBLY PTI SPORTS INFO Dowry harassment death: Five of accused family acquitted Margao’s traffic, road safety issues still stuck to backseat IN SHORT >> Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday JD(S) 20-25 12 109 seats, the BJP 88-98 and the JD(S) 21-26 while the Zee News-Matrize Agency predicted that the Congress would get 103-118, the BJP 79-94 and the JD(S) 25-33. The News Nation-CGS poll said the BJP would get 114 seats, the Congress 86 and the JD(S) 21. The Suvarna NewsJan Ki Baat forecast that the BJP was likely to win 94-117, Congress 91-106 and the JD(S) 14-24. Times Now-ETG exit polls gave 113 seats to the Congress and 85 to the BJP. It predicted 23 seats for JD (S). In the 2018 Assembly elections, BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 104 seats out of total 224, followed by the Congress at 80 and JD(S) at 37. There was one independent member, while BSP and Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janata Party (KPJP) had one legislator each. With no party having a clear majority and as the Congress and JD(S) were trying to forge an alliance, B S Yediyurappa of BJP staked a claim and formed the government. However, it had to resign within three days ahead of the trust vote, unable to muster the required numbers. Subsequently, the Congress-JD(S) alliance formed the government with Kumaraswamy as CM, but the wobbly dispensation collapsed in 14 months as 17 legislators >Continued on P5 Polls record 72% voter turnout PTI BENGALURU The single-phase election to the 224-member Karnataka State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday saw a turnout of nearly 72 per cent of voters, in a process that was “largely peaceful”. The results of the election will be announced on May 13. A total of 5.31 crore electors were eligible to cast their vote in 58,545 polling stations across the state where 2,615 candidates are in the fray, with the contest being a three-cornered one between the ruling BJP, the Congress and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda’s Janata Dal (Secular). First-time voters, elderly steal show First time voters and the elderly stole the show as they were seen participating in the voting process enthusiastically in the Karnataka Assembly elections on Wednesday. Of the total eligible voters, 16,914 are Vasco man held for Salcete farmers bracing to cultivate brutally murdering 2.37 lakh sq mtrs fallow agri land wife at Dodamarg RIDING HIGH ON SUCCESS STORY AT DIGAUM… THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO Salcete is bracing up to take another big leap in taking paddy cultivation forward in the taluka countryside in the coming season. Thanks to the initiative taken by local farmers and villagers and supported by the Agriculture Department and the Paddy Man of Goa, Fr George Quadros, a whopping 2.37 lakh square metres of fallow agriculture land is proposed to be brought under production in June. These fallow lands are spread across the villages of Chinchinim, Navelim, Sarzora and parts of Betalbatim, but are expected to turn into lush green fields in the coming season. For, farmers have come together under community farming to revive farming in the sprawling fields with support from Fr Quadros and the Agriculture Department. While Chinchinim is adding another feather to its cap by bringing around one lakh The success story of Digaum bandh in Chinchinim village where the experiment to bring fallow fields under production brought rich dividends. ANOTHER BIG LEAP! „„Around 2.37 lakh square metres of fallow land will be brought under cultivation in Salcete in the coming season „„The fields are located at Chinchinim and Navelim, besides Sarzora and Betalbatim „„Farmers from Navelim have joined hands to bring the fallow land at Salpem lake under cultivation „„Agriculture Department has set in motion the process to provide the help and assistance to these new farmers in the form of subsidies square metre of fallow fields under cultivation, the picturesque Salpem lake at Navelim will see a revival of farming af- Special ‘pension cell’ to deal with issues of premature retirees THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI A separate ‘pension cell’ will be formed to verify, compute and disburse the post-retirement benefits of pensioners who retired in 2005 when the State government reduced the superannuation age to 58 and reverted the decision two years later. The Goa cabinet on Wednesday approved setting up of the special pension cell for the purpose, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, adding that the decision is a corollary to the directives of the Bombay High Court at Goa. A committee had been formed to assess the records of these pensioners, mostly teachers, who retired at 58 and update their pension calculations. OTHER CABINET DECISIONS… „„Transfer of government land approved to set up four mobile towers in Quepem and also a health centre in Bicholim „„Grants post-facto approval for a couple of contract-basis posts at the Goa Medical College By a government order, the superannuation age was reduced to 58 in 2005. Two years later the order was reversed but the teachers who retired prematurely at 58, in those two years, were given no compensation although they had formed an >Continued on P5 ter decades of neglect. Says Chinchinim Comunidade Attorney Agnel Furtado, who had initiated the plan to National Games logo unveiling on Sunday THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The unveiling of the logo of the 37th edition of the National Games which Goa is set to host in October-November will be held on Sunday (May 14) at the Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Stadium, Sports Minister Govind Gaude announced on Wednesday. Gaude said, the event will be open to the public and the Games itself will be held in October-end. He expressed optimism that Goa should be in the position to participate in all 37 disciplines. The Sports Minister said, the National Games are important to Goa and the State needed to utilise funds to prepare athletes for winning medals. Gaude said he plans to involve sports associations and also prominent clubs at the village and taluka level to promote each and every discipline. revive paddy cultivation in the village, which was once considered the granary of Salcete: “Since our experiment of bringing fallow fields at Digaum bandh turned out a huge success, we have decided to bring the vast tracks of fields near the St Sebastian Chapel under cultivation in the coming season. We are confident that our efforts will bear fruit.” In fact, there seems no looking back for Agnelo and his dedicated team of farmers who had all joined hands to bring the fallow lands at Digaum bandh under cultivation last year. “We have gone in for the second crop at Digaum bandh and our experiment in water melon cultivation in the same fields also brought rich dividends,” he said. Apparently emulating the success story of Digaum bandh, farmers from Navelim have joined hands to bring the fallow land at the famous Salpem lake under cultivation. President of the >Continued on P5 THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In a shocking incident emerging from Dodamarg, an employee with the Goa Electricity Department Vinod Naik has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife, Vishita. The accused, who hails from Vasco, reportedly took his wife to Bhatwadi near Tillari on the pretext of an outing and subsequently strangled her to death with the help of his friend, Ruturaj Ingwale who is also taken into custody. As per the police, the heinous act did not stop there, as the accused then smashed Vishita’s face with a stone, leaving her face beyond recognition. Sources said the accused committed the crime on Monday night and dumped the body in the nullah, which was discovered by the locals there. “The villagers on noticing the body floating in the nullah alerted the Dodamarg police who took over the investigation. Her belongings raised HOW IT HAPPENED… „„The accused reportedly took his wife to Bhatwadi near Tillari on the pretext of an outing and subsequently strangled her to death with the help of his friend, Ruturaj Ingwale „„The accused then smashed Vishita’s face with a stone, leaving her face beyond recognition „„The accused committed the crime on Monday night and dumped the body in the nullah „„The reason behind the heinous crime is believed to be an extramarital affair suspicion that she could be hailing from Goa after which the Dodamarg police contacted their counterparts in Goa,” said an official. >Continued on P5 People wait in queues at a polling station to cast their votes for Karnataka Assembly elections, in Bengaluru, on Wednesday. ( detailed news coverage on P8) BELAGAVI RECORDS OVER 76% VOTING... >> See pg 8 centenarians and 12.16 lakh above the age of 80. 23-yr-old delivers baby at polling station In a “rare incident”, a 23-year-old woman delivered a baby at a polling station in Karnataka’’s Ballari on Wednesday, the Election Commission said. The woman had arrived at the polling station in Kurlagindi village of Ballari to exercise her right to franchise in the assembly elections, the poll panel said. Women officials and female voters helped in the delivery, it said. 23 held after poll official manhandled Villagers of Masabinala in Vijayapura district stopped a poll duty vehicle carrying EVMs, manhandled an officer and damaged control and ballot units on Wednesday following which 23 people were arrested, the Election Commission said. Govt takes ordinance route to tweak GSSC Act to complete recruitments PANAJI: The State government took the ordinance route to tweak the Goa Staff Selection Commission Act, 2019, and allow its departments to complete recruitment processes for posts advertised before January 8, 2022, latest by Au- gust 31 this year. The ordinance, promulgated by Governor, P Shreedharan Pillai, was notified on Wednesday to allow recruitment processes to sub-ordinate services and posts by individual departments up to August 31.