log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday TUESDAY MAY 16, 2023 GOA 14 pages Monsoon round the corner, but Sal de-weeding ops yet to take off Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday The Goan (Playstore) PRICE ` 8 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VIII, NO.328 2 GOA CM chairs disaster mgt authority meet to chalk plan to tackle monsoon fury 3 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Uses of aloe vera for face, body and hair K’taka cliffhanger: All eyes on Congress decision today CENTRAL OBSERVERS BRIEF KHARGE, SUBMIT REPORT PTI NEW DELHI The suspense over the new Karnataka chief minister intensified on Monday even as Randeep Surjewala, AICC incharge for Karnataka, said that the party will announce its decision by Tuesday evening. The three central observers, who interacted with party MLAs on their choice for the CM’s post after the Congress Legislature Party meeting on Sunday, briefed party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and submitted their report. After the meeting, Randeep Surjewala, AICC in-charge for Karnataka, told reporters that the party will announce its decision by Tuesday evening. “The observers have submitted the report to the Congress president. We will hold IN SHORT >> Shack operators face bureaucratic hurdle MAPUSA: Even though shack operators along the Calangute-Candolim coastal belt want to dismantle their units and shutdown business for the season, they cannot do so, as concerned authorities appear to have been caught in a bureaucratic wrangle and therefore hesitate to deseal the shacks to facilitate removal.  >> See pg 3 Pomburpa spring to get new lease of life MAPUSA: Emphasising the need for a self-generating model to ensure the sustainability of Pomburpa spring, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte assured to take up the renovation and improvement of the popular tourist spot in Bardez.  >> See pg 3 22-year old held for bike stunts at Verna VASCO: A 22 year old youth Muktar Ritti, resident of Casarwada, Bethora in Ponda was on Monday arrested by Verna police on charges of endangering public lives by performing bike stunts on roads at Verna.  >> See pg 2 WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: TIDES 35 C 27 C 82% Low: 02.20 14.23 High: 08.56 20.23 Shivakumar cancels Delhi visit Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar cuts a cake to celebrate his birthday after the CLP meeting in Bengaluru. consultations with all senior state leaders, including Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, and after that a decision will be taken by the Congress president,” he said. Former chief minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were called by the party high command for further discussion on government formation. Siddaramaiah arrived this afternoon in the national capital but Shivakumar cancelled his visit. Amid various claims about the number of MLAs supporting him and Siddaramaiah for Panaji flooding fears rise as Cabral says can’t give guarantee ASSURES TO COORDINATE WITH ALL AGENCIES BEFORE MONSOONS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral on Monday said no guarantee can be given that the capital city will go without flooding this monsoon.  Cabral, who visited some sites in the capital city where work in progress related to smart city projects has raised a huge question mark over the city’s preparedness to face the upcoming monsoon, said although PWD has completed all its work related to the smart city projects, there were contractors under the IPSCDL who are still executing these projects. The minister was accompanied by CCP Mayor Rohit Monserrate, deputy mayor Sanjiv Naik and officials. Cabral, however, said he has volunteered to step in and find solutions so that some order is restored in the city before the onset of the monsoons. “Engineers from all the departments and agencies are communicating and coordinating with each other to resolve all issues and hopefully get ready before the rains hit,” Cabral said, adding however CM: Dug up roads to be ready by May-end PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday held a meeting of the Disaster Management Authority officials and said all dug up roads in Panaji will be reinstated by May 30. He said, precautions have been taken to avoid flooding including a plan to install additional pump stations in the flood-prone Mala lake area. that challenges exist. Monserrate also appeared on the same page as Cabral saying, “Panaji has been flooding for past 20 years. It will take few more years for the work to be done. We have done whatever is possible and there is nothing more that we can do as of now.” Meanwhile, Cabral urged citizens to use PWD app to post photos of potholes so that they can be repaired. BENGALURU: Chief minister aspirant and Karnataka state Congress president D K Shivakumar on Monday cancelled his Delhi trip, hours after confirming he would be flying to the national capital, fuelling speculation that all is not well in the ruling camp over the CM contender issue. Shivakumar cited health reasons for the change in his travel plans but sources said he is likely to come to Delhi on Tuesday. “I have some problem in the stomach. Doctor is coming in 10 minutes. It’s burning. It looks like some infection and I have a fever... please let me be free...,” he told reporters. Sources close to him confirmed he is not going to Delhi today. the CM’s post, Shivakumar said earlier on Monday that his strength is 135, as under his presidency in the state the party had won the seats. The move by Shivakumar, seen by many as a “pressure tactic” to assert his claim on the top post, indicated that 9 INFO the leadership war in the southern state is far from over. The three observers -- Sushilkumar Shinde, Jitendra Singh and Deepak Babaria, deputed by the Congress, returned to the national capital SPORTS IPL: Gujarat Titans beats SRH by 34 runs to secure playoffs berth Plastic rice? Ration throws another scare in Benaulim  ABNORMAL QUALITY MIXED WITH NORMAL RICE  MLA CLAIMS GRAINS MELT WHEN BURNT THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO “Plastic rice or simply adulterate rice” is a subject matter of debate in Benaulim after a resident found abnormal quality of rice mixed with normal rice variety in the ration procured from a local fair price shop. In fact, when Perpetua Gonsalves, a Benaulim resident found to her shock and surprise that the ration rice she cooked differed from the normal one consumed by her and her family, she smelt a rat. She was immediately on the job to find out the reason in her own way, only to later realize that abnormal rice grains were found mixed with the rice supplied by the fair price shop. “The cooked rice appeared in a mesh form dif- The rice that appears ‘plastic’. ferent from the normal rice we consume. After I segregated the abnormal rice, I put fire to the grains just to find out whether it is plastic rice or not and the rice dissolved. When it was put in water, it was found floating”, she told the media, Santosh Mirajkar before bringing the unusual situation to the notice of Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas. The Benaulim MLA called officials of the Civil Supplies department to his office on Monday to explain >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 Rashmi, Anand WORTH THE SALT elected unopposed as chairperson, deputy of SMC Soon, all doctors to have UID; central repository planned PTI THE GOAN I NETWORK BICHOLIM Rashmi Dessai was on Monday elected unopposed as Chairperson of Sanquelim Municipal Council while Anand Kanekar was also elected unopposed as Vice Chairperson. The post of chairperson was reserved for women. Monday was the last date for filing nominations for both the posts. However, as there was only one application each for both the posts, they were declared elected unopposed. The results will be formally announced on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Ponda Municipal Council elections are going to be interesting as two persons each have filed their nominations for the posts of chairperson and deputy. For the post of Chairperson Ritesh Naik from BJP-backed panel has filed the nomination while Shivanand Sawant has filed nomination on behalf of ‘Rising Ponda’ panel. For vice chairpersons post, Deepa Kolvekar (BJP-backed) and Vedika Volvoikar (Rising Ponda) have filed their nominations. BJP-backed panel in Ponda has won 10 seats in the 15 member council while ‘Rising Ponda’ has 4 councillors and support of one independent. Elections for the 2 posts will be held tomorrow. 14 A worker collects salt from the salt pans at Ribandar on Monday. Salt farming which is a tedious process, is not so lucrative as it once was, and is now slowly dying.   Narayan Pissurlenkar NEW DELHI All medical practitioners will now have to register with the National Medical Commission (NMC) besides State medical councils and get a Unique Identification Number to practice in the country. According to a recent notification, the data will be updated in the National Medical Register which will be made available to the public and displayed on the NMC’s website. The website will display information regarding a medical practitioner such as registration number, name, date of registration etc.  >> See pg 8 Mishaps claim one life daily in Goa: Data THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI With Goa’s roads virtually turning into death traps given that over 1000 accidents were recorded within just 131 days till May 11, 2023, the fatalities soared to 51.16 percent compared to the records during the corresponding period last year.  While a modest reduction by 7.09 percent in overall accidents may appear as a silver lining, the rising fatality rate has painted a bleaker picture. The data of accident scenarios in Goa compiled for January 2023 to May 11, 2023 reveals 121 fatal and 90 grievous accidents out of a total 1061 accidents. The total fatal collisions claimed 130 lives, majority of which were due to head injuries whereas 127 persons were seriously injured.  The corresponding period from January 2022 to May 11, 2022 saw 1142 accidents, 81 fatal  cases that killed 86 persons and 76 grievous acci- dents injuring 94 victims. This rise of 35.11 percent in grievous injuries has compounded the gravity of the situation. The data further indicates that a maximum of 39 persons were killed in the very first month of this year followed by 30 in March, 29 in February and 27 in April. Majority of these killed were two-wheeler riders.   Despite the Goa police claiming to have intensified traffic enforcement measures in response to the surge in accidents, the total number of cases booked under the Motor Vehicles Act is lower compared to the previous year’s corresponding period. Records show that 1, 69,537 cases are booked whereas it was 2, 05,828 during the same period last year. However, there has been a significant increase in the amount collected through fines with a 163 percent jump considering the revised >Continued on P5 IMD to launch forecast Museum showcases Queen St Ketevan’s gallery at Old Goa system for heavy rains THE GOAN I NETWORK PTI NEW DELHI If all goes as planned, India will soon get a dynamic impact-based forecast for heavy rainfall events across all districts. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is now gearing up to launch its new service this monsoon season starting June. For the first time, the weather department has integrated the latest vulnerability assessment of people and region into its forecast to ascertain the actual risks they face during a weather hazard. This will not just alert people of heavy rainfall events, but its potential impact in their local The new system will forecast areas are likely to get flooded, and how much, and what will be the impact on public infrastructure -- railways, bridges, hospitals as well as power lines areas. Speaking of the new system IMD Director-General M Mohapatra said IMD has superimposed the hazard modelling with real-time GIS data and vulnerability assessment for the entire country. >Continued on P5 PANAJI ased on the theme of ‘A Saga of a Queen from Martyrdom to a Saint’, the Ketevan Gallery at Archaeological Survey of India, Archaeological Museum Velha Goa was inaugurated at the hands of Union Minister for State for Culture, Meenakshi Lekhi at Old Goa on Monday. Also present were Alexander Khvtisiashvili, deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and Archil Khachidze, Archpriest, Georgian Orthodox Church and others. After the inauguration, an exhibition tour of the gallery was conducted to showcase the diverse and fascinating artifacts on display. B ASI Superintending archaeologist Hemsagar A Naik handing over a photo frame of Queen St Ketevan to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Alexander Khvtisiashvili in the presence of Archpriest Archil Khachidze, Georgian Orthodox Church and Union Minister for State for Culture Meenakshi Lekhi at Old Goa on Monday. (More photos on page 6)  Expressing joy over the opening of the Ketevan gallery, Lekhi recalled her journey in the entire process of handing over the relics of the Queen and Saint Ketevan to Georgia which was possible due to intervention of the Prime Minister’s Office. “The government of India has showed its commitment towards the preservation, conservation and respect for all, through a long history of St Ketevan’s relics which were brought to India in 1624 and from that time till now, the preservation and conservation happened despite difficulties and the kind of difficult history we have had,” Lekhi said. Peeking in the past, Lekhi explained how in 1958 while going through the records it was discovered that one of the relics of St Ketevan was preserved at St Augustine’s church in Goa. “The ASI should be thanked for such long standing commitment,” she said, adding, “the mortals were discovered along with eight other remains of bishops and priests and through genomic studies at a Hyderabad laboratory, this was further discovered that this cascade belonged to Queen Ketevan.” Lekhi further stated that with the intervention of Prime Minister’s Office in 2021, Union Minister for External Affairs, S Jaishankar carried the relics to Georgia, which is our friend, and which was once our neighbour in ancient times. “Georgia kept the relics for people to pay their respect to their St Queen Ketevan. The government of Georgia made a request that the remains be kept in Georgia for some more time, and six months period was granted. These pieces of national heritage cannot be taken out of the country and a special arrangement was made when India gave that permission. They were brought back to India and after another request from Georgia to hand over a part of the pieces to them, India did that too,” said Lekhi who was a part of this whole process. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Alexander Khvtisiashvili thanked the Indian government for its large heartedness. Archil Khachidze, Archpriest, Georgian Orthodox Church also spoke on the occasion.