log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday THURSDAY MAY 18, 2023 GOA 14 pages Sonsodo waste fire exposes MMC failure to comply with HC order Hinduja Group chairman SP Hinduja dies in London NEW DELHI: Srichand Parmanand Hinduja, the eldest of the four Hinduja brothers and ch a i r m a n of Hinduja Group, died in London on Wednesday. He was unwell for some time. He was 87. The Hinduja family patriarch and his brothers, Gopichand and Prakash, were accused of receiving nearly SEK 81 million in illegal commissions to help Swedish gunmaker AB Bofors secure an Indian government contract. A court had however exonerated them. After completing his education in 1952, SP joined his father in the family business. IN SHORT >> 54th IFFI poster released at Cannes PANAJI: Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Dr L Murugan along with the Indian delegation released the poster of 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Goa at the Cannes Film Festival 2023 in France. The 54th edition of IFFI will be held in Goa in November 2023. Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday The Goan (Playstore) PRICE ` 8 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VIII, NO.330 2 3 GOA Mormugao council razes illegal structures of wholesale outlets Anmod Ghat reopens for heavy vehicles PANAJI: The Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner has officially reopened the Anmod Ghat road for all types of vehicles, including heavy vehicles. The road was closed for heavy vehicles for past 4 years due to construction of the Belgaum-Goa National Highway. However, work on the Khanapur-Ramnagar and Ramnagar-Anmod road stretch is still underway. WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: TIDES 34 C 27 C 68% Low: 03:37 16:03 High: 10:26 21:34 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 The sugar hypertension connection? SPORTS DC eliminates PBKS from playoffs race with 15-run win in IPL  SHIVAKUMAR REJECTS NEW OFFER OF ROTATION AGENCIES DELHI/BENGALURU It has been four days since the party registered a thumping victory in the Karnataka Assembly election. However, the suspense over who will be the new chief minister continues as the party struggles to bring state unit chief DK Shivakumar on board with the idea of a second term for Siddaramaiah in the top post. The tussle for the top job between the two has hogged the headlines much to the embarrassment of the Congress. This has led to speculations about the possible compromise formulas that are on the table to break the deadlock. With no end in sight to the ongoing drama, the Congress on Wednesday was forced to come out with a clarification „„Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar continues to stake claim to the chief minister’s post „„Shivkumar sticks to his claim even after the leadership promised him a three-year term offer if he agreed to Siddaramaiah presiding over as Chief Minister for the first two years of the tenure denouncing the rumours doing the rounds. Party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala blamed the BJP for spreading rumours about power struggle within the Karnataka unit. He said deliberations are on and a decision will be taken today or tomorrow. The Congress has also warned its leaders not to speak out of turn. After several meetings on Monday and Tuesday, the day started with both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar meeting Rahul Gandhi separately at his 10, Janpath residence in the morning. The meetings came a day after the two held separate meetings with Kharge at his residence and discussed issues regarding the government formation. HOW SAFE IS THIS? Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar, who met party president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi, continued to stake claim to the chief minister’s post, forcing the leadership to put off the crucial decision further. Party circles in both New Delhi and Bengaluru remained thick with speculation about Shivkumar sticking to his claim even after the leadership sweetened its offer to him by promising him a three-year term if he agreed to Siddaramaiah presiding over as Chief Minister for the first two years of the tenure. Sources said Shivakumar was offered the post of Deputy Chief Minister alongside his current role -- heading the state party unit. Shivakumar met Rahul Gandhi after Siddaramaiah and the two leaders spent over 30-minutes each with the former party chief. He is also learnt to have talked on the phone to former >Continued on P5 Suggestions sought within 15 days PANAJI The demand for a blue cab counter at Mopa voiced by Pernem locals finally found concrete support from the State government with the latter issuing a draft notification to amend the Goa Motor Vehicles Act and pave the way to set up the counter at the new international airport. The notification seeks objections or suggestions to its draft rules which are to be forwarded to the Director of Transport in 15 days. “Consent from GMR Goa International Airport Ltd, for providing parking slots/ pickup bays at Manohar International Airport at Mopa shall be sufficient for issuance of permits by the Regional Transport Authority,” the draft notification states. It also stipulates that to drive public service vehicles the completion certificate of orientation course conducted Pernem MLA among 6 duped in cash-for-cabinet post scam GUJARAT MAN POSED AS NADDA’S PA, OFFERED BERTHS THE GOAN I NETWORK Tourists cross the road dangerously to get to the cruise jetty near the Divja Circle, Panaji, on Wednesday, at a time when the State has been observing Global Road Safety Week.   Narayan Pissurlenkar Dept in damage control, fumigates tons of rice at Cortalim godowns THE GOAN I NETWORK VASCO After a huge outcry over the bad quality rice available in many of the fair price shops (FPS) in Mormugao taluka, the Civil Supplies Department has taken preventive measures and fumigated the stock of rice at the Cortalim godowns. Speaking to media, Mormugao Civil Supplies Inspector Sarita Moraskar said that there was around 300 tons of rice in the Cortalim civil supplies department. “We have taken all preventive steps and fumigation has been carried out at our Cortalim godowns which are in a good condition. One stack of rice was fumigated on Friday and we kept the godown shut on Saturday and Sunday. The remaining stack was fumigated on Monday and we have closed our godowns again for two days, ie. on Tuesday and Wednesday. The entire process has been taken care of by the senior officials of the Civil Supplies Department, FCI, etc and the godowns have been kept shut for two days after every round of fumigation,” said Moraskar. Moraskar said that they had received a circular and letter that bad quality rice be replaced immediately. >Continued on P5 PANAJI The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Pernem MLA, Pravin Arlekar is among a group of six legislators of the saffron party from Maharashtra, Nagaland and Goa, who were targeted by a conman from Gujarat who posed as the PA of the party’s national president J P Nadda, and from whom the latter demanded money in exchange for cabinet berths in their respective States. Nagpur police arrested Neeraj Singh Rathod from Morbi in Ahmedabad district on charges of cheating by impersonation (section 419 of IPC), cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property (section 420 IPC) and punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life (section 511 of IPC). There is frenzied speculation of cabinet reshuffles in both Maharashtra and Goa for several weeks. Local Nagpur media reports quoted the police as saying that no money was paid by the MLAs but sources said it is highly unlikely that the police would reg- THE STUDY REVEALS… AGENCIES „„The strong spell of heat wave experienced in India, and some neighbouring countries, in April could most likely be attributed to climate change „„A group of researchers associated with the World Weather Attribution initiative released a report that said that climate change T year on record, surpassing 2016. Right now, 2016 happens to be the warmest year ever, the annual mean had made the April heat wave in India, Bangladesh, Laos and Thailand at least 30 times more likely „„Events like this were expected to happen only once in hundred years, but under climate change scenarios they were now likely to occur once every five years temperature that year being 1.28 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial times (average of the 1850-1900 pe- riod). The year 2022 was 1.15 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial average. Separately, a new study released on Wednesday, said the strong spell of heat wave experienced in India, and some neighbouring countries, in April could most likely be attributed to climate change. A group of researchers associated with the World Weather Attribution initiative released a report that said that climate change had made the April heat wave in India, Bangladesh, Laos and Thailand at least 30 times more likely. Events like this were expected to happen only once in hundred years, but under climate change scenarios they were now likely to occur once every five years, they said. Nagpur media reports… Rathod made phone calls to Vilas Kumbhare (Central Nagpur), Tekchand Savarkar (Kamptee), Tanaji Mutkule (Hingoli), Narayan Kuche (Badnapur), Basha Mowachang of Nagaland and Arlekar (Pernem, Goa) and offered them ministerships in exchange of lakhs of rupees ister offences of cheating under section 420 of IPC if no monetary transaction or transfer occurred. The media reports said, Rathod made phone calls to Vilas Kumbhare (Central Nagpur), Tekchand Savarkar (Kamptee), Tanaji Mutkule (Hingoli), Narayan Kuche (Badnapur), Basha Mowachang of Nagaland and Arlekar (Pernem, Goa) and offered them ministerships in exchange of lakhs of rupees. Kumbhare filed a police complaint when he sensed something amiss when Rathod called him and a third man joined the call posing as Nadda himself, asking him (Kumbhare) to foot the catering (food) bill of an RSS event which is to be held in Ahmedabad, the media reports said. A couple of days later, Kumbhare got a call purportedly from an Ahmedabad 14 Govt draft notification paves way for blue cab counter at Mopa THE GOAN I NETWORK DEADLOCK FOR THE CHAIR The heat is on! Global temperature set to break 1.50C threshold for first time in next five years NEW DELHI he 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature threshold was all set to be breached, at least temporarily, in the next five years, the World Meteorological Organisation said in a new analysis on Wednesday. It said there was a 66 per cent chance that global temperatures in at least one of the years between 2023 and 2027 would exceed the pre-industrial average by 1.5 degrees Celsius or more. Also, it was nearly certain — a 98 per cent probability — that one of these years would turn out to be the warmest 9 INFO K’taka suspense continues, Congress issues gag order Schemes to promote MSMEs launched PANAJI: Under the Mukhamantri Udyog Saral Yojna, MSME’s will have the flexibility of taking loans from any bank. Budgetary provision of Rs 10 crore has been allocated for this, informed CM Pramod Sawant on Wednesday. The govt has also notified the ‘Mukhyamantri Modified Interest Rebate Scheme’ with the objective of encouraging investments in various sectors and promoting industrial development throughout the State. Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday caterer asking him to pay Rs 1.7 lakh for the catering bill. It was then that the Nagpur (Central) MLA smelt a rat and approached the police. While Kumbhare claimed in his complaint that he has not parted with any money, the others are said to have shelled out cash according to another media report which quotes a Nagpur police official. In Goa, there has been wide speculation that chief minister Pramod Sawant is expected to rejig his cabinet and he himself lent it credibility on Tuesday when at an event in Margao, he confirmed it (reshuffle) will indeed happen without setting any timeline for it. However, the cabinet reshuffle reports are in the context of having to accommodate a couple of the eight >Continued on P5 What the notification states… „„Consent from GMR Goa International Airport Ltd, for providing parking slots/ pickup bays at Manohar International Airport at Mopa shall be sufficient for issuance of permits by the Regional Transport Authority „„To drive public service vehicles the completion certificate of orientation course conducted by an institution recognised by the Government suffices by an institution recognised by the Government suffices. “The cost of orientation programme shall be borne by the applicant,” one >Continued on P5 Gomant Vibhushan Puraskar for singer Pt Karekar, writer Khedekar THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Goa government has announced ‘Gomant Vibhushan Puraskar’ to two sons of the soil, noted Goan classical singer Pandit Prabhakar Karekar and folk art researcher and writer Vinayak Khedekar, who will be conferred upon the award on May 30. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant made this announcement on Wednesday. Khedekar has received the award for the year 2019-20 and Karekar has received it for the year 2021-22. The award ceremony will be held on Goa Statehood Day, May 30, said Sawant. Khedekar is the recipient of government of India’s Padma Shree Puraskar for his research work in the field of folk art. Commenting on his being nominated for Gomant Vibhushan, Khedekar said this award is equally for those who have supported him in his research work. Pandit Prabhakar Karekar is reputed classical singer and he received Gomant Vibhushan award for his contribution in vocal music. The government rewards persons who have greatly contributed in science, literature, arts, sports and others. The earlier awardees of Gomant Vibhushan have been Dr Raghunath Mashelkar, Dr Anil Kakodkar, Lambert Mascarenhas, Laxman Pai and Dr Premanand Ramani. Mapusa councillor’s OBC certificate declared invalid DY COLLECTOR ASKED TO CANCEL CERTIFICATE; ELECTION IN DOUBT THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA A Mapusa councillor is in the dock after a three-member Scrutiny Committee of the Directorate of Social Welfare declared that the OBC certificate issued to the councillor before the Mapusa Municipal Council elections was not “verified” and directed the Deputy Collector and SDO of Bardez to “cancel” the certificate. In its order, the committee said that the caste certificate issued by the office of the Deputy Collector and SDO Bardez COMMITTEE ORDER STATES… „„Tarak Arolkar in an attempt to obtain the OBC certificate relied upon the birth certificate of his late father Manguesh Arolkar purported to be issued by the village panchayat of Raia, Salcete on March 18, 2021 to Ward 7 Councillor Tarak Arolkar, who contested the municipal elections held in April 2021 and won, was based on invalid „„The Raia village panchayat in an RTI application has denied issuing any certificate or even registering the birth in the name of Manguesh Arolkar in the panchayat office birth certificate. The order automatically does not disqualify >Continued on P5