log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday SATURDAY JUNE 3, 2023 Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday 15 pages PRICE ` 8 The Goan (Playstore) PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VIII, NO. 346 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday FC Goa appoints Manolo Marquez as new head coach PG15 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 over mid-day Major train mishap in Odisha; Uncertainty still pending meals; bills three trains collide, 70 dead n RESCUE OPS UNDERWAY n ` 10 LAKH EX-GRATIA FOR THOSE KILLED n ` 13 crore yet to be paid n Self-help groups threaten to stop supply of meals from July 1 PTI THE GOAN I NETWORK BALASORE At least 70 people were killed and more than 350 injured in a horrific triple train crash on Friday in Odisha involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and a goods train, officials said. They said several coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah train travelling to Howrah derailed at Bahanaga Baazar in Balasore district and fell on adjacent tracks. “These derailed coaches collided with 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express and its coaches capsized too,” a senior official said. A goods train was also involved in the accident as the coaches of the Coromandel Express hit its wagons after getting derailed, the Margao-Mumbai Vande Bharat train inaugural cancelled Rescue operation being conducted after four coaches of the Coromandel Express derailed after a head-on collision with a goods train in Balasore on Friday. official said. The accident happened around 7 pm, he said. Over 350 people have been admitted to different hospitals across the district, officials said, adding that all private and government hospitals have been put on alert in the nearby districts, including state capital Bhubaneswar. So far, 70 bodies could be brought out from under the overturned coaches, they said. A PTI reporter at the spot said several people were trapped under the derailed coaches, and locals were assisting emergency services PANAJI: The maiden journey of the Margao-Mumbai Vande Bharat Train which Prime Minister Modi was scheduled to flag off from the Margao station at 10:30 am, albeit virtually via video conferencing, has been put off due to the Odisha train disaster.  As per the schedule released by the railway authorities, regular operations were slated to commence next week, with a start time at 5:25 am from the CST station and arrival time of 1.15 pm at Margao. The return journey has a Margao departure at 2.35 pm and arrival at CST station at 10.25 pm. >> See pg 2 personnel to rescue them, but darkness was hindering the operation. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said he was rushing to the accident site. “Rushing to the site in Odisha. My prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured and condolences to the bereaved families. Rescue teams mobilised from Bhubaneswar and Kolkata. NDRF, State govt. teams and Airforce also mobilised. Will take all hands required for the rescue ops,” he tweeted. >Continued on P5 PANAJI Schools in Goa are set to reopen for the new academic year next week but the State government’s failure to pay up last year’s bills may leave thousands of students without their entitled mid-day meal as dozens of self-help groups have threatened not to supply the meals if their pending bills are not cleared. Payments aggregating a whopping Rs 13-odd crore of some 100-plus SHGs engaged to provide the mid-day meals in schools across Goa are said to be pending. On Friday, representatives of these SHGs met Director of Education Shailesh Zingde to pursue their pending payments but were told that the Central component of the funds had not come. According to these SHG representatives, many of them CASH CRUNCH? „„Payments aggregating a whopping Rs 13-odd crore of some 100-plus SHGs engaged to provide the mid-day meals in schools across Goa pending „„They have told the dept that they will stop supply on July 1 had not been paid for over six months. They said, they have told the department that they will stop the mid-day meals to schools on July 1 if payments are not made by then. “As schools are starting from June 5, we don’t want to inconvenience students. We will supply mid-day meals for now but will discontinue from July 1 if the payments don’t come,” they have warned the department. They said, when their delegation went and met Zingde, the latter assured them  that their bills will be cleared soon. Zingde meanwhile claimed that the Central government’s component of the mid-day meal fund had not yet been received by the State. “I have asked that the State’s share be released first,” Zingde said while  speaking to the media.  According to Zingde, the mid-day meal funds had got exhausted but if the State’s share comes within the next 15 to 20 days, almost all the bills can be cleared.  The DoE also claimed that a meeting with the authorities dealing with the matter from the Central government was held earlier this week and expressed confidence that the issue will be resolved soon. Non-payment of their bills periodically and regularly, is a common complaint of the mid-day meal suppliers  to schools across the State.