log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2023 13 pages PRICE ` 8 PANAJI MARGAO GOA GOA Questions arise as govt sets in motion proposed ‘Master Plan’ for Margao Gad transferred as Mines director THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Among some major transfers, the State government on Tuesday transferred Excise Commissioner Narayan Gad, whose tenure faced scrutiny due to gross irregularities at the Pernem excise station. Gad has been given the charge as Mines Director replacing Suresh Shanbhogue, who has been shunted to GIPARD as its Director.  IAS officer Ankita Mishra is the new Excise Commissioner in addition to the charge of Chief Executive Officer of the Entertainment Society of Goa, and Brijesh Manerkar is transferred as Managing Director of the Goa Human Resource Development Corporation.  With the Excise Department getting a new face, all eyes are set on the inquiry into the mega scam which is yet to complete. IN SHORT >> Gold, cash worth `  lakh stolen 9 VASCO: Gold and cash worth Rs 9 lakh were stolen from a bungalow in Dabolim on Monday. According to reports, Hamilton Furtado had withdrawn Rs 2 lakh as part of medical expenses for a surgery and he had kept the money at home.  >> See pg 3 Auction of iron ore postponed PANAJI: The Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) has postponed the proposed e-auction of 1.17 million tonnes of iron ore, scheduled from October 4-6 to October 11-13.  >> See pg 3 Candolim health officer transferred MAPUSA: Amidst rising cases of dengue in Calangute-Candolim coastal belt, the government has transferred Health Officer Dr Vidya Parab from Candolim to Aldona Primary Health Centre.  >> See pg 3 Ex-GSL officer under CBI lens PANAJI: A former officer from Goa Shipyard Limited is currently under investigation by the Central Investigation Bureau in Goa for allegedly accumulating wealth that exceeds his known sources of income.  >> See pg 5 WEATHER >> Max: 30 C Min: 23 C Humidity: 90% TIDES Low: High: 02:32 09:21 15:24 21:18 2 GOA VOLUME IX, NO. 100 Women’s quota bill will be passed after directions from Centre: CM 3 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO How to treat hair loss with tea tree oil Maggots found in mid-day meals at Ponda schools FDA OFFICIALS COLLECT SAMPLES FOR INSPECTION THE GOAN I NETWORK PONDA In a shocking incident, maggots were found in mid-day meals supplied to some Government Primary Schools (GPS) in Savoi-Verem and Keri area of Ponda taluka. While the exact number of schools supplied with the mid-day meals infested with maggots could not be confirmed, officials from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) collected samples of the mid-day meals for inspection. On Tuesday morning, the Self-Help Group (SHG) from Mangueshi had provided mid-day meals to a number of schools in the area. Students from some GPSs, however, were startled to find maggots in their mid-day meals and reported the matter to their teachers. The school then notified the Ponda ADEI Amita Talaulikar. Talaulikar along with a team of FDA officials collected samples of the mid-day meals Action against SHG if found guilty: DoE An official from the Food and Drugs Administration inspecting the kitchen of a Self-Help Group in Mangueshi. for inspection at their laboratory. They also visited the kitchen of the SHG at Mangueshi and inspected the premises. It is learnt that FDA officials will submit a report in the matter and based on the report, action will be initiated against the SHG. According to sources, SHG members had run out of soya beans for the mid-day meals on Monday and had reportedly purchased soya beans from a shop at Mardol. It is suspected that the soya beans purchased from this shop must have been infested with maggots. PANAJI: Taking serious note of incident, the Department of Education (DoE) has threatened action against the Self-Help Group (SHG) from Mangueshi, if it is found guilty of supplying mid-day meals infested with maggots. “An investigation is being conducted into the mid-day meals supplied by the SHG which were found infested with maggots. The ADEI has been asked to submit report, after which appropriate action would be taken against this SHG, if found guilty,” said Director of Education Shailesh Zingade. 9 Leander Paes first Asian man to be nominated for Tennis Hall of Fame IIT at Sanguem again? Govt moves for land acquisition Phaldesai says 10 lakh sq mts identified PANAJI The Social Welfare Minister and Sanguem MLA Subhash Phaldesai on Tuesday said that the State government is in the final stage of acquiring around 10 lakh sq mtrs of land in Sanguem for setting up IIT permanent campus. Speaking to media persons, Phaldesai said that the land acquisition for IIT is almost in the final stage and the official announcement would be made by the Chief Minister within a months’ time. “We have identified 10 lakh sq mtrs of land and the acquisition is in process,” he said. Phaldesai said that after the Centre rejected the earlier identified land, as a portion of it was a non-development zone, the government initiated a process for new land. “The project was not dropped because of public opposition but the IIT site selection committee rejected the land parcel as it was a no-development zone…a hillock,” he said. The Centre had asked for 12 lakh square meters of land >Continued on P5 Neha Thakur competes in the Girl’s Dinghy ILCA4 event at the NBX Sailing Centre in Ningbo on Tuesday. 17-yr-old farmer’s daughter wins Silver in sailing at Asian Games PTI NEW DELHI When the Asian Games was delayed by a year owing to the Covid-19 situation in China, it wreaked havoc with the schedule of many athletes, but for Indian sailor Neha Thakur, it proved to be a blessing in disguise. The 17-year-old from Madhya Pradesh opened India’s account in the Asian Games sailing competitions with a silver medal in the Girl’s Dinghy -- ILCA4 at the NBX Sailing Centre in Ningbo on Tuesday. Neha, who was born at Amaltaj village in Dewas district of MP comes from a middle-class family. Her father Mukesh Kumar Thakur is a farmer while her mother Reena Thakur is a housewife. Neha’s story is of grit and determination. Neha’s father Mukesh recalls that as a child, Neha would often ask him to take her swimming with the help of a cycle or motorcycle tube. Their village has small streams close to check dams, where Neha would use cycle tubes to float in the narrow channels. “Neha learnt swimming from cycle and motorcycle tubes. It was her favourite pastime in the village before she was selected for training in Bhopal. Once she shifted there, all she dreamt was winning a medal for India,” Mukesh said. National Sailing School >Continued on P5 Quality versus quantity debate continues to rage in Goa PANAJI n a reflection of Goa’s evolving approach towards its tourism industry, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recently advocated for a shift towards quality tourism over quantity.  “We have seen the results of quantity tourists coming to Goa. Goa is currently overfull. The government is focussing on improving the ease of living and the happiness index of tourists who come from around the country. Getting quality tourists will benefit all stakeholders from shack owners to taxi operators,” he said at a recent State function. This statement has ignited discussions whether Goa is seriously considering limiting tourists, given the growing I S BEHAVIOUR LESSONS THAT GOA CAN LEARN everal governments around the world have introduced a series of new regulations and strategies to tackle the excessive influx of tourists. In many countries, the footfalls have surpassed the local population, leading to a loss of their unique essence as one of threat of over-tourism at various attractions – some of which were known to only locals.  Looking back to the year 2001, the Bollywood movie “Dil Chahta Hai” played a significant role in bolstering the primary concerns has been the lack of cultural respect and the disruptive presence of rowdy parties. Goa’s tourism. At a time when the future of the industry appeared bleak, the film’s first television campaign generated a profit of around Rs 30 crore, surpassing the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s initial investment „„The State had initially identified land at Canacona to set up IIT but due to opposition from locals it was shifted to Sanguem, Valpoi and Sanguem again „„Centre rejected the earlier identified land in Sanguem as portion of it was a non-development zone for the project, and the government had offered to make available 7 lakh sq mts for the project. However, only around 3 lakh sq metres of land stood available for use of the project as the other 4 lakh stands covered by a natural cover and a hillock. Goa IIT, which began functioning in July 2016, has been operating from the temporary campus of Goa Engineering THE GOAN I NETWORK AS WORLD CELEBRATES YET ANOTHER TOURISM DAY… VIBHA VERMA THE STORY SO FAR College at Farmagudi. There have been four unsuccessful attempts to find land for the campus and relocate it. The State had initially identified land at Canacona to set up IIT but due to the opposition from locals it was shifted to Sanguem, Valpoi and Sanguem again. However, here too, the proposal could not materialize as locals at each site opposed it. Govt empanels 15 translators, `  50 per page to be charged 3 THE GOAN I NETWORK Despite these efforts, the minister said, issues seemed to arise only after some nudged the shack owners, leading to various controversies, including involvement by coastal MLAs. The minister hinted that the core of the controversy centers on the subletting of shacks, despite the operators’ claim that only Goans would be involved. “We are very clear. It is a traditional business to be run by Goan shack operators. We need good and quality tourism,” he added. Khaunte emphasized that the shack policy would reflect the discussions that had tak „„Phaldesai said the land acquisition for IIT is almost in the final stage „„The official announcement would be made by Chief Minister within a months’ time „„Around 10 lakh square metres of land have been identified and the acquisition is in process „„The earlier project was not dropped because of public opposition but the IIT site selection committee rejected the land parcel as it was a no-development zone…a hillock Now, Portuguese documents can be translated online Blames coastal MLAs for interference Shack operators failed to raise their concerns during a series of meetings held with me as well as the director during the policy’s drafting phase — Rohan Khaunte THE ROAD AHEAD THE GOAN I NETWORK Shack policy row: Politics at play, claims Khaunte PANAJI The Tourism Department has finally addressed the controversy surrounding the new Shack Policy with Minister Rohan Khaunte hinting at political interference as the root cause of the issue. Responding to a media inquiry on Tuesday, Khaunte revealed that shack operators failed to raise their concerns during a series of meetings held with him as well as the director during the policy’s drafting phase. The department has pointed out that problems emerged later due to interference from coastal MLAs. “The shack operators were on record that the government addressed the issue eight times and they were also granted personal hearings. Every time they allege that they were not taken into confidence but this time, we have engaged them a number of times, taken inputs and offered every support,” Khaunte said. 13 SPORTS Venice: 5 euro fee on visitors above the age of 18 to discourage casual day-trippers and prioritize more committed travellers who genuinely appreciate the city’s heritage. ATHENS: Intends to cap daily visitors at 20,000. >Continued on P5 of Rs 3 crore. The onset of Covid-19 pandemic brought the tourism sector to a standstill worldwide. Although it has since rebounded, the industry now faces the challenge of over-tourism. Tourism stakeholders and experts have shared differing perspectives on how to address this issue. President of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) Nilesh Shah emphasized the need for well-behaved tourists while citing that ongoing infrastructure developments are capable of accommodating larger tourist numbers.  “We are creating infrastructure. We should do something about well-behaved tourism,” he said.  Contrary to the notion that high-spending tourists equate to quality, TTAG Vice President Jack Sukhija stated the importance of attracting travellers who respect the places they visit and minimize their environmental footprint. “Money and high spending do not necessarily indicate high-quality tourists. We need to attract those travellers who respect the place they visit and leave a minimal environmental footprint,” he stated.  CHALLENGES The emergence of “revenge tourism,” a phenomenon witnessed worldwide as the world recovered from the pandemic, has added to the challenges. Goa has not been immune to this trend and has ultimately turned out to be one of the primary drivers of over-tourism. The influence of social media influencers has also inadvertently contributed to their exploitation. Incidents such as reckless >Continued on P5 PANAJI The citizens can now get their Portuguese documents translated through an online service launched by the Goa government. The Directorate of Archives on Tuesday launched ‘Online Portuguese Translation Service’ on Goa Online that would facilitate time-bound and authentic translations. Total 15 translators are empanelled by the government to provide the services. The citizens would be charged Rs 350 per page. Speaking at the launch, Minister for Archives Subhash Phaldesai said that people, looking for translations earlier, use to take the documents and get it translated from any random Portuguese translators, without knowing the authenticity. “We have empanelled 15 Portuguese translators who will provide the online service. These translators were selected after following due procedure including conduct of examination,” he said. The Minister expressed his enthusiasm for the initiatives, emphasizing the importance of preserving and sharing Goa’s rich history and herit- Govt unveils two research schemes PANAJI: Two research-oriented schemes aimed at preserving and promoting Goa’s rich heritage and history were unveiled by Minister for Archives Subhash Phaldesai. The first, “Mukhyamantri Purabhilekh Prakashan Yojana,” aims to provide financial assistance for publication of books based on archival records and translations in Department of Archives while the second, “Dr. Pandurang Shenvi Pissurenlenkar Research Fellowship Scheme,” seeks to encourage research scholars to undertake research projects based on archival records available within the Department. age. “People should know our heritage and history, the documentation will help to keep it alive and build our future,” he stated. The event also witnessed the signing of Memorandums >Continued on P5 GET AN EASY LOAN on your Gold Jewelery in just 3 minutes EASY LOAN ON GOLD JEWELLERY Per gram Rs.4500/- 1% interest rate We will also release your Gold & Silver jewellery mortgaged in any bank & buy it at a fair price as per the current market price. ANVEKAR GOLD Contact: 8884388863, 9448796863