log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 15, 2023 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA GOA VOLUME IX, NO. 148 GOA Police show inclusive appreciation amidst SAG’s exclusive ‘thanksgiving lunch’ Suspected dengue snuffs out life of 6-year-old Vasco girl LOCALS CRY FOUL, ALLEGE NEGLIGENCE THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA: In a tragic incident a 32-year-old woman from Aldona suffered 70 per cent burn injuries at her home late Monday evening. She has been admitted at the Goa Medical College and Hospital in Bambolim where her condition is reported to be critical. The victim Dikshita Naik is a resident of Aldona. The incident happened at around 9 pm. According to sources, the woman accidentally poured petrol in diyas (earthen lamps) thinking that it was oil some of which fell on her body setting her ablaze. Locals rushed her to the district hospital from where she was shifted to the GMC later. Mapusa Police is investigating the matter. IN SHORT >> Screening test for candidates on Nov 26 PANAJI: Goa Public Service Commission will on November 26 conduct screening test for 95 candidates who had cleared the pre screening test, conducted last month for the post of DySP.  >> See pg 3 Accused in attorney assault arrested OLD GOA: The accused involved in the assault on Jua Comunidade attorney was placed under preventive arrest on Tuesday. The accused was arrested from his residence and later sent for medical exam. >> See pg 3 WEATHER >> Max: 33 C Min: 23 C Humidity: 88% TIDES Low: High: 05:43 17:39 00:05 10:50 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 3 12 2 9 Children’s Day tragedy GPSC’s common exam Drainage plan fine, but will it help plug discharge of sewage water? Woman pours petrol in diyas, suffers 70 per cent burns Instagram.com/thegoanonline VASCO In a tragic incident, a 6-yearold girl from New Vaddem, Vasco lost her life due to suspected dengue on Tuesday, ironically on Children’s Day. Agitated residents of New Vaddem along with ward councillor Sudesh Bhosle later confronted doctors and staff of Chicalim Sub District hospital to protest the death of the minor girl. The residents also filed a complaint at the Vasco police station demanding a proper investigation while urging Health Minister Vishwajit Rane to personally look into the matter. Vani Khanapur, the sixyear-old girl, was residing near Durga Mata temple at New Vaddem and was the only child. She had fever and died due to suspected dengue (NS1) at GMC after being re- ON PAGE 3 After 6-yr-old’s death, complaint of medical negligence filed No point having a hospital if there is shortage of staff: Councillor ferred from Chicalim SDH in the wee hours of Tuesday. Her uncle Prakash Khanapur said the girl was admitted on Monday to Chicalim SDH. “The parents had been constantly telling doctors that she was having pain. We called them several times but, they attended the case only at around 6 am and then realised that her blood pressure was dropping. They then referred her to GMC where doc- tors said that we should have got her a bit earlier and that it was too late now”, said Khanapur  A resident Krishna Naik complained bitterly about doctors being arrogant with patients. “This hospital is for people of Mormugao and mostly for people who are financially weak. Many a times doctors behave arrogantly”, he said Talking of a fresh incident, Naik said, a lady with a child came to the hospital but no one attended to her. “It was after we agitated that the girl was taken in to avoid public backlash”, he said. Naik also said doctors are not referring patients to GMC when required as in another case a lady had come to this hospital at 9.30 am with her 9-year old daughter who had dengue but doctors referred >Continued on P5 Will privatisation of berths jeopardise jobs at MPA? DIWL Goa incharge says PPP mode will not affect livelihoods of Goans, plans recuritment VIKRAM NAYAK VASCO The privatisation of five of the 11 berths may be considered a win-win situation by the Mormugao Port Authority (MPA), but there have been some apprehensions that it could lead to a significant loss of jobs in the port. Sources at the MPA have sought to dispel these concerns by stating that the PPP model does not have a direct connection with the MPA staff or workers. “Even if MPA workers lose their job after berths are privatised, the MPA adjusts those workers in other departments of the port. “In fact, there has been no major recruitment in MPA since 2000 and many existing staff are on the verge of retirement. The MPA is working with limited staff and while we once had around 4,500 workers as of now there are 1,091-odd staff,” said a source. “These workers with the MPA are scattered in various places, including adminis- A file photo of passengers arriving on a cruise ship at Mormugao port. trative building, marine department, traffic department, workshop, fire brigade department, etc. Once a berth is privatised, some staff from the mechanical set, supervisors and electricians will be moved out from there.” The source explained that lighting of berths is provided by MPA and while mechanical staff is managed by MPA and the supervisors, the electricians will be moved out from the area. “These workers do not lose jobs as such but they will be accommodated by MPA in different sections. Whenever a ship comes to berth, it is guided by an MPA pilot and the ship is secured to the berth by the MPA shore gang.” “If the PPP berth operator says that they don’t need the MPA shore gang, then only those people will be moved out from this berth, but they will be adjusted in other departments,” said the source. Raghoba Kotkar, Vice President and Goa Incharge of >Continued on P5 INFO Toxic chemicals you should avoid in your skin care products 5-yr-old Betim girl dies after concrete pillar falls on her face while swinging THE GOAN I NETWORK PORVORIM A 5-year-old girl from Betim died after a concrete pillar gave way and fell on her face. According to Porvorim police the girl Tanisha Sachin Damavkar was playing outside her residence in an abandoned house. She was swinging on a cable tied to two dilapidated concrete pillars when one of the pillars uprooted and fell on her face. She was immediately rushed to the Goa Medical College, Bambolim but succumbed to severe injuries on the way. Porvorim PI Rahul Parab said they received information from casualty police at GMC that the girl was declared brought dead at casualty ward. Porvorim police have registered a case of unnatural death under Section 174 CrPC. SPORTS ICC World Cup: India looks to brush aside old rival New Zealand in road to final for jobs hits roadblock Forest Department yet to draft rules THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Goa Public Service Commission’s (GPSC) ambitious plan to have one common examination for recruitment to the Goa Civil Service (GCS), Goa Police Service (GPS) and the Goa Forest Service (GFS), has hit a roadblock in the absence of Recruitment Rules of Forest department. While the Recruitment Rules of Goa Police and Goa Civil Service are in place, the forest department has no Recruitment Rules. Hence the Commission has directed the department to formulate rules before going ahead with one common examination process.  “The department is currently in process of drafting its recruitment rules. Once they are finalized, approved by the Personnel department and notified in gazette, we would be able to go ahead with one common examination system,” GPSC Chairman Jose Manual Noronha told The THE PROBLEM AT HAND „„Forest department till date has no recruitment rules „„Department is currently in process of drafting its rules „„These rules then need to be approved by Personnel department and notified in gazette „„Unless Recruitment Rules of all three -- GCS, GPS and GFS are in place conduct of one common examination for recruitment cannot be done Goan.  “Unless the Recruitment Rules of all three -- GCS, GPS and GFS are in place we cannot go ahead with conduct of one common examination for recruitment,” he said.  The Expert Committee, constituted to examine the issue pertaining to the conduct of one common examination for recruitment had in August submitted its report to the GPSC.  The State government had in January, this year, granted in-principle approval to the GPSC to hold one common examination for recruitment to the GCS, GPS and GFS, which was proposed to avoid candidates having to answer multiple exams. The commission had requested the expert committee to examine issues pertaining to syllabus for the exams, schedule for the exams, modalities for finalizing merit list, physical fitness tests etc. The Chairman informed that through this process, the commission does not seek to lower its standards of examination and that the level of examination at the screening as well as the written test will be as before. Pak sold weapons worth $364 mn to Ukraine: Report PTI ISLAMABAD Cash-strapped Pakistan reportedly earned USD 364 million in an arms deal with two private US companies last year to supply ammunition to Ukraine in its war with Russia, according to a media report. A British military cargo plane flew from Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan in Rawalpindi to the British military base in Cyprus, Akrotiri, and then to Romania a total of five times to supply arms to the war-torn country, the BBC Urdu reported on Monday. Islamabad has, however, consistently denied that it has provided any ammunition to Ukraine, a neighbouring country to Romania. Citing details of the contract from the American Federal Procurement Data System, the BBC report claimed that Pakistan signed two contracts with American companies named “Global Military” and “Northrop Grumman” for the sale of 155mm shells. These agreements to provide weapons to Ukraine were signed on August 17, 2022, and were specifically linked to the purchase of 155mm shells. The Foreign Office in Islamabad, however denied any sale of arms to Ukraine. ONE FOR THE KIDS: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant shares a lighter moment with children on the occasion of Children’s Day at Bal Bhavan, Campal on Tuesday.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Vagator accident: Driver’s licence expired a year ago THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA Three days after a 57-year-old resort owner was killed by a SUV in Vagator, Anjuna Police has said that the accused driver’s licence had expired almost a year back and the vehicle’s insurance had also expired. According to Anjuna Police, the driver’s licence had expired on October 13, 2022 while the vehicle insurance DRUNK, STUNT DRIVERS MUST BE BOOKED FOR ATTEMPT TO MURDER: CARLOS  >> See pg 5 had lapsed in August this year. Police have now imposed additional charges – Section 3 (driving without licence) and Section 196 (vehicle without insurance) of the Motor Vehicle Act against the driver. “In the course of the inves- tigation we have discovered that the accused was driving without a licence as it had expired a year back. The insurance of the vehicle had also expired around three months back,” said Jivba Dalvi, Mapusa SDPO. He said relevant sections have been added in the case. Anjuna Police further informed that the vehicle was registered in some other >Continued on P5 Karnataka bans all forms of Dog bite victims to get `10K per tooth mark: Court KEY HIGH COURT OBSERVATIONS head cover during exams AGENCIES Move to curb cheating using Bluetooth devices AGENCIES BENGALURU The Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) has banned students from wearing any form of head cover during recruitment exams. The step is being taken to curb cheating by using Bluetooth devices. However, following protests by right-wing organisations, the exam conducting body has allowed mangalsutras and toe rings during exams. As per the notice released by KEA, wearing “any garment or cap that covers head, mouth or ears” at the exam hall has been banned. The or- The announcement by KEA comes prior to various board and recruitment exams slated to be held on November 18 and 19 der further added that this is part of the effort to stop exam malpractices. The announcement by KEA comes prior to various board and recruitment exams slated to be held on November 18 and 19. A few days ago, women were allowed to appear for examinations for recruitment to departments such as the labour department, Karna- taka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (KEONICS), Mysore Sales International Limited (MSIL), and Sainik Welfare Board while wearing hijab. Karnataka’s Higher Education Minister Dr M C Sudhakar had clarified that “this is not to be confused with the SC order on hijab in schools.” “NEET also allows students who are wearing hijab to answer exams, and it is the same systems that are being implemented for these exams that are being conducted for recruitment to these boards through the state examination agency — Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA). CHANDIGARH n a judgment likely to set a precedent and spark a huge debate, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has said the State shall be “primarily responsible” to pay compensation in cases of attacks by stray animals such as dogs and cattle. In dog bite cases, it has said, the assistance shall be a minimum of Rs 10,000 “per teeth mark” and a minimum of Rs 20,000 per 0.2 cm of wound where the flesh has come off. The court was hearing a bunch of 193 petitions relating to attacks by stray animals. The ruling comes amid a huge debate in the country on the stray dog menace. The death of 49-year-old Parag Desai, executive director I „„State shall be primarily responsible to pay compensation in cases of attacks by stray animals such as dogs and cattle „„In dog bite cases, the assistance shall be a minimum of Rs 10,000 ‘per teeth mark’ and a minimum of Rs 20,000 per 0.2 cm of wound where the with Wagh Bakri Tea Group, in October had sparked off a fresh round in the debate. A hospital statement had said Desai died of a hemorrhage suffered in a fall after stray dogs chased him. Soon after the tragic incident, a section of social media users demanded urgent flesh has come off „„Compensation to be paid in instances of attacks by cows, bulls, oxen, donkeys, dogs, nilgai, buffaloes, and wild, pet and deserted animals „„Asks to form high-level committee with top officials SOLACE FOR VICTIMS: The judgment is crucial considering the sensitive nature of the stray dog menace which is an immensely polarising subject in the country steps to tackle the stray dog problem, pointing to multiple cases of deaths and injuries, including to children, in animal attacks. Growing public anger over such cases has also led to incidents of animal cruelty. “The State shall be primarily responsible to pay compensa- tion with a right to recover the same from defaulting agencies of the State and/or the private person, if any,” the High Court said in its order on a petition seeking compensation in a dog bite case. The High Court also asked Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh to form a committee that will decide on compensation to be paid in cases of accidents caused or attacks by stray animals. These include animals such as cows, bulls, oxen, donkeys, dogs, nilgai, buffaloes, and wild, pet and deserted animals. “The said Committee shall be comprised of Deputy Commissioner of the concerned District as its Chairperson and shall have the following member (a) Superintendent of Police/Deputy Superintendent of Police (Traffic), (b) Sub Divisional Magistrate of the concerned area, (c) The District Transport Officer, (d) Representative of the Chief Medical Officer,” the judgment said. The judgment is crucial considering the sensitive nature of the stray dog menace, an immensely polarising subject in the country.