log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY MARCH 6, 2024 GOA Ribandar road closed from Mar 10 to Apr 30 PANAJI: The entire stretch of road from the Basilica of Bom Jesus (Old Goa) junction along the causeway up to Divja circle (Panaji) will be closed from March 10 to April 30, for traffic moving from Old Goa to Panaji in either direction. Traffic in these 50-odd days will be diverted to the NH 748 (Kadamba Bypass Road), IPSCDL said.   >> See pg 3 Rickshaw runs over two-year-old boy OLD GOA: A 2-year-old boy was seriously injured when he came under the wheels of a rickshaw at Corlim. The boy, Satvik Gungi, was accompanying his mother who had gone to a shop near the government primary school, Mangado, at PDA colony when the incident happened.  >> See pg 3 App for collecting plantation waste PANAJI: Small and large plantations, businesses and individuals in Goa will soon be able to supply biomass such as residual plantation waste, tender and dry coconut waste, betel nut waste etc to manufacturers of Biomass Briquettes using a mobile app that the govt plans to launch soon. The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO.258 GOA Asia’s first printing press to get an adjunct press, govt seeks land Wonderful aloe vera masks for dry and rough hair THE GOAN I NETWORK WEATHER >> Max: 32 C Min: 20 C Humidity: 76% TIDES Low: High: 01.07 13.10 05.31 20.51 they should file for modification of the High Court’s order if they so wish. Another owner has already filed an application before HC seeking modification of its order claiming that his structure was ‘temporary’ and should be classified as a ‘hut’ there- by not requiring permissions from the authorities. “We have filed an application for modification of the order passed by the HC in respect of our structure which we claim is entirely a temporary structure and being a temporary structure, we don’t BEATS OF INTRUZ Locals participate in the traditional Intruz festival as part of Shigmotsav festivities in Dongrim on Tuesday. The festival entails a series of processions, dance and music over a period of 5 days.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Revised Std X Social Science II textbook from June this year PANAJI The Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE) will implement the revised Social Science II -- Geography and Economics -- textbook for Class X from the upcoming academic year 2024-25 onwards. The textbook had to be revised to correct some factual errors and to upgrade it with the latest ground developments. The textbook has been revised with an update on Manohar International Airport at Mopa, which commenced its operations from January 2023 and also on certain tributaries. State was following the NCERT textbook. “We have already revised the textbook and the same PLFS FIGURES SHOW RATE DOWN TO 3.1% IN 2023 NEW DELHI Unemployment rate for persons aged 15 years or above declined to 3.1 per cent in 2023, the lowest in the last three years, as per a report of National Sample Survey Organisation under the statistics ministry. According to Periodic Labour Force Survey for calendar year 2023, the unemployment rate came down to 3.1% in 2023 from 3.6 per cent in 2022 and 4.2 per cent in 2021. Joblessness, or unemployment rate, is defined as the As per data, employment situation is improving after the pandemic, which forced authorities to impose lockdown to curb the spread of the deadly virus percentage of unemployed people in the labour force. As per the data, employment situation is improving after the pandemic hit the country in March 2020, which forced authorities to impose lockdown to curb the spread of deadly coronavirus. The data also showed the improvement in buoyancy in economic activities after lifting of lockdown by the Centre and States. The survey showed that unemployment rate among females also declined to 3% in 2023 from 3.3 per cent in 2022 and 3.4 per cent in 2021. Similarly for males, it came down to 3.2 per cent in 2023 from 3.7 per cent in 2022 and 4.5 per cent in 2021. The overall rate of unemployment also declined in urban areas to 5.2 per cent in 2023 from 5.7 per cent in 2022 and 6.5 per cent 2021. THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO Acknowledging that people of Goa have applied for Portuguese passports for the purpose of employment in Europe, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday assured that government will resolve the Indian passport tangle within the next 8-10 days. He, however, slammed the Congress MP Francisco Sardinha for not raising the issue in Parliament since it affected Goans, mostly hailing from the Catholic community. Addressing a function at Nuvem on Tuesday evening, the Chief Minister said he along with Environment Minister Alexio Sequeira has explained to Union Minister Menakshi Lekhi the Portuguese passport issue. “This issue has been plaguing the people of Goa, who had taken Portuguese passports for the purpose of employment and for the future of This issue has been plaguing Goans, who had taken Portuguese passports for the purpose of employment and for the future of their children… Sardinha should have taken it up with the Centre — Pramod Sawant Karwar naval air station to boost South Goa tourism THE GOAN I NETWORK THE GOAN I NETWORK Passport row: CM assures solution within 10 days really require permissions as stated in the earlier order of the HC. Therefore we are asking for modification,” Adv Nitin Sardesai said. “Our case is that if it is permanent it can be called a building. The case of whether it is temporary or perma- Adv Nitin Sardesai said we have filed an application for modification of the order passed by the HC in respect of our structure which we claim is entirely a temporary structure and being a temporary structure, we don’t really require permissions as stated in the earlier order of the HC. Therefore we are asking for modification ANJUNA ILLEGALITIES told the court verbally that 114 structures had been sealed. Meanwhile, owners of structures who had approached the Supreme Court against the High Court order to seal their establishments have been told -- via an order from the Supreme Court -- that 13 DMF withdraws nod for `3 crore grant to Sai Nursing Home PANAJI The Bombay High Court at Goa on Tuesday expressed concern at the slow pace of sealing of allegedly illegal structures in Anjuna and asked the village panchayat to file a detailed statement before the Court on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Panchayat Good news! Unemployment rate at its lowest in 3 years PTI Simona Halep’s 4-year doping ban reduced to nine months nent is based on the frame of the structure -- and this is recognized by the technical code -- building code that the building can be on the load bearing columns and beams or the load can be on the wall. In the case of a shack there is normally no wall at all. So if you just put up a structure on a frame which is not concrete, it will qualify to be a temporary structure and accordingly it will not be a building and at the highest it will qualify to be a hut and therefore we don’t require permission,” Adv Sardesai added. “To that extent the court will now have to apply its mind -- whether we qualify to be a permanent structure or no or is it a temporary structure. The HC has placed it for orders,” he added. IN THE COURT Cops bust cricket betting racket KOKLATA: Abhijit Gangopadhyay announced on Tuesday that he is joining the BJP, hours after he resigned as a judge of the Calcutta High Court. SPORTS  SC ASKS OWNERS TO FILE FOR MODIFICATION OF HIGH COURT ORDER  HC CONCERNED OVER SLOW PACE OF SEALING PANAJI: A 33-year-old Punjab native of a nationalised bank has been booked by Agasaim police for alleged misappropriation to the tune of Rs 35 lakh. The accused was responsible for depositing cash in the ATM which he allegedly misappropriated. Calcutta HC judge quits, joins BJP RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Bank staffer booked for misappropriation PORVORIM: Porvorim police arrested 3 persons and seized items worth Rs 1.7 lakh after raiding a bungalow and busting a cricket betting racket at Salvador do Mundo. Porvorim PI Rahul Parab said they received information that some persons were operating a cricket betting racket at a bungalow in Salvador do Mundo.  >> See pg 2 Instagram.com/thegoanonline 5 2 10 Temporary structures do not need approval, claim owners Fire safety concerns continue to rage in Margao markets IN SHORT >> Facebook.com/thegoan will be implemented from the new academic year 2024-25 onwards,” Goa Board chairman Bhagirath Shetye told The Goan. Shetye admitted that the textbook was not updated as per the ground developments and was also ridden with minor errors, which has now been rectified. >Continued on P5 PANAJI After being pulled up by the High Court over alleged misuse of Rs three core from the mining fund, the Governing Council of North Goa District Mineral Fund (DMF) has withdrawn the administrative approval granted for utilization of the money towards Sai Nursing Home, linked to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. The High Court had in January sought clarification from the State government in response to a petition by an NGO Goa Foundation alleging diversion of money, meant towards welfare of the people from mining affected areas, to the Nursing Institute in Sanquelim. “The Governing council has withdrawn the Administrative Approval given earlier to Sai Nursing institute project and decided to revert the allocated fund to the Skill Development Sector,” reads the minutes of the meeting held last month. The council decided that the funds would be earmarked for other public projects in the mining affected areas. The Governing Council of North DMF had in March 2023 granted its approval to avail Rs three crore funds from District Mineral Foundation to the Sai Nursing Institute to set up a Private Nursing Institute. their children. Many of these people are still staying in Goa. I am happy to announce that this issue affecting Goans will be resolved in the next 8-10 days”, he said. Slamming Sardinha, Sawant said the Congress MP should have taken up the issue with the Centre. But, he did not even raise the issue in Parliament. “This issue has been affecting mostly our Catholic brothers and sisters, but the MP did not raise the issue in Parliament”. RAJNATH INAUGURATES NAVAL WAR COLLEGE, TWO MAJOR PIERS OF NAVAL BASE IN KARWAR THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the upcoming dual-use Naval Air Station at Karwar will enhance tourism in South Goa besides the adjoining North Karnataka as he inaugurated the new Administrative and Training building at the Naval War College (NWC) in Verem on Tuesday. “The new building will go a long way in training the officers on the growing and crucial role of the Indian Navy in the Indo-Pacific Region. Through innovative training, it will not only enhance the military capability of the trainees but also make them aware of the new perspective and focus on the country’s economic interest,” he said. Singh further inaugurated two major piers in the Naval Base, Karwar -- capable of simultaneous berthing of two Aircraft Carriers and one Landing Ship Tank (Large). The Auxiliary vessel Pier would host Fast Attack Craft, Interceptor Craft and Auxiliary Craft. The piers would also provide various shore-based services, such as power, potable water, chilled water for air conditioning and other do- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and top Naval officials during the inauguration of the administrative building of the Naval War College in Verem on Tuesday.  Narayan Pissurlenkar mestic services to the ships. These infra developments are part of ongoing Phase IIA of Project Seabird which will accommodate 32 ships/ submarines, 23 yard craft, a dual-use Naval Air Station, a complete Naval Dockyard, four covered dry berths and logistics for ships/aircraft. “It will house around 10,000 uniformed and civilian personnel with families, significantly boosting the local economy and industrial growth. The Naval Air Station with Civil Enclave is anticipated to enhance tourism in North Karnataka and South Goa,” he added. He further claimed that the ongoing construction has created 7,000 direct and 20,000 indirect jobs with over 90 percent of materials sourced domestically. The NWC, named the ‘Chola’, pays homage to the mighty maritime empire of the Chola dynasty. An inaugural special postage stamp was also released to commemorate the event as he also inspected the Guard of Honour before dedicating the Chola building to the Armed Forces. Need to spread Ayush hospitals nationwide: Centre PTI NEW DELHI onsidering the requirement of quality in-patient care, Ayush hospitals should be spread across the country following the bed per population norm, according to a set of new guidelines issued by the Ayush Ministry. According to the norm, one hospital bed per 5,000 population is “essential” while 1 bed per 2,000 population is “desirable”. There are 3,844 Ayush hospitals in various categories across the country run by central and state governments. These hospitals together have a bed strength of 60,943. The “essential” number of beds in Ayush hospitals may be provided through the C NEW GUIDELINES OF AYUSH MINISTRY „„One hospital bed per 5,000 population is ‘essential’ while 1 bed per 2,000 population is ‘desirable’ „„Ayush hospitals expected to provide a comprehensive range of essential services „„Stress on continuum of care, establishment of assured referral systems along with facility readiness to manage referred cases public health system such as medical colleges, district hospitals, 10-bedded, 30-bedded, 50 or more bedded Ayush hospitals, the Indian Public Health „„Should be strategically situated to ensure convenient access for the rural and urban communities „„Adequate space, infra should be allocated to cater to evolving healthcare needs Standards (IPHS) for Ayush healthcare facilities stated. To achieve the “desirable” number of beds, the contribution of the private sector may also be considered while continuing to strengthen and increase bed provision at public health facilities, the guidelines said. As a thumb rule, all beds available and functional for a patient for more than 24 hours have been calculated as in-patient hospital beds. The Ayush hospitals, in adherence to IPHS standards, are expected to provide a comprehensive range of essential services that align with the principles of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, SowaRigpa and Homoeopathy, the document said. This includes but is not limited to promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative services catering to a wide spectrum of health conditions. These facilities are encour- aged to integrate traditional and complementary medicine practices with the contemporary healthcare system, fostering a harmonious blend that caters to the diverse healthcare needs of the population, the document said. All Ayush healthcare facilities should be strategically situated to ensure convenient access for the rural and urban communities they serve, it stated, adding that adequate space and infrastructure should be allocated to cater to the evolving healthcare needs of people. All Ayush hospitals should be resilient to climatic and environmental changes and able to handle sudden healthcare needs during disasters and emergencies, epidemics and pandemics.