log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SATURDAY JUNE 8, 2024 GOA Goans in UK hail victory of Capt Viriato in South Goa G.O.A. Vancouver brings Goans together at dinner, dance event IN SHORT >> Boston Group to prepare Goa’s vision document PANAJI: Goa government has appointed consulting firm Boston Consulting Group India (BCG) to prepare vision document for the State -- Viksit Goa @2047. CM Pramod Sawant reviewed the progress made by BCG on the document at Goa Sadan in New Delhi and gave several suggestions for incorporation in the vision document. Tourist booked for beach stunt MAPUSA: Calangute police booked a driver from Telangana after he was intercepted driving a car at Baga beach on Friday. Constables Sail Govekar and Sushant Ghadi, noticed a Telangana-registered car moving on the sand. The police intercepted the car and handed over the driver, Sandaraju Ranjith of Telangana, to Calangute police. Stolen cash given back to temple The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO. 352 ‘Toxic betrayal’: Cuncolkars fume at govt inaction over hazardous waste page 6 Facebook.com/thegoan 2 GOA Now, several rare Portuguese books to be available at click of mouse 3 Max: 31 C Min: 24.1 C Humidity: 89% TIDES Low: High: 05:32 12:50 18:24 23:21 INFO Did you know ginger can treat dark spots and acne scars? 9 n APPOINTS HIM AS PM-DESIGNATE n OATH ON SUNDAY PTI NEW DELHI Narendra Modi will take oath as the prime minister for a third consecutive term on Sunday evening as President Droupadi Murmu has invited him to form the government. Murmu appointed Modi as the prime minister-designate on Friday after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief J P Nadda handed her a letter on Modi’s election as the leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party and NDA leaders submitted their letters of support. The BJP won 240 seats in the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls, falling short of the halfway mark in the 543-member House, but the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) together won 293 seats, which is a comfortable majority. “The President, having satisfied herself on the basis Rahul Leader of Opposition? Congress may decide today Naidu, Nitish may get 3 berths each NEW DELHI: The Congress’ top leadership will deliberate on the Lok Sabha election results and chalk out its future strategy at a crucial meeting of the party’s working committee on Saturday. A section within the party strongly feels that former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi should take over as leader of the party and Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The issue is likely to be raised in the meetings of the CWC and the Parliamentary Party. The Congress has emerged as the second-largest party in the Lok Sabha, improving its tally to 99 from 52 in the 2019 elections. of the various letters of support received, that the BJP-led NDA alliance, which is also the largest pre-election alliance, is in a position to command majority support of the newly-constituted 18th Lok Sabha and to form a stable government, appointed Shri Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of India, exercising powers vested in her under Article 75(1) of the Constitution of India,” according to a communique from the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The president will administer the oath of office and Slab collapses in Mapusa, four vehicles damaged Shopkeeper escapes with minor injuries RBI keeps repo rate unchanged at 6.5% WEATHER >> RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Prez invites Modi to form govt; eyes on portfolios MAPUSA: Cash of Rs 5.83 lakh which was seized by police after a robbery at the Shri Dev Bodgeshwar temple in Mapusa has been returned to the Devasthan committee. Mapusa police is in the process of recovering an amount of Rs 1.33 lakh which was allegedly sent by the accused to his relatives in Bangladesh.  >> See pg 5 NEW DELHI: The Reserve Bank of India decided to keep the policy rate unchanged for the eighth time in a row, saying it will maintain a tight vigil on inflation. The rate increase cycle was paused in April last year after six consecutive rate hikes. Instagram.com/thegoanonline The collapsed chhajja of the dilapidated building in Mapusa. THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA A shopkeeper escaped with minor injuries while two cars and two two-wheelers were damaged when an overhanging eave (chhajja) at a building in Mapusa collapsed on Friday morning. The incident took place at the 40-year-old Koskar & Kesarkar building near the Bu- MMC HAS NOT DEMOLISHED SINGLE UNSAFE BUILDING IN 10 YEARS >> See pg 5 rye petrol pump sometime around 11.30 am, when the chhajja suddenly came crashing down on the four vehicles. At the time of the incident, Umesh Zarmekar Raoji Dhargalkar was at his shop in his building. He heard the noise of the chhajja crashing down and sustained minor injuries as pieces of the chhajja struck his hands. It was also a lucky escape for two homeless people, who had been asleep on the sidewalk of this building, as they left the site moments before >Continued on P5 NEW DELHI: Nearly 15 spots in the Union Council of Ministers could go to NDA allies as the BJP top brass begins discussions with alliance partners ahead of the swearing-in of the Council of Ministers this Sunday. Accofing to sources BJP wants to keep the top Raisina Hill ministries of Home, External Affairs, Defence, and Finance with itself, along with some other key ministries like Railways, Road Transport, Law, Information Technology and Education. The TDP, which is the largest constituency in the NDA with 16 MPs, could get at least three berths in the Council of Ministers, including a cabinet post and two Ministers of State. SPORTS ICC T20 World Cup: Canada shocks Ireland by 12 runs for first win 14 4 Indian medical students drown in Russian river All are from Maharashtra; 2 bodies recovered, search on for 2 others PTI MOSCOW Four Indian medical students drowned when they entered a fast-flowing river near St Petersburg in Russia, authorities said on Friday, prompting the Indian embassy here to issue an advisory to the students to be “extremely careful” while going to the beaches, rivers, lakes, ponds and other water bodies. In the worst tragedy to hit the Indian student community in Russia, four students from Maharashtra -- Harshal Anantrao Desale, Jishan Ashpak Pinjari, Jia Firoj Pinjari and Malik Gulamgous Mohammad Yakub -- drowned in the Volkhov River. They were studying at the Novgorod State University in Veliky Novgorod city. A fifth student, Nisha Bhupesh Sonawane, was rescued. The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi termed it as TRAGIC END „„Local media reports said the students, aged between 18 and 20, drowned as they tried to save one of their female friends after they entered a fast-flowing river near St Petersburg in Russia an unfortunate incident. “Four Indian students who were studying at the Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University located in Veliky Novgorod, Russia, drowned in an unfortunate incident in the Volkhov river. In the incident, a fifth Indian student was saved from drowning and is presently receiving medical attention,” it said. Local emergency services have so far recovered two dead bodies from the Volkhov River. The search for the remaining two missing students continues. secrecy to the prime minister and other members of the Union Council of Ministers at 7:15 pm on Sunday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the communique said. Murmu handed over the letter of appointment to Modi, who called on her on Friday. “Hon’ble President Smt Droupadi Murmu offered curd to leader of NDA and PM designate Shri @narendramodi whilst inviting him to form the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre,” the saffron party said in a post on X along with a photo of Murmu and Modi. ‘ Kangana slap: Farmer outfits support CISF constable Dudhsagar to remain open despite orange alert in Goa PTI CHANDIGARH Some farmer outfits on Friday threw their weight behind the CISF woman constable who allegedly slapped actor and BJP MP-elect Kangana Ranaut, saying the entire sequence leading to the incident needs to be properly investigated. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are among the prominent outfits which said they stand in support of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) constable. Constable Kulwinder Kaur, who allegedly hit Ranaut and abused her during security check at the Chandigarh airport on Thursday, has been suspended and an FIR lodged against her. Kaur was apparently upset with Ranaut over her stance on the farmers’ protests. The CISF, tasked with providing security at airports, has also ordered a court of inquiry into the incident. The Mohali Police has booked Kaur under IPC sections 323 and 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint). Both are bailable offences. Forest office cites delay in monsoon arrival, but IMD warns of heavy rainfall THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In a classic example of prioritizing the scenic view over public safety, despite the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Orange alert predicting heavy rainfall, the Dudhsagar waterfall -- which turns into a danger zone during monsoon -- will remain open for visitors.   The Office of the Deputy Conservator of Forests Wildlife and Ecotourism (North) Division has cited a “likely delay in monsoon arrival in the area” as the reason to extend the visiting period. “Due to likely delay in the arrival of monsoon in the catchment areas of Dudhsagar, the vehicular movement in the Dudhsagar Waterfall circuit which was earlier closed will be allowed till monsoon sets in the said areas,” reads the order, which was released to the media through the Information & Publicity Department on Friday. The date of closing of the tourism circuit for vehicular movement will be decided based on ground conditions, by the Wildlife Warden after approval from Chief Wildlife Warden. This development comes three days after its earlier update to allow visits to Dudhsagar till June 5 -- earlier ordered to be closed from June 1. Coincidentally, the Orange alert was also issued on the same day, warning of moderate to very heavy rainfall until June 11. The alert predicted heavy rain at several locations, with very heavy rainfall expected in isolated areas across both North and South Goa. Less than a week ago, a 40-year-old man from Rajasthan, residing in Margao, drowned in the Dudhsagar River after he went for a bath. Recently, a 62-year-old tourist from Bangalore had gone missing at the waterfall. Over the past six days from June 1-6, Goa has experienced seasonal rainfall with Dabolim recording the highest 100.4 mm, followed by Old Goa with 95.4 mm and Valpoi with 93.5 mm. >Continued on P5 Goa’s GST revenue takes a Traffic blitz: 4k licenses suspended in 3 months vacation in May, declines LS polls, drop in tourist footfalls blamed I THE GOAN I NETWORK THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenues are a reliable indicator of the health of the State’s economy and business climate. For the month of May, however, it has not been very good news for Goa on this front. Official GST revenue collections last month dipped a whole  one percentage point in comparison with the taxes collected in the same month last year. While this  year May raked in Rs 519 crore in GST rev- Last year (May) the GST revenue was Rs 523 crore, but this year (May) the government managed to rake in only Rs 519 crore into its coffers enues into the government coffers, the figure was much higher last year at Rs 523 crore. And, in comparison to the GST revenue collection of the previous month (April), the Rs 519 crore collected in GST revenues in May falls short by a whopping Rs 246 crore, an astronomical 32-odd per cent. Goa’s GST revenues in April were Rs 765 crore. Sources in the Commercial Taxes Department meanwhile blamed the dip in GST revenues on lower tourist footfalls due to the overlap of the Lok Sabha elections with the summer season. Goa is usually a destination domestic tourists flock to in May, which is a vacation month of schools and colleges across India. This year however, the seven-phase Lok Sabha election is being blamed for the significantly lower foot-falls. PANAJI n a crackdown on traffic violators, over 4,000 drivers and riders had their licenses suspended by the Transport Department within just three months from January 1 to March 31, 2024 with most penalties issued for helmet violations. The Traffic Police recommended the suspension of 5,211 drivers’ licenses for various violations, of which 4025 suspensions were issued by the Transport department. The highest 2,824 suspensions were for helmet violations, followed by 561 for overspeeding, 230 for mobile phone use while driving, and 171 for drunk driving. The authorities have been following the Supreme Court’s LONG ARM OF THE LAW „„Traffic Police recommended suspension of 5,211 drivers’ licenses for various violations „„4025 suspensions were issued by Transport Department „„Highest suspensions were for helmet violations (2,824), followed by 561 for overspeeding „„230 licenses were also suspended for mobile phone use while driving „„Drunk driving saw 171 motorists getting licenses suspended „„197 licenses were suspended for disobeying traffic signals „„90 others were penalized for carrying two or more passengers on a two-wheeler „„Highest number of license suspensions (1,407) was issued by Office of the Assistant Director of Transport in Margao, followed by Mapusa ADT with 871 suspensions Road Safety Committee guidelines that mandate a threemonth suspension for traffic rule violators, in a bid to curtail the rising toll of road accidents and fatalities. As per the data available with The Goan, the Traffic Department had recommended suspensions of 3,361 helmetless riders of which 2,824 were enacted. Likewise, 1,002 suspensions were proposed for overspeeding with around 50 per cent facing suspension. Among other violations, the traffic officers recommended suspensions of 280 for mobile phone use, 239 for drunk driving, 197 for disobeying traffic signals, 90 for carrying two or more passengers on a two-wheeler, 35 for goods vehicles carrying passengers, six for rash and negligent driving and one for not wearing a seatbelt. The highest number of 1,407 license suspensions was issued by the Office of the Assistant Director of Transport in Margao, followed by Mapusa ADT with 871 suspensions, Bicholim 662, Vasco 311, Quepem 285, Pernem 180, Panaji 145, Ponda 124, Canacona 34 and Dharbandora with least number of six suspensions.   According to the guidelines of the Supreme Court committee, the JMFCs have the power to suspend the driving license in case of driving under the influence of alcohol, which is thereafter executed by officials of the Transport Department.