WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2024 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 98 Instagram.com/thegoanonline HC issues notice to govt over Sec 39A of TCP Act >> pg 6 K7: Young, versatile, live band offering music for all seasons IN SHORT >> Comply or stay shut, Min warns polluting units at Cuncolim MARGAO: Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira on Tuesday sent a message loud and clear to the units in the Cuncolim Industrial Estate charged for discharging untreated effluents into the drains to either comply with the Goa Pollution Control Board’s diktat or face closure of the units.  >> See pg 2 WHAT THE PETITIONER PLEADS... PANAJI The Bombay High Court at Goa on Tuesday issued notices to the State government including Town & Country Planning in connection with a fresh Public Interest Litigation challenging the vires and rules of Section 39A of the TCP Act, 1974. The Division Bench of Justice M S Karnik and Valmiki Menezes adjourned the matter on October 3, for interim relief. As per the plea filed by NGO Goa Foundation, Section 39A of the Goa Town and Country Planning Act – that came into force on February 22 – seeks to allow once again entirely adhoc and arbitrary conversions „„Section 39A of the Goa Town and Country Planning Act – that came into force on February 22 – seeks to allow once again entirely ad-hoc and arbitrary conversions of privately owned plots in the Regional Plan and notified ODPs based on individual applications from such parties (spot zoning) „„Such provisions are contrary to the very scheme of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1974 and are also violative of Article 14 and Article 21 of the Constitution of India of privately owned plots in the Regional Plan and notified Outline Development Plans (ODPs) based on individual applications from such parties (spot zoning). The Rules under the Act for Section 39A were enforced on March 7. “Such provisions are contrary to the very scheme of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1974 and are also violative of Article 14 and Article 21 of the Constitution of India,” the petitioner stated, adding that the new feature when compared to 16B and 17(2) means the government has given itself powers to interfere openly in the permissions for plots lying within planning areas governed by Outline Develop- >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI: BJP State President Sadanand Shet Tanavade distanced himself from the ongoing Bhutani project controversy, stating that an inquiry should be conducted into who granted the permissions for the project.   >> See pg 2 Govt extends Mhaji bus scheme PANAJI: The Mhaji Bus scheme, launched on a pilot basis in August 2023 -- a bid to improve public transportation in rural Goa -- has been extended by three months as the Goa government plans to review the project. >> See pg 2 CCP market phase III likely to be delayed PANAJI: Plans of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) to expeditiously demolish the old market building it had sealed and commence work on the third phase of the market complex are expected to get delayed due to the court battle with the displaced traders and its inability to provide them with alternative space. >> See pg 3 Goa’s dams brim to capacity MAPUSA: The late August and September rains have significantly bolstered water levels in Goa’s reservoirs, with nearly all dams across the State now holding between 90 to 100 per cent of their total capacity.   >> See pg 3 71 received subsidy under PM Surya Ghar PANAJI: The Union Ministry for New and Renewable Energy has released subsidies to the tune of over Rs 54.94 lakhs to 71 Goan beneficiaries under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana.  >> See pg 3 WEATHER >> Max: 27 C Min: 26 C Humidity: 83% RAIN CLOGGED: Motorists wade through a waterlogged road near the KTC bus stand in Panaji on Tuesday. Heavy rain lashed Goa, and the IMD has issued an Orange alert for Wednesday. (Reports on Pg3)  Narayan Pissurlenkar Patient assaults doctor at GMC Casualty, arrested THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Close on the heels of the recent agitation over their safety and security following the Kolkata rape and murder of a post-graduate student doctor, a bizzare case of a patient assaulting a doctor on duty at the Casualty department of the Goa Medical College and Hospital at Bambolim has come to light. The incident occurred around 4 am last Saturday when the patient, a Kerala tourist identified as Arif Siddique, said to be aged between 25 and 30, attempted to slap the doctor who managed to evade it but got struck on the chest. Siddique even attempted to pull out the saline-drip stand to assault the doctor but before he could do it, he was pinned down by others who >Continued on P5 THE GOAN I NETWORK ment Plans. “Thus, the government has now given itself the power to change land use not only in the Regional Plan but also in notified planning areas, which now includes every nook and corner of the State. This can only bode ill for the future of the State, since every planned area is now subject to arbitrary influence, especially from interested parties including real estate bodies and developers,” it alleged. The new PIL recorded that 95 per cent of the applications under Section 39A which appeared in the gazette for public objections involve changes from orchard (2,37,710 sq mt) and natural cover zones Govt rolls back hike in beach wedding fees BJP chief stays away from Bhutani row SC recommends Ashwin Bhobe of Panaji as HC judge PANAJI The Supreme Court Collegium on Tuesday recommended the names of advocate Ashwin Damodar Bhobe of Panaji and eight other advocates for appointment as judges of the High Court of Bombay. The Bombay High Court is currently functioning with 66 judges as against its sanctioned strength of 94. The names of advocate Bhobe and eight others – Rajesh Sudhakar Datar, Sachin Shivajirao Deshmukh, Gautam Ashwin Ankhad, Mahendra Madhavrao Nerilkar, Nivedita Prakash Mehta, Prafulla Surendra Kumar Khubalkar, Rohit Wasudeo Joshi, and Advait Mahendra Sethna – were forwarded to the Supreme Court Collegium by the High Court Collegium by way of two separate resolutions on January 19 and April 19. The Supreme Court collegium led by Chief Justice of  PETITION CITES RULES ALLOW ARBITRARY CONVERSIONS  MATTER SLATED FOR OCT 3 THE GOAN I NETWORK HARMANPREET HOPEFUL AS INDIA DEPARTS FOR T20 WC IN UAE >> 14 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 PANAJI Following much hue and cry from the event organisers, the Goa government on Monday withdrew its notification hiking beach wedding fees to Rs 1 lakh per day. The government has now reverted back to its previous fee structure, wherein Rs 1 lakh covers a five-day period event. In a corrigendum issued, Director Environment Johnson Fernandes notified that the fees for beach wedding and events will be Rs 1 lakh per event for a maximum period of five days and Rs 10,000 for every additional day thereafter for the event. He maintained that 75 per cent concession for government, government corporations, autonomous bodies, charitable trust, and educational institutions and sports events. The parties who seek to revise their event plans already approved will be charged an additional revision of plans fee which will be 10% of the net fees charged. The government decision was strongly objected by the event planners stating that the same will impact their business. Worker’s death at Malim jetty sparks cholera concerns Autopsy conducted, cause of death reserved for viscera analysis THE GOAN I NETWORK PORVORIM The death of a 39-year-old fishing trawler worker at Malim Jetty late Monday night after suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea has sparked off concerns in light of an outbreak of cholera at the jetties in Cutbona and Mobor. According to police reports, the trawler worker, Sachindra Khadia of Odisha, had been on the fishing trawler since the last four days. On Monday morning, he was unwell and suffered from vomiting and diarrhoea. Porvorim police said they received information that Khadia was lying at Gate Number 2 of Malim Jetty. Police rushed to the spot and shifted him in a 108 ambulance to the Goa Medical College Hospital at Bambolim for treatment. However, doctors on duty declared him brought dead. Police said an autopsy has been conducted and cause of death reserved for viscera analysis. The trawler worker’s death at the Malim Jetty has sparked concerns in light of a cholera outbreak at the Cutbona and Mobor Jetties which claimed the lives of five migrant workers, with 14 fresh cases being detected on Monday, taking the total number of infections to 218 at the two jetties. When contacted, an office-bearer of Mandovi Fishermen Marketing Co-op Society Ltd. mentioned that this is the first such case reported from Malim Jetty. “The exact cause of death is not known,” the official said. Exposition: Priests, laity decry Centre’s failure to invite Pope SLAM GOVT FOR NOT TAKING INVITATION SERIOUSLY THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Priests and laity in the State have reacted with dismay over the central government’s failure to officially invite Pope for Exposition in the State. Speaking to The Goan, they said it was regrettable that the government had missed the opportunity to have had Pope Francis making a historic first-ever appearance to India, to coincide with the decennial Exposition in Goa. “The visit of Pope Francis would have made history and would ignite great joy and spiritual synergy in Goa. We regret that the central government appears to have failed to open the doors of our country to Pope Francis,” remarked a senior priest from Ponda taluka. Dr Fr Leslie Bosco Rego said the government should have been serious in officially inviting Pope Francis to Goa. “What a joy it would have been to see our religious head visiting us here in Goa, more so as it ignites one’s faith and helps us to carry on with our mission in life,” said Fr Rego. R 23 @thegoanonline “We had Pope John Paul II visiting Goa in 1986 and this joyous moment is cherished by people even today, and memories are still not forgotten.” “Lately, the Catholic community had been eagerly hoping that Pope Francis would visit Goa, but unfortunately it looks like that will not happen. The government should have taken it seriously in officially inviting our Pope and not just proclaim that “We have invited the Pope”. For us Goans, the presence of our religious heads matters a lot, and the government authorities have to take it seriously,” Fr Rego added. ON BE log on to thegoan.net S E PT E M Added a priest from Mormugao taluka: “Surprised? No. Disappointed? Yes. Right from the beginning, it was obvious that this government was playing with our sentiments, and we all know this drama.” “The editorial in The Goan had rightly highlighted the hype over the “invitation” to the Pope as it was devoid of an official invite extended through the Ministry of External Affairs or the Prime Minister’s Office.” >Continued on P5 Notify Centre’s guidelines on school Want to plan your visit to the Exposition? App in final stages safety, security: SC to states, UTs PTI NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed all states and Union Territories to notify the Centre’s guidelines on school safety and security. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh was hearing a plea of NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) seeking the implementation of the guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Education in 2021. Senior advocate H S Phoolka, appearing for the NGO, said till date, only five states WELL-BEING OF STUDENTS The aim and objective behind the guidelines are to enact self-contained comprehensive legislation to provide for the protection of all children from all kinds of exploitation and abuse and guarantee their physical, social, psychological and moral well-being have notified the Centre’s 2021 Guidelines on School Safety and Security. Disposing of the 2019 PIL, the bench directed the chief secretaries of the states and the UTs to ensure compliance. The senior lawyer said the plea attempted to depict the apprehension of parents who sent their wards to schools without any peace of mind re- garding their safety. “The aim and objective behind the guidelines are to enact self-contained comprehensive legislation to provide for the protection of all children from all kinds of exploitation and abuse and guarantee their physical, social, psychological and moral well-being,” the plea said. “The safety and security of every child studying in school is the avowed purpose and intent behind the Guidelines, therefore, it is imperative that it should be implemented effectively and mandatorily within a defined timeline,” it added. THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI ith less than two months remaining for the decennial Exposition of St Francis Xavier at Old Goa, the State-appointed officials and experts are in the final stages of developing a new app to facilitate devotees attending the event, beginning on November 21. At the first meeting of the Exposition Secretariat Committee held in August, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced a dedicated portal to simplify the pilgrimage process by allowing the pilgrims W HASSLE-FREE PILGRIMAGE „„The app will allow users to book a specific time slot to venerate the relics „„This will reduce long queues... These app users will have direct entry through a separate queue „„As per tentative plans, pilgrims will enter the Cathedral for veneration through the main entrance whereas the side door will be exclusively for those with app-booked slots „„The app is also likely to feature accommodation booking showing both paid hotel options and free lodging facilities to book accommodations and manage their visit with systematic queue management options, especially catering to sick and differently abled. “The app will allow users to book a specific time slot to venerate the relics. This will >Continued on P5