log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline FRIDAY JANUARY 12, 2024 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 15 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO. 205 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 3 15 2 10 Was Suchana unhappy about her NGT to decide fate of son’s resemblance to his father? sand mining in State Finally, DPC holds much-awaited meet, approves draft district development plan GOA Varsity, engineering and medicine professors to mentor school kids SPORTS INFO First T20I: India beats Afghanistan by six wickets in chilly Mohali Ways to boost longevity and live healthier Venkatraman denies allegations of domestic abuse THE GOAN I NETWORK GRANT OF EC, PERMITS ON HOLD TILL HEARING ON MARCH 31 SHWETA KAMAT MAHATME DySP Dalvi among top officers reshuffled PANAJI: Half a dozen senior police officers, including from the Indian Police Service (IPS) cadre were on Thursday reshuffled with Mapusa Sub-Divisional Officer, DySP Jivba Dalvi posted to Pernem. Two IPS officers – Additional Superintendents of Police Tikam Singh Varma and Arshi Aadil – have been posted as SDPOs of Canacona and Ponda respectively. Meanwhile, DySP Sandesh Chodankar has been shifted from Canacona and posted as SDPO of Mapusa while DySP Ashish Shirodkar has been posted at Cybercrime Cell and ATS Panaji and DySP Rajesh Kumar has been posted at Crime Branch-I. PANAJI Even as the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced to get environmental clearance (EC) for undertaking sand extraction along three riverbeds within a month time, Goa will have to wait till March 31, 2024 when the National Green Tribunal (NGT) is expected to hold final hearing in the matter related to sand mining activities in the State. Until then, no permits would be granted for sand mining and all the applications related to grant of environmental clearance (EC) would be kept on hold by the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (Goa-SEIAA). The NGT via an order dated March 17, 2023 had stated that SEIAA cannot issue any permits for sand extraction in the State till the final hearings takes place, which is now scheduled on March 31. Accordingly, the SEIAA during its meeting held in June 2023, resolved “after perusing the order dated 17/3/2023, issued by National Green Tribunal, Western Bench Pune, the Authority decided to put the matter on hold until the final hearing of NGT”. Sources informed that since the matter continues to remain pending before the NGT; State cannot STUCK IN THE SANDS OF TIME „„The NGT via an order dated March 17, 2023 had stated that SEIAA cannot issue any permits for sand extraction in the State till the final hearings takes place, which is now scheduled on March 31 „„The Goa River Sand Protectors Network in November 2021 had filed an appeal before the Tribunal challenging the Goa-SEIAA ECs for sand extraction in River Chapora – Zone 1 in Morjim, Zone 2 in Pirna, Zone 5 in Ozorim, Zone 6 in Agarwada, Zone 3 in Camurlim and Zone 4 in Revora go ahead with grant of EC and permits. “The State government is on record before the NGT that it will not grant sand extraction permits till NGT decides on the matter,” sources said. The Goa River Sand Protectors Network (GRSPN) in November 2021 had filed an appeal before the Tribunal challenging the GoaSEIAA ECs for sand extraction in River Chapora - Zone 1 in Morjim, in Zone 2 Pirna, in Zone 5 Ozorim, in Zone 6 Agarwada, in Zone 3 Camurlim and Zone 4 in Revora. It alleged that the EC by the GoaSEIAA are against the law laid down by the Supreme Court and the tribunal. The Goa-SEIAA had in October 2021, granted EC to North Goa District Collector to carry out sand mining in River Chapora, manually by traditional communities. The decision of SEIAA was taken on the basis of a report submitted by the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO). While illegal sand mining is rampant, the legal activities are banned in the State since 2018 after GRSPN had approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa seeking restrictions on the number of sand mining permits. DMG had issued over 300 sand mining permits for the 2017-18 seasons with a cap of 6,000 cu. on extraction. PANAJI As infuriating and heart-breaking details surrounding the murder of the four-year-old continue to unfold, latest revelation indicates that Suchana Seth allegedly wished for her son’s peaceful death. While this theory is subject to investigation by Calangute police, it has given a new twist to the murder saga. Having misled her ex-husband Venkatraman about meeting his son in Bengaluru on January 7, Sunday; she flew to Goa on a long holiday a day prior with the alleged intention of ending her son’s life. Sources closely monitoring the investigation revealed that Suchana often expressed unhappiness about her son’s resemblance to Venkatraman as it reminded her of the couple’s estranged relationship. “She didn’t want her child to meet his father even if it was once a week. She often spoke about how her son resembled his father. This was probably one of the reasons she took the drastic step. We are also probing the victim’s sedation because we are being told that she gave him an overdose of cough syrup (Benadryl) to smother him in his Cab driver plays crucial role, but unpaid; vehicle attached PANAJI: Cab driver Royjohn D’Souza, who ferried Suchana Seth to her destination – in fact to the police station in Chitradurga (Karnataka), played a crucial role in cracking the case but lost the trip fare of Rs 30,000. His vehicle has also been attached. D’Souza was hired by the Candolim service apartment, where Suchana had checked in with her son and left alone with the ‘luggage,’ to ferry her to Bengaluru by road. The driver fixed a fare of Rs 30,000 and reached the venue around 12:30 am on >Continued on P5 Suchana blames ex-husband, only speaks of her career Note found blaming ex-husband, court for child’s custody >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 PANAJI: Suchana Seth has been consistently boasting about her AI profession and skills while denying her involvement in the crime. Despite specific questions by the interrogation team of Calangute police about the crime, she’s adamantly sleep. She didn’t want her son to struggle and suffer while she killed him,” the source said. A senior police officer however maintained that she is yet to confess to the crime. PANAJI: The Calangute police have found a crumpled napkin with a handwritten note from the tourist taxi that accuses Venkatraman, lawyer, and the Court on issues related to the victim child’s custody. Suchana has accused Sources further stated that Suchana had not planned how to dispose of her son’s body, after allegedly killing >Continued on P5 Goa slips to 13 from 10th spot in Swachh Survekshan ranking THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Goa slipped to 13th position from 10th (2022) among 27 states in the country in the Swachh Survekshan ranking 2023. According to the data released by the Centre, in 2023, Maharashtra topped the list as the cleanest state in India. Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh won the top three awards for Best Performing State. With a national ranking of 56, Panaji was adjudged the GSPCB issues notices to 31 villa owners in Anjuna for operating without STP cleanest city with over one lakh population within Goa (Fast moving city). Similarly, Sanquelim, that ranked at 867 nationally, cities with less than one lakh population, it was adjudged the cleanest in Goa in that category. Ponda had the worst ranking of 3022 among Goan cities. President of India, Droupadi Murmu conferred Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023 in a function at New Delhi on Thursday. (Related report on page 9) The Exclusive Jewel In The Crown Of Goa G O LD • S ILVE R • DIAMO N D Exclusive Inaugural Offers* *For a limited period THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has issued show cause notice to 31 villa owners of Vianaar Construction Pvt Ltd (La Olalian) located at Sebastian Vaddo, Anjuna for operating without establishing sewage treatment plant and Consent. In a notice issued, the Board has asked the unit/ establishment to pay penalty under the Polluter Pays Principal to the Board for the aforesaid violations. The owners are also called for personal hearing on Monday, January 15. The Board found that the units were operating without the valid Consent to Operate of the Board as required under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and as the establishment/ unit was being operated without a sewage treatment plant. Zero Melting Loss on exchange of Old Gold* Get a one carat Green Diamond Pendant FREE on shopping of One Lakh & above* Flat 100% off Flat 20% off on making charges of Gold Jewellery* on making charges of Diamond Jewellery* X *Terms & Conditions Apply Scan To Avail Offers www.png1832.in | Call: 93709 52715 | 93709 52716 Shop No. 1, Kamat Elite, Diagonally Opp. to Taj Vivanta St. Inez Road, Panjim 430 001.