log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) Instagram.com/thegoanonline >P16 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 17, 2024 17 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO.210 CBC 22201/13/0163/2324 Government of india Scan for more information Modi Sarkar ki Guarantee Hamara Sankalp Viksit Bharat IN SHORT >> Eight more shacks up for grabs on North Goa beaches PANAJI: The Tourism Department has decided to allot 8 more shacks on North Goa beaches -- 2 each at Morjim, Mandrem, Arambol and Keri for tourist season 2023-26. Applications are to be submitted from January 16 to 20. Draw of lots to allot the shacks will be held on January 25. As on date 353 shacks have been allotted by the department, 255 in North Goa and 98 in South Goa. CM likely to present Budget on Feb 8 PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is likely to present the State Budget 2024-25 on February 8. The budget session of the State Legislative Assembly will be held from February 2 to 9. Sawant on Tuesday convened meetings with representatives of Liquor Traders, GCCI, CREDAI, and Indian Medical Association. Fish vendor killed in Porvorim mishap PORVORIM: A 51-year-old Mapusa-based fish vendor who was a Person with Disability (PwD) was killed after he was knocked down by a Goa-registered SUV driven by a tourist, reportedly under the influence of alcohol, at Porvorim in the wee hours of Tuesday.  >> See pg 3 Tourist arrested for stunts on jeep PORVORIM: Porvorim police arrested a 43-year-old tourist from Haryana for performing stunts on top of a jeep at Porvorim. Vikram Sharma from Panchkula-Haryana had come to Goa and had hired a jeep. On Monday, he was performing stunts on the highway at Porvorim. Policy swung into action and arrested him after a video went viral. SSC exams to start from April 1 PANAJI: The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination, conducted by the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE) will be held from April 1 to 22. The practicals will commence in March.  >> See pg 3 WEATHER >> Max: 33 C Min: 20 C Humidity: 88% TIDES Low: High: 09.26 02.54 21.05 15.46 AUSTRALIAN OPEN: NAGAL STUNS ALEXANDER BUBLIK RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Safe and modern travel facilities to all Modernization and redevelopment of more than 1300 railway stations under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme Govt unveils ‘war rooms’ at airports amid flight delays WANTS INCIDENTS REPORTED THRICE DAILY AT 6 METRO AIRPORTS PTI NEW DELHI The central government on Tuesday announced a new action plan as heavy fog disrupted fight operations across north India, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at airports for hours. As part of the plan, ‘war rooms’ will be set up by airports and airline operators at all six metro airports to address any issues with regard to passenger inconvenience immediately. The Civil Aviation Minister also sought incidence reporting thrice daily for all the six metro airports -- Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Chennai. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said implementation of directives, SOPs and CARs of the aviation watchdog DGCA will be mon- DGCA ISSUES OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR AIRLINES NEW DELHI: In the wake of massive flight cancellations and delays at various airports, including Delhi’s IGI Airport, due to the fog and adverse weather conditions, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the airlines. The SOPs will have to be mandatorily adhered by the airlines with immediate effect and were issued in public interest. As per the aviation watchdog’s guidelines, itored and reported regularly. The minister also informed that sufficient CISF manpower availability will be ensured round-the-clock. This came after a passenger assaulted an IndiGo pilot on Sunday after the airlines should publish accurate real-time information regarding delays in their flights. There should also be appropriate sensitisation of the airline staff at the airports to suitably communicate with and continuously guide and inform the passengers about flight delays. In addition to this, the DGCA in its release asked the airlines to display of updated information regarding flight delays to passengers waiting at the airports. his flight was delayed by 12 hours. Informing about the new rules, Scindia said that Delhi airport’s Runway 29L had been made CAT III operational, allowing it to handle take- FOUR-YEAR-OLD’S MURDER Suchana underwent parental therapy to manage her son STAYED AT A RESORT IN VARCA TO CELEBRATE NEW YEAR WITH HER SON BEFORE THE MURDER THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The founder of an AI startup in Bengaluru, Suchana Seth -- accused of murdering her four-year-old son in Candolim -- had checked into a Varca resort barely a week before she flew back to Goa, this time to allegedly kill her toddler even as it has now come to light that she was reportedly undergoing ‘parental therapy’ in Bengaluru to manage her son. Suchana spent the New Year with her son at the Dona Alcina resort from December 31, 2023 to January 4, 2024, having a memorable time and allegedly showing no signs of distress. However, upon her return, she realised that the upcoming Sunday, January 7 marked the scheduled meeting between her estranged husband Venkat Raman and their son, based on the Bengaluru Family Court’s order. THE PROBE „„Main motive was to dodge the meeting between father and son at all costs „„Discussed with her lawyer about her intentions (to avoid the meeting) „„Keeps changing her statement to police „„Venkat Raman discloses his estranged wife troubled him over petty reasons Sources told The Goan that to avoid the brief reunion for the fifth consecutive week; Suchana planned another trip to Goa on January 6 with a oneway flight ticket. She checked in to Sol Banyan Grande in Candolim to stay till January 10 only to abruptly cut it short. She hired a local cab through the hotel staff, to take her to Bengaluru around 1 am on January 8, and checked out alone with a trolley bag that had her son’s dead body. “Her main motive was to dodge the meeting between the father and son at all costs. After her return to Bengaluru on January 4, she discussed with her lawyer about her intentions (to avoid the meeting) and soon booked a flight ticket to Goa,” the source revealed. In a new revelation, the woman was reportedly undergoing ‘parental therapy’ in Bengaluru to manage her child. The Calangute police >Continued on P5 offs and departures even during low-visibility scenarios. Runway 10/28 – also with CAT III status – would be made operational as soon as re-carpeting is concluded, he added. The new rules were issued Consecration rituals begin at Ram temple PTI AYODHYA Rituals in the run-up to the January 22 Ram Mandir consecration ceremony started at the temple complex in Ayodhya on Tuesday, its chief priest said. These will continue till January 21. On January 22, the minimum essential rituals needed for the “Pran Pratishtha” (consecration) of the idol of Ram Lalla will be conducted, temple Trust general secretary Champat Rai had told reporters. “The ‘anushthan’ has started and will continue till January 22, the day of the consecration ceremony. Eleven priests are performing the rituals invoking all the “devis and devtas” (goddesses and gods),” Ram temple chief priest Acharya Satyendra Das said. The Trust said there are seven adhivasas in the “Pran Pratishtha” and a minimum of three adhivasas are in practice at presnt. There are 121 “acharyas” who are conducting the rituals and Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid is overseeing, coordinating and directing all proceedings of the “anushthan”. after widespread criticism was witnessed by the passengers amid extensive delays in flight operations. Operations at the Delhi Airport on Sunday were significantly impacted by dense fog resulting in diversion, cancellation, and delay of many flights. Tensions escalated on Sunday when a high drama erupted from the Delhi Airport, which included passengers having to sit inside planes lined up on runways for hours. In fact, a video of an IndiGo passenger went viral on social media on Sunday after he assaulted the captain of a Goabound flight. The passenger was later taken into custody for his ‘unruly behaviour’. Scindia condemned the “unruly behaviour” of passengers on planes and stated that such incidents will not be tolerated. He attributed the chaos at Delhi Airport to “unprecedented fog”. Govt announces free treatment for cancer, haemophilic patients THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Providing major relief to the patients of haemophilia, the government has announced free treatment to 48 listed patients in the State. It has also announced the introduction of free anti-cancer medicine – PHESGO -- the fixed dose combination of two monoclonal antibodies in oncology for the treatment of HER-2 positive breast cancer patients. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said that the government has taken some historic decisions in the health sector in association with Roche Healthcare,  a Swiss multinational healthcare company related to haemophilia, breast cancer and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). “Goa Model is demonstrating promising results in healthcare, potentially offering more benefits than the purported Delhi model,” he said. Rane said that the government has decided to provide The govt will also treat four Spinal muscular atrophy patients in Goa free of cost by spending Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 crore annually. SMA is a congenital and lifethreatening disorder causing progressive muscle weakness free subcutaneous treatment to 48 listed haemophilic patients including those from the Goa Medical College and Hospital. He said that the State intends to have “near to zero bleeds” of haemophilic in future. He explained that the therapy involves injecting ‘Emicizumab,’ a Monoclonal antibody. “This not only provides a normal life for haemophilic patients but also offers prophylactic treatment, reducing the risks of bleeding-related complications, arthritic issues, and deformities. Goa is the first State to start >Continued on P5 Unite for progress of State: Bishop at St Joseph’s feast SAYS SOURCE OF PRIDE FOR GOANS IS COMMITMENT TO TRADITIONAL COMMUNAL HARMONY THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Emphasising the need for collective efforts regardless of religious affiliations, Bishop of Daltonganj Theodore Mascarenhas on Tuesday appealed to people to unite for the advancement of the State. “One source of pride for the Goan community is their commitment to traditional communal harmony,” said Bishop Mascarenhas. He stressed on the importance of peaceful coexistence, envisioning a united community, and appealed to God for enlightenment for those who are misguided, hoping they would see the light and contribute to the overall harmony of the State. Bishop Mascarenhas was presiding over the Feast Mass of St Joseph Vaz, Goa’s illustrious son and Patron of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, at the site of the old Church of Our Lady of Health, Rua Escravo de Maria, San- Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas celebrates the Feast Mass of St Joseph Vaz along with Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, Bishop of Sindhudurg Alwyn Barretto, Bishop of Agartala Lumen Monteiro, Bishop-Emeritus of Port Blair Alex Dias and other priests at the site of the old Church of Our Lady of Health, Rua Escravo de Maria, Sancoale.  Joseph Fernandes coale. Archbishop of Goa and Daman Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, Bishop of Sindhudurg Alwyn Barretto, Bishop of Agartala Lumen Monteiro, Bishop-Emeritus of Port Blair Alex Dias, Fr Jose Remedios Fernandes (Vicar General of the diocese), Fr Valerian Vaz (Rector of Seminary of Our Lady, Saligao), Fr Lucio Dias (Episcopal Vicar for South Zone), Fr Raju Selvaraj, Fr Kenneth Teles (Parish Priest of Our Lady of Health Church, Sancoale), Deacon Joao Gonsalves, Deacon Rayan D’souza and 50 priests concelebrated at the Feast Mass. >Continued on P5 NEP: Farsi included as one of 41-YEAR-OLD FATRADE MAN’S DEATH India’s 9 classical languages New twist? FIR filed after bullfight video goes viral PTI NEW DELHI n a significant move to deepen cultural ties, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced that the Government of India has decided to include Farsi (Persian) as one of the nine classical languages in India under the New Education Policy. “The government of India has decided to include Farsi as one of the nine classical languages of India in our NEP,” said Jaishankar, highlighting the cultural, literary, and linguistic connections between I The first language in India to be accorded classical language status was Tamil in 2004. This was followed by Sanskrit, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia being declared classical languages by the central government Iran and India. Jaishankar, who is on a two-day visit to Iran, made the above remarks during a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart. This recognition reflects a commitment to fostering understanding and appreciation of Farsi’s rich heritage within Indian educational framework. Tamil was the first language in India to be accorded classical language status in 2004. Sanskrit, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia are the other languages that have been declared classical languages by the central government. “In addition to these classical languages Pali, Persian, Prakrit; and their works of literature too must be preserved for their richness for posterity,” according to NEP-2020. THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO In a major development, the Colva police on Tuesday registered a FIR in connection with the death of the 41-year-old Zenito Vaz, who was gored to death by a buffalo on Monday evening. The FIR, however, has been registered against unknown persons, with the Colva police saying the police is investigating into the case to find out the persons who had organized the bullfight. The FIR has been registered under the Provisions of the Cruelty to Animals Act and Horn pierced Zenito’s heart: Port-mortem MARGAO: The post-mortem examination on the body of deceased Zenito Vaz has revealed that the horn of the buffalo had pierced his heart causing his death. A forensic team along with a veterinary doctor visited the residence of Zenito as part of the investigations, to find out whether the buffalo, which is tied at the residence of the family, was the same that gored him to death. under section 304 of the IPC for causing death due to negligence. The FIR by the police comes The team is also believed to have drawn a panchanama of the vehicle that was used to transport Zenito to hospital after the incident. Sources at the South Goa district hospital told The Goan that the buffalo’s horn pierced through Zenito’s heart which proved fatal. “Zenito had also sustained injuries on his legs, but the injury on his heart proved fatal’, sources informed. a day after the Colva had registered a case of unnatural death after the 41-year-old was gored to death on Mon- day evening. The FIR registered by the police assumes significance and comes against the Family expresses shock over viral video, insists Zenito was gored to death near the cowshed at their residence >> See pg 2 backdrop of a video of a bullfight that went viral on Tuesday. When contacted, Colva police station in-charge, PI Therron D’Costa informed that the police has registered a FIR against unknown persons since the matter is under >Continued on P5