log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SUNDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2024 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) Instagram.com/thegoanonline 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO.234 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 MOVIES »PAGE 16 GOOD LIFE »PAGE 12 WEEKEND READ »PAGE 15 Rip-roaring action The ‘A’ factor Notes of Victory Ace flautist Rakesh Chaurasia talks about his Grammy-winning song, Pashto SPORTS »PAGE 8 AFC Asian Cup final: Akram nets hat-trick as Qatar defends title Of Pride And Honour : Team Sam Bahadur unveil rousing teaser Will you be my Galentine? Treat your Valentine to a sumptuous meal U-19 WC Final: India’s young guns gear up for glory against Australia today Vidyut Jammwal, Arjun Rampal and Nora Fatehi open up about their upcoming film Get steamy this Valentine’s Day with these aphrodisiac foods Tawadkar-Gaude feud rages, fest called off in Canacona  KALA UTSAV ORGANISED BY ART & CULTURE DEPT & A LOCAL CLUB WAS TO BE HELD ON SUNDAY  GAUDE WAS CHIEF GUEST, TAWADKAR NOT INVITED  FURIOUS TAWADKAR REPORTEDLY CASTIGATES CLUB AND ART & CULTURE DIRECTOR  EVENT CANCELLED BY CLUB AT LAST MOMENT THE GOAN I NETWORK CANACONA The ongoing bitter feud between Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude and Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar over various events funded by the Art and Culture Department in Canacona took yet another turn when the 5th Kala Utsav (Art Festival) 2024 scheduled at Indrawada-Gaondongrim on Sunday at 4 pm was cancelled on Saturday evening. The 5th Kala Utsav, organised by the Indreshwar Youth Club of Indrawada-Gaondongrim in association with the Art and Culture Department, was to have been inaugurated by Gaude. Director of Art and Culture Sagun Velip was to have been the guest of honour, while the special invitees included ZP (Poinguinim) Shobana Velip, Gaondongrim Sarpanch Dhil- CARNIVAL KICKS-OFF IN PANAJI  >>P3 A file photo of the Kala Utsav which was staged at IndrawadaGaondongrim last year. lan (Yeshwant) Dessai, Ward panch Anand Velip and folk artiste Ajit Painguinkar. Work on a central stage with a view on all four sides was to have started on Saturday itself and was to have been completed before the event began at 4 pm on Sunday. However, the official invitation had not made any mention of Tawadkar, who is the MLA of Canacona. It is reliably learnt that a livid Tawadkar is reported to have got in touch with the Indrawada Club committee and demanded an explanation for excluding his name from the invitation card. Sources said Tawadkar reportedly castigated the members and told them to cancel the event. He is also alleged to have reprimanded the director of Art and Culture for co-hosting an event in his constituency without involving him. CM promises quota for STs in assembly by 2027 elections TO LEAD DELEGATION TO DELHI ON DELIMITATION COMMISSION MAGAZINE MAGAZ 9 Carnival ignites Panaji with festive spirit & cultural splendour Private international law and jus soli Beauty tips to help you look awesome on Valentine’s Day 10 Preventing and treating toothaches on World Toothache Day 11 The Miracles of Our Lady of Lourdes 2024 Husqvarna Svartpilen 401: Feel the Swedish ride factor! THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday assured the Goa legislative Assembly that political reservations for Scheduled Tribes in the House will be done before the next general election due in 2027. Sawant, who was responding to a calling attention motion moved by the entire seven-member Opposition comprising the Congress, AAP, GFP and RGP, also said, he will lead a government delegation to meet Central leaders over the ST reservation issue on February 16. Sawant also told the House that the State government has formally written to Union Minister Arjun Meghwal on February 7 regarding the setting up of the delimitation commission. Meanwhile, leaders of the ‘Mission Political Reservation for Scheduled Tribes of Goa’ told media outside the House that they will wait till February 16 for the government to set up the delimitation commission ‘Mission Political Reservation for Scheduled Tribes of Goa’ told media outside the House that they will wait till February 16 for the government to set up the delimitation commission for identifying the assembly segments to be reserved for their community. The strength of the ST population in Goa has been pegged at about 10.23% in the 2011 census and by the proportionate principle of reservation the community is Constitutionally required to have a quota of four seats. On Saturday evening, the Indrawada Club committee members circulated a message on social media stating that the event had been cancelled at Indrawada-Gaondongrim. When contacted, a member from the Indrawada Club confirmed that Tawadkar had contacted them and was upset that his name was not included in the invitation card. The cancellation of the 5th Kala Utsav will be seen as a big blow to cultural performances, as folk dance troupes from different parts of Goa and Maharashtra had been invited to the event, to showcase Fugdi, Jagor, Dhalo, Ghodemodni, Diwali Nach, Musal folk dance and other traditional folk dances. Incidentally, the Speaker’s fury and his subsequent interaction with the Art and Culture director bears similar- EPFO increases interest rate on provident fund to 8.25 per cent PTI NEW DELHI Ahead of general elections, the interest rate paid on employee provident fund was on Saturday hiked to 8.25 per cent for fiscal year ending March 31, the highest in three years. The central board of trustees of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) recommended to the finance ministry for raising the interest rate for nearly 8 crore contributing subscribers, the labour ministry said in a statement. This will be the highest rate of interest for EPF subscribers in the last three years. The previous high was in 2019-20 when 8.5% interest was paid. The rate of payout was maintained at the same level in 2020-21 but in the following year it was cut to 8.1 per cent, the lowest in four decades. (EPF interest rate was 8 per cent in 1977-78). The interest rate was marginally hiked to 8.15 per cent in 2022-23 (April 2022 to March 2023). Ray of hope for coastal structures facing axe THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday told the Goa Legislative Assembly that efforts will be made, including pursuing legal remedies with the Central government on board to save houses and other structures along Goa’s coast facing the threat of demolition due to litigations in courts. Sawant said, the matter related to such structures along the coast in Arambol is currently being heard by the Bombay High Court at Goa and therefore he would not like to make any specific statement in the House. Sawant was intervening in the discussion on a calling attention motion which was GOVT WILL PURSUE LEGAL REMEDIES: CM „„All efforts will be made to save houses and other structures along Goa’s coast facing the threat of demolition due to litigations in courts „„Govt will also pursue pursuing legal remedies moved by Calangute MLA Michael Lobo regarding the threat of demolition faced by structures along the entire Northern coast. Earlier, in a detailed reply to Lobo’s calling attention motion, Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira briefed the House about the involvement in illegal activities and com- and take Central govt on board „„CZMP belongs to the Centre... it is necessary to follow it but at the same time, it is necessary to save the houses and small scale industries of the locals plicity of the Panchayat Secretary in the matter of structures at Arambol which the High Court is currently hearing. Sequeira also denied that there was any notice sent by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) for demolition of houses owned by traditional fishermen. “Structures built by fish- ermen before 1991 are at no risk,” he said, adding also that the government has not taken any decision to carry out a drone survey of constructions in coastal areas. The demolition notices have been issued only to commercial establishments >Continued on P5 ity to Gaude’s angry outburst with the Director of Tribal Welfare Dashrath Redkar, when an unedited audio clip of their telephonic conversation had gone viral on social media on Tuesday. In the audio clip, the Minister was heard lashing out at Redkar for granting funds to an NGO for organising events through Schedule Caste and Scheduled Tribe Commission in his Priol constituency. In the clip, Gaude was heard abusing and threatening the officer with dire consequences, if he and the chairman of the SC and ST Commission decided to go ahead with the scheduled event. While some claimed it is an old audio clip, the minister even had disparaging words for the Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in the audio clip. Dumps auction to be decided within a month PANAJI: Amid heated discussion surrounding the Dump Handling Policy, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said once the rates are fixed, the auctioning will begin within one month .>> See pg 3