log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline MONDAY MARCH 4, 2024 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO. 256 2 Questions over alternate options on waste disposal if Cacora plant Ops shut GOA TTAG headed for leadership takeover by GenX 5 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 8 INFO Use tea tree oil to get rid of blackheads SPORTS Lyon’s 10-wicket haul sets up Australia’s big win over NZ 12 Day after 1st Lok Sabha list, Mhadei issue takes backseat, rumblings surface in BJP House panel met just once MINISTER SAYS WAITING FOR ‘RIGHT TIME’ TO CONVENE MEET THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Despite assuring the State Legislative Assembly to convene a meeting of the House Committee on Mhadei before February end, WRD Minister and Chairman of the Committee Subhash Shirodkar is waiting for the “right time”. It is learnt that no meeting will be held before the Lok Sabha elections, scheduled in April/May.   More than a year after the 12-member House Committee was constituted to study the contentious issue related to Mhadei water diversion, it has met just once on February 8, 2023. During the recently concluded Budget Session, the Minister, conceding that the matter is “pertinent to every Goan” had assured the House to convene the meeting before February 29. However, when contacted, LOK SABHA ELECTIONS AT PLAY? „„BJP leaders busy with Lok Sabha election preparations „„No meeting expected before LS elections scheduled in April/May „„Leaders in no mood to take any decision that could affect party’s poll strategy in Goa or Karnataka „„Goa has got just two LS seats while Karnataka has 28 MPs that are crucial for Modi-led NDA to maintain momentum   „„Also, Supreme Court has fixed the next hearing only in August „„House Committee has members from across all parties -- BJP, Congress, MGP, GFP, AAP, RG and Independent MLAs too FACT FILE: More than 50 per cent of the population in Goa depends on Mhadei River water for its survival Shirodkar refused to comment on the issue and said that the meeting will be called at the “right time”. “The meeting will be called at the right time. Will let you know once the date is finalized,” Shirodkar told The Goan. Sources informed that with BJP leaders busy with the elec- tion preparations, the Mhadei issue has taken a backseat. “The Supreme Court has fixed the next hearing only in August and so the BJP government in Goa is in no mood to take any decision on the Mhadei, at this point, that could affect the party’s poll strategy in Goa or Karnataka. We can expect a meeting only after parliamentary elections,” sources said. While Goa has got just two Lok Sabha seats, Karnataka has 28 MPs which are crucial for the Narendra Modi led NDA to maintain its momentum for 2024 polls.   The  House  Committee  has IN SHORT >> NEW DELHI: Farmer leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Sunday gave a call to the farmers across the nation to reach Delhi on March 6 for a protest while they also gave a fourhour ‘rail roko’ countrywide call for March 10 in support of their various demands.   >> See pg 7 1 Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday became the prime minister of Pakistan for a second time to lead a coalition government after he comfortably won a majority in the newlyelected Parliament amidst sloganeering by the Opposition. Calcutta HC judge to quit tomorrow Peddem junction to get AI traffic signal MAPUSA: Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira said the govt has given green light for installation of AI-controlled traffic signals at Peddem junction. Ferreira emphasized the importance of this, citing Peddem junction’s high rate of accidents.  >> See pg 3 >Continued on P5 Shehbaz Sharif returns as Pak PM for 2nd time Farmers call for ‘rail roko’ on March 10 KOLKATA: Calcutta High Court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, whose rulings on various education-related issues in the state stirred political debates, said he will resign on Tuesday. Justice Gangopadhyay declined to comment on whether he intends to enter politics, stating that he would address all media inquiries after submitting his resignation. members from across all parties -- BJP, Congress, MGP, GFP, AAP, RG and Independent MLAs too. Since the constitution of House Committee in January 2023, Goa has risen up stunned and shocked with actions from Karnataka, yet the response has been nothing. The State, whose more than 50 per cent of the population depends on Mhadei River for its survival, is just banking on the special leave petition filed before the Supreme Court challenging the Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal Award of 2018 coupled with contempt petitions against Karnataka. At the first  House  committee meeting it was decided to appoint a panel of consultants and experts of national repute to study the consequences of the diversion of the Mhadei to Goa. However, down the line, neither consultants A DROP IN TIME…: A DHS nurse administers Polio dose to a child at Government School, Bhatulem on Sunday. Over 91,000 children up to 5 years received the Pulse Polio immunization dose.  Narayan Pissurlenkar STs set 48-hour ultimatum for notification on political quota THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Expressing great displeasure over delaying tactics of the BJP-led double engine government, the ‘Mission Political Reservation for Scheduled Tribes (ST)’ on Sunday issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Central and State government to issue notification for setting up the delimitation commission or to reserve four assembly constituencies -Sanguem, Priol, Quepem and Nuvem for STs -- failing which chain hunger strike will be held on March 6. Pointing out to the failure of Home Minister Amit Shah to place the issue before the Central cabinet on February 28, as assured, the ST body also warned to work against the ruling BJP for the upcoming 2024 parliamentary polls. The community has around 1.80 lakh voters. Addressing a press conference, tribal leader Rupesh Velip said that the Home Minister Amit Shah, last week had assured the Goa delegation >Continued on P5 2 Pledging to revive Pakistan’s debttrapped economy and eradicate terrorism, Sharif said his government would not allow the country to become part of some “great game” and would maintain cordial relations with neighbours based on the principles of equality. 3 In his victory speech, the 72-year-old thanked his elder brother and three-time former premier Nawaz Sharif and allies for putting their trust in him and allowing him to head a coalition government after last month’s election resulted in a hung Parliament. >> See pg 7 n Harsh Vardhan bows out of active politics n Pawan Singh not to contest in W Bengal AGENCIES NEW DELHI A day after the Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi-led BJP replaced as many as 33 sitting MPs with new faces in its first list of 195 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, there were murmurs of discontent. In the first fallout, sitting MP Harsh Vardhan announced that he was bowing out of active politics while Bhojpuri actor-singer Pawan Singh has said he would not be contesting the election after he was named from the Asansol Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal. In a long post on X, Vardhan said he will return to his roots after over 30 years of a “glorious electoral career”. Looking back at his journey, he said, “I shall continue to pursue my work against tobacco and substance abuse, against climate change and teaching simple and sustainable lifestyles.” Harsh Vardhan Pawan Singh “After over thirty years of a glorious electoral career, during which I won all the five assembly and two parliamentary elections that I fought with exemplary margins, and held a multitude of prestigious positions in the party organisation and the governments at the state and centre I finally bow out to return to my roots,” he said on X. In the first list of 195 candidates declared by the BJP, Praveen Khandelwal has been fielded from Chandni Chowk, a seat which Vardhan holds at present. Bhojpuri actor-sing- er Pawan Singh said he would not be contesting the election.  “I thank the BJP leadership for trusting me and announcing my name as the candidate from Asansol, but I won’t be able to contest the election for some reason,” he said in a tweet in Hindi Sunday afternoon. The choice of 38-year-old Singh, a resident of Bihar, for the Bengal seat had sparked a huge row. Many had also pointed to his discography, which has several songs with objectionable references to Bengali women. FED UP OVER OPEN DEFIANCE… Anjuna locals ‘police’ beach belt to tackle blasting music Form 30-member WhatsApp group AGNELO PEREIRA THE GOAN I MAPUSA Residents of Anjuna have long grappled with the incessant blare of loud music, particularly along the coastal belt, even in defiance of Supreme Court orders on noise pollution. Despite regulations prohibiting amplified sound between 10 pm to 6 am, hotels and party venues along the coastline persist in blasting loud music into the night, seemingly heedless of legal directives. In response to this ongoing nuisance, a determined group of activists and citizens in the coastal village took matters into their own hands. Instead of relying on sporadic individual complaints to the police, they banded together to form a ‘Noise Pollution’ WhatsApp group comprising around 30 committed members. This collective effort is aimed to exert pressure on authorities and hold defaulters accountable. HOW IT WORKS „„Instead of relying on sporadic individual complaints, locals have banded together to form a ‘Noise Pollution’ WhatsApp group comprising around 30 committed members „„This collective effort is aimed to exert pressure on authorities and hold defaulters accountable „„Affected residents will report instances of late-night parties in the WhatsApp group „„Members will then gather outside the venue and demand compliance with noise regulations The modus operandi was straightforward: affected residents would report instances of late-night parties in the WhatsApp group, rallying members to gather outside the venue and demand compliance with noise regulations. This concerted action bore fruit when local residents successfully pressured the Anjuna Police into seizing the sound equipment of Diaz, a popular venue in the area. A resident of Anjuna, Dr Inacio Fernandes highlighted the significance of solidarity in effecting the change. “One of the major hurdles is to get people together. People are scared because there can be repercussions. But that is >Continued on P5 Now, moves afoot to treat Goa’s solar power policy fails to ‘light up’ industry anaemia with ayurveda W THE GOAN I NETWORK PTI NEW DELHI The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) functioning under the ayush ministry, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has initiated a clinical trial to study the efficacy and safety of Punarnavadi Mandura alone and in combination with Drakshavaleha, compared to iron folic acid, in the treatment of anaemia among non-pregnant women of the reproductive age group. The announcement on the multi-centre clinical trial on anaemia will be made by Union Minister of AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal and Centre will undertake a study for the efficacy and safety of Punarnavadi Mandura alone and in combination with Drakshavaleha, compared to iron folic acid, in the treatment of anaemia Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday, according to an official statement. The research study on anaemia has been titled “Efficacy and safety of Punarnavadi Mandura alone and in combination with Drakshavaleha compared to iron folic acid in the treatment of moderate iron deficiency anaemia among non-pregnant women of reproductive age group: a community-based three-arm multi-centre randomised controlled trial”. It will be carried out at eight different sites -MGIMS-Wardha, AIIMS-Jodhpur, NITM-Bengaluru, RIMS-Ranchi, KEM Hospital Research Centre, AIIMS-New Delhi, AIIMS-Bhopal and AIIMS-Bibinagar -- the statement said. Punarnavadi Mandoor is a polyherbal formulation that is rich in iron. The ministers will also launch the Ayush-ICMR Advanced Centre for Five Integrative Health Research (AI-ACIHR) at four selected AIIMS. PANAJI ith High Tension (HT) power consuming enterprises excluded, Goa’s industrial sector has cold-shouldered the solar energy policy notified by the State government which many have welcomed for its encouraging incentives for residential, educational and social institutes. The policy with a two-year tenure ends on March 31, 2026 and the State government has pledged to put in Rs 36.47 crore in subsidies and other incentives in this tenure. However, industry sources said with HT power consumers completely left out of its ambit, the policy could go abegging in relation to its clean energy and climate change goals. “If the government intends SOLAR POWER: POINTS OF CONCERN „„If govt intends to make any impact with solar power in Goa’s industrial sector, it has to bank on bigger HT power using industry „„Policy will have to be tweaked to include large industries „„Even if HT power consuming units are eligible, it does not make commercial sense for large industries to restrict investment for solar energy under 90 kilowatts „„Govt should rope in larger entrepreneurs to meet solar energy targets because they have finan- cial muscle to make large investments for a shift to solar power FACTS & FIGURES: 850 residences have installed solar power units generating approximately 9 megawatts across the State. Another 200-odd commercial enterprises and institutions have installed solar power units aggregately generating about 13 megawatts to make any impact with the introduction of solar power in Goa’s industrial sector, it has to bank on bigger HT power using industry. The policy will have to be tweaked to include the large industries,” said an industrialist operating from the Verna industrial estate. The first-generation entrepreneur did not want to be identified because the Goan industrial bodies are yet to formulate their official stand on the State government’s solar policy. “I have notified our representative body to make a representation to the State government demanding that the policy be tweaked so that HT power using industries also benefit,” he said. Under the policy introduced in 2020 and also the new one notified this year, industry and commercial enterprises are eligible only if they are LT power users. The subsidy is restricted to 90KWp of the sanctioned load, which is ambiguous on whether HT users can also avail the subsidy if the solar plant size is less than 90KW.  “Even if it is permitted, that is HT power consuming units are eligible, it does not make commercial sense for large industries to restrict its investment for solar energy which are under 90 kilowatts,” the industrialist said, adding that it will be prudent for the government to rope in the larger entrepreneurs to meet the solar energy targets because only they have the financial muscle to make large investments for a shift to solar power.