log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SATURDAY MARCH 16, 2024 GOA High Court verdict in Goa offers hope to Goans in UK Goan cuisine showcased at Indian Embassy event in Ireland Lok Sabha election schedule to be announced today NEW DELHI: The Election Commission will announce the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls on Saturday. In a post on X, the poll panel said a press conference to announce the schedule for Lok Sabha elections and some State assemblies will be held at 3 pm on Saturday. The term of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 16 and a new House has to be constituted before that. The term of the assemblies in Andhra, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Odisha is coming to an end on various dates in June. IN SHORT >> Govt employees get hike in DA PANAJI: In line with the Centre, the Goa government hiked the dearness allowance (DA) of its employees from 46 per cent to 50 per cent of their basic pay, with effect from January 1, 2024. The bonanza is applicable to state government employees and pensioners, employees of Grant in Aid institutions (GAI) and aided schools. ESMA extended for private pharma firms PANAJI: The government on Friday extended the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) for private pharmaceutical manufacturing companies for another six months, with effect from April 10. The ESMA has been invoked to prevent pharma sector employees from going on strike or holding any form of protest. Baina creek dredging: Call for EIA study PANAJI: The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has directed the Water Resources Department (WRD) to undertake an environmental impact assessment (EIA) study before going ahead with the dredging of Baina creek. >> See pg 3 Dutch firm to study sand erosion >> See pg 3  WEATHER >> Max: 34 C Min: 23 C Humidity: 85% TIDES Low: High: 09:00 21:19 02:02 16:16 The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 15 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO.268 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 3 15 2 10 Public hearing gives thumbs up Policy on handling mining dumps gets for mining restart in Bicholim nod from Cabinet Panaji Police Station attack case: CBI seeks original FIR register page 6 Facebook.com/thegoan GOA Former Siolim MLAs condemn unchecked tree cutting SPORTS INFO WPL Eliminator: RCB defends low target against MI to enter final Tips to get an instant facelift with makeup ADVALPALE-THIVIM LOCALS RISE IN SUPPORT, SAY IT WILL HELP RESUME ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES IN THE VILLAGE CAUSE & SUPPORT THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Locals from Advalpale-Thivim came out in support of resumption of iron ore mining block-V- at Bicholim during the public hearing held on Friday. The block is owned by Fomento Resources Pvt Ltd. The mining company needs the environmental clearance to extract 0.30 million tonnes of ore every year. Nearly 200 people attended the hearing, of which more than 90 per cent were in favour of recommencing iron ore activities at the block. The environment public hearing was conducted by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB). The locals gathered at the public hearing were unanimous in saying that resump- A section of the crowd during the public hearing at Bicholim on Friday. tion of mining will restart the economic activities in the village. They, however, demanded that locals should be given first preference in jobs at the mining site and its related activities. They also urged authorities to ensure that all permissions to the mine are fast tracked so that it can start operations from the coming season. Narayan Salgonkar, ex Sarpanch said "I have seen the kind of facilities and amenities the mining company has created for the village, be it education, health or social activity. Hence, it is very important that we support this company to resume the mining activities". Chest opened from ‘Fazenda’ reveals treasure worth crores AROUND 5,000 RARE COINS FROM DIFFERENT ERAS AMONG OTHER ARTIFACTS FOUND; TO BE DISPLAYED IN STATE MUSEUM THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI A chest in the 'Fazenda' heritage building behind the old Secretariat recently vacated by the Directorate of Accounts has revealed antiques and valuable treasures worth crores of rupees, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said adding that these will be systematically documented and displayed in the State museum. Around 5,000 rare coins are among the treasures found in the chest, which records show had been opened just once since the 1961 Liberation, in 1992, the chief minister said. Sawant made the comments during the press conference he addressed after Friday's Cabinet meeting, flanked by Revenue Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate. Sawant said it was decided to open the Chest by forming a committee under the chairmanship of the Principal Secretary (Finance) and once it was done, a total of five thousand rare coins from different eras and weighing more than 100 kgs were found in it. Besides the rare coins, 33 rare currency notes and 2.234 kgs of gold articles besides A part of the treasure that was found in the Chest at 'Fazenda'. THE TREASURE „„5,000 rare coins „„ 307 copper coins (3.105 kg) „„ 814 coins (4.7 kg) with Arabic artwork „„ 1,746 Arabic coins (20 kg) „„ 787 copper coins (15 kg) „„ 1,026 copper coins (38 kg) „„ 1,695 coins (22 kg) „„ 320 Rare Coins (3.477 Kg) with Queen Victoria and King William Imprints „„Rare Currency Notes (33); Gold pieces (2.234 kg) „„Worship materials such as aarti plates, panatyas etc other valuable ornaments were also found in a bag. Other articles found in the chest include materi- als used in houses in olden times like worship materials such as aarti plates, panatyas, etc. I have seen the kind of facilities and amenities the mining company has created for the village, be it education, health or social activity... it is very important that we support this company to resume mining activities —Narayan Salgonkar We are in support of mining… there is inflation and cost of living is very high…there are many villagers who are unemployed as everyone was dependent on mining —Siddhesh Gaonkar We want mining activities to resume at the earliest and jobs given to villagers... at the same time, the mining company will have to take care that there is no damage to our agriculture —Shrikant Dhargalkar ERSTWHILE LEASE-HOLDERS WITH DUMPS TO BE PERMITTED IN PHASE-I THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The State Cabinet on Friday decided to clear handling of iron ore dumps in Goa giving the all clear to the 'Mineral Dump Auction Policy', which will allow mining companies and erstwhile lease-holders who have paid the transfer fee for dumps in their own properties to handle and sell it. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant who addressed a post-Cabinet press conference said, preliminary estimates indicate that there are dumps which aggregately amount to about 20 million tonnes of formerly rejected ore. The State government had already framed the policy to manage these dumps and on Friday the Cabinet approved it with minor modifications incorporated. The Cabinet decision is According to the chief minister, the rules for e-auction have been modified and the government is also expected to earn revenue of around Rs 200 crores expected to earn the government a revenue of around Rs 200 crores, Sawant said adding that the rules for the e-auction have also been modified and some of the restrictions as to who can participate in the auction have been dropped. Earlier, the Pramod Sawant Cabinet had originally approved this crucial policy on handling mining dumps in September last year. It was announced then, that the government will conduct the auction of minerals in the land corresponding to the cases which were being investigated by the SIT. Siddhesh Gaonkar, a local said “we are in support of mining but our only demand is that the jobs should be given to villagers. There is inflation and cost of living is very high…there are many villagers who are unemployed or without any earning as everyone was dependent on mining”. Another local, Shrikant Dhargalkar said “we want CM to ask PM to invite Pope for Exposition Pvt med college at South District Hospital okayed THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said he will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend an official invitation to Pope Francis during the decennial Exposition of the relics of the 16th century saint Francis Xavier at Old Goa from November 21 this year to January 5 next year. Sawant revealed his intention to have the Pope invited for the Exposition after chairing a meeting of the High Powered Coordination Committee, one of the two committees his government has constituted to ensure the Exposition is held successfully. The other committee set up by the State government is the 'Exposition Secretariat' which will again be chaired by Sawant and will be responsible for the day-to-day affairs during the Exposition. Apart from Sawant, the 'Exposition Secretariat Committee' also has in it Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho and Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira as co-vice chairmen. It also has top officials from the Goa police, PWD and some other departments which would come into play during the Exposition. Both these committees also have in it clergymen nominated by the Archdiocese of Goa >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 TO COME UP ON LAND NEAR HOSPITAL BY JUNE 2025 CM ASSURES FREE TREATMENT JUST LIKE GMC THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI A private medical college is set to come up in Margao attached to the South Goa District Hospital by June next year. The State Cabinet approved the decision to establish this private medical college in Margao which will function just like Goa Medical College where the public will be entitled to free consultations and treatment. Announcing the decision, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant who addressed a post-Cabinet press conference shot down suggestions that the decision amounted to privatising a public health institution. "It will benefit the public. People will get access to services without any curbs just like GMC. Apart from this, there will be additional seats for MBBS available to Goan students," Sawant said. A private medical college for Goa was approved by the NITI Aayog nearly a year ago. The private medical college attached to the South Goa District Hospital approved by the Cabinet on Friday is sequel to the Niti Ayog approval. Sawant said, all expendi- CONTRACT STAFF FOR ICUs AT BOTH DISTRICT HOSPITALS APPROVED PANAJI: The State Cabinet in its Friday meeting approved a proposal to fulfill the staffing pattern requirements of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the two district hospitals. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said, the Cabinet gave its sanction to appoint doctors, nurses and other technical staff needed to make the ICUs at the North as well as South Goa District Hospitals operational. ture related to the setting up of the college (academic section) will be footed by the private player who will be chosen by a tendering process. Sawant also said that the process to float the Request For Proposal (RFP) asking interested private entities to submit their proposals to set up the medical college will be floated very soon. As per the plan approved by the Cabinet on Friday, the medical college will be constructed on a 10,000 square metre parcel of land in close proximity of the South Goa District Hospital in Margao. The land will be handed over to the selected private party once the tender process is complete, he said, adding that the College will have all the departments just like GMC benefitting the people of South Goa immensely. TRUST TO OVERSEE COLLEGE: The medical college attached to the SGDH may be private but it will be overseen by a 'Trust' which will be headed by the Chief Minister as chairman and will also have the Leader of Opposition in it. An MLA of each party with representation in the Goa Legislative Assembly will also be made members of this governing Trust, Sawant said, adding that the purpose of having this >Continued on P5 Over 16K students to take up Goa readies action plan with eye on future heatwaves FUTURE PERFECT: TACKLING THE HEAT JOINT REPORT FORECAST higher curriculum in robotics THE GOAN I NETWORK 200 ‘LEAD SCHOOLS’ ROPED IN TO OFFER SUBJECTS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI After successfully teaching advanced curriculum in robotics and coding subjects to around 11,000 students over last two years, the Goa government has now roped 200 ‘lead schools’ to offer similar subjects to another 16,000odd students, with special interest and talent in the coding and robotics in the coming academic year 2024-25. The curriculum to be taught after school hours, once a week, will see engineering The lead schools are select institutions in each taluka which are equipped with a robotics lab where the advanced curriculum is taught graduates and professionals invited as “teach for Goa” fellows to reach the advanced syllabus. The new robotics and coding syllabus were introduced in the academic year 2021-22, for over 20,000 students studying in government and aided schools for Class VI to VIII. The ‘Chief Minister’s Coding And Robotics Education in Schools Scheme’ or CMCARES is being implemented by the Directorate of Technical Education and the curriculum is designed based on the broad guidelines provided by a panel of the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT). According to sources, for the year 2022-23, nearly 3000 students from Class VI, VII and VIII had enrolled to study >Continued on P5 PANAJI oa could face Rajasthan-like scorching summers in the next decade and a half, as the State government foresees high temperatures beyond 40 degrees Celsius from the 2040s. With the State already grappling with heat-wave-like conditions for last two years with temperatures ranging from 35-38 degrees Celsius, the Goa government has notified the Goa Heatwave Action Plan 2024 to prevent and mitigate the adverse effects of heatwaves, particularly in light of the extreme heat conditions expected from the 2030s. The plan also outlines a comprehensive set of guide- G „„State has notified Goa Heatwave Action Plan 2024 to prevent and mitigate adverse effects of heatwaves „„Plan also outlines a comprehensive set of guidelines and safety protocols to be adhered to by stakeholders under purview of State Disaster Management Authority „„Goa could face Ra- jasthan-like scorching summers in the next decade and a half „„State foresees high temperatures beyond 40 degrees Celsius from the 2040s lines and safety protocols to be adhered to by all stakeholders under the purview of the State Disaster Management Authority. A joint report by the India Meteorological Department and the Government of Goa noted that Goa experienced the 15th warmest year in 2022, on record since 1901. The report also observed that the mean annual temperatures might increase by around 2 „„Goa experienced the 15th warmest year in 2022, on record since 1901 „„Mean annual temperatures might increase by around 2 degrees in 2030s and further by around 4 degrees by 2080s „„Goa will start experiencing heat waves (>40 degrees) beyond 2040s „„Minimum temperatures expected to rise even more by up to 8 degrees by the century's end degrees Celsius in the 2030s compared to 1901-1950 and further by around 4 degrees Celsius by 2080s under high emission scenarios. “Goa will start experiencing heat waves (>40 degrees Celsius) beyond the 2040s, as maximum temperature increases by about 5 degrees Celsius towards the century's end under high emission scenarios. Minimum temperatures are expected to rise even more by up to 8 degrees Celsius by the century's end under the high >Continued on P5