log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY MARCH 27, 2024 GOA Cong has task cut out to find ideal foil for BJP candidate in South Goa Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO.279 2 3 GOA Govt not involved in cutting Siolim trees, State's counsel tells HC Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Bad habits that are ruining your skin Submit plan to ease hardship due to Smart City works, HC tells govt PILs SOUND ALARM BELLS OVER UNSUPERVISED, HAPHAZARD WORK THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The State government has expressed concern over the current status of the Smart City works in response to Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed in the Bombay High Court at Goa alleging that development works in Panaji are being carried out without supervision, planning and in a haphazard manner. During the hearing on the admission of two PILs, Advocate General Devidas Pangam said the government is equally concerned regarding the delay in completion of the works. He however assured the Division Bench that measures are taken including issuing instructions to Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IP- KEY POINTS OF PLEA IN HIGH COURT „„Works undertaken by authorities generating large amounts of dust „„No measures undertaken by IPSCDL, contractors, agencies to control dust pollution „„If works do not meet deadline it will result in flooding and other related problems during monsoons „„Entire city is replete with roadblocks, can potentially SCDL), to ensure completion of the projects by May 31. “The government in all sincerity is trying to ensure the work is completed within the deny access in cases of emergency „„No info available in public domain about manner of implementation or extent or duration of the project time frame,” he said during a brief submission on Tuesday. He also stated that 35 works are already completed while 12 works are in progress, with GOVT’S SAY „„AG Pangam said government is equally concerned regarding the delay in completion of the works „„Measures are taken including issuing instructions to ensure completion of projects by May 31 „„Govt in all sincerity is trying to ensure work is completed within the time frame directions to meet the deadline. As the hearing commences on Wednesday, the High Court issued notice to the government seeking measures to mitigate the adverse effects of the ongoing works. The ABVP-led varsity student council’s campus outreach raises eyebrows amidst poll code THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA In a move that has stirred a controversy of sorts, the Goa University Students Council (GUSC), led by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has scheduled meetings with students of prominent colleges in Mapusa. The meetings, termed as #CampusPravas, were planned for Tuesday (March 26) at Saraswat College, DMC and St Xavier’s College. The significance of these meetings is amplified as they IN SHORT >> Nepali woman goes missing in Mandrem PERNEM: A woman from Nepal has been reported missing from a resort in Mandrem. According to reports, Aarti Gopal Hamal (36) had come to Goa to practice meditation and has been missing since Monday. The family has appealed for help to locate Aarti and has filed a missing complaint. Karnataka man found murdered at Benaulim >> See pg 2 THE G AN POLL-STIR Readers can VOTE on a wide range of issues @ TWITTER POLLS presented by your pollster, The Goan. TODAY’S POLL : Has the INDIA Bloc protest at Panaji united the Opposition ahead of elections? n Yes n No n Can’t say To vote, follow The Goan on X (twitter) @thegoanonline Scan QR to vote YESTERDAY RESULT: Has BJP made the right choice of picking Pallavi Dempo for the South Goa LS seat? YES 26.6% NO 62% CAN’T SAY 11.4% coincide with the enforcement of the model code of conduct due to ongoing parliamentary elections. Notably, the GUSC Chairman, Akshay Shet along with Sudip Naik was expected to address the ‘Samasya Shodh Yatra’ during these interactions. Interestingly, the Registrar of Goa University had issued a letter to the GUSC, instructing college managements to facilitate these meetings. The heart of the matter lies in the affiliation of ABVP with the ruling BJP, raising suspi- cions of ulterior motives behind the scheduled meeting. Soon after receiving the message late Sunday evening, the management of the St Xavier’s College complained to the State Election Commission about the probability of violation of the code of conduct and requesting it to take action in the matter. There was no indication whether the SEC took cognisance of the complaint, as a group of students of the “ABVP-led GUSC” arrived in St Xavier’s College on Tuesday noon and sought an audience with the students’ council of the college. “A letter from the registrar of the GU requested us to allow the representatives of the GUSC to meet the college students’ council. We gave them the permission as directed by the Registrar,” a faculty member of St Xavier’s college informed. Similarly, Saraswat College and DMC allowed the GUSC representatives to meet only with the respective college councils. >Continued on P5 petitioner local citizens have argued that unsupervised haphazard works have been causing inconvenience to the public, also resulting in dust pollution. They also raised concerns about timely completion of the projects. “The works undertaken by the concerned authorities through IPSCDL are generating large amounts of dust pollution which is hazardous to the residents of the city of Panaji. There are no measures undertaken by IPSCDL or the concerned contractors or agencies to control or eliminate the dust pollution by adopting any remedial mechanism,” the petitioners’ legal representative argued. They further questioned >Continued on P5 Labourer held for knifing 2 co-workers MAPUSA: A labourer from Chhattisgarh was arrested by Colvale police on Tuesday charges of attacking two co-workers with a knife at Raj Housing Board Colony in Thivim.  >> See pg 3 9 SPORTS All-round Chennai Super Kings outclass Gujarat Titans 13 Kejriwal protest: Chemistry of unity missing among workers WILL GET THERE, IT’S INEVITABLE, SAYS VIJAI THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Already lagging a notch with the Congress yet to announce its nominees for both the Goa seats and with rivals, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finalising both its candidates -- Shripad Naik (North) and Pallavi Dempo (South) -- the INDIA bloc has a more complicated challenge to overcome if it is to make a fight of the electoral battle by ensuring unity and co-ordination among leaders and cadres of the various constituent political parties. On Tuesday, the protest held at Azad Madan against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was the first joint action on the ground by the INDIA bloc's constituent allies -- Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Goa Forward Party (GFP), the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) and Shiv Sena (UBT). And, while the bonhomie was visible among leaders -Opposition Leader, Yuri Alemao, GFP's Vijai Sardesai, Quepem MLA Altone D'Costa and the AAP's Amit Palekar, Cruz Silva and Venzy Viegas -- all mingling well, the lack of this chemistry among the cadres and supporters was palpable at the Azad Maidan. Leaders in full strength but cadres missing in numbers PANAJI: Leaders were there in full strength but the cadres seemed to be missing in numbers at the INDIA bloc’s protest at Azad Maidan in Panaji on Tuesday. Led by Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao, almost every legislator from the constituent parties of the alliance, who have representation in the House, was there. However, such political protests are usually meant to be a show of strength and on that count the crowds were missing with just about a hundred turning up. An AAP leader however claimed that mobilising larger numbers would have put them in the cross-hairs of the authorities since the Model Code of Conduct was in force and it would be a violation. INDIA BLOC HITS GROUND WITH PROTEST IN PANAJI OVER KEJRIWAL'S ARREST >> See pg 3 Some of the leaders of the constituent parties we spoke to admitted that situation may not be ideal as far as the cohesiveness of cadres of the different parties in the alliance is concerned. However they were unanimous that the level of unity required to carry out an effective election campaign in both the constituencies will be achieved in quick time. "No. Not yet. However we will get there soon into the campaign. It is inevitable for us," is how Sardesai reacted when asked on the sidelines of the protest whether there was unity among cadres of the alliance partners, the kind needed to launch a coordinated campaign for both the Lok Sabha seats. Sardesai admitted that the delay in announcing the candidates was a bit of a hindrance in getting on with the campaign and ironing out the differences in the campaigning style of the different constituents of INDIA. "I don't know what's >Continued on P5