log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline FRIDAY MARCH 29, 2024 GOA Readers can VOTE on a wide range of issues @ TWITTER POLLS presented by your pollster, The Goan. TODAY’S POLL : 2 GOA PWD initiates key water pipeline replacement project in Mapusa 3 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Ways smoothie is sabotaging your health ED grills AAP chief, others in money laundering case PALEKAR REFUSES TO REVEAL DETAILS OF QUESTIONING; PARTY LEADERS CAMP OUTSIDE, ALLEGE HARASSMENT By questioning AAP leaders, is the ED conducting a political witch-hunt against opposition parties? n Yes n No n Can’t say THE GOAN I NETWORK To vote, follow The Goan on X (twitter) @thegoanonline Scan QR to vote YESTERDAY RESULT: Has the PIL on Smart City come too late? YES 100% NO 0% CAN’T SAY The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO.281 MP report card: Sardinha scores on utilising MPLADS funds THE G AN POLL-STIR Facebook.com/thegoan 0% IN SHORT >> Wife, paramour planned murder 6 months back MARGAO: The investigations into the cold-blooded murder in Benaulim by the Colva police have revealed that the murder of the tile fitter was planned six months back by his wife and her boyfriend from Belagavi. >> See pg 2 SSC exam from April 1, 19k students to appear PANAJI: A total of 19,573 students will appear for the SSC examination starting April 1 as the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE) released a schedule including seating arrangement on its official website.  >> See pg 3 Man held for sexually assaulting minor girl PANAJI: A 27-year-old man has been arrested by Women Police Station for allegedly impregnating a minor girl by luring her with marriage proposal and then forcing her to abort the baby. The accused is identified at Raju Rajput. 2 held for assaulting man at Revora MAPUSA: Colvale police has arrested Hayden Fernandes of Revora and Sujan Chodankar of Colvale on charges of assaulting a youth in Mazilwada-Revoda on March 26 at around 9.40 pm.  >> See pg 5 WEATHER >> Max: 29 C Min: 25 C Humidity: 74% PANAJI AAP Goa President, Amit Palekar and his party colleague Ramrao Wagh; ex-BJP leader and businessman Dattaprasad Naik and President of the Bhandari Samaj Ashok Naik were grilled for 3-5 hours by Enforcement Directorate (ED) Goa sleuths on Thursday in connection with the alleged violation of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act linked to the Excise scam. Palekar, who joined the investigation post 11:30 am underwent a second round of questioning after a lunch break which is when he was asked to get ‘some data.’ “I have joined the investigation. I am answering whatever questions they (ED officials) are asking me. They are doing their job, and I will do mine as a responsible citizen. They have asked me to submit some data, which I will do,” Palekar Money laundering: Connecting the dots “Goa’s link is being highlighted repeatedly. I think it is related to the Delhi ED case”, — CM Pramod Sawant’s tweet on money laundering probe against AAP AAP Goa President, Amit Palekar arrives at the ED office on Thursday.  Narayan Pissurlenkar told the waiting journalists, after his initial questioning. He however refused to divulge details sought by ED but returned post lunch with documents in hand. Several AAP leaders including MLAs Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva camped outside the ED office till the questioning concluded. Viegas accused the government of abusing its power to silence the party. “ED is being misused, but we will fight. Targeting Bahujan Samaj and minority leaders clearly indicates the government is all out to harass minorities,” he said. The AAP leaders further alleged that the government has orchestrated the situation to divert attention from the electoral bond issue. “INDIA bloc >Continued on P5 Drugs hit a new high, ‘Magic mushroom’ grown at Arambol RUSSIAN NATIONAL ARRESTED FOR CULTIVATING HALLUCINOGENIC DRUG POPULAR AMONG YOUTH THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In yet another major raid, the Anti-Narcotic Cell (ANC) of Goa Police busted a psilocybin mushroom plantation from a rented premise at Arambol and arrested a Russian national. This new type of drugs, popular among youngsters, induces altered thinking and hallucinations. Evgeny Morkovin (33), the Russian national was arrested for not only running the operations but also cultivating psilocybin mushroom buds in glass jars. The accused was caught with 218 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 7.9 kgs of mushroom buds, 2 kgs of Ganja and 150 nos of psilocybin mushroom spores (seeds) all worth Rs 1,69,47,000 in the international market. The ANC official informed that they worked on a tip-off and intelligence inputs that a Russian national was actively involved in supplying psilocybin mushrooms more popularly known as “magic mushrooms”. The information was further developed followed by continuous surveillance. “The Russian’s movements were also closely monitored. IN THE POLICE NET „„The Russian national was arrested for not only running the operations but also cultivating psilocybin mushroom buds in glass jars in a rented premise at Arambol „„The accused was caught with 218 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 7.9 kgs of mushroom buds, 2 kgs of Ganja and 150 nos of psilocybin mushroom spores (seeds) all worth Rs 1,69,47,000 in the international market We raided the rented premises of the accused at Madhlawada, Arambol after confirming the inputs. During the search, the police seized a commercial quantity of psilocybin mushrooms worth Rs 8.72 lakh and 2 kgs of Ganja worth Rs 2 lakh,” Deputy Superintendent of Police Nerlon Albuquerque said. It was during the raid that the ANC further discovered that the accused was not only selling the banned narcotics but had also planted psilocybin mushroom buds in numerous glass jars that weighed about 7.93 kgs valued at Rs 1.58 crore. Albuquerque informed that around 150 mushroom spores (seeds) which the accused had procured to plant and grow more of the contraband and equipment such as syringes, glass jars, specially fabricated plastic containers and other articles used to grow the psychedelic mushrooms were also seized. “In recent years, there has been a growing interest in psilocybin, the psycho-active ingredient in “magic mushrooms” or “shrooms”, which is banned under the NDPS Act. It has been noticed that the use of psychedelics like psilocybin, the psychoactive component of shrooms, has been growing in recent years, especially among youngsters as psilocybin causes altered thinking and hallucinations,” the officer said warning of action against the culprits. ON PAGE 7… Kejriwal’s ED custody extended till April 1 NEW DELHI: A court on Thursday extended the Enforcement Directorate custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till April 1 in the excise policy case. PIL seeking Kejriwal’s removal as CM dismissed 10 SPORTS Parag, Chahal make it two in two for Rajasthan Royals 13 Biogas plant to come up at Saligao; Goa gets ` 3 cr Plant will be designed to treat 120 TPD wet waste daily THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Goa is all set to come-up with an integrated bio-methanation based power generation unit (biogas plant) at Saligao plateau. The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has sanctioned Rs 3 crore to Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) for setting up a Power Generation Plant of 1.0 Megawatt (MW) based on biogas. The plant will be designed to be able to treat 120 TPD (120 TPD+20%) of wet waste daily and will produce electricity which shall be utilised to run the entire facility. Surplus electricity will be exported to the electricity grid. The total cost of the project is around Rs 11.75 crore. The proposed facility is expected to come up within the premises of the Saligao solid waste treatment plant. The funding has been sanctioned by the Union Ministry under the ‘Programme on Energy from Urban, Industrial and Agricultural Waste/Residue’. The proposed plant will POWER GENERATION: THE ROAD AHEAD „„The total cost of the project is around Rs 11.75 crore „„The plant will be designed to treat 120 TPD (120 TPD+20%) of wet waste daily and will produce electricity which shall be utilised to run the entire facility „„The proposed plant will deal with fruit and vegetable market waste and hotel/restaurant/kitchen waste from urban areas, livestock waste (cattle) and industrial (sugar press mud solid waste) „„Surplus electricity will be exported to the electricity grid deal with fruit and vegetable market waste and hotel/restaurant/kitchen waste from urban areas, livestock waste (cattle) and industrial (sugar press mud solid waste). According to the details available from the Corporation, the biogas will be generated from the wet (organic) fraction, which will be converted into electricity whereas the stabilised organic sludge shall be further processed to generate high quality soil conditioner and compost. “The biogas shall be stored in the double membrane type Biogas Holder, anchored on the top of the Digester. After completion of the digestion process, the digested substrate shall be pumped to the Sludge Dewatering System. This biogas, stored in the Biogas Holder, shall be cleaned for removal of Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) by Biogas Desulphurisation System and Moisture by Biogas Dehumidification System to suit the Biogas gen-sets,” GWMC said. “Electricity as generated shall be utilised to run the entire facility including process units, lighting, ventilation and various auxiliaries of the biogas gen-sets. The surplus electricity shall be exported to the Electricity Grid,” it added. HC directs GIDC SOLEMN REMEMBRANCE to grant staffers, pensioners 7th pay commission THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Bombay High Court at Goa has ordered the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) to pay its employees and pensioners salaries as per the scale recommended by the 7th pay commission, and implement its own resolution to that effect. The High Court, while disposing of a petition filed by employees and pensioners, noted a resolution adopted by the Board of the Goa Industrial Development Corporation in the year 2023 which resolved to give their employees 7th pay commission salaries with effect from January 1, 2018. “Today the HC has passed an order that the resolution should be implemented and that those who retired before 2018 should also get the benefit,” Adv Dattaprasad Lawande, who represented the petitioners, said. The Retired employees and present employees of the IDC had filed a petition in the High Court seeking 7th pay commission scale salaries with effect from the year 2016. The High Court granted the employees the liberty to approach the GIDC with their demand and if it was rejected, the liberty to legal recourse. Archbishop of Goa and Daman Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao enacts the Washing of the Feet of Apostles at the Maundy Thursday service at Se Cathedral, Old Goa. Narayan Pissurlenkar MGNREGA wage hike: Goa sees steepest rise at 10.6% THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Union government has notified the new wage rates under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for 2024-25 with Goa getting the biggest hike of 10.6 per cent. The Central government’s data reveals that workers in Goa will now receive the daily THE DATA The Central government’s data reveals that workers in Goa will now receive the daily wage at Rs 356 with the wage in Haryana highest at Rs 374, and Kerala ranking third at Rs 346 wage at Rs 356 with the wage in Haryana highest at Rs 374, and Kerala ranking third at Rs 346. The records show that it’s Rs 34 hike per day in Goa increasing the cumulative figures to Rs 356 from Rs 322 in >Continued on P5 Cong defers announcement Manipur declares working day on Easter, retracts order after furore from tribal organisations of Goa candidates again DELAY LEAVES LEADERS, CADRES RESTIVE THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI On Wednesday when the Central Election Committee (CEC) of the Congress met and concluded discussions on selection of candidates in Goa and four other States, several of the grand old party’s leaders had indicated that the announcement would be made by Thursday afternoon. However, there was no sign of any such thing till late Thursday night leaving a section of the party’s local leader- ship and workers bewildered. The delay in naming candidates by the High Command has left several of the party’s key functionaries and workers restive, given the daunting task on their plates to design the campaign, coordinate it with allies, especially Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which has MLAs in two seats in the South and then execute the plan. “In a scenario where there is a dearth of foot-soldiers due to desertions by top leaders over the last four-five years, electioneering is a challenge. This delay in naming candidates is adding to our woes,” a senior Congress functionary who did not wish to be identified said. He however added that the part to be played by the State unit and leadership in the candidate selection process is done and dusted. “It is up to the Central leadership to decide its timing and make the announcement,” he said. Sources told The Goan that the announcement of candidates would in all probability take place on Saturday. PTI IMPHAL he Manipur Governor has revoked the directive for government offices to remain open on March 30 and 31 following backlash from the state’s tribal organisations. Amidst ongoing unrest in Manipur, Governor Anusuiya Uikey’s order had directed all government offices and affiliated bodies to remain operational during the weekend to ensure smooth operations “in the last few days of the financial year”. However, the decision drew flak for its insensitivity T GOVERNOR’S ORDER All government offices and affiliated bodies are directed to remain operational during the weekend to ensure smooth operations ‘in the last few days of the financial year’ towards religious festivities and community traditions in Manipur from several tribal organisations as it coincides with Easter weekend, a significant occasion for the Christian T H E B AC K L A SH „„The decision drew flak for its insensitivity towards religious festivities and community traditions in Manipur from several tribal organisations „„Tribal groups strongly criticising the order cited its disrespect for the sentiments of the Christian populace „„Tribal groups said Sunday is a day of rest, and with Easter Sunday falling on March 31, the decision undermines the religious observance of many Manipuri Christians community. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), representing various tribal groups, had strongly criticised the order, citing its disrespect for the sentiments of the Christian populace. “Sunday is a day of rest, and with Easter Sunday falling on March 31, this decision undermines the religious observance of many Manipuri Christians,” ITLF spokesperson Ginza Vualzong told a national daily on Thursday. Adding to the chorus of dissent, the Poumai Naga Tsiidoumai Me, a coalition of Naga student organisations, had urged the government to retract the order, stressing on its impact on religious freedoms and cultural practices. The ITLF’s disapproval of Governor’s order follows recent criticism levelled against the government’s directive requiring the submission of weapons to local police stations ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections by the ITLF.