log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline MONDAY APRIL 29, 2024 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO. 312 Litmus test for Digambar, Congress in Margao 2 3 GOA PM skipped burning issues of Goans at Sat rally: INDIA bloc Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Wonderful aloe vera masks for dry and rough hair Smart City chaos continues to trouble Panaji residents DUG UP ROADS, TRAFFIC JAMS ORDER OF THE DAY A traffic jam near Institute Menezes Braganza, Panaji. (File photo) workers have dug a trench right across the road once again, weeks after it had been patched up after sewerage work and laying of underground cables was completed.  Enquiries have revealed that that the trench has been dug up by workers at the instance of the CCP which is carrying out pre-monsoon work and building a cross-drain there,  raising questions as to why this work could not have been carried  out when the road had already been shut for over a month by the ‘smart city’ contractors. Similar impediments to traffic flow are faced at several other road stretches of the city along the Dada Vaidya Road and the Atmaram Borkar road too where the damage caused by the April 20 rainfall is yet to be rectified.  Earlier, the Goan had highlighted quality and public safety issues after the redesigned pavements which were freshly lined with interlocking tiles under the ‘Smart City Mission’ had caved in at several places in the city. MARGAO: The day-long process of loading symbols in EVMs of four Assembly segments of Salcete followed by mock polling ended late Sunday. The EVMs of the remaining four constituencies of Salcete will be taken up on Monday to load the symbols of candidates. >> See pg 2 WEATHER >> Max: 34 C Min: 27 C Humidity: 75% TIDES Low: High: 07:37 20:31 00:32 15:00 Development Front, were already elected unopposed. The voting process was peaceful without any major complaints of either violence or voter intimidation barring in ward II, where AAP leader Cecille Rodrigues brought to the notice of poll officers that voter slips were being distributed with the symbol of the candidate from the Monserrate-backed panel. Rodrigues, who is PONDA Rachat Ashok Satarkar, a 2 1-ye a r- o l d resident of Adkon, Banastari, tragically lost his life in a scooter accident early Sunday morning at Keri-Ponda. He had recently been appointed as a constable in the police department. The unfortunate incident occurred after Rachat had returned from Margao, where he had gone with a friend for a volleyball tournament on Saturday evening. Late that night, he set out for Keri to visit his aunt. Unfortunately, while nearing Satode-Keri, he lost control of his scooter, collided with an electricity pole and sustained fatal injuries. His friend, who was following behind in another vehicle, immediately called the 108 ambulance service upon witnessing the accident. Inspector Yogesh Sawant of the Mardol police rushed to the scene upon receiving information. After conducting the necessary procedures, including the panchnama, Rachat’s body >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 Voters queue up to cast their vote at a booth in Taleigao on Sunday.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Nearly 69% vote in Taleigao p’yat election, results today THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Voters in Taleigao got their middle finger inked after casting their votes by ballot to pick their representatives in the 11-member panchayat on Sunday. Throughout the day since voting began at 17 booths, people eligible to vote including first-time electors came out enthusiastically to exercise their franchise in the election to pick seven of the 11 panchas of the Taleigao panchayat. As per the  report of the State Election Commission, the final turnout was 68.79 per cent as 8,246 votes were cast till voting ended a little before 5.30 pm.   Elections by ballot was held only for seven of the eleven wards in the panchayat  as in four wards -- I, VI, X and XI -- candidates of the panel floated by Revenue Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, Taleigao Progressive North Goa voters silent amidst lacklustre campaign AGNELO PEREIRA THE GOAN I MAPUSA KEY CONTENDERS IN NORTH GOA A s the Lok Sabha election campaign gains momentum in North Goa, a notable trend emerges – the electorate’s skepticism and preference for silence.  Despite the fervent efforts of candidates, the prevailing atmosphere of discouragement among voters remains palpable. In contrast to the vibrant campaigning scene, characterized by corner meetings and temple visits, the mood on the ground suggests a signifi- Local gun, live cartridges found at site THE GOAN I NETWORK Drugs worth `  00 crore seized in 6 massive sea Op, 14 Pak crew held THE GOAN I NETWORK Greens red-flag trimming of trees PANAJI: An unidentified woman was found dead underneath a bus at Ponda bus stand. Sources said the woman around 30-35 years was from Tiral, Usgao. Man found dead with gunshot wounds near bar in Canacona The damage was visibly the aftermath and impact of the burst of rain which had almost the entire network of  city  roads flooded with shin-deep water. PANAJI: Work on the ‘smart road’ along the Rua de Ourem creek from the Old Patto Bridge to the Four Pillars junction is unlikely to be taken up any time soon. With May 31 deadline to complete all work set by the government and endorsed by the Bombay High Court at Goa just a month away there is not enough time to execute the smart road work there from start to finish, an IPSCDL official said. All other work on this stretch of road like building sewerage chambers and laying the underground cables is completed but there is not enough time until May 31 to start and finish the ‘smart road’ project which involves laying a concrete road and laying footpaths on either side, the official said.   The project may now be deferred to after the monsoon in September-October, he added. EVMs loaded with symbols in Salcete Woman found dead at Ponda bus stand  11 CANACONA A 53-year-old resident of Ponsulem was found dead with gunshot wounds outside a bar & restaurant that he was operating on rent at Sakhrewal-Canacona in the wee hours of Sunday. Wilson Fernandes was noticed in a pool of blood by the cook of the restaurant at about 3.30 am, lying face down on the road, beside a parked Omni-van. A local gun and live cartridges were also seen besides the body. The bar owner living nearby was alerted by the restaurant staff who reportedly informed Wilson’s wife and later informed the Canacona police. Speaking to media, the owner of the bar said he had rented out his premises to Wilson two months ago. “When I came out, I saw Wilson lying in a pool of blood, fallen facedown on the road, beside a parked Omni-van. His body was in a pool of blood and his lower part was in a mutilated condition, as if he was hit by a bomb”, he said. Rua de Ourem smart road may not make the cut before May 31 IN SHORT >> MARGAO: Greens redflagged the ongoing operation of trimming trees along Margao ring road between Comba subway and Colva road, insisting that the contractor has cut many trees along the road.  >> See pg 3 FC Goa takes on Mumbai City in do-or-die ISL semis second leg Newly-recruited constable loses life in accident THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Woes of residents and commuters in Panaji amid the disruptions caused by the ongoing work on multiple ‘smart city’ projects continue unabated as some of the damage on patched up roads caused by the torrential rain witnessed on April 20 is yet to be rectified at several locations more than a week later. Continuous traffic logjams are being experienced in the area around the Panaji market, particularly in the area around the main entrance gate of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) market complex due to a foot-deep depression left unattended at a crucial spot on the T-junction as the picture of our lensman indicates. Further south along this same road near the old Education Department building, 10 SPORTS Shripad Naik cant degree of apathy among voters. Except for the party karyakartas, a common voter seems inclined to withhold their opinions, reflecting a sense of disillusionment with the political process. One striking observation is the absence of fresh faces in the candidate line-up in North Goa as opposed to South Goa. Both the major national Ramakant Khalap parties have fielded familiar, experienced candidates in North Goa, depriving voters of the opportunity of a new face. Moreover, the campaign narrative has largely focused on rebuttals, lacking in innovative policies or fresh perspectives. This dearth of novel ideas has left voters dissatisfied, craving substantive proposals from the contesting parties. In Bardez taluka, the largest Manoj Parab in North Goa, besides the Bahujans, the Maratha and Christian communities wield considerable influence and the fragmentation of votes across various parties adds complexity to the electoral landscape. Despite the potential for these communities to sway the outcome, their preferences remain opaque, with some opting to remain silent. The key contenders in the North Goa constituency – Union Minister Shripad Naik of the BJP, Ramakant Khalap of the Congress, and Manoj Parab of the Revolutionary Goans Party – have embarked on intensive campaigning strategies. While Naik and Khalap have completed the initial phase of their outreach activities, Parab stands out for his distinct approach. Naik and Khalap have prioritized corner meetings, religious visits, and targeted voter interactions, demonstrating proactive engagement with constituents.  Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Goans Party has opted for a more localized campaign, focusing on specific >Continued on P5 PTI AHMEDABAD The Indian Coast Guard has seized 86 kg of drugs worth Rs 600 crore from a Pakistani boat and arrested 14 persons on board the vessel off the Gujarat coast, the maritime security agency said on Sunday. The overnight operation in The site where the incident took place at Canacona. Police who reached the site, conducted the panchanama and shifted the lifeless body of Wilson to Canacona Health Centre, where doctors declared him brought dead. The body was later shifted to South Goa District Hospital, Margao for post-mortem. Police, meanwhile, swung into action and rounded up three persons including the restaurant cook for questioning. While Canacona police led by PI Harish Raut Dessai conducted the panchanama and a team of forensic experts also visited the site. SP (South) Sunita Sawant, alongwith Dy SP Tikam Singh Verma also made the Arabian Sea was carried out in coordination with Gujarat Anti-terrorism Squad and the Narcotics Control Bureau. This was the 11th successful joint operation in three years involving the Coast Guard and the ATS, it said, seeking to underscore the synergy between the two agencies. A top Gujarat police official their presence felt at the site later in the day as part of investigation. According to PI Dessai, primary investigation revealed that Wilson died of gunshots which could have accidentally fired from the gun found beside him. However, the actual cause will be known only after forensic and post-mortem reports are out, he said. Forensic experts also picked up evidence from the site. Sources said Wilson was a resident of Ponsulem while his family lived in Salcette. After closing the bar, he came out and was reportedly sitting on the edge of Omni-van side door. said heroin was seized from the boat. In a breathtaking overnight operation, ICG undertook an intelligence-based anti-narcotics operation at sea. Approx 86 kg of narcotics worth Rs 600 crore has been apprehended along with 14 crew from the Pakistani boat, the agency said in a release.