log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY MAY 29, 2024 GOA THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Notwithstanding the South Goa district administration’s order for closure of certain schools in view of Lok Sabha counting – both coinciding on June 4, the Education Department has ruled out any possibility of postponing the first day of the academic year 2024-25. “The academic year will commence as per schedule from June 4,” Director Shailesh Zingde said. A day after directing the closure of four schools in Margao to avoid traffic congestion around the counting centre at Damodar College, South Collector Asvin Chandru on Tuesday directed all educational institutions and establishments of Samaj Seva Sangh Committee to remain closed from June 3-5. This indicates schools other than those listed by the South administration will reopen on June 4. The Congress, Goa Forward and AAP leaders have been demanding postponing the reopening, stating it could cause inconvenience to parents who are posted on duty for counting. The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO.342 GOA P’yat denies NOC, trade licence to controversial Assagao club How to maintain cognitive sharpness as you grow old SACHIN DALVI THE GOAN I PANAJI The curious case of Rs 2.68 crore spent to develop a baseball ground at Campal in Panaji for the 37th National Games but there being nothing on the ground to show for it, is snowballing into a major political slugfest between Sports Minister Govind Gaude and his predecessor Manohar (Babu) Ajgaonkar. The money was disbursed to the contractor but there is no baseball ground anywhere in Campal. It went unnoticed when Goa hosted the National Games last year because the discipline did not feature in it as it was dropped at the eleventh hour by the Indian Olympic Association for other reasons. This baseball ground for the National Games was to be equipped with all facilities, including seating arrangements A view of the baseball ground image extract from 2022 Google earth. for spectators, apart from the playing arena. Additionally, a digital scoreboard was also to be set up as per the conditions of the tender. On record, Rs 2.68 crore was disbursed by the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) but there is no baseball field to show at Campal. Additionally, another Rs 6.94 lakh was to be paid to a consultant for providing technical consultancy services for the construction of the playground. Of this Rs 3.91 lakh has been disbursed. This record of money having been disbursed by the SAG for developing the baseball ground is contained in a written answer provided to >Continued on P5 PANAJI: Fear has gripped locals of Deulwada, Palye in Pernem after sighting of leopard in the area. Forest Department has laid a cage trap to catch the animal. Atishi summoned in defamation case NEW DELHI: The Rouse Avenue Court issued summons to Delhi Cabinet Minister Atishi in a defamation case filed by BJP leader Praveen Shankar Kapoor over her allegations that the BJP attempted to poach AAP MLAs. WEATHER >> Max: 31 C Min: 29 C Humidity: 80% TIDES Low: High: 08:48 22:18 02:15 16:10 PANAJI: Sports Minister Govind Gaude said he will inquire into this issue of money spent on a baseball ground but the playfield is nowhere in sight at Campal. Gaude said the construction of the ground began much before he became Sports Minister and he will be in a position to give details only after inquiring into it. “Work on the baseball field in Campal started before I became a minister. The tenders issued for this, the goods taken, all the transactions were done before I became the sports minister. I have spoken to the concerned officials and ordered an inquiry,” Gaude said. Gaude’s predecessor, Manohar (Babu) Ajgaonkar, during whose tenure the baseball ground was purportedly tendered and money disbursed to the contractor, meanwhile, said that if there is any scam, it should be investigated. “If there are any lapses, appropriate action should be taken,” Ajgaonkar said, adding that the work on the baseball field at Campal had indeed started during his tenure. Verna bus tragedy: Police still awaits driver’s alcohol test report from SGDH THE GOAN I NETWORK Areal Goa Carbon unit inspected Leopard on prowl in Pernem, trap laid Olympic Boxing Qualifiers: Nishant Dev outclasses Otgonbaatar, advances Will inquire into funds spent, says Gaude; If there’s scam, needs to be probed: Babu HYDERABAD: An interstate child selling racket has been busted with the arrest of 11 persons, who used to sell the infants in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for a price ranging between Rs 1.80 lakh and Rs 5.50 lakh, police said on Tuesday. As many as 13 babies have been rescued. PANAJI: The Electricity department has planned maintenance work at several places on the grid of Tiswadi taluka and will shut down power in a staggered manner in Panaji and surrounding areas for three days from Wednesday.  >> See pg 3 SPORTS  SAG FUNDS DISBURSAL ON RECORD  ISSUE ESCALATES INTO POLITICAL SLUGFEST BETWEEN SPORTS MINISTER, PREDECESSOR Inter-state child trafficking racket busted in Telangana Power shutdowns in Tiswadi taluka RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO IN SHORT >> MARGAO: A joint inspection of the Goa Carbon Ltd factory at Sao Jose de Areal was conducted on Tuesday by officials of the Ministry of Environment, Forests an Climate change, Chief Secretary and the Goa State Pollution Control Board to find out whether the factory has obtained all the consents required in setting up the industry.   >> See pg 2 Instagram.com/thegoanonline 3 2 10 Shocker! `2.68 cr spent, but no baseball ground at Campal Misplaced priorities? A tale of 2 Margao flyovers Edu dept rules out postponing reopening of schools Facebook.com/thegoan CHOCK-O-BLOCK: Bumper-to-bumper vehicular traffic was witnessed on DB Road from Kala Academy to Bal Bhavan, Panaji, on Tuesday due to the closure of internal roads for Smart City works.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Pharma firms likely to meet CM over outstation recruitment row CITE JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR GOANS OUTSIDE STATE TOO THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Goa government’s stoic silence on the controversy surrounding outstation recruitment by companies for their plants in Goa has seemingly created an uneasy situation as pharmaceutical companies are now likely to call upon Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to express their grievance. The companies argue they hold recruitments in Goa for positions at their outstation plants – which also offer opportunities for Goans to work in their facilities located elsewhere. One such prominent com- pany has arranged a walk-in interview for positions at its Aurangabad plant in Goa on June 2. “We have observed a pool of talented Goans who are open to opportunities beyond the State,” a company official revealed on condition of anonymity. >Continued on P5 VASCO Three days since a company-operated bus crashed into temporary hutments, killing four labourers and injuring four others at the Verna IDC, police still awaits a report from the South Goa District Hospital (SGDH) at Margao on the alcohol test conducted on the bus driver. The bus driver Bharat Govekar (61) of Cortalim, who was also injured in the mishap, was discharged from hospital on Monday and arrested by Verna police. He was on Tuesday produced before a JMFC and was remanded to four days in police custody. When contacted, Verna police confirmed that they had not received a report on the alcohol test conducted on the bus driver. “We are still awaiting this report from the SGDH,” a police source said. Of the four labourers who were injured in the mishap, one discharged on Sunday and another was discharged on Tuesday. Two others are still undergoing medical treatment in hospital. Meanwhile, all four bodies have been handed over to the respective families for final rites. PANAJI nquiries into 348 complaints regarding objectionable social media content, registered in just five months of this year, indicate rampant misuse of the online platform, with one FIR filed so far. Out of 349 complaints received by the Cyber Crime Cell, one has been registered, while the rest are pending inquiry for ‘for appropriate action including FIR registration.’ The issue of social media misuse has sparked public debate prompting the government to intervene for I MISUSE OF ONLINE PLATFORM? „„Out of 349 complaints received by the Cyber Crime Cell, one has been registered, while the rest are pending inquiry ‘for appropriate action including FIR registration’ „„Three arrests and FIRs against a few others recorded in the last couple of days immediate action to maintain law and order. Of three arrests and FIRs against a few others recorded in the last couple of days, Shreya Dhargalkar and Namita Fatarpekar were arrested by Cuncolim police for allegedly making offensive comments against members of the temple management committee of Shree Shantadurga Kunkalikarin Temple at Fatorda. After her release on bail, Dhargalkar was arrested by Bicholim police for making derogatory comments against the devotees of Devi Lairai. She remains in judicial cus- THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO Stray dogs on the beach belt has come back to haunt the tourism stakeholders and fishermen at the Benaulim beach. A Mumbai-based musician became the latest victim of the stray dogs on the prowl at the Benaulim beach after a stray dog bit him on his thigh. The musician pointed out that he was jogging on the beach early Tuesday morning before stray dogs attacked him from behind, leaving him with a bite on his thigh. Local fishermen led by Pele rushed to the rescue of the musician before he was dropped at his car. “Pele and the fishermen came to my rescue after I was attacked by the dogs. He later dropped me to my car. The government must do something to tackle the situation. Visitors would only take bad memories of their stay in the State,” he cautioned. Pele told the media that the musician from Mumbai has become the latest victim of attacks by stray dogs on the Benaulim beach. “We STRAYS ON BITING SPREE The Mumbai-based musician claimed that he was jogging on the beach early Tuesday morning before stray dogs attacked him from behind, leaving him with a bite on his thigh have witnessed rising number of dog bite cases at the Benaulim beach over the last two weeks. We are sorry to say that no government authority has come to the beach to even find out the situation,” Pele lamented. He said the fishermen as well as the tourism stakeholders have been demanding government’s intervention to stop the stray dog menace, but in vain. “Let me tell the government, the situation is indeed serious. Around 30-40 stray dogs on the prowl on the Benaulim beach. Since the time the shack owners have shut down the shacks on the beach, the >Continued on P5 SEALS 2 HOTELS, BAR FOR DISCHARGING WASTE WATER INTO DRAINS; SOME HOTELS DOWN SHUTTERS FEARING ACTION THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO After coming under the radar of the Margao Municipal Council for the last several months, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) on Tuesday finally cracked a whip against erring hotels and restaurants discharging waste water in the drains and operating sans the Board’s consent to operate. MARGAO CAFES, HOTELS SHUT DOWN TO AVOID GSPCB WRATH >> See pg 2 A total of two hotels and a bar were sealed on Tuesday upon the GSPCB directions. As news spread over the GSPCB crackdown, a couple of hotels shut down shutters in the commercial capital fearing similar action by the Board against their establishments. The action comes in the wake of an inspection carried out by the GSPCB wherein it was found that a number of hotels and restaurants operating in the city were discharging waste and kitchen water FINANCIAL FRAUDS Action underway in Margao to seal hotels/cafes as per the directions of Goa State Pollution Control Board for discharging waste water in the drains and operating sans Consent to Operate.  Santosh Mirajkar into the storm water drains. That’s not all. Most of the establishments were found operating without the mandatory consent to operate from the GSPCB, thus violating provisions of the Water Act. The inspection team observed that the units were carrying out commercial activity of cafe/hotel and operating sans the valid >Continued on P5 Happy Birthday to our Dear Sarpanch Mr. Dixon Vaz In Less Than Two Years Under Your Leadership We Witnessed Goa has also witnessed a surge in financial fraud cases with 76 complaints received, 16 registered, 19 forwarded to concerned police stations for investigation, and 41 under inquiry tody. In another offence registered at Mapusa police station, Aryan Salgaonkar was arrested on Monday, and Edmund Fernandes is absconding for hurting religious sentiments by allegedly posting offensive comments on Devi Lairai. Now, Mumbai musician bitten by stray dogs at Benaulim beach GSPCB cracks down on Margao establishments for violations 349 objectionable social media complaints in 5 months, but only one FIR registered so far THE GOAN I NETWORK 13 Surge in financial frauds Goa has also witnessed a surge in financial fraud cases with 76 complaints received, 16 registered, 19 forwarded to concerned police stations for investigation, and 41 under >Continued on P5 FIRST EVER CARNIVAL PARADE AMBULANCE SERVICE MORGUE FOR VILLAGERS HAWKER FREE BEACH BEACH SECURITIES PALLIATIVE CARE FOR ELDERS REPAIR OF HOUSES PROVIDE HEARING AIDS POWER THRILLER FOR FARMERS BEAUTIFICATION AT MOBOR GRASS CUTTING MACHINES & ELECTRIC SAW CCTV AT CAVELOSIM BRIDGE PROVIDING FREE SPECKS SUMMER DANCE CLASSES FOR CHILDREN TARRING OF ROADS CLEANING OF WELLS DESILTING OF PONDS Best Wishes From Well-Wishers Of Cavelossim