log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY JUNE 19, 2024 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 2 Call for action as stakeholders convene to finalise Margao’s traffic plan 2 GOA Outrage in Anjuna as rave party hoardings occlude traffic signals 3 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Did you know hormonal acne can happen at any age? Sparks fly over Forest Dept ban on entry at waterfalls MINISTER SAYS DELHI-BASED OFFICER’S ACTION IS DEVOID OF MERIT AND A BLANKET BAN WILL AFFECT TOURISM THE GOAN I NETWORK PORVORIM Slamming the forest department’s circular banning entry to the waterfalls during monsoon, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Tuesday said he would meet Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane to resolve the issue. Addressing the media in Porvorim, Khaunte criticised a “Delhi-based officer” for imposing such a ban, which was devoid of merit. “It is unfair for the Forest Department to ban entry to tourists and locals at waterfalls during the monsoon. We have to designate waterfalls which are dangerous and they should be banned for public entry,” said Khaunte. “Goa is a tourist destination and tourists visit Goa during monsoon to enjoy the beauty of nature. Locals also visit waterfalls during monsoon. If IN SHORT >> KTC to discontinue pass concession for govt employees PANAJI: The Board of Directors of Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd has decided to end the current pass concession for State/Central Government employees who receive salaries equivalent to government rates and use travel allowances. Existing passes will, however remain valid until their expiration, but no renewals will be available starting from July 1, 2024, according to the KTC resolution. Beach beds present along coastal belt PERNEM: The tourist season may have ended, but certain private restaurants and resorts along the beach belt are disregarding caution and continuing operations, with beach beds and wooden decks set up directly on the shore.  >> See pg 3 Victim in Mapusa assault case dies MAPUSA: Ahmed Devadi a victim of a brutal assault on May 30 in Mapusa, succumbed to his injuries early Tuesday at GMC after 18 days of treatment. Mapusa Police have now registered a case of murder.  >> See pg 3 a blanket ban is imposed prohibiting entry to all waterfalls then a wrong message will go out to tourists and there will be a substantial drop of tourists in Goa.” Stating that several traders and kiosks owners located near waterfalls depend on tourists for their livelihood, Khaunte said they would be affected badly if a ban is made effective. Insisting that there should be proper coordination between the tourism and forest departments, Khaunte said he would raise the matter with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Forest Minister Viswajit Rane and sort out the matter in a day or two. “No doubt security and safety of people should be our concern, but once this is taken care of there is no need to impose a ban. Some people go to private or government quarries which are not easily accessible. The government cannot be held responsible if casualties take place at such locations,” said Khaunte. TOURISM ACT The minister said Goa needs a sound Tourism Act which includes progressive reforms. “We have obtained a draft of the Tourism Act prepared by a Telangana company which we have placed before >Continued on P5 Ban lifted on access to low-risk waterfalls, asserts Vishwajit PANAJI: Following issues raised by Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte regarding the ban imposed on access to water falls in sanctuaries, Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane has said the low risk ones which were also kept open last year will be spared from the ban. These low risk waterfalls which were also kept open for the public last year during the monsoon will continue to be open this year as well with forest guards and lifeguards deployed there, Rane said, adding that directions have been issued to the Forest Department to issue a fresh notice. Rane, however, claimed that he will not take the responsibility of lifting the ban with regard to medium and high risk waterfalls as several mishaps had occurred last year. He also said that the issue will be discussed with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. Last year during the monsoon months, the Forest Department had conducted the exercise of classifying the State waterfalls mostly in wildlife sanctuaries as low, medium and high risk ones. Industrial, commercial users to bear brunt of power hike INEVITABLE, SAYS DEPARTMENT BUT MUM ON OPPOSITION DEMAND TO PLUG LEAKAGES THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Price rise and inflation is increasingly burdening the citizenry who now will have to bear an additional burden when power bills reach their homes next month owing to an aggregate 3.5% hike in tariff which has become effective from this week. Both high and low tension consumers across all categories -- domestic, commercial, industrial, agriculture and public sector -- will all face increased power consumption bills in July, a senior official of the electricity department said but the hike will be the maximum for the commercial and industrial users. The most hit will be the manufacturing sector with high tension industrial consumers having to cough up a flat five paise increase per unit irrespective of quantum of consumption. They will have to pay Rs 5.30 per unit instead of the earlier Rs 5.25 per unit on total consumption in a billing cycle without any con- GCCI voices apprehension over steep hike PANAJI: The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry has expressed serious concerns regarding the recent steep hike in power tariffs across all sectors, which will significantly impact its members from various industries -- hospitality, agriculture and allied sectors. During the public hearing conducted by JERC before the tariff increase, GCCI had proposed several alternative measures to generate additional revenue without burdening consumers.   >> See pg 3 sumption quantum slabs. The low tension industrial consumers utilising up to 500 units per billing cycle too will be burdened by a hefty 40 paise per unit hike in tariff from Rs 3.60 to Rs 4 per unit. For those in this category consuming more than 500 units per billing cycle, each unit of electricity consumed which earlier cost Rs 4.25 per unit will now be billed at 4.65. Domestic consumers, meanwhile, face a smaller increase in tariff. Low tension domestic consumers will be charged Rs 1.90 instead of Rs 1.75 per unit for consumption of up to 100 units in a billing cycle. Those consuming up to 200 units are now to be charged Rs 2.80 per unit instead of the earlier Rs 2.60 and a significantly higher 40 paise per unit higher rate of Rs 3.70 if they consume up to 400 units. Meanwhile, in the case of commercial consumers like >Continued on P5 10 SPORTS ICC T20 World Cup: West Indies crushes Afghanistan by 104 runs 13 Soon, big bro to keep watch at all check posts in State Move aimed at checkmating criminals who try to take refuge in Goa, says minister SIDDHARTH KAMBLE THE GOAN I PANAJI Those committing crimes and fleeing to the State to evade law enforcement agencies may now find it difficult to escape detection, as the State government will set up CCTV cameras at all check posts in the State. While this CCTV surveillance system has already been introduced in some coastal areas, it will be implemented at all entry/exit points in the State from September. When contacted, Info-TechMinister Rohan Khaunte said his department has been working on this system, in a bid to identify and take action against those who have committed crimes in other States and are fleeing to Goa. “Since Goa is a tourist State, lakhs of tourists visit Goa every year by air, rail and road. Many foreigners also come to Goa to escape detection after having committed crimes abroad,” said Khaunte. “When such persons enter Goa, police will be able to capture his face through CCTV surveillance at the entrance TACKLING CRIME „„CCTV surveillance system to be made operational at all entry/exit points after September „„Proposal was prompted by an increase in crimes over the last few years „„CCTVs to keep check on those with criminal background… who have committed crimes in other States and are wanting to take refuge in Goa and take immediate action against him.” The minister informed that there were discussions with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Information Technology regarding this arrangement a few months ago. “However due to the election code of conduct and some other issues, implementation of this surveillance system was interrupted,” said Khaunte. Khaunte said such a CCTV surveillance system has been introduced in some coastal areas and will be made operational at all entry/exit points in the State after September. According to sources, the proposal to set up CCTV surveillance at all entry/ exit points in the State was prompted by an increase in crimes in the State over the last few years. “After being criticised for failing to tackle crimes, the government decided to keep a check on those with a criminal background by introducing this CCTV surveillance system,” said a source. The source added that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was apprised about this CCTV surveillance system. Following his approval, the departments of Information Technology and Home interacted on this and started the process of setting up this system at all entry/exit points in the State. 41 airports get bomb threats on email, all turn out hoax PTI NEW DELHI Forty-one airports, including in Chennai, Patna and Jaipur, received bomb threat emails on Tuesday, prompting authorities to scramble contingency measures and carry out anti-sabotage checks that lasted hours, and each of them was found to be a hoax, official sources said. Security was beefed up as agencies swept terminals after emails were received around 12.40 pm from the ID exhumedyou888@gmail.com. The airports in Chennai, Patna, Nagpur, Jaipur, Vadodara, Coimbatore and Jabalpur were among those that received the threats. An online group called “KNR” is suspected to be behind these hoax threat emails. The group reportedly issued similar emails to several schools in the Delhi-National Capital Region on May 1, the sources said. The emails received by the airports carried almost the identical message: “Hello, there are explosives hidden in the Airport. The bombs will soon explode. You will all die.” VIVA PORTUGAL: Portugal fans with a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of their match against the Czech Republic at Leipzig stadium in Germany. Veggie prices hit the roof, turn family budgets upside down THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Family budgets of common folk in Goa have begun to get strained with prices of vegetables spiking drastically in the local markets over the last few days. In the Panaji  market, onions were selling on Tuesday at  Rs 55 per kilogram,  nearly Rs 15 rupees higher than the average prices last week.  Prices of tomato, another quintessential ingredient in Goan and Indian cooking, also rose sharply week-onweek, the per kilogram rate quoted at an astronomical Rs 80 compared to the Rs 40-50 last week. Green chillies and coriander, garlic, ginger and other spices used in almost all  oriental food recipes, also rose between 20 to 30 per cent and both wholesale and retail traders said the prices will continue to rise. “The rains have caused massive  destruction of harvestable crops in  Belagavi, Kholapur and other  regions on which  Goa is dependent on. The situation is unlikely to change very soon and it could >Continued on P5 Parents obsessed with sending kids A year on, Goa fails to enact law on widows’ rights to English-medium schools: NCERT BROKEN PROMISES THE GOAN I NETWORK DIRECTOR SAYS IT IS NO LESS THAN SUICIDE PTI NEW DELHI NCERT Director D P Saklani has lamented that parents remain fascinated by English-medium schools even though many don’t have trained teachers, saying it is “no less than suicide” as government schools now provide quality education. The chief of National Council for Educational Research and Training said the practice of cramming content in English has led to knowledge loss among kids and distanced them from their culture. “Parents are obsessed with English-medium schools, they prefer to send their children to such schools even if there are no teachers or they are not trained enough. This is not less than suicide and this why the new NEP has stressed upon teaching in mother tongue,” he said. “Why should teaching be matrabhasha adharit (based on mother tongue)? Because till then we will not understand our own mother, our roots. And multilingual approach is not like teaching in any language is being ended, the push is to learn multiple languages,” Saklani added. The NCERT chief cited an initiative by the Union education minister to get primers (books) developed in two tribal languages of Odisha to teach students. PANAJI ack in March 2023, the Assembly unanimously supported a legislation to protect the rights of widows and prevent the discrimination against them that still prevails in some remote parts of Goa. „„In March 2023, the Assembly supported a legislation to protect rights of widows „„Vishwajit Rane had said “I make a commitment that in the next Assembly session, maybe in July (2023), we can bring in legislation… to prevent any kind of widow discrimination „„Three Assembly sessions have been held since then and the legislation is nowhere in sight FAST FORWARD: Around 14 panchayats have already adopted resolutions against discriminatory customs to treat widows on par with married women. “I make a commitment that in the next Assembly session, maybe in July (2023), we can bring in legislation within the purview of the law to prevent any kind of widow discrimination,” was the assurance by Minister for Women & Child Vishwajit Rane on the floor of the House in response to Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao’s Private Member’s Bill seeking preventing “unjust customs of widow discrimina- tion, widow abuse, and widow isolation.” Since then, three Assembly sessions have been held – monsoon, winter and Budget – but legislation on the critical issue is still nowhere in sight. B Ironically, neither the Opposition nor some ruling MLAs who supported the demand have pursued the matter with due diligence even outside the Assembly complex. Sources revealed to The Goan that the proposal has been discussed by the Department and some attempts were made to draft a proposal. During the Budget session this February, the issue was tabled through an unstarred question, to which the minister responded that the department is in the process of framing a policy on “widowhood practices.” “Once a draft of the policy on widowhood practices is framed, a meeting will be called to discuss and take views as assured on the floor… Once the law is enacted it will be implemented,” the reply stated although no timeline was provided for its completion. >Continued on P5