log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY JULY 17, 2024 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 30 Benaulim, Seraulim, Nuvem roads under water 3 GOA Sanguem, other areas without water as pipeline ruptures at Xelpem 5 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO How to use the serum sensation for radiant skin 8 SPORTS Real Madrid unveils Kylian Mbappe as new signing 13 Govt, Oppn reach truce, CM blames man-made two-day standoff ends factors for flooding Entire Question Hour disrupted again on Day-2 CITES BLOCKAGE OF TRADITIONAL DRAINS, NULLAHS; NEGLECT BY LOCAL BODIES THE GOAN I NETWORK >> pg 7 From finance to food: The person behind Desserts n’ More ASSEMBLY COVERAGE CM promises expedited action on cooperative society fraud cases Oppn calls for permanent solution to Paroda road flooding Recognition for Konkani in Romi script gets voice in Assembly WRD minister assures permanent solution to Siolim-Sodiem flooding (See pg 2) IN SHORT >> Goa’s rain surplus crosses 45% mark PANAJI: As heavy rains continue to leave trails of destruction on the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday, the State recorded over 45 percent surplus rainfall so far for the season. The total seasonal rainfall has touched the 83-inch mark (2133.3mm) till date.  >> See pg 3 Oil tanker capsizes, 13 Indians missing NEW DELHI: An oil tanker’s entire crew of 16, including 13 Indians, went missing after it capsized off the coast of Oman on Monday, the sultanate’s Maritime Security Centre said. A Comoros-flagged oil tanker capsized 25 nautical miles southeast of Ras Madrakah near the port town of Duqm, the MSC said in a post on X. Cybercrime: 18% cases closed  >> See pg 2 PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday admitted that much of the current flooding and other rain-related incidents are due to the enhanced scale of development in the State and man-made. DEVELOPMENT & MISMANAGEMENT “When we speak of the ongoing flooding and disaster management, a lot of the incidents can be said to be manmade. Traditional drains and ways (vatto) for the storm water to flow have been blocked with dumping of mud,” Sawant said in the Goa legislative Assembly. He was responding to the discussion on the calling attention motion moved by SAWANT SPEAK: STRAIGHT TALK „„Traditional drains and ways (vatto) for storm water to flow have been blocked with dumping of mud „„Panchayats get Rs 50,000 only for cleaning drains and nullahs before monsoon „„Many have kept this money in fixed deposits and are earning interest „„Excessive concretisation of drains and gutters also to blame „„Deputy Collectors of all 12 talukas provided Rs 5 lakh each to tackle monsoon-related disasters  three legislators from the treasury benches -- Deviya Rane, Chandrakant Shetye and Jit Arolkar -- raising concerns over the flooding/inundation, landslides and water-logging due to the ongoing spell of incessant rains. Sawant also blamed local bodies -- municipalities and panchayats -- for doing very little for the upkeep of the traditional drains and nullahs. “Every panchayat has been disbursed Rs 50,000 each only for the purpose of cleaning up the drains and nullahs before the monsoon. Many have kept this money in fixed deposits and are earning interest,” Over 3,000 defaulters owe `  12 crore to power dept 3 Dept says disconnection process set in motion THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Sports Department, dozens of units attached to the Public Works and Water Resources Departments; Corporation of City of Panaji, and the Court of Civil Judge Senior Division & Chief Judicial Magistrate are among over 3,190 defaulters against whom the Electricity Department has begun the process of temporary disconnection. SHOCKING STATISTICS The total outstanding bills come to around Rs 312.60 crores with at least 70 per cent of defaulters being government departments, corporations and civic bodies. Details tabled by Power Minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar in the Assembly stated that illuminated staircases at St Inez and Altinho as well as other beautification projects under the PWD and CCP have generated bills between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 3.1 lakh, which are unpaid. Ironically, despite initiating LIGHT UP, BUT DIDN’T PAY! „„Total outstanding bills come to around Rs 312.60 crore „„At least 70% of defaulters are govt depts, corporations & civic bodies „„Illuminated staircases at St Inez & Altinho as well as other beautification projects generate unpaid bills between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 3.1 lakh „„GSIDC top defaulter with arrears of Rs 4,33,234 „„PWD’s illuminated staircase in St Inez owes approximately Rs 2.6 lakh „„CCP building has outstanding bill of Rs 2,62,206 while the public garden at La Campala Colony managed by the CCP owes Rs 3,32,129 „„Lake View Colony at Miramar Rs 1,97,428.63 the disconnection process, these defaulting offices remain unaffected. Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation leads the list with arrears of Rs 4,33,234.07 while the PWD’s illuminated staircase in St Inez owes approximately Rs 2.6 lakh. The CCP building itself has an outstanding bill of Rs 2,62,206.33 while the public garden at La Campala Colony managed by the CCP owes Rs 3,32,129.01 and Lake View Colony at Miramar Rs 1,97,428.63. A portion of Miramar area under PWD owes Rs 2,03,800.84 to the department. The Director of Health Services owes Rs 1,16,113.57. Details further reveal that the Court of Civil Judge Senior >Continued on P5 Sawant said. The chief minister also  found fault in excessive concretisation of drains and gutters pointing out that building concrete drains was detrimental to recharge of groundwater. Sawant, who as chief minister also chairs the State Disaster Management Authority, also said that much work had been done by the SDMA over the last couple of years in terms of acquiring modern equipment to tackle emergency situations. He also said, that the Deputy Collectors (Sub-Divisional Magistrates) of all the 12 talukas have been provided Rs 5 lakh each for use to tackle such monsoon-related disasters and restore order.  The Rane-Shetye-Arolkar >Continued on P5 VOICES IN THE ASSEMBLY THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA The Goa Legislative Assembly faced significant disruptions for the second consecutive day as the treasury benches and the Opposition clashed over the alleged disrespect to the Speaker’s chair. REMARK ON SPEAKER The entire Question Hour session was disrupted, but both sides eventually decided to bury the hatchet for the sake of governance and respect for the Speaker’s position. When the House reconvened for Zero Hour, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced that the government would close the matter to prioritise the interests of the people, while emphasising the Speaker’s authority. “The Speaker of the House is supreme, and no one should question his authority,” Sawant stated. He clarified that disrupting The Speaker of the House is supreme, and no one should question his authority… Considering the sentiments of the Leader of the Opposition and member Vijai Sardesai, we are closing this chapter — Pramod Sawant Congress MLA Altone has the highest regard for Speaker’s chair... In the interest of the people, we should put an end to this disruption of Question Hour and move forward —Yuri Alemao We have lost two days of Question Hour… With a large heart, you should forget the issue, we should not set a wrong precedent in the House — Vijai Sardesai the Question Hour was not the government’s intention. “Considering the sentiments of the Leader of the Opposition and member Vijai Sardesai, we are closing this chapter here,” he said. Earlier, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao appealed to the Speaker and the House, asserting that Congress MLA Altone D’Costa had the highest regard for the Speaker’s chair. “In the interest of the people, we should put an end to this disruption of Question Hour and move forward,” >Continued on P5 Axis Bank A/Cs for schools not mandatory, says Education Dept THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Having faced Opposition’s backlash, the Education Department on Tuesday clarified that it is not mandatory for the aided schools or institutions to open bank accounts with Axis Bank, as directed earlier.  “It is hereby clarified that the opening of bank account with the Axis Bank by the concerned schools/institutions, is optional and not mandatory,” reads the circular issued by Education Director Shailesh Zingde. The earlier circular, dated June 28, had directed schools/ institutions to open salary bank accounts with Axis Bank as part of implementing the ‘Mukhyamantri Guru Dakshina Yojna,’ an online salary disbursal scheme proposed by the CM. The directive faced criticism from the Opposition, that questioned the government’s interest in promoting a specific private bank. A similar directive issued in April 2023 when the department decided to use an app developed by Axis Bank for salary transfers had to be withdrawn following similar opposition. WATER SPOT: A large pothole formed in the middle of the road at Mala-Panaji on Tuesday. With continuous showers lashing the State, most of the roads have taken a severe beating.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Nat Games prize money not paid, govt says by Chaturthi THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Sports Minister Govind Gaude has assured that winners of the Goa National Games will receive their prize money before Ganesh Chaturthi. Responding to reporters’ questions on Tuesday morning, ahead of the ongoing monsoon session of the Legislative Assembly, Gaude acknowledged the concerns raised by medalists about delay in receiving their prize money. He also addressed issues regarding unpaid volunteers. Gaude explained that procedures are being followed to ensure the prize money is dis- tributed as soon as possible. “We are working to resolve the delays and ensure that all prize money is released,” he said. Athletes who participated in the National Games had earlier expressed frustration over the delayed payments. >Continued on P5 No headway in tenant verification Swiggy, Zomato may deliver booze at your doorstep! Bill; CM assures it in next session HIC, HIC, HURRAY! AGENCIES THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant informed the Assembly on Tuesday that The Goa (Tenant and Guest Registration and Verification) Bill, 2021, which had been referred to the Select Committee following demands from Opposition members, will be reintroduced in the next session. His assurance comes following concerns raised by the MLAs on rising crimes involving non-Goans including the recent murder of OCI citizen Arnold Soares at his ancestral home in Candolim on Sunday. Once passed, the law will ensure landlords submit tenant details to the police, failing which he/she will face impris- Once passed, The Goa (Tenant and Guest Registration and Verification) law will ensure landlords submit tenant details to the police, failing which he/she will face imprisonment for at least one year onment for at least one year. “I won’t specify the States but ‘outsiders’ come and reside in Goa. We introduced the Tenant Verification Bill in 2021 but the Opposition demanded it be sent to the Select Committee. It hasn’t come back to us and hence, we will reintroduce it in the next Assembly session,” Sawant, also the Home Minister, said while re- plying to a Calling Attention by MLA Michael Lobo. The Calangute legislator, on behalf of the community, raised apprehensions on the spike in late-night murders, citing Soares’ brutal cold-blooded murder. Sawant informed the House that the police arrested one of the accused from Karnataka and the motive is being ascertained. Supporting the motion by Lobo, BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral spoke about an increase in offenses in the tourism belt, possibly due to an influx of outsiders. “Soares returned from Canada to protect his ancestral house,” he said >Continued on P5 NEW DELHI everal States, including New Delhi, Punjab, Goa and Kerala, may soon allow home delivery of liquor through food delivery platforms, according to a report. Companies like Swiggy, BigBasket and Zomato might soon deliver low-alcohol beverages such as beer, wine and liqueurs, according to the report. These States are evaluating the potential benefits and challenges of this move. An executive said that this was to cater to a “growing expat population, especially in larger cities” and the changing customer preferences. Consumers are increasingly perceiving “moderate alcohol-content spirits as a recreational drink” to enjoy S „„The move was to cater to a “growing expat population, especially in larger cities” and the changing customer preferences „„Consumers are also increasingly perceiving “moderate alcohol-content spirits as a recreational drink” to enjoy with meals „„Women and senior citizens, in particular, are uncomfortable buying from traditional liquor stores „„This has created a demand for more convenient and comfortable shopping experiences with meals. The executive noted that women and senior citizens, in particular, are uncomfortable buying from traditional liquor stores, which has created a demand for more convenient and comfortable shopping experiences, such as home delivery. Swiggy’s Vice-President of Corporate Affairs, Dinker Vashisht, talked about the benefits of online liquor delivery, according to report in the ET. He said that “online models ensure end-to-end transaction records, age verification and adhere to limits.” Online platforms like Swiggy ensure that users comply with excise regulations, including delivery timings, dry days and zonal restrictions, he added. The Beer Cafe CEO Rahul Singh believes that allowing online liquor home deliveries can bring numerous benefits, including increased consumer convenience, economic growth, and alignment with global trends, all while maintaining “responsible and regulated alcohol distribution.” During the Covid-19 lockdowns, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Assam temporarily allowed liquor deliveries with restrictions. Meanwhile, retail executives report that online deliveries have boosted sales by 20-30% in West Bengal and Odisha, where home delivery is currently permitted. Meanwhile food delivery apps Swiggy and Zomato have increased platform fees, raising the charge per order by 20% to Rs 6 from Rs 5. Initially introduced in Delhi and Bengaluru, this fee applies to every food order, irrespective of whether customers are enrolled in membership plans on either platform. Importantly, the platform fee is charged separately from goods and services tax (GST), restaurant charges, delivery fees, and other additional costs. Additionally, these apps impose an extra charge of up to Rs 9 during peak hours of the day. However, it is not known yet how much will these delivering sites will charge extra for alcohol.