log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SATURDAY JULY 20, 2024 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 33 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 5 3 9 January 16 to be observed as ‘Asmitai Diwas’ from next yr Sewage overflow creates ‘double trouble’ for Margao motorists GOA INFO Heavy rains cause chaos in Canacona Grandma’s secret: Simple two-ingredient hair packs CM ADMITS THERE WAS A BREAK IN MARKING OPINION POLL DAY, PROMISES TO HOLD STATE-LEVEL FUNCTION THE GOAN I NETWORK page 6 Goan gets studentship at Oxford in memory of Goan scientist My London to Paris ride to raise funds for cancer charity ASSEMBLY COVERAGE MLAs slam govt for ending petrol, diesel subsidies to fishermen Govt banking on Modi scheme for funds to upgrade fishing jetties PANAJI January 16, which is the anniversary of the historic and only plebiscite to held in Goa to decide whether Goa will remain an independent territory or merge with Maharashtra, will be observed as 'Asmitai Diwas' from next year (2025), Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced in the Goa legislative assembly on Friday. Sawant said that it was former chief minister Manohar Parrikar who first began celebrating Opinion Poll Day at the government level. There however, was a break in observing the Opinion Poll Day for some time but from 2025 it will be celebrated regularly with a State-level function, Sawant said, in response to the discussion, sometimes heated, on a private member's Sawant-Vijai spar over Opinion Poll Day PANAJI: The Legislative Assembly witnessed a heated discussion between Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Goa Forward Party legislator Vijai Sardesai, who accused the government of discontinuing the official function on Opinion Poll Day hinting at Sawant’s connection with Sawantwadi (Maharashtra). Sardesai resolution moved by Leader of the Opposition, Yuri Alemao. Sawant also said, that it took 14 years after India's independence for Goa to be liberated from Portuguese rule, accused Sawant of discontinuing the official observance of January 16 as “Opinion Poll Day,” a tradition started by former CM Manohar Parrikar a fact in history he often cites to taunt the Opposition Congress while blaming India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for the 14-year delay. "We celebrate Revolution Tougher law in next session to make tenant verification mandatory (See pg 2) THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI IN SHORT >> Major fire on cargo ship off Goa coast Fake international call centre busted PANAJI: The Cyber Crime Cell arrested seven persons for running a fake international call centre and impersonating loan agents to dupe US nationals.  >> See pg 3 WEATHER >> Max: 27.7 C Min: 24.5 C Humidity: 97% TIDES Low: High: 03:30 16:27 10:53 21:16 Day on 18th June and Liberation Day on 19th December. After I became Chief Minister, I started celebrating Statehood Day on 30th May. Former chief minister Mano- Hawaldar named Commissioner of State Election Commission State to compensate farmers for rain damage before Chaturthi VASCO: A major fire erupted on a container cargo merchant vessel approximately 102 nautical miles southwest of Goa, causing a significant emergency response. The vessel, en route from Mundra to Colombo reported the incident, prompting the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) to take immediate action. >> See pg 3 to commemorate the 1967 referendum. Sawant defended his record, questioning Sardesai’s claims and pointing out his own contributions. The discussion also saw Sardesai targeting Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte for allegedly failing to promote Goa effectively, suggesting that without the Opinion Poll, Goa might have been a part of Maharashtra.  >> See pg 2 TESTING TIME: An aerial view of the Panaji bus stand on Friday. Heavy rains in recent days have taken a severe toll as can be seen by the state of the road.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Govt cracks whip on scrapyards, registrations must within 6 mths THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI With the government accused of dilly-dallying in framing the long-promised policy for scrapyard registration, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday assured the Assembly that registration of all scrapyards will be compulsory, process for which will begin before August 15. He also said that the government intends to relocate the scrapyards which have currently sprung up across the State, haphazardly. The government admitted facing difficulties in locating suitable land to relocate the scrapyards. The statements were made during a discussion on the unimplemented scrapyard policy, despite several illegal operations. “The registration of scrapyards will begin before August 15. Within six months, all scrapyards will come under govt regulations. The guidelines will be reeled out in the proposed policy,” Sawant said while responding to a Private Members’ Resolution. The Pramod S aw a n t- l e d Cabinet on Friday approved the appointment of Retd IAS officer Daulat Hawaldar as Commissioner of the Goa State Election Commission. As the term of current incumbent W V Ramanamurthy ended on July 4, a proposal was placed before the Cabinet for Hawaldar’s appointment to the post. The note was approved by CM. Hawaldar was also the State finance secretary during his service. In 2021, the government had proposed Hawaldar’s name when former civil service officer Narayan Navti backed out from taking up the position. Navti had asked the govt not to appoint him to the post citing his lack of 20 years of experience in civil service. As per the order, the SEC should be an Indian citizen, completed 40 years of age, should be an all-India service or civil service of the State for not less than 20 years and possessing knowledge and experience pertaining to elections. har Parrikar first celebrated 'Asmitai Diwas' on 16 January 2018 at the government level," Sawant said. The chief minister said that for some inadvertent reason there was a break in this observance of 'Asmitai Diwas' even as he took a potshot at the Opposition by saying that it took them 60 years to remember this day. Sawant acknowledged that had Goa got merged with Maharashtra, the MLAs present here (in the House) would not have got the prominence. Earlier, Alemao while moving his resolution seeking the official declaration of January 16 as 'Asmitai Diwas' said no one should mix politics with the issue of celebrating the Opinion Poll Day. The historic development has preserved the distinct identity of Goa, Alemao said. SPORTS Women’s Asia Cup: India beats Pak by 7 wickets in opening match 14 Mumbai duo swept away by rough sea off Candolim beach THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Two elderly citizens lost their lives during a holiday trip to Goa when they allegedly ventured into rough waters at Candolim and were swept away by huge waves and undercurrents. TRAGIC HOLIDAY Goa has been on Red Alert since Wednesday with India Meteorological Department and local authorities issuing repeated advisories to stay away from water bodies. The deceased have been identified as Prakash Doshi, 73, and Harshita Doshi, 69, both residents of Matunga, Mumbai. According to North SP Akshat Kaushal, the duo was on a morning walk on the beach when the incident occurred. “We received a distress call around 11 am that three persons drowned off Candolim Beach. The tourists, from Mumbai, were on holiday in Goa with family and friends. Among the group of 14 peo- HOW IT HAPPENED „„A group of 14 people from Mumbai were on holiday in Goa „„Two couples from the group go for a morning walk on the beach... three of them swept away by waves „„Local bystanders manage to rescue one woman „„Bodies of other two recovered, taken to Candolim Primary Health Centre, but were declared dead ple, two couples went for a morning walk on the beach when three of them were swept away by the waves,” he said. Local bystanders immediately rushed to the scene and managed to rescue one woman, identified as Kalpana Parekh, 68, also from Mumbai. She is currently admitted to Goa Medical College while >Continued on P5 Govt faces backlash over revival of marina project MINISTER SAYS FRESH APPLICATION RECEIVED BUT GOVERNMENT IS YET TO TAKE A VIEW THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA Minister for Environment Aleixo Sequeira on Friday informed the Goa Legislative Assembly that a fresh proposal for Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) and environmental approval for the Marina project at Nauxim, Bambolim has been received by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) even as several MLAs raised concerns over the project. However, the government is yet to take a position on the project, a stance confirmed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. Sequeira stated that the Coastal Zone Management Policy (CZMP) of 2011 remains in force and any decision will adhere to this plan. “The proposal is under scrutiny. We are yet to take a view on this project. I don’t understand how the MLA says we are supporting the project,” Sequeira responded to a query from Velim MLA Cruz Silva during the Question Oppn questions legality of land lease deal MAPUSA: Opposition MLAs Vijai Sardesai and Carlos Ferreira have raised serious concerns about the legality of the land lease deal signed between Kargwal Construction Pvt Ltd and the Mormugao Port Authority for the controversial marina project. The lease agreement, executed in 2010, involves approximately 1 lakh square meters of land.  >> See pg 2 Hour. The Environment Minister clarified that the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has not received any application for consent to establish or operate the marina project. “The Board has not issued any consent to operate for the marina project,” he said. Cruz Silva raised concerns about the environmental impact report, which indicated that the project could negatively affect fishing activities and the local ecology, with irreversible damage. He highlighted the presence of the windowpane oyster, a Schedule II species under the Wildlife Protection Act, and noted strong opposition from local fishermen, panchayat bodies, and NGOs. “The concerned government departments, MLAs, and ministers have not visited the site to understand the impact of the project. Why is the government supporting the project?” Silva questioned. Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco supported Silva’s concerns, emphasizing the eco-sensitivity of the area. >Continued on P5 Biden likely to quit prez Major IT outage brings biz around the world to a standstill race in favour of Harris Indian financial PTI WASHINGTON US President Joe Biden is expected to make a major announcement on his re-election bid, with several senior Democratic leaders suggesting that he leave the race following his disastrous debate performance, a failed assassination attempt on his rival Donald Trump, his poor health, and falling poll numbers, according to media reports. Several people close to President Biden said that they believe he has begun to accept the idea that he may not be able to win and may have to drop out of the race, bowing to the growing demands of many anxious members of his party, FRANKFURT global technology outage grounded flights, knocked banks and hospital systems offline and media outlets off air on Friday in a massive disruption that affected companies and services around the world and highlighted dependence on software from a handful of providers. Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said that the issue believed to be behind the outage was not a security incident or cyberattack and that a fix was on the way. The company said the problem occurred when it deployed a faulty update to computers running Microsoft Windows. But hours after the problem was first detected, the disarray Flight operations at Dabolim affected A PTI The New York Times reported. Biden, 81, is spending time at his Delaware residence in isolation after he was tested positive for Covid-19. Media reports said that top leaders of the Democratic party, including former president Barack Obama, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have asked him to leave the presidential race. continued and escalated. Long lines formed at airports in the US, Europe and Asia as airlines lost access to check-in and booking services at a time when many travellers are heading away on summer vacations. News outlets in Australia where telecommunications were severely affected were pushed off air for hours. Hospitals and doctor's offices had problems with their appointment systems, while banks in South Africa and New Zealand reported outages to their payment system or websites and apps. At VASCO: Dabolim Airport faced significant disruptions on Friday due to a global Microsoft outage, affecting check-in software used by Indigo and Air India Express airlines. The issue emerged around 10:10 AM, halting automated check-in processes and forcing airlines to revert to manual procedures. The outage led to the cancellation of three Indigo outbound flights: 6E-589 to Chennai, 6E-281 to Ahmedabad, and 6E-985 to Hyderabad. Additionally, delays of one to one and a half hours impacted all remaining Indigo and Air India Express flights scheduled for the day. Out of the 27 Indigo flights planned, the majority were delayed, causing inconvenience to hundreds of passengers. Hong Kong's airport, Yvonne Lee, 24, said she only found out her flight to Phuket in Thailand was postponed to Saturday when she arrived at the airport, saying the way it was handled would affect the image of Hong Kong's airport very much. Her already short five-day trip would now have to be further shortened, she said. system largely unaffected NEW DELHI: The Indian financial and payments systems remained largely unaffected by the Microsoft services outage, though about 10 banks and NBFCs faced minor disruptions which have either been resolved or are being fixed. Escalating disruptions continued hours after the technology company said it was gradually fixing an issue affecting access to Microsoft 365 apps and services. Some athletes and spectators descending on Paris ahead of the Olympics were delayed as was the arrival of their uniforms and accreditations, but Games organisers said disruptions were limited and didn't affect ticketing or the torch relay. A disturbing reminder of vulnerability “this is a very, very uncomfortable illustration of the fragility of the world's core internet infrastructure”, said Ciaran Martin, a professor at Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government and former Head of Britain's National Cyber Security Centre. DownDectector, which tracks user-reported disruptions to internet, recorded that airlines, payment platforms and online shopping websites across the world were affected although the disruption appeared piecemeal and was apparently related to whether the companies used Microsoft cloud-based services.