log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SATURDAY AUGUST 3, 2024 14 pages GOA MAHABANK GOLD LOAN No Prepayment Charges www.bankofmaharashtra.in * T&C Apply SCAN TO APPLY Attractive Interest Rate Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 5 3 9 Fresh draft declares 56K sq km of Western Ghats eco sensitive LET THE POWER OF GOLD FULFILL YOUR NEEDS! Repayment Tenure Upto 24 Months The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 47 Cortalim jetty privatisation faces pushback Finance upto ₹100 lakh Facebook.com/thegoan Follow us @mahabank page 6 Lorna enthrals thousands of Goans at festival in London Enduring legacy of Portuguese heritage ASSEMBLY COVERAGE Opposition slams govt for nationalisation of Goa’s rivers Will consider sops in employment for parents of PwDs: Phaldesai State withdraws GI application for coconut vinegar, plans resubmission Amendment of regularization Act to incorporate legal houses under 20 point program: Govt Govt enforces mandatory registration for garbage contractors to curb illegal dumping `  .5 crore approx spent 2 on court renovations since 2020 (See pgs 2 & 3) IN SHORT >> Miramar footbridge being dismantled PANAJI: The work of dismantling the unsafe Miramar footbridge has finally commenced. The bridge was in poor condition, posing a safety risk to school students and commuters. In view of the ongoing work, Dr Jack Sequeira Road from Miramar Circle to Goa Science Centre Junction will be closed for all types of vehicular traffic.  >> See pg 5 WEATHER >> Max: 29 C Min: 24.8 C Humidity: 94% GOA INFO Crumbling house in Panaji razed under disaster management law How oatmeal might be making you gain weight 1,461 SQ KM ARE IN GOA, REVEALS CENTRE’S NOTIFICATION PTI NEW DELHI The Centre has issued a fresh draft notification to declare over 56,800 square kilometres of the Western Ghats across six states, including 13 villages in Kerala’s landslide-hit Wayanad, Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), inviting suggestions and objections within 60 days. The notification was issued on July 31, a day after a series of landslides claimed over 300 lives in Wayanad district. Scientists from the state and beyond attributed the disaster to a deadly mix of forest cover loss, mining in the fragile terrain and climate change. The draft notification proposes to declare 9,993.7 sq km in Kerala, including 13 villages in two talukas of the landslide-hit district, ecologically sensitive. Overall, the notification includes 449 sq km in Gujarat, 17,340 sq km in Mahar- WHAT THE DRAFT NOTIFICATION SUGGESTS „„Complete ban on mining, quarrying, and sand mining „„Existing mines to be phased out within five years ‘from date of issue of the final notification or on expiry of existing mining lease, whichever is earlier „„Prohibits new thermal power projects… existing projects can continue to operate but there will be no expansion allowed „„All ‘’Red’’ category industries (highly polluting), specified by the pollution ashtra, 1,461 sq km in Goa, 20,668 sq km in Karnataka, 6,914 sq km in Tamil Nadu, and 9,993.7 sq km in Kerala in the proposed ESA. An official said the latest draft is much more detailed and “there are no major changes in terms of total area”. Goa has sought the dropping of 40 villages from being categorised as Ecologically Sensitive Areas since they do not meet the criteria set out by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had said that 40 villages need to be dropped from the 99 villages that have been notified by the Union Ministry provisionally identifying them control boards, and their expansion to be banned „„Large-scale construction projects and townships also proposed to be prohibited, with exceptions for repair and renovation of existing buildings as ESAs, which would mean a ban on red category industries being set up in these villages. According to the fresh draft notification, an expert panel set up in April 2022 to find a breakthrough has held nine meetings since July 2022 “wherein various objections, comments and suggestions were received from the states”. “The committee is addressing the issues raised by states in the Western Ghats on discrepancies or info gaps in the draft notification dated July 6, 2022, on the correct names and area of villages to be included in the ecologically sensitive area. The committee is also examining the suggestions received from the state governments,” it read. The draft notification suggests a complete ban on mining, quarrying, and sand mining, with existing mines to be phased out within five years “from the date of issue of the final notification or on the expiry of the existing mining lease, whichever is earlier”. It also prohibits new thermal power projects. It says the existing projects can continue to operate but there will be no expansion allowed. All ‘’Red’’ category industries (highly polluting), specified by the pollution control boards, and their expansion shall be banned, it said. SPORTS India, Sri Lanka ODI series opener ends in thrilling tie 3rd district in Goa under consideration, govt awaits report THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that the government is currently in the planning phase for the creation of a third district in Goa. The final decision, he told the Legislative Assembly, will be made once the government-appointed committee completes its report. Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserrate also confirmed that the proposal is under active consideration explaining that a committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary, has already been constituted to evaluate the need for a third district in Goa. “To work out modalities and examine the pros and cons of the new district a committee under Chief Secretary is already constituted. It will assess the need for creating a third district in Goa, assess whether it will lead to the development of people in general and backward talukas in particular,” the minister replied. The committee is also Mhadei: Goa’s outstation lawyers cost a ‘bomb’ PANAJI If the prolonged deadlock over the Mhadei River dispute wasn’t troubling enough, the State government could face fresh criticism for its extravagant spending on outstation advocates for Supreme Court hearings. While the Goan team of lawyers operates on a modest budget for their Delhi trips, government sources have confirmed to The Goan that each hearing costs the State exchequer a whopping amount only on the two high-priced Mumbai-based counsels. Each hearing involves business class flights, five-star hotel accommodations costing between Rs 83,000 to Rs 1 lakh per day and additional expenses for food, and transportation. The to-and-fro trips to the apex court come to around Rs 10,000 per day. The looming question remains: Why not appoint local Delhi counsels to save taxpayer money? With the week starting August 5 likely to see critical hearings on Mhadei in the Supreme Court, the government HIGH-PRICED COUNSELS, HIGH STAKES „„Each Mhadei hearing costs the State exchequer a whopping amount only on two high-priced Mumbai-based counsels „„Each hearing involves business class flights, five-star hotel accommodations costing between Rs 83,000 to Rs 1 lakh per day and additional expenses for food and transportation „„To-and-fro trips to the apex court come to around Rs 10,000 per day THE FLIP SIDE „„Goa team of lawyers led by Advocate General Devidas Pangam manages their trips with a more budget-conscious approach „„Their accommodation is booked in Goa Niwas „„Expenditure on each of 14 advocates from Goa is around Rs 12,000 will once again have to loosen its purse strings – to the tune of at least Rs 16 lakh per hearing which excludes the above cost of these outstation counsels.   “When Adv Bhavani Shankar Gadnis got the best verdict for the Mhadei dispute, what was the need for a second counsel,” the source added. In stark contrast, the Goa team of lawyers led by Advocate General Devidas Pangam manages their trips with a more budget-conscious approach with their accommodation booked in Goa Niwas. It is learnt that expenditure on each of 14 advocates from Goa is around Rs 12,000. >Continued on P5 The committee will evaluate the pros and cons and will assess the need for creating a third district in Goa… the panel will also assess whether it will lead to the development of people in general and backward talukas in particular — Atanasio Monserrate tasked with recommending the district’s boundaries, taking into account factors such as population, economic status, infrastructure availability, and public opinion. During the discussion, Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar suggested that Canacona, Sanvordem and Quepem -currently less developed areas --might benefit from the new district. He proposed Quepem as the headquarters, a suggestion supported by Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa, who >Continued on P5 2-year-old boy meets watery grave in Usgao THE GOAN I NETWORK Comparatively Goan team operates on modest budget THE GOAN I NETWORK 13 HOCKEY: INDIA SCRIPTS OLYMPIC HISTORY MOMENTOUS n This is the first time since 1972 Olympics that India have defeated Australia n Abhishek & Harmanpreet Singh (2) scored while Thomas Craig and Blake Govers scored for Australia n India has now climbed to the second spot in Pool B. Belgium leads the Pool while Australia are third Indian hockey team achieved a historic first in 52 years by defeating 3-2 in their final men’s hockey Pool B match of Paris Olympics LAKSHYA IN B’TON SEMIS Lakshya Sen also scripted history when he became the first Indian male shuttler to enter Olympics badminton singles semi-final defeating Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei. INDIA’S ARCHERY DREAM ENDS Archers Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat missed out on a medal after losing the mixed team bronze medal match against the USA at Paris Olympics. BHAKER IN 25M SPORTS PISTOL FINAL Manu Bhaker, aiming for a hat-trick of Olympic medals, came up with a superb performance in 25m sports pistol, to finish second in qualification and book a place in the final. PONDA In a heart-wrenching tragedy, a two-year-old boy drowned in a nallah near his home in Usgaon on Thursday night. The child’s family, originally from Jharkhand, was residing in a rented room while working in the local ‘Kulagar’ area. The incident occurred when the young boy was playing outside as his mother was preoccupied with a phone call. Tragically, the child wandered towards the nearby nallah and accidentally fell in. Upon hearing the commotion, the family rushed to the scene, and local residents quickly pulled the boy from the nallah. He was promptly rushed to Pillaye Primary Health Centre by a 108 ambulance, but despite the urgent efforts of medical staff, the child was pronounced dead upon arrival. A probe into the incident is being conducted, with the panchanama performed under the supervision of Inspector Tushar Lotlikar of the Ponda Police Station. Wayanad rescuers use advanced Zuari land sale under lens, CM says ready for probe SAWANT: TOUGH TALK tech gadgets to find survivors THE GOAN I NETWORK PTI WAYANAD Rescue teams on Friday deployed advanced technical gadgets and dogs to pull out possible survivors or remove bodies buried under the debris created by one of the worst natural calamities to have struck Kerala, the Wayanad landslides, even as hands of friendship extended from far corners of the state to the hilly district. On Friday, rescuers used GPS coordinates from aerial drone pictures and cell phones, including the last location of people who lived in the landslides-hit areas of Wayanad to help locate survivors, amidst accelerated search operations after the completion of the 190-footlong Bailey bridge by the Army. Raising hopes for life inside a collapsed building, which is thickly covered by mud, rescuers conducting search operations with an advanced ra- dar system in the landslide-hit Mundakkai village have detected a signal indicating breathing. An official involved in the operation said that a “blue signal” was received on the radar while searching the area where the house was previously located in the severely affected Mundakkai village. However, the search ended on Friday evening as the rescue personnel concluded a human presence under the debris was unlikely. In a late evening Facebook post, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the search for life continues, with radars detecting even the slightest movements, offering glimmers of hope. MAPUSA Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has assured the Goa Legislative Assembly that the government will investigate the controversial sale of land by Zuari Industries Ltd (ZIL) and may revoke the permissions issued for the project if necessary. This announcement came in response to allegations raised by Goa Forward Party leader and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, who claimed that Zuari had sold industrial land for real estate development. The Chief Minister revealed that the details of Zuari’s land sale have been forwarded to the Additional Solicitor General of India (ASG) for a legal opinion, although a response is still awaited. “I am ready to conduct an „„I am ready to conduct an inquiry... We are transparent „„The land was given to Zuari by Bhausaheb Bandodkar for industrial purposes „„I will not allow the selling of the land for real estate „„If need be, we will cancel the permissions given for the project inquiry. We are transparent. The land was given to Zuari by Bhausaheb Bandodkar for industrial purposes. I will not allow the selling of the land for real estate. If need be, we will cancel the permissions given for the project,” Sawant declared. MLA Vijai Sardesai accused Zuari Industries of selling the land, initially allocated for industrial use to provide employment for Goans, to a real estate company that is developing a multi-storied project in Sancoale. Sardesai pointed out that the flats in this project are being sold at a steep price of Rs 55,000 per sq mt, making them unaffordable for Goans. “Bhausaheb Bandodkar had given the land to Zuari for Rs 0.25 per sq mt for industrial purposes so that Goans could get employment there. But a flat in a sprawling multi-storied project coming up on the same land is quoting Rs 55,000 per sq mt,” Sardesai told the Assembly, describing the development as an affordable housing scheme for outsiders. Responding to Sardesai’s concerns, Revenue Minister Anatasio (Babush) Monserrate noted that the government does not own the land in question, as it belongs to the local comunidade. “The local comunidade has exhausted all legal options in trying to stop Zuari from selling the land,” Monseratte said, indicating the limited power of the government in this matter. Chief Minister Sawant re- iterated his commitment to a thorough investigation, assuring the House that the government would look into the issue and potentially cancel the project’s permissions. Sardesai welcomed the Chief Minister’s assurance but pointed out the inconsistency of the government’s actions, as it continues to issue permissions to the real estate developers involved. The issue of Zuari land sale was a major topic in the state assembly in July 2022, with Opposition MLAs urging the government to halt the registration of sale deeds for the real estate land sold by the company. At that time, the same Chief Minister had promised to keep the registration pending until an inquiry report from the law department was received.