log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline TUESDAY AUGUST 20, 2024 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 63 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Kolkata doctor’s autopsy reveals gruesome details 25 INJURIES, SEXUAL ASSAULT, STRANGULATION, BLOOD CLOTS AGENCIES >> See pg 3 After facing tough childhood, this PwD works to make it easier for others by spreading awareness IN SHORT >> Dhargal stadium: Govt puts GCA on notice PANAJI: The Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs has served a notice to the Goa Cricket Associations for failing to utilise the land alloted to them to construct an international cricket stadium at Dhargalim.  >> See pg 3 Restricted water supply in Bardez MAPUSA: The PWD announced on Monday that water supply to Bardez will be significantly restricted due to a breach in the Tillari canal at Kudase in Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra. The disruption is expected to affect seven constituencies within Bardez.  >> See pg 3 SSC, HSSC tentative exam schedule PANAJI: The Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education on Monday announced the tentative schedule for the HSSC and SSC examination for the academic year 2024-25. While the HSSC exams are tentatively set to commence from February 1, the SSC exams would be held from March 1, 2025.  >> See pg 3 Choris likely to get GI tag soon PANAJI: A move to obtain Geographical Indication (GI) tags for the famed Goa pork sausages (Choris) initiated by the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) is taking shape and discussions in this regard were held.  >> See pg 3 KOLKATA The postmortem report of the 31-year-old trainee doctor found murdered at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 indicates she was inflicted with 16 external injuries and 9 internal injuries, and points towards possible “sexual assault”. A team of three doctors, comprising two women, conducted the examination at the government-run hospital on August 9 between 6.10 pm and 7.10 pm. The medical officers have stated that death was caused due to the “effects of manual strangulation associated with smothering”. “Manner of death is homicidal. There is medical evidence of forceful penetration/ insertion in her genitalia, possibility of sexual assault,” states the one-page report. A senior Kolkata police official confirmed that the report in circulation was a copy of the one handed over to the trainee doctor’s parents. It further lists multiple abrasions on lips, on the left side of the bridge of the nose and on the neck and blood clots. “All injuries are ante-mortem (before death), showing evidence of vital reactions,” it adds. While the Kolkata Police, initially tasked with the Says Law Dept should have studied bills THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant finally broke his silence on the controversy surrounding withdrawal of Bills, especially the Goa Town and Country Planning (Amendment and Validation) Bill 2024. Speaking during the Head On programme on Prudent TV, Sawant admitted that lack of coordination between the TCP and the Law Department resulted in errors in drafting the bill and hence it had to be withdrawn considering public sentiments too. “There was a lack of coordination between TCP and the Law Department. If they had to follow each other’s views or observations …if TCP had to follow the observations made by the Law Department in the draft bill... then there would not have been an issue. The lack of coordination resulted in poor drafting of the bill,” Cabinet rejig in coming days: Sawant PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday admitted a possible Cabinet reshuffle in the coming days. Speaking during the Head On programme on Prudent TV, Sawant said a reshuffle is on cards but it might take some time. “In the coming days there may be some changes but it will take time… there is need for some changes” he said refusing to disclose any details. The admission comes amidst simmering rumours about possible Cabinet reshuffle before Ganesh Chaturthi. Meanwhile, Sawant admitted it’s high time to tighten the noose around erring government servants. >Continued on P5 Sawant said. “Some bills came in hurry… Law Department should have studied those bills thoroughly before granting its nod… the Department failed in making proper observations …they were introduced in that format only and hence we had to withdraw them,” he added. The controversial bill aimed to protect the TCP against judicial scrutiny of land conversions under the ODPs and take powers of planning and development authorities (PDAs) in case the ODPs are withdrawn. >Continued on P5 DoE directs schools to credit interest on grants to treasury VISHWAJIT SAYS TCP ACT TO BE TWEAKED CIRCULAR SAYS CHALLAN COPY TO BE SENT THE GOAN I NETWORK THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Following severe backlash over illegal hill cutting and land conversion, Minister for Town and Country Planning (TCP) Vishwajit Rane on Monday announced the government’s decision to tweak the existing TCP Act to impose heavy fine of up to Rs 25 lakhs as a deterrent to illegal hill cutting and plotting. The amendments to the Act, which were approved by the TCP Board, are likely to be introduced through an Ordinance. Addressing a press conference, Rane said that the Department, which can act within its existing laws and powers, has so far registered around 900 FIRs against illegal hill cutting and plotting. He said that in his own constituency village-Dharkhand, around 100 plots were illegally developed and the department has acted against it through an FIR. “I can act within the existing law and hence there Centre puts airports, borders on high alert NEW DELHI The Union Health Ministry has asked all airports as well as authorities at land ports on borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan to remain alert about incoming international passengers reporting Mpox symptoms, official sources said. The ministry has identified three Centre-run hospitals -- Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Safdarjung and Lady Hardinge -- as nodal centres in the national capital for isolation, management and treatment PANAJI: The strike by senior and junior residents at the Goa Medical College in solidarity with the rape and murder doctor-victim of Kolkata entered the fourth day on Monday and had seemingly begun affecting healthcare services. Routine OPD services at the GMC were being attended to by senior doctors, consultants and professors but some patients with non-serious ailments were being turned back. The stir by the resident doctors, meanwhile, is expected to continue in line with the national trend. probe, had given the report only to the parents, it later handed it over with the case diary, evidence and documents to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 13 following a Calcutta High Court order. The report rejects claims that “150 gm/mg of semen” was found in the victim’s body - this was also the part of the petition filed by the doctor’s parents before the Calcutta High Court. It noted that “white thick viscid fluid” was found in the body, but doesn’t mention what it was. The doctor was found dead at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, sparking nationwide protests and strikes by doctors. A civic volunteer named Sanjay Roy was arrested by the Kolkata Police a day later. Bills fiasco: CM blames poor coordination between depts Govt cracks whip on illegal hill cutting, moots `25L penalty MPOX SCARE PTI Doctors in Goa to continue stir, patients face inconvenience PARALYMPICS: SUMIT AIMS TO RETAIN JAVELIN GOLD WITH ANOTHER WORLD RECORD P13 of any patient with Mpox. All state have been asked to identify such designated hospitals under their jurisdiction, the sources said. P K Mishra, the principal secretary to the prime minister, chaired a high-level meeting on Sunday to review the country’s preparedness for Mpox amid enhanced surveillance for prompt detection. Officials said there is no reported case of Mpox in the country as of now. As per the current assessment, the risk of a large outbreak is low, they said. RANE SPEAK „„TCP Dept has registered around 900 FIRs against illegal hill cutting and plotting so far „„Existing law to be amended through an Ordinance „„Amendments to TCP Act to be ratified in next TCP Board meeting „„No new big project to be permitted without Indian Green Building Council certification is need to tweak the law to prevent plotting of orchard land unless it is converted into settlement,” Rane said, adding that existing law will be amended through an Ordinance to prevent illegal hill cutting and plotting by levying hefty fines. >Continued on P5 BOND OF LOVE: A sister ties rakhi to her brother as a symbol of love on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan at Bhatulem-Panjim on Monday.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Sawant flags concern on outsiders taking over fish trade in State THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Urging the citizens to protect the water bodies, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday expressed worry over the growing trend wherein outsiders have taken over the fishing industry, with more and more non-Goans getting into fish trade. Speaking at an event of the Fisheries Department, Sawant also raised concern over people throwing waste into the rivers thus polluting and contaminating it. “There was a time when we used to hear ‘Nuste zai go bai’ but off late, we hear different languages,” he said, adding ‘it’s high time that Goans get back into this trade and dominate the sector’. Sawant said that the government proposes to introduce degree courses in >Continued on P5 PANAJI Managements of aided High Schools and Higher Secondary Schools have been asked to deposit into the State treasury interest accrued to their accounts on funds received from the government since 2022. A circular issued by DoE Shailesh Zingde in early August had directed the managements to deposit these monies into the State treasury by August 16 and furnish the challan copies to the department by Tuesday (August 20). Zingde in the circular has asked the schools’ managers or heads to credit the interest accrued from September 2022 to June 2024 back to the government treasury before August 16. “Accordingly, the challan copy has to be furnished by the Head of the Institutions on or before 20/08/2024 (August 20),” Zingde said in the circular which he had issued on August 12. Interestingly, this require- Zingde in the circular has asked the schools’ managers or heads to credit the interest accrued from September 2022 to June 2024 back to the government treasury before August 16…the challan copy has to be furnished on or before August 20 ment for schools to revert interest accrued if any back to the State treasury has happened for the first time, a representative of an aided school’s management told The Goan. “It is ridiculous. Grants, except for salary grants, are always disbursed late and in any case much after the expenditure is already incurred by the school which arranges funds from other sources. The Department does not give any interest for delayed disbursal of grants,” said the head of >Continued on P5 Vasco gears up for wetland showdown over Maimollem Lake  Public hearing on Aug 22 & 23  Likely to be Goa’s first wetland in urban area  244 file objections VIKRAM NAYAK THE GOAN I VASCO ‘NEED TO SAVE MAIMOLEM LAKE BUT PEOPLE SHOULD NOT SUFFER’ >> See pg 5 V asco will be bracing for yet another environment-related public hearing later in the week, with the Goa State Wetlands Authority (GSWA) convening a meeting of the Grievance Committee in Vasco on August 22 and 23 from 2 pm onwards to hear objections and suggestions to the proposed declaration of Maimollem Lake in Vasco as a wetland. As many as 244 persons have filed their objections and suggestions to the proposed declaration of Maimollem Lake in Vasco as a wetland. A view of the Maimollem Lake in Vasco.  A Grievance Committee will hear the objections and suggestions from persons concerned. Incidentally, several lakes across the State have been declared or are in the process Vikram Nayak of being declared as wetlands. All these are located in rural areas and in pristine surroundings. But Maimollem Lake could well be the first wetland in Goa to be located in an urban area with dense population at its periphery. In a letter dated August 7, the GSWA stated that the 17th Grievance Committee Meeting of the Goa State Wetland Authority (GSWA) has been convened in the Murgaon Mutt Sankul Samiti, F L Gomes Road, Vasco. The GSWA had issued a notification in September 2023 proposing to notify Maimollem Lake in Vasco as a wetland un- der the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules 2017. The proposal is to notify 2,66,627 sq. metres as a wetland, and another 2,13,571 sq. metres as buffer/zone of influence. The buffer area is located within a densely populated locality of Maimollem in Vasco town. As per the notification, no construction/development activity will be permitted within the buffer area. This restriction has been causing much concern among the affected people. Incidentally, Vasco MLA Krishna Salkar had raised queries in an LAQ at the recent assembly session, seeking details of the proposal to notify Maimollem Lake in Vasco as a wetland and the objections from public. In his reply, Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira provided details and documents, including the gazette notification and a list of those who have put forth objections and suggestions. Incidentally, those who have put forth objections and suggestions include some past and present politicians, some owning land within the proposed buffer zone, the local Comunidade, church >Continued on P5