log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2024 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 78 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 3 14 2 9 Over 100% hike in land Cholera claimed 5 lives so far at Cutbona: Data rates in Pernem, Bardez Sopo: SGPDA seeks PWD help to evaluate wholesale market revenue projection GOA SPORTS INFO CM warns of penal action against aided schools over complaints Kapil clinches India’s first Paralympic Judo bronze Inexpensive and natural beauty tricks OVER 100 INFECTED, 25 UNDERGOING TREATMENT MINIMUM PRICE UP FROM `3K TO `8K PER SQMT THE GOAN I NETWORK page 6 4 steps that helped Thar conquer challenges in competitive SUV segment REVIEW: Maybach EQS 680 SUV: The pinnacle of luxury in India’s EV market IN SHORT >> Mhadei panel meet to be held after Chaturthi PANAJI: The third meeting of the Mhadei -- PRAWAH (Progressive River Authority for Welfare and Harmony), scheduled on Thursday was postponed and is likely to be held after Ganesh Chaturthi. Director for Water Resources P B Badami said that the meeting was postponed and the new dates would be declared shortly. >> See pg 3 Phase-IV of Panaji pay parking notified PANAJI: Even as the North District Magistrate notified the fourth phase of pay parking in Panaji, covering areas like Miramar and St Inez, the implementation of the same will take place after three months. Also, the CCP, the implementing agency, has decided not to have any more paid parking areas within its jurisdiction.  >> See pg 3 Govt reduces fee for cutting trees PANAJI: State Forest Dept has reduced the fee for cutting trees to Rs 400 per tree. The fee was hiked to Rs 1,000 in January 2024. Similarly, the security deposit for ensuring regeneration of areas and re-plantation of trees has been reduced to Rs 400 per tree in case on an individual and Rs 1,000 per tree in other cases. Conman offering govt jobs arrested PANAJI: Agassaim police arrested Johny D’costa alias Jass, a native of Karwar, for allegedly defrauding government job aspirants from Goa of Rs 31 lakh. His arrest comes 7 months after an FIR was registered against him and his female accomplice based on a complaint. PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led Cabinet on Thursday approved an over 100 per cent increase in property rates for coastal talukas of Bardez and Pernem, where demand for real estate has surged, particularly after the new Manohar International Airport (MIA) in Mopa. The minimum price per sq metre has risen from Rs 3,000 to Rs 8,000 in these two talukas. Sawant stated that this hike was primarily for commercial developments while the common man will not be impacted for building residential properties on plots up to 500 sq metres. “When the government is taking any decision, it is for the overall development of Goa… We even increased rates of zone conversion … The common people will not No separate permissions granted for hill cutting, says Sawant PANAJI: Clearing the air regarding the ongoing controversy over hill cutting, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant clarified that no separate permissions are granted specifically for hill cutting for development projects. “Necessary clearances from the Town and Country Planning Department or the Investment Promotion Board are sufficient. Separate permission for hill cutting is required only in cases of safety risks, which are to be issued by the Deputy Collector”, he said. The Cabinet also announced the 30th e-auction of two million tons of iron ore from four sites with Sawant assuring that full-fledged mining operations will likely resume by November or December this year. endure any burden with the present hike in land prices, especially those building residences in 500 sq mteres. They will continue with the old rates,” he said. Explaining the reason for the rise in land prices, Sawant pointed to rapid development in Bardez and Pernem with an indication to replicate similar adjustments in other talukas as development progresses across Goa. Cumbarjua students up-in-arms against transfer of headmistress EDU DEPT TRANSFERRED HER FOR ACCEPTING TV DONATED BY SOCIAL WORKER, CLAIMS ALEMAO THE GOAN I NETWORK OLD GOA On Teachers' Day, parents and students from Government Primary School in Cumbarjua staged a protest at Azad Maidan, calling for the immediate cancellation of their Headmistress's transfer and her return to the school. The protest was later withdrawn after Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao and GPCC president Amit Patkar assured that the Congress would take up the issue with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who is also the Education Minister, and get the Headmistress back to the school. Incidentally, this is the seventh day the parents and students are protesting over the transfer of the Headmistress, with the protests previously held at the Education Department and in the school. As the protest at Azad Maidan continued, LoP Alemao and Patkar paid a visit to the parents and students, and requested them to withdraw the protest as the Ganesh Chaturthi festival is round the corner. "Everybody is preparing Students and parents of Government Primary School, Cumbarjua at Azad Maidan, Panaji on Thursday.  Dept told to reinstate headmistress: CM PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said instructions have been given to the Education Department to reinstate the headmistress of Government Primary School who was transferred. for Ganesh Chaturthi and I request all of you to go home, and begin preparations for the festival. I assure to take up the issue with the chief minister and see to it that the Headmistress is posted back to the school otherwise we will join CM CONDEMNS STUDENTS' INVOLVEMENT IN POLITICAL PROTESTS >> See pg 3 the protest after Chaturthi," Alemao said. Alemao further slammed the Education Department for ordering transfer of the Headmistress merely because she accepted a LCD TV donated by a social worker. "The donation of the TV seems to have upset the local MLA who pressured the Education Department to transfer the Headmistress. This is very >Continued on P5 Calangute, Candolim, Anjuna, Siolim, Saligao and Assagao are just a few areas in Bardez in high demand, largely from non-Goans looking for second homes or starting business ventures. Similarly, Pernem’s real estate demand has surged after the commissioning of the MIA at Mopa. Meanwhile, in response to ongoing concerns about the integrity of land registration records, the State government has established a five-member Committee of Experts. This committee has been tasked with thoroughly examining and verifying the authenticity of notary and land registration documents that are suspected to have been tampered with or forged. The committee’s primary objective is to assess the validity of these records and identify any discrepancies that may indicate fraudulent activity. GUILHERME ALMEIDA THE GOAN I MARGAO Its official! The outbreak of cholera has so far claimed lives of five migrant workers aboard fishing vessels at the Cutbona fishing jetty and the fish landing centre at Mobor. That’s not all. Official figures have now put the total number migrant workers affected by diarrhea at Cutbona and Mobor to over 100 till date. Health officials informed around 20-25 workers are presently undergoing treatment at the South district hospital while a couple of workers are hospitalized at the GMC. State Epidemiologist Dr Utkarsh Betodkar confirmed to The Goan that five migrant workers have so far succumbed to cholera -- four at Cutbona and one at Mobor. Dr Utkarsh said health officials are also keeping a close watch on a similar situation prevailing at the neighbouring Karwar jetty. “We had contacted the Delhi centre to find out the possible cases of diar- ON PAGE 2 Around 25 migrant workers kept in isolation at South district hospital to check spread of infection Deputy Collector calls for joint inspection of Cutbona jetty today rhea/cholera at Karwar, and we have received information that similar cases have been detected at Karwar”, he said. Taking serious cognisance of the outbreak of cholerea at Cutbona and Mobor, sources said Health Secretary had chaired a high level meeting of officials of various departments to take stock and to ensure the disease is immediately contained from spreading to residential localities on both sides of the river Sal. “The health authorities are closely monitoring the situation. The number of cases re- ported from Mobor has come down. This may be because of the fact that a handful of operators with a limited number of boats are operating from the area. Cutbona is still a matter of concern giving the number of vessels and thousands of workers employed on these vessels”, Dr Utkarsh said. To a question, he said cholera is caused by factors such as poor hygiene, poor sanitation and overcrowding. Sources said all these factors have been prevalent at the Cutbona fishing jetty with locals complaining of poor hygiene and sanitation and the sheer number of workers employed on the fishing boats operating from Cutbona. Dr Utkarsh made an appeal to the boat owners to ensure that infected workers are brought to the hospitals without wasting time. “Of the five deaths, 2-3 workers were brought dead to the hospital. The response from the boat owners should be quick in admitting the workers in the hospital”, he added. Disqualification: SC sets Nov 4 deadline to dispose petition PANAJI: The Supreme Court has granted time till November 4 to Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar to dispose off a disqualification plea filed before him against eight MLAs who switched to BJP in 2022. In an order passed in a plea filed by then Congress Chief Girish Chodankar, SC bench said “we hope and trust that the Constitutional Obligations will be discharge by the respondent (Speaker) by the next date of hearing”. The next date of hearing is tentatively scheduled on November 4. FRUITS FOR THE LORD: A woman arranges flowers and fruits needed to decorate the ‘matoli’ ahead of Chaturthi festival in Panaji on Thursday. Narayan Pissurlenkar `24 lakh fraud at IPHB, clerk suspended STAFF SALARIES TAMPERED WITH FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA A senior government clerk with the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (IPHB) has been suspended for allegedly siphoning nearly Rs 24 lakh from staff salaries over the past five years. The accused, Pratik Gawas, who served as an Upper Divisional Clerk (UDC), was suspended two days ago following an internal inquiry. The fraud came to light after a staff member raised con- cerns about discrepancies in loan and insurance premium deductions from their salary. This triggered an internal investigation, which revealed that the deducted funds were being diverted to Gawas' personal account. IPHB officials have lodged a formal complaint with the Panaji Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), seeking the filing of an FIR against the accused. According to the department, Gawas manipulated the system by redirecting funds meant for employee loan servicing and insurance premiums into his personal account with the State Bank of India (SBI). The fraudulent scheme operated through a "parking account," where the deducted amounts from employees' salaries were initially stored. Gawas, who was responsible for disbursing the funds to employees' respective loan or insurance accounts, allegedly substituted his own account details instead. The UDC's fraudulent actions went undetected for years as he deducted varying amounts each month to avoid raising suspicion. When employees questioned discrepancies in their loan payments, Gawas reportedly made direct payments and advised them not to escalate the issue to higher authorities. A senior IPHB official confirmed that the department has asked the Finance Department to investigate the matter thoroughly and form a special >Continued on P5 FROM GAMIFIED LEARNING TO HAPPINESS LAB… Student’s assault case: Two 82 teachers redefine education, win national awards Camurlim teachers arrested PTI REMANDED TO FIVE DAYS POLICE CUSTODY THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA In a swift turn of events, the Colvale Police arrested two teachers on Thursday for allegedly assaulting a nine-yearold student at a private school in Camurlim. The arrest came shortly after Fisheries Minister Nilkant Halarnkar criticized the handling of the case and demanded the suspension of the Colvale Police Inspector for inefficiency. Later in the evening, the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in Mapusa remanded CM SAYS CAMURLIM TEACHERS TO FACE LAW, DENIES ALLEGATIONS OF POLICE INACTION >> See pg 3 the two teachers to five days of police custody, effectively preventing them from celebrating Chaturthi, Goa's biggest festival. Ironically, the arrest happened on Teachers’ Day, a day typically dedicated to honouring educators across India. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Sandesh Chodankar stated that the teachers were not cooperating with the investigation, which led to their arrest. On Wednesday, the teachers had been summoned for questioning under Section 41(A) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which requires compliance without arrest, according to Supreme Court guidelines. The teachers, who were suspended by the school management on the directive >Continued on P5 NEW DELHI appiness lab, gamified assessments, homebased education visits, preventing child marriages and an automated school bell made of recycled materials are among the feats that have bagged National Teachers Awards for 82 teachers from across the country. The awards were conferred upon by President Droupadi Murmu here on Thursday. Chandralekha Damodar Mestri, a teacher at the Satyawati Soiru Angle Higher Secondary School, South Goa, has been awarded for bridging the language gap for her primarily first-generation learner students. H President Droupadi Murmu presents the National Teachers Award 2024 to Chandralekha Damodar Mestri of Goa. She developed innovative, low-cost teaching aids and conducted home visits with books and stationery to foster a love of learning. Sagar Chittaranjan Bagade, a teacher at Sou S M Lohia High School and Junior College, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, organized numerous social events to raise awareness on issues affecting orphans, tri- bals, young HIV patients, and individuals with disabilities. “He also arranged many folk dance and ballet performances providing students with international exposure across 226 countries. This has been recognized as a world record by the Asia Pacific Book of World Records,” the citation read. K Suma, from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has bagged the award for her dedication to improving the infrastructure for government schools and increasing enrolment. She promotes health and wellness through yoga camps and supports inclusive education with home-based education visits every fourth Saturday. Minakshi Kumari, from Shiv Ganga Girls Plus 2 High School, Madhubani, Bihar, has championed community involvement by engaging parents in improving school outcomes like clean uniforms, sanitary pads, and drinking water facilities. “She has published over 50 stories and poems and successfully advocated against child marriage, preventing 20 cases. Her efforts have led to increased participation by girls in academics, sports, Mithila painting, and community service,” her citation read. Pallavi Sharma, Principal of Mamta Modern Senior Secondary School here, has bagged the award for her initiatives including a Maths and Science Park, Foundational >Continued on P5