log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline MONDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2024 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 89 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 3 2 9 Anjuna clubs ignore closure notices, continue operations Centre finalises Uskini Bandh, Bendordem route for Cuncolim bypass GOA INFO Pothole at Dolphin Circle sparks frustration as tourist season looms Side effects of sunscreen and tips to combat them GSPCB HAD ISSUED CLOSURE NOTICES TO 27 HOTSPOTS IN ANJUNA, VAGATOR, CHAPORA, OZRANT & SIOLIM THE GOAN I NETWORK >> pg 6 US market, FII moves among 10 factors to drive markets this week IN SHORT >> Centre gets ready to conduct Census NEW DELHI: The government has started preparations for conducting the decadal census, but a decision is yet to be taken on including a column on caste as part of the exercise, sources said. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one source said the decadal census will be conducted soon. >> See pg 7 MAPUSA Despite the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) issuing closure notices to several establishments for operating without the necessary consent, many popular restaurants and clubs along the North Goa coastal belt continue to function with impunity. The GSPCB has identified several businesses for running without the mandatory “Consent to Operate,” yet enforcement on the ground remains absent. In the past two months, the GSPCB issued closure notices to 27 establishments located along the North Goa coastal stretch, particularly targeting popular tourist hotspots in Anjuna, Vagator, Chapora, Ozrant, and Siolim. BUSINESS AS USUAL Among the businesses served with closure notices are high-profile establishments such as Dream Beach, Disco Valley, and Mango Tree Romeo Lane: A controversial case MAPUSA: Romeo Lane, a club mired in its own share of controversies, applied for the necessary “Consent to Operate” from the GSPCB. However, the Board rejected its application after the club failed to produce a Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) No Objection Certificate (NOC). Despite this rejection, Romeo Lane continues to operate, playing loud music round the clock, much to the dismay of locals. A GSPCB official, speaking on condition of anonymity, clarified that their task is limited to issuing notices, while the onus of enforcement lies with other authorities. in Vagator; Barfly, The Assa House and Villa 259 in Assagao; and Bob Caper, The Flying Goa, Dynamo and Curlies in Anjuna. Despite the formal warnings, only two businesses – Raeeth and Ziki – have been closed or sealed. The others continue their operations without any significant interruption. Curlies, in particular, “It is for the Collector to ensure that these establishments are closed and sealed. We have issued the necessary orders, but beyond that, the execution of these orders is not within our jurisdiction,” the official explained. stands out for its legal entanglements. This iconic Anjuna establishment was ordered to be demolished by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in June this year over a series of violations. Despite this, the Pollution Board’s closure notice appears to have had little effect, with the venue reportedly still operational. Buffalo feared killed by crocodiles Kejriwal to quit as Delhi CM in 2 days, seeks early elections PANAJI: The death of a buffalo in the Carambolim lake, which locals suspect to have been caused by crocodiles, has instilled fear in the community. The dead buffalo was found floating in the lake and several locals rushed there as word spread fast in the neighbourhood.  >> See pg 3 1 Ribandar locals set deadline on roads PANAJI: Ribandar locals have warned of intensifying their protest against pathetic pothole ridden roads in the locality if government fails to take corrective measures within 2 weeks. Ponda cops register hill cutting case PONDA: Ponda police have registered a case in connection with hill-cutting activity at Pratapnagar-Dharbandora. Police is also likely to register a case of hill cutting at Dhullai after a govt official had filed a plaint on August 13. ARTISTRY ON DISPLAY: Shivmudra troupe from Belagavi enlivens the 9-day visarjan revelry outside Panaji police station on Sunday. Lord Ganesha was given a guard of honour by the Panaji police earlier in the evening.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Women’s safety: Public transport vehicles to get tracking devices WEATHER >> THE GOAN I NETWORK TIDES PANAJI In a bid to enhance safety of women and girl child, the Goa government, following directions from the Centre, has proposed to ensure that all public service vehicles are fitted Max: 31.6 C Min: 25.4 C Humidity: 92% Low: High: 02.51 09.41 15.40 21.26 AUTHORITIES LAX? The GSPCB’s role in this scenario is confined to issuing closure notices, which are sent to the district Collector or Deputy Collector for further action. The responsibility of ensuring that these establishments are sealed or shuttered rests with local authorities. The GSPCB also requires that the Collector’s office sub- with vehicle location tracking (VLT) devices and emergency buttons. All public service vehicles registered on or after January 1, 2019 would be fitted with VLT device and emergency buttons and the onus lies with the vehicle owner. The project, launched in 2020 by the Union Government, is under Nirbhaya Framework. According to the information released by the Union Ministry for Road Transport >Continued on P5 Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday that he would resign after two days and sought early polls in the national capital while vowing not to sit in the chief minister’s chair till people give him a “certificate of honesty”. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) described the AAP supremo’s move as “drama” and a “confession of crime” and wondered whether he has offered to quit because of infighting within his party. Kejriwal, who was released on bail on Friday in a graft case linked to the alleged Delhi excise scam, said he would hold a meeting of the AAP MLAs in a couple of days and one of his party colleagues would take over as the chief See pg 5 minister.  2 3 mit a compliance report once the establishments are shut. However, these compliance reports are either delayed or non-existent in many cases. Local residents and environmental activists allege that authorities, including the police, are turning a blind eye, allowing these businesses to continue operating. “These places are still running their establishments in connivance with police and other authorities. I have written to panchayat and other officials,” stated Desmond D’Costa, a local resident. QUESTIONS RAISED With businesses flouting regulations and continuing to operate despite clear violations, questions are being raised about the complicity of local authorities. For now, despite the GSPCB’s efforts, it seems that establishments along North Goa’s coastline are continuing with business as usual, leaving residents and activists frustrated at the lack of meaningful action from authorities. SPORTS Chopra finishes second in DL finale, misses crown by 1 cm 12 Tension in Collem over Julus; locals, Bajrang Dal object THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Tense moments were witnessed at the Collem police station on Sunday after a massive crowd objected to the Julus procession planned by the Muslim community on Monday. Tension escalated when a large assembly of Bajarang Dal members and local villagers from Collem gathered at the Collem police station to voice their strong opposition to the planned procession. They expressed concerns that the event would significantly disrupt traffic in the area, causing inconvenience to residents and commuters alike. In addition to the traffic disruption, locals raised alarms about the behaviour of the participants during the recent Julus procession, where instances of unruly conduct had been reported. They also highlighted fears of potential violence, including stone-pelting incidents, which had marred previous events. In response to the concerns raised, the authorities, represented by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) through the Police Inspector, assured that the procession would be Bajarang Dal and locals from Collem raised alarm over the behaviour of the participants during the procession and voiced strong opposition saying the event would significantly disrupt traffic in the area confined to the vicinity of the masjid. This arrangement is intended to prevent any disruption to the bustling market and nearby local areas. Meanwhile, police were bracing up to maintain law and order in Cuncolim following objections raised by Bajrang Dal to the Julus procession. In another development, the Cuncolim Market Association extended support to the Julus procession taken out by the Muslim community every year on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammed. DySP Santosh Desai informed that the Cuncolim Julus procession has the necessary permission from the authorities, adding that the police has been mobilised to tackle any untoward incident. Good news for engineers! govt may fill up 285 posts RECRUITMENT PROCESS AT AN ADVANCED STAGE IN PWD, WRD & ELECTRICITY DEPARTMENT ASHLEY DO ROSARIO THE GOAN I PANAJI Light could soon shine on the fate of scores passing out from Goa’s engineering colleges and polytechnics with the process to recruit a whopping 285 engineers in entry-level positions in three government departments in an advanced stage. Authoritative sources in the Goa Staff Selection Commission (GSSC) said the Commission is working on the nitty-gritties of launching a recruitment process to hire technical assistants (TAs) and junior engineers (JEs) separately for the Electricity Department, Public Works Department (PWD) and the Water Resources Department (WRD). All three departments had sent “requisitions” to the GSSC a couple of months ago to fill up these vacant positions of TAs and JEs.  While the Electricity Department has 85 sanctioned TIMELINE OF REQUISITIONS „„Staff Selection Commission working on nitty-gritties of launching recruitment process to hire TAs, JEs „„Power dept, PWD, WRD had sent “requisitions” to fill up vacant positions  „„Power Dept has 85 sanctioned posts of JEs vacant and another four TAs „„PWD has 101 JE posts to be filled and another 23 TA positions vacant posts of JEs vacant and another four vacancies of TAs, the PWD has 101 JE posts to be filled and another 23 TA positions vacant. The WRD on the other hand is short of 72 engineers from its sanctioned strength -- 39 Junior Engineers and 33 Technical Assistants. „„WRD is short of 72 engineers from its sanctioned strength „„Requisition from PWD for engineers was received in June while Power Dept and WRD made a proposal in July According to GSSC sources, the requisition from the PWD to recruit 124 engineers, including 101 for JE positions and 23 for TA posts was received in June. As for the Electricity Department and the WRD, the >Continued on P5 GoM to review tax on Cutbona jetty conundrum: When safety was ignored for years health, life insurance All measures to be in place VIBHA VERMA THE GOAN I PANAJI PTI NEW DELHI The GST Council on Sunday constituted a 13-member Group of Ministers (GoM) to suggest GST rate on premiums of various health and life insurance products and submit its report by October 30. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary is the convenor of the GoM. The members of the panel include members from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Meghalaya, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. The 54th GST Council meeting on September 9 decided to set up a GoM to examine and review the present tax structure of GST on life and medical insurance. A final call by the Council on the taxation of insurance premiums is likely to be taken in the next meeting in November based on the GoM report. The Terms of Reference of the panel include suggesting tax rate of health/medical insurance including individual, group, family floater and other medical insurance for various categories like senior citizens, middle class, persons with mental illness. T he Cutbona jetty finally spurred the government into action after years of alleged rule violations overlooked by its own Fisheries Department. Sources revealed that several critical safety regulations were blatantly ignored including the mandatory installation of toilets on fishing vessels, crew registration with the Labour Department and strict adherence to sea navigation systems like the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Vessel Tracking Monitoring System (VTMS). Government sources told The Goan, that these viola- within 15 days: Minister tions are rampant, particularly across the Konkan States of Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka. The lapses date back to the implementation of the Merchant Shipping (MS) Act, 2014, which introduced unified vessel registration and a series of stringent safety norms expected to be en- Trawler owners asked to remove idle unauthorised vessels from Cutbona jetty >> See pg 2 forced nationwide. Sources explained that before 2014, each State was responsible for registering its PANAJI: Minister for Fisheries Nilkant Halankar said that the government has given the go-ahead to constitute a task force, which means that police may also be deployed on board in the future. Regarding lapses in the past including on-board fishing vessels and jetties, the minister said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has already issued instructions. “It’s a mess of several years and we are systematically working on rectifying each of the lapses. We assure that all measures will be in place within 15 days. The property survey will commence on Monday,” he added, speaking to The Goan. own fishing vessels. However, under the MS Act, a unified numbering system was introduced, with vessels now bearing numbers like IMD-GA01-XXXX, unique to each state. Despite these legal changes, the vessels’ registration was allegedly without fully complying with the Act’s requirements. “Under the MS Act, vessels must be built to specific safety standards, including onboard toilets and proper crew registration. But none of these were implemented in Goa,” the source stated adding. “The State did not even have a manufacturing unit that met the requirements laid down by the Act.” Even more concerning was the lack of safety compliance for smaller vessels like canoes, which have to be less than 12 meters in length and fitted with motors under 10 horsepower. While these >Continued on P5