log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline THURSDAY OCTOBER 10, 2024 GOA CYBER OR DIGITAL FORENSICS Unraveling the Digital Crime Scene >> See PG 7 2 GOA Fisheries Minister’s political office in the eye of a storm >> See PG 3 IN SHORT >> Calls to retain Bal Rath for aided schools PANAJI: The Goa School Management’s Association (GSMA) appealed to the State government to refrain from stopping the Bal Rath services to aided schools. >> See pg 2 `3.77 cr properties of narco offenders seized PANAJI: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) Zonal Office Goa has provisionally attached 11 immovable properties and four movable properties worth Rs 3.77 Crore, identified during investigation against 12 narco offenders. >> See pg 2 IMD issues yellow alert till Saturday PANAJI: IMD has issued yellow alert for four days from October 9 to 12. Heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places across Goa along with thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and gusty winds (30-40 kmph), states the weather forecast issued by IMD. 3 share Chemistry Nobel prize NEW DELHI: The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded Wednesday to David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for their work with proteins. Baker works at the University of Washington in Seattle, while Hassabis and Jumper both work at Google Deepmind in London. Hans Ellegren, secretary general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences that decides on the winner, announced the prize. WEATHER >> Max: 27 C Min: 26 C Humidity: 80% TIDES Low: High: 04:11 16:53 10:47 22:42 3 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Top cholesterol-busting foods for a better lifestyle PANAJI oa's primary healthcare system has ventured into unchartered territory – mental health – and about 10 per cent of nearly 75,000 people screened after a programme launched to tackle depression have been identified to be confronting various stages of it and are being counselled. "Already, 74,524 patients have been screened, with 10% identified with depression and provided counselling," Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Wednesday. According to Rane, the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) G India women thrash Sri Lanka to give big boost to NRR DIRECTIONS LIKELY NOT TO ANNOUNCE NEW VACANCIES FOR NOW END OF THE ROAD FOR SSC? PANAJI Following directions from the BJP central leadership, moves are reportedly afoot to scrap the Goa Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and revert back to department level recruitment process. Multiple high level sources in the government confirmed that internal talks are ongoing to scrap SSC, pending which directions would be issued to the Commission, not to issue any new advertisements to fill-up the vacancies. However, some sources also say that there is already a clause in the Goa Staff Selection Commission Act, wherein the government can pass orders, specifying the matters or particular class of cases or some circumstances; there the Commission may not be consulted while undertaking the recruitment. The three-member Goa Staff Selection Commission was established by the Goa Staff Selection Commission Moves are underway to scrap the Goa SSC and revert back to the department-level recruitment process, as per directions from the BJP central leadership Government sources confirm internal discussions about scrapping the SSC, with a halt on new recruitment advertisements until further decisions The SSC was set up by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in 2019 to ensure transparency in recruitment processes after allegations of corruption Around 1,100 job vacancies were to be filled through SSC, but ministers and MLAs from both ruling and opposition parties showed resistance, complicating the recruitment process The resistance is partly due to MLAs promising jobs to their constituents, which the SSC process makes difficult to fulfill The CM is facing criticism from both opposition and cabinet colleagues over unemployment, prompting BJP leadership’s intervention to resolve the issue Act, 2019. The Commission, since December, last year, started issuing advertisements for appointments of various subordinate services/ posts (Group “C” posts) across various departments. The SSC – the brain child of the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant – set up to bring in much needed transparency in the recruitment process following allegations of ‘cash for jobs’, has now hit a major roadblock, with BJP central leadership dictating the Chief Minister not to go ahead with SSC recruitment but instead the same be carried out by each department. The directions were issued to resolve the growing differences between Sawant and his cabinet colleague Vishwajit Rane, which were out in the open over providing employment to youth in the State. Sources informed that moves have been started to scrap SSC but when will it materialise, will have to wait and see. Another source, confirming the development, said that more than half of Sawant’s cabinet was against SSC when the Chief Minister had proposed it. “CM went against cabinet members and introduced SSC,” sources said. It has also been learnt from sources that the government has kept a provision in the Act Rain casts its shadow over paddy harvesting season FEARS RAISED OVER DAMAGE TO READY-TO-HARVEST CROPS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The intensity of the current spell of rains as the monsoon retreats has cast a pall of gloom in Goa's farming community as it threatens to damage their ready to harvest paddy crop while also disrupting their harvesting operations. Some farmers who had already harvested their crop before the current spell of rains hit the State are currently with their backs to the wall trying to prevent damage to the paddy which often germinates when moist rendering it useless. Director of Agriculture Sandeep Fal Desai admitted that the current weather could be a threat to the standing paddy crop. He said if the rains that started as the monsoon retreats continue for some more days, the State's paddy cultivation may be affected. On the other hand, this rain will be beneficial for vegetable farming practiced in the State's hilly regions, he added. CONCERNS OVER CROP LOSS Some farmers who had already harvested their crop before the current spell of rains hit the State are currently with their backs to the wall trying to prevent damage to the paddy which often germinates when moist rendering it useless Director of Agriculture Sandeep Fal Desai says if the rains that started as the monsoon retreats continue for some more days, the paddy cultivation may be affected Several paddy cultivators who spoke to The Goan said that they are indeed overwhelmed with fear and anxiety about their crops due to the current wet weather. Fal Desai meanwhile said the crops of the paddy cultivators will be severely damaged if it rains for another few days with this same intensity. The rains if they persist are also a real threat to the paddy crop where harvesting has not yet begun across the State, Fal Desai said. The late rains are proving to be a double-whammy of sorts for Goa's dwindling tribe of paddy cultivators after many of them suffered destruction of their crop following the July flooding of fields. The Agriculture department has already compensated thousands of such Goan farmers for the damage to their crops due to the July flooding. Nearly Rs 4 crore were disbursed to the farmers on the eve of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in September. Velingkar’s plea challenging bail dismissal order in HC today THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Having failed to get relief from the Additional Sessions Judge, absconding RSS member Subhash Velingkar moved the High Court of Bombay at Goa challenging the order that dismissed his plea for anticipatory bail. The applicant sought an urgent hearing after which the Court scheduled the hearing for Thursday. Goa Police, on the other hand, stated they have intensified the search for Velingkar. “We are following up on clues about his possible hide-outs. His close people including family members have been questioned. Search operations have been conducted in Maharashtra and Goa,” Director General of Police Alok Kumar told The Goan when asked about efforts to trace Velingkar. "We are questioning persons who might be aware of his whereabouts," North SP Akshat Kaushal added. Additional Sessions Judge-I >Continued on P8 10% of 75,000 screened in Goa’s mental health initiative show signs of depression THE GOAN I NETWORK 10 SPORTS Moves afoot in govt to scrap Staff Selection Commission THE GOAN I NETWORK Govt’s forgotten promises to log out illegal online gambling & casinos The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 15 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 113 MMC meet ‘silent’ on status, fate of Sonsodo waste management CYBER TECH Facebook.com/thegoan HEALTHCARE INITIATIVE Approximately 75,000 people have been screened, with 10% identified as experiencing various stages of depression and receiving counselling The 'Impress' programme aims to address and reduce the treatment gap for depression by developing community intervention materials and embedding has tied up with Sangath, a prominent non-governmental organisation specialising in mental health and behavioural disorders, to take the latter's 'Impress' programme to Goa's primary healthcare system. systems in healthcare facilities The initiative includes comprehensive training for healthcare personnel, with 87 health workers now equipped to counsel mental health patients The Health Minister confirmed that the DHS is collaborating with Sangath, a leading NGO specialising in mental health It involves comprehensive training of selective personnel from across all the PHCs in Goa. Thus far, 87 health workers are now equipped with skills to counsel mental health patients and already nearly 75,000 patients have been screened for mental health issues under the programme, he said. "It's a ground breaking move. Goa is the first State to implement such a large scale, evidence based depression treatment initiative," Rane said, adding that it will revolutionise mental healthcare. "‘Impress’ aims to reduce the treatment gap for depression. We developed, revised and piloted our community intervention materials while also working towards embedding systems in 30 healthcare facilities all over Goa," Sangath says on its website about the programme. The NGO claims it is partnered by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, the Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mount Sinai Hospital, Ontario, Canada and the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada for the programme. wherein in case of difference of opinion on recruitment between the departments and the Commission, the matter would be referred to the government for final decision. As per sources, close to 1,100 jobs were supposed to be advertised and filled through SSC in the coming one year but there was a lot of resentment among the Ministers and also MLAs – both from ruling as well as Opposition. “Every MLA has promised jobs to their constituents and with SSC in place, that looked a bit difficult,” sources said, adding ‘the same issue, we guess, was raised before BJP high command’. Sawant-led government is facing severe criticism or backlash from the Opposition and his own cabinet colleagues and MLAs over unemployment. Rane too had made a public statement that it is the duty of the government to provide 22,000 jobs – the statement that forced BJP leadership to intervene. 15 INDIA LOSES ITS JEWEL Ratan Tata no more AGENCIES MUMBAI Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of one of India's biggest conglomerates, Tata Sons, has died at 86. On Monday, the industrialist in a social media post had dismissed speculation surrounding his health and had said he was undergoing routine medical investigations due to his age. "It is with a profound sense of loss that we bid farewell to Ratan Naval Tata, a truly uncommon leader whose immeasurable contributions have shaped not only the Tata Group but also the very fabric of our nation," said N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, in a late night statement. "For the Tata Group, Mr Tata was more than a chairperson. To me, he was a mentor, guide and friend. He inspired by example. With an unwavering com- mitment to excellence, integrity, and innovation, the Tata Group under his stewardship expanded its global footprint while always remaining true to its moral compass," said Chandrasekaran. Remembering Tata's contribution to philanthropy, Chandrasekharan said, "From education to healthcare, his initiatives have left a deep-rooted mark that will benefit generations to come". As news broke, tributes poured in from the industry and beyond. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the tributes, hailing the industrialist as "a compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being". "Shri Ratan Tata Ji was a visionary business leader, a compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being. He provided stable leadership to one of India's oldest and most prestigious business houses. Cardinal Ferrão appointed to Synod panel THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop of Goa and Daman Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), to the committee responsible for drafting the final document for the Synod on Synodality. The committee comprising 14 members, includes representatives elected from seven global regions, along with ex-officio members and those directly appointed by the Pope. Along with Cardinal Ferrão, Pope Francis also appointed Sister Leticia Salazar from California and Fr Giuseppe Bonfrate from Rome. The second session of the Synod on Synodality began in the Vatican on October 2 and will conclude on October 27. >Continued on P8
The new Goa, with a broader profile of people from different parts of India and the world, needs not just a strong local paper but a complete paper. The Goan on Saturday will connect to and be a viable and comprehensive read for locals, other Indians in Goa, NRI and foreigners. It will also be a bridge for Goans in other parts of India all over the world to their home land. The Goan is published by Goa's most reputed industrial houses.