log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SUNDAY DECEMBER 29, 2024 >> SEE PG 2 REWIND 2024: TRACING BACK GOVT MOVES IN SHORT >> FDA cracks down on food outlets as tourism peaks PANAJI: With crowds soaring in the coastal belt and impromptu food stalls springing up to grab the opportunity to make a quick buck, officials of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) descended in Calangute and swooped down on over half-a-dozen such outlets, even confiscating goods and equipment.   >> See pg 3 Man held with drugs worth `5L in Vasco VASCO: Vasco Police arrested a man from Bethora-Ponda in possession of illegal substances suspected to be ganja and valued at Rs 5 lakh.  >> See pg 3 Putin apologises for Azerbaijan tragedy MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he called a tragic incident following the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people . >> See pg 6 9 Embracing new beginnings: Power and potential of New Year’s resolutions Your digestive health matters: 10 Understanding constipation The soul of Goan cuisine, hospitality lives at Vinod Restaurant in Panaji The privacy toolkit: Against prying neighbours 11 The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO.191 Instagram.com/thegoanonline CREMATED WITH STATE HONOURS; PRESIDENT, PM, SONIA AMONG OTHER LEADERS PAY TRIBUTES; FOREIGN DIGNITARIES ATTEND FUNERAL PTI NEW DELHI Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who led India to the path of economic liberalisation in the 1990s, was cremated with full state honours here on Saturday in the presence of top dignitaries from the country and abroad. Singh’s funeral pyre was lit by his eldest daughter, Upinder Singh, at the Nigambodh Ghat as family members, friends and dignitaries bid farewell to the reformist former prime minister. President Droupadi Murmu, the supreme commander of the armed forces, led the nation in paying last respects to the departed leader. Priests and family members recited religious hymns from the holy Gurbani, while President Droupadi Murmu pays her last respects to former prime minister Manmohan Singh at the Nigambodh Ghat. chants of “Satnam Waheguru” filled the air, as Singh was cremated according to Sikh rituals. Before Singh’s mortal remains were consigned to flames, the security forces gave a salute of three volleys of small arms and the buglers sounded the “Last Post” as a mark of honour for the former prime minister. At the Nigambodh Ghat, a sense of deep grief united the assembly featuring Murmu, Vice President Goan overseas voters neglect duty, draw blank at LS poll ELECTION COMMISSION DATA REVEALS NO NON-RESIDENT INDIAN VOTED IN JUNE PANAJI Rising outmigration either for academic or employment among Goans is high because of which the number living abroad while registering themselves as voters in Goa has steadily risen every year since 2014 but their apathy towards actually exercising their right to vote at elections has not. Data recently uploaded by the Election Commission of India shows that in the recent Lok Sabha election held in May-June this year, 84 Goans living abroad were registered as 'overseas voters' but not a single one of them actually voted. In three consecutive Lok Sabha elections since 2014, only one overseas elector has cast his vote – in 2019. In 2014, 27 Goans were registered as 'overseas voters' and not a single one of them voted. Ditto was the case with this year's Lok Sabha poll >Continued on P5 Govt approves special scheme to support fair price shops Nationally across the country, 1.19 lakh citizens were registered as overseas voters and 2,958 of them exercised their franchise in this year's Lok Sabha election. PANAJI In what could give a major boost towards strengthening the financial position of the 450 fair price shop (FPS) operations, the State government has accorded its approval to the special “Compensation to FPS Dealers" scheme, under which an operating expense of Rs 9,500 per shop per month would be provided, apart from enhancing the margins per items. The department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs had proposed the scheme, that speaks about waiving of the ePoS rent at Rs 0.10 paisa per kg and adding an ePoS incentive at Rs 105 per ton will impose additional burden of over Rs 10 crore on the State government. Highly placed sources confirmed that the scheme has got administrative approval of the government and is now awaiting Finance Department clearance. According to the department, the scheme is a ray of >Continued on P5 PANAJI: In the 2022 assembly elections, 78 people were registered as overseas voters. This included 56 males and 22 females. None of these 78 overseas voters had exercised their right to vote in the Lok Sabha elections. New turtle nesting season begins with first batch of 65 Olive Ridley eggs at Agonda beach DELAYED, BUT WELCOME ARRIVAL THE GOAN I NETWORK CANACONA n a boost to the South Goa Marine Range of the Forest Department, the new turtle nesting season got its first batch of 65 Olive Ridley turtle eggs at the Agonda Turtle Rehabilitation Centre (TRC) early Saturday morning. The turtle nesting season got delayed this time, as the season normally begins in October end or beginning of November. An Olive Ridley turtle arrived at the Agonda beach at about 5.48 am on Saturday and dug out a pit to lay 65 eggs, before I The turtle nesting season’s first pit containing 65 Olive Ridley eggs at the Agonda Turtle Rehabilitation Centre (TRC). returning to the sea. The Forest Department appointed guards monitoring the shore since October later shifted all 65 eggs to Pit 1 at the „„An Olive Ridley turtle arrived at Agonda beach around 5:48 am, dug a pit, and laid 65 eggs before returning to the sea „„Forest Department guards, monitoring the shore since October, moved the eggs to Pit 1 at Agonda TRC Agonda Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, marking the first pit of the turtle nesting season. It may be recalled that during the last turtle nesting Centre pulls up State govt over delay in biogas plant Seeks resolving approval, operational delays WASTE TO WEALTH INITIATIVE THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Union Ministry for Jal Shakti has pulled up the Goa government over significant delay in completion of the proposed integrated bio-methanation based power generation unit (biogas plant) due to various issues including failure of the competent authorities to grant approvals. In a communication to the Chief Secretary Dr V Candavelou, Union Secretary for Jal Shakti Ashok Kumar Meena has requested to ensure necessary directions are issued to the concerned authorities to facilitate the “early resolution of the issues”. The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has sanctioned Rs 3 crore to Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) for setting up a Power Generation Plant of 1.0 Megawatt (MW) based on biogas at Saligao plateau. The plant will be designed „„The plant is proposed at the Saligao solid waste treatment plant premises „„The plant will generate 1 MW of power and treat 120 TPD (+20%) of wet waste daily „„Waste sources include fruit and vegetable markets, hotels, kitchens, livestock waste, and industrial by-products „„Electricity generated will power the facility, including lighting, ventilation, and auxiliary systems „„Surplus electricity will be exported to the grid to be able to treat 120 TPD (120 TPD+20%) of wet waste daily and will produce electricity which shall be utilised to run the entire facility. Surplus electricity will be exported to the electricity grid. The total cost of the project is around Rs 11.75 crore. “…that there is significant delay in completion of plants due to land allotment issues, feedstock issues and approval of project from the competent authority. It is requested to kindly direct the concerned authorities to facilitate the early resolution of the issues,” Kumar said in the letter dated December 9. The proposed facility is expected to come up within the premises of the Saligao solid waste treatment plant. The Central government has been promoting setting up of biogas/ compressed biogas (CBG)/ Bio-CNG plants under the ‘Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources >Continued on P5 2-hour extension to venerate Relics of St Francis Xavier THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Deputy Chairman of Exposition Secretariat Committee and Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira has said a two-hour extension in timings to venerate the Sacred Relics of St Francis Xavier would be provided from Sunday onwards, to cater to the huge number of devotees flocking to Old Goa during the final days of the Exposition. “The church authorities have taken a decision that from Sunday onwards, there will now be an extension of two hours for the veneration, which will begin from 6 am and will continue till 7 pm. We will ensure that no one goes back without venerating the Sacred Relics,” Sequeira told the media. There has been a surge in the number of devotees lining up to venerate the Sacred Relics since the past few days, as the Exposition reaches the final week before the concluding ceremony on January 5, 2025. So far, the timings for the veneration had been from 7 am to 6 pm till January 4. There will be no veneration on January 5, the last day of the Exposition. >Continued on P5 overseas voters, and none voted „„In 2019, the number of overseas voters rose to 68, but only one exercised their right to vote „„Nationally, 1.19 lakh citizens were registered as overseas voters in 2024, with 2,958 voting None of 78 voted in 2022 assembly poll too where 84 were registered as overseas voters. The number of Goans registered as overseas voters spiked nearly two-and-half times to 68 but only one of them voted in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers and senior Congress leaders, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and the foreign minister of Mauritius, Dhananjay Ramful, were among the foreign dignitaries who paid tributes to Singh, who served as the prime minister from 2004 to 2014. Singh (92) died on the night of December 26. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also paid their last tributes to the former prime minister and laid wreaths on his mortal remains. THE GOAN I NETWORK STATE OF AFFAIRS: THE STATS „„Despite 84 Goans being registered as overseas voters in the 2024 LS election, none of them cast their vote „„Over the last three LS elections, only one overseas elector voted in 2019 „„In 2014, only 27 Goans were registered as NITISH KUMAR REDDY'S DRAMATIC 105* LEADS INDIA'S REARGUARD > 8 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 India bids farewell to reformist Manmohan THE GOAN I NETWORK MAGAZINE MAGAZ Facebook.com/thegoan „„The Forest Department anticipates more Olive Ridley turtle arrivals at both Agonda and Galgibaga TRCs „„The nesting season, which typically starts at the end of October or early November, was delayed this year season, a total of 22,965 eggs were protected at 231 pits in Agonda and Galgibaga. A total 13,561 Olive Ridley hatchlings were released into the Arabian Sea from Agonda (9,661) and Galgibaga (3,471). However, the mortality rates were high with as many as 8,190 eggs having failed to hatch and an additional 1,214 hatchlings dying in the pits. RFO Rajesh Naik, incharge of the South Goa Marine Range, which is headquartered at Galgibaga, informed that the Forest Department is expecting more arrivals of Olive Ridley turtles at both the Rehabilitation Centres Nesting Sites of Agonda and Galgibaga. Naik informed that the >Continued on P5 NEW YEAR 2025 Embrace the new year with unforgeeable celebraaons. Choose from three stunning venues, each presennng a lavish gala dining experience. 31ST DECEMBER 2024 - NEW YEAR’S EVE GALA DINNER DPB - TERRACE GARDEN BAR ASSEMBLEIA MANDOVI & ZUARI LAWNS Exclusive sundowner party transiioning into a gala dinner under the stars. Band: Ryan N Naisa & DJ Gastronome Grand air-condiioned ballroom for a night of unparalleled elegance. Luxurious seaside gala with curated dining, live music, and mesmerizing entertainment. 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