log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SUNDAY JANUARY 12, 2025 MOVIES »PAGE 16 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore) 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 205 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 PLAY & PAUSE »PAGE 13 LIVE SMART »PAGE 14 SRIDEVI’S LEGACY LIVES ON Kaifi’s Bombay Mood board SPORTS »PAGE 8 Shami set for T20I comeback as India faces England NOT IN A RELATIONSHIP! SOUND OF MUSIC: Dear Zakir bhai... JUGAAD: Home decor hacks! BCCI to review Kohli, Rohit’s future ahead of Champions Trophy Aamir Khan’s emotional moment remembering Sridevi: Khushi’s performance reminded me of her REQUIRED DESIGNER at Panaji Office  Minimum 1 year work experience  Knowledge of InDesign, Photoshop, Corel Draw Mail CV to: editor@thegoan.net Ahead of Kaifi Azmi’s 106th birth anniversary, a look at his relationship with Bombay Steps to create your vision board and manifest your dreams Helpline for seniors goes ‘offline’, connects Delhi CALLS REDIRECTED TO DELHI INSTEAD OF BEING HANDLED IN GOA THE GOAN I NETWORK >> SEE PG 2 UNEARTHING SMART CITY: CHAOS AGAIN MAGAZINE MAGAZ 9 National Youth Day: Celebrating spirit of nation Makar Sankranti: A celebration of harvest and traditions Three olives and a whole lot of heart: The new culinary spot in Mapusa 11 The creation of new districts: Governance, opportunities and risks IN SHORT >> Goa Board revises re-evaluation process PANAJI: Goa Board has introduced changes to its revaluation process and fee structure. Board Chairman Bhagirath Shetye said students applying for revaluation will now be charged Rs 100 per question. With this, it has done away with the practice of re-evaluating the entire answer script. They must first obtain photocopies of their answer sheets and indicate the specific questions they wish to have re-evaluated. Third cannabis plant found PANAJI: Exactly eight days after the first cannabis plant amid Smart City works in Panaji surprised both citizens and Goa police, a third such plant was found on Saturday, raising further questions about its source and intent. The latest plant was found growing in a plastic paint bucket placed amidst other plants in Tonca. Police sources said that it appeared the plant had been uprooted from elsewhere and replanted in the bucket, as its leaves PANAJI Three months after its much-publicized launch, Elderline 14567 a toll-free helpline for senior citizens is struggling due to logistical challenges and a critical operational issue -- calls are allegedly being redirected to a central facility in Delhi instead of being handled locally in Goa. This setback seems to have defeated the very purpose of the helpline, which was intended to help the elderly promptly and efficiently. Government sources revealed to The Goan that the call centre set up through a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Directorate of Social Welfare and Alankit Assignments Limited is yet to function as promised. “We have nodal officers monitoring the situation and subsequent operations, but logistical problems and call diversions have delayed operations,” admitted a source ELDERLINE: FROM HOPE TO HURDLES „„Proposed as a safety net for elderly and comprehensive solution to problems faced by elders „„Helpline was to handle calls/cases of abandoned elders, abuse and medical emergencies „„Was to be operational daily from 8 am to 8 pm „„Was designed as a critical support system offering guidance, emotional support, and field interventions for abused or neglected senior citizens adding that logistics and manpower arrangements are tasked to the service provider. "The system should be running smoothly shortly," „„Promised ambitious assurances of becoming fully operational within 45 days STREAMLINING SERVICES TESTING TIMES „„Alankit is responsible for integrating key govt depts including police and welfare officers among others „„Call centre set up through MoU between Directorate of Social Welfare and Alankit Assignments Limited „„Launched on October 1, 2024 added the source, although a timeline for full functionality remains unclear. Launched on October 1, 2024, with ambitious assur- 10 new community jetties to transform waterways in Goa 3 MORE JETTIES TO BE ADDED AT SAL, CHAPORA THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In a big boost for inland waterways in the State, the Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) has announced setting up of 10 community jetties. It also said three more jetties would be added on river Sal and river Chapora. IWDC, the apex meet for policy deliberation on the promotion and propagation of inland waterways in India, also announced investments of more than Rs 50,000 crore in next five years to boost infrastructure along national waterways. Speaking on the occasion Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, announced the construction of 10 community jetties along the Mandovi, Cumbharjua, and Zuari rivers. Additionally, he revealed plans for three more jetties on the Sal and Chapora rivers. He also said proposals for POLICY INITIATIVE „„Riverine Community Development Scheme mooted „„To improve socio-economic well-being of coastal communities „„Infrastructure to be developed, promotion of trade and tourism along with riverine ecosystem „„Skill enrichment training to be provided fairway maintenance in three national waterways have been approved while Vessel Traffic Management Systems are also to be set up on all national waterways of Goa. The meet at Kaziranga also witnessed ministerial participation from various States including Goa, wherein the Ports Minister Aleixo Sequeira attended. A series of new initiatives across 21 Inland Waterway States were announced worth more than Rs 1400 crore in the meeting. A major policy initiative in the form of Riverine Community Development Scheme was mooted at the IWDC to improve the socio-economic well-being of coastal communities by developing infrastructure, promotion of trade and tourism along with riverine ecosystem, providing skill enrichment trainings and upgrading traditional knowledge of river of the communities in an attempt to upgrade the quality of lives of the people living by the banks of the National Waterways. Sonowal also said, “IWDC has anchored a new vista for cooperative federalism as both the governments at Union and the States discussed, deliberated, debated and >Continued on P6 AI-driven traffic management system hits a ‘red light’ at Merces junction THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI hat was touted as a groundbreaking technological intervention to ease traffic congestion at Merces Junction, has instead plunged the area into chaos. The much-hyped Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven Security, Integrated Traffic Management and eChallan System, by Beltech AI under a public-private partnership, has allegedly failed to live up to its promise. The system, launched with much fanfare at the busy junction in March 2023, has left commuters frustrated after taking a bizarre twist -- one of the traffic cameras was spotted hanging and the signals W No challans lead to revenue loss PANAJI: It is estimated that between March 2023 and April 2024, Beltech’s traffic system generated around 56,000 penalties, which could have contributed over Rs 5 crore to the State exchequer. However, the penalties allegedly remain uncollected as the challans are not issued. stopped working. In a desperate measure, the traffic police were compelled to unplug the dangling camera to prevent riders and drivers from being struck by it. Sources revealed to The Smart City traffic signal upgrades face hurdles PANAJI: The IPSCDL allegedly proposed to install new traffic signals in place of the currently glitch-ridden signals. Sources stated that the Traffic Department sent two communications to the PWD and one to Beltech AI, Bengaluru, requesting to dismantle the faulty signals to replace them with the IPSCDL’s proposed system. A recent communication also spoke about the urgency to improve traffic flow and ensure convenience for road users. However, there has been no movement so far. The IPSCDL is awaiting NOC from the PWD while it has already erected ‘yellow poles’ for the proposed project. Goan that with Merces Junction connecting nearly 10 highways, roads and service lanes; the system’s repeated glitch is allegedly due to coordination flaws between the agencies including the Public Works Department (PWD). Efforts to resolve the technical issues have reportedly been ignored, despite formal communications from the Traffic Department to both the PWD and Beltech AI, leaving >Continued on P6 „„Operational challenges, call diversions have stalled its progress for now „„With delays, vulnerable citizens remain in limbo. „„Despite the setbacks, agency remains optimistic that helpline will soon begin functioning seamlessly „„Goa Police Senior Citizen Helpline is presently operational 24x7 and can be reached at 1090 ances of becoming fully operational within 45 days, the helpline will handle calls/cases of abandoned elders, abuse and medical emergencies. Under the MoU, Alankit is responsible for integrating key govt departments including police and welfare officers among others concerned to streamline operations. As per further details about the project, the helpline, part of the National Helpline for Senior Citizens (NHSC) initiative by the Government of India and operational daily from 8 am to 8 pm, has been designed as a critical support system offering guidance, emotional support, and field interventions for abused or neglected senior citizens. “It is a safety net for the elderly and a comprehensive solution to the problems faced by the elders. However, operational challenges and call diversions stalled its progress for now,” sources said. Despite the setbacks, sources said the agency remains optimistic that the helpline will begin functioning. For now, the Goa Police Senior Citizen Helpline is operational 24/7 and can be reached at 1090. Kerala horror: Teen athlete abused by 62 for over 5 years FIVE CASES REGISTERED, 14 ARRESTED AGENCIES KOCHI Kerala Police have registered five cases and arrested 14 people after an 18-year-old Dalit girl in Pathanamthitta district alleged that as many as 62 people had sexually abused her over the last five years. Police said the girl had been sexually abused from the age of 16. The alleged incident came to light when volunteers of the Kerala Mahila Samakhya Society met the girl, a district-level athlete, during a field visit. When she wanted to share her experiences in recent years, the volunteers informed the district Child Welfare Committee (CWC). Pathanamthitta Superintendent of Police V G Vinod Kumar said the probe has been intensified. “More cases will be registered based on the girl’s detailed statement, which is being recorded by women police in the presence of her mother. Action will continue based on her statements,’’ he said. Apart from relevant sec- The alleged incident came to light when volunteers of the Kerala Mahila Samakhya Society met the girl, a district-level athlete, during a field visit. When she wanted to share her experiences in recent years, the volunteers informed the district Child Welfare Committee tions of Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, the suspects were booked under various other sections. Advocate N Rajeev, who heads the Pathanamthitta CWC, said the matter came up before the committee in December. He said the girl has been facing sexual abuse from the age of 13. “I told the girl to report before the committee along with her mother. She was given counselling, and she opened up before a psychologist, narrating the sexual abuse she has been facing”, he said.