log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY MARCH 19, 2025 >> pg 6 Goa gets first empanelled POSH trainer with Government of India Cabinet rejig? CM meets Shah PANAJI: Amid media reports and intense speculation around an impending Cabinet rejig, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday had a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital. Sawant said he briefed Shah on the State’s progress in implementing the new criminal laws and issues related to the mining sector. Sawant who completes six successive years as CM on Wednesday however did not say if he discussed the nature of changes, if any, he intends to make in his Cabinet team. The new BJP State president, Damodar (Damu) Naik, is also in Delhi and alongwith with Sawant was expected to meet BJP leadership managing the party's Goa affairs. IN SHORT >> Tanavade raises spam calls issue in Parl PANAJI: Member of Parliament Sadanand Shet Tanavade raised concerns over the growing menace of spam calls, phishing scams and data privacy breaches in Goa. Tanavade highlighted that such frauds are affecting millions across India including Goa.  >> See pg 3 Govt imposes ESMA on transport services PANAJI: Government has issued a notification prohibiting strikes in all transport services for passenger and goods movement by land or water. The order, issued under ESMA will remain in force for six months. Three rent-a-cabs seized at Dhargal PERNEM: Pernem traffic police seized three rent-a-cabs which were found illegally operating at Dhargal. According to reports, local taxi operators had complained that rent-a-cabs were illegally operating near Mopa. 14 pages Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 270 NEW ZEALAND BEATS PAKISTAN BY FIVE WICKETS >> P14 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Paper leak: Police probe hinges on varsity’s fact-finding report GU TOLD TO FILE OFFICIAL COMPLAINT BASED ON REPORT THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Agassaim police are awaiting the findings of Goa University’s (GU) fact-finding committee before initiating an investigation or registering a First Information Report in the alleged question paper leak case. With no concrete complaint or substantial lead, the police have asked the GU to file an official complaint based on the committee’s report. Reliable sources in the department told The Goan that the current complaint, lodged by a group of activists on Sunday, is based solely on a newspaper report and lacks details. “The Vice-Chancellor (Harilal Menon) and the Head of the Department of the School of Physical & Applied Scienc- Will submit report as soon as we receive it, GU assures governor PANAJI: Goa University has assured Governor and Chancellor P S Sreedharan Pillai that it will submit the fact-finding committee report on the alleged paper leak. Raj Bhavan had taken a serious note of the recent issue of “Question Paper Leakage” at the Goa University and also different comments made by political parties, in this regard and accordingly the Governor had asked the Vice Chancellor to submit the report immediately. According to sources, the VC, through a telees informed us that they have not received any formal complaint. Therefore, there is nothing for us to act upon at Action taken report on govt promises to be tabled in House FOCUS ON 3RD, 4TH SESSION OF 2023 THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Assurance Committee of the Goa Legislative Assembly is expected to submit its report pertaining to the action taken by the government on various assurances delivered during the third and fourth session of 2023 in the upcoming Budget Session, starting from March 24. The Committee, headed by MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, will present the report on the assurances tabled during the fifth session of 2023 and sixth and seventh session of the State Assembly held in 2024, during the Monsoon Session, likely to be held in July-August. The Committee on Monday held a detailed meeting to review the action taken by the government on assuranc- phonic communication has informed the Governor that the report of the fact-finding committee will be submitted as soon as it is received. Goa University on Monday suspended an assistant professor of Physics on allegations of leaking an examination paper to a female student pending inquiry. The Varsity has so far denied any such charges claiming to have not received any paper leak complaint. A two-member committee has been asked to submit report within 48-hours. this stage,” the source said, claiming the police team met the varsity officials for the preliminary inquiry. Govt mulls more time for views on April start to new academic year THE GOAN I NETWORK es made during the third and fourth session of the State legislative assembly. The Committee was satisfied to see that more than 60 per cent assurances made during these two sessions were fulfilled while around 30 per cent are caught up due to financial issues. Speaking to The Goan, Lourenco said that the committee held a marathon meeting and was quite satisfied with the government action PANAJI The State government is considering granting additional time to stakeholders to submit their suggestions to the draft Goa School Education (Amendment) Rules, 2025 following request from the parents. The initial five-day window period to submit the suggestions and objections ended on March 17 with Directorate of Education (DoE) receiving mixed reactions to its proposed change to commence the new Academic Year in April, as against June. Speaking to The Goan, Director Education Shailesh Zingade said following request from parents, the government is considering granting additional 10-15 days time to submit their views. Zingade also said that all suggestions and objections >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 The Committee was satisfied to see that more than 60 per cent assurances made during these two sessions were fulfilled while around 30 per cent are caught up due to financial issues Testing time for port connectivity flyover  mishaps in 1 month   3 Alarm over missing safety features VIKRAM NAYAK THE GOAN I VASCO FOOD T he newly inaugurated port connectivity flyover, hailed as a key infrastructure project to ease traffic congestion, is quickly turning into a safety hazard, with multiple accidents being reported within a month. Despite the Rs 645 crore investment and its grand inauguration on January 21, the flyover lacks critical safety measures, raising serious safety concerns among motorists and locals. The project, undertaken by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), Goa Public Works Department (PWD), and Mormugao Port Authority (MPA), was intended to facilitate seamless movement Instagram.com/thegoanonline FOR THOUGHT The car which overturned on the Port Connectivity Flyover on February 9.  (File photo) of heavy vehicles to and from the port. However, the absence of functional traffic signals, proper signboards, speed breakers, rumblers, and view cutters has turned it into a potential death trap. Accidents raise alarm A car overturned on the flyover on February 9, sparking concerns over road safety. The two occupants of the car escaped unharmed, but the accident prompted calls for a thorough safety audit. „„Traffic signals nonfunctional „„Confusion over speed limits „„No warning signboards „„Ineffective rumblers „„No speed breakers „„No view cutters A loaded truck (KA 22 C 1190) lost control and toppled at a sharp turn on the flyover on March 7, spilling its cargo of wooden chips onto the road below. Luckily, there was no >Continued on P5 But while the GU denied having received any complaint, the VC on Monday suspended Assistant Professor Dr Pranav Naik over allegations of leaking an exam paper to a student. With GU’s fact-finding committee conducting an internal probe, the police have requested GU to lodge a complaint based on the committee’s conclusions. “Once we receive an official complaint detailing the incident, we will register an FIR and initiate our investigation,” the source added. Dr Naik is charged with allegedly stealing an exam paper to help a female student secure high marks last year. The committee is likely to submit its report to VC on Wednesday, as it has been given a 48-hour deadline. Chancellor P S Sreedharan Pillai also stepped in, seeking a detailed report from Menon on the matter. EC to introduce new software option to detect ‘ghost voters’ PTI NEW DELHI Amid the Trinamool Congress highlighting the issue of 'fake voters', the Election Commission has decided to introduce a new option in its software for the detection of 'ghost voters', an official said. The new option would help the electoral registration officers find out if there are multiple names on a particular EPIC number, the official said. "The chief electoral officers in all States have been informed about this decision," he said. He said, a letter was sent to the chief electoral officers of the States informing them about a new module for correcting 'duplicate EPIC numbers'. Until now, the State election officers or the district EROs could not see the identity cards or EPIC numbers of voters from their end and thus missed out on those with Linking Aadhaar to voter cards to be as per law, says EC NEW DELHI: The EC on Tuesday said linkage of voter cards with Aadhaar would be done according to the prevailing law and the Supreme Court’s directions and added technical consultations between UIDAI and its experts for the exercise would “begin soon”. similar EPIC numbers in other States, the official added. Acting chief electoral officer of West Bengal, Dibyendu Das held a virtual meeting with senior officials in the districts and briefed them about the decision, he said. Corrections in the voter list of West Bengal have been ordered to be completed by March 21, he added.