log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline THURSDAY MAY 15, 2025 GOA One year on, no progress on key Margao flyover Facebook.com/thegoan 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 327 2 GOA More than 21,000 women miss Griha Aadhaar linking deadline 3 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO What is diabetic retinopathy? Symptoms and treatments 9 SPORTS Neeraj Chopra conferred honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in Territorial Army 14 SAFETY AT QUARRIES, CANALS HITS A DEADLOCK >> See PG 3 12 yrs on, district treasury has not yet shifted to Matanhy Saldanha Administrative complex IN SHORT >> Justice Gavai sworn in as CJI, to have 6-month tenure NEW DELHI: Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai took oath as the 52nd Chief Justice of India at a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice BR Gavai, who succeeds Justice Sanjiv Khanna in the country’s top judicial post. Chief Justice Gavai will be at the top post for six months before he retires in November.  >> See pg 8 Rain lashes several parts of Salcete MARGAO: Heavy showers accompanied by lightning and thunder lashed many parts of Salcete on late Wednesday. The villages of Assolna, Velim, Ambelin and Chinchinim received heavy showers, bringing relief to the people from the hot and humid weather conditions. The showers also saw power outage for a brief period. Fencing of abandoned quarries drags WRD under fire as canal safety on as proposal awaits govt approval measures delayed despite order THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Nine months after announcing to fence and barricade around 35 abandoned stone quarries or mining pits at a whopping cost of over Rs 2.50 crore, the government seems to be dragging its feet over action, as the proposal continues to remain pending for consideration. Since 2020, as many as nine individually in the age group of 16 to 23 years, have drowned in these pits. The issue pertaining to fencing of abandoned laterite quarries had come up for discussion during the Managing Committee as well as Governing Council meeting of the District Mineral Foundation (DMF), wherein it was informed that the proposal, with regards to South Goa is pending with the government for consideration while in case of North, a detailed proposal is awaited from the Disaster Management Cell. “There were clear directions from the High Court that all CAUSE FOR CONCERN „„There were clear directions from the High Court that all the abandoned quarries need to be fenced on priority to prevent death due to drowning „„Accordingly, the proposal was moved to the government, to get funds, of over Rs 2.50 crore through DMF „„However, the proposal is pending with the government and hence, DMF could not grant any sanction so far the abandoned quarries need to be fenced on priority to prevent death due to drowning. Accordingly, the proposal was moved to the government, to get funds, of over Rs 2.50 crore through DMF. However, the proposal is pending with the government and hence, DMF could not grant any sanction Casino gambling adverts pop up on govt website Road digging banned across Goa from today India tests anti-drone system Bhargavastra NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday successfully tested a new indigenous low-cost counter-drone system, named Bhargavastra. Broadcaster India Today said that the test was conducted at the Seaward Firing Range in Gopalpur, Odisha. Developed by Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL), the system is designed to target hostile drone swarms.  >> See pg 8 WEATHER >> Max: 31 C Min: 28 C Humidity: 68% TIDES 05:47 18:30 13:00 23:30 so far,” sources informed. July 2022, the High Court of Bombay at Goa had pulled up authorities, for ignoring largescale quarrying in Mollem, Dharbandora, after the petitioner alleged that quarries are left open with no proper precautionary measures. Earlier this week, the Court directed State authorities to inform it of the steps already taken and to be taken to restore such sites and to explain the methodology for addressing unauthorised quarrying. In July, last year, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had informed the Goa Legislative Assembly that the government will fence and barricade around 35 abandoned stone quarries/ mining pits at a cost of Rs 2.75 crore. He had said that Rs 75 lakh has been sanctioned by the government, and Rs 2 crore from the District Mineral Fund will be used for the purpose. The government had identified six highly dangerous quarries – two each from Sattari, Bicholim, and Pernem Taluka. Accordingly, in August, 2024, the South District Collector had invited tenders to provide barbed wire fencing for such quarries. The first phase was estimated to cost nearly Rs 60 lakh and was expected to be completed in 120 days. THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Water Resources Department (WRD) is again under fire for failing to install safety barricades along the canals, despite having issued urgent internal directives a month ago seeking immediate remedial action to prevent further fatalities. A confidential WRD letter, issued mid-April and accessed by The Goan, had labelled the absence of barricades “gross negligence”, directing Superintending and Executive Engineers to identify high-risk canal junctions, initiate temporary safety measures, and submit a detailed action plan by April 18. However, nothing moved on the ground. Chief Engineer Pramod Badami had himself flagged the issue as “very serious”, admitting that even earlier war-footing instructions were ignored. “No progress is seen on the ground,” he said then. It took another drowning incident for the department to swing into action with make- THE GOAN I NETWORK One of the advertisements for online gambling on the Goa government’s Department of Women and Child Development website on Wednesday. THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Advertisements luring you to try your luck at online gambling would most likely stare at your face if you happened to browse through the Goa government’s Department of Women and Child Development website on Wednesday. The advertisement was listed under the link for “schemes” meant for the welfare of women and children, as the screenshot published alongside indicates. One such ad suggests choosing online gambling sites which accept payments through ‘Mastercard’ credit cards for safety reasons. Another prompts you to play free “Slot Machine Online” with- out downloading or installing the app and has an ‘overview’ on playing free slot machine online. The Goan has reported on multiple occasions in the past that official websites of Goa government departments are not secured and prone to cyber hacking. In the most recent reportage of the issue, it was reported that more than 70 per-cent of government websites including that of educational institutions like Goa University, are “not secure” with the IT department reporting that of the 62 government websites, 45 departments have not renewed the Security Audit of their website and another 17 had the renewal process incomplete. WRD’S INACTION „„The WRD failed to act on its own urgent directives to install safety barricades along canals, despite a mid-April internal memo calling the lapse ‘gross negligence’ „„A 10-year-old girl’s drowning in Quepem on May 5 prompted the department to hastily install makeshift crash barriers at select locations „„Due to urgency, WRD floated short-term work orders without following standard tender procedures. Completion is expected in two weeks shift crash barriers now allegedly being hurriedly placed at select canal points. On May 5, a 10-year-old girl drowned in an irrigation canal in Quepem, incident which added to a spate of canal drowning cases in the recent past. Official sources conceded that the department has bypassed normal tendering procedures due to urgency and floated a short-term work order. The job is expected to be completed in two weeks. “This won’t serve the longterm purpose but at least it may prevent further casualties in the immediate future,” the source added. The Goa, Daman and Diu Irrigation Act, 1973 mandates canal officers to physically inspect canal paths and ensure public safety. Sections 84(vii) and Rule 4(1)(2)(i) & (3) of the Act provide for penal action against officials who fail to enforce safety. Yet, sources alleged another problem – pressure from local political interests to >Continued on P8 Goa Police to buy 4 vehicles Probe panel report with DMF funds, sparks row cited stampede-like scenario last year DEPT CLAIMS VEHICLES WILL BE USED ONLY FOR PATROLLING MINING-AFFECTED AREAS MAPUSA: The Public Works Department (PWD) has announced a complete ban on road digging across the State from May 15 until the end of the monsoon season, which officially concludes on September 30.  >> See pg 5 Low: High: The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) PANAJI Goa police are set to induct four new Scorpio vehicles, at a whopping cost of over Rs 1.10 crore, in their fleet for daily patrolling in the mining affected areas. Interestingly, all these vehicles – two each for North and South – would be procured with funds under District Mineral Foundation (DMF) – which are meant for spending on high priority areas for welfare of the affected people. During the Governing Council meeting of North and South DMG, held last month, Superintendent of Police (SP) South claimed that the vehicles would be used to transport injured or deceased during rainy days in the remote areas of South Goa. The Governing Council, approved the proposal to purchase four Scorpio Vehicles, costing Rs 28 lakh each, and directed the department to ensure that the vehicles ‘SCORPIOS’ FOR PATROLLING? „„Goa Police is set to acquire four Scorpio vehicles, each costing Rs 28 lakh, for patrolling mining-affected areas in North and South Goa „„The total cost of Rs 1.10 crore will be funded by the DMF „„The vehicles will be used for daily patrolling in mining areas, as well as for emergency transportation of injured or deceased individuals, particularly during the rainy season in remote areas DMF FUND CONTROVERSY „„The use of DMF funds for purchasing police vehicles has raised concerns, as DMF guidelines prioritise spending on welfare, health, education, irrigation, and women’s empowerment, not police infrastructure „„The proposal for purchasing the vehicles was approved by the North and South DMG Governing Council, despite criticism regarding the failure to provide a realistic cost breakdown for the vehicles are used only in the mining affected areas and that the vehicles should have appropriate branding of DMF. The approval was granted even as the SPs office failed to furnish the realistic amount of the vehicles. As per guidelines, DMF fund is supposed to be spent on high priority areas for welfare of people and areas affected by mining related operations. Health, >Continued on P8 MENTIONED A LADY PURPORTEDLY DIED OF ‘SUFFOCATION’, BUT NO RECORD AVAILABLE THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The report of the fact-finding committee led by Revenue Secretary, Sandip Jacques, cites the situation of a nearmiss and a stampede-like scenario at the Devi Lairai Zatra in Shirgao last year and even makes mention that a lady had purportedly died of ‘suffocation’ then. The report however mentions that the fact-finding committee did not find any record of it (lady’s death) which reportedly occurred last year. “And in another case last year, a woman allegedly died due to suffocation on the sloped section of the pathway. However, the committee did not find any record to substantiate such an incident,” the report mentions, even as it concludes that the tragedy which left six dead and several injured in the wee hours of May 3 was “entirely preventable”. The report also flags procedural failures by multiple au- Officers to file replies to Home Dept: CS PANAJI: Chief Secretary Dr V Candavelou, IAS, has said that the officers who have been served show cause notices will have to file their responses to the Home Department, which will then carry forward the subsequent process. >Continued on P8 thorities – the organisers (the temple committee), district administration and police besides the local panchayat. “This critical incident was precipitated by a chain of preventable failures arising from inadequate crowd risk assessment, absence of unidirectional circulation planning, non-implementation of safety >Continued on P8 After ‘Sindoor’, India traders 18K ration cards struck off PDS roster for non-use RATION CARDS THE STATS wage war against Turkey THE GOAN I NETWORK BOYCOTT FRUIT IMPORTS, SEVER ALL BUSINESS TIES AGENCIES GHAZIABAD Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad fruit traders have decided to boycott Turkish apples and other imports in response to Turkey’s support for Pakistan amid tensions with India. Shadab Khan, a local fruit trader, has expressed strong opposition, stating that any country supporting Pakistan in acts against India will face a boycott. He added that fruit traders of Ghaziabad have ended all trade with Turkey and will never import anything from them in the future. “We have boycotted all JNU suspends MoU with Turkey’s Inonu University NEW DELHI: Jawaharlal Nehru University has suspended an academic memorandum of understanding with Turkey’s Inonu University, citing national security considerations, officials of the university in New Delhi confirmed on Tuesday. The MoU was inked on February 3 for a period of three years. products from Turkey. Apart from apples, several other fruits were imported from Turkey. We took this step because Turkey supported Pakistan. Turkey used to do good business in India, but now we have ended all trade with them. We will never import anything from Turkey in the future,” said Shadab Khan, a local fruit trader. Sharing a similar sentiment, Noor Mohammed, a >Continued on P8 PANAJI pproximately 18,000 households have been struck off the public distribution roster with their ration cards either surrendered voluntarily or most cancelled due to non-use for six consecutive months, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department officials have confirmed. Officials said, there are 2,64,623 ration cards registered and valid this year as against 2,83,334 in 2024. A fraction of the 18,000odd ration cards which have been struck off was accounted for by households which voluntarily surrendered their cards. A vast majority of these were cancelled because the beneficiaries did not use the A „„18,000 ration cards removed from Goa’s PDS; most cancelled due to non-use for six consecutive months „„Cancellation affects Antyodaya Anna Yojana and Priority Household Cards „„The State funds APL subsidies, while Centre covers AAY/ PHH costs „„1,200 metric tonnes of rice supplied from Centre’s FCI between Oct 2024–Mar 2025 „„Monthly rice allotments ranged from 344 to 380 MT during this period cards to procure their monthly quota from the allocated fair price shops for successive six months, the officials said. After this Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Household Card (PHH) being allocated, according to the Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department. The development has also proportionately reduced the total number of beneficiaries under the PDS system. As of date, the State has 1.14 lakh YEAR PHH AAY APL 2025 114317 10709 139597 2024 117768 11052 154514 2023 120212 11502 146019 BENEFICIARIES YEAR PHH AAY APL 2025 425750 36986 519376 2024 442492 39114 587183 2023 466881 42370 565971 beneficiaries under the ‘Priority Household Card’ scheme, another 10,000 under the Antyodaya Yojana and 1.39 lakh under the Above Poverty Line (APL) category. The State bears the cost of subsidising rations to the APL category while the Centre takes the tab for the other two categories – AAY/PHH TOTAL 264623 283334 277733 TOTAL 982112 1068789 1033606 ration card holders. Over the last six months between October last year and March this year around 1,200 metric tonnes of rice came from the Centre’s FCI for the PDS system in the State – 380 in October, 365 in November, 370 in December, 370 in January this year, 377 in February and 344 in March.