Page 18 - Goa

Mansukh Mandaviya visits Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centre in Goa

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya along with invitee countries' delegates, international organisations and development partners visited the Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centre (AB-HWC) at Corlim in Goa on Tuesday. The field visit was undertaken as part of the ongoing second G20 Health Working Group Meeting here. During the visit, Mandaviya appreciated Goa's capacities in the healthcare sector. Goa has over 201 Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs), Jan Aushadhi Kendras, medical colleges for training young medical professionals among other initiatives. "The AB-HWCs are equipped with primary care services and facilities for non-communicable diseases screening. They also have laboratory facilities, diagnostic facilities, facilities for minor procedures, comprehensive management and awareness activities," he said. AB-HWC Corlim showcased the ground implementation of India's vision of ensuring universal health coverage and digital healthcare landscape in th

Amit Shah's Sunday rally to kickstart BJP's 2024 LS poll campaign in Goa

Union Minister Amit Shah's rally on Sunday in Ponda will kickstart the Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign in Goa for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, a senior party functionary said. Shah will arrive in the state at 3:30pm on Sunday, chair a meeting with party functionaries to discuss organisational issues, and then address a public gathering in Farmagudi town, some 30 kilometres from Panaji, Goa BJP general secretary Narendra Sawaikar said. "We are expecting more than 25,000 people to attend the rally. Allies will also take part. This meeting will kickstart the BJP's Lok Sabha campaign in Goa," he said. Sawaikar exuded confidence the BJP would win both Lok Sabha seats in Goa. Incidentally, Sawaikar had lost from the South Goa Lok Sabha seat to Congress' Francisco Sardinha in the 2019 polls.

Goa to test G20 delegates showing Covid-19 symptoms amid rise in cases

Delegates arriving in Goa for a G20 summit next week will be tested for COVID-19 if they show symptoms of coronavirus infection, an official said on Friday. The state's Directorate of Health Services (DHS) has decided to start antigen testing at the Goa International Airport, Dabolim, and the Manohar International Airport, Mopa, for the G20 delegates who would be arriving in the state, he said. India currently holds the Presidency of the G20, or Group of Twenty an inter-governmental forum of the world's 20 major developed and developing economies. The first of the eight scheduled G20 meetings in Goa will be held from April 17-20. Dr Kedar Raikar, officer on special duty (health), told reporters that although COVID-19 testing is not mandatory, it will be done as a precautionary step for the delegates coming for the G20 summit. Only the delegates with symptoms will be tested, as authorities have adopted a 'no symptom, no testing' policy, he said. Raikar said that the DHS has starte

'Will definitely go', says Delhi CM Kejriwal on Goa Police notice

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said he will definitely go to Goa to appear before the police in connection with a case related to the illegal sticking of posters on public properties during the 2022 assembly election campaign. Asked about the Goa Police's notice, Kejriwal said, "I will go. I will definitely go." The Goa Police on Thursday issued a notice to Kejriwal and asked him to appear before it on April 27. Inspector Dilipkumar Halarnkar of Pernem police station issued the notice to the AAP national convenor under Section 41 (A) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Section 41 (A) of the CrPC allows the police to issue summonses to a person for inquiry if there is a "reasonable" complaint or suspicion that he has committed an offence. The AAP won two seats in the 2022 assembly election in the BJP-governed state.

Shah to start tours of various states including Bengal, Goa from tomorrow

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit four states in the three days from Friday as he spearheads the BJP's drive to tone up its organisation machinery and boost public outreach in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls next year. Party leaders said Shah will visit Birbhum in West Bengal on Friday followed by Bharatpur in Rajasthan on Saturday and Maharashtra and Goa on Sunday. He will lay the foundation stone of a party office and address a rally in Birbhum and address a meeting of booth presidents in Rajasthan, they said. In Maharashtra, Shah is scheduled to attend an event in Raigarh, where 'Maharashtra Bhushan' award will be given to Appasaheb Dharmadhikari. He will address a public meeting in south Goa on Sunday, BJP leaders added.

Majority of ATMs, state govt websites in Goa not disabled-friendly: Report

A majority of ATMs, bus stands and state government websites dealing in public utility services in Goa are not disabled-friendly, according to a survey by the Goa Institute of Management (GIM) and CII-YI. The B-School has unveiled the report, which is an outcome of a seven-month-long "survey and audit" on public utility facilities in the state from a disability perspective by its students, a statement said. The report is a part of the B-School's 'Give Goa' initiative, commissioned by the Confederation of Indian Industry Young Indians (CII-YI). V Padmanaban, who along with the other professors mentored the report, said the ATM audit covered hundred randomly chosen cash-dispensing kiosks in rural and urban parts of Goa. The findings indicated that faulty error messages or audio cues, lack of Braille-powered ATMs, improper ramp designs and complicated transactions were major issues, he said. Padmanaban and other fellow professors -- including Mantasha Firoz, Arpita Amarnani and Kings

Home Minister Amit Shah to address election rally in South Goa on April 16

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, a core committee member, attended the meet. The BJP leader said the ruling party is also gearing up for polls to Sankhalim (North Goa) and Ponda municipal councils in May

Goa's health sector's achievements showcased before G20 meeting

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in partnership with the Goa government showcased the health infrastructure in the state ahead of the G20 Working Group meeting that is scheduled to be held in the coastal state from April 17 to 19. The organisers of the meeting said the health facilities being provided at the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Panaji are exceptional. "India's G20 Presidency has identified three priorities in the health track, namely health emergencies prevention and preparedness; strengthening cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector and digital health innovation and solutions," they said. The organisers showcased India's achievements in digital health Innovations, such as the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Mission at PHC Corlim and the technological innovation under the Swasth Mahila Swasth Goa program presented through the iBreast Device, an initiative supported by YouWeCan, founded by former cricketer Yuvraj Singh, that aids breast

BJP put democracy in dustbin: Goa AAP display posters targeting PM Modi

"When something is not acceptable, it is the right of people to protest. But the BJP and central government are trying to take away this right," Palekar said

New rules for Goa casinos soon, says CM Sawant during Budget speech

New rules for casinos, including off-shore ones, will be notified soon under the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act, an official said in Panaji on Thursday. The announcement was made by Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant during his Budget speech in the Assembly on Wednesday, the official said. The rules will streamline the sector and also speak of giving power of issuing tickets to the 'Gaming Commissioner', he said. Goa has six off shore casinos, while several five-star hotels also operate casinos.

Govt has made strong case against diversion of Mhadei: Goa CM Sawant

Sawant said that the government has effectively stopped any further construction or diversion of the Mhadei waters

Tourist vehicles to be given unique stickers to avoid harassment: Goa CM

Goa CM Pramod Sawant said that tourists entering the state will be given unique stickers to fix on their vehicles, so they are not harassed (by police) while moving across the coastal state

Water sport activities not to be privatised: Goa tourism minister

Water sport activities will not be privatised in Goa, state tourism minister Rohan Khaunte told the Assembly on Monday. Responding to a Zero Hour mention by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Venzy Veigas, he said some persons with vested interests were spreading rumours about such activities being privatised. Touts were cheating tourists by overcharging them for water sport activities and it was important to regulate the trade, he said. "Goa Electronics Limited (GEL) has been assigned the task to introduce online system in the trade. The water sports' rate will be decided by respective associations, while GEL will charge Rs 50 per customer. GEL will run the counters and will provide the necessary technical support," he told the House.

Goa Budget session being kept short as Oppn needed time to study: Speaker

The Budget session of the Goa Assembly is kept short as per tradition and a discussion on the Budget has been postponed to the monsoon session as the Opposition wanted time to study the financial plan, Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar said on Monday, the first day of the sitting. He said the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) has resolved that the monsoon session of the House would be a lengthy one with a duration of 20 days. The Budget session will be held for four days till March 31 excluding the March 30 holiday for Ram Navami. The Budget session is always held for five days (in Goa). It has been a tradition for the last 20-30 years, the Speaker told PTI. Tawadkar said a discussion on the Budget could have started during the current session but the Opposition parties demanded that they want time to study the Budget. That is why the discussion on Budget has been postponed to the next session, he said, adding that since there was not much business, the current session is held for four days

Akasa Air launches two new flights from Lucknow to Goa, Ahmedabad

To offer seamless connectivity to the passengers flying out of Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport (CCSIA) here, Akasa Air on Sunday launched two flights to Goa and Ahmedabad. With Akasa Air, the airport now has three airlines connecting Lucknow with Goa, CCSI said in a statement. The other two airlines connecting the two cities are AirAsia and Indigo, it said. Akasa Air is also launching a new flight connecting Lucknow with Ahmedabad, taking their weekly departures from the airport up to 35, the statement said. The daily non-stop flight from Lucknow airport to Goa will depart at 14:15 hrs and to Ahmedabad at 21:00 hrs. Over 18,000 passengers travel in over 128 flights, both domestic and international, from Lucknow airport on a daily basis.

Congress in Goa to hold Satyagraha to protest Rahul's disqualification

The Congress in Goa has planned to hold 'Satyagraha' on Sunday at Mahatma Gandhi Statue in Old Goa to protest against the disqualification of party leader Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha

Goa CM asks people to take precautions due to Covid-19, influenza cases

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday asked people to take precautions in the wake of a rising number of COVID-19 and influenza infections in the country. Sawant also said the count of coronavirus cases went up slightly in the coastal state. The state government is monitoring the situation amidst the rise in COVID-19 and influenza cases in the country, the chief minister said, adding that people will have to take precautions while the government has already issued an advisory. People who are feeling flu-like symptoms should avoid crowded places and opt for isolation, he said. Goa reported 17 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, taking the overall tally to 2,59,297. The number of active cases is 109. The state has not recorded confirmed influenza cases so far. According to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday, India logged 699 new cases of coronavirus, while the active cases increased to 6,559.

Goa budget session to commence on March 27, says CM Pramod Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said the budget session will start on March 27. The House will be in session from March 27 to March 31, with a holiday on March 30 for Ram Navami. "The exact date of the budget presentation will be announced later. A discussion on the budget would be held in the next session," the chief minister told reporters. Sawant said the ruling party had suggested that the general discussion on the budget could start from the upcoming session and resume in the next sitting, but the opposition parties didn't agree. He said the session would be held for only four days "as there is no business to transact for an extended period".

Goa has potential to become defence manufacturing hub: CM Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said the coastal state has the potential to become a hub for defence manufacturing, creating employment opportunities and also strengthening India's defence capabilities. Addressing the inaugural function of the 3rd Manohar Parrikar Memorial Lecture here, he said Goa's strategic location provides several advantages to key industries, including defence. With unique strategies, Goa has the potential to become a place for defence manufacturing, creating employment opportunities and also strengthen India's defence capabilities, he said. The chief minister said the Union government is committed to encourage self-reliance in defence manufacturing as a part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make In India initiatives. To achieve this, we need trained manpower and we must focus on building competent individuals at the operational level to deploy, direct, review and update the resource effectively, he said. Sawant said quality of workforce is essential .

Goa govt plans to build cancer institute, holds talks with Tata Memorial

The Goa government plans to build a cancer institute in the state so that its residents won't need to travel to other places for treatment, even as it will start a dedicated cancer outpatient department at Goa Medical College from next month, said health minister Vishwajit Rane. The minister on Thursday met officials from Mumbai-based Tata Memorial Hospital in Panaji to discuss ways to set up a facility to treat cancer patients in the state. With rising cancer cases in the state of Goa, we are working unabatedly to build a State Cancer Institute' so that citizens of Goa do not have to travel outside the state to seek treatment, he tweeted after the meeting. In another tweet, he said, Tata Memorial Hospital provides world-class cancer treatment services and facilities. We intend to have a tripartite agreement between the Government of India, the Government of Goa and Tata Memorial Hospital, similar to the Assam model envisioned by Hon PM Shri @narendramodi. Rane said Tata Memorial .