Page 22 - Goa

Goa CM Sawant urges citizens to promote local businesses this Diwali

Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Saturday urged citizens to encourage the "vocal for local" initiative and consider local products while shopping for Diwali festival. The chief minister said that he himself has put up a lantern made of coconut tree leaves, which was gifted to him by students of a school in Loliem village in South Goa, at his official residence in Panaji. Sawant was addressing government officials and panchayat members from across Goa, virtually, as a part of a review of the state government's Swayampurna Goa initiative. Referring to the vocal for local initiative, Sawant appealed citizens to buy items prepared by locals for Diwali, and said the festival should be an occasion to promote local businesses. It may be akashkandil (lantern), eatables or even flowers always choose to buy items that are made locally. This way, you will help to promote vocal for local initiative, he said. Children from schools catering to differently-abled persons put up stalls at ..

Amid agitation, Goa minister says IIT project will come up at Sanguem

Though the people against the IIT project in Sanguem have warned to intensify their agitation, Goa minister Subhash Phal Dessai said that it will come into reality at the same place

Complain to CMO if anyone demands money using my name, says Goa CM Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday appealed to people to contact his office if any person demands money using his name.

IIT-Goa will create 2,000 employment opportunities: State minister

A Goa Minister on Tuesday said that the prolonged Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) project in Sanguem may create 2,000 employment opportunities which would benefit the local youth

SpiceJet plane makes emergency landing in Hyderabad; DGCA orders probe

A SpiceJet plane coming from Goa made an emergency landing at Hyderabad airport on Wednesday night after smoke was observed in the cabin and DGCA is probing the incident

Centre assures to resolve UK visa issue soon, says Goa CM Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said that the Union Home Ministry has given an assurance to resolve the issue of the United Kingdom visas as soon as possible

Dabolim airport to shut if app-based transport not supported: Goa Minister

Goa Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho on Wednesday expressed the fear that Dabolim airport may shut down if local taxi operators fail to support app-based taxi services

Merger of group of 8 Cong MLAs with BJP in Goa as per constitution: Speaker

The recent move by a group of eight Congress MLAs in Goa to merge with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was as per the constitutional norms, state Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar said. Tawadkar told PTI that the political dynamics has changed in recent times and politics is now more "vibrant". On September 14 this year, eight out of the 11 Congress MLAs in Goa joined the BJP. They had passed a resolution to merge the Congress Legislature Party with the BJP. Asked about the last month's political development, Tawadkar said the merger was as per the constitutional provisions. A group of two-third MLAs split from the party and merged with the BJP. Everything went as per the rule book, he said. Tawadkar said when the split took place in the Congress, he was in Delhi but rushed back to Goa capital Panaji the same day and completed the formalities. It happened all of sudden. I presume even they had taken the decision suddenly, he said. Asked whether it is healthy in a democracy for

Goa to face loss of Rs 500 cr if visa restriction to UK not relaxed: GFP

Claiming that the coastal state will face loss of Rs 500 cr if tourists from UK don't visit, Goa Forward Party President and MLA Vijai Sardesai has appealed to the BJP govt to relax visa conditions

Invest in Goa and be partners in industrial growth: CM Pramod Sawant

Stating that Goa prefers to encourage eco-friendly industries, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday called upon the investors to invest in the state and be partners in industrial growth.

Water sports policy to benefit tourists, operators of Goa: Tourism Minister

Stating that Goa faces challenges on tourism from Sindhudurg belt and from Karnataka border, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte said that his department is promoting water sports

Foundation stone for IIT-Goa campus to be laid in next six months: CM

Goa's Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that the foundation stone for setting up of IIT-Goa project will be laid within the next six months

Govt plans to auction 22 mineral blocks in 3 states within next two months

The government plans to auction 22 mineral blocks in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Goa in November and December. The mines to be auctioned include six iron ore blocks, three blocks each of limestone and gold, two blocks of bauxite, one block each of copper, phosphorite and glauconite, according to the mines ministry. The notice inviting tenders for the blocks were floated in September. While the mines in Maharashtra will be auctioned next month, those in Uttar Pradesh and Goa will be put on sale in December. So far, more than 180 mineral blocks have been put on sale since the system of auctioning of mineral blocks began. The government started the process of allocating mineral blocks through auctions in 2015-16. The ministry has expressed hopes of auctioning 500 mines by the end of 2024. The Centre is aiming to increase the mining sector's contribution to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 5 per cent from 2.5 per cent at present. The ministry has also notified the Mi

State scan: Has Goa become the go-to party-hopping destination in India?

Goa isn't new to defections. Political analysts say there have been at least 10 major episodes of defections since the state was liberated in the early 1960s

Auctioning of mining leases in Goa to get over by Nov 2022: CM Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday said the auctioning of eligible iron ore mining leases in the state will get over by November 2022, but it would take one year after that to begin the extraction of fresh ore. Talking to PTI in Sankhalim, his Assembly constituency in North Goa, Sawant said this one-year period is required to complete all the formalities. The mining activities in Goa had come to a standstill in March 2018 after the apex court quashed the second renewal of iron ore mining leases given to 88 companies in Goa in 2015, and prohibited the extraction of fresh ore. The state has now put up four iron ore mining leases for auction. This is for the first time in Goa's mining history that leases are being awarded through auctioning. "The first batch of four leases have been auctioned by the State Directorate of Mines and Geology, SBI CAP and Metal Scrap Trade Corporation Limited, while the process is on to auction the rest of the leases by November 2022," he ...

Goa's leader of opposition Yuri Alemao to initiate 'people's movement'

Goa Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao on Friday said his first task (as LoP) will be to initiate a people's movement against the "anti-people policies" of the government.

Amit Shah approves Rs 488 cr to UP, Punjab, Goa for disaster mitigation

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday approved the release of Rs 488 crore to Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Goa as central share of the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) for 2021-22. Based on the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission, the central government has allocated Rs 32,031 crore for the SDMF and Rs 13,693 crore for the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) for 2021-22 to 2025-26, according to an official release. These mitigation funds are to be used for undertaking mitigation activities, involving local level and community-based interventions, which will reduce the risks from disasters and promote environment-friendly settlements and livelihood practices. The home minister has always emphasised that before the 1990s, the central government had a relief-centric approach and there was no scope for saving lives and property and it was not part of the planning process, the statement said. Now as per the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has .

App-based taxi services will be available in Goa soon: CM Pramod Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said his government was firm on introducing app-based cab services in the coastal state. "I want to give you an assurance that in a few days app-based taxis will be available," Sawant told reporters in Chandigarh. Two months ago, Goa Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho had said the state government was firm on introducing app-based cab services and would not bow down to pressure from the private taxi lobby which was against it. Private taxi operators have been opposing app-based cab services, claiming it will destabilise their business. On private taxi operators opposing app-based cab services, Sawant said, "In a few days the taxi issue will be resolved and you will get app-based taxi in Goa." Responding to a question on Haryana BJP leader Sonali Phogat's mysterious death in Goa last month, Sawant said, "On demand of her family, we have handed over the investigation to the CBI." "Any assistance which CBI may require from the Goa Police

Mamata-led Trinamool Congress spent big for Goa polls, drew blank

The Goa assembly elections were keenly fought with the Trinamool Congress and Aam Aadmi Party throwing their hats in the ring but when it came to poll expenditure, it was the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress that loosened its purse strings spending a whopping Rs 47.54 crore. The BJP, which retained power in Goa with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant at the helm, spent over Rs 17.75 crore towards election expenditure in the state. The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP spent nearly Rs 3.5 crore in Goa, where it tried its luck for the second consecutive assembly elections. The details of the election expenditure were submitted by the respective political parties to the Election Commission recently. The Congress, which was hoping to dislodge the BJP from power in Goa, spent approximately Rs 12 crore on the Goa elections. The Nationalist Congress Party gave Rs 25 lakh each to the 11 candidates it had fielded for the elections, besides spending on the campaign from the party's central fund. The

Sonali Phogat death case: Family accuses BJP's Kuldeep Bishnoi of murder

BJP leader Sonali Phogat's brother has accused party leader Kuldeep Bishnoi of murdering his sister.The revelation was made by Rinku at Sarv Khap Mahapanchayat which was held in Hisar.The Khap spokesperson Sandeep Bharti while talking to ANI said that after allegations by Sonali's family members, Sarv Khap Mahapanchayat has decided that Kuldeep Bishnoi should explain his stand before Mahapanchayat.Sonali Phogat's brother Rinku Dhaka said, "I had sent one of my acquaintances to the hospital after Sonali's death, and Sudhir Sangwan, who is one of the accused in the murder, had enquired whether the person was sent by Kuldeep.""One of our acquaintances was in Goa. After Sonali's death, we called him and sent him to the hospital. When he reached, Sudhir Sangwan met him and asked where was he from. When he said that he is from Hisar, Sudhir immediately asked if Kuldeep has sent him. He didn't say anything, but Sudhir again asked the same question in the car," Rinku Dhaka said.Khap ...