Page 7 - Goa

Fishing vessel-submarine collision: Bodies of 2 crew members recovered

The bodies of two crew members who went missing after a fishing vessel collided with a submarine have been recovered from the Arabian Sea off the Goa coast, a senior naval official said on Friday. The fishing vessel, Marthoma, sank after colliding with the submarine of the Indian Navy at about 70 nautical miles off the shore last week, triggering a massive operation to trace the two crew members. In a joint operation involving the Navy, Indian Coast Guard and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) on Thursday, the mortal remains of the missing crew members were recovered from the seabed near the shipwreck, an Indian Navy spokesperson said. The boat had sunk after colliding with an Indian Navy submarine on November 21. Eleven of the 13 crew were rescued on the same day by Indian Navy ships, while two persons had remained missing, he said. The official said that the Indian Navy and Coast Guard jointly undertook a week-long search, which helped localise the fishing boat's ...

Goa govt eyeing Rs 500 cr revenue via e-auction of unclaimed iron ore dumps

With the approval for a revised policy, the Goa government is eyeing a revenue of about Rs 500 crore from e-auction of unclaimed iron ore heaps lying on private lands, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Thursday. The state government on Thursday approved the revised Goa Iron Ore Mining Dump Handling Policy, 2023, which allows it to e-auction unclaimed ore lying in the form of dumps at various private locations in the state. The iron ore mining. a major source of revenue, has been halted in the coastal state since 2012 following a Supreme Court order. The state has now begun e-auctioning of the mining blocks. The iron ore dumps, which have been lying at various locations in the state, have remained untouched since mining operations stopped in 2012. Briefing the media after the cabinet meeting, Sawant said under the revised mining dump policy, the heaps of ore that are "unclaimed on private land without payment of the land conversion fee" will be e-auctioned by the state ...

Half of Goa uses online portal, saves trips to government offices: Official

More than half of Goa's population no longer needs to visit government offices for various works as the state continues to expand the user base of its e-governance portal Goa Online', officials have said. Of the 16 lakh residents in the coastal state, about 8.6 lakh people are currently using the portal, offering 241 services, which ensures doorstep governance and improves transparency, they said. An initiative by state IT Minister Rohan Khaunte, the portal was launched in 2017 when the late Manohar Parrikar was the chief minister. His successor Pramod Sawant is taking it forward, said the officials. Goa Online is a single-window system and single-window platform, where all the services of the G2B (government to business) and G2C (government to citizen) are catered, said Sangita Shirodkar, manager (IT) of Goa Electronics Limited (GEL). A subsidiary of the state government, GEL has developed the Goa Online portal, which began with 11 online services, and maintains it, she said. The

Navy submarine collides with vessel off Goa, fishing crew rescue ongoing

The cause of the collision is currently under investigation. The Indian Navy has not released further details on the condition of the two remaining crew members or the status of the vessel involved

Prasar Bharati's OTT platform WAVES to provide 'clean family entertainment'

The app, available on Android and iOS, aims to deliver diverse content under the tagline 'Waves - Family Entertainment Ki Nayi Lehar'

Multi-agency Sea Vigil exercise underway off Goa to assess preparedness

The second phase of the multi-agency Sea Vigil exercise to check the preparedness of security forces began off the Goa coast on Wednesday, officials said. Conceived in 2018, the exercise was basically to derive the lessons and actions to be taken after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Commodore Dushyant Purohit, Chief Staff Officer, naval officer in-charge of the Goa naval area, told reporters at Vasco (in South Goa). The first phase of the exercise was held from November 12 to 19. The second phase, which began on Wednesday, will continue for 36 hours, the official said. "A lot of improvement in the coastal security happened subsequent to the attacks. Presently, the fourth edition of this exercise is in progress. The aim of this exercise is to find our vulnerability and where we need to improve in the process of coastal security and defence," he said. "Another aim is to generate lot of consciousness about coastal security in our population for which, this time, we have deployed children

JSW Steel emerges preferred bidder for Codli mineral block XII in Goa

JSW Steel on Tuesday said it has been declared as the preferred bidder for Codli Mineral Block XII at Dharbandora in Goa. The company has received a communication from the Office of the Director, Directorate of Mines & Geology, Government of Goa, JSW Steel said in an exchange filing. "The company is declared as 'Preferred Bidder' with highest final offer price at 92.60 per cent of the value of mineral dispatched, it said. The projected iron ore resources are 48.5 million tonnes in addition to 2.7 million tonnes of ore in dumps, JSW Steel said. The company will take all requisite steps to obtain Letter of Intent and statutory clearances to execute the lease deed with Mine Development and Production Agreement (MDPA) and start the mining operations. In a separate filing, JSW Steel said its Italian arm JSW Steel Italy SrL has signed a commercial agreement with Metinvest Adria S.p.A "As per the agreement, Metinvest is obliged to pay a release fee of Euro 30 million to JSW Steel Italy

UP, WB, Goa in job 'scam' rows: States that have failed their citizens

UP and Goa are the two latest states that have made headlines for alleged employment related scams. However, these cases are only like a drop in the ocean of such similar scams in India

Goa CM condemns attempts to convert people under guise of healing

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday slammed religious conversions in the name of healing, saying it is unfortunate that such practices are still followed in independent India. The CM of the BJP-ruled state claimed that efforts are being made to change people's faith by offering them treatment or healing them. These practices which were started to convert tribals in the name of education or healing are continuing even after the country has become independent, Sawant said, addressing the state-level function to mark the 150th birth anniversary of tribal icon Birsa Munda at Sankhalim in North Goa. Birsa Munda's birth anniversary is observed as 'Janjatiya Gaurav Divas'. Referring to religious conversions, the CM said a bhul bhulaiya (maze) has been created and people should be cautious about such preachers who indulge in the practice under the guise of healing. Before Prime Minister Narendra Modi took charge in 2014, Sawant claimed that the British-era practice of converting ..

Cong alleges job scam in Goa, minister asks HoDs to file police complaints

The circulation of a call recording by an individual allegedly offering to sell government jobs was intended to damage the reputation of the minister and departments involved, Rane said

Cash-for-jobs scam: Goa CM must clarify on filling vacancies, says Cong

In light of the arrests in the cash-for-government-jobs scam, Goa Congress on Saturday demanded that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant clarify if vacancies will be filled through the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) or individual departments. Addressing a press conference, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar said the party will petition Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai on Monday over the job scam. Goa police have arrested at least six people for allegedly cheating people with promises of government jobs. The scam was exposed following a series of cases registered at police stations. Patkar said the state government should clarify if vacancies will be filled through the staff selection commission or by individual departments. He demanded that the government issue a white paper on the availability of jobs and said vacancies must be filled through SSC to curb such scams. The Congress leader said a high-level commission should be constituted to probe the issue. He claimed t

Man claims foreigners 'avoiding' Goa; state responds with police complaint

The Goa tourism department has lodged a police complaint, alleging that entrepreneur Ramanuj Mukherjee 'disseminated false data' to 'undermine' Goa's image

AAP seeks CBI probe into various cases of cash-for-jobs fraud in Goa

The Aam Aadmi Party has demanded a probe by the CBI or a retired high court judge into various cases of cheating on the promise of government jobs in Goa. Talking to reporters on Tuesday in South Goa, state AAP president Amit Palekar also sought an immediate halt of the process of recruitment in government departments. An inquiry should be conducted into the "scam" by the Central Bureau of Investigation. If not the CBI, then the probe should be carried out by a retired high court judge, he said. "The role of insiders in the entire scam should be probed as it does not look like some isolated cases. This is a big racket," he claimed. All senior officers, including those who are close to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, should be held accountable, he said. The Goa police have arrested half-a-dozen persons for their alleged involvement in the cash-for-government jobs scam, recently exposed following a series of cases registered at various police stations in the state. A person who was .

Goa govt aims to create 11,000 Lakhpati Didis this financial year

With the implementation of schemes for livelihood in rural areas, the Goa government has set a target of having at least 11,000 'Lakhpati Didis' in the state by the end of the current financial year, an official said on Tuesday. Deepali Naik, project director of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), said under the Goa State Rural Livelihood Mission, 3,804 self-help groups (SHGs) have been formed, covering 48,306 members. "The SHGs are supported with Rs 1,952.78 lakh from the community investment fund (CIF) released through village organisations (VOs) and revolving fund of Rs 828.04 lakh," she said. A Lakhpati Didi is a member of a self-help group (SHG) who earns an annual household income of more than Rs 1 lakh. Naik said 184 village organisations have received start-up funds of Rs 137.49 lakh, and 791 SHGs have availed bank loans amounting to Rs 3,646.96 lakh. The GSRLM has created self-employment, livelihood and entrepreneurship opportunities for 23,556 SHG members, she

Cyber criminals make fake WhatsApp accounts of Goa minister, another MLA

Goa's Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho and BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral have been targeted by cyber fraudsters who have allegedly created their fake profiles on WhatsApp and have been asking for money from people. BJP leader Godinho said a police complaint has been lodged in connection with his fake WhatsApp account. In a post on his Facebook page late Wednesday evening, Godinho said a false message has been circulated using his name and image on WhatsApp requesting for money through an Amazon Pay e-gift card. "The message is fraudulent and I strongly condemn such malicious activities," he said. The minister said an official complaint has been lodged with the Vasco police and the matter is under investigation. "I urge everyone to remain vigilant and not to engage with any suspicious requests," he said. In a similar cyber fraud, a fake WhatsApp account with an image of Curchorem MLA Cabral has also been created to seek money from people. Cabral, the former state PWD minister, on Thursd

Coast Guard conducts 'Sagar Kavach' exercise along Maharashtra, Goa coast

The Indian Coast Guard in co-ordination with other agencies has undertaken an exercise along the coast of Goa and Maharashtra to protect the country's maritime interests and to test the agencies' collective response to security threats, officials said on Thursday. The two-day 'Sagar Kavach' coastal security drill began on Wednesday, the Coast Guard said in a release. The Coast Guard is conducting the exercise in co-ordination with the Indian Navy, Customs, Coastal Police, Central Industrial Security Force, Mormugao Port Authority and the Goa government's Fisheries and Captain of Ports departments, it said. "The comprehensive coastal security exercise aims at strengthening and enhancing the coastal and maritime security of our nation. The multi-agency exercise takes place along the entire coastline, engaging a range of maritime agencies and stakeholders," the Coast Guard said. "The exercise will simulate realistic scenarios to test and improve our collective response to maritime ...

Cocaine in namkeen packets: How police carried out 208 kg Delhi drug bust

The latest seizure is connected to the October 2 recovery of 562 kg of drugs from south west Delhi's Mahipalpur. An absconding Indian-origin UK citizen has been identified as a suspect

BJP stoking communal tensions in Goa; attempts will not be tolerated: Rahul

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused the BJP of deliberately stoking communal tensions in Goa and asserted that the ruling party's attempts will not go unchallenged as the people of the state and the whole of India "see through this divisive agenda". In a post on X, Gandhi said Goa's appeal lies in its natural beauty and the warmth and hospitality of its diverse and harmonious people. "Unfortunately, under BJP rule, this harmony is under attack. The BJP is deliberately stoking communal tensions, with a former RSS leader provoking Christians and Sangh organisations calling for an economic boycott of Muslims," the former Congress chief said. Across India, similar actions by the Sangh Parivar continue with impunity, backed by support from the highest levels, he alleged. "In Goa, the BJP's strategy is clear: divide the people while exploiting ecologically sensitive areas by illegally converting green land and bypassing environmental regulations - an assa

Sailing vessel INSV Tarini headed for Navika Sagar Parikrama II expedition

The first-ever global circumnavigation onboard is to be completed by two women Naval Officers, Lt Cdr Dilna K and Lt Cdr Roopa, marking a significant event

Consensus eludes GoM on GST rate rationalisation, over 100 items discussed

The outcome of the rate rationalisation discussions will be crucial in shaping the agenda for the upcoming 55th GST Council meeting, expected in November