Page 9 - Goa

EC's prior nod must for Goa mines dept to execute lease deed: Officials

Goa poll authorities have said it was binding on the state mines department to obtain prior permission of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to execute a lease deed during the period of the model code of conduct (MCC). State Additional Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Masurkar said this in a letter written to the ECI on Wednesday after an NGO complained that the Goa government and Vedanta Limited signed a lease deed on March 22 for the commencement of mining operations. This amounted to violation of the MCC, the Goa Foundation (NGO) claimed. The MCC came into effect on March 16 with the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls. Masurkar on Wednesday wrote to the ECI's principal secretary, claiming the reply filed by the state Directorate of Mines and Geology is "not satisfactory." "The reply filed by the Directorate of Mines and Geology is examined by this office and the same is found not satisfactory," the letter said. "It is observed that the mining lease deed executed by the Depar

BJP slams K'taka CM over his post on demolition of 'illegal' houses in Goa

The BJP has slammed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for his comments on the demolition of some houses allegedly built illegally and belonging to Kannadigas in Goa and said he should first work to solve problems in his own state. Bharatiya Janata Party's Goa spokesperson Giriraj Pai Vernekar told PTI on Sunday that the demolition drive was carried out following a directive of the Supreme Court. A total of 22 houses built illegally on land owned by the local communidade (community institution) at Sangolda village in North Goa district were demolished by the authorities on Friday and Saturday. Siddaramaiah in a post on X on Sunday said, "Deeply concerned by the demolition of homes belonging to Kannadigas in Sangolda, Goa. I appeal to the Chief Minister of Goa, Shri Dr Pramod Sawant, to cease further demolitions immediately until alternatives are provided, and ensure all displaced individuals receive adequate rehabilitation." He shared the media reports and pictures of the ...

Vedanta commences mining operations in Goa's Bicholim mineral block

Vedanta on Thursday said it has commenced mining operations at Bicholim mineral block in Goa. The mining in Goa came to a grinding halt in March 2018 after the Supreme Court quashed 88 mining leases. "Heralding a new era of inclusive development, Vedanta Sesa Goa commenced mining operations at Bicholim Mineral Block- Block 1 in the state of Goa," the company said in a statement. Vedanta Limited had in 2022 emerged as a successful bidder for the mining block which was auctioned. Vedanta was the highest bidder with 63.55 per cent revenue for Bicholim Mining Block, spread over 485 hectares. According to the company, Bicholim Mineral Block is the first auctioned mine to become operational since 2018, when the Supreme Court imposed a blanket ban on mining in the coastal state. "Vedanta Sesa Goa's commencement of its operations in Goa's Bicholim Mineral Block signify a new chapter of collaboration between Vedanta and the state of Goa, reinforcing a shared vision for progress and prospe

I-T, CBI also detected Rs 45 cr kickback used in AAP Goa poll campaign: ED

The money trail of the alleged Rs 45 crore kickbacks generated from the Delhi excise policy "scam" and used for the 2022 Goa election campaign by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), as claimed by the Enforcement Directorate, has also been "substantiated" by the CBI and the Income-Tax department in their separate investigations, according to documents filed in court. A wide network of Hawala operators and 'Angadiyas' are also being investigated by the ED in this case where it recently arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and claimed he and his political outfit are liable to be prosecuted in the alleged laundering of these funds. Statements of five 'Angadiya' firm operators have also been recorded by the ED to establish the "money trail" of this alleged Rs 45 crore bribe amount. 'Angadiyas' are informal courier and bank services like Hawala which are especially used by diamond and jewellery sector businesses to transfer big cash amounts and other valuables by skirting the KYC-based ..

ED questions AAP's Goa unit chief, 3 others in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday began questioning Aam Aadmi Party's Goa unit president Amit Palekar and three others in connection with a money laundering case. The ED had summoned Palekar, AAP leader Ramrao Wagh and two others - Dattaprasad Naik and Ashok Naik - for questioning in a case registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Although details of the case are yet to be known, sources said they were called for questioning in the money laundering case linked to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, in which Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and some other AAP leaders have been arrested. Dattaprasad and Ashok are leaders of the Bhandari community in Goa. Palekar arrived at the ED office here at 12.10 pm, while the three others reached there before him at 11.15 am. Before entering the agency office, Palekar only said, "I have been summoned. I will talk to you all after I am back." After coming out of the office around 2 pm for lunch break, ...

Indian holiday seekers showing dynamic shift in travel preferences: Airbnb

South Goa emerged as India's most popular getaway for Indian guests with a 330% increase in searches

FLY91 starts commercial operations with maiden flight from Goa to B'luru

FLY91, the latest entrant in the country's aviation sector, on Monday commenced commercial operations with its first flight taking off for Bengaluru from here. The flight departed from Goa's Manohar International Airport at 07.55 am to Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. The regional airline also operated its maiden flight to Sindhudurg from Bengaluru on Monday, a company spokesman said. The airline also launched a special fare of Rs 1,991 (all inclusive). The inaugural offer will be valid on all flights across FLY91 sectors, he said. Commenting on the start of commercial operations, Manoj Chacko, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FLY91 said the launch of commercial flight symbolises the airline's "commitment to connecting India in a way that has never been done before. The company spokesman said that FLY91 is initially offering flights between Goa, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Sindhudurg, with plans to start operations to Agatti, Jalgaon and Pune in April. T

Regional airline FLY91 expects to have 350 staff in its first year of ops

Regional airline FLY91, which will commence its commercial flights on March 18, will have around 350 staff at the end of the first year of operations and aims to break even within two years, according to a top executive. The Goa-based airline currently has two ATR 72-600 planes in its fleet and four more aircraft will be added in the first year of operations. The carrier's MD and CEO Manoj Chacko said there is no need to raise funds now, as it will also be getting Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN. "We also have VGF for the sectors we have won. If we take all the sectors we have secured and if we operate the full schedule, then on an annualised basis, it will be around Rs 200 crore," he told PTI in a recent interview. The airline expects to break even in 18-24 months, he said and added that the focus is to build a profitable, sustainable and scalable business. In the inaugural phase, FLY91 will offer weekly flights between Goa's Manohar ..

Complexity of prenuptial agreements in India: Why Goa is the only outlier

Persons "domiciled in Goa" are governed by the Portuguese Civil Code, 1867, which is a Uniform Civil Code for the state and pertains to marriage, divorce, protection of children, and succession

91,237 kids administered vaccine during Goa's polio immunisation programme

A total of 91,237 children in the age group of 0-5 years have been administered vaccine doses during the Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme held in Goa. The immunisation programme was held on Sunday across 660 polio booth camps in Goa, as per a media statement issued by the state Directorate of Health Services. "Total 91,237 doses were administered to the children, which means an equal number of children benefitted with the programme," the official said. The target was to cover more than one lakh children during the campaign, he said. This will be followed by a house-to-house survey and coverage activity from March 4-6 during which doses for the left over children would be administered, he added.

INLD chief Rathee's murder: 2 shooters arrested from Goa, says police

According to Jhajjar police, the shooters were nabbed from Goa in a joint operation of Haryana's Jhajjar police, Delhi Police Special Cell and the Haryana Special Task Force (STF)

BJP flags off vans in Goa to collect inputs for Lok Sabha poll manifesto

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday flagged off two vans in North and South Goa Lok Sabha seats to gather inputs from people for its poll manifesto. The flagging off ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, state BJP chief Sadanand Shet Tanavade, tourism minister Rohan Khaunte, among others. "The vans will travel across the state and collect inputs from people for drafting the Lok Sabha poll manifesto of the BJP. More than 50,000 suggestions are expected to be collected. The BJP has fulfilled all its promises in the manifestos for the 2014 and 2019 LS polls," Tanavade said. The BJP's manifesto will be a "people's manifesto" and everyone, especially the youth, must give suggestions, CM Sawant said on the occasion.

Millennials opt for destination weddings, Goa, Rajasthan top list: Survey

India's lavish wedding sector has emerged as the fourth-largest industry, contributing about Rs 4.25 trillion to the nation's gross domestic product

Goa, MakeMyTrip ink pact to promote state's culture, sustainable tourism

The Goa government and online travel firm MakeMyTrip on Thursday signed an agreement to promote the state's cultural heritage and culinary traditions to make it into a year-round destination, moving beyond the sun, sand and beaches, according to a statement. As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a public-private partnership, MakeMyTrip will highlight the state's inland cultural richness and culinary traditions, which usually take a back seat to popular coastal attractions by curating a cultural map of Goa, pushing various initiatives to promote the multi-faceted state, the Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, and MakeMyTrip said in a joint statement. "Our collective vision of 'Goa Beyond Beaches' is to bring the hidden splendours of the state to the forefront, celebrate its rich cultural heritage, take tourism to the hinterlands of Goa and ensure sustainable and regenerative tourism practices that preserve our natural resources for generations to come. Our partnership ..

NSE, Goa govt ink pact to facilitate fund raising for MSME sector

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) on Tuesday said it has collaborated with the Goa government to spread awareness among MSMEs of the state regarding fundraising through the IPO mechanism using its platform. As part of the pact, NSE with the support of the Goa government will conduct awareness drives through seminars, MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) camps, knowledge sessions, roadshows, and workshops to guide corporates across the state for fundraising on the NSE Emerge platform and handhold companies in the listing process. "Listing on NSE Emerge platform shall provide an alternate source of investment raising opportunity for growing SMEs by accessing public capital along with enhancing goodwill and gaining visibility and credibility," Mauvin Godinho, Minister of Transport, Industries, Panchayat, Protocol, Government of Goa, said. Sriram Krishnan, Chief Business Development Officer of the bourse said that NSE Emerge enables SMEs to raise capital efficiently and increase ..

Unplanned green transition hurts smaller nations: Qatar, Guyana ministers

Says renewables won't produce petrochemicals, need focus on oil demand reduction

PM Modi unveils projects worth Rs 1,330 crore in Goa under 'Viksit Bharat'

He also distributed appointment orders to 1930 new government recruits across various departments under Rozgar Mela and handed over sanction letters to beneficiaries of various welfare schemes

Efforts to set up delimitation commission for Goa seats for ST quota: CM

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said that efforts are on to form a delimitation commission before the upcoming Lok Sabha polls for reservation of some of the Goa assembly seats for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) community members. Talking to reporters in Porvorim near state capital Panaji on Monday evening, Sawant said he would make detailed statement on the issue in the House on Saturday during ongoing budget session. As of now, no seat in the 40-member Goa assembly is reserved for the ST community, one seat is reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SC) community. The ST community has been demanding that four out of the 40 seats in the Goa assembly be reserved for them during the 2027 state polls. The community members held a protest in Panaji on Monday after which the chief minister met a group of their leaders. "A delegation of the ST leaders met me. I have given them the assurance," Sawant said. He said the file on the issue of reservation of seats in the Goa assembly is pending

Italian ambassador's wife injured in fireworks, FIR against Goa hotel owner

The Goa Police has booked the owner of a resort after the wife of the Italian ambassador to India suffered a head injury due to fireworks set off from the beach-facing facility, an officer said on Saturday. The incident occurred on January 1 during the New Year celebrations at Ashvem beach in North Goa. "Police registered an FIR on Friday (February 2) after Honorary Vice Consul of Italy in Goa, Shrinivas Dempo, lodged a complaint. The case was registered under section 338 (Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code," the police officer said. The accused rashly and negligently allowed the launching of fireworks from the premises of the resort. Paola Ferri, wife of Vincenzo de Luca, the Ambassador of Italy to India and Nepal, suffered a head injury after she was struck by fireworks, as per the FIR. "We will record a statement of the victim and initiate further process. We are yet to arrest the owner of the resort," the officer

Goa will remain preferred destination for global investors, says CM Sawant

Goa will remain a preferred destination for global investors across all sectors, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Monday. "We will remain a success story in the country and a preferred destination for global investors across all the sectors," he said at the Invest Goa 2024 summit here. The chief minister also said that the coastal state has benefitted from the support of the central government. "Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, India is now the fastest growing economy in the world. Goa has benefitted considerably due to the support of (central) government and state government," he said. He further said that his government has "given maximum attention for upgradation of skills of our young workforce through constant academia, industry dialogue and the newly launched apprentice scheme". Former Union minister Suresh Prabhu in his address said that Goa can become a hub of research and development considering a robust presence of pharma industries in the state. He said th