BJP using unfair means to capture power: TMC

Times of India | 1 day ago | 09-10-2022 | 04:30 am

Panaji: The hastily approved Goa Municipalities (Amendment) Ordinance is yet another attempt to “capture” municipalities using unfair and undemocratic means, said TMC on Saturday. It has opposed the amendments which governor P S Sreedharan Pillai has promulgated through an ordinance. The ordinance changes the way the chairperson and vice-chairperson of municipalities are elected, with the secret ballot being replaced by a show of hands. “The BJP government has yet again attempted to capture power by unfair and undemocratic means. It has proved it will stop at nothing to further its political ambitions,” said TMC joint convener Samil Volvaiker. tnn

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15 candidates in fray for 3 seats at ZP bypolls

Times of India | 1 day ago | 09-10-2022 | 04:31 am

Times of India

1 day ago | 09-10-2022 | 04:31 am

Panaji: Fifteen candidates are in the fray for the byelections to three zilla panchayat (ZP) seats scheduled on October 16. Counting will be held on October 18.Byelections will be held for the Reis Magos, Davorlim and Cortalim ZP seats. After withdrawals, four candidates are in the fray at Reis Magos, seven at Davorlim and four at Cortalim.The Reis Magos seat fell vacant after Rupesh Naik quit to contest as an independent candidate from Saligao constituency, while the Davorlim ZP seat fell vacant after Ulhas Tuemkar got elected as MLA on a BJP ticket from Navelim constituency. In Cortalim, ZP member Anthony Vas was elected as an independent MLA.Over 55,000 voters will exercise their franchise for the three seats. There are 74 polling booths.

Reconsider assent to Municipalities Act ordinance: GFP to guv

Times of India | 1 day ago | 09-10-2022 | 04:30 am

Times of India

1 day ago | 09-10-2022 | 04:30 am

Panaji: The amendments to section 52 of the Goa Municipalities Act require the President’s sanction as the ordinance tampers with the functioning of municipal bodies which are protected under Part IX A of the Constitution, said Goa Forward Party on Saturday. GFP, which led a delegation of three political parties, met with Goa governor P S Sreedharan Pillai and urged him to reconsider the assent granted to the ordinance. GFP president Vijai Sardesai met Pillai at Raj Bhavan, where he also presented a memorandum highlighting the opposition’s concerns about the ordinance that has been passed in hurriedly.“The hurried manner in which the government went about bringing in the amendment through the ordinance route is deplorable as being inconsistent with Article 213 of the Constitution. In this particular case, it appears that the office of the Raj Bhavan has failed to place proper facts,” said Sardesai. The delegation informed the governor that the ordinance is a direct assault on the functioning of the legislature as the law-making body in the state. The memorandum cites several Supreme Court orders that said that an ordinance could be challenged if ‘immediate action’ was not required and if an ordinance has been issued primarily to bypass debate and discussion in the legislature. “It is well known to all that the origin of the thought to amend the Goa Municipalities Act came to the fickle mind of this government as a result of the fallout of the developments in the Margao Municipal Council recently,” said Sardesai.

Eklavya Yojana will facilitate poor students: BJP ST morcha

Times of India | 1 day ago | 09-10-2022 | 04:24 am

Times of India

1 day ago | 09-10-2022 | 04:24 am

Margao: While welcoming the Eklavya Prashikshan Yojana notified by the state government to provide coaching to students from ST community studying in Classes X, XI and XII, BJP ST morcha has urged eligible candidates to avail of the scheme.President of BJP ST morcha Prabhakar Gaonkar said that the demand of the tribal communities for reimbursement of 75% of tuition fees has now been fulfilled by the government with the notification of the scheme. The scheme, he said, will facilitate poor ST students in pursuing higher education. BJP ST morcha vice-president Anthony Barbosa said that students of tribal communities from Salcete couldn’t afford exorbitant fees for coaching classes, and thus were forced to study on their own, and would thus score low marks. Through this scheme, Barbosa said, the students would be able to score good marks that would ultimately facilitate their admission into professional colleges. While tribal students would be able to bolster their academic progress through the Eklavya Prashikshan Yojana, Gaonkar said that the sanads allotted to beneficiaries of Forest Rights Act would help securing the lives and livelihoods of tribals dependent on forest produce. He said that as spot verification of cases under the Act was tedious and time consuming as the lands are located in deep forests, there’s a delay in disposal of cases. He however hoped for speedy disposal of the rest of the cases.

Vijai: Drug trade has state protection

Times of India | 1 day ago | 09-10-2022 | 02:40 am

Times of India

1 day ago | 09-10-2022 | 02:40 am

Margao: Goa Forward Party (GFP) president Vijai Sardesai on Saturday alleged that Goa, besides being a logistics hub for coal, also served as one for drugs, and accused cadres of BJP of running the drug trade. “This has been proven by the Telangana police, and Goa police has no answer, because for everything there is political interference. Cadres of the ruling party are running the drug trade. Ganja party is running the state. Drug trade cannot happen without state protection. Telangana police has clearly shown that drugs has got state protection,” he said. He voiced apprehensions that the government would revive its move to legalise ganja cultivation in Goa. “Before elections, the government had intended to legalise ganja, papers were being circulated (in the cabinet). Now that they have won the election, they will legalise it. BJP workers are running the drug trade, and that money comes into elections, MLAs were purchased by this money; and with the remainder they will buy councillors, though that’s small change,” Sardesai said. Sardesai’s statement also comes at the backdrop of moves by BJP to poach GFP members of Margao Municipal Council ahead of the elections for the chairperson’s post.

Opposition gets fresh ammo on mantri

Times of India | 1 day ago | 09-10-2022 | 02:40 am

Times of India

1 day ago | 09-10-2022 | 02:40 am

Panaji: BJP spokesperson Savio Rodrigues’ decision to criticise art and culture minister Govind Gaude over the ongoing restoration of Kala Academy gave the opposition a fresh opportunity to demand action against Gaude. Goa Forward Party and the NCP on Saturday demanded that chief minister Pramod Sawant should either hold an inquiry into the Rs 50 crore project to repair Kala Academy, or sack Gaude.Rodrigues said that the Sawant-led government is walking down the wrong path by permitting the repair contract to be executed without following the tendering process.“The prosperity of our state must come before the prosperity of a minister. When I exposed the Kala Academy scam in the Goa Assembly, he snubbed Goemkars with the ridiculous ‘Shah Jahan’ excuse. This comment by the BJP spokesperson vindicates my stand,” said GFP president Vijai Sardesai.Even NCP’s national spokesperson, who is the coordinator for Goa, Clyde Crasto jumped in and said that Rodrigues has a valid question for Sawant.“This minister using a senseless alibi to hide his misdeed. Sawant must clarify if he is walking on this said path that shows signs of corruption. If not, he must sack the minister immediately to conduct a fair inquiry,” said Crasto.Sardesai said that Gaude tried to justify a fraud citing the construction of Taj Mahal by Shah Jahan.“Now that voices within BJP have started coming out to question this fraud, the chief minister must hold an inquiry. With the same speed at which he issued the ordinance, the chief minister must also appoint retired experts to probe the Kala Academy renovation,” said Sardesai.He challenged Sawant to either order a probe or take action against Rodrigues.

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