Panaji: Rainfall and overcast skies offered much-needed respite from the sweltering May heat as maximum temperatures dropped by 5.6C in just 24 hours. The IMD Goa, recorded a maximum temperature of a pleasant 25.2C on Friday when compared to the 30.8C logged a day prior. “The maximum temperature recorded on May 17 was 34C. As such, there has been a fall of 8.8C over the past three days,” IMD scientist Rahul M said. He said that as rainfall activity begins reducing from Saturday, the maximum temperature will gradually rise by about 2C in the following two days. On Friday, the highest amount of rainfall recorded by the IMD was at the Pernem and Valpoi rain gauge stations, with 7cm each. This was followed by Sanguem and Margao with 6cm each, Canacona with 5cm, Quepem, Sanquelim and Ela (Old Goa) with 4cm each, and Mormugao, Ponda, Dabolim, Mapusa and Panaji with 3cm each. Light to moderate rainfall and thundershowers are very likely at many places over Goa on Saturday, at a few places on Sunday and Monday, and at isolated places on Tuesday. Squally weather with wind speeds reaching 40-50 kmph and gusting to 60 kmph is likely to prevail along and off the south Maharashtra-Goa coast. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea during this period.
Panaji: In continuation of the previous forecast, the Indian Meteorological department (IMD) on Tuesday issued an alert for five continuous days forecasting light to moderate rainfall accompanied by lightning and gusty winds.There was a cloud build-up late on Tuesday evening with very light to moderate rainfall at isolated places.The IMD attributed the rains to the presence of a trough in the lower levels that will pass through Karnataka on Thursday and Friday and, possible moisture incursion in the middle troposphere due to a circulation in south Goa.According to the IMD, heavy rainfall (7-11 cms in 24hrs) is very likely to occur at isolated places and light to moderate rain at most places over the state on Thursday.The maximum temperature during the 24-hour period ending 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday was 34 degree Celsius, according to the IMD.Fishermen are requested not to venture along Kerala-Karnataka coast on Wednesday and Goa-South Maharashtra coast on Thursday due to squally weather conditions.
Panaji: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said that his government will recommend to the state election commission (SEC) to defer the elections to 186 village panchayats so as to adopt triple test for reserving wards for other backward classes.Interacting with media persons in Panaji, Sawant said the government will not do any injustice to the people belonging to OBCs.“I have received the opinion of the Advocate General on the recent verdict of the Supreme Court. If we hold the polls immediately then we will have to hold elections without reserving even a single ward; we don’t want to do this. We want to give reservation to OBCs as they constitute 27% of the state’s total population,” Sawant explained.“Government can’t postpone the elections; it is the discretion of the SEC. We will seek time.”“If the poll panel grants time then we will ask the OBC Commission to complete the triple test exercise. Once the report of the OBC Commission is ready then it will be sent to the SEC for consideration and thereafter the SEC will announce the election schedule,” he added.It is pertinent to note that the triple test has been mandated by the apex court for reservation of wards for OBCs for the local body elections.“As per the state Advocate General’s opinion, the government will seek time from the SEC for asking the OBC Commission to prepare a report, based on which reservation of wards can be done for the panchayat elections in accordance with Supreme Court directions,” the Chief Minister added.“The related file will be sent to SEC tomorrow,” Sawant said.In a related development, Goa State Commission for Backward Classes chairman Manohar Adpaikar expressed his readiness to undertake the triple test exercise.“We are ready. But we need the required manpower to conduct a survey. Government should allow us to rope in its employees. With their assistance, we can complete the task keeping the last survey as base, provided it is accepted by the concerned authorities,” Adpaikar said.He said that if need arises then the government can consider engaging an agency to conduct a totally fresh survey across the state.“Agencies have experience and all machinery with them. They are familiar with conducting big surveys in quick time,” Adpaikar said.He informed that the last survey was conducted in December 2013, where it was found that 26.26% of the state’s population belonged to the OBC category.
Margao: Leader of opposition Michael Lob on on Tuesday demanded that the government postpone the panchayat elections scheduled for June by four months to facilitate proper provision of reservation for OBCs in accordance with the Supreme Court order in that regard. The term of the panchayats expires in June before which their elections are due. On May 10, the Supreme Court had held that no reservation for OBCs can be provisioned until the triple test formality, including setting up of a dedicated commission to conduct a contemporaneous rigorous empirical inquiry into the nature and implications of the backwardness qua local bodies within the state, is followed “in all respects”. Lobo said that the SC order states that if the exercise isn’t completed in time then that except for seats reserved for SC/ST, rest must be categorised as general category. Lobo said that if the government goes ahead with the polls based on the available data, there was a possibility of it being challenged in the court thereby inviting trouble. Further pointing out that the state OBC corporation was lying defunct, Lobo demanded that the body be revived at the earliest. “Place administrators for panchayats for carrying out day to day affairs. There’s no provision in law for extension of terms of panchayat bodies,” Lobo said.
