Drunken driving, indiscipline behind spike in accidents: Goa CM Pramod Sawant

Times of India | 3 weeks ago | 22-02-2023 | 10:11 am

PANAJI: CM Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said that drunken driving and indiscipline on roads are some of the reasons for the increase in accidents. He added that the Goa police traffic cell, transport department and PWD are holding meetings and will chalk out a plan to reduce accidents.Sawant pointed out that the vehicle population has increased compared to the state population. "There are three reasons for the increase in accidents. These include people not following rules, drunken driving, rash and negligence driving among others," he said. The chief minister added that people should cooperate with the authorities, and this will help reduce the frequency of road accidents.In 2020, the vehicle population was 14.5 lakh vehicles, in 2021, it was 14.9 lakh and in 2022 it climbed to 15.4 lakh, but the infrastructure more or less stayed the same. Police said that looking at 2020-21 and 2021-2022, there has been a 3% increase in vehicle population, but the infrastructure hasn't changed much.It has been found that two-thirds of the people who died in road accidents in 2022 were linked to two-wheelers. The state witnessed an almost 9% rise in road accidents during the year.In 2022, 3,011 road accidents were reported, of which 253 were fatal, wherein 271 succumbed to injuries. A total number of 181 persons on two-wheelers died in accidents while 51 pedestrians lost their lives.In 2021, 2,849 accidents were reported, of which 218 were fatal. Almost 226 people lost their lives. A total number of 152 persons on two-wheelers died while 36 pedestrians were killed.The highest number of accidents in North Goa was reported in the jurisdiction of Panaji, Mapusa and Porvorim police stations areas. In South Goa, the highest number of accidents were reported in Ponda, Verna and Vasco police station areas.State witnessed 9% rise in road accidents in 2022In 2020, the vehicle population was 14.5 lakh vehicles, in 2021, it was 14.9 lakh and in 2022 it climbed to 15.4 lakh, but the infrastructure more or less stayed the same. Police said that looking at 2020-21 and 2021-2022, there has been a 3% increase in vehicle population, but the infrastructure hasn't changed much.It has been found that two-thirds of the people who died in road accidents in 2022 were linked to two-wheelers. The state witnessed an almost 9% rise in road accidents during the year.In 2022, 3,011 road accidents were reported, of which 253 were fatal, wherein 271 succumbed to injuries. A total number of 181 persons on two-wheelers died in accidents while 51 pedestrians lost their lives.In 2021, 2,849 accidents were reported, of which 218 were fatal. Almost 226 people lost their lives. A total number of 152 persons on two-wheelers died while 36 pedestrians were killed.The highest number of accidents in North Goa was reported in the jurisdiction of Panaji, Mapusa and Porvorim police stations areas. In South Goa, the highest number of accidents were reported in Ponda, Verna and Vasco police station areas.

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Margao: Health officer flags water seepage at Comba subway

Times of India | 3 weeks ago | 22-02-2023 | 10:14 am

Times of India

3 weeks ago | 22-02-2023 | 10:14 am

MARGAO: Health officer of urban health centre, Margao, has red-flagged a potential health hazard in the seepage of water through the subway at Comba, Margao.In a letter addressed to the deputy collector (DRO), South Goa, the health officer said that a site inspection of the Comba subway has revealed that the stagnation of water is a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes. “Water constantly seeps/leaks into the subway from both sides of the road and gets stagnated on the stretch ,” the letter read. Stating further that the source of seepage couldn’t be identified, the health officer requested the deputy collector to depute an expert technical team to troubleshoot the problem. Executive engineer, PWD (sewerage), Joaquim Fernandes, said that they have succeeded in tracing the source of the leakage to subsoil water drainage and that it has now been plugged. “There was a subsoil leakage in the subway (probably on account of the spring water finding its way through the subway). Last week we noticed traces of sewage seeping through the subway. The leakage has now been plugged. What remains now is the dried up stagnated water,” Fernandes told TOI.The waterlogged subway has turned out to be a nuisance for the road users, including the pedestrians, for the last several weeks, owing to the consistent flow of water emanating a foul smell. While water logging during monsoons was understandable, what caused to raise eyebrows among the public was the stagnation of water even during the dry season. What’s worse was that the problem lay unidentified for long .Margao MLA Digambar Kamat had inspected the subway last month and issued directions to the PWD to locate the source of seepage and plug it on an urgent basis.

Drugs not manufactured here, only retailed in Goa: SP North

Times of India | 3 weeks ago | 22-02-2023 | 10:08 am

Times of India

3 weeks ago | 22-02-2023 | 10:08 am

PANAJI: Goa police on Tuesday made it clear that the state is neither a place where drugs are manufactured nor does any drug syndicate operate here and that the recent increase in drug cases is due to increased police vigilance. “Goa is a place where drugs are retailed. We haven’t found any evidence supporting the allegations that Goa is a place where drugs are manufactured and that there is an organised drug syndicate operating in the state,” said North Goa superintendent of police (SP) Nidhin Valsan. The North Goa SP said that drugs come to the state from outside, which peddlers then sell here. “There are different routes by which drugs enter the state, including trains and buses, among others,” he said.“Ganja and charas are brought to the state by Indians, and with respect to synthetic drugs like cocaine, we have found the involvement of foreign nationals,” said Valsan. He said that the recent increase in drug cases is because police have become extra cautious and active. “Under the guidance of the chief minister and the DGP, we have issued repeated instruction to all police officers to have zero tolerance to drugs. We have created specific teams and all our officers are being repeatedly briefed and sensitised to take action against drugs and that is why our drug catches are increasing,” said Valsan.Peddlers, he said, buy the drugs from those who bring them into the state from other states, adding that whenever a peddler is caught, the news spreads and the main seller goes underground.“We keep track of them. It is not necessary that we nab them immediately. We are actually tracking them. We have the details and as soon as we find them, we arrest them,” said Valsan when asked why police are not able to nab the source of the drug trade.Goa witnessed a 65% increase in drug seizures in 2022 compared to the previous year. Last year, police seized over 207kg of narcotic substances worth over Rs 5.1 crore, and arrested 180 persons. Over half of those arrested were from outside the state (97), followed by Goans (54) and foreigners (29). In 2021, Goa police seized over 134kg of various kinds of drugs worth over Rs 2.7 crore and arrested 138 persons.

CM Pramod Sawant moots collab with international universities in Goa

Times of India | 3 weeks ago | 22-02-2023 | 07:42 am

Times of India

3 weeks ago | 22-02-2023 | 07:42 am

PANAJI: In a bid to put Goa on the global education map, the state government intends to open its arms to higher education in the state by collaborating with world class universities, said CM Pramod Sawant. He was speaking at the closing ceremony of the QS India Summit 2023 in Goa on Tuesday.The state is in talks with various stakeholders to set up a national design institute, national sports academy, marine technical academy, and few language institutions. "We are also focusing on having research and development in waste management, which will not only help the state with zero wastage, but also be a changemaker for the rest of the country," Sawant said.He further said that Goa wants to "bring internationalisation in its education". He pointed out that the directorate of international cooperation and exchange looks after the internationalisation strategy at Goa University.

Goa: Plain-clothes cops deployed to nab violators of M V Act

Times of India | 3 weeks ago | 22-02-2023 | 07:39 am

Times of India

3 weeks ago | 22-02-2023 | 07:39 am

PANAJI: Following a hue and cry over the increased number of road accidents in the state, Goa police have started deploying plain-clothes personnel at various locations on Tuesday. These police personnel will take photographs of those violating traffic rules and fine them. Police caught 145 traffic violators on day one.Plain-clothes police personnel are being deployed to ensure that violators do not attempt to escape looking at a policeman in uniform, said deputy superintendent of police (DySP) Jivba Dalvi. “Whenever people see a policeman in uniform, they either try to overspeed or they take another route to escape being caught.” He said that among the violations observed were the failure to wear helmets or seat belts and riding triple seat, adding that helmets can prevent fatalities and major head injuries.“To overcome such practices, we have deployed plain-clothes policemen at all police stations in the Mapusa Sub division, which covers the jurisdiction of the Mapusa, Anjuna and Colvale police stations. The police personnel have been directed to click the photographs of violators,” said Dalvi.Police personnel have been asked to submit their reports, which will be forwarded for the issuing of challans.

Cabinet OKs amendment to save certain unauthorised structures

Times of India | 3 weeks ago | 22-02-2023 | 04:17 am

Times of India

3 weeks ago | 22-02-2023 | 04:17 am

Panaji: The state cabinet on Tuesday granted its approval to issue the Goa Regularisation of Unauthorised Construction (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, to save certain unauthorised constructions carried out prior to February 28, 2014, from demolition pursuant to a court order. The ordinance will stop authorised officers from rejecting applications for regularisation of unauthorised structures on the grounds that the applicant does not have the consent of the co-owner of the house despite the property or land already being legally divided. “As the existing provision of the act does not make clear distinction between dispute as to that of title/ownership of a property/land or otherwise, the authorised officers do not entertain applications for regularisation of unauthorised construction or proceed with regularisation process of unauthorised construction, even where the title or ownership of any property/land upon which the unauthorised construction has been carried out is not the subject matter of a dispute before any court, authority or tribunal, among others,” the cabinet note stated.The provisions contained in sub-section (8) of Section 3 of the act override the Goa Land Revenue Code, 1968 (Act No 9 of 1969, the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, 1974 (Act No 21 of 1975), the City of Panaji Corporation Act, 2002 (Goa Act 1 of 2003), the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968 (Act No 7 of 1969), the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 (Goa Act No 14 of 1994), the Goa (Regulation of Land Development and Building Construction) Act, 2008 (Goa Act 6 of 2008) and any other state law that regulates construction in the state, and the rules, regulations, bylaws, notifications and orders issued under them.

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