Goa received ample funds from Centre

Times of India | 11 months ago | 06-02-2022 | 04:37 am

Bicholim: BJP Goa election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said that Goa has received ample financial support from the Centre and that people have benefited from the schemes that were launched by the late chief minister Manohar Parrikar. “On the other hand AAP and TMC have been giving hollow assurances to the people of Goa,” Fadnavis said while interacting with the party’s Bicholim workers. Commenting on the MGP-TMC alliance, Fadnavis said he had not expected that MGP, which was founded by former chief minister Dayanand Bandodkar would tie up with the Bengal party. MGP functionaries joining hands with TMC, he said will do a “greater harm” to Goa’s regional party. BJP’s Bicholim candidate Rajesh Patnekar said his earlier decision not to contest was “wrong” and that he would work hard to resolve issues of locals. TNN

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Water war: Amit Shah never consulted Goa on Mhadei diversion, say BJP mantris

Times of India | 6 hours ago | 31-01-2023 | 09:45 am

Times of India

6 hours ago | 31-01-2023 | 09:45 am

PANAJI: Two days after Union home minister Amit Shah said water-sharing issue between Karnataka and Goa was “resolved” by his party to allow diversion of water to Karnataka in consultation with the Goa government, two BJP ministers of the Pramod Sawant-led government came down heavily on Shah and said it was “condemnable and unacceptable” and no discussion had taken place on water diversion.“I condemn the Union home minister’s statement tooth and nail. We are not against in-basin use of Mhadei’s water. But we are against the water being taken outside its basin by Karnataka for use. It may be anybody, if they speak of out-of-basin use of water of the Mhadei, I will condemn it,” state environment minister Nilesh Cabral said on Monday.State water resources minister Subhash Shirodkar also said Shah’s statement was “unacceptable” and no discussion had taken place on diverting the Mhadei water to Karnataka when the Goa delegation had met the home minister.The ministers’ remarks come close on the heels of widespread anti-BJP sentiment on the Mhadei issue with gram sabhas across the state accusing the government of saying one thing and doing another. Cabral, who is also the law minister, said if the Centre did not support Goa, the state has plenty of legal options still available. He said that the House panel formed in Goa will be meeting Shah in Delhi shortly and will ask him when such a consultation was made with Goa.Goa has filed a petition before the Supreme Court to stop Karnataka from carrying out construction activities based on the detailed project report (DPR) approved by the Centre to divert water from the Mhadei. The petition is likely to come up for hearing on February 13.“The Mhadei Water Disputes Tribunal has only given permission to Karnataka to use water for drinking. Now, the statement made (by Shah) is that the water will be used for irrigation. We don’t know what this is,” said Cabral.“I have come here today (Saturday) to tell you that BJP, by finding a solution to the long-pending fight between the two states (Goa and Karnataka), provided the Mhadei water to Karnataka, which will be beneficial to farmers across many districts of Karnataka,” Shah had said at a public rally at Kittur in Belagavi district.Cabral reiterated that chief minister Pramod Sawant had not held any discussion whatsoever with Shah over diverting the Mhadei water in Karnataka’s favour.“I am backing the CM 100% on this. He has not made any such statement (before Shah) and he will not make it. I don’t know how Amit Shah is making this statement,” said Cabral.He said the Goa delegation had earlier gone to meet the home minister in keeping with the legal provision wherein the home minister holds negotiations to resolve any dispute existing between two states.“We don’t have any elections here, so I am condemning his (Shah’s) statement. We have two options. We can resolve it with the support from the central leadership. And if we don’t get support, we have the legal route. We will go to the courts. Ultimately, the judiciary will take all angles into consideration and decide,” said Cabral.“I do not accept the home minister’s statement. When we met him, no such discussion took place. He told us that there are BJP governments in Goa and in Karnataka and that our interests will be taken care of,” said WRD minister Subhash Shirodkar.

House panel meet on Mhadei on February 8

Times of India | 7 hours ago | 31-01-2023 | 08:42 am

Times of India

7 hours ago | 31-01-2023 | 08:42 am

PANAJI: The preliminary meeting of the House committee to study issues related to the Mhadei water diversion is scheduled on February 8 at 3.30pm. The 12-member committee is headed by WRD minister Subhash Shirodkar.The other members of the committee include Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, MLAs from BJP, Congress, MGP, AAP, RG and independent MLAs.Sardesai and Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco had written to Shirodkar to call an immediate meeting of the House committee following Union home minister Amit Shah’s statement that BJP has resolved a three-decade old issue by providing water to Karnataka with the help of Goa government.During the recently concluded winter session of the state legislative assembly, chief minister Pramod Sawant had announced a 12-member committee following demands by opposition MLAs.Former CM and ex-speaker Pratapsingh Rane had said, “The House committee must take a quick decision. We are waiting for a quick decision from the committee, else they will go ahead with the work.”

Goa has a strong legal case on Mhadei: CM Pramod Sawant

Times of India | 7 hours ago | 31-01-2023 | 08:21 am

Times of India

7 hours ago | 31-01-2023 | 08:21 am

PANAJI: Chief minister Pramod Sawant said on Monday that Goa has a strong legal case on the Mhadei issue, and that the state would work towards protecting the river.“Once again I am repeating that we are legally strong in the Mhadei fight, and soon you will see the results,” said Sawant. The Supreme Court is likely to hear the interlocutory application filed by Goa on February 13. The petition seeks to stop Karnataka from construction activities based on the detailed project report approved by the Centre to divert water from the Mhadei. tnn Sawant’s statement, after paying floral tributes at the martyrs’ memorial at Azad Maidan, comes in the wake of Union home minister Amit Shah’s declaration that the over three-decade-old Mhadei water sharing issue between Karnataka and Goa was “resolved” by his party to allow diversion of water to Karnataka with the help of the Goa government.Shah’s comments came even as the state is trying to stop the illegal diversion of the Mhadei by Karnataka. At the four-day winter session, after a seven-hour discussion, the Goa assembly unanimously approved a resolution urging the Centre to withdraw the approval granted to Karnataka for the Mhadei diversion.In view of Shah’s statement, village panchayats across the state condemned Shah’s statement. The opposition, too, has demanded that the House committee on Mhadei discusses the issue before it’s too late.The Union home minister on Saturday congratulated the Karnataka CM and the state leaders for having “done a great job by taking along the BJP government in Goa and quenching the thirst of Karnataka by providing Mhadei water”.“I have come here today (Saturday) to tell you that BJP, by finding a solution to the long-pending fight between the two states (Goa and Karnataka), provided the Mhadei water to Karnataka, which will be beneficial to farmers across many districts of Karnataka,” Shah said, addressing a public rally at Kittur in Belagavi district.Earlier, Sawant had led a delegation to Delhi to meet Shah and Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to press the state’s demand to withdraw the approval granted to the DPR. The state also demanded the formation of the Mhadei Water Management Authority to stop illegal diversion of water from the Mhadei basin by Karnataka.

Goa House committee will discuss Mhadei issue on February 8

Times of India | 17 hours ago | 30-01-2023 | 10:35 pm

Times of India

17 hours ago | 30-01-2023 | 10:35 pm

PANAJI: The preliminary meeting of the House committee to study issues related to Mhadei water diversion is scheduled on February 8 at 3.30pm. The 12-member committee is headed by WRD minister Subhash Shirodkar.The other members of the committee include Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, MLAs from BJP, Congress, MGP, AAP, RG and independent MLAs.Sardesai had written a letter to Shirodkar on Sunday to call an immediate meeting of the House committee following Union home minister Amit Shah’s statement that BJP has resolved a three-decade old issue by providing water to Karnataka with the help of Goa government.During the recently concluded winter session of the state legislative assembly, chief minister Pramod Sawant had announced a 12-member committee following demands by opposition MLAs.

American green iguana surfaces at Goa’s Chapora

Times of India | 1 day ago | 30-01-2023 | 01:00 pm

Times of India

1 day ago | 30-01-2023 | 01:00 pm

PANAJI: A juvenile of a green iguana (Iguana iguana), a herbivorous lizard preferred by many hobbyists for its bright colours and quiet nature, that was recently rescued at Chapora is being tended to at a rescue centre at Bicholim.The sudden appearance of the barely one-foot lizard, also called American iguana, at his doorstep surprised Nilesh V Gaonkar, a resident of Bandirwada, Chapora. "We were puzzled by its sight and didn't know what to do with it. We immediately called a snake rescuer (of animal rescue squad (ARS), Bicholim)," said Gaonkar.A few hours later, Gautam Kamble, a volunteer with the voluntary organisation, reached the spot and rescued the reptile. It was taken to the ARS centre at Bicholim."We have kept the lizard in a cage and it is being looked after with due care," said Amrut Singh of ARS.The lizard, which grows up to 5.6 feet or even 6.6 feet in some cases, weighs more than 9 kg. Maintaining an iguana as a pet is quite difficult as it needs space and enough heat to keep it warm."It is cold blooded and needs to be put out in the sunshine for basking and, if it is cold, an ultraviolet B light," said Singh.Being an exotic species-its native range is from southern Paraguay to Mexico-it was probably brought in by some foreign tourist, said ARS, which is considering relocating the reptile to the Rajiv Gandhi zoological park, a wild animals rescue and rehabilitation centre at Pune. "We have contacted the Pune animal park, which we have learnt has some iguanas," said Singh.

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