People urged to get tested even for flu-like symptoms

Times of India | 2 weeks ago | 16-06-2022 | 02:40 am

Panaji: Even as Covid-19 cases rise rapidly in the state, health authorities have said that people should get tested even if they have flu or flu-like symptoms. On Tuesday, Goa hit 100 daily cases after nearly four months, after several days of daily cases ranging from 60 to 70. State epidemiologist Dr Utkarsh Betokdar said that people have no alternative but to take precautions. “People should get tested even if they think they have the flu,” Betodkar said. However, health authorities are still not ready to term the present rise a new (or a fourth) wave. “Hospitalisations are still on the lower side, just one or two admissions a week,” he said. “Since the rise, a single fatality has been reported, adding that the patient who died after contracting the infection was a 95-year-old woman. Betodkar said that most patients reported mild symptoms, unlike in earlier phases of the pandemic. Since the rise in cases, the majority of patients have been treated in home isolation. The directorate of health services is still unclear as to how to define the ongoing increase, but one pattern that’s been emerging has been similar to earlier, which is that South Goa is reporting more cases than North Goa. “We haven’t seen any clusters so far, but more infections are being reported from South Goa,” he said. Betodkar said that it may be because of “the higher concentration of population” in certain talukas of South Goa. The first wave originated at Mangor Hill, Vasco, in the first week of June 2020, reaching other parts of the state by the month-en. While Vasco became the hotspot, Salcete also reported a huge number of cases. During the second wave, Margao remained at the top, whereas in North Goa, Calangute, Candolim, Panaji and Porvorim saw the disease spread like wildfire, but the tally of cases in South Goa was higher than that of North Goa. Even during the third wave which began from December 28, 2021, and started dipping by mid-February, South Goa was ahead in terms of numbers.

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Security beefed up outside Goa hotel ahead of Eknath Shinde-led rebel camp’s arrival

The Indian Express | 14 hours ago | 29-06-2022 | 10:40 pm

The Indian Express

14 hours ago | 29-06-2022 | 10:40 pm

Security has been tightened outside the Taj Resort and Convention Centre in Goa’s Dona Paula ahead of the arrival of rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and MLAs backing him. The rebel leaders will fly to Mumbai Thursday to take part in the floor test at the Maharashtra legislative assembly.The Shinde faction, which is set to break away from Shiv Sena and stake claim to form the government in Maharashtra with the BJP, is expected to arrive in Goa late evening after a long stay in Guwahati.The rebel MLAs took off from Guwahati even as Shiv Sena’s petition challenging the floor test called on Thursday by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was being heard in the Supreme Court. Flying in closer to Mumbai on a special Spice Jet flight, Panaji will be the third stop for the breakaway legislators in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra. While initially they had reached Surat, they later shifted to Guwahati and will now reach Panaji.The sea-facing hotel located in the posh Dona Paula area near Panaji is a short distance from the Goa Raj Bhavan. “On Wednesday evening, there was heavy police deployment outside the hotel with over 100 rooms booked for the Shinde camp and their aides,” said sources.As tourists milled around the hotel lobby Wednesday, sources added that armed officers of the Goa Police kept vigil at the hotel. Outside, there was heavy barricading on what was an overcast Wednesday afternoon.Sources also said that senior police officers of the Goa Police also reviewed the security arrangements at the five-star hotel Wednesday evening.The Goa Police have also strengthened its checks at its northern border at Patradevi. Goa shares a border with Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. Shiv Sena MLA from Sidhudurg Vaibhav Naik is backing Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray while senior Shiv Sena leader and MLA from Sawantwadi Deepak Kesarkar is among the rebels with Shinde.

Assembly archives intact, CM misguided: Goa Speaker

The Indian Express | 1 day ago | 28-06-2022 | 10:40 pm

The Indian Express

1 day ago | 28-06-2022 | 10:40 pm

Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on Tuesday said that archives of the state Assembly were intact and that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant may have been “misguided” when he said that records of the House from 1963 to 2000 were destroyed.On Monday, Sawant had said that records of the Assembly’s first session in 1963, and up to 2000, were destroyed when the Assembly was relocated from Adil Shah Palace in Panaji to Porvorim in 2000.“I wanted to preserve them, but they were destroyed. I am sorry, this should not have happened. Since 2000, we are preserving the records and their digitisation is being done,” Sawant had said on Monday while addressing the opening of a training programme for MLAs ahead of the monsoon session next month.On Tuesday, Tawadkar told The Indian Express, “The statement is incorrect. Somebody has misguided him (Sawant). All our documents are intact. Nothing has been destroyed.”Sawant, who was the Speaker in 2017, had said, “Old records of the Assembly proceedings, including speeches of Goa’s first chief minister, Dayanand Bandodkar, were destroyed when the Secretariat was shifted from the Adil Shah Palace building to the new complex in 2000.”Tawadkar, however, said that all documents, including Bandodkar’s speeches, questions and answers, and proceedings of the Assembly were available in digitised form. He also said, “I have told him (CM Sawant) that somebody has misguided him. The statement is not correct.”

Goa: Opposition MLAs say no to training event in hotel

The Indian Express | 2 days ago | 28-06-2022 | 03:40 am

The Indian Express

2 days ago | 28-06-2022 | 03:40 am

Opposition Legislators in Goa refused to attend a training workshop organised by the Assembly at a five-star hotel in Panaji on Monday.While the Congress said the same two-day training workshop could have been held in the Assembly without burdening the finances, the AAP said MLAs need not receive training from the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini institute, an RSS-affiliate.Leader of the Opposition Micheal Lobo said they had attended the opening ceremony in respect of the Speaker’s chair but they were of the view that the session could have been held on the Assembly premises in Porvorim that has all the facilities for a conference and catering.The session was aimed at training and educating MLAs about the procedures and processes of the Assembly. Nineteen of Goa’s 40 legislators are first-time MLAs.

As Goa Cong leader gets notices over properties, minister says will expose ‘illegalities’

The Indian Express | 3 days ago | 26-06-2022 | 10:40 pm

The Indian Express

3 days ago | 26-06-2022 | 10:40 pm

At a time showcause notices have been issued to at least three properties in which Congress leader Micheal Lobo is a partner, the state’s Town and Country Planning (TCP) minister Vishwajit Rane Sunday promised to expose “illegalities” of people in high positions.Rane had earlier suspended the outline development plans of Parra-Arpora-Nagoa, Calangute-Candolim (all in Bardez) and Vasco (south Goa), saying they would be reviewed because of “discrepancies”. He had sparred with Lobo over the TCP’s decision and Lobo had also alleged that he was being “targeted”.Rane said in a social media post: “Illegalities of people in high holding positions will be exposed. Investigation in this matter is still in process. I appeal to the people of Goa to see the caliber of people you elect. These people are the ones who at the cost of their power make profit for personal gains.”“I would like to say that we are in the final stages of closing the issues, making necessary corrections and reverting them back to its status in ODPs and Regional Plan 2021 in ODP areas where illegalities have been done and areas have been wrongfully converted for personal gains,” Rane wrote. He also said that some people had been threatened, compelled to sell their land and have had their properties shown as orchards and open spaces.“….it is pretty interesting to note how people are in a hurry to know the outcome. Those making statements should have some patience and wait for the report to be tabled on the floor of the house,” Rane wrote in a tweet. He had earlier said that he would make important revelations in the upcoming monsoon session of the Goa legislative assembly next month.Lobo, the leader of opposition in the Goa legislative assembly was a minister in the previous Pramod Sawant-led government in the state. He joined the Congress ahead of the legislative assembly polls held in February. He won his seat of Calangute for the Congress and his wife Delilah Lobo, brought the Siolim seat to the party that now has 11 members in the 40-member Goa legislative assembly.A day earlier, Lobo had shared a news flash about the deteriorating health of Anganwadi workers who had been protesting against the government. In a veiled reference to Rane, who also holds the health and women and child development portfolios, he wrote, “Instead of targeting opposition MLAs the minister would do well to concentrate for the well-being of people and stop injustice and harassment being done to poor Goans.”The Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has been probing cases of illegal land grab in the state and has so far arrested four persons. The Goa police has also been shuttering illegal massage centres in the state and has conducted several raids.Rane has received a slew of complaints, 61 at last count, after he asked people of the state to report illegal constructions and illegal usurping of land by alleged tampering with land use records on his email address.Lobo is a three-time MLA from Calangute and an influential figure in the Bardez taluka of North Goa where popular beaches such as Baga, Calangute, Candolim and Anjuna are located. This area has been a thriving tourist spot for decades, with several hotels, restaurants and places for tourist activities.

Blood trail leads Goa police to murder accused

The Indian Express | 4 days ago | 26-06-2022 | 03:40 am

The Indian Express

4 days ago | 26-06-2022 | 03:40 am

A 300-metre trail of blood led Margao police to the man accused of killing a fellow labourer from Jharkhand.On Saturday morning, a man was found dead in the rear of a pick-up truck parked outside a hotel in Margao; he had suffered multiple, grievous stab wounds on abdomen and chest. While police were initially in a blind spot over identity of the deceased and how he wound up dead inside the vehicle, the puzzle was pieced together with a trail of blood, a dog squad, and CCTV footage.In a matter of hours, Prashant Barnam, 26, who allegedly killed Amit Kirketti, aged about 35, was arrested. A blood trail that stretched from the truck to the spot where the two men had an altercation the previous night was partially wiped out by the pouring rain in Margao’s Khareband area. Superintendent of Police, South Goa, Abhishek Dhania said a police team traced the blood trail backwards. The dog squad of the forensic team helped build back the trail.Police found the victim’s belongings about 300 metres from the truck and identified him. Investigation led police to Barna, also from Jharkhand, who allegedly stabbed Kirketti multiple times after an altercation.After being stabbed, a blood-soaked Kirketti had walked the distance to escape, and got in the parked pick-up truck to hide from Barna, police suspect. He succumbed to injuries inside the vehicle.

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