CBI, ED CENSURED
THE Criminal Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate, which are misused by the BJP government to terrorise even business houses, have been told by the Supreme Court to exercise restraint. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has expressed concern over the long delay in probes by the agencies. They have directed the enforcement agencies to complete investigation in a time bound manner. “You can’t keep the sword hanging over the accused,” SC stated.
POWER HIKE STAYED
CHIEF Minister Pramod Sawant has over ruled his cabinet colleague Nilesh Cabral and has cancelled in increase in power tariff. The power tariff was expecting to be increased last year but the hike was postponed due to the covid-19 pandemic. In the light of the fact that there is the threat of the third wave of covid-19, Pramod Sawant has decided to keep the order increasing the power tariff pending for financial year 2021-2022.
BULLET PROOF CARS
THE State government on Wednesday, August 25, 2021 decided to approve the purchase of two bullet proof vehicles for the use of the Goa police. It is not clear who will be using the bullet proof vehicles. However, it is clarified that it is not meant for the use of the chief minister or the governor. When VIPs like the prime minister or president, who are entitled to bullet proof cars, visit Goa, the cars have to be borrowed from neighbouring states! The decision to buy them is to make the State self-sufficient, though it will impose a burden of Rs69.9 lakh.
CHIDDU TAKES STOCK
FORMER Union Finance Minister PC Chidambaram who is in Goa took two days to take stock of the claims made by various Congress leaders for tickets for the 2022 Assembly polls. Chidambaram rejected the demand of Luizinho Falerio and Francisco Sardinha for removing Girish Chodankar from the post of party president. Significantly, the Calangute block of the Congress opposed giving Michael Lobo a Congress ticket, indicating that Lobo is planning to leave the BJP.
1,831 LICENSES SUSPENDED
IN the light of directions from the Supreme Court the licenses of 460 Goans have been suspended for using mobile phones while driving their vehicles. Pending the implementation of the new Motor Vehicle Act licences of both four-wheelers and two-wheelers have been suspended for various offenses between January and June 2021. The biggest violation is speeding, followed by driving under the influence of liquor. When the new motor vehicles policy takes affects stiff fines will be imposed. The implementation has been suspended for the current year due to the Covid-19 situation and implementation will now be after assembly elections in February, 2021.
UPPER CASTE QUOTAS
THE Tamil Nadu High Court has refused to permit the 10% quota announced by the states for the economically weaker sections of the forward castes for MBBS seats. In several states in the country including Goa the upper castes have been demanding quotas for jobs in admission to professional colleges. The upper castes demanding quotas include the Bhandari Samaj in Goa, Marathas in Maharashtra and the Jats in Punjab.