HUMAN TRAFFICKING
NOT all migrants coming to Goa are here out of their own free will. The National Crime Bureau reporting for 2020 has revealed that there is extensive human trafficking going on in Goa. As many as 29 victims or 1% of the total Indian trafficking cases is accounted for by Goa. The biggest victims are people from the North East who are promised highly paid jobs but end up as sex workers in massage parlours and even beauty salons.
A large number of people from the North East states are employed at much less salaries than they were promised. It became difficult for them to give up their jobs as it is expensive for them to return to their home towns so far away. The Crime Bureau has also revealed that 66% of rape survivors in Goa last year were minors.
GOAN IIT TOPPERS
AS many as 13 Goans have scored more than 99% marks in the joined entrance exam (MAIN) for admission to the Indian Institute of Technology. In the results declared on Wednesday, September 15, male topper Harsh Khandeparkar from Ponda scored 99.91%, while female topper Manali Manjrekar from Porvorim scored 99.78%. Both are Musthifund students. This is the first time that as many as 13 students from Musthifund have cleared the main entrance exam for admission to IIT.
GOA VACCINE DRIVE
THOUGH Chief Minister Pramod Sawant claims that 100% Goan population have received at least one dose of the covid-19 vaccine, the very next day over 2,000 people got themselves vaccinated. The CM claims that nine of the 10 deaths which took place last week were people who had not even taken the first dose.
According to the Union Ministry of Health, Goa’s eligible population of vaccine is 11.7 lakh. However, independent sources insist that the eligible population is over 13 lakh due to increased migration.
MINING BILL CLEARED
GOVERNOR of Goa Sreedharan Pillai has given his consent for the Mining Corporation Bill which is now formally an act. The government now can start the leasing of mines or decide to undertake mining itself. The centre had set up a mining ore fund for the benefit of those affected not only by suspension of mining but the operation of the mining leases.
The mining fund is supposed to have been used for the welfare of the people in the mining affected areas. According to documents accessed by Mongabay India, about Rs202.5 crore were collected under District Mineral Foundation and of that approximately Rs 42 crore have been spent so far.
However, of the Rs42 crore spent so far, merely Rs4 crore have been utilised directly for the mining-affected villages, while the remaining Rs38 crore have been diverted for covid-19 relief.
GIRL’S DEATH AT CALANGUTE
THE head of the Forensic department of the Goa Medical College, Dr Andre Fernandes, has clarified that post-mortems conducted only determine the ultimate cause of the death. The post-mortem of the 19-year-old girl whose dead body was found on Calangute beach, has claimed that death was due to asphyxia (drowning). The GMC, however, has asserted that it was for the police to establish whether it was drowning suicide or murder case.
SC ORDER TO DEMOLISHED
THE Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court has directed the North Goa District Collector, to seal a resort in Siolim which has been set up on government land, without obtaining permission from the Coastal Zone Management Authority. The resort was built by two Delhi businessmen who pleaded that they should be excused as they had spent a lot of money. “The government land cannot be usurped or encroached in any manner to assist business activity in the non-development area of CRZ.” The Court also directed the demolishment of a huge villa which had come up in Calangute and was built within ten days during the lockdown period!
DABOLKAR MURDER CASE SPECIAL judge SR Navandar on Wednesday, September 15, completed the process of framing charges in the murder of noted rationalist Narendra Dabolkar. Dabolkar was shot dead by two people riding a bike in Pune on August 28 when he was taking his morning walk. The key accused is Virendrasinh Tawde while the shooters have been identified as Sachin Andure and Sharad Kalaskar. The charges have been framed under section 16 which deals with terrorist acts.