CONGRATULATIONS CHILDREN OF FREEDOM FIGHTERS!
CHILDREN of Freedom Fighters should carry forward the torch of dedication to the land that their parents had exemplified and do their work, said Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant at the event held at the Assembly Complex in Porvorim on August 9, 2023. He distributed letters to 42 children of freedom fighters and 63 Homeguards who will now take up roles to play in the police force. CM underlined the government’s dedication to people-centric initiatives like this one and paid tribute to the sacrifices made by Goa’s freedom fighters in the struggle to win freedom. He also acknowledged dedicated service of the Homeguards, who have dutifully served for 28 years, they are entitled to serve as police officers. Present at the function were Inspector-General of Police Omveer Singh (IPS), Nelson Albuquerque (Superintendent of Police, HQ) and families of the freedom fighters.
MEDICO LEGAL CARE FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS
HOW do you deal with sexual assault victims? With the aim of equipping and training health care providers handling and working with such cases, the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights organized an orientation. Around 25 medicos from Goa Medical College & Hospital, North and South Goa District Hospital and Ponda Sub-District Hospital attended the training at Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, GMC on August 4, 2023.
HOD Dr Andre Fernandes, Dr Mandar P Kantak (associate professor) and Dr Sheryl Soares E Mesquita (assistant lecturer, Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, GMC) covered the provision of comprehensive care including consent, history taking and documentation, medical examination and treatment and deposition in the court to present medical evidence properly and in a timely manner to the court, as also details of psycho-social support and rehabilitation.
It was brought to the notice of the Commission by stakeholders in the justice system, that the medical opinions and reports are left wanting and fall short in court, during trial. To set right this issue, this training was organized in collaboration with Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology to orient doctors to respond to child victims of sexual violence in a more humane and case-specific manner. Preventing and responding to abuse and sexual violence requires a continuous multisectoral and multifaceted approach, and strengthening the medico-legal response is an important part. ( Peter F Borges, Chairperson, Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights)
Decentralization of medico-legal services and engaging more registered medical practitioners was suggested to improve medico-legal care. In this respect the commission will be conducting more organized trainings for registered medical practitioners.
NATIONAL HANDLOOM DAY
THE Department of Handicrafts, Textile & Coir in collaboration with Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary and along with College of Home Science, celebrated National Handloom Day at Sanskruti Bhavan, Pato-Panaji, on August 7, 2023. The event was graced by Vidyadatt Naik (Secretary of Goa Board for Secondary and Higher Secondary Education), Dr Mahesh Pai (Principal of Goa College of Home Science), Ashok Parab (Deputy Director of Art and Culture), Arvind Bugde (Director of Handicrafts, Textile and Coir) and Sohan Uskaikar (Assistant Director of Handicrafts, Textile and Coir).
Vidyadatt Naik (Secretary of Goa Board for Secondary and Higher Secondary Education) shared valuable advice to the students, emphasizing the importance of seizing opportunities and acquiring new skills. His advice was, “To secure employment, a blend of knowledge, certification, and hands-on training is essential.” Dr Mahesh Pai (Principal of Goa College of Home Science) highlighted the significance of supporting the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiative by encouraging the purchase of handloom products and urged the attendees to contribute to the initiative by promoting Indian handicrafts. Ashok Parab (Deputy Director of Art & Culture) called for the integration of handloom weaving courses in every panchayat locality and congratulated the students for their dedication to mastering the art of handloom weaving. Director of Handicrafts, Textiles & Coir Arvind Bugde emphasized the need to preserve and promote India’s rich handloom and traditional heritage and provided insights into the process of handloom weaving and its diverse range of products. Certificates were distributed to students and teachers for completing the weaving course during on the job training. The function was compered by Ravini Davare and Beneta Rodrigues, while Anita Mahale thanked everyone for being present.
DRIVER WAS MEGHNA!
AN eyewitness to the deadly Banastari accident insists that it was wife Meghna who was driving the Mercedes and not husband Paresh. The Mercedes in fact is registered in Meghna’s name and has been issued many challans for over-speeding. Children’s organisations should file cases against the couple because they had their three children sleeping on the back seats of the luxury car and their lives were in put in danger by the couple driving in an intoxicated state. Adults may endanger their lives if they are foolhardy but have they the right to endanger their children?
SUDHIN TO VISHWAJIT’S HELP!
POWER Minister Sudhin Dhavalikar is trying to come to the help of Vishwajit Rane in stopping the Mhadei tiger reserve from coming up. Sudhin’s claim is that the tiger reserve would affect the Tamnar power generation project. It has been proposed that a new transmission station should be set up in Mhadei. Sudhin claims that 17,000 trees that have been planted will have to be cut down. Opposition leaders like Vijai Sardessai are against the Tamnar project which will lead to mass destruction of trees. And Dhavalikar also claims that no development has been undertaken by the Karnataka government on the other side of the river. Who is going to check out the truth?
COVID RELIEF SCHEME
AT the peak of the covid-19 pandemic in 2019 a number of workers in the unorganized sector lost their jobs. Five years later the government is offering a relief of Rs5,000 to those who were affected by the covid-19 shutdown. Both the centre and that state government have a large number of schemes for contract labour and for farmers who have been affected by excess rainfall. None of these schemes are advertised adequately so most beneficiaries are BJP party workers. The Ladli Laxmi scheme is an exception because those who registered are getting their payments in their bank accounts.
CABRAL PROTECTING COAL
AN IIT study released last year has revealed that coal mining and transportation has contributed 29% to dust pollution. The Mormugoa Port Trust has separate talks for handling of coal. This is however done in the open leading to the spread of coal dust. The coal imported at MPT is transported by train and trucks to Hospet in Karnataka. The train goods wagons and the trucks are not covered with tarpaulin. The pollution department’s director is that the coal should be sprinkled with water before they are loaded to the trains and trucks. The Adanis are the biggest importers of coal at the MPT. Jindal steel also operates one of the coal jetties.
CHEATING IN WEIGHT RAMPANT
MOST people do not even know that there is a legal metrology department which is mandated to check that you get value for money. Their job is to ensure that weighing machine and measures used in commercial activities functions properly. There is large scale cheating in sale of groceries and food items. Most shops in a market have faulty scales. The government claims to have booked 2,129 cases across the state. Part of the problem is that though there is a fine ranging from Rs5,000-Rs15,000 for cheating it is not imposed. Most consumers are not bothered about a difference of 10-15 grams in quantity of sugar or grains purchased by them. The largest amount of cheating takes place in the sale of kerosene to ration card holders.
COLLABORATION WITH ISB
The Government of Goa, on Tuesday, August 8, 2023 has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business (ISB) to commence a knowledge partnership with a focus on evidence-based policy formulation and impact in the state. The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant in Panjim, by Vijay B Saxena (Director, Directorate of Planning, Statistics & Evaluation) and Prof Ashwini Chhatre (Executive Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, ISB). The signing as witnessed by Ajit Roy (Secretary to Chief Minister with Power, New & Renewable Energy, Mines & Geology portfolios) and Dr Aarushi Jain (Policy Director, Bharti Institute, ISB).
Bharti Institute as knowledge partner and will facilitate furthering the state government’s objectives to improve social and economic prosperity indicators, through evidence-based public policy interventions, capacity-building workshops, and citizen-centric governance-based initiatives. There will be collaboration with the Goa Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (GIPARD) to conduct workshops of officials of state services. The workshops will focus on policy issues, emerging technologies, sustainability, leadership, and digital transformation, among other aspects.
Bharti Institute will also develop the Goa Open Data Portal in collaboration with the Department of Information Technology that will serve as a “one-stop destination” for open data to access and interact with for citizens, aiming towards digital governance. To tap into the bioenergy reserves of Goa and empower forest-based communities with secure tenure, Bharti Institute will coordinate activities across departments and agencies to attract private investment and support in enabling the required framework of secure forest tenure, building women-led and community-owned enterprises, delivering digital and mechanical interventions for efficiency and scale, besides providing market linkage.
This partnership extends to Department of Education, Higher Education and Technical Education, wherein the institute will extend its support and resources to improve the quality of education via effective leadership training, fostering positive learning environments, and empowering education officials, including principals and heads of institutes. The collaboration will also focus on improving the research focus of faculty members in higher education institutions in the state. All this is part of the Goa government’s proactive steps for socio-economic development in the state.
SOCIAL MEDIA INDICTED
NOW it is social media’s turn to be blamed for the communal riots in Manipur and Haryana. A number of fake videos are being circulated by both sides and have a reach of 23 million. One such fake video claims that there will be early Lok Sabha poll and EVM machines will be banned. The Press Information Bureau has set up a fact checking division to take action against people who spread fake news, including fake videos. YouTube channel is most dangerous having 1.7 million subscribers and 18 crore viewers. A channel which ironically calls itself Education Dost with 3.43 million subscribers and 23 crore viewers has been spreading false information about government schemes. Another fake video channel SPN9 news with 4.8 million subscribers and 189 viewers was reportedly spreading fake news about the president, the prime minister and other ministers and officials. For instance the channel is reported to claim that the government is offering gas cylinders at Rs20 for domestic consumers and petrol at Rs15 per liter. Go check it out or go figure out if we have a real government or a fake government?
MODI’S AMRIT KAAL!
NARENDRA Modi has issued advertisements in all the media claiming that the opposition is asking the people to quit India. The theory is that Modi represents the nation. That anybody who opposes him is an enemy of the state. Modi insists that this is India’s “Amritkaal” and we are marching towards the goal of development. “Amrit Kaal” is also the “Kartavya Kaal. Never mind that ground reality is totally different!