AND a few stray thoughts for yet another Saturday. For a Saturday following the week when the state government increased the notified minimum prices of land for conversion in Tiswadi, Mormugoa and Salcete. For a Saturday following the week when smart city authorities threatened to shut down all the main roads in Panaji from October 30 to December 31, 2024. For a Saturday following the week when notification were being issued for huge land acquisitions for the new Borim bridge. For a Saturday following the week when interns of the Goa Medical College got a hike in their stipend from this Diwali. For a Saturday following the week when the owner of the prestigious American newspaper “Washington Post” has decided to remain neutral in the presidential election of the United States of America.
AND a few stray thoughts on the State government increasing the notified minimum prices of land for conversion in Tiswadi, Mormugoa and Salcete. The minimum price of land is between Rs500 and Rs5,000 sqm in Tiswadi. In Salcete the present price varies between Rs800- Rs11,000 sqm. The current price in Mormugoa is Rs400-Rs4,200 sqm. This price is sought to be increased from Rs15,000 in Salcete to Rs35,000 per sqm in Bardez.
Earlier in September the government had sharply raised the minimum land prices in Pernem and Bardez by 400% in the talukas costal belt. The rate in Bardez is Rs25,000 per sqm in Morjim, Mandrem, Arambol and Keri. In Pernem the government has revised the minimum land price from Rs3,000 to Rs15,000 per sqm. At Tiracol, the minimum land price was increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 12,000 per sqm.
The increased land price may not affect the builders actual land price. In practice, the price at which land after conversion exchanges hand is much higher than the notified prices. The only beneficiary is the government which will collect stamp duty on the basis of the new notified prices of land. The builder will pass on the increased cost to the buyers. Since most of the buyers of luxury property are from outside the state of Goa it should not affect Niz Goenkar or those who have domicile status in Goa. There is a lot of aviation on stamp duty in Goa. The property that you have brought cannot be registered in your name unlike you have executed a sale deed and registered it with the land registrar.
Most builders sell real estate on the basis of agreement for sale to avoid stamp duty. Property purchased on the basis of an agreement for sale does not confer title on the person who has purchased the property. The government has stipulated that Goans by origin and by domicile will not have to pay the higher notified land prices. Goans who want to buy up to 1,000 sq mtrs for building their own house will be exempt from the new rates and can exchange property at their old rates.
The increase in the notified price is because of the steep increase in real estate prices following the heavy demand from the bold and beautiful and the rich and powerful from other parts of the country. Even at the new rates property in Goa is much cheaper as what is available even at Rs25,000 per sqm is the price being quoted per sq foot in Mumbai and other metropolitan areas.

PANJIM SHUTDOWN
AND a few stray thoughts on the smart city authorities threatening to shut down all the main roads in Panaji from October 30 to December 31, 2024. Some sections of the road network will be shut for a longer period of time from October 30 to January 31. The excuse is that pending works have to be completed. Apparently, the smart city project authorities were waiting for Diwali to get over before blocking the main arteries of Panaji city.
IFFI and Serendipity festivals will both be very badly affected by the closure of roads. Most tourists will skip Panaji as they will not be able to move freely during peak tourism season. Locals of course will have to stay at home or work from home for it would be difficult to negotiate the roads in their current situation.
The road from St Inez junction to Woodland Showroom at MG Road, covering a distance of 800 mtrs, will remain closed from October 30 to January 31. The 150 meter stretch from Geeta Bakery to Dayanand Bandodkar Marg on Swami Vivekanand Road will be shut from October 30 to December 31. The stretch of 100 meters from MG Road junction to DB Marg on Cunha Rivera Road will also be shut from October 30 to December 31 along with the 200-meter stretch from 18 June Road Junction to MG Road Junction on TB Cunha road. The stretch of 950 meters from Caculo Island to Cunah Rivera Road junction on 18 June road will remain shut from October 30 to February 28.
The blockages which will have been effective the day after Diwali will amount to the complete shutdown of Panaji city. The Corporation of the City of Panaji has strongly objected to the shutdown of Panaji during peak season. Among the worst affected will be migrant workers and locals who patronize food stalls and popular restaurants. CCP has warned that the decision will cause chaos and confusion.
It is unfortunate that the collector for North Goa Sneha Gitte has given permission to temporarily close and excavate MG road, Swami Vivekanad road, Cunha Rivera road, 18 June road and TB Cunha road. We do not understand why all the stretches of Panaji road will be shut down simultaneously.

BORIM BRIDGE ACQUISITIONS
AND a few stray thoughts on notification being issued for huge land acquisitions for the new Borim bridge. It may be recalled that there was severe opposition to the acquisition of cultivated paddy fields for the new Borim bridge. The existing Borim bridge is in bad shape and is set to collapse at any moment. The Borim bridge is a key link between Tiswadi and the Ponda talukas.
During the monsoon moreover all the barge traffic is diverted to the Mandovi to Borim. The Union Minister for Transportation Nitin Gadkari had requested the Goa government to consider the demand of the farmers in Borim sympathetically.
It would however appear that Ministry of Road Transport & Highways is going ahead with its proposal to acquire 3,40,000 sqm for constructing the high-level new Borim bridge, along with approach roads across river Zuari along with bypass to Borim bridge. The notification was published under the National Highways Act in The Navhind Times, the Navprabha and Konkani newspaper Bhangarbhuim on Wednesday, October 30, 2024.
The affected parties are the communidade of Loutulim and the land or private land owners in the area affected by the new bridge. The notification admits that paddy fields within the irrigation command areas, orchards and even settlement zones will be impacted by the massive land acquisition exercise. The affected parties are likely to file a PIL before the Goa Bench of the Bombay high court.

GMC INTERNS GET STIPEND HIKE
AND a few stray thoughts on Goa Medical College & Hospital interns getting a hike in their stipend from this Diwali. The Dean of the Goa Medical College, Dr Shivanand Bandekar, announced on Tuesday, October 29, that the stipend for interns will be increased to Rs20,000 with immediate effect. The interns are the backbone of the GMC. All MBBS students have to complete a one year period of internship before they get their degree.
It is the interns who look after the wards along with residents on a 24×7 basis. Though interns are technically still students, they are compelled to do all the work that the resident or even consultant normally does.
The resident comprises of two categories. Till recently all those who got an MBBS from the GMC had to work for the government for a minimum of one year. These doctors were referred to as bond doctors. Students passing out were on bond as the fees in the GMC are much lower than in private colleges. The bond doctors along with junior residents get Rs40,000 per month.
The section of the medical staff who are discriminated against is the physiotherapists. The physiotherapist undergoes virtually the same course extending to four years that MBBS doctors go through. In critical cases such as those of strokes and spinal TB, the only hope for recovery is the physiotherapist.
The physiotherapist is only paid Rs7,000 during their six-month internship. During their six-month bond period, they get only Rs20,000 as against the Rs 40,000 paid to MBBS students. Since the physios do not have a strong lobby they get ignored every time there is an increase in the salary paid to MBBS interns and residents.

NEUTRAL WASHINGTON POST’
AND a last stray thought on the owner of the prestigious American newspaper Washington Post which has decided to remain neutral in the current presidential elections of the USA. The election which is primarily a contest between former President Trump and present Vice- President Kamala Harris is scheduled to be held on November 5. Historically, the media in the United States has been split between the liberal press and the right wing press.
Papers like the Washington Post always endorsed the candidate of the Democratic Party. Conversely, the New York Times has backed the Republican candidate in the current contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Bezos, owner of Amazon, who also owns the Washington Post, has decided to remain neutral. This is primarily out of fear that Trump may take revenge on the Amazon group if he is elected to power. Bezos is making a virtue of necessity. It is not the editorial endorsement but the management of news which affects and influences an election.