FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant chose to avoid giving a specific response to the massive probe, into the open grabbing of Goan lands through forgery and impersonation by stating “investigation is going on”. He has, however, assured to hold a separate press conference within the next two days on the ongoing investigations by the Special Investigating Team (SIT) into the land grabbing cases.
When asked why Bardez Mamlatdar Rahul Desai has not been suspended and why he continues in office in the land grabbing case when an FIR is filed against him, Sawant said “investigation is going on.”
When quizzed about the involvement of politicians in the land-grabbing case, he also said the investigation is going on.
Beach shack policy extended: The State Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to extend the tourism beach shack policy by one more year i.e. 2022-2023.
Briefing media persons after the Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the Cabinet decided to extend the tourism shack policy by one year.
He said the Department of Tourism will allow the erection of temporary seasonal structures, beach shacks, deck beds, umbrellas, huts and other structures for the year 2022-2023.
Earlier, the government had waived 50 per cent beach shack fees following requests by shack operators, who complained that they suffered huge losses for the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The government has now revised the fee structure for the erection of shacks, deck beds, and umbrellas on beaches. However, shacks will not be allocated to 33 applicants, who had failed to pay the revised renewal fees for the last two years.
Every year, the Department of Tourism is permitting as many as 364 beach shacks including 259 shacks on the beaches of North Goa and 105 shacks in South Goa.
Jobs for 12 dependent family members of govt staff who died on duty: The State Cabinet approved a proposal for appointment on compassionate grounds to 12 dependent family members of government staff, who died accidentally while on duty.
Among the 12 are family members of three electricity department workers, who had died in an accident at Borim two years and nine other employees, who died on duty. All of them will be given jobs on compassionate grounds, he said.
Civil Aviation Dept posts: The Cabinet also approved a proposal for the creation of six posts in the Civil Aviation Department for Mopa Greenfield airport. One accountant, one UDC, two LDC, and one driver post were approved by the Cabinet.
Temporary status to 459 contract workers: The Cabinet granted temporary status to 459 workers of the PWD Labour supply Society who completed eight years of regular service as of April 1, 2022. They will be paid salary as per the pay band and grade pay.
CMRY for engineers amended, etc: The Cabinet gave approval to the extension of the Chief Minister Rojgar Yojana (CMRY) 2020 to degree and diploma holder engineers, ex-post facto approval for expenditure of Rs 3.96 crore towards quarantine centres set up in the GTDC residencies & the Planning & Statistics Dept to undertake all CSR activities.
