GOA

In a step towards facilitating transition to a carbon-neutral future, increasing circularity and inclusivity, theGoa State Pollution Control Board(GSPCB) will hold the first International Environment and Sustainability Summit Goa (IESSG).
The summit is scheduled from February 2-4 at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium, Bambolim, Goa. Minister for environment Bhupender Yadav is likely to inaugurate the summit.

GSPCB in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is organising the summit, and National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) is a knowledge partner while Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is the network partner for the event.

Driven by a strong resurgence in tourism andrevivalin manufacturing activity, the gross goods and services tax (GST) revenue collection in Goa continues to remain positive, with December registering a73%jump inyear-on-yearcollections. The growth, which is a 14% increase over November, is also significantly higher than the 13% growth seen at the national level.

According to the Union finance ministry, Rs 592 crore was collected as central GST, state GST, integrated GST and cess in December as against Rs 518 crore in November. In December 2020, the total GST mop-up in Goa stood at Rs 342 crore.

Nationally, the gross GST revenue stood at Rs 1,29,780 crore, of which CGST is Rs 22,578 crore, SGST is Rs 28,658 crore, IGST is Rs 69,155 crore and cess is Rs 9,389 crore.
The state governments annual GST collections has shown a steady increase every financial year, growing from Rs 3,651.8 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 4,689 crore in 2020-21. Till July, Goas GST revenue stood at Rs 1,346.6 crore.

A recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) has raised alarm over extreme weather, and the possibility of urbanisation amplifying some aspects of climatechange.

At Old Goa, in a heritage landscape already devastated by haphazard development, the climate crisis has already started unfolding. The historic monuments are caught on lowlevel ground between massive runoffs and a swelling river.
Perhaps Goas most famous church, the Basilica of Bom Jesus, is at the lowest level in the core zone, and has been the worst hit after recent floods.

Conservationists and others suggest various measures as part of preparedness for the climate crisis. The conservation of water bodies and paddy fields, which are sinks for runoffs from the hills, is considered vital in extreme weather.

Sawant, in a recorded statement released on Tuesday night, said the bill would be reintroduced in the winter session of the Goa legislative assembly within the next two months.

Sawant said that a lot of people have said that the word bhumiputra should not be used in the bill, and that they have told him to remove it.

Defending the bill against an onslaught of criticism and mockery, Sawant said that more than 1.5 lakh houses would be benefited through this bill. He added that the bill has been brought in the interest of Goans, and dismissed apprehensions that it would only help migrants.

The chief minister said that there are around 6.5 lakh houses in 191 village panchayats and 14 municipalities, that have electricity connections. These houses belong to Goans and they have house numbers, water connections and electricity connections, but only 20% of houses are constructed by obtaining licences.

Emphasizing the need to promote heritage tourism in Goa, Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira said that theCorjuem Fortwill be promoted and various events, including an annual Corjuem festival, will be held at the fort.

The Corjuem fort was built in 1550 and was originally the property of the Bhonsle rulers of Sawantwadi. However, in the time of Viceroy Caetano de Mello e Castro the fort was annexed part of the Portuguese administration of Goa. The fort was declared as a protected monument under the Goa, Daman and Diu Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1978, 1 of 1979 and its rules 1980.

Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) has bagged a Rs 6,200 crore contract to build seven Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPV) for theIndian Navy. The contract is part of a Rs 9,781 crore order for 11NGOPVsthat theministry of defencefinalised.

Deliveries of the NGOPVs will start in September 2026, and once inducted into the Indian Navy, the warships will be used for anti-piracy operations, search and rescue, maritime patrolling, and surveillance.

The state cabinet decided to denotify the Covid-19 relief scheme and dispose of all applications received under the scheme till date. Under the scheme, a one-time financial assistance of Rs 5,000 was being given to people from marginalised or unorganised sectors involved in carrying out traditional occupations or businesses of Goa and lost their livelihood due toCovid.

The state cabinet also granted approval to amendment to the Indian Stamp (Goa Amendment) Bill, 2023, in an article of Schedule-I-A of the Indian Stamp Act to include brother-in-law and sister-in-law within the ambit of gift deed execution.

In Goa, the Law of Communion of Assets is applicable and accordingly whenever any instrument such as sale deed, exchange deed or gift deed is to be executed, the respective spouses are a necessary party.

The state cabinet recently granted approval to the Bengaluru-basedInstituteof Wood Science and Technology (IWST) toprepareaworkingplan for North and South Goaforestdivisions. The plan will help evaluate the status of forests and biodiversity resources within a forest division, assess the impact of past management practices and help decide about suitable management intervention for future.

Periodical updating and revision of a working plan is essential to keep pace with the trends emerging out of forest-people interface and to address national and international obligations. Therefore, the Union environment ministry has adopted a uniform code the National Working Plan Code in 2014 for the purpose.

The working plan for South Goa forest division expired in March 2021 and an extension for two years from 2021-2022 to 2022-2023 was granted by the. Union environment ministry. Further, the working plan of North Goa forest division is valid up to March 2022, following extension. Hence, the revision of workingplansof both the divisions is to be taken up immediately, the cabinet note said.

Union minister of state for skill development and entrepreneurship and electronics and IT,Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the Centre will take all measures to expand economic opportunities in Goa that will help diversify the states economy and turn it into a startup and innovation hub, especially in the fields of healthcare, medical electronics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), and also ensure its sustainable development.

Chandrashekharsaid that the ministries of electronics and IT, skill development and entrepreneurship along with the Goa government would explore the possibility of setting up a Centre of Excellence for startups at the South Goa district hospital, Margao. He also spoke of expanding skilling opportunities for young people through skill hubs and Atal Tinkering labs.

Earlier in the day, Chandrashekhar visited the South Goa district hospital and interacted with senior doctors and officials of the state health department. He termed the hospital as among the best of government hospitals in the country and spoke of creating an ecosystem of startups around health and well-being.

Goaslendingpotential through priority sectors such asfarm credit,manufacturingandhousinghas been pegged at Rs 6,750 crore for the year 2022-23. Prepared by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), the state focus paper has projected that Goas micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) will requireloansto the tune of Rs 4,479 crore in the coming financial year, which is 66% of the loan projection.

NABARD officials said that the projections for 2022-23 have been moderated in order to project realistic targets for banks and in view of the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic.

Lending towards the agricultural sector through crop loans and agri term loans have been projected at Rs 515 crore and Rs 635 crore respectively.

Bankers and state policy makers agreed to work together to look into the issue of land ownership, which prevents many farmers from obtaining loans for agricultural purposes.