GOA

After the likes of mancurad mangoes, feni, Khola chillies andMoirabananas, another popularGoanproduct, the sausages aka chouriso, may soon get Geographical Indication (GI) status.

Fish and meat products tend to spoil easily, but studies by the ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (CCARI) show that some samples of Goan sausages can last without refrigeration longer than regular meats. The institute is now making efforts to obtain GI status for the Goan chouriso.

Sausages were brought to Goa by . Back in Portugal, they were preserved using wine.

Ironically though, while it is a popular and famed delicacy, the community of those into the production of Goan sausages is on the decline.
The ICAR-CCARI mapped 22 Goan villages and recorded 210 individuals involved in its preparation and sale. Salcete has the highest number of traders and most of them prepare the sausages in their Home kitchens.
A study of the socio-economic status of the community has revealed that most of them are from underprivileged homes and rated low on the food safety knowledge index.

In a bid to address the fluctuation inpowersupply duringpeakload periods, the is exploring RENEWABLE ENERGY storage technology, which will release power generated viasolarplants back into the states power gridduringpeak hours. The state electricity department is working with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to see if such a project can augment power supply particularly for the industries, said power minister Nilesh Cabral.

GCCI, which organised the virtual meeting, requested Cabral to focus on adequate, reliable, affordable and consistent power supply in the state.

The tourism sector is heavily dependant on quality power for operation, production, utilities and recreational facilities. Interruptions, fluctuations and power drops create a total disruption in this sector. Thus hoteliers are forced to depend on diesel Generator sets, which are expensive to run.

The bill provides for the creation of an administrative and operation framework for the GoaInvestmentPromotion and FacilitationBoardas asingle-windowclearance facilitation mechanism. The prime objective is to ensure that clearance, licences, permissions and approvals are granted in a time-bound manner under relevant state laws so as to provide an investor friendly Environment in the state.

The government had formulated the Goa Policy, 2014, which envisaged a legal framework to be established through an act.

The cabinet note said that the State Government felt a need to enact a new law that would result in investors choosing the Goa as a preferred destination for setting up their projects.
The state government had constituted a special task force committee to revive and suggest necessary amendments in the Goa Investment Promotion Act, 2014.

Less than 12% of Goa’s schools are unaided, but at least for the primary section, enrolment in these private institutions has surpassed the numbers in government and even government-aided schools. The directorate of Education‘s education statistics report has revealed that 21,568 children study in unaided schools, while 19,638 in government schools.
Of all the Class I students enrolled in the academic year 2022-23, 5,334 secured admission in 129 unaided schools, while 4,760 joined 712 government schools. For government-aided schools, 12,833 students joined 287 of these.

Data shows that private schools are most popular inSalcete,Bardez, andTiswadi. Also, the trend is more pronounced in urban areas, where 2,950 students sought Class I admission in unaided schools, as against 826 in government ones and 4,829 in aided ones.

While the cashewnut is already synonymous with Goa,macecandy is poised to become another of Goassignatureproducts.

The fruit from which nutmeg is derived comprises of the rind called javetri (pericarp) and the kernel called jaiphal (nutmeg). While nutmeg is used widely, the pericarp often gets discarded by farmers, this even as 70% of the fruit comprises it.

In 2017, however, Goa-based ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (CCARI) developed a process to makecandyfrom this rind.

The process of preparing this candy has already begun at the two centres Curchorem in South Goa and Pale-Kothambi in North Goa established recently by the .
The candy will shortly be available for retail sale as aproductof the states own brand GoVan.

The GoVan brand was created by the state under the Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB) to produce products from locally derived natural ingredients.
The two processing centres are run entirely by local Women and the idea was to preserve local biodiversity by helping generate livelihood opportunities through it.

Misinformation about radiation from mobile towers is alarming in Goa, the department of telecommunications (DoT) said on Saturday. It said that several studies have shown that mobile tower electromagnetic frequency (EMF) radiation has no adverse impact on peoples Health.

The EMF project of World Health Organisation (WHO), after two decades of extensive research has corroborated that there is no evidence to support the claim that exposure to low-level electromagnetic fields is harmful to human health. The WHO has studied over 25,000 articles and reached the conclusion that there is no correlation between mobile tower EMF emissions and its hazardous impact on human health.

In India, EMF radiation norms are 10 times stricter than the limits prescribed by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and recommended by the WHO.

A 30-meter catamaran built byVijai Marine Shipyardat Rassaim was handed over on Monday to the Maldives government to undertake marine research. Funded by the (WB), the vessel – Thimaaveshi will help the Maldivian ministry of Environment,Climate Changeand Technology to track the effects of Climate Change, impact on coral reefs and Fisheries.

IIT Kharagpur helped Vijai Marine with the design and vessel construction.

Chief minister Pramod Sawant flagged off the vessel which will set sail for Maldives on Tuesday. This 30 meter catamaran ship has been built in Goa and this ship is a proud moment as it symbolizes Make in India and Make in Goa too. This ship has been built for the Maldives government, said Sawant.

Health minister Vishwajit Rane said on Tuesday that in a bid to provide better healthcare Services in the state, the government has taken the initiative to startdialysiscentres in different parts. As such, the tenth dialysis centre was made operational at the community health centre, in Bicholim, on Tuesday. Chief minister Pramod Sawant has fully supported the initiative, the health minister said.

The state has over 1,000 patients on dialysis who take the treatment at various centres. The government then reimburses them the cost of dialysis.

After facing stiff opposition to its land acquisition initiatives, the has now decided to acquire comunidade land for public projects, with the prior Consent of the respective comunidades. Chief ministerPramod Sawanttold TOI that around 30% of land in Goa belongs to comunidades.
The government, to execute its decision, is set to amend some articles of theGoa legislative diploma.

The state government has also put in a clause wherein comunidades, in case they want to develop plots through private agencies, must invite bids after getting approval from the government.

The bill also seeks to enable the government, with prior consent, to grant land up to 2 lakh sqm on lease to any educational or Health institution, or any government-recognised charitable or social trust or institution involved in Education or health.