GOA

TheUniongovernment has reduced the export duty on iron Ore below 58-grade from 50% to nil. The decision of the Centre, ahead of the auctioning of four mining blocks, may receive huge response from mining and steel companies to participate in the auction. The Union Government in May this year had increased the export duty on iron ore.

Most of the iron ore produced in Goa is low grade (below 58-grade), and most of it is exported. The Centre had also hiked export duty on ore above 58-grade to 50% from existing 30%. But it has also reduced it to 30%.

Mining in Goa came to a halt in March 2018, after theSupreme Courtquashed the second renewal of 88 mining leases.

The has put up four mining blocks for auction, of which three are in the north and one is in the south, and over 24 companies have shown interest in participating in the auction.

This is for the first time that the state government is auctioning leases to carry out mining activities in the state. The state government has revised the timeline for the auctioning process. Major steel and iron ore mining companies from outside Goa have shown interest in operating mines in the state.

Chief ministerPramod Sawant said that at least 50% of the 10,136 pendingclaimsunder theForestRights Act, 2006, and land ownership rights can be expedited and processed by December 19. He, however, put the onus of delay on traditional forest dwellers saying that poor attendance at meetings convened for scrutiny and verification of the claims has delayed the process.

Sawant said that at least5,000 claims, which have been pending for around 10-12 years, can be cleared if the tribals and forest dwellers participate in the meetings being held by November-end at the panchayat-level.

Forest right cases, as per provisions of The Scheduled Tribes And Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition Of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 are being sped up.

The recent hike in excise duty on beer will net the cash-strapped Goa government an additional Rs 50 crore on an annual basis. Goa’s liquor , which sells close to six million cases of beer every year, has accepted the Rs 10-12 increase in prices, but cautioned the government against tinkering with prices of hard liquor on the eve of the tourist season.The state earns around Rs 500cr a year on excise collections.

The Goa government hiked the excise duty on beer by Rs 10-12 per bulk litre, while leaving the excise duty on Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) and foreign liquor unchanged. Attempts to increase excise duty on IMFL and foreign liquor will have a ripple effect on Goa’s tourism industry and the coming wedding season, said a major alcohol retailer and wholesale dealer.

Goa, which has always been known for cheap alcohol rates and liberal drinking policies, is no longer the country’s cheapest liquor destination. Hard liquor rates in Delhi,Haryana, and Chandigarh are more affordable, and many north Indian travellers have stopped purchasing hard liquor while flying back Home after a wedding, holiday, or business trip.

He also said that the Union Government would provide free visas to 5 lakh international tourists, to boost tourism. Calling Goa a state of boundless possibilities, he said that Goa is not just a state of the country but a strong marker of Brand India.

Modi praised healthcare workers and beneficiaries of the Covid vaccination programme in Goa, which completed 100% coverage of the first dose to the eligible Population. He was interacting with them to mark the states completion of that milestone.

Modi said it is important that Goa has administered the first dose to 100% of the eligible population, stating that when hotel employees, taxi drivers and shopkeepers are vaccinated, tourists will come to Goa with a sense of safety.

The has put up over 2 million tonnes of iron Ore for the e-auction scheduled on August 27, to generate revenue for the state. This is the 26th e-auction, and will be conducted by the directorate of mines and geology.

The iron ore which has been put up is currently lying at various mines, plots and jetties including Pissurelem, Kotambi, Rivona, Navelim, Tudou, Pale, Uguem, Shigao, Sonus, Trimurthy, Cudmen, and Tollem.

At the 25th e-auction conducted in March, only 70% of the ore lying at jetties and Ports found takers. Around 1 million tonnes (of the 1.6 million tonnes) of ore was purchased.

The state government has been conducting e-auctions of iron ore to generate revenue for the state treasury, which has been facing a crisis due to the Covid pandemic. Chief minister Pramod Sawant, in his budget speech, said that the state would generate revenue of around Rs 500 crore from mining.

During the last winter season, whenbirdersset out on their annualbirding expeditionacross Goa, they were delighted to have spotted four new species in the state. This has taken the number of listedbirdsfound in Goa to 481, which is almost 37% of the tally of birds listed across India, though it is the smallest state in terms of geographical area.

Malabar starling, chestnut winged cuckoo, great bittern and white browed fantail are the newest bird presence recorded in the state.

Goas recorded bird species roughly constitute 5% of the total 10,000-odd bird species listed globally.
Compare the geographically tiny states 481 to the 525 bird species listed in the vast state of Karnataka. This has helped make Goa a popular destination with birdwatchers from India and abroad.
Peru has the largest number of birds listed for any country in the world with its count standing at 2,000, while the recorded bird species in India are between 1,200 and 1,300, of which Goa has nearly 481.

cage culture will get a much-needed boost in Goa with this form of aquaculture production being initiated across state rivers this year.
Twenty-two units, or cages, growing high-value fish such as chonak and pomfret are being installed across state rivers under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme. The scheme helps promote the socio-economic welfare of fishers and fish farmers by providing safety kits, replacing boats and nets, providing Insurance for fishing vessels and fishermen, etc.

Seeds of the fish are currently being sourced from a private fish hatchery in Kumta, Karnataka. However, the fisheries department will al-so set up a hatchery in Benaulim from where farmers can source fish and shrimp seeds locally, said Monteiro.

Under the PMMSY scheme, the central government has released Rs19. 44 lakh and the State Government has released Rs12. 96 lakh to install cages in rivers in 2022-23. With a financial achievement of Rs32. 40 lakh, 22 cages are expected to be set up in 2023 by six beneficiaries.

As many as 3,800 households inPondatown have been connected to thepiped natural gas(PNG) Network and GoaNatural Gasexpects to reach all of the towns households by the year end.

The network is already connected to the existing 175-km-long pipeline that connectsVascoto the 30-inch Dabhol-Bengaluru natural gas pipeline.

Goa Natural Gas, a joint venture ofGas Authority of India Ltd(GAIL) and Bharat Petroleum Ltd, had launched the gas distribution project for the town on May 22, 2017. Goa Natural Gas has been authorised by thePetroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Boardto lay the piped gas network forNorth Goa.

The Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (GSCPCR) has recommended that the create positions for counsellors in all schools to address the huge mental Health gap that has emerged since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The commission has called for universal coverage of the states counselling scheme. Currently, just 85 counsellors cover 295 schools in the scheme implemented by the Goa Educational Development Corporation (GEDC).

Commission chairpersonPeter Borgessaid that since children spend most of their time in school, their problems can be identified, dealt with, and improved through counselling. School students, he said, are of an age that is generally vulnerable, and need a safe space a neutral and non-judgmental counsellor who understands their feelings and helps them navigate their emotions.

He also flagged the issue of undetected pregnancies in adolescents in school settings. These are ultimately found out about in advanced stages, and are a result of both abuse and romantic relationships, he said.