GOA

Even as a cyclonic circulation is forming over the Bay of Bengal, there is no significant windimpactof CycloneYaasexpected to be experienced over the Goa coast in the coming days, the India meteorological department (IMD) said.

There will, however, be a slight increase in rainfall over the state due to the weather system.

The IMD forecast on Sunday satted that the well-marked low-pressure area over east central Bay of Bengal and the associated cyclonic circulation extending up to mid-tropospheric levels would concentrate into a depression.

Poriem MLA and chairperson of the Goa Forest Development Corporation (GFDC), Deviya Rane on Saturday pointed to a 40% demand-supply gap of cashews in the state due to which “duplicate” cashewnuts were being marketed as a local product.

Chief minister Pramod Sawant, meanwhile, said that the newly increased support price of Rs 150 per kg for cashew produce in Goa will now also be made available to farmers who sold their produce in the last financial year during the January-March 2023 quarter.

Both Rane and Sawant were speaking at the first Goa Cashew Festival 2023 organised by the GFDC at Panaji. Sawant said the festival will be held every year with the support of the .

Tourism minister Rohan Khaunte said his department would also collaborate with the GFDC from next year in organizing the cashew festival.
On her part, Rane said the main objective of the festival was to bring together all stakeholders and help improve cashew production in Goa from the present 24,000 tonnes to 40,000 tonnes.

The Calangutepanchayatgram sabha on Sunday approved budget proposals amounting to Rs 10.3 crore. Members were also informed that the panchayat has made provisions for the Calangute Going Green initiative, in which villagers are encouraged take up agricultural activities with free seeds, fertilizer and an assured buy-back of the produce.

While earlier they would send around 85% mixed garbage to the garbage treatment plant (GTP), now they send 100% segregated garbage.

The intends to provide bicycles to every child in the hinterland who has no access to a bus to attend school.
Chief ministerPramod Sawantsaid that his government has plans for a tie-up with the corporates, through CSR activity, to make this happen.

Sawant also said that it is his government’s endeavour to turn the state into ‘Green Goa’ and that e-vehicles and those run on CNG would be promoted.

Sawant urged the corporate sector to be liberal in funding such projects under CSR activity.

Stating that some corporates have already been contributing in the fields of Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture and pisciculture, he called upon them to support the Green Goa initiative.

The state Education department has formed the State Centre for Literacy (SCL) cell to impartlegal, financial, and digital literacy to adults who have not received formal education in any school. The union education ministry had formulated the project in 2021 with the objective to promote adult education and lifelong Learning. The project under the goals designated in New Education Policy 2020 will run till 2027 with an aim to cover all targeted adults.

The cell becomes critical in states with the poorest literacy rate of below 50% among Women in the country.

he Indian Medical Association (IMA) Goa has decided to build asupport systemforsenior citizens, mostly those who have been living in old age homes, in the state. The IMA members will be asked to provide their Services toold age homeswhich are unable to hire professional medical care for want of Resources.

The IMA -Goa has seven branches spread across the state. It will attempt to see that member doctors render their services to the old age homes, put in some effort, and help improve the well-being of the elderly.

The draft Goa Model Panchayat Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Bye-Laws, 2022, has proposed spot fines and penalties between Rs200 and Rs 10,000 against residential units, commercial establishments and institutions for non-segregation of waste at source, and not maintaining clean surroundings, among others.

The has invited objections and suggestions from the public before finalising the bye-laws.

Other violations include depositing construction and demolition waste against the provisions of the bye-laws, mixing of segregated waste by agency, agent or employee, for not storing and delivering fish, Poultry and meat waste in a manner as specified under the bye-laws, and for non-composting by bulk waste Generator.

As per the bye-laws, separate vehicles will be provided by the panchayat for collecting wet and dry waste.

The review committee carrying out ground verification of additional private forest areas in the state, as identified by the Thomas & Araujo committees, has found in the processnew private forest areas. The bodys sub-committees carrying out the groundwork have found land adjacent to areas identified asprivate forestsby the committees. The ground officers have told the review committee that these new areas also appear to qualify as private forests.
The review committee has decided to inform the about these new private forest areas.

The sub-committees felt that the ground verification can only be complete if these adjoining new patches of forests are taken into account.