GOA

Goa needs farming reforms, clarity in land ownership, says Nabard

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If Goas agricultural sector has to thrive and for farmers to avail loans,Nabardhas said that reforms inland ownership, community farming and are a must. In its state focus paper for 2022-23, which has been submitted to the State Government, it said that a strategy to improve ground level credit flow is in place, but the government also needs to address impediments that hinder disbursement of credit.

The paper said that ground level credit flow increased from Rs 4643.5 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 5191.4 crore in 2020-21, out of which the Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture sector had a share of just 18%.

Uncertainty about land rights continues to plague the state, with around 25,000 cases still pending before various authorities. As per statistics released by the legislative assembly in August, there are around 3,500 cases pending under the Agricultural Tenancy Act, 3000 cases stuck under the Mundkar Act, ownership claims under alvara land are around 3,500, while at least 800 individuals are fighting for ownership as per the Mayem evacuee property clause. Aside from this, there are around 10,000 claims by tribals under the Forest Rights Act, all of which remain unresolved.

The state government has identified land in Dharbandora taluka, near theSanjivanisugar factory, for setting up of the India International University of Legal Education and Research ofBar Council of IndiaTrust.

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During the monsoon session of legislative assembly, the passed the India International University of Legal Education and Research of the Bar Council of India (BCI) Trust at Goa Bill, 2021.

Earlier, the state cabinet had granted its nod to the bill. There is a provision by which the India International University of Legal Education and Research may also establish centres in other parts of India, and abroad.

Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry welcomes uniform tax for commercial spaces

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While thanking theCorporation of the City of Panajifor the downward revision in municipal tax on commercial establishments, Goa Chamber of Commerce & (GCCI) has urged the civic body to recover tax from defaulters on a war-footing.

The industry body said that CCP now needs to put in place a proper mechanism to identify tax defaulters and adopt punitive measures like non-renewal of trade license if arrears are not cleared.

CCP had increased the municipal tax rates for commercial establishments but introducing new categories. GCCI had complained that there was “no scientific basis of calculation” while imposing the tax rates. CCP finally agreed to roll back the hike and imposed uniform municipal tax rates for all commercial establishments in the capital.
GCCI has also recommended that CCP should put in place a proper system for timely payment of house tax, including a system to make sure that the notice to pay house tax reaches the owner well in time.

Govt plans to make Panaji smart by April

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The ambitious Rs 180-crore Goa Intelligent City Management System (GICMS) continues to be delayed, with Imagine PanajiSmartCity Development Ltd (IPSCDL) officials now looking at a mid-April deadline to go live. The GICMS project, which includes the integrated command and control centre at Altinho, is languishing not only due to resistance from locals but also because a tender for the Internet provider fell through, say officials.

L&T, which won the GICMS contract in June 2018, has already installed close to 200 smart CCTV cameras out of the planned 338, but the link between the cameras and the command and control centre has yet to be established, said sources.

The project is running over a year late, largely due to objections by current Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserrate. The second hurdle for the GICMS project has been the delay in obtaining permissions. L&T has found that permission for digging, road-cutting and laying of key fibre cables is difficult to obtain, and the process has only been complicated due to the other unmarked utility lines laid along the roads.

Govt plans to make state waste-free by 2025: CM

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Chief ministerPinarayi Vijayanhas said that the government plans to make the state waste-free by 2025. To achieve the goal, a comprehensive programme to improve waste collection, treatment and disposal would be implemented, he said.

The CM said that the programme would be implemented in a phased manner and incentives and Awards would be given for best performing local bodies at each level.

The CM said that the Global Expo would help create new perspectives and awareness about Waste Management. He said that toilet waste treatment Plants would be constructed in all districts and joint efforts of local self-government bodies are required for timely completion of the project.

Govt finalises draft rules for mining corp

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The directorate of mines and geology has finalised the draftrulesfor the functioning of Goaminingcorporation. Thedraftrules will be sent to the chief minister Pramod Sawant for administrative approval before referring it to the law department for vetting.

The Act that paved the way for the corporations formation was passed during the last assembly session. Earlier in September, the governor granted his assent to the bill, making it an Act and setting the stage for thecorporation.

Mining in Goa came to a halt in March 2018, after The Supreme Court quashed the second renewal of 88 mining leases. On September 7, the apex court dismissed an appeal filed by mining companies to allow them to operate mining leases till 2037.

The has tentatively finalised eight mining leases to be auctioned in Bicholim and Sattari talukas. Out of the eight leases shortlisted by the government, five are at Bordem in Bicholim and three in Sattari, including two in Pissurlem and one in Poriem.

The mining concessions in the state were granted under the decree of 1906. On December 19, 1961, Goa, Daman and Diu were liberated from Portuguese rule and Goa became a part of India. However, the concessions were deemed to have expired on December 12, 1961, which was the appointed date as per the Abolition Act, 1987, from which date the concessions were treated as deemed leases under MMDR Act.

Goas first open-sea cage fish farm commences operations

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Goas first cage culture farm was inaugurated recently at Candolim with the support of the central government.

Fernandes was granted a licence by the department to undertake open sea cage culture at Candolim based on a request submitted to the department. He is also a beneficiary under a centrally-sponsored scheme of the department of fisheries, government of India and the state fisheries department.

Two cages under the All India Network Project on Mariculture of ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Karwar, have been integrated in the project. Technical advisory for cage culture is also provided by ICAR-CMFRI, Karwar.

Goa looks to eliminate malaria by 2022

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It has taken Goa almost three decades to reach the elimination stage formalaria. However, the battle is far from over even as the incidences of indigenous cases have hugely reduced from 25,000 cases in 1998 to 68 reported this year till September-end.

The state recorded 400 imported cases from January till September, which were detected largely among migrant labourers.

To achieve elimination status, Goa has to see zero indigenous cases and nil deaths and is set to achieve the target by 2022 along with 15 states. The directorate of Health Services (DHS) has doubled its efforts towards this end. Goas high load of malaria is owing to migrant labourers. Whenever the influx of migrants goes up, so does the malaria caseload. It is difficult to reach a base level post-November, after the end of the malaria period from June to October.

Long-lasting insecticide (LLI) treated nets that are provided by the government of India are given to construction and other workers. LLI netss are not to be given to Goa, but for states such as Odisha and those in the north east. However, during a review meeting we informed the authorities that since Goa has a high presence of migrant labourers from other states we should be provided with LLI nets, too.

In a first for Goa, 46.1 sqkm notified as private forest

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The on Thursday notified 46.1 sqkm area in the state as private forest, in compliance with an order by theNational Green Tribunal(NGT). This is the first parcel of land in Goa to be notified as a private forest. However, in the meantime, work is in progress to confirm almost double of the area notified, which has been identified provisionally as private forest for now.

Enumeration of 9,183 ha or 91.8 sqkm area is being carried out at present by 16 sub-committees comprising range forest officers, inspectors of survey and land records, and village talathis, under the supervision of the deputy conservator of forests.

The government panels, while identifying private forests, applied the criteria that the area should be either contiguous to government forest lands or, if in isolation, the minimum area identified should be 5 ha. And, canopy density should not be less than 0.4.

Year after year, citizens have raised concerns over road engineering in the state, which especially becomes a topic of discussion after heavy rainfall leavesroadspothole ridden or submerged in water, as in Guirim at present. Data from the Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) shows that the citizens apprehensions are not misplaced.The nature of roads is the cause of nearly a third of theaccidentsthat occur in Goa, the MoRTH report said.

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s many as 1,244 accidents took place on national highways. According to MoRTHs records, these national highways are being looked after by the state public works department (PWD) and are not under the jurisdiction of the National Highways Authority of India.

A third or 107 of the 297 road accident deaths reported in 2019 in Goa occurred on national highways, even though the has begun work of expansion and apparent improvement of highways across the length and breadth of Goa in 2016.

According to the MoRTH report, during 2019, 3,440 road accidents were reported in Goa 283 of them were fatal accidents, where 297 persons lost their lives.

Though in 2019, the total number of accidents in Goa were down by over 250 since 2018, the number of persons who lost their lives in fatal accidents were up in 2019 by 13.4%.
Besides, the 283 fatal accidents, grievous injuries were reported in 196 cases.

The MoRTH report shows that in very few of the accident cases in Goa, weather was responsible for the ill-event.

]This indicates that road conditions or road users not following safety measures were the top causes for road accidents in Goa.

Most of the accidents in Goa or 3,131 occurred in clear weather, causing 276 deaths. In comparison, 21 road accident deaths took place during rainy weather. Foggy vision was not reported as cause of any accident or fatality.

Majority of the accidents reported in Goa involved two-wheeler riders and those riding pillion leading to 1,757 accidents and death of 186 persons.