GOA

Goa govt puts digital queue system for watersports on hold

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Watersports operators, who have been opposing Goa Electronic Ltds (GEL) proposed manned digital queue system for the past several months, got a reprieve on Monday after the government agreed to temporarily put the plan on hold.

The government has decided to allow operators to continue with their existing manual queue system for the remainder of the tourist season.

The solution was arrived at after chief ministerPramod Sawantheld a lengthy discussion with coastal MLAs and watersports operators along with tourism ministerRohan Khaunte.

A few months ago, the tourism department announced the introduction of a GEL-operated digital queue system for watersports activities as per the directive.

Marine interpretation centre to come up at Galgibaga soon

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A nearly 200sqm mangrove andmarineinterpretationcentrewill soon be set up atGalgibagain Canacona by the conservator of forests, wildlife and eco-tourism. The proposal was recently approved by the Goa coastal zone management authority (GCZMA).

GCZMA had earlier drawn up a plan for the states four Olive Ridley turtle nesting sites in the state based on which no-take zones on these beaches were demarcated to help preserve the ECOLOGY. Only marine conservation activities are permitted in these zones.
Galgibaga and Agonda beaches in Canacona, and Morjim and Mandrem beaches in Pernem are turtle nesting sites for Olive Ridleys.

Theinterpretationcentre will help visitors understand the ecological importance of MANGROVES, turtle nesting sites and other marine life.

Goa to pitch for GI tags for korgut rice, Taleigao brinjal

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Goa will seek Geographical Indication (GI) tags for produce that is unique to the state: korgut rice,Taleigaobrinjal and manghilar mango. A GI label indicates a products specific geographical origin and the qualities that stem from that provenance.

To make its pitch successful, the has urged farmers to form producer associations for their respective crops. The government has requested farmers to be a part of this mission.

So far,Goa State Council for Science and Technologyhas managed to record 40 farmers growing korgut rice and 44 farmers growing Taleigao brinjal. Goa Mango Growers Association comprises farmers growing varied types of mangoes such as mangilar and malcorada. The total area and production of these crops are being worked out before they are pitched for the GI status.

Hundreds of schools and around 40 colleges in Goa will be provided with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 kits, which will include a manual to help teachers to smoothly transition to the new policy.

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The GDP Foundation will be providing the kits in association with the directorate of Education and the State Council for Education Research and Training (SCERT), and funded by Colorcon Asia.

The NEP 2020 kits will consist of the books Together Agile and NEP Agile (teachers edition) authored by Kishore Shah and launched by chief ministerPramod Sawantlast year.

The chief minister had then spoken about the need to make the books available in each and every school in Goa and invited companies to support the cause through CSR sponsorship.

The highlight of this programme is an outreach covering government, aided and unaided schools, besides colleges, across the state.

10% cost escalation for power projects allowed without need for fresh sanction

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As a special measure to address the rise inpowerproject costs due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the finance department has permitted the electricity department to acceptcostescalations from the contractor as long as it does not exceed10%of the original amount. The finance department said that if cost escalations exceed the expendituresanctionby more than 10%, a revised expenditure sanction will have to be sought from the finance department.
However, cost escalations will be permitted only if the cost of the project is more than Rs 2 crore and if the time frame for project completion is more than four months.

The relaxation and delegation of powers to accept revised expenditure sanctions comes based on recommendations of a special committee constituted by the to study the shortage of labour and non-availability of material as a result of the lockdown and the restrictions thereafter, due to the increase in Covid-19.

Goa Govt to analyse impact of IT, startup policy

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The department of information technology, electronics and communications has moved to identify the number of startups and IT firms operating in the state.

Info Tech Corporation of Goa (ITG) has been asked to appoint an agency that will carry out a study of Goas IT ecosystem and also prepare a research report recommending best practices that can benefit startups and IT companies.

The comprehensive report needs to analyse the effectiveness of the departments policies and schemes, and the impact that Goas startups and IT firms have on the local economy.

Goa finally notifies rules to streamline medical services

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After two years of enacting the Goa Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation) Act, the government on Monday finally notified the rules for its implementation. The rules broadly lay down minimum standards that registered clinical establishments in the state should maintain in terms of and qualified manpower.

The old legislation Goa Medical Practitioners Act that was repealed after the new legislation came into force, lacked in many aspects.

Under the new rules, every clinical establishment requires to maintain certain minimum standards of facilities and Services. The rules have also specified minimum personnel doctors, paramedics and technical staff that a registered unit will have to appoint. Trainee staff in Nursing, paramedical and medical fields will not be considered as such.

Goa becoming a plastic sink, state needs to act fast: Ex-WII scientist

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Though Goa is not a source of plastic production, the tourist hotpot is unwittingly becoming a sink for plastic waste, retired scientist of the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, B C Choudhary, said while underscoring the urgency in putting some mechanisms in place to tackle the menace.

The retired scientist said awareness that plastics are not welcome in Goa should begin at places like the , with clear and loud messaging for tourists setting foot into Goa.

Goa Environment minister Nilesh Cabral said that smaller and smaller items are being wrapped in plastic packaging, which is making it difficult for even ragpickers to pick them.

State signs renewable energy MOU with German company

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Thestate governmenthas signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the German-based Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH for developing astate energy planand 100%renewable energyroadmap for Goa under the Indo-German program on Access toEnergyin Rural Areas.

Aimed at creating a strategic unit to develop, maintain and implement the multi-sectoral energy action plan, the MoU has been inked on the advice of the Union ministry for new andrenewableenergy.

While the MoU clearly lays down the broader mandates of technical cooperation with the electricity department and the GoaEnergy DevelopmentAuthority, a detailed list of activities will be separately agreed in writing between the parties.

The German company will provide technical assistance in setting up a multi-sectoral strategic unit (or PMU) and provide necessary technical assistance in developing a 100 % roadmap along with appropriate decision support tools.

It will also provide technical assistance to monitor, report and modify components of the renewable energy roadmap through organizing periodic steering committee meetings and subsequently provide technical assistance to implement mutually agreed upon priority activities.

The electricity department will coordinate with key departments and steer the process of developing the renewable energy roadmap as well as state energy plan in consultation with GIZ and its partners.

Climate-smart agriculture can help meet rising food demands’ in Goa

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and Climate-change”>Climate Change are posing a threat to crops and there is an urgent need to make a shift to ‘Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture“>Climate-Smart Agriculture‘ to meet the increasing demand for food, said Balasaheb Sawant, vice chancellor of Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli while speaking as the chief guest at the two-day national level conference on agriculture and climate change.

Horticulturists in the Konkan are facing losses to the yield of Alphonso mango crop and other crops due to changing weathers.We have to develop climate vigilant varieties of mango.Not only yield but nutritional value of the crops will be affected badly due to the projected changes of climate and global warming.By making judicious use of Science and Technology wherever possible, we have to maintain the equilibrium of demand and supply.