The app for the public to report potholes across the state will be launched on Thursday by Union minister for road transport and highways,Nitin Gadkari, who will be inGoa.
PWDministerNilesh Cabralsaid that once potholes are reported, the first priority will be given to repair potholes which have been created due to deterioration of the road due to poor quality of work.
Goa has emerged as one of the top threestateswith efficient Governance models, ranking third in theCentres Index(GGI) 2020-21, which was released on Saturday. Goa scored 5.35 as against a score of 4.29 in 2019, indicating a near 25% improvement over the earlier exercise conducted by the department of Administrative Reforms and public grievances.
Amongthe 10 well-developed states, Goa tops the rankings in terms of public Infrastructure and service utilities. The index also indicates that Goa has taken strong strides to improve the Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture and allied sector industrial Growth, social welfare and Environment.
In the overall healthcare sector ranking, Goa was placed third, behind Kerala and Maharashtra. While Goa remains the leader when it comes to availability of doctors at PHCs, many other states have shown a worrying trend of decline in doctors at PHCs. The report has also found a marginal decrease in the Percentage of doctors available at PHCs in Goa.
The index also takes into account actions to mitigate Climate-change”>Climate Change such as polices, planning and initiatives taken by the government. In this aspect, Goa is firmly lodged at fifth place, suggesting that more needs to be done. In the evaluation of citizen-centric governance, particularly participation and transparency, Goa stands fourth, behind Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab.
The ranking for GGI 2020-21 is based on ten sectors and 58 indicators. The sectors are agriculture and allied sectors, commerce and industries, Human resource development, public Health, public infrastructure and utilities, economic governance, social welfare and development, judicial and public security, environment and citizen-centric governance.
Social welfare ministerSubhash Phal Dessaisaid that the state would come up with a new dump handling policy to start legal mining. Phal Dessai said that even if 20 million tonnes of iron Ore are exported,miningactivities can run for two years.
Phal Dessai said that the may abolish or give relaxation to truck owners regarding some taxes.
Truck owners are demanding relief on three taxes, including road tax. Phal Dessai said that 75% of the trucks were involved in mining and the remaining in other activities.
The social welfare minister said that the iron ore found in Goa is low grade iron ore, and that they welcome the Union governments decision to reduce export duty on this ore to zero.
Taking a step closer to build a 100 tonne per day (TPD) solid waste treatment plant at Bainguinim, the has formally moved to notify 1.7sqm of land atBainguinimas Waste Management area. The site will be used to establish a waste processing and disposal facility, which is projected to cost Rs 120 crore.
In June, theGoa Waste Management Corporationhadissued a draft proclamation specifying its intent to build a solid waste treatment facility. Stakeholders were given 30 days to submit objections and suggestions.
The department found that the objections were similar to the objections that were raised during the public hearing held on July 28, 2019 at the Old Goa village panchayat hall for environmental clearance (EC).
With an aim to achieve 100% electrification for households in Goa, the state cabinet on Friday granted approval for the appointment of an agency to install up to 150 additional solar PV systems for households that have no power.
Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL) has been appointed to design, manufacture, supply, install and commission the systems with a comprehensive maintenance contract for five years under the remote village electrification programme.
The cabinet had, earlier in March, resolved to select CESL and award it the contract to supply, install and commission solar power packs of 500WP capacity each, solar Home lighting system and solar street lighting system.
CESL has already completed installations for 151 households and six solar streetlights.
Goa tourismhas bagged four national Awards in various categories. Tourism ministerRohan Khaunteand director of tourism Nikhil Desai received the awards from Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar at a ceremony held in the national capital to celebrate World Tourism Day.
Goa tourism won awards for being the best civic management of a tourist destination in India – Calangute village, category C – and national tourism hall of fame, category union territory: comprehensive development of tourism.
The third award is for “the most innovative use of information technology – Social Media/mobile app website award for developing and successfully operating fully indigenous mobile taxi app GoaMiles in the true spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
From September 1, 60% of the people of the state will not get water bills. Free water means zero water charges, zero meter rent and zero bills. Those covered under this will also not get sewerage bills.
Those living in housing societies would also be benefited as the water consumption of one meter would be divided among the total number of flats in the complex.
The CWCs are appointed to protect the interest of children, and I know, even previous members had the childrens interest at heart but thanks to the inflexibility of one or two members, sometimes the larger objective was derailed.
Given the inevitability of electrification in the transport sector, the Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA) has called for the need for a ‘siting study’ – a research of locations identified to set up EV charging stations.
A recent technical session on this subject organised by GEDA saw the participation of senior officials of Kadamba, various municipal corporations, panchayats, town planning department, oil companies, charge point operators, PWD, and technical experts.
With the objective of boosting adoption of electric vehicles to at least 30% by 2025, the has approved the Goa Electric Mobility Promotion Policy (GEMPP) 2021. The policy aims to create 10,000 direct and indirect jobs in the sector by 2025.
The people ofGoahas celebrated theSao Joao festival,the feast ofSt John the Baptistwith traditional enthusiasm after a two-year coronavirus-induced gap. The festival is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, who baptised Lord Jesus on the river of Jordan and is celebrated at the onset of monsoon. Siolim, a village in North Goa, hosts a traditional canoe parade on the occasion of Sao Joao.
A large number of people participated in the boat parade in Siolim village of Goas Bardez taluka, marking the beginnng of revelry in the Sao Joao festival. Traditionally, people jump into the well but since the wells are fast disappearing, people prefer to celebrate it in swimming pools. The festival is marked to herald the monsoon season in the state every year in June. People are often seen having a great time by enjoying and dancing in the artificial rain which adds charm to the celebrations.