News Analysis India

Tag: Goa

  • Congress to field ‘young and new’ candidates in Goa Assembly polls; first list soon

    By PTI

    PANAJIl: The Congress would announce the first list of its candidates for the upcoming Goa polls by the end of this month, state party president Girish Chodankar said on Sunday and added that a bulk of the nominees would be young and new.

    Addressing a press conference here, Chodankar iterated that MLAs who had defected and joined other parties will not be considered.

    “The process of short-listing candidates for the Goa polls will gather momentum as the AICC has announced a screening committee for Goa. At least 70 to 80 per cent of Congress’ candidates will be young and new,” he said.

    Elections are due in Goa in February next year.

    Chodankar said block committees of the party will be taken into confidence while deciding the candidates.

    “More importance would be given to the candidates recommended by the block committees in respective constituencies,” he said.

    The Congress leader refused to comment on a pre-poll alliance with like-minded parties.

    In the 2017 Goa Assembly polls, the Congress had won the highest 17 seats in the 40-member House restricting the BJP at 13.

    However, the BJP allied with regional parties- GFP and MGP- to form a government under the late Manohar Parrikar.

    Over years, the Congress’ strength dwindled to four as many MLAs switched over to the ruling BJP.

    Faleiro recently joined TMC.

  • Goa: Kejriwal assures of forming corporation for taxi, auto operators when AAP voted to power

    By PTI

    PANAJI: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said when his party is voted to power in Goa, it will form a corporation to address the needs of taxi and autorickshaw operators in the state.

    While interacting with the taxi unions at Vasco on the second day of his visit to the coastal state, Kejriwal said the AAP will take care of the taxi and auto-rickshaw operators.

    Taxis and auto-rickshaws are important components of the tourism industry, and operators should be provided necessary help to run their business, the AAP leader said.

    If a taxi or an auto-rickshaw driver meets with an accident, the state government will bear the medical expenses, when the AAP is voted to power, he said.

    Kejriwal further said that in order to weed out corruption, a faceless system will be set up in the state transport department so that all the work can be done online.

    Speaking about the High Court order that makes meters mandatory for taxis, the Delhi chief minister said the AAP will challenge the order before the Supreme Court considering the difficulties faced by taxi operators.

  • Sunburn EDM fest: No nod as yet, file moved to CM, says Goa tourism minister

    By PTI

    PANAJI: Even as organizers of electronic dance music (EDM) festival Sunburn announced dates and details of their event in Goa, state tourism minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said the government is yet to issue permission.

    Percept Live, the creators of Sunburn, has said the 15th edition of what it claims is Asia’s biggest EDM festival would be held on December 28, 29 and 30 at Vagator beach in North Goa, with over 60 international and local artistes performing across three stages.

    Speaking on the issue on Monday, Ajgaonkar said he has forwarded the file moved by Sunburn organizers seeking permission to chief minister Pramod Sawant.

    “If COVID-19 situation in the state remains under control, then the government will permit the festival. The show must go on. Sunburn will bring in rich tourists to the state,” he said.

  • BJP rules out leadership change in Goa after AAP claims CM Pramod Sawant on his way out

    By PTI

    PANAJI: The BJP has rubbished Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia’s claim that the saffron party is going to replace Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant ahead of the next year’s Assembly polls.

    Goa BJP unit president Sadanand Shet Tanavade ruled out any change of leadership in Goa.

    “There is no proposal of leadership change. The meeting which was held in Delhi on Friday discussed the election strategy for upcoming Goa elections,” he said referring to the meeting between himself, CM Sawant and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.

    Earlier in the day, Sisodia told reporters at the AAP headquarters in Delhi that the BJP has decided to appoint a new chief minister because it has understood that it would be difficult for it to go to polls in Goa under Sawant’s leadership.

    People of Goa are unhappy with the state government under Sawant’s leadership as his dispensation failed to deliver on various fronts during its term, Sisodia said.

    “We have learnt from very reliable sources that the BJP is going to replace Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant just two-three months ahead of the elections in the state,” Sisodia told reporters.

    “The BJP has decided to remove Sawant and appoint a new chief minister as it has understood that it will be very difficult for the party to join the fray under his leadership because he did not work during his term. People are very unhappy with the Pramod Sawant government,” he claimed.

    Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his virtual address praised the Pramod Sawant-led BJP government earlier in the day.

    Addressing select beneficiaries and stakeholders of a Goa government scheme, the PM said Goa had topped in achieving the targets under ‘Har Ghar Jal’ (scheme), free ration for the needy, and also achieved a hundred per cent coverage by administering the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

  • At 86 per cent, Goa tops crime detection in country, CM Pramod Sawant tells Assembly

    By PTI

    PANAJI: Goa, with a crime detection rate of 86 per cent, tops among states of India, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told the Assembly on Monday.

    He said the figure was 93 per cent for 2020 and 86 per cent for the current year so far.

    “Crime detection was the highest in Goa. Last year, there were 34 murders in the state and this year, so far, the figure is 16,” he told the House.

    He added that the Verification of Tenants Bill will be introduced in the current session.

  • Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco appointed Goa Congress working president

    By PTI

    PANAJI: The All India Congress Committee appointed MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco as working president of the party’s Goa unit.

    AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, in a release issued on Sunday, said the party president had approved the proposal of the appointment of working president and treasurer of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee.

    While Lourenco, MLA from Curtorim, has been made working president, James Andrade has been named treasurer.

  • Goa to withdraw most travel curbs from Nov 1

    By Express News Service

    BELAGAVI: The tourism industry Goa which was badly hit owing to Covid-19 and the long-drawn restrictions, is finally all set to welcome tourists with lesser restrictions. The government has planned to withdraw most of the restrictions to revive the tourism sector in the state from November 1.

    According to sources, the Goa government is keen to allow tourists without much hassles. The government is expected to initiate several measures to boost tourism in the state which was badly hampered due to the pandemic for the last one year. As a result of stringent curbs on travel and entry of people from other areas into Goa, it was possible to prevent the spread of virus in Goa effectively. The government also intensified vaccination and Covid testing during the last several months to bring the cases down.

    People entering Goa from various borders from other states will have to produce RT-PCR negative reports or double dose vaccination certificate. A team of officials have been screening the visitors at all the check posts in the border for the past one year. With Goa’s plan to allow outside tourists, the coastal state is expected to witness a huge footfall, particularly from the neighbouring Karnataka and Maharashtra states.

  • Get ready, Trinamool Congress is going to Goa: Abhishek Banerjee

    By ANI

    KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday said the party will explore political opportunities outside West Bengal and will enter the poll scene in Goa in the coming days.

    Addressing a public meeting in Bhabanipur, Banerjee said, “This election is not only to vote for Mamata Banerjee. See the condition of India. There are five or six national parties but among those only TMC has the courage to fight on the street and take the issues forward. It is not just for Bhabanipur, you are giving your verdict for Delhi. People will give votes for TMC to bring changes in Delhi.”

    Bhabanipur bypoll, scheduled on September 30 has become a prestige battle for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is presently not an MLA. Notably, Mamata Banerjee was defeated by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in the Nandigram constituency in the Assembly elections held earlier this year.

    Following this, the Bhabanipur Assembly seat was vacated by the West Bengal Agriculture Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay in May, making way for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to contest from Bhabanipur seat as a move to continue to hold her post.

    The Diamond Harbour MP said not only in West Bengal, but TMC will also register a victory in other states in the coming days

    “We have already started work in Tripura and Assam. Get ready…In the coming days, TMC is going to Goa. I will go to UP, Haryana and Gujarat. You (BJP) cannot stop us. With the image of Mamata Banerjee, we will fight and take you out of Delhi,” he said.

    The TMC leader alleged that BJP-ruled centre is using the central agencies to scare the political opponents.

    “BJP is not able to fight politically with TMC. So they are bringing agencies to intimidate us. They have sent me five ED notice… If they send me 50 such notices still I will not bow down my head,” Banerjee added.

    Meanwhile, sources said that former Goa Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Luizinho Faleiro will join the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday. He is likely to hold a press conference today where he may announce his departure from the party.

    Assembly elections in Goa are due early next year.

  • Devendra Fadnavis to take stock of BJP preparations for Goa polls from September 20

    By PTI

    PANAJI: Senior BJP leaders, including newly-appointed Goa election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis, will visit the coastal state on September 20 during which they will discuss the party’s strategy for the Assembly polls due early next year, a party spokesman said on Sunday.

    Union Minister for Culture and Tourism G Kishan Reddy and Minister of State for Railways and Textiles Darshana Jardosh, both co-in charges for the Goa polls, and BJP’s Goa desk in-charge CT Ravi, will also visit the state over the next two days.

    “The senior leaders will take stock of the overall situation in the run-up to the Assembly elections, slated to be held in the next 3-4 months,” the spokesman told reporters.

    During their two-day visit, the team of BJP leaders will hold discussions with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, cabinet ministers, party MLAs, leaders, office-bearers and activists.

    “The team will also hold separate discussions with various committees of the BJP including women’s wing, the youth wing, minorities cell, and OBC cell and guide booth-level workers,” he said.

    The BJP spokesman said Fadnavis had successfully led Maharashtra as chief minister.

    “He had played a key role as party’s in-charge for the Bihar assembly elections. His vast experience will prove useful for BJP in Goa,” he added.

    In the 2017 Assembly elections in Goa, Congress won the highest 17 seats in the 40-member House restricting the BJP to 13.

    Surprising the Congress, the saffron party allied with regional parties and came to power under the leadership of senior leader Manohar Parrikar, now deceased.

    The Aam Aadmi Party has already thrown its hat in the ring ahead of the polls, with the party’s national convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal announcing free power up to 300 units per month if his party is voted to power during his recent visit to Panaji.

    Incidentally, Kejriwal will also visit Goa on September 20, an AAP functionary said.

  • Goa casinos to start from September 20 as COVID-19 positivity rate declines

    By PTI

    PANAJI: The Goa government on Saturday said casinos will resume operations from Monday on the condition that they adhere to strict COVID-19 protocols, said an official.

    The decision was taken during a Task Force Committee meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.

    The positivity rate is below two per cent and it was decided that the state should start economic activities, especially those related with tourism, the CM said.

    “Casinos will start from Monday with 50 per cent capacity and strict pandemic protocols.

    Those who are fully vaccinated or those carrying RT-PCR negative certificates will be allowed to enter.

    The ban on spas, massage parlours, river cruises, EDMs, night clubs will continue,” Sawant said.