News Analysis India

Tag: Vishwajit Rane

  • Day after poll results, Goa cabinet decides to recommend dissolution of Assembly on March 14

    By PTI

    PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, whose party BJP has won 20 out of 40 seats in the state assembly polls, on Friday held a meeting of his cabinet, during which it was decided to recommend dissolution of the House on March 14.

    State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane told this to reporters after the cabinet meeting. “We met to thank the people for a resounding victory of the party. During the meeting, a resolution was moved to thank the people of the state. The meeting chaired by CM Sawant decided to recommend to the state governor dissolution of the House on Monday,” he said.

    The tenure of the present assembly is scheduled to end on 15 March. Talking to reporters after the meeting, state Revenue Minister Jeniffer Monserratte said the cabinet will also be dissolved on Monday.

    Overcoming anti-incumbency, the BJP on Thursday emerged as the single largest party in the coastal state by winning 20 assembly seats, just one shy of the halfway mark, and quickly enlisted the support of regional outfit Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and three Independent MLAs to form its government for a third consecutive term.

    The party is yet to stake claim to form the government. Its central observers are expected to arrive in Goa on Friday, after which the new legislature wing will meet to decide its leader.

    BJP’s Goa election in-charge Devendra Fadanavis had told reporters last evening that the decision on leadership and timing of swearing-in of the new cabinet will be decided by the party’s parliamentary committee.

  • Oxygen supply streamlining at Goa hospital: Health Minister Vishwajit Rane

    By PTI
    PANAJI: The oxygen supply at the Goa Medical College and Hospital was getting streamlined following commissioning of a new tank of life-saving gas at the facility, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Sunday.

    Over last five days (till Saturday morning), 83 patients died at the state-run medical facility during the “dark hours” between 2 am and 6 am, as per official figures.

    A 20,000 kilo litre oxygen tank was commissioned at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on Saturday.

    Rane told PTI that the oxygen supply at the GMCH was getting streamlined after commissioning of the tank.

    “Now, we should not have problems regarding the oxygen supply. The commissioning of the tank is a major step towards solving this problem,” he said.

    The tank was shifted from Bicholim industrial estate and the move would reduce the GMCH’s dependence on oxygen cylinders, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Saturday.

    On Saturday, GMCH Dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar said it was not right to attribute all the deaths during the “dark hours” over the last few days to drop in oxygen levels as COVID-19 fatalities were taking place throughout the day.

    “There can be several reasons,” he had said.

    The Goa government earlier told the Bombay High Court that there were “logistic issues” related to supply of medical oxygen to patients.

    The HC’s Goa bench had asked the state government to take corrective steps.

  • Goa mulls COVID-19 negative certificate for some states: Health Minister

    By PTI
    PANAJI: Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Monday said he would be placing a proposal in front of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to make COVID-19 negative certificate mandatory for people flying in from neighbouring states like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala.

    He said the proposal would be placed before the CM in the next couple of days, in order to stall any surge in cases in Goa.

    The decision on the COVID-19 negative certificate proposal will be taken by the CM, he added.

    He pointed out that Maharashtra had made it mandatory for people flying in from Goa to have COVID-19 negative certificates, though the number of cases were less here.

    The minister said weddings were the likely of cause of increase in cases and the state government was contemplating on putting a limit on attendees for such functions and at restaurants.

    Rane said the state will achieve a target of 2,500 coronavirus tests per day as mandated by the Union government and plans were afoot to scale up capacity.

    The state’s coronavirus caseload went up by 85 and reached 56,708 on Monday, while the day also saw 81 people getting discharged and the death toll remaining unchanged, an official said.

    The state has so far seen 818 deaths and 54,873 people recovering, leaving it with an active caseload of 1,017, he added.

    With 1,441 samples being examined on Monday, the number of tests in Goa went up to 5,27,106, the official said.

    Goa’s COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 56,708, new cases 85, death toll 818, discharged 54,873, active cases 1017, samples tested till date 5,27,106.

  • As Maharashtra COVID-19 cases rise, Goa mulls new SOPs, says health minister

    By PTI
    PANAJI: Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in neighbouring Maharashtra, Goa health minister Vishwajit Rane on Sunday said he would meet Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to deliberate on steps to contain any fallout.

    He told PTI new standard operating procedures could be created for the state, adding that the decision would be taken after his meeting with the CM.

    He, however, did not elaborate on what the new SOPs may be.

    A spike in cases in some districts in Maharashtra has led to a fresh round of local-level lockdown and night curfew there.