Ganpat Satoskar

1. Goa transport department hastens to get high-tech no. plates on road
After years in limbo, tenders for the implementation of high-security registration plate (HSRP) scheme are being initiated by the state transport department.
A tender will be floated for the lowest bidder to supply HSRP plates for vehicles in Goa. These have to be mandatorily fitted on two-wheelers, four-wheelers and commercial vehicles. (Source TOI)

2. Dubai court sentences Goan frauds to 500 years in prison
A Dubai court on Sunday sentenced two Goans—37-year-old Sydney Lemos and his senior accounts specialist 25-year-old Ryan de Souza—to over 500 years each in jail for duping thousands of investors in a $200 million scam. Lemoslured the investors by offering them 120% annual returns on a minimum investment of $25,000 through his company Exential. . (Source TOI)

3. Hold public meet by mid-May or projects will delay: MPT
Mormugao Port Trust on Wednesday expressed surprise at Goa State Pollution Control Board’s (GSPCB) decision to call off the public hearing scheduled for April 25. MPT said that on April 10 the port authorities had written to South Goa collector Anjali Sehrawat assuring her that the MPT would “rectify the discrepancy pointed out by the GSPCB” well ahead of the public hearing. (Source TOI)

4. Unplanned pipeline-laying work riles Quepem residents
QUEPEM: Residents of Quepem town on Tuesday halted the laying of water supply pipelines by the state government through funds from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). They were protesting the unplanned digging along the middle of the Quepem-Cuncolim highway. (Source TOI)

5. Goa Dairy MD refuses to vacate post, hand over charge
Twenty-four hours after he was suspended and asked to hand over his charge to the next senior most officer, Goa Dairy Managing Director (MD) Navso Sawant has refused to vacate his post and hand over the charge. Source Herald

6. Health dept mandarin brought about organ donation fiasco

It is indicative of a game of one-upmanship. It is not only that the Goans were deprived of the retrieved organs, but the procedure laid down for retrieval of organs was also not followed properly so as to deny any credit to the Goa Medical College and Hospital. (Source NT)

7. Meeting to fast-track use of funds for welfare of Sonshi, Pissurlem villagers
In an effort to step up spending of funds collected under the district mineral fund (DMF), a meeting of stakeholders of mining-affected villages of Sonshi and Pissurlem is scheduled on Thursday. (Source NT)

8. Sand accumulation along St Inez creek exit hindering flow into river
Water from the St Inez creek has nearly stopped flowing into the River Mandovi at the northern edge of the children’s park owing to wrong zoning of plantation and mangroves besides illegal art installation and long anti-sea erosion wall resulting in large sand accumulation blocking the flow. (Source NT)

9. Relief for more highway liquor outlets

In an attempt to grant relief to some more liquor outlets affected by the Supreme Court’s highway liquor ban, the State government has decided to include the Mopa International Airport Planning Areas and adjoining villages in the category of relaxation. (Source Herald)

10. Anti-PDA agitations attempt to destabilise govt: TCP Minister
PANJIM: Even as anti-PDA protestors have set a deadline of six days to denotify planning areas and the Regional Plan 2021, Town & Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vijai Sardesai is not in a hurry to hold the TCP Board meeting – the final authority to take a call on the contentious issues. The minister has also said that the anti-PDA agitations are an attempt to destabilize the government. (Source Herald)