log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday TUESDAY NOVEMBER 24, 2020 8 pages PRICE ` 6 VOLUME VI, NO. 158 Frequent, rapid testing can wipe out Covid in weeks: Study 6 Goa asks JSW steel to pay `  56.34 cr 1 cess on coal PANAJI: The Goa government has issued demand notice to JSW Steel Limited directing them to pay Rs 156.34 crores within 15 days towards cess levied on transportation of coal. According to the demand note JSW steel had transported 31.2 million metric tonnes of coal/coke during the financial years 2014 to July 2018. The transportation of coal is liable for levy of cess at the rate of Rs 50 per tonne which works out to Rs 156.34 crore. Failure to pay the cess within 15 days shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2-years or with a fine stated the demand note issued by Asst Director of Transport, Govt of Goa. IN SHORT >> Disqualification: Girish moves SC against its registry PANAJI: GPCC President Girish Chodankar has approached the Supreme Court (SC) with a complaint against its registry for not listing his petition related to the disqualification of 10 Congress MLAs who defected to the BJP last year. Cabral: Not coal, it’s charcoal on beaches PANAJI: The black substance washed ashore at Keri and Benaulim beaches is not coal but charcoal, Power and Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral said on Monday. Cabral said it is not coal washed ashore from spillage at MPT as claimed by some greens through videos circulated on social media platforms. Former Assam CM Gogoi no more GUWAHATI: Former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who had been battling for his life with post-Covid complications in a hospital for weeks, died of multiple organ failure, state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed on Monday. >> See pg 7  RJD woos Nitish to join alliance PATNA: In a surprising turn of events in Bihar politics, main opposition RJD has offered Bihar Chief Minister and JDU chief Nitish Kumar to join the RJD-led mahagahtbandan. WEATHER >> Max: 35.2 C Min: 24.0 C Humidity: 59% TIDES Low: 05:54 High: 00:20 18:03 11:34 The Goan (Playstore) 2 GOA 15 dilapidated toilets to get fresh lease of life in Margao Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 GOA Tanavde evades questions on cow slaughter ban in Belgaum 3 SPORTS Looking to challenge myself against the best in Australia: Bumrah 8 DOUBLE-TRACKING PROTESTS GET A NEW VOICE Will ask CM to stop work till rail Heavy deployment of armed police fails to deter villagers minister’s visit on Dec 15: Neri THE GOAN I NETWORK THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO As hundreds of anti-track doubling protestors descended at the Nessai railway crossing on Monday, Salcete lone Minister, Filipe Neri Rodrigues became the first Minister to publicly assure the protestors that he would prevail upon Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the Council of Ministers to stop ongoing double tracking work, at least in Salcete taluka, till the Union Ministers visit the state on December 15. Filipe Neri went a step further and assured the agitators that he would take up the issue of stopping the ongoing work at the ensuing Cabinet meeting, reassuring the protestors that he would take the next step if the Chief Minister does not listen to him. Asserting that he is opposed to all the three controversial projects as they would impact the environment, Filipe further said that the government should immediately stop the ongoing work following his statement as part of Cabinet’s collective responsibility. Corned by the protestors near the Nessai railway crossing in Sao Jose Areal village, MARGAO The Nessai railway crossing resembled a garrison town on Monday. Armed policemen, both Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Goa Police, stood guard near the railway crossing. The presence of over-a-dozen police buses and vehicles on the adjoining open space only suggested one thing – the men-in-uniform were mobilized in strength to tackle any law and order during the proposed demarcation of railway property. The protestors, however, remained unfazed. The heavy „„Hundreds gather, demand stop to railway work „„Seek withdrawal of FIRs registered against local villagers AT DAVORLIM... „„Protestors come faceto-face with Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro „„Faleiro made to walk with protestors near the railway site and asked him to stop the work till Tuesday deployment of armed Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Goa police proved no deterrent for hundreds of anti-double tracking and coal transportation protestors to make common cause with Sao Jose de Areal and Davorlim villagers on Monday. DGP Mukesh Kumar’s controversial stand on the controversial projects and equally foul language used by DySP Kiran Podwal against the protestors at Davorlim a week ago, was no deterrent for the people from far and wide to come and protest at Sao Jose de Areal and Davorlim on >Continued on P5 WRD Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues addresses the protestors assuring his support to the ongoing movement against coal and double tracking. Santosh Mirajkar falling in his Velim constituency, Filipe Neri said “I will prevail upon the Chief Minister to stop all work of double tracking till the Union Ports, Railways and Coal Ministers visit Goa by December 15. I am the only Salcete MLA and I have to ensure that Salcete remains peaceful”. Extending his full support to the ongoing agitation, Filipe Neri said he had been conveying to the Chief Minister that peace in the state will be destroyed with the agitation spreading like fire in the villages. >Continued on P5 ON PAGE 2 Neri says DGP’s remarks not good, CM should inquire Karnataka, Maharashtra can use ports in their states for coal: NGO Not wearing mask in public places will cost you `  00 2 One casino to be shifted from River Mandovi THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Ports Minister Michael Lobo on Monday said that the Captain of Ports has passed an order to shift one casino vessel from river Mandovi. The ports minister said that the Captain of Ports has already signed the order to shift one casino from river Mandovi to the other side of river. It may be noted that a casino company has approached the government to move one of three vessels operating in the State. It may be recalled that Panaji MLA Atanasio Monserrate in his election manifesto had assured that all casinos vessels would be moved out of the river Mandovi. The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in a meeting with Monserrate and Lobo over the shifting of offshore casinos has assured to identify a new site but nothing concrete had happened for a while. The Corporation of the City of Panaji recently in principle gave permission to renew the trade license of casinos. Presently there are six offshore casinos operating in river Mandovi. PANAJI The Goa government on Monday doubled the fine for not wearing masks in public places to Rs 200. The fines were earlier Rs 100. Disclosing this, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said this was needed as people were found without masks at places like beaches, airports, railway stations and bus stands. “Till now we had been charging Rs 100 (per offense). From today the fine (for not wearing a mask) has been increased to Rs 200. At least in public, people will have to wear masks or they will be compulsorily fined,” Sawant said. It was found that the fine of Rs 100 was not acting as a deterrent as people were easily paying the fine of Rs 100. Officials from the local authorities and police force have been authorized to penalise persons who are not wearing masks. With the relaxation in lockdown conditions and the beginning of the tourist season AT NESSAI... No Covid deaths in last 24 hours PANAJI: No Covid deaths were recorded in the daily mortality bulletin of the Directorate of Health Services on Monday, the third such occurrence this month. As a result, the total number of Covid victim count in the state remains steady at 677. A total of 75 new cases of the infection were detected from among the 1,460 samples tested in the last 24 hours. As a result, the total confirmed cases have now touched 46,901. in Goa thousands of domestic tourists are visiting the State especially on weekends. It has been observed that these tourists are not following the safety norms risking the life of others. The Corporation of City of Panaji on Saturday had fined more than 200 tourists in a single-day drive. Appealing to people to follow safety norms Sawant said that no one should be seen without masks on beaches, bus stands and at the airport. The neighbouring state Karnataka has already hiked the fine for not wearing mask. Maharastra has made RTPCR tests compulsory for people from outside State. M’rashtra makes Covid report must for travellers from Goa, 3 other States MUMBAI: A Covid negative report from an RT-PCR test will be needed for people travelling to Maharashtra from Delhi-NCR, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Goa. Maharashtra issued detailed guidelines to put a check on incoming people from these States and prevent a relapse.  >> See pg 7 THE GOAN I NETWORK Anti-track doubling protestors near the Nessai railway crossing on Monday morning.  Santosh Mirajkar Feni distillers rise against govt move to tweak rules FEAR ABOLITION OF AUCTIONS MAY DISRUPT INDUSTRY THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI A move mooted by the Excise department to tweak rules and regulations to do away with auctioning cashew zones has prompted the feni distilling local industry to rise in protest fearing disruption this upcoming 2020-21 season. The move first came to the knowledge of some industry stakeholders earlier last week when officials called them to the Excise headquarters for consultations. Soon after the Goa Cashew Feni Distillers and Bottlers Association shot off a letter to the Excise Commissioner opposing any changes in the law or rules governing country liquor. The association which coowns the Geographical Indication (GI) for the heady drink, said the proposed changes will disrupt the age old economic activity. “They are proposing to do away with a more than a cen- Sawant denies changes in Excise laws PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said no rules have been changed in the Excise laws governing country liquor. “Nothing is done. Has any document been signed?” Sawant shot back when his attention was drawn to Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat’s statement urging the government to desist from going ahead with the decision. tury old practice of zoning cashew orchards and auctioning them. It will be a free for all if they do leading to chaos,” Gurudutta Bhakta, the president of the Association said. He also said the cashew distillation process (traditional) is cumbersome and local exponents have low budgets and resources. Also, licensing to set up the traditional distilling equipment which was automatic for winning bidders at the cashew zone auctions will also have to through a process laden with bureaucratic redtape if the law is tweaked. Hansel Vaz, secretary of the association and owner of the popular brand ‘Cazulo’ voiced similar concerns and expressed concern that the move could be a ploy on behalf of the IMFL lobby to displace the cottage industry style functioning and replace it with mass producing distilleries. Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat has urged the government to drop the idea. He said: “The tradition of auctioning of cashew groves and setting up of pot stills is unique to Goa and India. The tradition has been practiced for centuries and whose legacy has to be continued for generations to come to safeguard the interest of the small and marginal artisanal distillers.” CISF finds `  .5 lakh jewellery Oxford vaccine 90% effective; big boost for India 5 LIKELY ADVANTAGES OF OXFORD VACCINE in bag at airport, locates owner AGENCIES THE GOAN I NETWORK VASCO In a display of honesty and professionalism, the CISF security not only found an unclaimed bag containing jewellery worth Rs 5.5 lakh at Dabolim Airport on Sunday night, but went to the extent of locating the passenger and handing over the bag containing the jewellery to her. According to reports, the incident took place at about 8.30 pm when Constable Maqsood Ali of CISF, who was deployed at the Arrival Hall area of Goa Airport, noticed an unattended bag laying near arrival belt number-3. He checked with nearby The jewellery which was found in a bag. passengers, but no one came forward to claim the bag. The CISF constable then intimated the Control Room incharge who, in turn, directed to CISF BDDS team to rush to the spot. Constable Ali also reported the matter to senior CISF of- ficers and cordoned the area. A CISF BDDS team reached at the spot and checked the bag as per SOP. After ascertaining that there was no dangerous/hazardous items inside the bag, the bag was opened and the jewellery items found inside the bag consisted of bangles (6), earrings (6 pairs), chain (2), necklaces (3) and rings (7), besides medicines and used clothes. Some visiting cards were also found inside the bag. On getting contact details from a visiting card, a call was made to the passenger from Uttarakhand, who had arrived from New Delhi by an IndiGo >Continued on P5 LONDON n a big positive for India, Britain’s AstraZeneca said on Monday its vaccine developed by Oxford University could be around 90% effective without any serious side effects, giving the world another important tool to halt the Covid-19 pandemic. The combined analysis from both dosing regimens resulted in an average efficacy of 70%. The Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines by volume, has partnered with AstraZeneca, the Gates Foundation and the Gavi vaccine alliance to produce more than a billion doses of a Covid-19 vaccine for global supply. Serum Institute of India I „„Vaccine seems to prevent infection not just disease „„Vaccine could reduce the spread of the virus as well as protect the vulnerable from severe disease „„AstraZeneca’s vaccine can also be distributed (SII), CEO, Adar Poonawalla said that he is delighted to hear that Covidshield, soon to be widely available Covid-19 vaccine, will offer protection up to 90 per cent in one dosage regime and 62 per cent in another. “Delighted to hear that, Covishield, soon to be widely available COVID-19 vaccine, more easily because it can be kept at refrigerator will offer protection up to 90 per cent in one dosage regime and 62 per cent in another,” said Poonawalla. The vaccine developed by Oxford University was 90% effective in preventing Covid when it was administered as a half dose followed by a full dose at least one month apart, according to data from the temperature, unlike the drugs from Pfizer and Moderna which have to be stored frozen „„Will make AstraZeneca shot easier to transport and store globally, particularly in lower and middle-income countries late-stage trials in Britain and Brazil. No serious safety events related to the vaccine have been confirmed and it was well tolerated across both dosing regimens, it said. “This vaccine’s efficacy and safety confirm that it will be highly effective against Covid and will have an immediate impact on this public health emergency,” Pascal Soriot, Astra’s chief executive, said in a statement. AstraZeneca will have 200 million doses by the end of 2020, with 700 million doses ready globally by the end of the first quarter of 2021, operations executive Pam Cheng said on Monday. The vaccine’s effectiveness depended on the dosing, and fell to just 62% when given as two full doses rather than a half-dose first. But scientists cautioned against seeing this as evidence that it would be less useful than rival vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, which each prevented about 95% of cases according to interim data from their >Continued on P5