Page 3 - Goa

First flight lands at Manohar International Airport in Goa from Hyderabad

The first passenger flight arrived at the Manohar International Airport in Goa from Hyderabad on Thursday, marking the commencement of operations at the new facility in the coastal state. The IndiGo flight from Hyderabad landed at 9 am at the new airport located at Mopa in North Goa district, airport officials said. Union Minister Shripad Naik and Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte were present to welcome the passengers at the terminal building of the airport. Naik and Khaunte also presented symbolic dummy boarding passes to passengers scheduled to travel to Hyderabad in another IndiGo flight, the first one to take off from the new airport in Goa on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the first phase of the new airport on December 11, 2022. The airport has been named after late Manohar Parrikar, the former defence minister who had also served as the chief minister of Goa. With Mopa, Goa has got another international airport which is located 50 km apart from the

Goa introduces Blue Cab service at Manohar International Airport from Jan 5

The Goa government on Wednesday announced the introduction of the Blue Cab service at the Manohar International Airport in the state from January 5. An IndiGo flight from Hyderabad will be the first flight to land at the newly-built airport on Thursday. Ahead of the first arrival, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant held a meeting with Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte and Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho in Panaji to oversee the preparations. Talking to reporters later, Godinho said the state government has decided to introduce Blue Cabs outside the airport. These cabs would be exclusively owned by locals of Pernem taluka where the airport is located, he said. In addition to Blue Cabs, the airport will also have taxis affiliated to Goa Miles App and also those registered under the state-run Goa Taxi App, he said. Godinho said that local taxi operators had demanded Yellow and Black Taxi permits at the airport, which was not possible, so the state government decided to introduce Blue Cabs

Cabinet approves naming of airport at Goa's Mopa after Manohar Parrikar

The Union Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval for naming of Greenfield International Airport at Goa's Mopa as Manohar International Airport, after former defence minister and Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar. "To fulfil the cherished aspirations of the people of the State of Goa, Chief Minister of Goa conveyed unanimous decision of the Cabinet of State Government of Goa to name the Greenfield International Airport, Mopa, Goa as 'Manohar International Airport Mopa, Goa'," the Cabinet said in a statement. The airport at Mopa, Goa was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December, 2022. The airport has been named after late Manohar Parrikar in recognition of his contribution in building up modern Goa, the statement said.

2022: Pramod Sawant continues as Goa CM, international airport added

For Goa, 2022 began on a high note politically with the conduct of the Assembly polls in February that saw the BJP retaining power and Pramod Sawant occupying the chief minister's chair for the second straight term even as the Congress's strength in the 40-member House dipped further. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 20 out of 40 seats and formed a government with the help of three independents and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) that bagged two seats. Despite a high-decibel campaign, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) drew a blank, while the Arvind Kejriwal-headed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) opened account with two seats. The Congress, which won 11 seats in the polls, witnessed depletion of its strength in the House more than six months later as eight of the MLAs, including former chief minister Digambar Kamat, switched to the ruling BJP in September. With this, the grand old party's count of legislators came down to just three. Interestingly, in the run up to

Goa govt set with taxi service for passengers at new airport from Jan 5

Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Sunday said enough taxis and other conveyance will be made available for passengers arriving at Manohar International Airport (MIA) in Mopa, where flight operations will begin on January 5. Talking to PTI, the minister said the issue of taxi operators will be solved by January 5 and there will be enough vehicles available for passengers. The state government has already started the process to allot spots for taxi operators at the new airport and preference is being given to those from Pernem taluka, where the airport is located. The state government also plans to operate buses of state-run Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited from the airport for people who don't want to take taxis, Khaunte said. He further said that the government has advertised and started getting taxi operators on board. A queue system in line with the ones followed at other airports will be introduced at MIA, he said. The state has also developed a dedicated Goa Taxi App

Congress state prez alleges BJP govt 'failed' to protect wildlife in Goa

Chodankar said that such incidents never happened during the Congress regime

No Covid-19 curbs in Goa till Jan 2, says CM as govt advises precautions

The Goa government will not impose any COVID-19-related restrictions till January 2 but will review the situation on January 3, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Friday after chairing a high-level meeting here. He said that people should voluntarily follow COVID-19-appropriate behaviour. "The state will not impose any COVID-19 related restrictions till January 2, but will review the situation on January 3," Sawant told reporters after chairing the meeting. He said as per the Centre's direction, a mock drill will be conducted on December 27 to check the preparedness to tackle any potential coronavirus outbreak. Sawant said authorities have already started random checking of international passengers arriving in the coastal state. "Two per cent of international passengers arriving in the state are being tested," he added. As Goa gears up to ring in the Christmas and New Year festivities amid a rise in COVID-19 cases in some countries, the state government has appealed to the peop

Vedanta says declared as preferred bidder for Bicholim mineral block in Goa

Vedanta Ltd on Friday said it has been declared as a preferred bidder for Bicholim mineral block in Goa. The iron ore mines has resources of 84.92 million tonnes. "The company has been declared as 'preferred bidder' in respect of e-auction of Block I - Bicholim Mineral Block based on highest final price offer of 63.55 per cent submitted by the company," Vedanta said in a filing to BSE. Goa had earlier invited tenders to participate in electronic auction for grant of mining lease in respect of iron ore mines in the state. The grant of mining lease by the Government of Goa in respect of aforesaid mine will be subject to making of necessary payments, completion of other terms and conditions of the tender document, obtaining of necessary approvals from various government departments and execution of necessary agreements in the matter.

Goa govt to discuss Covid-19 preparedness today amid fears of new surge

The Goa government will hold a meeting of various departments on Friday over rising COVID-19 cases in some parts of the world, wherein it will discuss its preparedness for a possible surge in infections amid the ongoing tourist season in the state. Talking to reporters on Thursday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said precautionary measures that need to be taken in view of the spike in coronavirus cases in countries like China will be discussed at the meeting. "The meeting will take stock of the situation in Goa," he said. Due to the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations, the coastal state has been witnessing a rise in tourist footfall. State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Thursday evening took to twitter to request citizens to adopt COVID- appropriate behaviour. "In wake of a spike in COVID-19 cases in several countries, we request people to follow appropriate behaviour, including wearing masks and getting vaccinated against the virus if you haven't," he said. "We will .

Wrong to impose ban on music during traditional festivals, says Goa-NCP

Goa NCP President Jose Philip D'souza on Thursday said that it is wrong to impose a ban on music played during traditional programmes after 10 pm

Goa govt completes first phase of auction of iron ore mining blocks

The Goa government has completed the first phase of auction of mining blocks with four companies winning bids for the extraction of ore from different mineral rich stretches of the coastal state, an official said on Thursday. The state Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) had conducted the e-auctioning process which will pave way for the resumption of the state's iron ore mining industry in the state. The industry, which used to be one of the major revenue earners for the state, had come to a standstill in 2018 after the Supreme Court quashed 88 mining leases. The first phase of auctioning of the mining blocks has been completed. All the four blocks are assigned to the successful bidders, a senior DMG official told PTI. He said Vedanta Limited had won the bid for Bicholim-Mulgao mining block (North Goa) which has got more than 84 million tonnes of the iron ore reserve. Salgaocar Shipping Company Pvt Ltd won the bid for Shirigao-Mayem mineral Block in North Goa. The mine has more

UTs top performer in Social Progress Index; Bihar, Jharkhand at bottom

Puducherry has the highest SPI score of 65.99 in the country, attributable to its remarkable performance across components like Personal Freedom and Choice, Shelter, and Water and Sanitation

Capacit'e Infraprojects bags Rs 117 cr order from DLF to build Mall in Goa

Construction firm Capacit'e Infraprojects Ltd on Tuesday said it has bagged an order worth Rs 117.20 crore from DLF Ltd for the construction of a mall in Goa. The contract amount of Rs 117.20 crore excludes GST and labour cess. "Capacit'e Infraprojects Ltd has been a preferred construction company for leading corporates in India. In line with this thought, DLF entrusted responsibility for their mall project, company's managing director Rahul Katyal said. Further, the company said that the order inflow for the current fiscal, along with the existing order book, gives it confidence to deliver good growth in the coming quarters.

Goa govt's Drone Policy 2022 promotes use of unmanned aerial vehicles

The Drone Policy 2022 launched by the Goa government has suggested that its departments consider the use of the unmanned aerial vehicles for efficient and effective governance. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday launched the Drone Policy 2022, as per which the government will engage with technical institutes and academia to design drone-related courses for use in sectors like agriculture, horticulture, forestry, healthcare, mining and others. The government will help in establishing drone schools that offer various courses in drone operations and pilot certification, the policy said, adding the government will encourage the setting up of centres of excellence within higher academic institutions to promote research and development. The policy mentions that "drones offer tremendous benefits to almost every sector of the economy, including but not limited to agriculture, infrastructure, emergency response, transportation, geospatial mapping, media, entertainment, law enforcement an

Goa CM Sawant warns of strict action against those who harass tourists

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said stern action will be taken against harassment of tourists in the coastal state and said people involved in such acts will not be spared. Sawant was addressing a function here to mark the Goa Liberation Day, where he inspected a parade and received the guard of honour. The Goa Liberation Day is celebrated on December 19 every year to mark the success of 'Operation Vijay' undertaken by the armed forces to liberate the state by defeating the Portuguese in 1961. Highlighting the importance of tourism in the coastal state, Sawant said cooperation from stakeholders such as taxi and tour operators is required for the development of the sector. The state government is working towards creating a positive image of Goa with respect to tourism internationally, he said. We are exploring different facets of tourism such as beach, hinterland, eco-tourism, wellness and spiritual tourism, the chief minister said. People who harass tourists in the st

Congress blames BJP govt of failure to preserve historical monuments in Goa

The opposition Congress on Sunday attacked the BJP government in Goa on the eve of the state's Liberation Day accusing it of failing to preserve monuments of historical importance. Goa was liberated on December 19, 1961, from Portuguese possession by Indian armed forces. Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar and Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Yuri Alemao highlighted the condition of Lohia Maidan in Margao town and the Martyrs Memorial at Assolna, both in South Goa district. This is the Martyrs Memorial at Assolna-on the eve of Goa Liberation Day. This Village is birthplace of Dr Juliao Menezes at whose invitation Dr Ram Manohar Lohia came to Goa and started the Goa Revolution Movement. Apathy of @BJP4Goa Govt in preserving Historic Monuments is visible, Patkar tweeted and posted a picture of the memorial. Alemao alleged the refurbishment of Lohia Maidan remains incomplete. On the eve of Goa Liberation Day, the Commode on the Footpath of Historic Lohia

Goa minister warns taxi operators after US tourists forced to cancel trip

Goa tourism minister Rohan Khaunte on Friday condemned the incident at Mormugao Port in which some taxi operators refused to allow American tourists to board buses for a sight-seeing trip of the coastal state. He said taxi operators indulging in such kind of incidents will have their permits cancelled. The 100-odd tourists had got down from a cruise ship on Wednesday and had to cancel their sight-seeing trip due to the incident, which also involved taxi operators allegedly assaulting a bus driver. "The incident has created ripples throughout the tourism sector. We will ensure there is no repeat of such incidents. It is the prerogative of the tourists to choose their mode of transport," Khaunte said. "Taxi operators cannot force tourists to use their vehicles. We will move to cancel permits of taxi operators who indulge in such incidents. Post this incident, departments like transport, tourism and police will work closely," he added.

Go First plane flying to Goa suffers technical snag, returns to Mumbai

A Go First aircraft flying to Goa returned to Mumbai airport due to a technical snag on Wednesday, according to a DGCA official. The official said the aircraft VT-WGP operating G8-371 BOM-GOI had an air turn back due to vent avionics fault. Details about the number of passengers onboard could not be immediately ascertained. There was no immediate comment from Go First.

Vedanta emerges as successful bidder for Bicholim mining block in Goa

In a development paving the way for resumption of iron ore mining in Goa, the state government announced on Wednesday that Vedanta Limited has emerged as successful bidder for a mining block auctioned earlier this year. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told reporters that Vedanta was the highest bidder with 63.55 per cent revenue for Bicholim Mining Block, spread over 485 hectares. The state government had started the process to auction four mining blocks in the state including the Bicholim one earlier this year. The existing block was being operated by Vedanta itself before iron ore mining was stopped in the coastal state on the Supreme Court's orders in 2012. As many as 51 tender documents had been taken for the four blocks and eleven companies finally submitted their bids, Sawant said. Five companies had submitted bids for Bicholim Block, he added. State Director of Mines and Geology Suresh Shabhogue said the successful bidders will have to obtain fresh approvals including ...

PM Modi inaugurates Goa's second airport, first commercial flight on Jan 5

The terminal in North Goa can handle 4.4 mn passengers annually, built at a cost of Rs 2,870 crore