MARGAO: Hospicio’s non-functioning lift and accumulated bio-medical waste came to haunt the authorities once again, with visitors to the hospital questioning the storage of the waste along the passage leading to the paediatric ward, even as the hospital lift broke down once again, stranding a staffer on Tuesday.

The presence of the bio-medical waste on the passage leading to the paediatric ward invited ire from a group of visitors, who demanded to know why the waste is not cleared from the hospital in a time-bound manner. “The waste is easily accessible to the children.

PANJIM: In a categorical statement, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar declared that no additional or new forest land would be diverted for mining also indicating that new rules are in the offing for regulating extraction of minor minerals, including sand extraction.

Leaving it to the administrative machinery to work out the logistics, Parrikar said, “the Forest Department will have to work out a policy on how to deal with existing dumps on forest land”.

PANJIM: In its commitment towards promoting agriculture and boosting production, the Government is proposing a new legislation to ban the sale of agricultural land. The Government is also open to taking an all-party delegation to the Centre to push for Special Status for Goa.

This was disclosed by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar during the question hour on Monday. Parrikar told the House that the legislation would be brought in during the on-going monsoon session of the Goa Assembly by amending the Land Revenue Code.

PANJIM: The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) has demanded a collective assessment into the mining scam while it has also accused Manohar Parrikar-government of being ‘double corrupt’ than the Congress was alleged of during its regime.

“Congress believes that there has to be a collective assessment of the entire thing (mining scam)…Congress will not allow Parrikar to run away with illegalities…” GPCC spokesperson Jitendra Deshprabhu said alleging government’s nexus with the illegal mining.

Rocked by increasing criticism from all quarters, Goa under its new chief minister Manohar Parrikar is on a drive to set things straight.

Ministry in process of amending rules. Guilty party to lose licence, debarred from obtaining any further licence

PANJIM: As a major fallout of Shah Commission’s interim report, Union Mines ministry is working on amending the Mineral Concession Rules which will make mine owner lose his licence and would be debarred from obtaining any further licence, if he is found guilty of involving in illegal mining activity. Justice M B Shah Commission, during its first interim report had suggested this stringent measure to curb the illegal mining, which was accepted by the union mines ministry.

PONDA: Special Gram Sabhas were convened in Dharbandora taluka on Sunday to appoint Forest Rights Committees under the Scheduled Tribes and other traditional Forest Dwellers Act (recognition of Forest Rights Act 2006 and Rules 2007).

Each committee comprises 15 members of which five members have to be from the ST community. However, if there are no ST women candidate then five women members can be chosen from other communities. The act will help people residing in forest land or are using land for farming purposes to claim ownership.

PANJIM: Environment Minister Alina Saldanha on Friday told state legislative assembly that state will initiate phase wise eradication of plastic over next three years.

The Minister said that the intentions of the government are ‘to phase out the domestic plastic waste in a phased manner over next three years’. She also said that necessary awareness amongst the people would be created educating them to reduce the use of plastic, in their day-to-day life.

PANJIM: The Goa government is working to bring out at the earliest a Land Acquisition Policy that will protect the interests of those losing lands for various projects both for government and non-government.

“This policy will protect the interests of those losing substantial land,” Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar explained. In this policy land losers will be taken care of for the next 30 years,” he said while replying to the House during question hour today.

Kalasa-Banduri nala project envisages diversion of water from canal to Malaprabha

The Kalasa-Banduri Horata Samiti, which is fighting for implementation of the Kalasa-Banduri nala project that envisages diversion of water from the Kalasa and Banduri Nala to Malaprabha river, has decided to meet Goa chief minister Manohar Parikkar and appeal to him to cooperate in completing the project before 2013-end.