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Beach shacks appear in Calangute and Candolim, but only few to open next week | Goa News – Times of India

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COLVA/CALANGUTE: Work of erecting shacks for the tourist season has begun along the state’s beach belt after the tourism department completed the process of demarcation last week. While shacks in the Calangute-Candolim belt will open up for tourists by the end of next week, only few will begin operations in the Salcete coastal belt, with others opting to wait to observe the flow of tourists.
Although work of setting up the temporary shacks is on in full swing at many places in Calangute and Candolim, even here, some shack owners who are largely dependent on foreign charter tourists, have decided to wait for some time before erecting their structures as charter flights have still not been given the green signal by the government.
Shortage of staff is also proving to be a hindrance, with many outstation staffers unable to travel to Goa because trains are fully booked.
“My main chef is from Nepal and he doesn’t want to come. The kitchen helpers have all arrived, as also the waiters,” a shack owner, who plans to open next week, said. “I’m going to manage with whomever I get.”
Roger Fernandes, operating a shack on Benaulim beach, told TOI that he is taking a gamble. “Unlike before, I’m engaging labourers from the open market to erect the shack as it is cost-effective in these uncertain times. Earlier, I would use my staff to set up the structure and it was expensive as I had to pay their salaries and take care of their boarding and lodging.”
The skeletal structures are presently most prominent on the Cavelossim and Benaulim beaches, even as other operators are taking a cautious approach so as to not lose money. One such shack owner said the 2019-2020 season was already season a disaster and the losses were huge.
“The tourism department allowed us to set up shacks two months late last year and we were forced to wind up the operations two months early due to the Covid-19 pandemic. So, out of six months, we did business for only two months,” he rued.
While welcoming the 50% cut in fees, another shack owner said the next challenge is to draw tourists to Goa.
Yet another said that some have a set clientele and their business module is to cater to only foreign tourists.
“Some others only cater to domestic visitors, while the third set of shack owners extend hospitality to both type of tourists with equal measure, so they have started erecting their shacks as their customers are already in Goa or have planned their holiday to the state,” the shack owner said.

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Broke Swiggy guy walks 3 km to deliver food, Social media helps him find better job. Heartwarming story is viral

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Social media can be a wondrous place at times. While on most days, its ugly face is on display, on days like today, it sets examples of the power of kindness. In a social media post, a LinkedIn user shared how a delivery executive, in need of money and a better job, bagged one after the users on the platform came together to help the person out.

Priyanshi Chandel, Marketing Manager at tech company Flash, shared an incident about a Swiggy delivery agent who had come to deliver food at her residence. When she asked the late and out-of-breath delivery person, identified by her as Sahil Singh, about what happened, he told her that he had no transport and had to walk 3 km to deliver the order.

He also said that he was out of money and had nothing left to pay his landlord too. Singh told her that he was not looking for money from her but requested her to help him bag a job. He said that he had a degree in Electrical and Communication Engineering, and had worked with Byju’s and Ninjacart before. He had to move back to Jammu during the pandemic.

“I have not eaten for a week, just drinking water and tea to get by. I am not asking for anything, please if you can find me a job, I used to make 25k before, I am 30 years old, my parents are getting old and I can’t keep asking for money from them (sic),” Chandel quoted saying.

She also shared his marksheets and contact number for people to help. His details shared show that he is a 2018 BTech graduate from Mewar University, and completed his schooling from the Jammu and Kashmir state board.

After she shared the details, the comments section was filled with people who stepped up to help. While someone recharged his Yulu account so that he did not have to walk around to deliver food, someone offered a place to stay. Many offered to help him with his applications, while some offered jobs too.

Chandel, later on put an update on the post, and said that he received a job.

However, so far it is unclear what job he has received.

2023 has so far been a year of job losses, an eventual outcome of the pandemic and increased hiring by tech companies. For instance, the SSC MTS 2023 recruitment exam that took place in Uttar Pradesh in May saw over 55 lakh applications for Group D jobs. Numerous candidates who applied for positions such as peon, watchman, gardener had educational backgrounds like BTech, MBA, and Master’s degrees.

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Goa CM, NRI Commissioner writes to MoEF for help in safe return of Goans from Ukraine

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Panaji: Goa chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Thursday urged Union Minister for External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar to help in safe return of Goans who are in the Ukraine.

Sawant tweeted “we are concerned about the Goans in Ukraine who are considering to return to India in the light of ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis. I request Union Minister for External Affairs @DrSJaishankar ji for help in the safe return of Goans. I am keeping track of the situation.”

The chief minister’s tweet comes hours after Goa’s NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar wrote to the Union External Affairs ministry seeking help in return of Goans who are in the Ukraine.

“Many Goans are currently residing in Ukraine due to various purposes including higher studies and due to the ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine, I have started receiving requests for help and assistance from them to return back to India,” Sawaikar wrote.

The Commissioner further wrote in the letter that advisories have already been issued by the Ministery of External Affairs to Indians currently in Ukraine and our Indian Mission in Kyiy is currently handling the matter.

“Striking note of urgency, the Government of India has recently asked the family members of Embassy officials in Ukraine as well as students and citizens whose stay is not vital , to leave the Eastern European nation amid it’s raising tensions with Russia,” the letter reads.

Sawaikar wrote that the Goans in Ukraine are in touch with this office as they are anxious to temporarily return till the situation normalizes.

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Election Commission announces polling dates and counting days for Vidhan Sabha elections in 5 states

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On Saturday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for the Vidhan Sabha elections in 5 States, namely, Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

While briefing the media, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra informed that the elections in the poll-bound States will commence from February 10, 2022, to March 7, 2022. Elections in the State of Uttar Pradesh will be conducted in 7 phases, followed by Manipur with 2 phases. Elections in Goa, Uttarkhand and Punjab will be conducted in a single phase.

According to the Election Commission of India, the votes will be counted on March 10, 2022. ECI informed that all physical campaigning will be ceased until January 15, 2022, in light of the rising cases of Coronavirus.

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