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Better to repeal Lokayukta Act, shut office, say irate citizens | Goa News – Times of India

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PANAJI: The government’s move to further dilute the Lokayukta Act is a backdoor method to make the act redundant and will give officials a free hand to indulge in orruption, activists and other said. They added that it would be better if the office is shut instead to avoid wastage of funds. Some have already threatened to go to court if the act is further diluted.
Most found that the amendment to permit a retired HC judge to be eligible for the post a step in the right direction. “All the other amendments malefiedly proposed are so high-handed and very objectionable as they would defeat the very purpose for which the act was enacted and its mandate,” advocate Aires Rodrigues says.
Instead of strengthening the act, the proposed amendments would render the it “absolutely toothless and powerless while giving officials a free hand to indulge in acts of corruption and maladministration. And if this is the intent of the government it would be well advised not to waste taxpayers’ money in running the institution of the Goa Lokayukta as it would serve no purpose,” Rodrigues added.
Any retired high court judge with a high reputation will not want to be a part of “this farce called Lokayukta”, advocate Cleofato Almeida said.
“If the proposed Lokayukta amendments are accepted the Lokayukta will be worse than a government vigilance department. The whole idea is to do away with the accountability mechanism,” he said, adding that the law should have been given more teeth by permitting direct prosecution by Lokayukta.
The public will bear the brunt, Almeida said. “Citizens will lose faith and may take maladministration lying down or take the agitation path.”
Former advocate general Carlos Alvares Ferreira also said the proposed amendments will “destroy any faith in the institution” and only “embolden corruption and nepotism”.
The Lokayukta was enacted not only to check corruption but mal administration, too. “There are many cases where issues were resolved no sooner citizens complained to the Lokayukta and where no further proceedings were required,” Ferreira said.
“With these amendments it would be better to repeal the Lokayukta Act and close it down totally instead of wasting time and money and days of evidence and effort resulting in no concrete action,” Ferreira said. In addition to this the government’s pick and choose policy of whose reports are to be accepted will allow proceedings of Lokaykta to be used as a sword against opponents, he added.
This “immunity” the ministers and MLAs are seeking is making the Lokayukta a caged parrot, Kashinath Shetye said.
His petition challenging 17a of the prevention of the act has been kept sine die in the HC awaiting a decision from the SC.
Shetye based, on whose petition the government appointed the last Lokayukta, said that he will challenge the act.
“We had expected this government to make the act more powerful, but it appears the government wants to make it more toothless. No amendments must be made before consulting citizens. The forum will move the court if the act is diluted,” secretary of the Goa RTI forum Ganpat Kurtiker said.
“Dilution of the institution’s power will break down democratic values of citizens’ rights. Policies and authorisations for elevating and enriching anti-corruption ombudsman should be worked and absorbed, ” said national RTI awardee Rajan S Ghate.
He added that the Lokayukta is a powerful tool for cutting the weeds of corruption to build up democratic and progressive principles and help the nation grow. “The corrupt must be under its terror.”

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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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