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CM bows to public pressure, scraps IIT project at Melauli | Goa News – Times of India

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PANAJI: In an embarrassment to the state government, chief minister Pramod Sawant on Friday acceded to the demand of Melauli locals to shift the prestigious IIT project from the village and withdraw the FIRs registered against the protesters after “following the process”.
“The decision to shift the IIT project was taken keeping in mind peoples’ sentiments and the request of health minister Vishwajit Rane, who is also the local MLA, and local representatives,” Sawant said.
But the chief minister said, “the government is committed to setting up IIT in Goa at some other site,” and a decision on the new site would be “taken at the right time”.
This is the third occasion where stiff opposition from locals has forced the government to move the project. Now, it is likely to take a minimum of six months to finalise another site.
The government’s move to cancel the project at Melauli is the culmination of six-month-long agitation by residents, which intensified over the past couple of weeks.
On January 6, villagers clashed with police during the land demarcation, forcing them to lathicharge the locals and use tear gas to disperse them. At least 20 people, including women constables, were injured.
Even as he cancelled the project, Sawant said the people of Melauli were “misguided”. He said IIT was non-polluting and an educational institute. He said he tried to convince the people, but that “some people” worked against the interests of the state.
Sawant said neither he nor Rane had any “personal interest” in the project.
Rane, who had initially endorsed the project at Melauli, himself changed tack after widespread protests. “If I had the capacity to take this project ahead, it would have been different, but when the people want it shifted, I am helpless, and that is the reason I have come to you to shift the project,” he told Sawant.
Rane said he too tried his “level best” to convince the people about it, but since they didn’t buy his arguments, he didn’t have any solution.
The health minister also said that if Goa is to be developed, projects like IIT are needed. “If IIT had come up in our constituency, there would have been eco-tourism in Sattari,” he said.
On Friday, elected representatives from Sattari and Usgao submitted a memorandum to the chief minister to shift the IIT project from the village.
The government had earlier identified sites at Canacona and Sanguem for the institute. Power minister and Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral said this week that his constituents “welcome” the project.
IIT-Goa currently functions from the Goa Engineering College campus in Farmagudi, Ponda. The government may now look for sites at Sanguem or Quepem to set up the institute.

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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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