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Disqualification pleas: Speaker reserves order | Goa News – Times of India

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PANAJI: Goa legislative assembly speaker Rajesh Patnekar on Friday concluded the hearing in two disqualification petitions filed by Congress and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) over their legislators defecting to BJP, and reserved the final orders in the plea.
Patnekar heard the counsels for the rival politicians for nearly six hours to decide the fate of 10 former Congress MLAs and two former MGP legislators. He took up the cases after Congress approached the Supreme Court regarding the delayed hearing, which the speaker has blamed on the pandemic.
The day-long proceedings in the speaker’s chamber centered around the validity of the merger of Congress and MGP into BJP, with lawyers citing precedents and documents to substantiate their claims.
In the first half of the day, Patnekar heard the arguments filed by MGP, which continued till afternoon, and he later heard Congress lawyers.
Speaking to reporters, Abhijit Gosawi, counsel for Goa state Congress president Girish Chodankar, said that they argued before the speaker that only 2/3 members agreed to the merger, but that there was no decision by the party, and thus there’s no question of a valid merger.
MGP senior leader Ramkrishna Dhavalikar’s counsel, Dhaval Zaveri, said that former MGP MLAs have filed two applications, one for cross examination of the petitioner and other witnesses, and another for producing a resolution on record.
Meanwhile, counsel for the 10 former Congress MLAs Nikhil Vaze said that they have filed an application for an extension of time. Vaze also said that they have requested the speaker to allow them to examine the merger resolution and witnesses.
“Arguments were heard on the applications filed by Congress and the order has been reserved,” he said. Vaze said that they also argued on the main petition. “We have told the speaker that there would be prejudice if the hearing is conducted without bringing evidence (on record), and that it would be difficult (for the MLAs) to prove their point. We have requested him to consider this.”
In May 2019, Dhavalikar filed a petition before the speaker seeking the disqualification of deputy CM Manohar Ajgaonkar and PWD minister Deepak Pauskar, who quit MGP to join BJP in March 2019.
MGP challenged their claim that two-thirds of the MGP legislature party has merged with BJP. MGP had three MLAs in the 40-member house, now been reduced to one.
Dhavalikar had said that the 10th schedule of the Constitution does not postulate such a merger by which members of the legislature party would meet at midnight and claim that a merger has taken place.
On July 10 that year, 10 rebel Congress MLAs led by deputy chief minister Chandrakant Kavalekar joined BJP, claiming that the Congress legislature party had split. The other nine MLAs are Isidore Fernandes, Nilkanth Halarnkar, revenue minister Jennifer Monserrate, Antonio Fernandes, Francisco Silveira, Wilfred D’Sa, Clafasio Dias, Filipe Rodrigues and Atanasio Monserrate.
In August 2019, Congress filed a disqualification petition against the 10 rebel MLAs, and sought that the they be restrained from attending assembly proceedings and holding constitutional posts till the case is decided by the speaker.

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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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