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End stir or lose permit: Govt to taxi operators | Goa News – Times of India

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PANAJI: Following threats by taxi operators, transport minister Mauvin Godinho on Friday warned that if they resort to violence, the state government would cancel their permits and will not issue fresh permits for the next five years.
Godinho said that the taxi operators have started the agitation to scrap GoaMiles mainly to divert attention, “as they do not want to install digital meters which will monitor them”.
Stating that the taxi operators should sit across the table with the government to negotiate on their demands, Godinho, however, said that “if taxi operators put forth preconditions for holding a meeting, then the government will not sit for talks”.
He also warned that permits of taxi operators on whose cabs digital meters are not installed would be cancelled. “As per the high court order, and as mandated by the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH), taxi operators have to fix meters to their vehicles,” he said.
Speaking to reporters, Godinho said that taxi operators have no reason to resort to an agitation. “Ours is a responsible government. We will be tackling it with an iron hand and will not give in to the taxi operators’ demand to scrap GoaMiles,” he said.
He also said that in the eventuality of a strike by taxi operators, KTC is ready to transport tourists to the coastal belt. “Taxi operators will be spoiling their own case by allowing GoaMiles to help tourists during a strike,” Godinho said. “Taxi operators want to charge tourists the maximum and finish tourism,” he added.
The transport minister, however, pulled up GoaMiles, who he said is flouting rules by soliciting customers at the Dabolim airport. “This is not the way how a cab aggregator should operate. An app-based taxi service should not operate through counters, but should operate through phone, and I am very much clear on that,” he said.
Godinho stated “that there is no need for one more taxi aggregator as it will create confusion” and suggested that the taxi operators should instead start their own app-based service, “which the government will support”.
While pointing out that the Essential Service Maintenance Act (ESMA) is in force till May, Godinho said “the state government will not hesitate to take action against taxi operators as taxis come under essential services”. “We want to solve the problem, and 1,000 people cannot hold the tourism business and economy to ransom,” he added.
“Taxi operators first said they want to install taxi meters, but now they have no intention of doing that. That they will install taxi meters only after GoaMiles is scrapped is just an excuse. Earlier, it was easier to tamper with digital meters and put them out of order, but now we are insisting on back-end service through NIC, which will have GPS, a panic button and automatic monitoring. The taxi operators don’t want to be monitored,” Godinho said, while adding that the government has decided to install meters free of charge, at a cost of Rs 34 crore.

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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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