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Goa crosses 100 relief flights since lockdown | Goa News – Times of India

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PANAJI: Goa International Airport has crossed the century mark for relief flights, while notching up a half-century for Vande Bharat flights since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The airport, which has emerged as one of busiest terminals in the west zone, has come full circle from flights being grounded to becoming a hub for the Covid-19vaccine, director Gagan Malik said.
While the terminal catered to 5.8 lakh arriving passengers in January, the airport has handled 103 relief flights, 72 repatriation flights and 54 VandeBharat flights. Relief flights are those that help foreigners and non-resident Indians return to foreign nations in the absence of scheduled international flights. Vande Bharat and repatriation flights are those that have been organised to bring back Goans and Indians stranded abroad because of the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.
Domestic flights have also shown a steady increase, with 144 flights being handled on February 6 and 7. The daily passenger footfall has crossed the 22,000-mark. This weekend, when Valentine’s Day coincided with Carnival, saw domestic flights flying at full capacity even though airfares shot up significantly.
“The pandemic has not stopped any activity here at the airport, and in fact, we have increased the pace of upgradation at the terminal,” said Malik. From improving the aesthetics of the airport to bringing in infrastructure changes, the Airports Authority of India has pumped in additional funds to improve the passenger experience, he said.
As on February 14, Goa International Airport handled a total of 103 relief flights for stranded foreign nationals and Indians by sending 17,616 adults and children to destinations all around the world — Israel, Russia, Finland,Germany, France, Poland, UK, USA, Italy, Armenia, Belarus, Ukraine,Mongolia, Switzerland, UAE and Qatar.
Most of these flights are being operated under the air bubble agreement that India has with select nations.
As on February 14, the airport also handled 72 repatriation flights from destinations such as UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Barbados, Italy, UK, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Mongolia, Netherlands, and Egypt, and a total of 11,120 passengers have been brought back to Goa and India since the lockdown.
Malik said that the airport has also played a role in the Vande Bharat mission, India’s biggest evacuation exercise. A total of 54 Vande Bharat flights with 8,490 passengers have landed in Goa, largely from the UK and gulf countries.
“All protocols have been followed, and assistance by team Goa ensured an expeditious exit of all passengers. It is a matter of great pride and satisfaction for us that we played a role in bringing back our fellow Indians,” said Malik.

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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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