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Goa: MPT chief shifty over coal handling, says have no role | Goa News – Times of India

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VASCO: Just two months after chief minister Pramod Sawant announced that coal handling at MPT will be stopped in a phased manner within a year’s span, port trust chairman E Ramesh Kumar remained evasive about the reduction plans.
Pointing to Adani Mormugao Port Terminal Pvt Ltd and JSW’s South West Port Ltd, Kumar categorically stated that MPT has no direct stake in coal handling.
“Private players are there, and they employ so many people. We don’t handle coal directly. JSW and Adani handle and I can’t exactly give you the number (of employees involved in coal handling),” Kumar said.
He said the Union ministry of shipping is still working on the modalities to reduce coal transportation and that no decision has been conveyed.
“All this is being handled at a very high level and once all the issues and modalities are complete, it will obviously be put forward for the public,” Kumar said on Monday.
TOI had earlier highlighted how the MPT and the shipping ministry were at variance over the issue of dropping some of the planned projects. The shipping ministry had said that none of the projects directly related to coal transportation through railways would be dropped.
In November, Sawant had said that it is difficult to halt coal transportation since there are 2,500 families and 4,500 pensioners, who were dependent on the activity for their livelihood.
The coastal state has been rocked by protests over the double-tracking of South Western Railway line to Vasco. Protesters have alleged that these projects are undertaken to help the coal handling companies transport their cargo from MPT.
Under the masterplan report for Goa, MPT is envisaged as a coal/coke import hub with a projected capacity of 51 MTPA (million tonne per annum) by 2035 to cater to existing and proposed steel plants in and around Karnataka’s hinterland.
The Sagarmala project envisages various infrastructural projects to evacuate this 51 MTPA coal/coke from MPT and enable a quick turnaround for the ships. Hence, it has proposed the double-tracking of Hospet-Vasco rail line, four-laning of NH-4 from Panaji to Belgaum and missing link of NH-17B connecting Verna and Ponda. In addition, several jetties are proposed along Goa’s rivers (national waterways) essentially for coal transportation.
But Kumar said MPT is in search of alternative cargo to diversify operations away from coal handling.
“It is our endless endeavour to see that MPT grows as well as see that environmental issues that need to be addressed are addressed in all totality. Our tireless efforts are towards making it a very clean, neat and endurable port,” Kumar said.
He also said the shipping ministry is keeping a close track on the major projects that are in the pipeline at MPT, particularly efforts to set up a domestic and international cruise terminal, Vasco-Dona Paula ropeway project and other services.
“We are working hard on the ropeway project. We are working on the international cruise terminal, domestic cruise terminal, ropeway, RO-RO, RO-PAX and ferry services,” he said on the sidelines of a function.
Kumar said Goa and MPT stand to benefit from the projects being taken up by the Centre. When asked if the Centre has fixed any timelines for the completion of these projects, Kumar said that he was hopeful that they “happen at the earliest”.
“This is high on our agenda. We are tirelessly working on it and minister of ports, shipping and waterways Mansukh Mandaviya is on an everyday basis monitoring the progress,” Kumar said.

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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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