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Godinho calls protesting taxi operators for talks next week | Goa News – Times of India

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PANAJI: Urging taxi operators to give up their agitation, transport minister Mauvin Godinho said that the government is ready to sit with them on Tuesday to discuss their demands. Godinho also hinted that the government may partially give in to the demands of the taxi unions and remove the GoaMiles counter at Goa International Airport.
At the same time, Godinho said that the taxi operators cannot dictate terms to the government. The taxi operators have been on strike for six days at Azad Maidan, with their family members joining them on Wednesday.
“The agitating taxi operators, I appeal to them to meet the government on Wednesday at 4.30pm and let us try to find a solution together,” Godinho said. “But you cannot put any conditions on the government. It has to be unconditional. They cannot say scrap the GoaMiles first and then they will come for talks.”
Godinho blamed his cabinet colleagues for creating a situation where the taxi operators are upset with the app-based taxi aggregator GoaMiles. He said that inter-departmental conflicts were the reason why the government has found it difficult to resolve the issue.
“Transportation is the transport department’s business. A few years earlier, a corporation run by another department started GoaMiles. It was my view at that time too, that the transport department should run the service. This has created confusion,” he said.
Goa Tourism Development Corporation helped set up GoaMiles.
The app-based taxi aggregator also operates a counter at the Goa International Airport, which was allotted by the Airports Authority of India to GTDC. Goa Airport director Gagan Malik has informed the government that it is not possible to transfer the counter being used by GoaMiles to the transport department. GTDC will have to surrender the counters after which AAI will begin the allotment process for the counter and hand it over to the transport department.
The transport minister said that being an app-based taxi aggregator, GoaMiles should not be permitted to have a physical presence at the airport. “They cannot get a counter at the airport to solicit customers. This means that GoaMiles has totally flouted the rules and regulations under which they were granted permission to operate. Because they flouted the rules, they will not remain at Goa airport, I am specifically saying this.”
Godinho said that scrapping GoaMiles would be detrimental and would be counter productive if GoaMiles approached the courts. “If tomorrow we issue an administrative order to scrap GoaMiles, they will go to court and get a stay and it will be much worse for taxi operators,” he said.
He also said that the transport department is ready to provide financial assistance to taxi operators if they plan to start their own app-based taxi service.
He subtly blamed former tourism minister Nilesh Cabral for allowing GoaMiles to operate. He took potshots at Calangute MLA Michael Lobo for making statements on the issue.

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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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