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Reeling under pandemic, tourism sector gets balm | Goa News – Times of India

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PORVORIM: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday declared initiatives for the tourism sector, which has been one of the biggest casualties of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A tourism trade support scheme for registered hotels in the category of B, C and D, and for travel and tour operators were announced.
Potential beneficiaries will be provided with an interest subvention on working capital loans up to Rs 25 lakh. Sawant announced a budget allocation of Rs 5 crore for this initiative. The scheme will benefit more than 2,000 hotels/accommodations and over 1,000 tour and travel operators, he said.
To reduce the burden of charter operators towards parking and landing fees at Dabolim international airport, the chief minister declared a provision of Rs 5 crore.
Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) had been requesting the government to reduce parking and landing fees even before the pandemic. TTAG president Nilesh Shah said it is a good initiative, and that the scheme would be beneficial.
“We had sought relief in the form of waivers, which has not been granted. The government has offered relief in other forms. It is good, but there could have been more,” Shah said.
Atish Fernandes, director of First Class Holidays, said that making a provision to cut expenses of charter flights towards parking and landing fees will directly benefit the charter market. The support scheme, he said, will be an academic exercise until the eligibility criteria for cash flow is not clear.
Another significant proposition announced was to develop villages by promoting homestays, backwater tourism and experiential tours under “Atmanirbhar Bharat, Swayampurna Goa.”
“Model villages would be developed on unique themes such as tribal, agro, crafts, heritage, and other such concepts, which would allow tourists to visit offbeat locations instead of concentrating only on the coastal belt,” Sawant said, while announcing a budget provision of Rs 5 crore for the same.
Fernandes said without a sustainable plan, these initiatives will do more harm than good.
The chief minister further announced Rs 1 crore to set up the Goa Tourism Board. To increase the base of tourist guides, a “tourist facilitator programme” free of cost to Goan youth, was announced.
He also announced plans to develop an advanced curriculum to offer training in soft skills, etiquettes, and one foreign language. To make beaches safe and clean, a provision of Rs. 48.6 crore were declared and Rs 75 crore for Goa Tourism Development Corporation for infrastructure projects.

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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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