Panaji June 2, 2019 … Government of Goa and Goa State Biodiversity Board in association with Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and National Biodiversity Authority will be celebrating International Day for Biological Diversity 2019 with the theme “Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health” on June 08, 2019 from 10.00 a.m onwards at Village Panchayat Hall, Salvador do Mundo in Bardez.

The Chief Minister, Dr. Pramod Sawant will be the Chief Guest for the function, Minister for Revenue, Information and Technology, Labour and Employment Shri Rohan Khaunte, will be the Guest of Honor, Secretary, Environment, Shri Govind Jaiswal, IAS, Director Environment, Shri Ravi Jha, IAS, and Member Secretary, Goa State Biodiversity Board Dr. Pradip Sarmokadam will grace the function.

Panaji June 1, 2019 … Shri Daulat Hawaldar,Finance Secretary felicitated the winners of 3rd Goa Anti-Tobacco National Film Festival 2019 (State Level and National Level) at ESG, Panaji yesterday. The function was organized by Entertainment Society of Goa in association with the Department of Public Health Dentistry, Goa Dental College and Hospital.

Present on the occasion were Dean of Goa Dental College & Hospital, Dr. Ida de Noronha de Ataide, Vice Chairman of ESG, Shri Rajendra Talak, Chief Executive Officer, ESG, Shri Ameya Abhyankar and HoD Public Health Dentistry, Goa Dental College, Dr. Amita Kenkre Kamat.
Addressing the gathering Shri Hawaldar appreciated the organizers for taking such initiative of organizing the event and said along with the books theatre is also utmost important. Any kind of addiction is difficult to go out, but attempt should be go up, he added.

The aim of this festival is to select Ad Films to spread the message of harmful or ill effects of tobacco use and also to decrease the occurrence of Oral Cancer and lung disease in keeping with this year’s theme “Tobacco and Lung Health”. The ultimate objective being to render Goa smoke free.

The competition was held in two sections, Goa and National Section.
At National Section Shri Sunil H. Naik awarded first prize for his movie “Silent Killer” and Shri Miransha Naik awarded second prize for Movie “Why?”.

Similarly in Goan section Shri Amol Prabhugaonkar awarded with first prize for movie name “Dhuvarr”, Shri Mayur Gajanan Kambli awarded with second prize for Movie name “Nishkriya Dhumrapaan” and Shri Brijesh Kakodkar awarded with third prize for movie “Stop Now”.
Shri Rajendra Talak welcomed the gathering while Dr. Amita Kenkre Kamat proposed the vote of thanks.

Panaji, May 31, 2019 … Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant will be the Chief Guest  for  World Environment Day  2019 celebration  to be organized  by  Chief Conservator of Forest at Goa Science Centre, Miramar on  June 4, 2019.  The Chief Secretary Shri Parimal Rai, IAS will be the Guest of honour.

Margao:  April 21, 2019 …The District Magistrate and District Election Officer, South Goa District, Shri Ajit Roy, IAS  have ordered/restricted the unauthorised assembly of persons, movement of vehicles, supply of vehicles to ensure free and fair manner and to maintain public peace, order and tranquillity in the conduct of the General Election  and  Bye- Election from 18.00  hours of  21/04/2019  to 21.00 hours of  23/04/2019   in all 21 Assembly Constituencies under the jurisdiction of South Goa District  Election Office, South Goa District.

The assembly of five or more persons (including contesting candidates & workers) will be deemed as Unauthorized Assembly u/s. 141 of the Indian Penal Code and will be prohibited to avoid any procession or rally under the garb of house to house visits or corner meetings and to prevent any nuisance and law and order problems.

The vehicles permitted to all Contesting Candidates by the Returning Officer and Asst. Returning Officers for campaigning shall not ply on roads to avoid any distribution of money or gifts or liquor and to prevent any nuisance and law and order problems except vehicles authorized by the Returning Officer on the day of Poll.

Similarly, all private vehicles shall be checked in dignified manner to avoid their misuse for distribution of money or gifts or liquor and for causing any nuisance also to avoid any harassment to private persons.

So also, no liquor shops, hotels, restaurants, clubs and other establishments selling/serving liquor, should be permitted to sell/serve liquor to anyone whosoever, on the aforesaid days.  The Non-proprietary clubs, star hotels, restaurants etc. and hotels run by anyone even if they are issued different categories of licenses for possession and supply of liquor are also not permitted to serve liquor on these days.

The above order does not apply to Officers authorized on Election Duty by the District Election Officer, South Goa District or the State Government including the Polling Officials, Magistrates, Police Officials and Government Staff.

 Panaji April 20, 2019 …. Kartavya walkathon was organized by District Election Officer North Goa from Miramar circle to Taliegao Market today morning.

The walkathon was attended by Chief Electoral Officer, Shri Kunal, IAS; District Election Officer, Kum. R. Menaka, IAS; North Goa Election ICON, Shri Mukesh Ghatwal, Shri Petersan Andrade, Smt Antonet Dsouza, Shri John Aguiar, Kum Akshada Bandekar, Shri Pradeep Naik, Kum Samiksha Desai, Shri Taha Haziq, Shri Bramhanand Shakalwalkar. State Nodal Officer for SVEEP Isha Sawant, District Nodal Officer SVEEP, Dr. Gervasio Mendes were also present.

The rally which winded its way via Caculo Mall, played Election Awareness songs and the participants carried play card displaying varied Election Messages.

At the Taleigao Market, all the Election Icons appealed to the voters to make it convenient to cast their valuable vote on April 23, 2019 at the Lok Sabha General Election and Bye Election to three Assembly segments.

The Election Icon Shri Peterson Andrade, Kum Akshada Bandekar, Shri Mukesh Ghatwal entertained the crowd and gave a loud message to come out and vote on April 23, 2019 Lok Sabha and for the three assembly bye poll.

Panaji: March 31, 2019 ::: The Election Commission has issued certain guidelines with regards to printing of different types of Election material in view if the General Election 2019 and Bye-Elections 2019 announced by the Election Commission of India scheduled on April 23, 2019. The instructions are as follows:

No person shall print or cause to be printed any election pamphlet or posters unless a declaration as to the identity of the publisher thereof signed by him and attested by two persons to whom he is personally known is delivered by him to the printer in duplicate.

Further, the printing presses are required to send the copies of the printed material (alongwith three extra copies of each such printed material) and the declaration obtained from the publisher as required under Section 127A (2) of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951, within three days of its printing to the Chief Electoral Officer of the State (if it is situated in same Capital) and in any other case, to the District Magistrate of the District in which it is printed.

Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of sub section (1) or sub section (2) of section 127A of the said Act shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees, or with both.

In the case of advertisement, the source of which is traceable, it will be treated who have been authorized by the candidate (s) concerned and will be accounted for in the election expenses account of the candidate (s) and if the advertisement is not with the authority of the candidate the publisher shall be prosecuted for violation of section 171 H of Indian Penal Code (incurring expenditure in advertisement without written authority from the candidate (s) concerned).

Panaji:: March 30, 2019 …. A training awareness programme was recently held on March 20, 2019 at 10.00 a.m in the Multipurpose Hall of Directorate of Art and Culture Patto, Panaji-Goa, for visually impaired voters on the election process/procedure, in connection with the ensuing Lok Sabha Election.

          40 visually impaired voters (out of which 24 voter were blind and the balance were with low vision) from the Talukas of Sattari, Bicholim, Bardez, Tiswadi, Pernem and Priol attended the programme.

          Shri Narayan Gad, Nodal Officer for Persons with Disability (PWDs) welcomed the visually impaired voters and explained to them, that the purpose of this training is to educate the visually impaired voters about the voting procedure and on the use of braille.

          Smt. Menaka, IAS, Collector and District Election officer for North Goa Parliamentary Constituency informed that the Election Commission is trying to make the election process more inclusive, which means all the segment of the voters should be facilitated in the voting process. She further said that, all the measures/guidelines issued by Election Commission of India are being adopted in the North Goa Parliamentary Constituency in order to ensure  the Persons With Disability are given all  the necessary assistance in ensuring that they participate in the election process and exercise their franchise. She emphasized that voting right should be exercised by all.

          Smt. Leena Prabhu, from National Association for the Blind, St. Cruz, provided hands on training to all the participants on using braille while casting vote on EVM.

 Dr. Shantanu Gawas, Master trainer explained to the participants, the process of voting in the polling station. The feature of Braille EVM and dummy ballot papers were explained.

Some visually impaired voters opined that the training was very helpful to them as they understood how to cast vote using braille, without the assistance of companion.

There was interactive session, wherein the participants raised various questions about the use of braille and other voting procedure which was explained to them by the trainers with practical examples.

Shri Sudesh Gaude proposed vote of thanks.

Panaji: March 29, 2019 … The Collector/District Election Officer and Returning Officer for 02-South Parliamentary Constituency, Margao has finalized the rate chart for various items/commodities/services of expenditure to be incurred during General Election to   Lok Sabha and scheduled Bye Election to Shiroda Assembly Constituency of South Goa District. The item wise details of rates notified after consultation with various Political Parties is available on official website www.southgoa.nic.in for information of general public.

Panaji: March 28, 2019 …The Collector and DEO North, Panaji has finalized rate chart for various items/commodities/services of expenditure to be incurred during General Election to   Lok Sabha and scheduled Bye Election to 01-Mandrem and 05-Mapusa Assembly Constituencies of North Goa District. The item wise details of rates notified after consultation with various Political Parties is available on official website www.northgoa.gov.in for information of general public and is also published in the Official Gazette.

Panaji: March 27,2019 …. …The office of the Chief Electoral Officer conducted awareness programme ‘Know your EVM & VVPAT’ in seminar hall of National Institute of Oceanography  at Dona Paula today.

 While interacting with the participants during awareness programme the Joint Chief Electoral Officer Shri Devidas Gaonkar explained the functioning of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail along with the Electronic Voting Machine which is also an independent system attached so that the voter can verify that his vote cast desired. He said when vote is cast, a slip is printed on VVPAT printer containing the serial number, name and symbol of the desired candidate and remain exposed through a transparent window for seven seconds. Thereafter the printed slip automatically gets cut and falls in sealed drop box of the VVPAT

 Shri Gaonkar thereafter also spoke regarding other  aspects pertaining to EVM & VVPAT and its legal framework, series of checking, randomization, storage instructions, setting of EVMs (with VVPAT), mock poll instructions, counting instructions, frequently asked questions, judicial decisions with earlier references etc.

The awareness programme was atteded by the Administrative staff, Scientists, Technical staff, Students, Professors, Associate professors of NIO.