Government of Goa and Village Panchayat Se Old Goa will celebrate Gandhi Jayanti at 8 am on October 02, 2022 at Gandhi Chowk, Old Goa.

Chief Minister of Goa, Dr Pramod Sawant, who will be the Chief Guest on the occasion, will lead the State in paying floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of his 153^rd Birth Anniversary.

Minister of State for Tourism and Ports, Shipping and Waterways of India, Shri Shripad Y. Naik, MLA of Cumbharjua, Shri Rajesh Faldessai, Sarpanch, Village Panchayat, Se Old Goa, Smt. Sandra Gonsalves will also attend the function.

In view of Bye Election to 12-Reis Magos Zilla Panchayat Constituency in Bardez Taluka of North Goa District scheduled to be held on October 16, 2022 and the Model Code of Conduct that has already come in force. Additional District Magistrate, North Goa District has ordered that serving or selling of liquor in all the liquor bar, pubs, shops, clubs, shacks or any establishment within the jurisdiction of 12-Reis Magos Zilla Panchayat Constituency in Bardez Taluka of North Goa District to be closed everyday by 10.00 p.m. with immediate effect till the election Mode Code of Conduct is in force. Such establishments can remain open and continue to operate without the sale and service of liquor beyond 10.00 p.m. However, this order shall not apply to those establishments, provision stores etc., which are required by law to be closed before 10.00 p.m.

Any violations may be reported to the office of the District Magistrate/Zilla Panchayat Election Officer, Panaji.

If any liquor shop/bar, pub or any establishment is found serving liquor beyond the aforesaid timings, during the said period, it shall result in cancellation of licenses and the owner or offender shall be liable for penal action, as informed by the Department of Information and Publicity.

WRD Minister, Shri Subhash Shirodkar along with MLA, Shri Ulhas Tuyekar visited water bodies of Navelim Constituency today.

They inspected the spring at Layamati, Davorlim; Baaga Spring, tributary of Sal River at Aquem Baixo; Ghatamorad Lake; Salpem Lake, Dongri; Mandop Bandhara and Shani Temple, Shaninagar, Mandop, Navelim.

Navelim, Sarpanch, Shri Paul Pereira, Superintendent Engineer, Shri Ankush  Gaonkar; Assistant Engineer, Shri Sagar Gaonkar, officials of WRD and panchas were present on the occasion.

Shri Shirodkar informed that he will visit all the 40 constituencies of the State by December. The Water Resources Department is a public related and public utility Department. Spring at Layamati, Davorlim will be beautified and the concerned official has been directed to prepare the estimate. Salpem Lake will also be beautified and repair works of bandharas will be taken up. In the coming monsoon it will be seen that water gets stored and used for agriculture. He assured that the works of all the water bodies which are inspected today will start in three to four months.

Speaking further, he said WRD will issue a circular to undertake cleanliness and maintenance of the works taken up earlier by the Department by respective divisions. Officers will go on field at least one day of the week and give reports of their visit and project report in the evening. He said Goa doesn’t have any other option than agriculture. Youths may seek employment in the service Sector, industries sector and government sector but agriculture and horticulture cannot be neglected, he said and added that we need to provide due attention to the agriculture sector. Government provides all support to the people who are interested in agriculture and farming, he remarked.

Urging people not to discharge sewage water in water bodies he said it is a crime and one can be booked for that. WRD is thinking of building a canal especially for sewerage and polluted water which will be connected to sewerage treatment plants. He said local bodies should see that all the places used by people regularly are clean. He also urged farmers to take maximum benefits of government schemes and facilities. Government encroached properties will be identified and action will be taken by November. Special attention is being given to encroachment on Government land, he said.

MLA, Shri Tuyekar said, he is confident that all the major works related to WRD will be completed in the coming future. There are many old pending demands of the people of the constituency and water bodies need to be preserved, he said.

Chief Minister, Dr Pramod Sawant inaugurated the Goa College of Agriculture under the aegis of State Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute, Goa (SAMETI-Goa) and Directorate of Agriculture, at Old Goa, today in the presence of Minister for Agriculture, Shri Ravi Naik, Cumbarjua MLA, Shri Rajesh Faldessai, Secretary, Agriculture, Shri Arun Kumar Mishra, IAS, Vice-Chancellor, Goa University, Prof Harilal Menon, Director, Higher Education, Shri Prasad Lolayekar, IAS, Director of Directorate of Agriculture, Shri Nevil Alphonso, Principal of the college of Agriculture, Dr Pravin Bhende, Chairperson of North Goa Zilla Panchayat, Shri Siddhesh Naik, Sarpanch of Village Panchayat of Se Old Goa, Ms Sandra Gonsalves, among others.

While speaking on the occasion attended by newly admitted students and their parents, Dr Sawant assured them that the college will run smoothly, will have all the necessary accreditations to enable the future graduates a bright future.  Dr Sawant said that the Government will not fall short in helping the college run well. He told the students to aim at becoming agriculturists and informed that they would start a Masters in Agriculture in the college.

Dr Sawant added that apart from the existing building from where classes would be held, they have identified land for a new college building in the vicinity which would be built soon. He further said that the college would start a research institute for agricultural studies in the college in coordination with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), which is located nearby.

The Chief Minister suggested encouraging practice of inter-cropping, growing more cashews plantations. He said that the Government is going beyond giving subsidies and that was buying produce from the locals. We all have to work together for a Swayampurna Goem, he said.

Dr Sawant further informed of the Government’s plans to start a veterinary college and a degree in pisciculture.

The Chief Minister spoke of several initiatives of the Government to encourage agriculture like the Kisan Credit card facility, starting of training centers in both districts, which teaches how to make fruitful use of agricultural waste products etc.

Minister for Agriculture, Shri Ravi Naik, expressed happiness that Goa has got a college for agriculture and stated that it is centrally located which would make it convenient for those interested in pursuing studies in this field. Shri Naik hoped that no more fields and agricultural land in Goa would be converted for non-agricultural use and said that we have to protect what our ancestors have given us.

Cumbarjua MLA, Shri Rajesh Faldessai said that the establishment of the college for agriculture in Goa would help Goans who otherwise would have to travel out of state to study agriculture.