HEADLINES
🔹 Metro rail is the future, Konkan Rly will venture into it in big way: CMD
🔹 Govt begins preparing plan to protect 13 islands in state
🔹 Nine mining cos will get nods to handle low-grade ore: CM
🔹 Shock in São José de Areal over garbage piling up at village panchayat office
🔹 IPSCDL claims rejuvenation of St Inez Creek is on verge of completion, locals skeptical
🔹 SHGs to continue to serve mid-day meals this year
NEWS IN DETAIL
THE TIMES OF INDIA
🔸 Metro rail is the future, Konkan Rly will venture into it in big way: CMD
Chairman and managing director of Konkan R ailway Corporation Ltd (KRCL) Santosh Kumar Jha has outlined his ambitious plans of having Konkan Railway venture into the metro rail business soon in a big way. He said that metro rail is the future of India and the world in terms of urban transportation. KRCL is also looking at bagging big-ticket construction projects in India and overseas to increase its bottom line.
🔸 Govt begins preparing plan to protect 13 islands in state
State govt has started preparing an island coastal regulation zone plan (ICRZP) to protect 13 islands in Goa. “State has issued a work order to the National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS), Thiruvananthapuram, to prepar e the ICRZP, 2019, for the 13 islands. Of these 13, one island, Conco, located in Canacona taluka, is less than 10 hectares in size,” state govt said. The chief secretary said that steps have been taken to ensure that no developmental activities will be carried out on the islands that would be detrimental to their existence. “The state of Goa is in active consultation with Deltares, a Netherlands-based company, along with the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), for beach nourishment in the state,” the chief secretary said.
🔸 Nine mining cos will get nods to handle low-grade ore: CM
Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday said that nine mining companies would be given permission to handle low-grade iron ore lying in the state. “The permission to handle the dumps will be issued in June,” Sawant told TOI. The CM held a review meeting with the officials of the directorate of mines and geology to resolve issues related to dump handling. State govt will allow those mining companies that have paid conversion fees to handle low-grade iron ore dumps as per the quantity they have declared. Sawant said that state govt would levy fees to handle the low-grade iron ore, and the companies would also be liable to pay royalty to state govt.
HERALD
🔸 Shock in São José de Areal over garbage piling up at village panchayat office
The citizens of São José de Areal are reeling from shock and concern after a massive quantity of garbage was found dumped within their village panchayat office premises. This incident has sparked fears that the area might turn into another Sonsoddo dump site, notorious for waste mismanagement in the area.
🔸 IPSCDL claims rejuvenation of St Inez Creek is on verge of completion, locals skeptical
Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IP SCDL) has claimed it is on the verge of completing the cleaning and desilting of St. Inez Creek This initiative involves various components which will eventually revitalize the 3.5 km stretch of the creek, IPSCDL has claimed. These claims are made even as the St Inez creek has been festering for decades.
THE GOAN
🔸 SHGs to continue to serve mid-day meals this year
Ahead of the new academic year, the Goa government has decided to continue with 98 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and nine Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) currently supplying meals to 1.60 lakh students across the State. This decision comes amidst the entry of Bengaluru-based Akshaya Patra Foundation.
