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Shantaram takes up cudgels for expat Goans in Qatar

Reacting to reports in The Goan regarding the ongoing Gulf crises, Goa’s lone Rajya Sabha member Shantaram Naik has dashed off a letter to Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, asking her to protect the interests of 6,50,000 Indians, including 10,000 Goans, living and doing business in Qatar.


PANAJI

“[The] whole country is deeply concerned on account of the recent Gulf crisis due to Saudi-led grouping of Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE, Yemen and surprisingly, Maldives, which cut off diplomatic ties, as well as, civil aviation and shipping ties,” Naik said.   
Pointing to The Goan report, which stated that “a large number of Goans and other Indians began rushing to supermarkets and stores in Doha to stock up on essential of food supply”, Naik has said “India has to use diplomatic channels with Qatar in the interest of the Indian population there.”   
“Since India has a friendly relationship with Qatar, the present government should put to trial the relationship and resolve the crisis. The government of India should not take things for granted, and that, Prime Minister’s visits do not necessarily help in such matters,” Naik added.  
People from India, particularly from Goa, have been of immense help to boost the economy of Gulf countries including Qatar, and that, people from Goa have been taking up jobs in Gulf countries for several decades, and that it is the duty of government of India to undertake day-to-day monitoring of the interest of Indian population, Naik opined.  
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SEC gets High Court nod to defer polls in 15 p’yat wards

The Bombay High Court at Goa has allowed the State Election Commission (SEC) to postpone the panchayat elections in 15 wards across 11 village panchayats which are currently embroiled in litigation.

the goan I network
Published Jun 7, 2017, 4:15 AM IST
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PanajiThe directions now allow the SEC a period of 25 days to begin the election process afresh and hold the polls on or before July 2.   The Commission had approached the Bombay High Court at Goa seeking to hold the elections in these wards at a later date in view of the topsy-turvy nomination process.   The order is likely to affect a total of 15 wards spread across 11 panchayats.   While the Directorate of Panchayats in its notification had…

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