SATURDAY, 29 AUGUST 2026

Opposition criticism of govt for broadband renewal deal valid

After a stormy session in the first few days of the monsoon session of the Goa Assembly, there were fireworks with questions from the opposition to the ruling party. According to them, the government spent almost Rs 182 crore on broadband connection services in 2019 under a completed contract with the service provider United Telecom Services. However, the same was renewed despite CAG reports of poor and unstable connectivity in the services. The question raised was that the contract was renewed without any house approval, as it was tabled and passed at the last moment as a table note. The government received Rs 12 crore as a share through GWave.

Another issue was the land transfer at Zuari Industrial Area. The said land was given to Zuari Industries during the time of Babu Narayan Bandodkar. Now that the area is available, the question was raised about the sale of land for commercial and settlement purposes. The minister gave assurance that the land will not be sold to anyone for commercial purposes. The present assembly has witnessed many questions, in which the government had to provide replies as the opposition seems to have done a thorough study before raising the same. The government should be prepared to give suitable and fact-based replies.

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Wayanad tragedy: Goa must act to prevent similar disasters

ADELMO FERNANDES, Vasco
Published Aug 4, 2024, 1:22 AM IST
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The number of people who have died in the massive landslides that hit Wayanad district has reportedly risen to 210. The death toll could increase as rescue teams deploy advanced technical gadgets and dogs to pull out possible survivors or remove bodies buried under the debris. The tragedy that unfolded in Kerala should serve as a warning sign for Goa, which has witnessed several landslides across the state in recent times. There could be a major disaster waiting to happen if…

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