AAP objects to heritage adoption scheme in Goa
Panaji, May 1: The AAP in Goa on Tuesday objected to the Central government's decision to allot six heritage sites in the coastal state along with several others throughout the country for adoption by private companies.
"Now they admit that they cannot protect our monuments and want to sell them to outsiders in the name of adoption. They cannot protect our land, our rivers and our rights," Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state General Secretary Pradeep Padgaonkar told reporters here.
The statement comes a few days after the Central government's decision to privatise heritage conservation, even as the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government in the state has come under fire for promoting hasty conversion of land in natural heritage zones for commercial exploitation.
"Efforts by these vested interests, especially regional ruling alliance partner Goa Forward, to allow adoption of monuments by private companies, in Goa's case by a private lifeguarding company should be stopped," Padgaonkar said.
In Goa, Drishti Marine and V-Resorts have been shortlisted for participation in the 'Monument Mitra' scheme, aimed at developing monuments and heritage sites with the help of private participation for five years.
Drishti Marine is set to adopt key heritage areas like the Old Goa Church complex, Aguada, Cabo de Rama and Chapora fort, a lighthouse and Morjim beach, famous for Olive Ridley turtle nesting sites.
V-Resorts will be adopting the Basilica of Bom Jesus church, which is several centuries old.
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Arshdeep, Mandhana nominated for ICC awards
Dubai, Dec 29: Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh has been nominated for the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year award following a stellar season in which he emerged as the joint highest wicket-taker and played a pivotal role in India's T20 World Cup triumph.
The 25-year-old will compete for the prestigious honour alongside Pakistan's Babar Azam, Australia's Travis Head, and Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza, all of whom are among the standout performers this year.
Stylish Indian opener Smriti Mandhana too will be vying for an ICC award after being nominated for ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year for her standout performance in international cricket.
Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka) and Annabel Sutherland (Australia) are the other experienced cricketers competing for the award.
Arshdeep's sensational show in 2024
Singh, a left-arm pacer, was a key figure in India's T20 World Cup victory in Barbados. He finished the year as the joint highest wicket-taker in T20Is, with 36 wickets in 18 matches at an impressive average of 13.5.
His tally was the second-highest by an Indian pacer in T20Is in a calendar year, just behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 37 wickets in 2022.
Singh claimed 17 wickets in the T20 World Cup, tying with Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi for the most wickets in the tournament.
His most memorable moment came in the final, where he dismissed key players Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock early, derailing South Africa's chase of 177. In the high-pressure 19th over, he conceded just four runs, increasing the required run rate and setting the stage for India's victory.
Mandhana delivers sparkling performances
Mandhana, a left-handed opener, amassed 743 runs in 12 innings at an impressive average of 61.91 and a strike rate of 96.99 and also claimed a wicket in what turned out to be a memorable season.
The 28-year-old hit a pair of centuries in June against South Africa in Bengaluru to get her 2024 campaign rolling before managing two more hundreds later in the year to stay in good touch right up until December.
Mandhana managed a total of 343 runs from three innings in a Player of the Series effort against South Africa in June. She got her third hundred when amassing 100 in the final match of India's home series against New Zealand right after the completion of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup.
Another hundred followed in the final match of her side's three-game series with Australia in December, but that was in vain as the Aussies completed a 3-0 series sweep of their own.
Mandhana's best all-round effort came in the second match of India's home series against South Africa, when she scored a century and picked up a key wicket to help her side to a narrow four-wicket victory.
The winners of the ICC Awards 2024 will be announced in late January 2025.
🇿🇼🇦🇺🇵🇰🇮🇳
— ICC (@ICC) December 29, 2024
A star-studded shortlist for ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year has been revealed 👀#ICCAwardshttps://t.co/mhvz13ik6i
