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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Odisha: Medical College expels 5 MBBS students from hostel for ragging juniors
Berhampur (Odisha), Nov 2: Five MBBS fourth-year students of government-run MKCG Medical College here were expelled from the hostel for allegedly ragging juniors, an official said on Saturday.
Earlier the five students have been rusticated from the campus for six months. The punishment was imposed as per the decision of the anti-ragging committee meeting held on Wednesday, the official said.
"The anti-ragging committee has taken such a hard decision to arrest further occurrence of ragging incidents in the medical college campus," said SP (Berhampur) Sarvan Vivek M, who is one of the members of the anti-ragging committee of the college.
Suchitra Dash, in-charge Dean of the college, however, declined to comment on the development.
The SP said they were also investigating separately against these students based on the FIR lodged. The statement of the students have been recorded by the police on Friday, he said.
While one second-year MBBS student has given a written complaint to the college authorities alleging ragging by senior students, three other complaints of ragging were lodged by parents of the students with the National Medical Council (NMC).
The NMC had directed the college authorities to inquire into the allegations and take action against the students.
After receiving the complaints from the NMC, the anti-ragging committee of the medical college inquired into the matter.
In February this year, the medical college authorities had suspended two fourth-year MBBS students for two months for ragging a second-year student.
