Goa govt introduces Blue Cab service at Manohar International Airport
Panaji (PTI): The Goa government has announced the introduction of Blue Cab service at the Manohar International Airport in the state from Thursday.
An IndiGo flight from Hyderabad will be the first flight to land at the newly-built airport located at Mopa on Thursday.
Ahead of the first arrival, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant held a meeting with Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte and Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho in Panaji on Wednesday to oversee the preparations.
Talking to reporters later, Godinho said the state government has decided to introduce Blue Cabs outside the airport.
"These cabs would be exclusively owned by locals of Pernem taluka where the airport is located," he said.
In addition to Blue Cabs, the airport will also have taxis affiliated to Goa Miles App and also those registered under the state-run Goa Taxi App, he said.
Godinho said local taxi operators had demanded Yellow and Black Taxi permits at the airport, which was not possible, so the state government decided to introduce Blue Cabs for them.
Khaunte said more than 1,100 drivers have registered themselves under the Goa Taxi App while more are coming on board.
Goa Taxi App is currently allowing taxi operators to join the queue at the airport. Booking through the app is not happening at this point, he said.
The airport at Mopa in Goa was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2022.
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New Delhi-based short film 'Anuja' earns nomination for Best Live Action Short at Oscars 2025
New Delhi, Jan 23 (PTI): "Anuja", a New Delhi-set short film, on Thursday bagged a nomination in the Live Action Short category at the 97th Academy Awards.
"Anuja", directed by Adam J Graves and Suchitra Mattai, is pitted against “A Lien”,“I’m Not a Robot”, “The Last Ranger” and “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent” at the awards gala.
The nominations for the 2025 Oscars, which were twice postponed earlier this month due to wildfires in Los Angeles, were announced by Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott.
"Anuja" follows a gifted nine-year-old Anuja, who must make a choice between education and factory work alongside her sister - a decision that will shape both their futures. It stars Sajda Pathan and Ananya Shanbhag.
The film has two-time Oscar winning producer Guneet Monga on board as executive producer and Hollywood star-writer Mindy Kaling as producer.
It is produced in collaboration with the Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT), a nonprofit founded by filmmaker Mira Nair's family in support of street and working children, alongside Shine Global, and Krushan Naik Films.
Recently, actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas boarded the project as an executive producer.
Besides "Anuja", "I Am Ready, Warden" is another movie with an India connect.
Nominated in the Documentary Short Film category, the film is directed by Indian-origin American filmmaker Smriti Mundhra.
"I Am Ready, Warden" is about Texas death row prisoner John Henry Ramirez who seeks redemption from his victim’s son in the days leading up to his execution in 2022.
The film is produced by Mundhra, Maya Gnyp, Keri Blakinger and Nina Anand Aujla.
Other nominees in the Documentary Short Film category are "Death by Numbers”,
"Incident”, “Instruments of a Beating Heart” and “The Only Girl in the Orchestra”.
Mundhra was earlier nominated in the same category for her film "St. Louis Superman" at the 2019 Oscars.
Many in India were looking out for Payal Kapadia's critically-acclaimed film "All We Imagine As Light" to bag a nomination at the Oscars but that didn't happen.
The film, which was overlooked as India's official entry in the Best International Feature category of the Oscars, charted history by becoming the first Indian title to win the Grand Prix Award at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024.
"All We Imagine As Light" is nominated for the Best Film Not in English Language at the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards.
The 2025 Academy Awards will be held on March 2 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Anuja has been nominated for the 97th Oscars in the Live Action Short Film category! ✨
— IMDb India (@IMDb_in) January 23, 2025
The movie follows 9-year-old Anuja, a gifted girl working in a garment factory in Delhi. When she’s given a rare chance to go to school, she faces a life-changing decision—one that could… pic.twitter.com/4U4pWAi2TK
