India's first lighthouse festival opens in Goa
spotlight on 75 historical sites to be developed as major tourist destinations
Panjim (Goa) (PTI): Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday inaugurated the maiden edition of Indian Lighthouse Festival at the historic Fort Aguada here and said that the festival aims to transform historic lighthouses into tourist hotspots with public private partnership (PPP).
Sonowal further said India should aim to take a leadership role in global maritime trade.
"We are modernising 75 lighthouses..., the festival is aimed at rejuvenating the rich maritime history of India's 75 iconic lighthouses and unravel the illustrious stories to the world," the Ports, Shipping and Waterways minister said.
The inaugural session was also attended by Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Tourism Shripad Naik and Goa tourism minister Rohan Khaunte, among others.
The minister said the government's vision is to promote lighthouses as tourism destinations, to breathe new life into these historic structures, and to create opportunities for local communities and businesses.
According to an official statement, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) is aiming to leverage the Indian Lighthouse Festival to shore up the base for the Public Private Partnership route to develop the historic into world-class tourist destinations.
Sonowal earlier launched a campaign 'Lighthouse Heritage Tourism' to transform 75 historic lighthouses into tourism spots.
Also, speaking at the event, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said lighthouses are beacons of hope and symbols of strength. "Our coastal state Goa has played a vital role in India's maritime history," he said.
According to the statement, historic lighthouses are being renovated with adequate facilities. India has as many as 203 lighthouses dotting its vast coastline of 7,517 km.
The three-day festival beginning September 23 will be celebrated across all the lighthouses in the country as part of an effort to transform these historic spots as tourist destination.
The key highlights of India's First Lighthouse Festival are cultural exhibitions, sessions highlighting maritime history and culture, classical performances, light and sound shows, melodious evenings with celebrity singers, flavours of the coast and community engagements.
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Odisha govt halts salaries of 5 teachers after school fire injures 4 students
Bhubaneswar (PTI): The Odisha government on Tuesday halted the salaries of five teachers and issued show-cause notices to other staff of a state-run high school in Rayagada district, a day after four students sustained severe burn injuries in a fire incident on the premises of the institute.
School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond told PTI that he has directed the department secretary to submit a detailed report on the incident and ordered a departmental inquiry to ascertain negligence, if any.
The students suffered burn injuries while playing around a fire during school hours.
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“The department has stopped the salaries of five teachers and issued show-cause notices to other staff members in connection with the incident,” he said.
The minister said that further action would be taken against teachers or staff if negligence in duty was established.
School and Mass Education Secretary N Thirumala Naik said three of the injured students were undergoing treatment at a hospital in Rayagada, while one critically injured student has been shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
The school headmaster had lodged a complaint at Muniguda police station on Monday. Police have recorded statements of the injured students, officials said.
According to preliminary findings, the incident occurred when a classmate of the injured students allegedly threw colour thinner, an inflammable substance, onto a fire that had been lit by the students on the school building’s balcony.
Muniguda police station in-charge inspector Saudamini Behera said the students were playing on the school roof around 2 pm on Monday when they found a bottle of thinner stored there.
They allegedly poured it on the floor and set it on fire using a matchstick. One of the boys later added more thinner, causing the flames to flare up and injure four students, she said.
