Latest news with #Shetye
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
ESI hospital to get infra upgrade at Rs 19 crore
Margao: The Employee State Insurance (ESI) hospital in Margao is set for a major transformation with a Rs 19 crore infrastructure upgrade and the introduction of dedicated bus services. Labour minister Atanasio 'Babush' Monserrate's written reply in the recently-concluded legislative assembly session stated that a proposal for special repairs estimated to cost Rs 19 crore has been sent to ESI Corporation headquarters in New Delhi for technical sanction. The modernisation plan comes as the hospital, inaugurated in March 2014, continues to operate well below capacity despite serving over 2.1 lakh registered ESI beneficiaries across Goa. Further, govt has fast-tracked the recruitment of specialist doctors to fill vacancies. 'Filling of junior radiologist and four insurance medical officers on a regular basis is in process,' said the minister while responding to questions raised by Curtorim MLA Aleixo Lourenco. The recruitment drive also includes filling positions for junior ENT surgeon and junior chest specialist (pulmonary medicine) on a part-time basis. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Use an AI Writing Tool That Actually Understands Your Voice Grammarly Install Now Currently, the hospital employs 147 personnel in medical and non-medical departments but faces challenges due to single specialist doctors in respective departments, leading to restricted patient admissions, the minister stated. In yet another measure to optimise hospital utilisation, govt has requested Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTC) to start the 'Amchi Bus' service connecting KTC bus stand in Margao directly to the ESI hospital. 'Insured persons referred from ESI dispensaries located in North Goa hesitate to travel to Margao for treatment due to the availability of govt medical facilities in the district hospital and Goa Medical College,' the minister said. A Hospital Improvement Committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Bicholim MLA Chandrakant Shetye, along with expert doctors, to explore ways to improve facilities and maximise utilisation of available services. Shetye earlier said that the hospital's occupancy stood at just 26%, despite having 56 commissioned beds. The hospital has also established tie-ups with private medical laboratories for specific pathology services not available in-house. 'Our primary objective is to bring ESI into 'active mode' to significantly reduce the patient load at South Goa district hospital, Margao, and GMC,' Shetye said during a review meeting in June. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Protect Goans' interest in mining policy, govt urged
Porvorim: During the discussion on demands for grants in the assembly, MLAs across party lines strongly urged govt to prioritise local interests in the mining policy, stressing work opportunities and business prospects for Goans. MLA Carlos Ferreira brought the attention of the House to research by Nandakumar Kamat, who has flagged the possibility of gold deposits in Goa's soil. Ferreira said that if Kamat is proven correct, gold mining could generate substantial revenue for the state coffers. The issue of employment for mining-affected communities took centre stage when MLA Chandrakant Shetye sought the chief minister's intervention to resolve the 'settlement' concerns of mining employees in his constituency. Shetye pointed to a concerning trend where mining firms are increasingly engaging machinery and services from outside operators, effectively sidelining local workers and businesses. 'All jobs created in the mining sector should first go to the mining-affected people of Goa,' Shetye said. He stressed the need for policy measures that ensure local communities benefit from mining activities. Opposition leader, Yuri Alemao, raised concerns over illegal sand extraction operations occurring under the cover of darkness across various places in the state. He called for immediate action against the perpetrators of these unauthorised mining activities.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Time of India
Suspended IRBn constable held in theft case
Mapusa: Mopa police arrested a suspended IRB constable on Thursday in connection with a mangalsutra snatching case. A 55-year-old woman was robbed of her gold mangalsutra on Thursday afternoon. Torsem resident Vasanti Shetye filed a complaint stating that the accused approached her on a scooter and snatched her mangalsutra, which weighed 20 grams and was valued at Rs 1.8 lakh, before fleeing the scene. Police had registered a theft case against an unidentified male and investigations revealed that the accused fled towards Korgao. Later, police booked Nilesh Chari for theft and arrested him. Police said that Shetye had come to buy items from a ration shop in Torsem. The incident occurred at Torsem temple junction, where she was holding the ration goods in a bag on her head using both her hands. Noticing that her hands were occupied, Chari attacked her and snatched the mangalsutra. Shetye works at a private hospital at Dhargalim. Mopa police are investigating the case further. Police sources said that Chari, is a suspended IRB constable, who was linked to the abduction of a minor from Korgao, a year ago.
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Time of India
Rare sighting of leopard cat in Mollem forest reignites interest in small cats
Panaji: Widely considered a 'secretive' animal and often neglected in favour of the fascination with big cats, a leopard cat recently captured by the lens of a Goan naturalist has left wildlife enthusiasts amazed at the rare sighting. Gajanan Shetye was leading a herping tour for a client one night last week when he made the sighting. 'We were photographing a Malabar pit viper. Suddenly, we heard the screeching of a chicken. We thought the pit viper had made the chicken its prey. But we saw that the sound was coming from elsewhere, and it turned out to be a leopard cat. It is a very rare sighting; it is a very shy animal. Seeing us around, it did not scramble for cover. But, holding the kill, it disappeared into the foliage shortly after,' said Shetye. The leopard cat, or Prionailurus bengalensis, is a carnivorous animal that weighs around 3.4 kg and is known to be found along the Western Ghats. However, it is known to be secretive, which makes it one of the rarely spotted wild animals. 'Very little is known about this secretive cat in the South Indian region. It has been recorded all along the Western Ghats, pockets of foothill forests, Eastern Ghats, and even coastal mangrove habitats. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo Despite their wide distribution, seeing one in the wild is still a matter of extreme luck. Leopard cats are best identified by their slender build, long limbs, and a bold fulvous coat that sports dark spots merging into streaks near the shoulder. Rodents and small birds form the majority of their diet,' said Shetye. It is the most common small cat after the jungle cat. At first glance, it looks like a miniature leopard. Leopard cats are arboreal and feed on a variety of small prey, including mammals, lizards, amphibians, birds, and insects. They are active hunters, dispatching their prey with a rapid pounce and bite. These cats not only keep a check on small mammals, rodents, reptiles, and birds but are also indicators of population increases and declines in tiger and leopard numbers. They increase if the latter reduces and vice versa. Being secretive, they are not as well-known as their bigger cousins.
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Navi Mumbai bizman gives creative vent to his taxation woes, produces film ‘Tax Free India'
NAVI MUMBAI: Like the clichéd 'last straw on the camel's back', a Navi Mumbai-based dry fruits businessman, Subodh Shetye (57), became so harried after paying various govt taxes in the past 40 years, that he has now vented his entire life's frustrations in a creative way by making a full-length Hindi feature film called 'Tax Free India'. The Censor Board, however, is not amused. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has refused to clear Shetye's film on the ground that the film's screenplay is 'too amateurish; against the democratic govt policies' and that it 'creates confusion in the present tax policies , and encourages public revolt'. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai While Shetye has been given the option to approach the high court to get his film certified, he has decided to release it first on YouTube by the end of the month or early May, where the censor board's jurisdiction does not hold. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Invest $200 in Amazon without buying stocks to earn a second salary Marketsall Sign Up Undo 'Since my teen years, I have assisted my family in our dry fruits business. I have seen how tax officials harass. Sometimes raiding parties show up and demand random amounts even if you have maintained all accounts and books; some vague clause will be quoted to extract more tax,' said Shetye, who not only produced but also acted as the protagonist in the film, which runs a little over two hours. Adding that he may release the film on YouTube by month-end or first week of May. Shetye said: 'We income tax, GST, excise, customs, property tax, professional tax, besides stamp duty if you are purchasing a property. And yet, India has to take a loan from the World Bank. Shouldn't our tax system be more simplified and minimize corruption?' He added that the revised tax system, which he dwells on in his film, will also reduce inflation. One of his supporters, a city developer, said, 'I have seen the rushes of ' Tax Free India ', and it strikes me that the business and middle class pay so much tax. But still, most of our tax money is spent by the govt on political appeasement , or to redevelop already good roads and infrastructure so that contractors can benefit. Taxes and corruption are slowing down India. Is the govt scared to give it a censor certificate?' American statesman Benjamin Franklin had once famously said, 'Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes'.
