Panaji: The state cabinet on Wednesday granted ex-post facto approval for the extension of service of Dr Jai Prakash Tiwari, dean of Goa Medical College (GMC), till Sep 30, in public interest.The state cabinet also granted approval to transfer a total of 4,401sqm of govt land to the department of archives for the construction of a new building by demolishing the existing old building on a no-profit, no-loss basis.The state cabinet also granted ex-post facto approval for the expenditure incurred for the Labour Day celebration held on May 1, 2026, at Zuari Hall, Lok Bhavan, Dona Paula, at a cost of Rs 2.8 crore.The office of the commissioner, labour and employment, with the approval of govt, organised the Labour Day celebration to commemorate International Labour Day and recognise the contribution of workers in the state.For organising the said programme, M/s Sunlight Media, an agency empanelled with the department of information and publicity, govt of Goa, was selected on a nomination basis. Accordingly, a work order was issued to the agency to execute the programme as per the approved scope of work. The agency completed the assigned work, and the programme was successfully conducted, following which it submitted a bill.The state cabinet on Wednesday also granted approval to release Rs 50 lakh as sponsorship for the World Ocean Science Congress (WOSC), a flagship initiative of Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA), which was held in Feb.The event was held to discuss the challenges faced by the fishing community and explore sustainable solutions. The event was attended by researchers, industry representatives and policymakers, the cabinet said.To instil ocean awareness and scientific curiosity among students, WOSC-2026 held a series of competitions and activities, including reel-making, photography, poster creation, painting, model-making and essay writing — all themed around the oceans, the cabinet said.The competition was conducted taluka-wise, with the top three winners from each taluka invited to participate in WOSC-2026 and the Students’ Conclave.The cabinet said the second major outreach activity under WOSC-2026 was the Fishers’ Meet, aimed at deliberating on the pressing challenges faced by the fishing community and exploring sustainable solutions.
