log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline TUESDAY AUGUST 19, 2025 GOA Not deterred by polio-hit left hand, this govt clerk seeks to be treated as equal, not special IN SHORT >> Board pushes Grade 9 exams to October PANAJI: The Goa Board has now postponed the Semester I examination for Grade 9 to October, to coincide with the common exam scheduled for students from Grade 3-8. The exams which were initially set to commence from September 23, will now be held from October 7.  >> See pg 2 Suleman's ‘detention’ hearing on Sept 2 PANAJI: The High Court of Bombay at Goa will on September 2 hold a second hearing into a petition filed by land grab accused Suleman Siddique Khan, challenging his “illegal detention”. Khan’s advocate questioned the manner in which the police arrested him, alleging that it was only meant to distract attention from other major issues in the State.   >> See pg 2 Man gets shock as power leaks in water MAPUSA: In a shocking incident, a man got an electric shock after an underground power line got damaged in the Mapusa market and current began to leak into the water on the road near the Shakuntala statue on Monday night. The electricity department later disconnected the power supply in the market.  >> See pg 2 JEE-NEET: Special cell for students PANAJI: Taking note that many aspiring students lack proper information about competitive exams for admissions to professional colleges, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced the setting up of a dedicated JEE-NEET Cell under the Directorate of Technical Education.  >> See pg 3 32 Delhi schools get bomb threat NEW DELHI: At least 32 schools in the national capital received bomb threats on Monday, triggering panic and prompting student evacuation, before officials declared them hoax. Delhi Fire Services stated that between 7.30 am and 12.25 pm, they received calls from 32 schools informing about the threat e-mails. WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: 30.2 C 24.4 C 92% The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 62 ‘Big brother’ returns: Fatorda back under CCTV lens after a decade >> See pg 3 Facebook.com/thegoan 2 3 GOA Relief after chaos: Drains cleared at flood-prone Mapusa’s Khorlim junction Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Ways to include cornstarch in your beauty routine Non-stop music, traffic chaos mar I-Day weekend in Anjuna-Vagator  COASTAL BELT ECHOES WITH DEAFENING SOUNDS  NIGHTCLUBS, RESTAURANTS HAVE A BLAST   LOCALS ENDURE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA For most of Goa, the extended Independence Day weekend was one of relaxation and celebration. But along the Vagator-Anjuna coastline, it was a nightmare that refused to end. From Thursday night through the wee hours of Monday morning, dozens of nightclubs and restaurants turned the coastal belt into a thumping wall of sound. Residents say the music this year was not just loud – it was deafening, worse than anything they had experienced in the past. “It was horrible. I live in Assagao, three kilometres away, and could hear the loud music as if it was next door. Imagine what the people in Ozrant and Vagator went through,” said Desmond Alvares, one of the most vocal campaigners against noise pollution. The names of the venues rolled off his tongue like a never-ending playlist. Each, he alleged, was blasting trance music that carried well be- R DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS FALL ON DEAF EARS esidents dialed every possible authority: the Anjuna police, the DySP, the SP, even the Goa State Pollution Control Board. Dozens of complaints were lodged, complete with PCR IDs. One complaint even made it to the Chief Minister’s 24x7 helpline, which promptly acknowledged it with a message citing “Grievance Ack No. 146411.” But nothing changed on the ground. “The police did nothing, didn’t even flinch. It was total yond the permissible decibel limits – and well beyond the court-mandated cut-off time. Sleepless nights, clogged streets But sleepless nights were only part of the ordeal. The sudden rush of holiday traffic choked every narrow village road. Even at 2 am, long queues of cars stood bumper to bumper, honking, revving, disobedience of the High Court orders,” said Alvares. Noise activist Dr Inacio Fernandes said the volume of complaints was unprecedented. “I alone collected 70 complaint IDs. There were definitely more. This shows and adding another layer of noise to an already maddening scene. “Every street in the village was blocked. It was chaos. Students, senior citizens, everyone suffered,” said Jawish Moniz, a resident of Vagator. “This year, the parties were louder, more in number, and continued till sunrise,” he added. that the trust placed by the High Court in the monitoring authorities has been shattered. People believed the court’s order would act as a deterrent. But it hasn’t. The only way left may be for people to take to the streets in protest,” he said. For locals, the feeling was one of helplessness – and betrayal. Tourism versus local life What angers locals most is the sense that the law is applied selectively. While ordinary residents spend sleepless nights, clubs seem to operate with impunity. Many believe political patronage shields the nightlife industry, leaving enforcement agencies reluctant to act. “This is all the handiwork of local politicians, with active participation of the Anjuna police and the Pollution Control Board,” Alvares alleged. Residents like Moniz say they do not oppose tourism. “We want tourism and local life to coexist peacefully. But not like this. Not at the cost of our health, our peace, and our dignity,” he said. The irony of celebration On a weekend meant to mark India’s independence, Vagator and Anjuna’s residents say they felt anything but free. Free from sleep, free from silence, free from any sense that the law protected them. As the thumping bass lines faded only at dawn each day, what remained was anger, exhaustion and the growing belief that until authorities choose to act, the nightmare of Goa’s coastal residents will repeat itself every holiday weekend. Shubman Gill's role sparks selection conundrum ahead of Asia Cup 12 Independence Day weekend boosts hotel occupancy TTAG makes claim of nearly 90% THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Goa witnessed a heavy tourist influx over the Independence Day weekend with hoteliers and tourism stakeholders reporting near-full occupancy across the State. According to the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) President Jack Sukhija, hotels clocked at least 85-90 per cent occupancy, making it one of the most impressive weekends this monsoon season so far. Incessant rainfall did little to deter visitors as the coastal belt remained crowded. With Independence Day falling on a Friday, many working professionals stretched the break by taking just two additional days off, turning it into a fiveday holiday. Beach shack operator Cruz Cardozo said that despite the absence of shacks and Goa recording heavy rains, coastal restaurants were packed. “We had Indian tourists, including many drive-in visitors. We saw vehicles from neighbouring States,” he said. Travel aggregators had earlier reported a surge in MONSOON BOOST FOR TOURISM „„TTAG says I-Day weekend was one of the most impressive monsoon weekend so far „„Incessant rainfall did little to deter visitors „„Coastal restaurants remained crowded despite absence of shacks „„Ixigo reported sharp rise in demand for beach getaways in Goa advance bookings while other popular domestic destinations such as Puducherry, Udaipur and Ooty, etc turned out to be Goa’s strong competitors. Online travel platform ixigo reported a sharp rise in demand for beach getaways in Goa, with airfares from Delhi and Mumbai surging by over 100 per cent weekon-week. Other top domestic >Continued on P5 Rains lash Goa, but Festive relief: Fresh ST political quota: Centre notifies Act Anjuna, Siolim reel stock of subsidised under water crisis coconuts arrives VILLAGERS FORCED TO BUY TANKER WATER THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA While Goa has been drenched in relentless monsoon showers over the past several days, families in Vaddy, Siolim and Deulwada, Anjuna, continue to grapple with an ironic reality – a crippling shortage of drinking water. GOA RECORDS SEASON'S SECOND HIGHEST DAILY RAINFALL  >> See pg 3 Despite the PWD pipeline passing right through their villages and every household having a tap connection, residents say water supply has either stopped altogether or reduced to a mere trickle, leaving them dependent on expensive private tankers. “At the last gram sabha, we raised the issue of not getting any pipeline water. The very next day, water was released at full pressure, but that lasted only for two days. Since then, WATER WOES „„Despite every household having a tap connection, water supply has either stopped altogether or reduced to a mere trickle in Vaddy, Siolim „„In Deulwada, Anjuna around 20 to 25 households face erratic supply for months „„Villagers forced to pool in money and call for private tankers almost every day it’s back to the old story – dry taps,” said Udesh Pangam, a resident of Vaddy, Siolim. In Deulwada, Anjuna, the situation has been no different. Around 20 to 25 households have faced erratic supply for months, often >Continued on P5 Horticulture outlets to sell at `45 each THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Yet another consignment of 25,000 coconuts arrived at the Horticulture Corporation’s godown from Shivamogga in Karnataka on Monday. The coconuts will be sold at a subsidised rate of Rs 45 apiece to cope with soaring market prices and the growing demand for coconuts in the State ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. The Corporation’s initiative received overwhelming response with the first lot of 25,000 coconuts getting sold in less than three days during the weekend. The Goan had reported that in a bid to meet the rising demand and to stabilize the market prices, the GSHC is set to procure around one lakh coconuts from neighbouring Karnataka to supplement domestic supply and address price volatility. Accordingly, the first 25,000 coconuts on NUTS OVER COCONUTS „„GSHC’s first lot of 25,000 coconuts sold in less than three days „„Another consignment of 25,000 coconuts procured from Shivamogga to ease rising prices „„Coconuts to be sold at Rs 45 apiece „„Corporation to procure coconuts from Karnataka until 11th day of Ganesh Chaturthi subsidised rates were made available across 1200 horticulture outlets from August 15. GSHC managing director Chandrahas Desai told The Goan that the entire stock of 25,000 coconuts has been sold >Continued on P5 Now, free toilets for migrants at Cutbona jetty! THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO n a bid to ensure sanitation and hygiene and to end open defecation at the Cutbona fishing jetty, the government has decided to make the newly constructed 50-seater toilet block at the jetty available free of charge for migrant workers employed on fishing vessels. The government has further decided to put in place arrangements to provide filtered water at the Cutbona fishing jetty to meet the drinking and cooking requirements of the migrant workers. These decisions were taken at a joint meeting of the stakeholders chaired by Secretary, 9 SPORTS I The 50-seater toilet block and the bathrooms at Cutbona jetty. Fisheries Prasanna Acharya on Monday and come against the backdrop of reports that migrant workers are resorting to open defecation despite the government finally implement- ing the 50-seater toilet block at the jetty. The decision not to levy any toilet user charges assumes significance in view of reports that the fishing vessel crew members avoid the toilet and bath facility given the fees charged by Sulabh International. The meeting took a review of the sanitation and hygiene issues plaguing the migrant workers at the Cutbona fishing jetty, which witnessed a scare after 13 workers were found suffering with diarrhea during screening. The meeting resolved to ensure free of charge toilet facility to the migrant workers by Sulabh International at the newly constructed 50-seater toilet block with immediate effect so as to end open defecation. It was decided to make arrangements to provide filtered water for the drinking & cooking requirements of the fish workers at the Jetty as a step to prevent water borne diseases. On the waste management front, it was decided that the Fisheries Department will collaborate with Village Panchayat of Velim to ensure regular collection of dry & wet garbage generated at the Cutbona fishing jetty. The meeting also reviewed the ongoing screening of the fish workers to identify any signs of water or vector borne diseases. The Secretary, Health later said that health & sanitation issues faced by migrant crew workers at Cutbona jetty are on the top most priority list of the government. He said >Continued on P5 PANAJI The Central government has notified the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of Goa Act, 2025 that paves way for political reservation to Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Goa Assembly. President of India Droupadi Murmu had granted assent to the Bill on August 13, after it was passed in both the Houses of the Parliament. On the very same day, the Union Ministry for Law and Justice issued notification in the Official Gazette. As per the Act, total of four seats would be reserved for the community, who currently have no political reservation. The population figures ascertained by the Census Commissioner will be notified in the Gazette.  >> See pg 3