log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline THURSDAY AUGUST 21, 2025 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 64 Goa's Biggest Media Brand with Highest Viewership which makes us >> See PG 3 Aadhaar-land record link still on paper after 2 years IN SHORT >> Delhi CM attacked, accused held for attempted murder NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was attacked during a 'Jan Sunwai' programme at her camp office in the Civil Lines area on Wednesday morning, with her office terming the assault a part of a “well-planned conspiracy to kill her”. The accused, Sakriya Rajeshbhai Khimjibhai (41), a resident of Rajkot in Gujarat, was arrested and booked under attempt-to-murder and other charges.  >> See pg 8 Goa-Gatwick flights back from Oct 26 PANAJI: Air India will restart Goa–London (Gatwick) flights from October 26, 2025. The airline will operate thrice weekly services on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday with a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Vacating Junta House: Occupants seek time PANAJI: Several government departments and commercial occupants of the aging Junta House building in Panaji have requested additional time to vacate the premises, despite a demolition order citing safety risks. The 60-year-old complex, declared structurally unsafe after an audit by the PWD, was meant to be cleared by August 2.  >> See pg 3 LS passes bill to ban online money games NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill to ban the operating, facilitating and advertising of online games played with money, with a view to checking rising instances of addiction, money laundering and financial fraud. Piloted by Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025 was passed without a debate.  >> See pg 8 WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: 27 C 26 C 84% Come join us Contact: 9011043385 / 9850755549 / 9130004704 / 9689923150 Email: marketing@prudentmedia.in  SEQUEIRA RESIGNS ON PERSONAL GROUNDS  GAONKAR TIPPED FOR SPEAKER’S POST  PORTFOLIO REALLOCATION ON CARDS L EG I SL ATO R S R E A C T THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The much-anticipated and long overdue reshuffle of the Pramod Sawant-led cabinet will take place on Thursday at 12 noon, with former Chief Minister and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar set to be sworn-in as Ministers. The new Ministers in the State cabinet will be allotted portfolios that are currently held by the Chief Minister – who arrived from Delhi after attending GST Council meeting on late Wednesday evening. The development comes after Nuvem MLA and Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira tendered his resignation on Wednesday, citing “personal reasons”. Sequeira, who had been inducted into the cab- ‘‘I am getting an opportunity to serve the people of Goa, and I am thankful to God for giving me this chance. I am also grateful to the central leadership. My experience will help me in this new role,” — Digambar Kamat, Margao MLA inet in December 2023, held the portfolios of Environment and Climate Change, Law and Judiciary, Legislative Affairs, and Captain of Ports. In his resignation letter to the Chief Minister, Sequeira ‘‘I wanted to continue as Speaker but we have to abide by the party’s decision. We are not bigger than the party and we have to go as per what the party demands. I will step down as Speaker on Thursday morning,” ‘‘I have resigned for personal reasons. I was not under pressure. I had been toying with the idea of resigning for quite some time, and ultimately I felt enough is enough and decided to put in my papers,” — Ramesh Tawadkar, — Aleixo Sequeira, thanked Sawant for the opportunity to serve under his leadership. The MLA, who has been facing health issues in recent months, had also drawn criticism within the BJP after the party’s poor performance in Salcete during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. “I hereby tender my resignation as Minister from the Council of Ministers. I am compelled to take this decision due to personal reasons,” Canacona MLA Nuvem MLA Potholed roads put PWD’s repair promise to the test OFFICIALS BATTLE RAIN, LIMITED MACHINES AS MOTORISTS FUME AHEAD OF GANESH CHATURTHI said Sequeira, who will be replaced by Kamat. Sequeira and Kamat were among the group of eight turncoat MLAs who switched over to the BJP in September 2022. Sequeira was inducted as Minister in December 2023. This will be the second reshuffle of the Sawant government since the BJP retained power in the 2022 Assembly elections. Notably, it marks the third time that Sawant has had to drop or make a minister resign in his first full term as Chief Minister. In November 2023, Nilesh Cabral was dropped as PWD Minister to make way for Sequeira, while in June this year, Priol MLA Govind Gaude was removed after levelling corruption allegations in the Tribal Welfare >Continued on P8 Comunidades’ delegation meets Governor, seeks withholding assent to bill THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Upping the ante opposing the recent legislation passed by Goa Legislative Assembly to regularise illegal encroachments on their land, a delegation representing dozens of Comunidades led by Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas met Governor Pusapati A G Raju and urged him to withhold his assent to it. REGULARISATION OF STRUCTURES The delegation had a discussion and also submitted a memorandum to Raju in which they urged him to withhold his assent to the legislation. Viegas said, the governor welcomed them with utmost courtesy and indicated that he will treat the issue with all seriousness. "In our discussion, we asked him to uphold the Constitution which is the paramount responsibility of his office. He should withhold his assent to the legislation," Viegas said. Apart from Viegas, the memorandum submitted to the government is also signed by Velim MLA, Cruz Silva, representing the Chinchinim Comunidade, and attorneys of various comunidades: Soccoro Menezes (Jua), Luis De Souza (Goltim), Xavier Almeida (Taleigao) and Nelson Fernandes (Assagao). Additionally, Viegas also communicated to the Governor that the bill – the Goa Legislative Diploma No. 2070 dated 15-4-1961 (Amendment) Bill, 2025 – violates the rulings in multiple judgements of High Courts as well as those of the Supreme Court. In a separate letter to the Governor in his capacity as MLA, Viegas cited the judgement of the Himachal Pradesh High Court of 2023 on illegal constructions which said they cannot be regularised as they violate property rights and undermine rule of law. >Continued on P8 SEC initiates delimitation process for ZP elections THE GOAN I NETWORK THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA It’s that time of the year when potholes, crumbling stretches and crater-like roads dominate conversations across Goa. Despite orders from the Public Works Department (PWD) to urgently fill up potholes within seven days, the relentless rains are proving to be a major hurdle, leaving motorists fuming and officials struggling to meet deadlines. PWD Chief Engineer Subhash Belgaonkar recently directed Executive Engineers from Panaji, Margao, Mapusa, Bicholim, Ponda and Fatorda divisions to carry out urgent pothole repairs on top priority. He also made it clear that complaints uploaded on the PWD mobile app must be addressed before the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. “The focus is to make the roads motorable at the earli- est standards that meet the expectations of theatre artistes and audiences alike, the General Council of Ravindra Bhavan, Margao has constituted a Supervising Committee. The committee will be chaired by noted film and theatre artiste Vijay Kenkre, who also heads the Task Force. The panel includes Prashant Varadkar, an acoustic consultant, and Rajan Bhise, an architect and Task Force member, along with officials from the Public Works Department (PWD). has been compared by commuters to “craters on the moon”. Another busy stretch below the Panaji flyover, leading towards Merces junction, has become a daily nightmare for motorists, with water-filled potholes slowing down traffic and creating accident risks. PANAJI Ahead of upcoming Zilla Panchayat elections, due in December, this year, the Goa State Election Commission (SEC) has initiated the delimitation process of ZP constituencies. The term of the existing ZPs is set to end in the first week of January, 2026. In a notification issued, SEC Commissioner Daulat Hawaldar said that the commission has initiated a process of dividing the area within the jurisdiction of North Goa ZP and South Goa ZP into 25-single member constituencies, respectively for the purpose of ensuring general elections. The District Collectors have been appointed as Electoral Registration Officers while the Mamlatdar are set to assist the delimitation process. They have been directed to submit the draft delimitation proposal to the SEC latest by September 11 along with constituency-wise maps. “The respective ERO/AERO shall divide the area within >Continued on P8 >Continued on P8 Calls for long-term planning MAPUSA: Former PWD engineers and civic experts have stressed the need for long-term planning instead of quick-fixes to the bad roads in the State. “The government should finish all major road repairs at least two months before the monsoon. Even road digging works for utilities should be banned after March. Otherwise, we’ll keep seeing this cycle of potholes and patchwork every monsoon,” a retired PWD engineer observed. With Ganesh Chaturthi around the corner and public anger growing, the spotlight is now firmly on whether the PWD can deliver on its promise to make roads motorable in time – or whether potholes will once again dominate festive season travel. est. Executive Engineers must ensure that pothole complaints are attended to without fail,” Belgaonkar’s order stated. Potholes like ‘craters on moon’ The situation on the ground, however, is grim. The NH-66 stretch at Porvorim, dotted with gaping potholes, 60-DAY DEADLINE SET AS REPAIR AND RENOVATION WORKS BEGIN AT RAVINDRA BHAVAN, MARGAO MARGAO Tiatr enthusiasts can now look forward to the resumption of tiatr shows at the Pai Tiatrist Hall around mid-October, as the long-awaited repair and renovation work has finally commenced at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao. The contractor has been given a strict deadline of 60 days to complete the work. To ensure smooth execution and to maintain the high- SAFF U-17 CUP: RAMPANT INDIA WOMEN CRUSH NEPAL 7-0 >>12 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Finally, Digambar, Tawadkar to be inducted as ministers today Tiatr lovers can look forward to mid-October comeback THE GOAN I NETWORK Instagram.com/thegoanonline Addressing the media, Chairman Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, Rajendra Talak said work on the Pai Tiatrist Auditorium, Black Box and Annexe Building has already begun. He said this could happen because of the initiative by Margao MLA Digambar Kamat with full support extended by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. “Their instructions helped to finalise the tender process and >Continued on P8 CELEBRATING GOA'S SPIRITUAL LEGACY: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant presents the book ‘Temples of Goa – A Spiritual Odyssey’ to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday. Govt makes bull microchipping mandatory to curb dhirios THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA In a fresh attempt to crack down on illegal bullfights, popularly known as dhirios, the State government has issued a notification making it mandatory for all bull owners in the State to microchip and register their animals. The move follows a series of directions from the High Court of Bombay at Goa, which in 1996 had declared bullfights to be in violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and therefore illegal. The court had also directed authorities to take immediate steps to ban all forms of animal fights. Despite the ban, dhirios have continued to be organised across Goa, prompting >Continued on P8 Only 8 pc of Goa schools logged in for Swachh rating THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI ardly eight per cent of the total 1,480 government and government aided schools in Goa have so far registered for Swachh Evam Harit Vidyalaya Rating (SHVR) 2025-26, a mandatory programme to empower schools to self-assess for a clean, green and inclusive school environment in the State. The Union Education Ministry has directed all the States to ensure that the affiliated schools are registered on the SHVR portal or using mobile app by August 31 and the survey process is completed by September 30. In Goa so far, total 201 CLEAN AND GREEN CAMPUS SURVEY Of the total 1,480 schools in Goa, only 201 schools – 101 in North and 100 in South – have initiated the process to register of which 120 have registered on the portal and eight schools have completed the survey H The process The deadline All States have been directed to ensure that the affiliated schools are registered on the SHVR portal or using mobile app by August 31 and the survey process is completed by September 30 schools – 101 in North and 100 in South – have initiated the process to register of which Schools can visit the SHVR website at shvr. education.gov.in where they will find QR codes for downloading the Android and iOS mobile apps For web-portal based participation, the schools can use the Login/ Signup option available at the homepage 120 have registered on the portal and eight schools have completed the survey (the data is till the time the article went for publication). The communication to all the States was sent last month. Schools can visit the SHVR website at shvr.education. gov.in where they will find QR codes for downloading the Android and iOS mobile apps. For web-portal based participation, the schools can use the Login/ Signup option available at the homepage, the CBSE added. The Swachh Evam Harit Vidyalaya Rating (SHVR) 202526 was launched by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in July which is a revitalised, expanded and universal version of the earlier Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar (SVP) – the one introduced way back in 2016-17. >Continued on P8