log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 103 Instagram.com/thegoanonline Chris Woakes retires from international cricket  Pg 13 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 CBC 15502/13/0028/2526 TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2025 Facebook.com/thegoan Steep parking fee hike at Mopa airport sparks massive protest ॐ भद्रं भद्काली, भाग्यलक्षी नम: ! ॐ भद्रं भैरवी, भूममका नम: !! HUNDREDS OF TAXIMEN, POLITICAL LEADERS STORM AIRPORT THE GOAN I NETWORK PERNEM Tension flared up outside the Manohar International Airport in Mopa on Monday as hundreds of taxi operators along with leaders of taxi associations and different political parties protested against the hike in parking fees at the airport even as Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured to keep the parking fee hike on hold till October 3. The taximen and the political leaders entered the Mopa airport area and tried to enter the Mopa Airport administrative building, but they were stopped by a strong police force. The agitating taxi operators who arrived from different parts of the State were protesting against the hike in parking fees from Rs 80 to Rs 200, which had been enforced without taking the taxi operators into confidence. CM: Hike not for taxis on counters PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday clarified that the parking fee hike at Manohar International Airport, Mopa, applied to commercial parking and private cars, and not taxis from counters at the airport. The chief minister also stated that rent-a-car operations from the airport would be stopped and sought the cooperation from taxi drivers to operate only through counters at the airport. SHOW OF FORCE: Goa Forward Party President Vijay Sardesai, RGP President Manoj Parab and the protesting taxi operators outside the administrative building of Mopa airport on Monday. One of the leaders of the taxi association warned that if the parking fees at were not rolled back, their agitation would spread across the State. Last week, former deputy chief minister Babu Ajgaonkar had warned that if the Mopa Airport did not rollback on the parking fees within 48 hours, the taxi operators would stage a protest. Since Mopa airport authorities did not reduce the parking fees, the Shiv Warriors United Taxi Brothers Association, a group representing taxi operators at Mopa airport, launched a protest at the old main entrance of the Mopa Airport on Monday morning. They were joined by Goa Forward Party President and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, RGP President Manoj Borkar, leaders of other parties and other taxi associations. As the situation became tense, Mopa Police Inspector Narayan Chimulkar got in touch with the Pernem Mamlatdar Ranjit Salgaonkar, who rushed to the site. Addressing the agitating taxi operators, Sardesai claimed that Asia Cup marred by podium politics NEW DELHI: The winner’s trophy was yet to reach the winners even as politics became the sole talking point a day after one of the most acrimonious Asia Cup finales which was all about off-field hostilities between India and Pakistan, reducing cricket and its famed spirit of the game to a sidelight.   >> See pg 12 place on record a detailed status update. The court also observed that several panchayats were involved and numerous affidavits were being filed. It asked the State, along with the amicus curiae, to compile exact details of the actions taken, compliances, replies MARGAO Suspense continued in the Congress camp over reports of Girish Chodankar’s return as Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president, even as the rival faction opposing him returned from Bengaluru after a meeting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. Besides calling on the Congress national president, sources said different groups are working independently and are in contact with leaders in Delhi to checkmate the possible change in party leadership. A Congress delegation comprising of some of the block presidents and others called on Kharge at Bengaluru on Sunday. They are believed to have submitted a detailed memorandum why the party High Command should not consider Girish as head of GPCC. The memorandum is believed to have explained with statistics how the Congress fared badly during the leadership of Girish, the series of defeats faced by the party and the desertion of party leaders >Continued on P8 >Continued on P8 TIDYING THE MESS: Taleigao panchayat workers clean a garbage heap at BhatulemTaleigao, an area that Sarpanch Maria Fernandes says falls under the jurisdiction of St Cruz panchayat.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Submit report on action against illegal structures, HC tells govt THE GOAN I NETWORK A triumph of spirit: Defying disability to inspire िंददरात सजवले ली श्री भूमिका देवरी >Continued on P8 Visit Today : Goa - St. Inez Rd. Panjim 93709 52715 THE GOAN I NETWORK Amit Shah to visit Goa on October 4 >> See pg 5 चोडण येथील श्ी देवकीकष्ण भूमिका िल्लिनाथ ृ Suspense over Girish’s return; rival faction back from Bengaluru IN SHORT >> PANAJI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Goa on October 4 to launch the Mhaje Ghar housing scheme. The initiative aims to provide housing security to thousands of residents living on disputed or unregularised land. Shah will preside over the main function at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium at 4 pm. the Mopa airport management had not provided any facilities to the locals. “Since the last two years, taxi operators have been fighting for benefits, but for some reason or the other, the Mopa airport company and the State government have been indifferent to the demands of the taxi operators, forcing them to protest on the PANAJI The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Monday directed the State government to file a comprehensive report on the action taken against illegal constructions till date and other compliances including the recently enacted law on regularisation of unauthor- ised structures. Hearing a Suo Motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on rampant illegal constructions in no-development zones and paddy fields, the court was informed by the State that three new legislations could have a bearing on its orders on demolition. The Bench then granted the government and panchayats four weeks to HAWALA DEALS ED raids firms across India, Goa casino; `  .5 cr seized 2 FOREIGN CURRENCY, CRYPTOS ALSO ATTACHED THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Panaji Zonal Office has unearthed alleged cross-border hawala and cryptocurrency transactions linked to firms operating businesses pan-India including offshore casino operations in Goa.  Spanning two days on Sunday-Monday, the ED’s search operations were carried out at 15 locations across Goa, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Rajkot under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999. The searches were at M/s Golden Globe Hotels Pvt Ltd, M/s Worldwide Resorts and Entertainment Pvt Ltd and Big Daddy Casino in Goa. During the raids, officials Sleuths bust `  crore illegal 3 forex racket at Mapusa shop MAPUSA: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has unearthed illegal foreign exchange dealings estimated at Rs 2 to Rs 3 crore following a raid on a shop in Mapusa market. The raid, conducted on September 26 at a store named Loja Shamu, led to the seizure of substantial cash, foreign currency, suspicious records and digital evidence. The action was initiated after Goa Airport Customs passed on specific intelligence. Just days earlier, Customs officials had seized US $35,000, which upon investigation was traced back to the Mapusa-based shop. >> See pg 3 recovered cash amounting to around Rs 2.25 crore in Indian currency, US $14,000, and foreign currencies equivalent to Rs 8.50 lakh. The ED also froze cryptocurrencies, including USDT, valued at over Rs 90 lakh. Incriminating >Continued on P8 Panchayat staff flag glitches New projects barred in 108 villages with ESA tag in AI-based attendance app THE GOAN I NETWORK CITE ERRORS IN FACE ID, SLOW REGISTRATION THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA The facial recognition-based attendance system introduced through the AI-powered Niyamith app in panchayats across Goa has run into several hurdles, with staff members reporting frequent glitches and connectivity issues. The initiative, rolled out by the Directorate of Panchayats to boost digitisation and ensure accountability, requires employees to log attendance four times a day using facial recognition on their smartphones. The real-time data is transmitted to a central dashboard accessible to senior officials, including the Panchayat Minister. However, in many rural panchayats, staffers complain of poor network coverage, errors in tracing location and mismatches in facial identification. “It’s time-consuming and has literally become a headache. At times registration is smooth, but on many occasions, the app throws multiple errors,” said a staffer from a coastal panchayat in Bardez. >Continued on P8 PANAJI The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (Goa-SEIAA) of the Union Ministry, has decided not to grant permissions to any new projects across 108 villages, proposed as Eco-Sensitive Areas (ESA) as per the draft notification. However, pending finalization of the ESA, the Authority, has extended the validity of environmental clearances (ECs) granted for mining of minor minerals within these areas. During its meeting held on PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT „„Goa-SEIAA not to grant permissions for new projects in 108 ESA villages until draft notification is finalized „„Environmental clearances for ongoing mining of minor minerals in these areas extended „„Once the ESA is finalized, any mining activity within these areas must stop immediately „„Govt had proposed removing 21 villages from ESA list, while 87 villages were recommended to remain classified as ESA September 17, the Authority also said that upon finalization of the ESA and if the proposed mining activities, falls within the purview of ESA, all operations must be stopped immediately and the mining closure plan must be implemented. The Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), in its draft notification, issued in August, last year, had proposed 108 villages from Goa as  ESA.  The Goa government in its submission before the Union Ministry had proposed dropping 21 villages from the ESA list and that 87 villages be categorised as ESA since they meet the criteria set out by the Ministry. “Upon discussing the matter broadly and considering that the draft ESA notification is yet to be finalized, the authority has decided to extend the existing environmental clearance with respect to the life of the mine,” SEIAA said. “Further, it was also decid- ed that no new projects shall be allowed in the ESA until draft ESA notification is finalized,” it added. The Authority has received several applications from various mine owners of minerals for extension of validity of existing EC, wherein, initially it was decided to extend the EC with respect to the life of the mine, provided, the existing EC is valid as on April 12, 2022, conditions of ECs were complied, etc. As per the State government’s proposal, it has recommended dropping 21 villages >Continued on P8