log on to thegoan.net FRIDAY JUNE 6, 2025 @thegoanonline Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 349 PORTUGAL BEATS GERMANY FOR FIRST TIME IN 25 YEARS  >>13 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 CBC 17101/13/0015/2526 Ideas Unlocked India has world’s third largest startup ecosystem, 1.6+ lakh startups across India page 8 Carmakers warn of production halt as China tightens rare earth exports REVIEW - 2025 Tata Altroz facelift: Refreshed, refined and ready to redline IN SHORT >> Pratima Dhond first woman to head GCCI PANAJI: Multi-faceted Panaji-based banker and businesswoman Pratima Dhond has been elected the next president of Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Dhond will take over from industrialist Srinivas Dempo and will become the first woman ever to head the industry and business body ever since it was established over a century ago.   >> See pg 5 GMC gets nod to add 19 PG seats PANAJI: The Goa Medical College and Hospital has got approval to raise its intake of postgraduate students in multiple specialities including pediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology and general surgery, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane announced on Thursday. The increase in intake will begin from the current academic year, he said.   >> See pg 5 Baby girl found abandoned in Colva MARGAO: In a chilling incident, a baby girl was found abandoned outside a chapel at first ward, Colva. After being intimated about the incident, the Colva police took possession of the infant and later admitted her to the South Goa district hospital for treatment.  >> See pg 7 Goa Inc supports app-based cabs PANAJI: In a major boost to govt’s plan to promote tourist-friendly mobility, five major industrial bodies have supported the proposed appbased transport aggregators. In a statement, GSIA appealed to the govt to ensure a fair and transparent market environment for aggregators in Goa.  >> See pg 5 WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: Instagram.com/thegoanonline 32 C 24 C 92% Goa moves Centre to cancel transfer of Education Secy SPECIAL REQUEST ON LOLAYEKAR SENT TO MHA AS STATE FLAGS DISRUPTION OF NEP IMPLEMENTATION THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Pending implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the Goa Government has requested the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to either keep on “hold” or “cancel”, the relieving order and the subsequent transfer of Education Secretary IAS Prasad Lolayekar, who was, last month, directed to report to his new posting in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, within fortnight. The move comes, even after MHA, in a recent communication to all States and Union Territories under the AGMUT cadre, categorically stated that “all requests for cancellation or stay of transfer orders have been dealt with” and any new pleas will “not be entertained.” In September 2024, MHA had ordered transfer of officers of AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory) cadre -- Lolayekar, Sanjit Rodrigues and Swetika Sachan as part of reshuffle approved by Joint Cadre Authority. However, all three failed to report. Last month, MHA issued stern directives relieving Lolayekar and Rodrigues from Goa Government and directed them to join their new posting in Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Ladakh. According- MHA turns down IPS officer’s request to cancel Goa transfer PANAJI: Union Home Ministry, the cadre controlling authority of Joint AGMUT cadre of AIS officers, has turned down IPS officer Keshav Ram Chaurasia’s request to cancel his posting to Goa on personal grounds. Chaurasia, who is currently serving as Joint Commissioner EOW Delhi Police, was transferred to Goa via an order dated May 16. Chaurasia requested for cancellation of his transfer order on account of the medical condition of his son. However, the Ministry, rejecting his plea, directed him to report to the Goa government immediately. “In case of any leave requirement owing to personal hardships, the same may be applied for in writing to the competent authority in the government of Goa,” the Ministry said. Goa in need of Digambar’s leadership, says Vishwajit AFFIRMS STATE WILL BENEFIT FROM HIS SENIORITY THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO The bonhomie between Town and Country Planning Minister Vishwajit Rane and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat seemed only growing by the day. The duo shared perfect rapport in full public view when they descended at Sonsodo to launch the dense forest scheme, with the forest minister saying that Goa is in need of leadership of a senior person like Digambar Kamat. “I have a tendency to pay respect to our seniors. People think that I speak anything. Even the media asked me after I paid my respect to Digambar Kamat last time round. I want to say that Digambar Kamat is a senior politician and Goa is in need of his leadership. I believe in Kamat. He has brought me up and I am indebted to him”, Rane said as he profusely thanked the Margao MLA for giving him the space at Sonsodo to launch the urban forest scheme. In return, Kamat termed the forest minister as an innovator, raring to implement TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat engaged in a close conversation during the launch of the urban forest at Sonsodo on Thursday.  Santosh Mirajkar new schemes for the benefit of the people. He recalled how Rane had come to him when he was the Congress chief minister between 2007 and 2012 with the 108 ambulance scheme. “When Rane came up the novel idea, the Chief Secretary and Health Secretary raised many an eyebrow. But, Rane persisted with the idea and I okayed the scheme. The 108 Ambulance service has helped to save the lives of lakhs of people since its introduction over a decade-and- half ago”, Kamat said adding, “Rane is good at implementing innovative schemes. Basically, one finds dense forest schemes in urban areas mostly in foreign countries. Rane has brought the concept to Goa and I am proud that he has chosen Margao”. Kamat also reminded that the forest minister’s father Pratpasing Rane had helped him to save Ana Fonte garden, adding that Jr Rane has now lent his help to rid Sonsodo of the legacy dump. CM admits failure on plastic ban, cites lax enforcement T THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The implementation of the State-wide ban on single-use plastic commenced on October 2, 2019. However, fourand-a-half-years later, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant admitted that the government failed to enforce the ban strictly, resulting in minimal impact. On the occasion of World Environment Day, Sawant announced to implement the plastic ban law more rigorously with proper planning and determination to bring the change. “The ban on single-use plastic was announced with much fanfare, but it has re- THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI A Pakistani national residing in Goa on a long-term visa has moved the Supreme Court following Centre’s notification revoking the visas of Pakistani nationals in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack in April that killed 26 people. Based on the directions from the Centre, Goa government directed three  Pakistani  nationals to leave the State and the country and had identified 17 individuals holding long-term visas. The petitioner has been residing in Goa since 2016. The Pakistan national's counsel on Thursday mentioned the matter before a bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma for urgent listing. The bench agreed to hear the plea in due course. “This is a matter of a Pakistani national residing in Goa since 2016 on long-term visa. After the Pahalgam attack, there is a notification issued by the Government of India," the counsel said. >Continued on P9 >Continued on P9 Sparks Cabinet reshuffle buzz THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI With the arrival of BJP national general secretary B L Santosh to Goa, just few days after BJP Goa unit put the ball in the court of high command on Minister Govind Gaude, speculations are mounting over a possible reshuffle of the State Cabinet. Santosh landed in Goa on Thursday late evening and is scheduled to hold a series of meetings with BJP ministers, MLAs, and party functionaries starting Friday. The party has remained tight-lipped over his arrival, however, sources claim that the visit is over likely changes the State Cabinet will witness in the coming days. Last Thursday, BJP President Damodar Naik held a meeting with Art and Culture Minister Gaude and said that Although the party has remained tight-lipped on the arrival of B L Santosh, sources say he is scheduled to hold a series of meetings with BJP ministers, MLAs, and party functionaries on Friday the final decision on the Minister's exit will be taken by high command. Gaude, who had joined BJP in January 2022 -- just a month before the State Assembly elections, has been on party’s radar for his charge against the government of corruption and malfeasance. He had lashed out at the Tribal Welfare Department, which is under the Chief Minister himself. The allegation came as a major embarrassment to CM >Continued on P9 Govt mulls Khazan Board with overriding powers IF CLEARED IT WILL HAVE AUTHORITY OVER RP, ODPS, 21 OTHER LAND USE POLICIES THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In a bid to revive and protect the Khazan land, the Environment department has proposed setting up Khazan Board, whose decisions pertaining to these low-lying estuarine lands would be final will even override the Regional Plan, Outline Development Plans and other 21 land use policies of the government. The expert committee under the Environment Department has drafted Khazan Management Plan, while proposing GIS based mapping of the land in order to understand the extent and distribution of salinity, which is crucial for its revival plan. The plan was officially released by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday. The plan has zoned Khazan land into four categories -- K1- Low Salinity, K2-Moderate Salinity, K3-High Salinity and HKHighly degraded. “The key step in the Khazan Management Plan (KMP) is GIS-based survey to expand mangrove cover proposed PANAJI: The State Environment Department has proposed conducting a GIS-based fresh assessment of the mangrove cover in Goa for its possible further expansion. The Mangrove Management Plan, drafted by the department, speaks about promoting eco-tourism activities in the mangroves and to develop an integrated tourism plan and infrastructure that blends with natural surroundings and also about regulating fishing activities in the area, apart from identifying new Marine Protected Areas.  >> See pg 5 to officially set up the Khazan Board (or any similar agency the government chooses. This Board will manage all areas as zoned in four categories K1, K2, K3 and HK,” the plan said. “Its decisions on land use will be final and will override the Regional Plan, ODPs, and other 21 land use policies — except the Goa Land Use Act of 1991, which will continue to be applied to lands under Agricultural Tenancy as these lands are also outside the scope of the TCP Act, 1974,” the plan added. The Department of Environment and Climate Change (DOE&CC) will officially notify the formation of the Khazan Board and act as its secretariat and will define the Board’s legal powers, structure and responsibilities within six months. “Once formed, the Board will prepare the detailed KMP >Continued on P9 CSE ranks Goa as India’s best in public healthcare FOUR-AND-HALF-YEARS ON… THE GOAN I NETWORK Pak man living in Goa since 2016 moves SC on visa curbs ly, Rodrigues reported to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie for training that ended on June 4. “The government has written to MHA requesting either to cancel or keep in abeyance the relieving order and subsequent transfer of Lolayekar,” a senior official in the Goa Government confirmed, informing that the officer is due for retirement in May 2028. The official said that the Goa government has put up a special request citing implementation of NEP 2020, which the State intends to complete by 2027 and Santosh arrives in State, all eyes on Gaude action mained merely on paper,” Sawant admitted while addressing the State function. “But from today, we will have to start its implementation more seriously. I agree we had drafted the law to ban plastic but failed to enforce it strictly. Let us commence it from today,” he added. In August, 2019, Goa government introduced amendment to the Goa Non-Biodegradable Garbage (control) >Continued on P9 PANAJI he Centre for Science and Environment's (CSE)  report on the state of India’s environment released on Wednesday, the eve of World Environment Day, has ranked Goa on top of all other States in 'human development' and ‘public healthcare’. The report is an analysis of year-long data and statistics on environment and development in India sourced from the government itself and it ranks States and Union Territories on performance in four thematic areas: environment, agriculture, public health and human development and public infra- A SHOT IN THE ARM FOR GOA „„CSE report places Goa at the top spot in thematic areas of both ‘public health’ and ‘human development and public infrastructure’ „„Goa is the only State where all registered deaths are medically certified with a known cause of death „„Report is an analysis of year-long data and statistics on environment and development in India sourced from the government ON THE FLIP SIDE… „„Goa has a shortage of hospital beds per 1,000 people „„Also lags behind in per capita power availability and number of women in its labour force structure.  Andhra Pradesh tops the rankings in the ‘environment’ category, having excelled in managing its forests and biodiversity and for its efforts to contain the impacts of climate change.  In ‘agriculture’, Sikkim scores the highest with its strong performance in agricultural inputs and sustainable land-use practices. Goa is at the top spot in the thematic areas of both ‘public health’ and ‘human development and public infrastructure’.  The report says Goa is the only State where all registered deaths are medically certified with a known cause of death.  But not everything in the CSE report about Goa is rosy. "Goa has a shortage of hospital beds per 1,000 people and also lags behind in per capita power availability and the number of women in its labour force," the report states. Nationally, the report points that in terms of public health, nearly 5 years after Covid-19 pandemic began, its impact still lingers in the country.  "Government data now estimates 3.06 million excess deaths in 2020 and 2021 which is over six times the official Covid-19 toll.