log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY JULY 23, 2025 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 36 Maker’s Asylum: Powering a new wave of innovation in Goa IN SHORT >> 10 casinos owe `352 cr to govt PANAJI: A total of ten casinos operating in Goa -- including both onshore and offshore establishments -- have defaulted on payments amounting to Rs 352.44 cr, the Legislative Assembly was informed on Tuesday. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stated that the outstanding dues are linked to Annual Recurring Fees and Covid-19-related liabilities. 40 held for gambling in Loliem-Polem CANACONA: Canacona police nabbed 39 persons from neighbouring Karnataka and one person from Canacona, and seized cash and other items valued at Rs 16.35 lakh in a major raid on gambling activities in Loliem-Polem in the wee hours of Tuesday.   >> See pg 3 Mhadei fury erupts in Assembly, Now, Konkani to be made mandatory for Opposition slams govt inaction jobs in postal dept   DEMANDS WEEKLY STATUS REPORTS ON ACTION TAKEN   RUSH TO THE WELL VIJAI OFFERS TO QUIT PANEL ALL   CM says requirement to be enforced through GKA certification process THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA In a significant move aimed at safeguarding the interests of local job seekers, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday announced that proficiency in reading and writing Konkani will soon be made mandatory for recruitment to postal department vacancies in Goa. Responding to a Zero Hour mention raised by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai in the Goa Legislative Assembly, Sawant said the requirement would be enforced through a certification process under the Goa Konkani Academy. “I agree that people from Maharashtra are getting appointed as postmen in Goa since the State falls under the Maharashtra postal circle. I have been pursuing this issue for the past six months. I will TAKING STOCK OF MHADEI MAPUSA The Mhadei river issue triggered an explosive debate in the Goa Assembly on Monday, with Opposition MLAs tearing into the State government for its perceived inaction even as Karnataka allegedly speeds up work to divert the river’s waters. VIJAI: What action has the new WRD chief engineer taken since the report came out? We should consider dissolving the House Committee on Mhadei REGINALDO: Karnataka is working hard to divert water. Markings have been done, stones placed and there is significant activity even in forest areas. Why are we not pushing for an early SC hearing? VENZY: Govt needs VIRESH: Although to provide weekly a House panel has updates about been constituted, it actions being taken has yet to carry out by govt and its legal team any inspections ON PAGES 2&3 The Opposition, while accusing the government of inaction, also demanded that weekly status reports be submitted on the issue. Raising the matter during Question Hour, Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco questioned the government YURI: Rs 16 crore has been spent and yet Prawah, the authority overseeing Mhadei, has issued just ‘four to five letters’ in 2024 and none this year… A constitutional crisis needs to be created on the current status of activity at Kalsa and Bandura. “Karnataka is working hard to divert water. Markings have been done, stones placed and there is significant activity even in forest areas. Why are we not pushing for an early MAPUSA: The Central Jail at Colvale is expected to be highly secured and restricted premises, but 161 mobile phones are among the several prohibited items which have been confiscated from prisoners in the jail over the last eight years.  >> See pg 3 SANGUEM: Five persons from Mangalore were booked on charges of cheating a businessman of Rs 1.85 crore, after assuring him a loan of Rs 200 crore for his business. The accused induced him to make a payment of Rs 1,85,94,600 towards 1% stamp duty, on pretext of availing a loan of Rs 200 cr.   >> See pg 5 AI’s aux power unit catches fire NEW DELHI: An Air India plane's auxiliary power unit caught fire after landing at the Delhi airport on Tuesday. All passengers and crew members were safe. Flight AI 315, operating from Hong Kong to Delhi on July 22, experienced an auxiliary power unit fire after it had landed and parked at the gate. Supreme Court hearing?” he demanded. Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar called required for the execution of the project. The actual installation of smart meters will be commenced by December, 2025,” he said in a written reply tabled on the Floor of the House. Dhavalikar said that the Advanced Metering Infrastructure Service provider will be PANAJI The River Navigation Department (RND) has recommended penal action against the crew of the ‘Betim’ ferry boat, which submerged in the early morning of June 24 after one of its tanks was reportedly flooded with water. In its preliminary inquiry report, submitted to the government and placed on the Floor of the House, the Department has held crew members accountable for the incident stating that the crew failed in their duty to shift the ferry boat backward after the water level was reduced. Instead, they allowed the ferry to remain tied at the jetty bollards during high water level. “If the crew was alert during the night hours, they could have loosened the ropes and taken the ferry boat behind as the water was recessing. But the crew did not do the same as they were resting and could not stop the water entering from the water outlays behind >Continued on P8 >Continued on P8 NET GAINS: A man casts his net in a flooded field near Taleigao hoping for a bountiful catch of catfish usually found during the rains.   Narayan Pissurlenkar Smart meters to roll out from Dec, consumers to bear cost THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Power Minister Ramakrishna Dhavalikar has informed the State Legislative Assembly that the installation of smart meters, replacing the existing electronic power meters, will commence from December, this year. Interestingly, the cost of the meters would be recovered from the consumers through power tariffs. Dhavalikar said that the Letter of Award is being issued to Digismart Networks Pvt Ltd (lead consortium member) and CWD Ltd (consortium member). The total cost of the project is Rs 890 crore. “The project implementation plan is under finalisation along with collection of data AD-HOC PIs SEEK CLARITY OVER IRB COUNTERPARTS PANAJI The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the State to decide the seniority of Police Inspectors (PIs) promoted since 2013, including those on an ad-hoc basis. The order came in reply to a petition filed by Police Inspectors (law and order) who were promoted on an ad-hoc basis in 2013 from the post of Police Sub-Inspectors (PSIs). They sought seniority over PIs in the Indian Reserve Battal- Mhadei is a ‘burning issue’… Karnataka is doing illegal work like laying underground conduits… we report every illegality to SC and have filed a contempt petition. We are waiting for the matter to be heard THE GOAN I NETWORK Court directs govt to resolve seniority dispute among PIs THE GOAN I NETWORK MINISTER’S REPLY Ferry sinking: RND moots penal action against crew 161 mobile phones found in Colvale jail Five booked for cheating bizman INDIA FACES SELECTION PUZZLE AHEAD OF CRUCIAL CLASH >>13 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Come join us Contact: 9011043385 / 9850755549 / 9130004704 / 9689923150 Email: marketing@prudentmedia.in Goa's Biggest Media Brand with Highest Viewership which makes us >> pg 6 Instagram.com/thegoanonline ion (IRB) who were promoted three years later, in 2016, on a regular basis. Senior advocate Nitin Sardesai, appearing for the petitioners, argued that the term “ad-hoc” was used only due to pending litigation at the time of their promotion and not because the process lacked merit or regularity. “There were certain petitions challenging our original appointments as PSIs pending before the High Court. Since it was sub judice, we were appointed as ad-hoc PSIs and then promoted as adhoc PIs. But we were selected against regular vacancies by a duly constituted Departmental Promotion Committee,” Sardesai said. He pointed out that the IRB PIs, though promoted on a regular basis in 2016, came through the system three years after the petitioners. “The issue arose when the department prepared a seniority list showing us as junior to the IRB PIs merely because our appointments were termed ad-hoc,” he stated. Mhadei a “burning issue” and said the government was actively monitoring Karnataka’s actions. “They are doing illegal work like laying underground conduits. We report every illegality to the Supreme Court and have filed a contempt petition. We are waiting for the matter to be heard,” Shirodkar said, adding that the hearing has been delayed due to several factors. However, Opposition MLAs said the State had done little since 2020. Lourenco claimed Karnataka has accused Goa of not using Mhadei waters for drinking or irrigation. “They are preparing for a full-fledged diversion, and the moment they get relief, they >Continued on P8 THE GOAN I NETWORK I agree that people from Maharashtra are getting appointed as postmen in Goa... I will now ask authorities to ensure that only those who can read and write Konkani are appointed here — Pramod Sawant now ask authorities to ensure that only those who can read and write Konkani are appointed here,” the Chief Minister said. Sawant added that the government is exploring making a Konkani proficiency >Continued on P8 Fisherfolk sheds at Nerul get protection from NGT COASTAL WATCHDOG’S ORDER SET ASIDE THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The National Green Tribunal has quashed an order passed by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority which had directed the demolition of sheds set up by fisherfolk at Nerul village. The Tribunal, which was hearing a plea filed by one Rama Ladu Govekar and others, noted in its order that the sheds that were constructed by the fisherfolk for storing their fishing nets was a permitted activity under the CRZ notification. “We find force in the argument made by the learned counsel for the appellants and are of the view that the above kind of constructions should not be treated to be prohibited at the site in question… we allow the present appeal and set aside the order dated 08.04.2024 passed by Respondent No.1- GCZMA and remand the matter to (the GCZMA) for deciding afresh KEY NGT OBSERVATIONS „„Sheds that were constructed by fisherfolk for storing their fishing nets was a permitted activity under CRZ notification „„We find force in the argument and are of the view that the constructions should after providing an opportunity of hearing to the parties concerned,” the NGT bench of Dinesh Kumar Singh and Dr Vijay Kulkarni, said. The fisherfolk in their plea before the NGT argued that even in NDZ, the construction/ re-construction of dwelling units of traditional coastal communities including fisherfolk is permitted between 100 and 200 metres from the HTL and that the sheds in ques- not be treated to be prohibited at the site in question „„We allow the present appeal and set aside the order dated 08.04.2024 passed by GCZMA „„The matter is being remanded to GCZMA for deciding afresh after providing an opportunity of hearing to the parties concerned tion which have been erected at the site fall squarely under the exemption granted to traditional fisherfolk. They pointed to para No.8 (III) CRZ-III (A) (ii) of the CRZ Notification, 2011, which provides that “...construction/reconstruction of dwelling units of traditional coastal communities including fisherfolk may be permitted between >Continued on P8 Over 100 govt schools heading towards closure: Data THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI ver the last five years, an average of 12 government primary schools in Goa have been closed or merged annually due to low student enrolment. Now, according to information presented on the Floor of the House, 117 more such schools may face closure or merger in the coming years, as student enrolment is less than 10 for the 2025-26 academic year. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who also holds the education portfolio, said that in the last five years, 59 government schools have either shut or merged due to zero enrolment. This includes 41 O LESSONS TO LEARN FACTS & FIGURES schools 59 govtdue to zero have either shut or merged enrolment in last 5 years schools were closed and 10 were merged with the nearby schools in 2020-21 schools were shut and three went for merger in 2021-22 11 8 schools being shut and another 19 merged since 2020-21. In the year 2020-21, total 11 schools were closed down and 10 were shut andoftwo merged in 202223 while the number schools shutting down went up to 14 in 2023-24 another ten were merged with the nearby schools. Similarly in 2021-22, eight schools were shut and three went for merg- W H AT T H E CM SAYS > Govt schools are shutting as parents prefer private schools > General tendency of parents is to opt for aided school > Govt improving school infra and implementing schemes to attract students to govt-run schools 7 schools were shut in last academic year are 679ofschools117 operational presently which schools have student enrolment less than ten er. Ten shut and two merged in 2022-23 while the number of schools shutting down went up to 14 in 2023-24, the year that saw four schools getting merged. Last academic year, a total seven schools were shut. For the current academic year, total 679 schools are operational of which 117 schools have student enrolment less than ten. The maximum number of schools with low enrolment are in Sattari (17), Ponda, Dharbandora and Pernem >Continued on P8