log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline MONDAY OCTOBER 27, 2025 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 129 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RAIN DENIES INDIA WIN AS MATCH VS BANGLADESH WASHED OUT >>12 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 FESTIVAL OF SAVINGS, SEASON OF JOY Utsav >> pg 6 Fed signals, trade talks, crude prices, earnings, FII flows in focus this week IN SHORT >> Mapusa Comunidade to challenge house regularisation in HC MAPUSA: While Chief Minister Pramod Sawant continues touring constituencies to promote the government’s flagship ‘Mhaje Ghar’ housing scheme, comunidades across Goa are increasingly voicing strong opposition to the move to regularise illegal houses on comunidade land. The Mapusa comunidade has unanimously resolved to challenge the recent amendment to Goa Legislative Diploma No. 2070 in the High Court.  >> See pg 3 7 arrested for brawl outside Panaji PS PANAJI: A brawl between two groups, one from Betim and the other from Chimbel, right outside the main entrance of the Panaji police station ended up with an youth suffering fractures in his leg at the early hours of dawn on Sunday. Police said they have booked and arrested seven persons for the clash despite intervention of police personnel.  >> See pg 5 Police debunk child abduction reports PANAJI: Goa Police have clarified that reports of alleged child kidnappings in Valpoi, Bicholim, and Panaji were false. Investigations revealed that the children fabricated the stories, mainly to avoid parental pressure. Saligao villagers halt mud dumping in fields MAPUSA: Tension flared in Saligao on Sunday after villagers confronted a contractor allegedly engaged in illegal and unauthorised dumping of mud in agricultural fields, forcing the work to a halt and compelling the contractor to remove the dumped material. >> See pg 3 Truck driver held in hit-and-run case MARGAO: The Maina-Curtorim police have solved a hit-and-run accident case in which a rider and a pillion rider from Shiroda-Ponda were injured.  >> See pg 3 in addition to assistance of up to ₹2.5 lakh SAVINGS OF ₹30 PER CEMENT BAG CBC 15502/13/0043/2526 Bachat Now our dream of owning a home is coming true, with added savings! GST relief for beneficiaries of PM Awas Yojana (Urban) SAVINGS OF UP TO ₹600 ON SAND-LIME BRICKS WORTH ₹10,000 Fishermen protest halts swim event midway at Caranzalem Govt makes pet registration a must for visitors must submit vaccination ‘RAMPONKARS’ BLOCK SWIMMERS OVER TRADITIONAL FISHING RIGHTS; PARTICIPANTS Owners via anti-rabies hotline records STRANDED AMID SAFETY CONCERNS; POLICE INTERVENE, FILE CASE AGAINST ORGANISER THE GOAN I NETWORK THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI A conflict between 'ramponkars' and water sports organisers brewing for some time at Caranzalem flared up on Sunday leading to a heated confrontation and disruption of a scheduled ocean swim event. The incident, which unfolded in the early hours of Sunday morning, led to chaos on the shoreline and forced the cancellation of the swim midway, leaving participants and spectators stunned. According to eyewitnesses, tensions flared when a group of fishermen objected to the event being held in waters they traditionally use for fishing. The fishermen alleged that the organisers had failed to consult or coordinate with them, leading to safety concerns and disruption of their livelihood. The situation escalated Organiser booked for unauthorised event, endangering lives Police intervene as traditional fishermen and organiser clash over unauthorised swim event at Caranzalem on Sunday. into a verbal altercation, with some fishermen reportedly entering the water to block the swimmers’ path. The Panaji police responded swiftly and intervened to prevent further escalation. In the aftermath, a case was registered against the event’s organiser, identified as Kapil Arora, a resident of Mumbai. Police officials stated that Arora had not obtained any official permissions from local authorities or coastal safety agencies to conduct the event. “Organising such an event without proper clearance is a serious violation,” said a senior police officer from Panaji Police Station. “Not only were the lives of participants endangered due to lack of safety measures, but there was also unauthorised collection of money from 31 aboard Goa fishing boat rescued off Karnataka coast COAST GUARD LOCATES VESSEL STRANDED FOR 11 DAYS AFTER STEERING GEAR FAILURE; TOWED SAFELY TO HONNAVAR THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Karnataka, successfully rescued 31 fishermen from the distressed fishing boat IFB Sant Anton-I, which had been adrift in the Arabian Sea for 11 days due to a steering gear failure. According to an official release, on October 24, after receiving the information about the missing Goabased vessel, the Indian Coast Guard Headquarters No. 3 (Karnataka) launched a Search and Rescue (SAR) operation. The fishing boat was last reported approximately 100 nautical miles off New Mangalore. ICGS Kasturba Gandhi, which was on routine patrol, was immediately diverted to the last known position of the distressed vessel and a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft from Kochi was tasked for an aerial RESCUE OPERATIONS „„On October 24, the ICG launched a SAR operation after IFB Sant Anton-I went missing „„ICGS Kasturba Gandhi and a Dornier aircraft from Kochi were deployed to locate the vessel „„Using real-time weather data, the Coast Guard plotted the boat’s probable drift „„The vessel was spotted on October 25; ICGS Kasturba Gandhi provided logistics support, damage assessment, and on-site steering repair search to locate the missing boat, which had drifted significantly due to adverse weather conditions. “Leveraging the Integrated Operations Centre and real time weather data, the Coast Guard plotted the probable drift and directed the ship to the updated location,” the press release stated. The ICG said that the Dornier aircraft, on October 25, successfully sighted the fishing boat, enabling ICGS Kasturba Gandhi to reach the spot and provide critical assistance, including logistics support, damage assessment, and onsite repair of the steering system and ensuring watertight integrity of the IFB. After stabilising the vessel, the Coast Guard ship handed over the distress IFB to another IFB to tow the IFB Sant Anton-I safely to Honnavar fishing harbour, ensuring the well-being of all 31 crew members onboard. PANAJI: The scene of the conflict shifted to the Panaji police station in the afternoon where an offence was registered against the organiser, Kapil Arora, a resident of Mumbai, following a complaint by one of the participants. Police said the complaint alleges that Arora endangered lives as no arrangements for lifeguards and security were made for the Oceanman swimming event at Caranzalem beach despite having charged registration fees of over Rs 3 lakh. Police said the investigation is ongoing. them. We have booked Arora under relevant sections and further investigation is underway,” the police official said. Participants, many of whom had travelled from other parts of India to take part in the swim, expressed disappointment and concern over the lack of organisation. “We paid a registration fee and were told everything was cleared with the authorities. There were no lifeguards, no medical support, and no coordination with local stakeholders,” said a Bengaluru man who had come to participate in the event. Local Caranzalem fishermen meanwhile have had skirmishes with water sports organisers in the past as well and have for long >Continued on P5 PANAJI In a bid to prevent cross-border transmission, the State government has made it mandatory for visitors bringing pets into Goa to register with the government and share vaccination records via the anti-rabies hotline. In a notification issued, Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services has directed those, who have got pet animals in the last one year, to provide vaccination cards or get their dogs and cats vaccinated to prevent rabies virus entering into the State. In May 2021, Goa was declared as “Rabies Controlled Area” due to no human rabies deaths. In the very same year, it had made it mandatory for visitors to get their animals vaccinated before entering the State. However, officials said that many visitors, especially those having second homes in RABIES PREVENTION „„Animals must be vaccinated within the past year or on arrival, and owners must carry proof „„Owners are required to provide vaccination cards or get their dogs and cats vaccinated via the anti-rabies hotline „„Borders with Maharashtra and Karnataka are points of vulnerability; rabies cases still occur in talukas like Bicholim, Pernem, and Canacona Goa, are bringing pets into the State, which are not registered and having no records of vaccination. The official said that Goa’s borders with Maharashtra >Continued on P5 District Collectors to oversee Census pre-test in Goa THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Ahead of the pre-test Census scheduled from November 10, the State government has appointed the North and South Goa District Collectors as the Principal Census Officers to conduct the pre-test. The Directorate of Census Operations (DCO) has identified Corgao village in Pernem taluka and Margao municipal area in Salcete for pre-test census which will be held from November 10-30. The one-week long self-enumeration pre-test will commence from November 1. “Government of Goa is pleased to appoint the District Collectors North Goa and South Goa respectively as Principal Census Officers for the Pretest of Census 2027 being conducted in their respective districts from 10th November, 2025 to 30th November, 2025 with an option for self-enumeration from 1st November, 2025 to 7th November, 2025,” reads the notification issued by Directorate of >Continued on P5 WATERLOGGED: Heavy rainfall led to waterlogging at Patto, Panaji, on Sunday, disrupting traffic as vehicles and two-wheelers navigated flooded streets.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Heavy rain disrupts life across State; Panaji waterlogged THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Goa experienced a fresh bout of heavy rainfall on Sunday evening, disrupting normal life across several parts of the State. The downpour, which intensified after 4 pm, led to waterlogging in low-lying areas and impacted traffic in cities like Panaji, Margao, and Mapusa. Provisional data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), showed several rain gauge stations recording significant rainfall over the past 24 hours with Valpoi reporting the highest quantum of 92 mm, followed by Sanguem with 85 mm and Quepem with 78 mm. Other notable readings in- cluded Panaji with 64 mm, Mapusa with 59 mm and Margao 52 mm. The IMD has attributed the sudden surge in rainfall to a low-pressure system developing over the Arabian Sea, which is drawing moisture-laden winds over the Konkan coast. >Continued on P5 UK delegation to explore India’s Comunidade-builder tie-ups set to reshape rural Goa COMUNIDADE LAND REFORMS court digitisation initiative ASHLEY DO ROSARIO THE GOAN I PANAJI PROJECT SEEKS TO DIGITISE RECORDS AND MODERNISE SUBORDINATE JUDICIARY INFRASTRUCTURE PTI NEW DELHI The United Kingdom has evinced interest in the e-Courts project that seeks to digitise entire court records, and a delegation from that country would be in the national capital next week to interact with top Union law ministry officials. The ambitious e-Courts project is currently in its third phase with an aim to upgrade the digital infrastructure of subordinate judiciary across the country. Officials told PTI that a delegation from the United Kingdom will visit the Department of Justice here on November 6 and interact with top officials and members of the e-committee of the Supreme Court. The e-committee is the governing body charged with overseeing the e-Courts Project conceptualised under the “National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary-2005”. Under the ongoing phase three of the project, a total of 3,108 crore documents will be >Continued on P5 E ven as the 'Mhaje Ghar' scheme backed by legislation has now landed before the Bombay High Court at Goa for a test of its legality, the State government has notified more reforms related to landholdings of Comunidades which could potentially reshape Goa's rural landscape. By notifying the Goa Comunidade Land Development and Regulation Rules, 2025, earlier last week, the State has opened the doors for largescale development of Comunidade land for housing through „„Comunidades can collaborate with private developers via competitive bidding „„At least 50 per cent of plots remain with the Comunidade „„20 per cent of built-up area reserved for locals (Gaonkars/Jonoeiros) „„Roads, parks, and community centres deducted before profit sharing „„Developers must start work within three months of approval „„Comunidades can inspect/ reject projects; appeals allowed but site must be vacated if rejected direct deals with developers via the auction route. Under these new rules published in the State's official ga- zette last week, Comunidades will be permitted to collaborate with private developers through a competitive bidding process. The move could unlock for housing development vast tracts of green land held by Comunidades – traditional village institutions that own and manage community land – across rural Goa. The new framework allows Comunidades to invite bids from developers for land development, provided that the managing committee approves the proportion of land to be developed. Crucially, the rules mandate that “the Comunidade shall retain at least 50 per cent of the plots,” ensuring that community ownership remains central to the process. Further, the rules stipulate that “20 per cent of the built-up area shall be reserved for affordable housing to Gaonkars/ Jonoeiros,” and the shareholders of the Comunidade, “after deducting the area used to develop amenities” such as roads, parks, drainage systems, and community centres. This provision is seen as a safeguard to ensure that native stakeholders benefit directly from the development boom these rules are expected to trigger. >Continued on P5