log on to thegoan.net FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2025 GOA @thegoanonline Rising incomes bring more first-time luxury car buyers 2025 Mahindra Bolero: Old-school muscle, new-age updates IN SHORT >> Constable loses life in Mandrem road accident PERNEM: A 46-year-old police constable from Dhargal died in a self-accident near the Maharingan temple located in Mandrem early Thursday. According to reports, the mishap took place at about 6:30 am when Shubham Gadekar was proceeding for duty at the Siolim Coastal Security Police Station.  >> See pg 3 MPA gives waterfront area for marina VASCO: The Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) is moving forward with plans to develop a dedicated marina project within the port premises. MPA Chairman Dr N Vinod Kumar said the port had allotted around 8,000 sq m of waterfront area for the marina through a tender process.   >> See pg 3 Mormugao port opens container services VASCO: Container operations resumed at the Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) on Thursday morning, with Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) taking the lead as its vessel SCI Mumbai arrived at the port, marking a significant revival of Goa’s long-pending container service.  >> See pg 3 Minor boy kidnapped near Vasco school The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 154 GOA ZP elections: Sardesai aims to unsettle BJP’s Bardez stronghold Effortless Energy: Boost your stamina naturally in seven days REPORT REVEALS RISING HINDU SHARE; SHIFT IN COMMUNITY, TALUKA DEMOGRAPHICS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Goa’s government workforce -- an army of nearly 64,000 public servants -- has undergone dramatic changes in its community composition, demographics, and academic profile over the past five years, according to a new report released by the Department of Planning and Statistics. The report, covering employees across 89 government departments, autonomous bodies, aided institutions, and State-run corporations, reveals that while the overall workforce grew modestly from 63,162 in 2019 to 63,970 in 2024, the balance of communities within it shifted noticeably. Hindu employees rose by 2.14%, Muslims registered a slight increase of under 1%, while Christian employees saw a sharp decline of 2.32% -- dropping from 11,336 in 2019 to 9,997 in 2024. Employees from other communities also edged up by 0.12%. The report highlights a „„Hindu employees up by „„Hinterland regions 2.14%; Muslim employees gained, with Sattari up by under 1% increasing by 1,000 employees, largely due „„Christian employees to recruitment fell sharply by before the 2022 GOVT 2.32% (from elections 11,336 to 9,997) JOBS „„Ponda also „„Employees REPORT: saw a modest from other comA SILENT rise in employmunities rose SHUFFLE ee numbers by 0.12% „„Share of em„„Total govt ployees with postgrademployees increased uate or higher degrees slightly from 63,162 (2019) increased by 1.6% to 63,970 (2024) „„Workforce from coastal „„ST, SC, and OBC talukas declined, with Salrepresentation in the cete down 875 and Bardez workforce saw a notable down 481 increase drop of government employees from Goa’s coastal talukas and an increase in those hailing from hinterland regions. Salcete and Bardez, traditionally populous in government service, saw declines of 875 and 481 employees respectively. In contrast, Satta- ri taluka surged by 1,000 employees, rising from 4,466 in 2019 to 5,444 in 2024 -- a spike linked to recruitment drives ahead of the 2022 elections. Ponda also recorded a modest increase. The State’s bureaucracy is also becoming more educat- IFFI 2025 BEGINS WITH A RIOT OF GOAN COLOURS Max: Min: Humidity: 34.5 C 22.4 C 85% ed, with the proportion of employees holding postgraduate or higher degrees climbing by 1.6% over the five-year period. A notable rise was also seen among Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, and Other Backward Classes. Their numbers grew by 3,810, from 16,781 in 2019 to 20,519 in 2024, marking a significant expansion in representation. The survey also revealed a social snapshot -- nearly 21 % of government employees are single. Out of 63,970 workers, 51,055 reported being married, 12,907 single, while eight chose not to disclose their status. The findings paint a picture of a workforce in transition -- shaped by shifting community ratios, hinterland recruitment, rising educational qualifications, and greater representation of historically disadvantaged groups. The numbers seemingly tell a story of not just employment, but also of Goa's evolving social and political currents within its public institutions. THE GOAN I NETWORK CULTURAL EXTRAVAGANZA: Artistes in vibrant traditional costumes perform during IFFI’s opening ceremony in Panaji on Thursday. (More photos on pg 6) Narayan Pissurlenkar THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The 56th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) opened in Panaji on Thursday evening with a dazzling celebration that combined cinema with Goan flavour -- a Carnival–Shigmo hybrid parade along DB Marg -- filling the streets with colour, music, and dance as delegates, dignitaries, and film enthusiasts gathered for the inaugural ceremony. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, inaugurating the festival at the Old GMC precinct, declared the State’s ambition to transform into an international film production hub. “Goa is not just a place, it is an experience. We want to make Goa the creativity capital of the country,” he said, announcing plans to revive the film promotion scheme >Continued on P9 MAPUSA In a bid to ensure quicker response to illegal fishing activities along Goa’s coastline, the Fisheries Department has decided to deploy hired canoes at five strategic coastal points to strengthen near-shore patrolling. The initiative is aimed at enabling faster interception of offending vessels by positioning patrolling units closer to locations where violations are frequently reported. “We are getting complaints from traditional fishermen stating that by the time our staff arrives after complaints are filed, the violators buzz off and no illegal activity is observed due to the delay,” said Shamila Monteiro, Director of Fisheries. “If there is a local canoe in the vicinity, the department officer and police can promptly act and easily catch the vio- NEW DELHI he Supreme Court on Thursday held that the court cannot impose any timelines on Governors and the President to grant assent to Bills passed by State assemblies but at the same time said Governors do not have unfettered powers to sit on the Bills for “perpetuity”. In its unanimous opinion on the Presidential Reference, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai also held that “indefinite delay” by the Governors will be open to “limited judicial scrutiny” and that deemed assent of Bills cannot be granted by the apex court by using its plenary power under Article 142. Deemed assent would amount to virtual takeover of T KEY SUPREME COURT OBSERVATIONS „„Indefinite delay” by Governors will be open to “limited judicial scrutiny” „„Deemed assent of Bills cannot be granted „„Inaction” by Governors that is “prolonged, unexplained and indefinite” will certainly invite ‘limited judicial scrutiny’ „„Governors have discretion on how to deal with Bills under Article 200 „„Governor can reserve bill for consideration of the President even in a second instance the role of a “separate constitutional authority,” it said. In its 111-page judgment that could trigger a fresh de- bate on issues relating to federalism and Governor's power over state Bills, the court made it clear that “inaction” by GOVERNORS CANNOT SIT OVER BILLS BEYOND POWERS GRANTED TO THEM Governors that is “prolonged, unexplained and indefinite” will certainly invite “limited judicial scrutiny though the merits of their action under Article 200 cannot be looked into by Courts. Indefinite delay in granting assent to multiple Bills has led to frequent run-ins between the Opposition-ruled States, especially Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Punjab and their Governors following which some state governments have sought the intervention of SC. The name of the author judge was conspicuously absent in the judgment. The practice is a rarity but it was adopted by a five-judge Constitution bench in its verdict in 2019 on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case. CJI Gavai is due to retire on Sunday after a six- month tenure. In another significant ruling, the top court said the discretion of the Governor as to how to deal with the Bills are not dependent on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. The court underlined that Governors have only three options -- either to grant assent, or refer the Bills to the President or withhold assent and send back them to the Assemblies for reconsideration under Article 200 of the Constitution. The bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, P S Narasimha and A S Chandurkar, held that the imposition of timelines would be strictly contrary to the elasticity that the Constitution so carefully preserves for constitutional authorities. 14 Gill faces fitness test as India sweats on captain’s availability for second Test Accept liability for loose cables: HC to operators Refuses to stop Power Department’s ongoing drive to cut hanging cables THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed cable operators to assume full responsibility for any accidents or damage caused by loose, low-hanging or damaged cable wires on electricity poles. The direction came during a hearing on Thursday after operators sought a stay on the Electricity Department’s ongoing drive to cut the allegedly illegally hanging cables. The court refused to halt the cutting work after the department submitted a report detailing casualties and other incidents attributed to dangling cable bundles. Executive Engineer Kashinath Shetye said the High Court made it clear that the removal of unsafe cables will continue on safety grounds, and the matter will next be heard on November 25. “The court has asked operators to submit written confirmation accepting responsibility for any accidents caused by damaged WHAT THE HIGH COURT RULED According to Kashinath Shetye „„Removal work will continue on safety grounds „„Cable operators told to submit written confirmation accepting full responsibility for accidents caused by damaged or low-hanging cables „„Only three cables per pole will be permitted „„No cables will be allowed on ornamental poles „„Electricity dept has not received any such written confirmation yet cables or harm to the poles,” Shetye said, while confirming the department has not received any written confirmation from the operators. He added that only three cables will be permitted per pole and not on ornamental poles. “Even this is a temporary arrangement until lines shift underground. Our poles cannot take the load of more than 3 cables,” he said. Earlier, the department had issued a 15-day deadline to remove all unauthorised cables from poles, warning that penal action would follow. In January this year, the High Court dismissed a petition by the Goa Cable TV Networking and Service Providers Association seeking a stay on the removal of illegally installed overhead cables. The department at that time claimed a revenue loss of around Rs 50 crore due to unpaid dues by members of the association. Govt moves to strengthen vigil along coastal waters SC rules against timelines for Govs, Prez on bills PTI 11 SPORTS TO HIRE CANOES TO TACKLE ILLEGAL FISHING Nitish is Bihar CM for the 10th time WEATHER >> RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO VASCO: A minor boy was allegedly kidnapped near the Municipal High School in Vasco at around 1.30 pm on Wednesday. According to police, the complaint was lodged by the boy’s relative, who reported that some unknown persons abducted her minor nephew while he was under her legal guardianship near the school premises.   >> See pg 5 PATNA: Bihar's longest-serving Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was on Thursday sworn in for a record 10th term at a grand ceremony, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CMs of several NDA-ruled states and senior alliance leaders. Instagram.com/thegoanonline 3 2 Govt workforce sees big shift, Christians decline Satraps hold the keys as Salcete readies for ZP poll showdown Page 8 Facebook.com/thegoan THE GOAN I NETWORK Talpona (Canacona). “The five places were decided based on the number of complaints received. We got maximum complaints from these spots,” she said. The canoes – measuring 30 to 38 feet and powered by 10 HP motors – will be hired on PANAJI In major shake-up within the Goa Police Department, the government ordered a wide-ranging reshuffle affecting officers at multiple levels, including Superintendents of Police (SPs), Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySPs), and Police Inspectors. The changes come close on the heels of a late-night law-andorder review meeting convened by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. On Thursday, the government relieved SP Rahul Gupta of the additional charge of North Goa. Konkan Railway SP Harishchandra Madkaikar has been appointed as the new SP North, while South Goa SP Tikam Singh Verma will now hold additional charge of Konkan Railway. Gupta had been handling the North Goa portfolio for nearly seven months, after being posted there following the >Continued on P9 >Continued on P9 Dept seizes six fishing vessels for illegal operations in Goan waters MAPUSA: In a major enforcement drive against illegal fishing, the fisheries department seized six fishing vessels over the past week and booked their owners for violating fishing regulations in Goan waters. According to department officials, four of the intercepted vessels were from Karnataka and two from Maharashtra. All six were found operating in Goa’s territorial waters without permission and in violation of the State’s fishing laws, which restrict the entry of out-of-state trawlers and the use of banned gear.  >> See pg 3 lator,” she added. Monteiro said the department had already invited quotations for hiring the canoes but is yet to receive responses from local fishermen. Under the plan, static patrolling units will be stationed at Arambol (Pernem), Calangute (Bardez), Benaulim (Salcete), Baina (Mormugao) and Madkaikar named new SP of North; Six DySPs, 34 PIs transferred