log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 26, 2025 GOA How IFFI fuels Goa’s cultural, economical growth IN SHORT >> Activists flag migrant names in poll rolls MAPUSA: Activists of Bardez in a written complaint to the Bardez Mamlatdar alleged irregularities in the process of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, claiming that attempts are being made to add the names of migrant workers across multiple constituencies in Bardez. >> See pg 3 HC reserves order on ZP reservations PANAJI: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has reserved its judgment on two petitions challenging the November 6 notification on seat reservations in South Goa for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat elections. >> See pg 3 Dept seizes 1 more K’taka trawler PANAJI: Goa Fisheries Department has seized yet another fishing trawler from Malpem, Karnataka, for allegedly carrying out illegal fishing within Goa’s territorial waters. The vessel has been brought to the Panaji Fisheries jetty. Last week 3 more fishing trawlers had been seized by the department. $450 mn BrahMos deal on cards NEW DELHI: In a development that could be a significant boost for the Centre's vision to increase defence exports, India is close to securing defence deals worth around $450 million to supply the combatproven BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. The deals for the BrahMos missiles are expected to be signed with India's friendly foreign countries. SC rejects Christian officer’s petition NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday criticised a Christian Army officer fired for refusing to enter a gurdwara (to perform a puja) and labelled him a "cantankerous man" and a "misfit", and backed the armed forces' decision to eject him for failing to respect his fellow (Sikh) soldiers' faith. >> See pg 9 The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 159 2 Tourism fears grow as Betul port plan looms over Mobor–Cavelossim coast >> pg 6 Facebook.com/thegoan GOA 3 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO || ी रामदेव वीर Three reasonsससनpets need िववल your || annual health checkups HC seeks reply from govt on PIL alleging no system for street-animal rescue Breakthrough in Baina dacoity, five arrested ALLEGED MASTERMIND WAS RESIDING IN SAME BUILDING, OTHERS WERE FROM ANOTHER STATE THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In a major breakthrough, police cracked last week’s violent Baina dacoity, nabbing five suspects behind the brazen attack. The arrests come after a chilling surge in robberies and dacoities that left the public outraged and exposed glaring cracks in the State’s law-enforcement machinery. Reliable sources told The Goan that the five arrested persons reportedly hail from an eastern coastal State while the alleged mastermind had been residing in the same residential building as that of the victims. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has confirmed that three individuals have been arrested in connection with the Baina dacoity case, and that further investigations are currently underway. The assault unfolded in the early hours a week ago, when 7-8 men wearing helmets al- Canacona goldsmith foils robbery; 8 robbers thwart capture by cops CANACONA: Panic gripped Canacona after an alert goldsmith foiled attempts by eight robbers to break into his jewellery shop which is adjacent to his house in Chaudi-Canacona in the wee hours of Tuesday. What was even more shocking was that cops on night patrol rushed the site after being alerted by the goldsmith Praveen Vernekar and even came face-to-face with the robbers, but the robbers outwitted the police by hurling stones at them and managed to escape. According to reports, the incident took place at about 2.30 am when eight robbers tied a rope to the main door of Vernekar’s house from the outside, in order to confine the family inside their house. “It was about 2.30 am when we heard loud sounds of someone breaking something outside our house. I peeped outside through my window but could not notice any activity outside,” Vernekar told media persons. >> See pg 3 Sagar Nayak sustained severe head injuries and was rushed to the hospital while other family members were also injured, including an elderly relative. The daughter was allegedly held by the neck with a knife by the attackers. The gang fled with ornaments valued at nearly Rs 70 lakh. The brutality of the crime sparked rapid escalation within the police hierarchy. Deputy Inspector General Varsha Sharma publicly declared she had taken the case as a personal challenge, while CM Pramod Sawant chaired an emergency meeting to address the surge in robberies. Sawant reproached the police department for inadequate preventive action and directed intensified night patrolling. The arrests, police sources said, were carried out after a week of surveillance, coordinated intelligence efforts and interrogations of all the suspects. जाहीर िनमंंण 10 SPORTS South Africa sets mammoth 549-run target as India stumble early How Vasco with defunct cams became a haven for criminals 52 CCTV cameras at strategic junctions are just relics on electricity poles VIKRAM NAYAK THE GOAN I VASCO When masked intruders stormed into the Baina residence of distributor Sagar Nayak on November 18 and executed one of the most violent dacoities the port town has seen in years, Vasco reacted with shock. But beneath the fear, a second, sharper realisation followed swiftly — the city had once again walked into a major crime with its eyes shut. For over 10 years, Vasco has functioned with a dead surveillance network. Fifty-two CCTV cameras installed at the city’s most strategic junctions have remained silent relics on electric poles, watching nothing, recording nothing, and deterring no one. And when the Baina dacoity demanded quick digital tracking, Vasco offered the police a decade-old answer: no footage, no clue, no trail. The Baina crime was not merely an attack on one family — it was a powerful reminder of how Vasco’s prolonged CCTV negligence has slowly emboldened criminal activity. PARTAGALI, CANACONA - GOA 27TH NOVEMBER TO 7TH DECEMBER It was a replay of every major crime probe in recent years, where police were forced to depend solely on private shop cameras, eyewitness recollections and manual road checks. In Baina’s case, with masked attackers and a swift getaway, this made the probe painfully difficult in its early hours. CCTVs could have changed Baina probe Crime has grown smarter When investigators rushed out after the Baina attack, spreading across the internal roads,  Swatantra Path, the port approach and the market spine, they were hoping for even one functioning municipal camera that could help them reconstruct the escape trail. A timestamp. A vehicle silhouette. A direction. A single image to anchor the investigation. But the strategic locations where the suspects likely passed — the very points that were supposed to serve as Vasco’s digital checkpoints — yielded nothing. PARTICIPATE IN ONCE IN A LIFETIME CELEBRATION legedly forced entry into a sixth-floor flat at Chamundi Arcade after cutting the rear grill. Armed with iron and al- uminium rods, the attackers reportedly stormed into the bedroom and immediately began assaulting the occupants. Parrikar’s ill health stalled tiger reserve plan: Ex-PCCF PANAJI In a significant revelation before the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden of Goa, Ajai Saxena, stated that Goa’s proposal for a Tiger Reserve had progressed substantially in 201718 but was halted following the illness and subsequent „„Forest Dept initially ism zones identified 587 sq km as „„Parrikar personally core tiger habitat and 167 asked for a detailed briefsq km as buffer zone ing on the Tiger Reserve „„PCCF proposal submitted all THE TIGER „„Proposal got supporting stalled due to RESERVE documents — the CM’s illness maps, scientific STORY BACK in April 2018 data, proposals IN 2017-18 and the lack of — to the SBWL further SBWL ACCORDING on Dec 16, 2017 meetings TO FORMER „„Research & PCCF SAXENA „„Saxena was Survey Division transferred to prepared Mizoram in January 2019, GIS-based maps, ensuring which effectively halted minimal human habitation further progress on the in the proposed core zone proposal and marking three ecotour- Experts say that in such crimes, the first 60 minutes after the incident are critical. “A functional CCTV grid through Vasco would have allowed police to monitor several clues: whether the attackers exited towards the city, out of the city, or the market; whether they used a two-wheeler or four-wheeler; whether they switched vehicles along the way; whether they moved towards Verna, Cortalim, Chicalim or the port area; and whether the same vehicle reappeared in earlier recordings, hinting at reconnaissance,” said a source. “Even a partially clear frame — a number-plate digit, >Continued on P9 GSSC asks depts to file details of vacancies before Jan 31 next year SAYS PROPOSAL HAD PROGRESSED IN 2017-18 THE GOAN I NETWORK 12 THE GOAN I NETWORK FOLK FLAIR: Artists from Himachal Pradesh enthrall the audience with the Sirmouri Nati at the Inox Courtyard as part of IFFI festivities on Tuesday. Narayan Pissurlenkar PANAJI The Goa Staff Selection Commission (GSSC) has directed all departments to submit details of vacancies, to be filled, over a period of one year, by January 31, 2026, through online mode. In an office memorandum to all departments, GSSC Under Secretary Siddhesh Shetkar said the vacancies to be intimated to the Commission should be “clear” vacancies and “shall not include anticipated vacancies". “As provided in Clause 4 (1) of the Regulations, every year, by January 31, the appointing authority shall intimate the total number of vacancies of subordinate services/posts to the Commission,” the memorandum stated. The Commission has said that the vacancies to be filled under the schemes like compassionate appointment and employment to the children of freedom fighters, should be deducted from the total vacancies and remaining vacancies are to be reported. The commission has made SC orders DLF to stop cutting NAANDI DARSHAN BY GOAN SARASWAT TEMPLES trees for its Dabolim project ON DECEMBER 2, 7:30 PM WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: 33.8 C 23.7 C 89% TIDES Low: High: 08.40 19.59 02.44 13.07 Govt has not yet received CEC report, says Sawant >> See pg 3 demise of then Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. The Forest Department had then identified approximately 587 sq km as a potential core zone and another 167 sq km as a tiger buffer. Saxena, in a representation before the CEC, informed that during his tenure as PCCF (Wildlife), all relevant documents, maps and scientific data supporting the Tiger Reserve proposal were presented at the 4th meeting of the Goa State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) on December 16, 2017. The Forest Department’s Research and Survey Division had prepared detailed GISbased maps, ensuring that the proposed core zone included minimal human habitation — around 17 settlements with roughly 191 houses — while also identifying three ecotourism zones. He said Parrikar had personally instructed him to provide a detailed briefing on the proposal; but the proposal was stalled due to CM’s illness and his subsequent transfer to Mizoram forest range. >Continued on P9 THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday ordered halting tree felling at Dabolim while issuing notice on an appeal filed by the Goa Foundation against a National Green Tribunal (NGT) ruling that had cleared the way for a large residential project. A two-judge bench of Justices Manoj Misra and Ujjal Bhuyan directed that no trees shall be felled on Survey No. 43/1-A at Dabolim until further orders. Notices to DLF Homes Goa Pvt Ltd and other respondents are returnable in six weeks. The interim protection follows submissions by senior advocate Norma Alvares on behalf of petitioner NGO Goa Foundation, who argued that the project site constitutes forest land and faces imminent loss of green cover. The appeal challenged NGT’s June 11 order that held the land was non-forest, clearing way to the developer to proceed with construction. The appeal contended that expert reports from Forest Dept, Union Environment Ministry and Araujo Committee had identified the area as private forest after field inspections. >Continued on P9 Govt okays compensation for As Oppn cracks widen, AAP-RGP tie-up buzz grows THREE OPPOSITION SCENARIOS nearly 3,000 rain-hit farmers THE GOAN I NETWORK THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Agriculture Department has assessed and approved claims for compensation of nearly 3,000 farmers whose crops were devastated by heavy unseasonal rains in October, immediately after the withdrawal of the monsoon. The rains, which struck just after Diwali, flattened standing paddy fields that were ready for harvest, leaving farmers across the State facing severe losses. Under the 'Shetkari Adhar Nidhi' scheme, financial assistance amounting to Rs 2.53 The compensation is structured at a rate of Rs 40,000 per hectare, with a maximum limit of four hectares per farmer and individual farmers can receive up to Rs 1.6 lakh in assistance crore will be disbursed to 2,997 farmers,  Director of Agriculture, Sandeep Foldessai said.  The assessment by agriculture officials has confirmed that 577 hectares of paddy fields were affected with Bardez taluka taking the worst SEVA BY : hit.  Foldessai said, crops spread over 200 hectares in Bardez were destroyed, impacting 930 farmers.  The rotting of paddy due to water-logging and the difficulty of harvesting flattened fields compounded the distress. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had earlier announced that the government would compensate farmers for the climateinduced losses, following which the department urged farmers to approach their respective ZAOs with applications.  PANAJI ven as the much anticipated Opposition alliance between Congress, Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP), and Goa Forward Party (GFP) is showing signs of turbulence ahead of the Zilla Panchayat elections, with disagreements over seat sharing and GFP’s admission of former Congress MLA Isidore Fernandes sparking unease, speculation is gaining ground that RGP may explore a tie-up with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The talk intensified following the return of RGP president Manoj Parab and its lone legislator Viresh Borkar from a visit to New Delhi. While E „„If Cong–RGP–GFP alliance holds: Seat-sharing disputes are resolved; alliance presents united front against BJP. Risk: Lingering distrust over GFP’s admission of Isidore Fernandes Parab maintained that formal announcements would be made only after the High Court delivers its verdict on seat reservations, he acknowledged that “possibilities including alliance with AAP were being considered. Though AAP has not issued an official statement, its Be- „„If AAP-RGP tie-up emerges: Both parties highlight clean governance and anti-defection stance; could attract younger, firsttime voters; may weaken Cong’s claim to lead Opposition bloc „„If Parties contest independently: Each of the Opposition parties banks on its own vote base; risk of vote fragmentation; BJP benefits from fragmented Opposition Cong to release first list Goa Forward admits of candidates where 'mistakes', assures no alliance talks are not more defectors underway >> See pg 3 >> See pg 2 ed at ideological KARMALI  SAMARTH >Continued on P9 CONSTRUCTIONS  SHRI YESHWANT convergence ference in the ideologies and between the two parties. our raison d’être in politics,” naulim MLA Venzy Viegas hint- “There is not much of a dif- he told reporters when asked to comment. Viegas emphasized that both AAP and RGP are on common ground in their opposition to granting electoral platforms to defectors, a stance that resonates strongly in Goa’s political discourse. At the same time, Viegas clarified that AAP’s current strategy is to contest the ZP polls independently, highlighting its governance model and grassroots initiatives such as the Amche Arogya Polyclinics. He added that any shift in approach would be deliberated by the party’s core committee, leaving the door open for future adjustments depending >Continued on P9