log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SATURDAY APRIL 4, 2026 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 286 Instagram.com/thegoanonline Each church has a unique and special story to tell! SPECIAL PRICE: Rs 400 RELEASED OVER 1,000 PROVISIONS ACROSS 79 LAWS AMENDED TO EASE COMPLIANCE; FOCUS ON TRUST-BASED GOVERNANCE „„Covers 79 Acts, over cases to benefit from 1,000 provisions faster resolution in major legal „„Authorities THE overhaul can impose BILL „„Jail terms penalties AT A replaced with without court monetary penintervention GLANCE alties in many „„Revises penalcases ties; 10% escalation „„Introduces graded every 3 years enforcement: advisory → „„Sets up adjudicating warning → penalty and appellate mechanisms „„Serious offences remain „„Removes minor offences unchanged like false alarms, non-re„„Over 5 crore pending porting of events been modified," including six laws dating back to the preindependence era. The Bill replaces the earlier Jan Vishwas Bill, 2025, which initially proposed amendments to 17 Acts before being expanded significantly following recommendations of a Select Committee. Goyal emphasised that the objective behind the legislation is to reduce regulatory burden and foster trust-based governance. "With one single law, we have decriminalised, simplified and made compliance less burdensome for the common man, MSMEs, entrepreneurs, startups and businesses," he said, calling it "a significant milestone in our journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047." A key feature of the legislation is the decriminalisation of offences by replacing imprisonment with monetary penalties. The government has already decriminalised 183 provisions, building on earlier reforms. "For minor offences where there is no harm caused... we must give the person a chance--through a warning, an improvement no- Goan restaurateur gets acclaim in Europe >Continued on P7 THE GOAN I NETWORK IN SHORT >> Timely SOS averts SGDH mortuary crisis PANAJI: The State WRD has proposed a series of measures to tackle coastal erosion along vulnerable stretches at Ashwem Beach, Coco Beach and Talpona Beach, and has approached the GCZMA for the necessary clearances.   >> See pg 3 tice, or a small penalty," Goyal stated. He underlined that over five crore cases are currently pending across India under such provisions, many of which involve minor infractions. The new framework allows authorities to impose penalties directly, avoiding lengthy court processes. "Fine has been replaced by penalty in many cases so that authorities can close cases without requiring court adjudication," he explained. The Bill also introduces a graded enforcement mechanism--starting with advisories, followed by warnings, and escalating penalties for repeated violations. Serious offences, however, remain untouched. Mukesh Sharma AREA: Tiswadi, Mormugao PH: 8698939778 Vishal Gad AREA: Bicholim, Sattari, Ponda, Dharbandora PH: 9423398413 KISS OF FAITH: A moment of solemn devotion as a nun venerates the crucified Christ at Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church, Panaji, on Good Friday.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Afghanistan quake triggers tremors across North India PTI NEW DELHI An earthquake of 5.9 magnitude jolted several parts of north India on Friday night, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said. The tremors, which lasted a few seconds, were felt in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Haryana. There were no reports of any damage or casualties. The epicentre of the earthquake, which struck at 9.42 pm, was in Afghanistan at a depth of 150 km, the NCS said. Many took to social media to share videos of ceiling fans and lights swaying inside their homes during the earthquake. MAPUSA In a stark reminder of how regulations often take a backseat in Goa’s party belt, preparations for a high-profile music event in Anjuna continued unabated – despite revoked permissions, official denials and mounting public outrage. Even as residents and authorities raised red flags, organisers pushed ahead with setting up infrastructure on comunidade land in Survey No 206/1, reinforcing a growing perception that in the party villages of Anjuna and Vagator, the rule of law is routinely overshadowed by commercial interests. The controversy centres around a “sunset-to-night” musical event featuring Grammy award-winning DJ Black Coffee, widely promoted on social media as being hosted by Sunburn and Paradox at a new venue in Vagator. Tickets were put on sale through popular platforms, Ashfaq Shaikh AREA: Sindhudurg Ph: 94224 34496 Mangesh Desai AREA: Salcete, Sanguem, Quepem, Canacona PH: 9922582700 Salvador-do-Mundo–Chodan bridge plan puts over 600 mangroves at risk GSIDC seeks CRZ nod as GCZMA defers decision; project sparks environmental concern THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In a move likely to raise fresh environmental concerns, the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) has approached the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) seeking Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for its proposed bridge project connecting Chodan Island to the mainland, a project that could require the removal of more than 600 mangrove trees. According to documents submitted as part of the Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the proposed arch bridge will link Salvador-do-Mundo to Chodan across the Mapusa river, aiming to improve connectivity and facilitate movement of people and goods while opening up the island for future development. However, the environmental cost of the project is significant. The report states „„GSIDC seeks CRZ in CRZ-III (No Development clearance for bridge linking Zone) areas Chodan to mainland „„Project passes „„Proposed through mangroves arch bridge to and khazan connect Salvalands, ecologiGREEN dor-do-Mundo CONCERNS cally sensitive and Chodan zones across Mapusa „„EIA flags river significant environ„„Project may require mental impact and removal of 621 mangroves habitat disruption risks „„Bridge length ~1.62 km, „„Mitigation proposed: with 20 pillars and deep compensatory plantation, pile foundations pollution monitoring, debris control „„Several pillars planned that a large number of mangroves fall within the project alignment, particularly along the Salvador-do-Mundo side and portions of the Chodan stretch. Estimates indicate that over 600 mangroves would be directly impacted. “A total of 449 mangroves have to be removed from Sal- PREPARATIONS CONTINUE DESPITE REVOKED NOC AND OFFICIAL DENIAL; LOCALS DECRY BLATANT VIOLATIONS From student to researcher: Journey of Goan in Montréal Plans to curb erosion at key beaches Vijay Mangale AREA: Bardez, Pernem PH: 9075760380 Party plan on Good Friday triggers outrage in Anjuna Page 8 MARGAO: A timely SOS issued by Dr Madhu Ghodkirekar, Associate Professor of Forensic Medicine at the South Goa District Hospital (SGDH), not only helped avert a potential mortuary crisis during the Holy Week but also ensured dignified last rites for 23 unclaimed individuals which remained at the mortuary for nearly two months.  >> See pg 2 T O BO O K/ BUY CO P I E S , CO NT ACT Books will be available at leading bookstores in Goa. Jan Vishwas Bill passed; minor offences to be decriminalised NEW DELHI Parliament passed the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, marking a significant step toward decriminalising and rationalising offences across multiple central legislations to promote ease of doing business and ease of living. Addressing a press conference, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal described the reform as unprecedented in scale. "I could not find any parallel anywhere in the world and certainly never in India... 1,000 provisions of the law covering a span of 79 different Acts of Parliament have been addressed in one stroke," he said, adding that "79 Acts with over 1,000 sections have FOR E N QUIRIE S, CON TACT Melvyn Misquita | PH: 9860597117 UNCOVER THE WONDERS OF 55 CHURCHES ACROSS GOA JUST AGENCIES PUNJAB KINGS OVERCOMES CSK IN HIGH-SCORING THRILLER >P13 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Music event called off amid mounting public pressure MAPUSA: In a dramatic climbdown after days of mounting tension and public outrage, the controversial music event planned in Anjuna on the evening of Good Friday has been cancelled, with organisers bowing to sustained local pressure. The event had triggered strong backlash even before it could take off. “Presently, the event is suspended. But who knows, they may shift it to some other clubs,” said Vagator resident Jawish Moniz. The Comunidade of Anjuna, which had initially granted a no-objection certificate, later revoked it citing public concern, while the administration confirmed no permission was issued. Despite this, organisers had continued setting up the venue. with the event scheduled to begin at 4 pm. However, what has angered locals is not just the scale of the event, but the apparent disregard for due process. The Comunidade of Anjuna, which had initially granted a no-objection certificate (NOC) to organiser Nilkant Porob on March 4, revoked the same on April 1, citing the interests of villagers. Despite this, work at the site continued, with stage erection and even sound testing reportedly taking place as late as Thursday. >Continued on P7 vador-do-Mundo side and 172 mangroves have to be removed from Chodan area. Hence in total 621 mangroves trees needs to be removed for construction of the bridge and approach road,” the proposal stated. >Continued on P7 Curchorem probe hit as complainant declines medical examination THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The investigation into the alleged Curchorem sex scandal has suffered a fresh setback after a 19-year-old complainant declined to undergo a medical examination, officials said, complicating efforts to substantiate her claims. Crime Branch sources said the woman alleged in her complaint that she was repeatedly raped between July 2025 and March 2026 under the pretext of marriage. She also accused Soham Naik of circulating obscene images of her on social media without her consent. The alleged assaults, she said, occurred at several locations over the period, including near the Quepem waterfall. Official sources said the refusal to undergo a medical examination could weaken the case’s evidentiary foundation, particularly as the investigation team seeks >Continued on P7 NCERT gets deemed university Ethanol at 20 per cent speeds up fuel transition tag, can now confer degrees VIKRAM NAYAK THE GOAN I VASCO SIX CONSTITUENT INSTITUTES BROUGHT UNDER FOLD PTI NEW DELHI The National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been formally declared a deemed-to-be university empowering it to award its own degrees, officials said. “The Ministry of Education, on the advice of the University Grants Commission (UGC), NCERT along with its six constituent units have been declared as deemed to be University under distinct category,” an official notification said. These constituent units include regional institutes of education in Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Mysuru and Shillong, along with the Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education in Bhopal. As the apex organisation for school education, the NCERT undertakes various activities and programmes, including educational research and innovation, curriculum development and development of textual and teaching-learning materials. Three years back, the Centre had approved granting the deemed-to-be-university status to NCERT in the 'De Novo' category. A De-Novo deemed university is an institution that can apply to the UGC for setting up a new institution as deemedto-be-university, which will undertake study and research in unique and emerging areas of knowledge that are not offered by any existing institution. „„Govt pushes 20% ethapetrol use nol blend (E20) in petrol „„Post-2023 vehicles E20„„Blending rose from ready; slight mileage dip 2–5% to 20% in older ones „„Cuts crude im„„Blending done E20: ports, emissions; at depots, fuel THE FUEL supplied as supports farmers REFORM standard „„Ethanol from sugarcane, „„Boosts domessurplus grains tic economy, reduces import dependence „„E20 means 20% less A t petrol pumps across the State, a quiet but decisive shift is underway — one where a sugarcane by-product has steadily worked its way into the nation’s fuel mix. With the government now pushing for 20% ethanol blending in petrol, what began as a modest experiment has turned into a cornerstone of India’s energy strategy. India’s fuel landscape is now no longer just about crude oil and refineries. From 2% to 20%: Policy that gathered pace According to a highly placed source, the ethanol blending programme did not arrive overnight. In its early years, blending hovered inconsistently between 2% and 5%, often struggling with supply gaps and lack of infrastructure. It remained more of an intent than a dependable system. “The momentum picked up in recent years, where the blending ratio steadily climbed — first to 10%, then 12%, 15%, and now 20%. At one stage, there were discussions to push the blend further to 27%, but public concerns — particularly around vehicle compatibility and efficiency — forced a pause, capping the current threshold at 20%,” explained the source. Why ethanol? The triple advantage At the heart of the policy lies a three-pronged objective — cutting crude oil imports, supporting farmers, and reducing emissions. “India imports a significant chunk of its crude oil requirement. Blending ethanol into petrol directly reduces this dependence. Simultaneously, it creates an additional revenue stream for farmers, particularly sugarcane growers, by diverting excess produce towards ethanol production,” said the >Continued on P7