log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SUNDAY MAY 24, 2026 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 336 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 MOVIES »PAGE 16 LIVE SMART »PAGE 14 SPORTS »PAGE 8 Rukmini reacts to fake AI bikini photos The immunity reset Build your happydom with hygge Shreyas Iyer’s maiden IPL ton keeps Punjab in playoff hunt Miley gets Walk Of Fame star 9 GOOD LIFE »PAGE 12 Exploring how poor footwear choices are impacting foot health Smart reasons why your brain loves watching bad movies Delhi HC allows Vinesh Phogat to participate in Asian Games trials MAGAZINE MAGAZ When Someshwar calls, Kurdi returns From Margao to Maina: Stories of Goa’s heritage villages Bakeations: Turning extra hours into something sweet Democratic activism and the Supreme Court as the constitutional sentinel 11 IN SHORT >> Rider dies in mishap at Latambarcem BICHOLIM: A 42-year-old man from Latambarcem-Bicholim died in a road mishap at Latambarcem on Friday evening. According to reports, the mishap trook place at about 6 pm near Celebration Restaurant at Nanoda-Latambarcem when Manjunath Nayar (30) of Querim-Sattari drove a tipper truck from Dodamarg towards Assonora direction in a rash and negligent manner. Bihar youth held in `28.5 lakh fraud MAPUSA: A youth hailing from Bihar was arrested by Porvorim Police in connection with a Rs 28.5 lakh fraud involving forged cheques and letterheads linked to the account of an automobile company at a Porvorim bank.  >> See pg 5 PWD scrap vehicles raise monsoon fears MARGAO: With the monsoon only days away, abandoned vehicles, including old road rollers and trucks lying idle at the PWD office complex in Fatorda, have once again raised concerns among residents and visitors over the risk of vector-borne diseases.   >> See pg 5 Waste dumping in Seraulim draws flak MARGAO: Waste dumping along the Mungul-Colva road in Seraulim village has sparked outrage, with environmentalist Clinton Vaz questioning how garbage is still being dumped despite door-to-door waste collection by local bodies.  >> See pg 5 90 killed in Chinese coal mine explosion BEIJING: Ninety miners were killed in a gas explosion in a coal mine in north China''s Shanxi Province.  >> See pg 6 Helping your child bounce back, naturally and safely Unchecked hill cutting, excavation raise landslide threat: Govt study COMMITTEE WARNS URBAN GROWTH AND RECKLESS DEVELOPMENT ARE MAJOR DISASTER-RISK AMPLIFIERS ACROSS GOA; CALLS FOR SCIENTIFIC PLANNING SHWETA KAMAT MAHATME THE GOAN I PANAJI Violent clash erupts again in Colvale jail Inmate injured; extortion angle under investigation THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI A fresh violent clash allegedly involving historysheeter Tarzan Parsekar and his associates broke out inside the high-security Block No. 4 of the Colvale Central Jail on Saturday morning. Official sources told The Goan that the altercation took place between Parsekar’s group and inmate Rakesh Patil. The motive behind the fight is being inquired into, while an alleged extortion-related dispute inside the jail premises is also under investigation. Patil sustained injuries to his nose and head during the assault. Sources said he was rushed to the North Goa District Hospital, Mapusa where he was administered medication and discharged soon. Sources further stated that only two jail guards were reportedly present on duty at the time of the fight, despite six personnel required for deployment in the block. The latest incident comes barely two months after another violent confrontation and excavation flagged as major concerns „„Road widening without proper benching aggravating landslide risks „„Poor drainage systems directing runoff onto vulnerable slopes „„Deforestation and vegetation clearing accelerating erosion and instability „„Construction in No Development Zones highlighted in report „„Lack of geological and hydrogeological scrutiny during project approvals flagged „„Committee conducted drone-assisted surveys and geospatial studies over two years el – comprising geologists, hydrogeologists, engineers, biodiversity and economics experts along with officials from Forest, Water Resources, Agriculture, Revenue and Town and Country Planning departments – conducted two years of field investigations us- ing drone-assisted surveys, remote sensing, laboratory testing and geospatial analysis. The report, based on studies conducted in 2024 and 2025, examined representative landslide locations and updated risk assessments to develop a scientific frame- Cockroach Janta Party website, social-media accounts taken down Petrol, diesel hiked again, up nearly `5 in 10 days Sal barrage project faces flak over missing power infra PTI NEW DELHI Petrol and diesel prices were raised by 87-91 paise per litre on Saturday, taking the cumulative increase in retail fuel rates to nearly Rs 5 a litre in under 10 days as state-owned firms passed on soaring international oil prices. Alongside, compressed natural gas (CNG) prices were raised by Re 1 per kg, marking the third increase in recent days and taking the cumulative hike to Rs 4 per kg. The latest revision pushed petrol prices higher by 87 paise per litre and diesel by up to 91 paise across the country, according to industry sources. The back-to-back increases follow a prolonged freeze in retail fuel prices and come amid elevated crude oil prices in the global market, tightening refining margins, and a weaker rupee, which have sharply raised the cost of imports. Petrol price was increased by 87 paise in Delhi to Rs 99.51 per litre from Rs 98.64 earlier. Similarly, diesel price was hiked by 91 paise to Rs 92.49. Goa’s fragile hill ecosystems are facing an escalating landslide threat fuelled not only by intense rainfall and weak geology, but increasingly by unchecked human intervention – from indiscriminate slope cutting and hill excavation to unregulated construction and poor drainage planning, Landslide panel calls for 3-yr statewide study >> See pg 3 a high-level government appointed Landslide Committee has warned in its report, identifying urban growth and development practices as major amplifiers of disaster risk across the State. The committee, constituted by the Goa government in 2024 amid growing concerns over slope failures and recurring monsoon-linked incidents, in its report submit- NEW DELHI Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday alleged a sweeping crackdown on the satirical digital movement, claiming that all its social-media accounts as well its website have been taken down or compromised, leaving the group without access to any of its official platforms. Dipke said the outfit has lost access to its Instagram accounts, its X handle has been withheld in India, its backup account was briefly taken down and its website – cockroachjantaparty.org – has also been taken down. “Please note that we currently do not have access to any of our platforms. Any post made after this should not be considered an official statement from the Cockroach Janta Party,” Dipke said in a post on X. Listing what he described as coordinated action against the movement, Dipke wrote, “Crackdown on Cockroach PANEL REPORT: LANDSLIDE RISKS „„Heavy rainfall and weak lateritic geology remain primary natural triggers „„Excessive hill cutting ted in November, last year, concluded that while heavy rainfall and lateritic geology remain the natural triggers, human-induced alterations to slopes are significantly worsening vulnerability in several parts of Goa. The multidisciplinary pan- DIGITAL CRACKDOWN Cockroach Janta Party alleged a coordinated digital crackdown after its NEET protest campaign, claiming hacked accounts, withheld X handles, website takedown and online threats Janta Party. Instagram page hacked. My personal Instagram hacked. Twitter account withheld. Back up account also taken down.” The claims came two days after the CJP's original X handle was withheld in India, prompting Dipke to create a new account. On Friday, >Continued on P6 PTI >> SEE PG 2 GOA’S MONSOON TEST: PROMISE VS REALITY work for future landslide management. Natural factors remain key trigger The committee found that heavy rainfall, including extreme precipitation events, and weak geological formations are the primary causes of landslides in Goa, particularly in areas dominated by lateritic soils that become highly unstable after saturation. Human activities intensifying risk It observed that excessive slope cutting without proper >Continued on P6 EMERGENCY PROPOSAL FOR 33 KV CONNECTIVITY EXPOSES POSSIBLE PLANNING LAPSE IN `400-CRORE WATER PROJECT THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI An emergency proposal to spend nearly Rs 38 crore on a 33 KV power connection for the Sal barrage pumping station – a key component of Goa’s alternate water supply arrangement during the impending closure of the Tillari Irrigation Project canal – has triggered serious questions over whether a critical part of the original Rs 400-crore approx project was left out during planning and tendering. Internal government correspondence reviewed by The Goan shows that the Water Resources Department (WRD) has sought urgent execution of the electrical connectivity work to prevent a looming drinking water crisis across large parts of North Goa, including Bardez and Pernem talukas and portions of Bicholim. Officials have warned that failure to commission the alternate raw water supply schemes before Maharashtra shuts the Tillari canal for scheduled works could severely disrupt supply to water treatment plants at Assonora, Porvorim, Chandel, Mopa airport, Tuem and Mayem, affecting nearly 200 MLD of drinking water supply. “Any delay would not only disrupt water supply but also render substantial expenditure on alternate ar- „„Fight allegedly involved historysheeter Tarzan Parsekar and his associates inside Block No. 4 „„Inmate Rakesh Patil reportedly assaulted during altercation, suffers injuries to nose and head „„Injured inmate shifted to Mapusa district hospital and later discharged was reported from the same Block No. 4 allegedly involving Parsekar group and another faction. Another assault In yet another fight, Vikat Bhagat, who was sentenced to life imprisonment last year in the rape and murder case of an Irish backpacker in Canacona, and one “Chotu” were allegedly attacked in the jail. No official statement had been issued by jail authorities till the time of filing this report. RGP begins major rejig, dissolves block committees THE GOAN I NETWORK rangements infructuous,” the source said. But the urgency has exposed a major omission in the original Sal barrage project itself. The pumping station at Sal now requires a dedicated 33 KV electrical connection – something officials privately admitted was not envisaged PANAJI A day after accepting the resignation of its founder president Manoj Parab, the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) has announced a sweeping organisational shake‑up. On Saturday, the party said its Core Executive Committee (CEC) has decided to dissolve all existing Block Committees with immediate effect. The decision was taken at a meeting held on May 17, the party said. RGP General Secretary Vishvesh Naik confirmed the move, calling it part of a restructuring exercise ahead of the upcoming elections. “We are reorganising the party structure to strengthen our presence at the grassroots. Fresh Block Committees will be constituted soon,” Naik said. The announcement comes at a time when the party is facing an internal churn following Parab’s exit. Party insiders admit the dissolution of block units is aimed at tightening control and ensuring loyalty >Continued on P6 >Continued on P6 THE WATER-SECURITY PLAN „„Rs 38 cr emergency proposal for Sal barrage power connection „„Move aims to avert water crisis during Tillari canal shutdown „„Nearly 200 MLD supply across North Goa could be affected „„Power component allegedly missing from original Rs 400-cr project plan JAIL VIOLENCE „„WRD proposes 12.5 km 33 KV cable connectivity „„No fresh tender or Electricity Dept route proposed „„Questions raised over technical approvals and planning lapses Governor Arlekar bats for US Green Card applications only from home countries educated youth in politics SAYS INDIA NEEDS LEADERS ROOTED IN CONSTITUTION M PTI THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In a country where even entry-level government jobs require formal qualifications, politics remains one of the few professions with none – a contradiction that Governor Rajendra Arlekar said deserved urgent national reflection as he urged young Indians to enter public life with greater knowledge, training and civic awareness. Speaking at a National Youth Parliament programme at Goa University on Saturday, Arlekar said such forums should go beyond symbolism and encourage participants to think seriously about what they hope to learn from democratic engagement. The Tamil Nadu Governor of Goa origin inaugurated the event along with the Goa Governor P Ashok Gajapathi Raju. Drawing on an anecdote frequently recounted by veteran Lal Krishna Advani, as well as a satirical poem by Hindi poet Kaka Hathrasi, Arlekar contrasted politics with near- ly every other profession in the country. “To drive a car, one needs qualifications, training and a licence. Even a peon in an office is required to have passed Class 10, and officers are expected to be graduates or postgraduates. But in politics, there is no such requirement. One can even become a minister without basic educational qualifications,” he slammed. Arlekar further said that the contrast pointed to a broader >Continued on P6 WASHINGTON igrants to the US seeking permanent residency or a green card will have to return to their home country to file their applications, the US Citizenship and Immigration Service said. “From now on, an alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances,” USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said in a statement here. He said the US was returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate its immigration system properly. „„Temporary go through US conmigrants must sulates abroad return home to „„Rule applies GREEN apply for Green CARD: NEW to students, Cards tourists and RULES „„New USCIS temporary workpolicy ends most ers in the US in-country adjust„„Exceptions allowed ment of status applicaonly in ‘extraordinary tions circumstances’ „„Applications must now „„Policy aimed at curbing “This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivising loopholes. When aliens apply from their home country, it reduces the need to find and remove those who decide to slip into the shadows and remain in the US illegally after being denied residency,” Kahler said. The USCIS announced a new policy memo reiterating the fact that, consistent with misuse of temporary visas for residency „„USCIS says move restores original intent of immigration law long-standing immigration law and immigration court decisions, aliens seeking adjustment of status must do so through consular processing via the Department of State outside of the country. The policy memo directed officers to consider all relevant factors and information on a case-by-case basis when determining whether an alien warrants this extraordinary form of relief. “Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers, or people on tourist visas, come to the US for a short time and for a specific purpose. Our system is designed for them to leave when their visit is over,” the USCIS said. Following the law allows the majority of these cases to be handled by the State Department at the US consular offices abroad and frees up limited USCIS resources to focus on processing other cases that fall under its purview.