log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SATURDAY MAY 17, 2025 GOA Lisbon celebrates legacy of Goan legend Mario Miranda Goan shifts from software to singing, enthrals the world IN SHORT >> Will review NIO’s Mhadei report: CM PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that he would like to study the Mhadei river diversion report drafted by the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), whose findings claim that Karnataka’s plans for diversion of the water will have less of an impact on Goa as a whole, but a significant impact on the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.  >> See pg 2 Teachers Eligibility Test on June 14, 15 PANAJI: Goa Teachers Eligibility Test (GTET) will be held on June 14 and 15, 2025, the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has announced. The exam will be conducted in Computer-Based Test mode across two centres in North and South Goa. Showers drench parts of Goa The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 15 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 329 GOA Human rights body orders separate water connection after supply dispute PANAJI: In a tragic incident, a 60-year-old doctor was found dead in his rented apartment in Panaji on Thursday. The deceased has been identified as Dr Franklin Das, a native of Tamil Nadu. WEATHER >> Max: 35 C Min: 27.4 C Humidity: 77% TIDES Low: High: 06:59 20:03 00:00 14:21 SPORTS INFO Neeraj Chopra breaches 90m mark, finishes second in Doha Diamond League DIY body polishing scrubs to try at home ALL EYES ON CENTRE’S NOTIFICATION ON WESTERN GHATS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI As many as 154 iron ore mining leases, located in the Eco-Sensitive Areas (ESA) will be kept out of e-auction process pending Central government’s notification on Western Ghat ESA. The Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in its draft notification, issued in August 2024, had proposed 108 villages from Goa as ESA. The Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) identified 154 mining leases in these villages. “There are a total 154 mining leases falling in Western Ghat ESA. Since they are within ESA, as per rule, we cannot auction them and no mining activities can take place. Hence the decision is taken not to auction them,” DMG director Narayan Gad told The Goan. Gad said that if the Central government excludes some E-AUCTION: ROUGH ROAD AHEAD „„MoEF&CC draft notification had proposed 108 villages from Goa as ESA „„Directorate of Mines and Geology identified 154 mining leases in these villages „„If Centre excludes some villages in the final ESA notification, dept to reconsider leases located in those villages „„Since 2023, State has e-auctioned 12 mineral blocks consisting of 24 mining leases „„Goa govt has proposed dropping 21 villages from the ESA list and that 87 villages be categorised as ESA „„21 villages include 12 from Sattari, five from Dharbandora, three from Sanguem and one from Canacona villages in the final ESA notification, then the department can reconsider leases located in those villages. Since 2023, the State has e-auctioned a total of 12 mineral blocks consisting of 24 mining leases, of which seven blocks have already got Environmental Clearance (EC) while three have commenced fresh operations. The Goa government in its submission before the Union Ministry has proposed dropping 21 villages from the ESA list and that 87 villages be categorised as ESA since they meet the criteria set out by the Ministry. As per government proposal, 21 villages include 12 from Sattari, five from Dharbandora, three from Sanguem and one from Canacona taluka. Meanwhile, the DMG has asked the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to identify geological reserves in the nine iron ore leases located in Honda, Bicholim and Pissurlem area. “We have identified nine mining leases and have sent details to the Geological Survey of India for making geological reserves. Once they give the report, which is likely by next month, we will start the process of e-auction in July,” Gad said. The Director said that depending upon the economic viability the department will carve out the mineral blocks for e-auction. The 12 mineral blocks auctioned so far are -- Cudnem-Cormolem mineral block, Surla Sonshi mineral block, Advalpale-Tivim >Continued on P6 Centre initiates major reshuffle; IAS, IPS babus transferred THE GOAN I NETWORK Patil, the lone patient who remains critical had developed a pneumonia patch. “It (pneumonia patch) takes a relatively longer time to clear, typically several weeks or even a month. He is now under the care of our pulmonologists and they are positive about his recovery,” PANAJI Former North Goa Collector Sneha Gitte has been transferred to Arunachal Pradesh, order that incidentally comes after the Goa government-appointed fact-finding committee indicted her and others for lapses that led to a stampede at the Shirgao Zatra festival this month. The transfer, part of a major reshuffle of AGMUT cadre IAS and IPS officers by the Ministry of Home Affairs, also includes the posting of Gitte’s husband and former South Goa Collector, Asvin Chandru, to Arunachal Pradesh. Yashawini B, who had been given additional charge of North Goa Collector after Gitte’s internal removal following the stampede, has also been reassigned to Arunachal Pradesh. She currently serves as Director of Fisheries too. While the MHA did not publicly link selective transfer to the Shirgao incident but the timing of Gitte’s reshuffle comes days after the committee led by IAS officer Sandip Jacques pointed out gaps in planning and crowd control. >Continued on P6 >Continued on P6 3 tourists booked for highway stunts 60-yr-old doc found dead in apartment RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 CONTRACTOR ASKED TO CARRY OUT RECTIFICATION WORK FREE OF COST; TO BE BLACKLISTED LATER PANAJI: Parts of Goa have recorded isolated rainfall and thunderstorms over the past two days, with moderate showers in Quepem and Dharbandora. As per India Meteorological Department data, Quepem registered 35.0 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours while Dharbandora recorded 33.1 mm.   >> See pg 2 PANAJI: Three tourists from Uttarakhand have been booked for performing dangerous stunts atop a moving car on the Mapusa–Porvorim highway. The police action has been taken after a video showing a woman sitting on the roof of a moving car went viral on social media.    >> See pg 5 Instagram.com/thegoanonline 5 15 2 10 Renovation drama continues at No e-auction for 154 iron KA, govt orders fresh repairs ore leases in ESA region Kamat brokers meeting, but SGPDA-MMC deadlock over collection dues continues page 7 Facebook.com/thegoan NET WORTH: Farmers harvest a bumper catch of river fish from a khazan field in Curtorim on Friday. Six months ago, these farmers had yielded an abundant paddy crop from the same fields. (Report on pg 5) Santosh Mirajkar Zatra tragedy: Condition of one still critical, 2 recovering well THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The condition of one of the three survivors of the stampede at the Shirgao Temple zatra of Devi Lairai who still remain under treatment at the Goa Medical College and Hospital continues to be worrisome but the other two have shown “remarkable recovery” a top hospital official said. The two  patients who have recovered however remain under the watchful eyes of the GMC’s team of senior pulmonologists and will  be shifted  to the pulmonology ward before being discharged in the next couple of days, the official added. According to GMC’s Medical Superintendent Dr Rajesh THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Admitting to structural lapses in the recently renovated Kala Academy, the Goa government has ordered fresh repairs to the iconic cultural complex. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said the contractor responsible for the recently renovated Kala Academy has been asked to carry out all rectification works with no cost to the government. He also warned that the firm would be blacklisted and its contract terminated once the repairs are complete. “All works have been asked to be rectified, including those related to the sound and light systems, by the same contractor. As per the tendering process, he has to carry out the repairs free of cost. For works not mentioned in the tender, there will be a separate tender,” CM said. He added that further work within the four years will be SAWANT’S TOUGH TALK „„The contractor has been asked to rectify all works… including those related to sound and light systems „„Contractor has to carry out all repairs free of cost „„For works not mentioned in the tender, there will be a separate tender „„Firm to be blacklisted and its contract terminated once repairs are complete terminated and the contractor blacklisted. “But before that, he must complete the rectification,” he added. Sawant’s statement comes after the report submitted by the government-appointed task force last week raised serious concerns over the structural integrity and technical quality of the Kala Academy’s Rs 60-crore renovation, carried out between 2021 and 2023. The committee concluded that the renovation expenditure has been rendered futile due to glaring technical and structural shortcomings, and recommended an urgent structural audit of the entire Kala Academy. The PWD, which has directed the executive engineers to carry out repairs, has also decided to conduct a detailed investigation to determine whether the deficiencies identified by the expert committee were already covered in the original tender. Theatre personality Vijay Kenkre-headed committee found multiple flaws in the renovation, which was carried out under the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation. The findings suggested systemic mismanagement, pointing at defects from acoustic failings and poor air-conditioning to substandard lighting and a compromised theatre structure. Portugal heads for Turkish firm to challenge elections; Goan termination of India deals expats set to vote 1 VOTING TO BE HELD ON MAY 17 & 18 AT PORTUGUESE CONSULATE IN PANAJI THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI As Portugal heads to the polls on May 18 -- its third general election in just over three years -- Portuguese nationals residing in Goa, including Goans holding Portuguese nationality will be able to cast their votes at the Consulate General of Portugal in Panaji. The consulate, on its website, has announced that in-person voting will be conducted over two days, May 17 and 18, but only for those who are registered with election commission and are specifically authorized to vote in this manner. “On May 17, voting will take place from 8 am to 7 pm local time. On May 18, voting will be open from 8 am until the close of polling in national territory at 8 pm. Lisbon time, but not later than 7 pm local time,” the Consulate website stated. As per the Portuguese system, registration on the electoral roll is automatic based As per the Portuguese system, registration on the electoral roll is automatic based on the information on the citizen card (cartao de cidadao) and is eligible to vote in the May 18 elections on the information on the citizen card (cartao de cidadao), however, national citizens residing abroad may, cancel their registration. So any Portuguese citizen resident abroad automatically becomes a voter on obtaining a citizen card and is eligible to vote in the May 18 elections. Voters resident abroad are also permitted to vote via postal ballots and sources say that many have received the ballots. Aires Rodrigues who opted for Portuguese nationality wrote on his website that he would cast his vote in Lisbon.  >Continued on P6 Turkiye’s Celebi Hava Servisi AS on Friday said all available administrative and legal remedies will be pursued to challenge the unilateral termination of various licence and concession agreements in India after the security clearance for its India company was revoked. 2 Citing national security interest, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security on Thursday revoked the security clearance for the ground handling and cargo services provider Celebi after Turkiye backed Pakistan and condemned India’s strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring country. 3 Following the BCAS decision, operations of various entities of Celebi Hava Servisi AS have been suspended. Celebi, operating in the Indian aviation sector for over 15 years and employing over 10,000 people, was offering its services at nine airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad. >> See pg 8 Runway glitch leads to rare Over 50% vehicles still play hide & seek with HSRPs flight between Goa airports Goans now face higher HSRP costs THE GOAN I NETWORK PASSENGER DESCRIBES THE UNDER 15-MINUTE MOPADABOLIM FLIGHT AS ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EXPERIENCE VIKRAM NAYAK THE GOAN I VASCO A rare and unexpected experience unfolded for scores of passengers on Thursday night, when a sudden technical glitch shut down the runway lights at Goa’s Dabolim Airport, forcing multiple flight diversions — and in an unusual twist — leading to a brief but historic inter-airport flight within the State. Among the four flights that were diverted due to the runway blackout at Goa International Airport, three returned from the Manohar International Airport in Mopa to Dabolim after the technical snag was resolved. This gave passengers the once-in-a-lifetime experience of flying between the two airports of Goa, a journey that lasted less than 15 minutes. Airport authorities confirmed the rare occurrence. Speaking to The Goan, Goa Airport Director George Varghese said, “The runway experienced a sudden glitch and there was an issue with the runway lights. This led to the diversion of four flights — three of which were diverted to Mopa Airport and one to Mumbai. However, once the issue was resolved, all flights returned to Dabolim Airport with the passengers.” One of the flights that made this return trip was an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Goa. Among the passengers was Jayant Jadhav, who was flying along with his family to Goa. Jadhav described the experience as surreal and unforgettable. “We were on the IndiGo >Continued on P6 PANAJI ore than half of all vehicles registered in Goa are yet to be fitted with High Security Registration Plates (HSRPs), despite the mandate under the Central Motor Vehicles Act and repeated warnings from the Directorate of Transport of strict penalties for non-compliance. According to official data with The Goan, around 6.06 lakh vehicles in the State have been fitted with HSRPs, against a total of 13.34 lakh registered vehicles. The sluggish pace of implementation on the part of vehicle owners continues even after a circular on December 17, 2024, empowering authorised dealers and manufacturers to install HSRPs. The State had M PANAJI: The earlier government-tendered rates were subsidised at Rs 155 for two and three-wheelers, Rs 203 for four-wheelers and Rs 232 (approx) for heavy vehicles. These were considered among the lowest in the country. But that window has closed. With the tender period over, current rates are at the discretion of manufacturers and dealers. “We did our best to keep rates affordable during the tender period, but many vehicle owners still failed to comply. Now they will end up paying more,” the official said. earlier appointed two agencies through a tendering process until the contract ended five years later. Meanwhile, the current figures reveal that about 2.13 lakh vehicles were fitted with HSRP before April 1, 2019. Between April 1, 2019 and December 17, 2024, 3.85 lakh more were added and 8,164 vehicles have been fitted since the latest order. Officials conceded that some vehicles may have been scrapped, but the owners failed to report it. “The database only updates when owners voluntarily inform the department of scrapping. There is a process for scrapping, however, some owners do not inform about the unused vehicles...” the transport official said. Still, the Department has made compliance easier. Orders for HSRPs can be placed online through the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) portal, and vehicle owners have the freedom to approach any registered dealer for installation. “Dealers have been instructed to affix plates on all eligible vehicles, not just those from their own brands,” the official added. In a public notice issued in February, Director of Transport Pravimal Abhishek stated that field inspections had found widespread non-compliance. He warned that violators would face penalties under applicable laws. Sources revealed that the penalty for not having an HSRP is a mere Rs 500. “Only after a vehicle owner is detected without HSRP, he/she is fined,” the source added. The HSRP rule was enforced to prevent vehicle theft and promote standardization as a part of the pan-India drive. In 2023, the Transport Department admitted to violations by numerous vehicle owners and assured they were addressing the issue gradually, including strict implementation of HSRP. The department also planned to revive the implementation process and re-launch drives to ensure all vehicles were equipped with the HSRP plates.