log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline MONDAY MAY 19, 2025 GOA India-US trade deal, Q4 results among 6 factors set to impact stock markets IMD issues alert for heavy rain PANAJI: The India Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for Goa from May 20 to 22 indicating the possibility of very heavy rainfall accompanied by lightning and gusty wind. The IMD has also warned of heavy showers on May 23 and 24, and as such the coastal State is put on yellow alert for those days. The IMD has warned of rough sea conditions and has advised fishermen against venturing into sea during the period. The advance of the southwest monsoon over the coastal State is marked by monsoon onset over Kerala, which the normally on June 1.  IN SHORT >> The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 331 GOA PWD gears up to dismantle illegal structures on public roads How to stop your mind from wandering while you meditate SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION FILED LAST WEEK THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Goa Government has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court of Bombay in Goa’s order to read down the Rules and Regulations under the controversial Section 17(2) of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1974 and restrain the State from granting any more permissions for zonal change.  The move comes even after TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane announced not to move the Court but to tweak the rules and guidelines as per the high court directions and make Section 17(2) operational. According to sources, the State has challenged the HC order through an SLP earlier this week.  The Division Bench comprising of Justice MS Karnik and Justice Nivedita Mehta through an order dated March 13 struck down the Goa Town FLASHBACK: THE HC ORDER „„2-judge bench through an order dated March 13 struck down TCP Rules, 2023 for being ‘ultra vires’ „„Section 17(2) is read down to avoid the vice of arbitrariness and hostile discrimination by interpreting the expression “inconsistent or incoherent zoning proposals” to mean ‘inconsistency or incoherence of a zoning proposal „„It would in no case imply change of zone of a land parcel having regard to its peculiar facts „„Rules do not specify or give any indication as to what are the circumstances under which the inconsistent or incoherent zoning proposal needs corrections and the same is being done through guidelines and Country Planning (Alteration/Modification in the Regional Plan for Rectification of Inconsistent/Inadvertent Zoning Proposals) Rules, 2023 for being “ultra vires”. The Court had passed the judgment in a public interest litigation filed by the Goa Foundation, the Khazan Society of Goa, Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) and several other individual petitioners. “Section 17(2), however is read down to avoid the vice of arbitrariness and hostile discrimination by interpreting the expression “inconsistent or incoherent zoning proposals” to mean ‘inconsistency or incoherence of a zoning proposal with respect to another proposal in the RP, or with respect to the Outline Development Plan; it would in no case imply change of zone of a land parcel having regard to its peculiar facts,” the Court TIDES Low: High: 08:25 22:04 01:30 15:55 NARROW ESCAPE: A concrete segment came crashing down during ongoing work on the elevated corridor at the Sangolda junction on Sunday Concrete segment of Porvorim flyover collapses at Sangolda THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA A concrete segment of an under-construction elevated corridor at Sangolda junction collapsed on Sunday afternoon while it was being lifted onto a girder, injuring two people. Fortunately, there were no fatalities. The incident occurred when metal hooks supporting the concrete segment reportedly failed, causing the massive structure to crash. Emergency services and police personnel rushed to the site immediately after the collapse. One of the injured was a civilian who had brought his two-wheeler for repair to a mechanic near the flyover. He suffered a leg injury after being struck by falling debris. A labourer working with the contractor was also injured during the incident. Both were rushed to the North Goa District Hospital in >Continued on P5 MAPUSA Just two days after the Public Works Department (PWD) enforced a ban on road digging effective from May 15, multiple complaints have been filed at various police stations against government bodies and private agencies for flouting the directive. Among those named in the complaints are the Electricity Department, Indian Oil Adani Gas Pvt Ltd (IOAGPL) and the Santa Cruz panchayat. PWD officials have alleged that these entities carried out unauthorised road excavation work despite the official ban. PWD Assistant Engineer from Work Division VI lodged two formal complaints at the Fatorda Police Station against the electricity department and IOAGPL. The AE stated that the Electricity Department has continued horizontal directional drilling (HDD) on State Highway 5 (SH-5) in Fatorda to lay underground cables, in violation of the ban. “This activity is in direct violation of the prevailing government order. The ongoing Pope pledges to make church a sign of world peace PTI VATICAN CITY ope Leo XIV, history’s first American pope, vowed on Sunday to work for unity so that the Catholic Church becomes a sign of peace in the world, offering a message of communion during an inaugural Mass in St Peter’s Square before tens of thousands of people, presidents, patriarchs and princes. Leo officially opened his pontificate by taking his first popemobile tour through the piazza, a rite of passage that has become synonymous with the papacy’s global reach and mediatic draw. The 69-year-old Augustinian missionary smiled and waved from the back of the truck, but didn’t appear to stop to kiss babies and the crowd. P IN POPE LEO’S OWN WORDS „„I want to be a servant to the faithful through the two dimensions of papacy -- love and unity -- so that the church could be a force for peace in the world „„I would like that our first great desire be for a united church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world „„We still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference „„Let us build a church founded on God’s love, a sign of unity, a missionary church that opens its arms to the world During the Mass, Leo appeared to choke up when the two potent symbols of the papacy were placed on him the pallium woolen stole over his shoulders and the fisherman’s ring on his finger as if the weight of responsibility of leading the 1.4-billion strong church had just sunk in. He turned his hand to look at the ring and seal and then clasped his hands in front of him in prayer. Security was tight as civil protection crews in neon uniforms funneled pilgrims into quadrants in the piazza and up and down the boulevard that leads to it for the ceremony blending ancient ritual, evocative symbols and a dose of modern-day celebrity. US Vice President JD Vance, one of the last foreign officials to see Pope Francis before he died, led the US delegation honouring the Chicago-born Leo after paying his respects at the Argentine pope’s tomb upon arriving in Rome late Saturday. In his homily, Leo said he wanted to be a servant to the faithful through the two dimensions of the papacy, love and unity, so that the church could be a force for peace in the world. I would like that our first great desire be for a united church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world, he said. In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalises the poorest. His call for unity was significant, given the polarization in the Catholic Church in the United States and beyond. Leo’s May 8 election, after a remarkably quick 24-hour conclave, has appeared at the outset to have pleased Catholics who seem to appreciate his more disciplined, traditional style and Augustinian background, emphasizing core truths of Catholic doctrine. 12 8 kids among 17 killed in huge Hyderabad blaze NARROW STAIRCASE HINDERS ESCAPE PTI HYDERABAD A blaze triggered by a suspected short circuit in a building near the iconic Charminar here on Sunday killed 17 people, including eight children, belonging to an extended family. The fire broke out at a building in Gulzar Houz here, police said. “All 17 who were shifted to hospitals were brought dead,” a senior police official told PTI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the loss of lives and announced ex-gratia. A narrow staircase was the only escape route for the inmates of the building, but they could not rush out, a Fire Department official said. The building housed jewellery shops on the ground floor and people were residing in a flat above, police said adding smoke spread and people suffocated. AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi told reporters that the family TRAGIC SUNDAY „„Prima-facie cause of the fire is short circuit in the mains in the shopping area, an official said „„Victims were sleeping when fire broke out „„Some of the children had come to the house that caught fire for summer holidays „„Total of 21 people were in the building when the fire erupted has been residing there for 125 years, indicating that generations from the particular family have been living there for over a century. The family is said to be running a jewellery shop in the city. “Now only two members of the family are left. I want to offer my condolences. I was informed by DG Fire Services that most of the deaths happened due to asphyxiation... let the report come, it is very painful,” he said. Hyderabad Police Commis- THE GOAN I NETWORK NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court will hear on Monday two pleas by Turkish company Celebi Airport Services and another firm against the decision of aviation watchdog BCAS revoking its security clearance in the ‘interest of national security’. Max: 33.5 C Min: 27.4 C Humidity: 75% Sudharsan, Gill star as GT easily chases down 200 against DC POLICE PROBING UNAUTHORISED ROAD WORKS Delhi HC to hear Celebi’s plea today WEATHER >> had said. “The Goa Town and Country Planning (Alteration/Modification in the Regional Plan for Rectification of Inconsistent/Inadvertent Zoning Proposals) Rules, 2023 are struck down, being ultra vires the provisions of the Constitution and the TCP Act, thereby rendering the Guidelines for the Alteration/Modification to be carried out under Section 17(2) issued by the Town and Country Planning Department as null and void,” the Court said further.  The Court observed that the Rules do not specify or give any indication as to what are the circumstances under which the inconsistent or incoherent zoning proposal needs corrections and the same is being done through guidelines. According to the Court, as on January 2, 2025, there have been 353 approvals under Section 17(2) which affects an area of about 26,54,286 square meters. 9 SPORTS Illegal road cutting sparks police plaints across Goa WASHINGTON: Priya Saxena, an Indian PhD student at a university in South Dakota, whom the Trump admin has been attempting to deport from the United States, has won a legal reprieve from a federal court, allowing her to stay in America. NEW DELHI: Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Razaullah Nizamani Khalid alias Abu Saifullah Khalid, who was the brain behind the 2006 attack on the RSS headquarters, was killed by three unidentified gunmen in Sindh province of Pakistan on Sunday, officials said. RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Indian student wins battle to stay in US LeT terrorist behind India attacks killed Instagram.com/thegoanonline 3 2 TCP Act: Goa govt moves SC challenging HC order Hazardous zinc waste at Cuncolim set to weather another monsoon >> pg 6 Facebook.com/thegoan DIGGING DEFIANCE: The road cutting carried out by St Cruz panchayat near Green Valley. digging poses a serious risk to public safety and it has not been authorised by this office,” the complaint reads. Another complaint was filed against IOAGPL for continuing excavation along the Madel-Fatorda road to lay gas pipelines. According to the complaint, the agency proceeded with the digging work despite repeated oral instructions to halt operations. Fatorda Police Inspector Nathan Almeida confirmed receipt of the complaints but said that no FIRs have been registered yet. “We are looking into the matter,” he stated. In a separate incident, a PWD Junior Engineer from Work Division II, Patto, filed a complaint against the Santa Cruz panchayat for carrying out road cutting operations despite the ban. Similarly, the PWD >Continued on P5 sioner C V Anand said most of the buildings, including the one that caught fire, at Gulzar Houz and surrounding areas are of 100 to 200 years old. Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services Director General Y Nagi Reddy, who inspected the spot, said that the fire was reported between 6 and 6.15 am. There was a call to the fire department at 6.16 am and the fire engine was turned out at 6.17 am, he said. There were shops on the ground floor while the first and second floors were residential spaces, he said. “Prima-facie cause of the fire is short circuit in the mains in the shopping area,” Reddy said, adding the victims were sleeping when the fire broke out. According to the relatives of the victims, some of the children had come to the house that caught fire for summer holidays, which ended in tragedy. A total of 21 people were in the building when the fire erupted. Breast cancer: 1.63L women screened, 70 cases detected THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Over 1.63 lakh women have now been covered under the Goa health ministry’s mass screening programme -Swasth Mahila Swasth Goa -and 70 positive cases of breast cancer were detected in the early stages.  Health Minister Vishwajit Rane shared the data on his social media handles. “Through our mission of Swasth Mahila Swasth Goa we’ve screened 1.63L+ women, detecting 70 breast cancer cases early using the non-invasive iBreast device,” Rane said in a post on micro-blogging site ‘X’, formerly Twitter. Rane also said that through these screenings, over 3,300 suspect cases were flagged.  “Screening is key to early detection. I urge all to take health seriously and get screened,” he added. The breast screening program uses iBreast devices to screen women and has been on stream for over two years in the State. Medical and para-medical staff attached to Goa’s health centres are trained on breast cancer awareness, counseling and iBreast device handling. Operators slam brakes on new ‘Mhaji bus’ scheme DEMAND PENDING SUBSIDY OF `  CRORE 18 THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Expressing complete displeasure at being excluded from the decision-making process while launching the revamped ‘Mhaji Bus Scheme 2025’, bus operators have refused to be part of the scheme unless the government releases their pending fuel subsidy worth Rs 18 crore. Private Bus Operators on Sunday held a meeting to discuss their grievances and it was resolved that unless their pending subsidy is released, they will not be part of the There is a pending fuel subsidy worth Rs 18 crore for two years which is not released. Unless that is released, how can we trust the government on the new scheme —Sudesh Kalangutkar scheme, which proposes fuel subsidy of Rs three per kilometre for every kilometre operated. There are approximately 1,250 private buses operation- al in the State while there are many off road and unable to resume operations after COVID pandemic. Addressing media persons, president of the All Goa Stage Carriage Bus Owners’ Association, Sudesh Kalangutkar said that there is no clarity on the scheme and also questioned as why the bus operators were not consulted before drafting the revised scheme He said that the government has framed policies for the transport sector without taking bus operators into >Continued on P5