log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline MONDAY JUNE 2, 2025 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 345 Goa's Biggest Media Brand with Highest Viewership which makes us >> pg 6 RBI policy, crude prices and global cues to guide markets this week IN SHORT >> SSA fraud: Three more in police net PANAJI: Goa police have made three more arrests in the ongoing investigation into the Rs 5 crore Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan fraud. Acting on leads, a Porvorim police team first arrested Sumanta Mondal from Nazirpur, West Bengal. Later, two more accused were nabbed in Delhi’s Paharganj area.  >> See pg 3 Over 40 Russian jets destroyed by Ukraine KYIV: A Ukrainian drone attack has destroyed more than 40 Russian planes deep in Russia’s territory, a Ukrainian security official said on Sunday, while Russia pounded Ukraine with missiles and drones a day before the two sides meet for a new round of direct talks in Istanbul.   >> See pg 7 Smart City gets recycled benches PANAJI: Some public spaces in Panaji got an intriguing set of street furniture -- benches crafted entirely from recycled plastic -- giving the capital’s ‘smart city’ makeover a green push. The Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited said 11 such benches were installed at the refurbished National Theatre– Café Bhosle square.   >> See pg 3 Ex-PM Hasina indicted for mass murder DHAKA: Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal on Sunday indicted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and two others on several charges, including mass murder, for their alleged role in the violent crackdown on student-led protests that took place last year. WEATHER >> Max: 33 C Min: 27 C Humidity: 87% TIDES Low: High: 08:58 22:50 02:50 16:18 Instagram.com/thegoanonline French Open: Swiatek passes Rybakina test to reach QFs Pg 12 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Come join us Contact: 9011043385 / 9850755549 / 9130004704 / 9689923150 Email: marketing@prudentmedia.in Damu-Gaude meet today, Trawlers drop anchor as 2-mth fishing ban starts sparks fresh speculation BJP CHIEF SAYS WILL ACT ACCORDINGLY AFTER HEARING MIN THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Amid ongoing cabinet suspense, the crucial meeting scheduled for Monday between BJP party chief Damodar Naik and Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude is likely to fuel further speculations. Gaude is under flak for his alleged corruption remark against his own Pramod Sawant-led government.  As a matter of principle justice, the party has decided to take “necessary” action against the Minister only after granting him a personal hearing. Speaking to The Goan, Naik confirmed his meeting with Gaude on Monday without shedding more light on it.  “I will speak to him tomorrow. High command is aware about the matter...we will act accordingly,” he said.  Rumours are making round The party has decided to take “necessary” action against the Minister only after granting him a personal hearing… I will speak to him tomorrow…. High command is aware about the matter and we will act accordingly — Damodar Naik that Gaude will be asked to resign and an MLA from tribal community would be sworn in. However there is no clarity whether it would be Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar or Sanvordem MLA Ganesh Gaonkar.  It is also been learnt that another Minister would be dropped at the same time to make way for Margao MLA Digambar Kamat. According to the sources, Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai has been requested by the government not to have any travel plans outside Goa atleast for next one week.  During a Tribal event last week, Gaude alleged that there was corruption in the Tribal Welfare Dept which is handled by Chief Minister. CM along with Naik had strongly criticized the statement while declaring to take stern action.   Gaude has been in hot waters for quite some time. The alleged corruption in the renovation work of the iconic Kala Academy structure has also been taken note of by the party, apart from his public fall out against Ramesh Tawadkar and allies -- MGP. SMALL BOATS WITH OUTBOARD MOTORS EXCLUDED THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The breeding season ban on mechanised fishing along  Goa’s coast came into effect from  Sunday and will last until July 31. The ban aims to protect marine biodiversity during the monsoon breeding season and prohibits mechanised  fishing vessels (trawlers) with both trawl  nets as well as purse-seine nets from venturing out for  fishing through the ban period. The ban, however, excludes small canoes registered with the fisheries department and fitted with outboard motors of maximum 10 Horse-power. These canoes will be permitted to fish using gill nets. Hundreds of trawlers drop anchor for this two-month period in Goa and also in the three other States on the west coast -- Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala. Interestingly, the ban on Fishing trawlers anchored at Malim jetty. mechanised fishing is bonanza time for Goa’s traditional fishing communities (ramponkars) inhabiting little fishing hamlets across the 105-kilometer coastline. The ban affects supplies to local fish markets and the catch of the  traditional ramponkars fetch better prices and they also end up with better catch during this period. Several fish-loving Goans also make a beeline to these KINGS REIGN SUPREME Romeo Lane under scrutiny DEFEAT MUMBAI INDIANS TO SET UP FINAL CLASH WITH RCB over illegal construction Shreyas Iyer lead from the front as Punjab Kings crushed Mumbai Indians by five wickets with six balls to spare to set up the IPL final date with Royal Challengers Bangalore. The finals will be played on June 3. TOURISM DEPT ISSUES 15-DAY DEADLINE THE GOAN I NETWORK (Report on page 12) Taximen to march to Panaji today; govt enforces prohibitory orders THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI As over 2000 taxi operators along with their families are set to march to Transport Department office on Monday raising objection to the app aggregator guidelines, the State government has imposed prohibitory orders for June 2 in and around Junta House.  The North Goa Collector has issued prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.  Collector Ankit Yadav said that as the North SP report such huge gathering is likely to result in blockage of roads, disturbance to traffic flow, working of government officers and may cause a breach of peace and tranquility in Panaji City. “There is a reasonable apprehension of law and order problems arising out of the said gathering,” Collector >Continued on P5 MAPUSA The popular beachside club Romeo Lane has once again come under fire for flouting the law with constructions on Goa’s protected coastal belt. The Department of Tourism has now issued yet another notice to ‘Romeo Lane Private Bar and Restaurant’, directing the immediate removal of illegal structures and encroachments at Ozrant, Anjuna. The Department has cited violations of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification and the Goa Tourist Places Protection and Maintenance Act. “The shack expansion activities and illegal construction are damaging the tourism potential of this fragile beach zone which is a breach of the CRZ notification,” said Kedar Naik, Director of Tourism in a notice issued to the club proponents. “They have been given 15 days to comply. If they don’t, we will initiate stringent legal action,” the director added. The Romeo Lane beach club. However, locals and activists remain skeptical. This isn’t the first time Romeo Lane has been pulled up. Despite multiple directives from the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) and even the High Court, the club has persistently expanded its structures – building permanent steps, upper decks and now an entirely new structure on land belonging to the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC). The new construction falls squarely within a No-Development Zone, a region legally protected from any permanent or semi-permanent structures. Environmentalists argue that this is not just an en- croachment – it’s an assault on Goa’s fragile coastal ecology. Last year, the GCZMA had clearly ordered the dismantling of all unauthorized extensions. The High Court reinforced that order and instructed the Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB) to prepare a coastal restoration plan to undo the damage caused by Romeo Lane’s recklessness. “This is a mockery of the law. While small shack operators are hounded for the tiniest infractions, Romeo Lane seems to enjoy a free pass. This is not negligence – its protection from powerful >Continued on P5 fishing  hamlets either on beaches or river banks, for a bargain directly from the ramponkars and for a fresh fair. Other traditional  fishing  areas -- brackish waters and sluice-gate regulated khazans (manas) -- also witness hectic fishing activity during these two-month ban period  when  markets are starved of fish supplies from the mechanised  fishing (trawlers). Two youth meet watery grave at Usgao, two others rescued THE GOAN I NETWORK PONDA Two youth tragically drowned while participating in water sports at the river in Usgaon-Ganje while two others who were stranded in the middle of the river were rescued by the fire and emergency services on Sunday. According to reports, a group of youth had gone to the river in Ganje for water sports. Unaware of the river’s depth and changing currents, they were caught off guard when the water flow suddenly increased. Two youth were swept away by the strong current, while two others managed to cling to a rock in the middle of the river in an attempt to save their lives. In response to the emergency, authorities reinstated the sluice plates at the dam to control the water flow and successfully rescued the stranded youths. The two who drowned have been identified as Dhananjay Khairnar and Lavpreet. By late evening, the body of one of the drowned youth was recovered, while the search for the second was still ongoing. IndiGo joins hands with global Disaster looms, 7 Canacona buildings at risk of collapse giants to boost air connectivity THE GOAN I NETWORK PACT WITH DELTA, AIR FRANCE-KLM, VIRGIN ATLANTIC PTI NEW DELHI IndiGo, Delta Air Lines, Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic on Sunday announced a partnership to enhance air connectivity from India to Europe as well as North America. “Linking dozens of cities in the US, Canada, Europe and India, the airlines aim to meet rising demand for international travel while setting new standards for connectivity and cooperation in global aviation,” a release said. IndiGo, India’s largest airline, is expanding its international network and is set to start flights to 10 overseas cities in the current fiscal ending March 2026. The partnership was jointly announced at a briefing in the national capital by IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian, Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith and Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss. India is one of the world’s fastest growing civil aviation markets. Meanwhile, under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) announced on Sunday, the efforts will be to create a framework for deeper collaboration between the carriers on a bilateral and multilateral basis. Besides, the airlines will look at commercial collaboration including network, loyalty, cargo and sales. They will also explore areas of non-commercial cooperation including aircraft maintenance, sustainability, training and ground handling. CANACONA wo municipal buildings and the Canacona Community Health Centre’s (CHC) residential quarters are among the seven buildings in Canacona municipality on the verge of collapse, posing a serious threat to life. Incidentally, the condition of these buildings have been deteriorating since the past many years and files pertaining to some of these buildings have been lying with authorities, including the Canacona Municipal Council (CMC), Dy Collector, and Mamlatdar, with no concrete solution for the last three years. The walls of at least two T One of the buildings in a dilapidated condition in Canacona. buildings have been giving away during the monsoons, and a terrace/parapet of an old residential-cum-commercial municipal building has even fallen. It is, however, learnt that authorities are unable to act immediately as some of these private buildings are embroiled in litigation.   The municipal residential-cum-commercial building next to the church, another building next to municipal garden, a private building right across the NH-66 near Margao Bus-Stop, another building across the Ponsulem Road, besides the CHC quarters near the old CHC building in the CHC compound are amongst the dilapidated buildings on the verge of collapse.   Following public apprehensions and court directives, the CMC in December 2023 had, through the Goa Engineering College (GEC), conducted stability tests of five old buildings including one of its own building.  Then CMC Chairperson Ramakant Naikgaunkar had also earlier warned that if GEC experts declare any or all of these buildings unsafe or unfit for occupation, the trade licenses of the businesses from these buildings would not be renewed or revoked. He had also stated that if any of these five buildings are likely to damage or cause harm to public and other properties, they would be considered for demolition. Following the last week pre-monsoon rains, the walls of a private building at Chaudi further crumbled down, compelling a local resident Shankar Naik to appeal the Disaster Management Authority to act upon without delay.  “As it has happened for the last 2-3 years, the walls have again begun to crumble after pre-monsoon rains. This building is on the verge of collapse, and I have already informed the CMC, Dy. Collector and if it collapses, it will fall on my house,” said Naik.