log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline MONDAY JULY 1, 2024 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 14 3 2 Assagao villagers erupt over house demolition Questions on encroachments along pavements haunt authorities in Margao GOA Pvt entity’s move to take over fallow fields faces opposition P’YAT BLAMED FOR ILLEGALLY ALLOTTING HOUSE NUMBER TO AGARWADEKARS CONTROVERSIAL CLUB ALSO IN LINE OF FIRE THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA The ongoing controversy surrounding the demolition of a house and the establishment of a controversial club dominated the proceedings of the Assagao village gram sabha on Sunday. Villagers united in their criticism of the panchayat, holding it accountable for the ongoing issues plaguing the village. A unanimous resolution was passed by the villagers to oppose the setup of the contentious club. The poor condition of the village roads, attributed to the slow progress of underground power cabling and water pipeline installations, was another major concern voiced during the meeting. Local resident Kedar Kamat expressed deep concerns over the fraud and politicization of the Agarwadekar case, blaming the panchayat for illegally allotting a house number to the Agarwadekars. He stressed that Assagao's reputation was suffering due to IN SHORT >> ‘Smart City’ bus service from today PANAJI: The Kadamba Transport Corporation will begin operating the 'Smart City' bus service from Monday only on two of the seven proposed routes in and around Panaji. KTC General Manager Narayan Naik said five of the e-buses will be pressed into service from Monday on two peripheral routes. >> See pg 3 NEET-UG case: Guj school owner held GODHRA: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Sunday arrested the owner of a private school in Gujarat's Godhra in connection with alleged malpractices in the NEET-UG exam. Jay Jalaram School was one of the designated centres where the NEET-UG exam was held on May 5. Switzerland, Italy in grip of storms BERLIN: Storms in Switzerland and northern Italy caused extensive flooding and landslides, leaving at least four people dead, authorities said on Sunday. Pooja may skip summons today PANAJI: In all probability, Pooja Sharma, the main accused in the Assagao house demolition, will skip summons scheduled for Monday. Sources said although the summons sent to her residence in Mumbai has not yet been received by Sharma, she may skip it and seek more time to appear before the Special Investigation Team. Sharma has been absconding since the controversial demolition on June 22 and evaded the police who have failed to track her whereabouts. “She could probably be following the news... We have learnt that she will seek time. However, nothing is clear until we receive formal communication either from her or her lawyer,” said sources. The SIT-CB issued fresh summons for Pooja Sharma to appear on July 1 after she failed to respond to the summons issued by the previous investigation team of Anjuna police. the establishment of the controversial club and the Agarwadekar issue, urging the panchayat to take stringent actions. "All the illegalities happening in the village are due to the tacit support of the village panchayat. The sarpanch is aware of all developments and selectively makes deci- sions for financial gain," a villager asserted, directing the criticism at Sarpanch Hanumant Naik over the Agarwadekar issue. Naik, however, refused to comment on the house demolition matter, citing an ongoing investigation. Addressing the controversial club issue, Surendra Gaad, Convenor of the AB- CAC, detailed the committee's efforts to halt the club's establishment. The sarpanch informed the villagers about the panchayat's actions regarding the development, stating that the landowner was approaching various authorities such as the TCP, fire department, and Directorate of Panchayat. He assured that the panchayat was united in opposing the club at all levels. Naik added that if the Directorate of Panchayat (DoP) overruled the panchayat's decision, the panchayat would consider approaching the High Court. The gram sabha resolved to oppose the club's setup in the village emphatically. The panchayat and gram sabha members also criticized the Public Works Department (PWD) and electricity departments for the poorly managed road digging, which has left the roads in a dreadful state. The hazardous road conditions were described as a nightmare for motorists, with >Continued on P6 Karnataka pushes Centre for nod on Kalsa project SIDDARAMAIAH MEETS PM, CALLS FOR QUICK RESOLUTION OF DISPUTE WITH GOA THE GOAN I NETWORK BELAGAVI Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, requesting the Centre's clearance for three major pending water projects, including the Kalsa-Bhandura water diversion project. Accompanied by his deputy D K Shivakumar and Cabinet ministers Dr Parameshwar and H C Mahadevappa, Siddaramaiah also pressed for the resolution of the Kalsa-Bhandura dispute with Goa. In a post on social media platform X Siddaramaiah wrote, "Chief Minister Shri @siddaramaiah submitted a detailed letter to Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi highlighting key demands and priorities for Karnataka's development. Anticipating constructive collab- oration for the progress of our state”. The post on X also revealed that the Karnataka CM requested approval of important projects of the state. “The approval of the Rs 9,000 crore Mekedatu Dam Project, which will provide drinking water to Bangalore city and generate 400 MW of electricity, is pending with the Central Water Commission… the Prime Min- ister requested to take personal interest in the said project”, it said. Siddaramaiah also requested officials of Ministry of Water, Power and Ministry of Environment and Forests to release Rs 5,300 crore for the Bhadra Upper Bank Project as announced in the Union Budget 2023-2024 and for quick settlement of the Kalsa-Bandura drinking water project. The problem of drinking water will be solved due to Mahadai Yojana, a long-time dream project of the people of Kittoor Karnataka region”, he said. Furthermore, Siddaramaiah petitioned the Prime Minister to grant funds to the State government and NHAI through Central Budget for the construction of a tunnel which will further help in decongesting the Bangalore city. New criminal laws take effect from today PTI NEW DELHI hree new criminal laws will come into effect across the country from Monday, bringing widespread changes in India's criminal justice system and ending colonial-era laws. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam will replace the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively. The new laws will bring in a modern justice system, incorporating provisions such as Zero FIR, online registration of police complaints, summonses through electronic modes such as SMS and mandatory videography of crime scenes T CURTAIN FALLS ON BRITISH-ERA LAWS „„New laws to bring in a modern justice system, incorporating provisions such as Zero FIR, online registration of police complaints „„Summonses through electronic modes such as SMS „„Mandatory videography of crime scenes for all heinous crimes for all heinous crimes. They have tried to address some of the current social realities and crimes and provide a mechanism to effectively deal with these, keeping in view the ideals enshrined in the Constitution, official sources said. „„Judgment in criminal cases within 45 days of trial and charges must be framed within 60 days of first hearing „„Statement of rape Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who piloted the laws, said the new laws would give priority to providing justice, unlike the British-era laws that gave primacy to penal action. “These laws are made by Indians, for Indians and by an victims to be recorded by a female police officer in presence of her guardian or relative „„Sedition replaced with treason and video recording of all search and seizure made mandatory „„Offences against women & children, murder & offences against State given precedence Indian Parliament and marks the end of colonial criminal justice laws,” he said. Shah said the laws were not just about changing the nomenclature but bringing about >Continued on P6 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 10 INFO Remedies to remove dark ring around mouth SPORTS Euro: England comes back to beat Slovakia in extra time 11 AS VIRAT KOHLI, ROHIT SHARMA & RAVINDRA JADEJA BOW OUT… UNCERTAIN FUTURE AWAITS TEAM INDIA NEW CAPTAIN While players and fans are still engulfed in the high of the T20 World Cup win, the retirement of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja certainly signals a tectonic shift in Indian cricket KING KOHLI „„Hardik Pandya seems to be the captain-elect after leading in multiple series and serving as deputy to Rohit „„Rishabh Pant has proven himself as a solid choice in IPL „„Shubman Gill has also been named to lead in upcoming series against Zimbabwe OPENING PAIR „„Rohit & Virat opened the batting in every game of T20 World Cup and the team will now need talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal & Ruturaj Gaikwad to stake their claim (Related reports on pg 12) GAMBHIR TOP GUN FOR INDIA COACH `125  cr BCCI award for Team India After India’s T20 World Cup victory under Rahul Dravid's leadership has drawn the curtain on his tenure as head coach, all eyes are now on who will take the reins. Among the frontrunners for the coveted position is former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir. „„Arguably the best batter in modern cricket, Kohli has been a star, excelling as a formidable batter, exceptional fielder, and possessing a seasoned cricketing intellect India must now identify a successor for the crucial No 3 batting position Muddy tap water raises health concerns THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA Residents in parts of Mapusa and other areas of Bardez have been experiencing muddy tap water for several days. Despite this, officials from the PWD water division claim they have not received any complaints. Numerous residents have voiced their concerns to the PWD, but these complaints have reportedly gone unanswered. MAPUSA-BARDEZ Komal D’Souza, a Mapusa councillor, stated, "I have received complaints from people in my ward about the muddy water. I reported the issue to Junior Engineer Prajyot Naik. If basic necessities are not met, what is the use of this government?" Former councillor Vishwas Salgaonkar from Khorlim, Mapusa, echoed these sentiments, noting that residents have been dealing with mud- dy water for several days. Shashank Narvekar, councillor of ward 5, added, "We have also noticed the PWD water is slightly muddy, although it is not as bad as last year." Similar issues have been reported in Guirim and other >Continued on P6