log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2024 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 15 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME IX, NO. 99 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 3 2 10 Tivim villagers up ante against university on comunidade land Road safety, cleanliness programmes evoke lukewarm response from Margao councillors GOA INFO Porvorim flyover: Govt gives account of trees Why we need to get back to dal sabji to stay healthy? SPORTS ISL: Punjab FC maintains perfect start with 2-0 win over Hyderabad FC 15 Bhutani Infra gets panchayat notice FIRM DIRECTED TO COMPLY OVER 400 SIGN LETTER, CALL FOR SPECIAL GRAM SABHA TO DISCUSS PLAN; LOCALS WITH PDA REGULATIONS FEAR THREAT TO LAND, ENVIRONMENT; PLAN LEGAL ACTION ON LAND SALE ON PAGE 3 >> AGNELO PEREIRA THE GOAN I MAPUSA CYBER TECH CYBERCRIME AND ITS IMPACT: A growing threat in the digital age >> See PG 7 >> See PG 3 No Tribal Bhavan despite repeated assurances IN SHORT >> Two more cholera cases at Cutbona MARGAO: Two more cholera cases have been reported on Wednesday, both from the Cutbona fishing jetty, taking the total number of cholera cases reported so far at Cutbona and Mobor to 220.   >> See pg 2 Shack operators get provisional licences PANAJI: Shack operators on Wednesday claimed they have been issued provisional licences, a move expected to boost early tourist arrivals to Goa this season. The operators have now applied to various linked departments for NOCs to begin operations with the tourist season set to start on October 2. >> See pg 3 Rivers’ nationalisation to boost logistics: Min PANAJI: The Minister for Ports Aleixo Sequeira on Wednesday said that the nationalisation of rivers will help Goa in a big way with funds moving in from the Centre to develop the rivers as a logistic source.  >> See pg 3 3 DySPs promoted to post of SP PANAJI: Three DySPs have been promoted to the post of Superintendent of Police (SP) by the Goa government. The officers promoted are Prabodh Shirwaiker, Harishchandra Madkaikar and Santosh Dessai. A growing movement of locals, including some prominent Gaunkars, are uniting in opposition to the proposed establishment of a private university on comunidade land in the village of Tivim. Villagers argue that the project could threaten their environment, infrastructure and heritage. On Wednesday, more than 400 concerned citizens, including Gaunkars, submitted a formal letter to the Tivim village panchayat, objecting to the construction of the private university. Wednesday marked the last day to file objections or provide suggestions on the controversial project. The villagers have also called for a special gram sabha to address the issue publicly. Among those leading the charge is Mollie Da Gama Silva, a resident of Cansa-Tivim, who raised concerns that the project may be the beginning of even more commercial development. Locals allege threats to silence opposition to university project MAPUSA: Tensions are escalating in Tivim as villagers have come forward with serious allegations against certain Gaunkars of the Tivim comunidade, accusing them of using threats and intimidation to suppress objections against the private university project proposed to be built on comunidade land. GREEN, GREEN, GOING: The green hillside of comunidade land in Cansa, Tivim, designated for the proposed private university project.  Agnelo Pereira “There is a real fear that hidden projects like hotels will follow in the wake of this university. This could turn our village into a concrete jungle. The natural ecosystem and the hills surrounding the area will be vulnerable to soil erosion and deforestation,” Silva said. Residents have also expressed concerns about the strain the university could place on the village's infrastructure, including sewage systems, waste management, and the availability of water and electricity. Despite the opposition, the project has received the backing of the government, which approved the establishment of MIT World Peace University, Pune, on a plot of 2 lakh square metres. The land, which falls under Survey No. 88/1, is owned by the Tivim comunidade. The Investment Promotion Board (IPB) has already given the project in-principle approval, sparking further discontent among locals. Tivim resident Rahul Mhambre criticised the manner in which the land was allocated. "Land in Goa should serve Twist in Karwar murder: Prime suspect found dead at Betim CAUSE OF DEATH STILL UNCLEAR; PROBE INTENSIFIES THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Three days after businessman Vinayak Naik was murdered by five assailants in Karwar, the case took a major turn on Wednesday when the prime suspect Guruprasad Rane – who was on a lookout by both Goa and Karnataka police – was found dead at Betim. Initially, there was confusion as two male bodies were discovered at Divar and Betim ferry wharfs about 12 hours apart. The body found at Betim was later confirmed to be Rane's. However, it remains unclear whether Rane was murdered or died by suicide. “The body found floating near the Betim ferry wharf had an ID card with the name Guruprasad Naik. His family also confirmed his identity. Earlier in the day, a body was found floating near the Divar ferry jetty, which was suspected to be Rane’s,” an Old Goa police official said. The police have arrested two persons, natives of Bihar, THE GOAN I NETWORK „„ CASE TAKES MYSTERIOUS TURN „„Guruprasad Rane, the prime suspect in businessman Vinayak Naik’s murder in Karwar, was found dead at Betim, three days after the crime „„Initially, two male bodies were discovered 12 hours apart at Divar and Betim ferry wharfs. The body at Betim was later confirmed to be Rane „„It is still unknown whether Rane’s death was a result of murder or suicide. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause from Delhi and have also taken a man from Assam into custody. The Karwar police, working jointly with the Goa Bizman’s murder in Karwar „„Vinayak Naik was murdered by five assailants in Karwar, and his wife, Vaishali, was seriously injured in the attack. She is undergoing treatment at Karwar Medical College Hospital „„Two individuals from Bihar were arrested in Delhi, and another man from Assam was taken into custody in connection with the murder „„The Goa and Karnataka police are working together, with claims that a Goa-registered vehicle was used in the crime and entered Goa after the attack police, have claimed that a Goa-registered vehicle was >Continued on P8 Tivim p’yat faces criticism amid allegations of collusion MAPUSA: As the controversy surrounding the proposed private university project on comunidade land intensifies, the ruling group of the Tivim panchayat has publicly expressed support for the villagers, stating that the issue will be discussed during the ordinary gram sabha expected in the second week of October. However, some villagers claim the panchayat’s stance is far from genuine, alleging that local leaders are secretly aligned with the comunidade. the public good, not private interests," Mhambre said. He argued that the proposed project goes against the spirit of the 73rd Amendment to the Indian Constitution, which empowers gram sabhas to have a say in village-level development projects. "The IPB is undermining Armed forces to get bulletproof jackets with 360-deg cover PTI NEW DELHI The Defence Research Development Organisation along with Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi has developed lightweight bulletproof jackets which meet the "highest threat levels" and whose front and rear armours provide 360-degree protection, the defence ministry said on Wednesday. Based on the selection-criteria matrix, some Indian industries were shortlisted for transfer of technology and handholding, it said. The jackets have been developed at the DRDO Industry Academia Centre of Excellence at IIT-Delhi, the ministry said in a statement. The Centre is ready to transfer the technology to three industries, it said. "With a minimum possible weight of 8.2 kg and 9.5 kg for different BIS levels, these modular-design jackets have front and rear armours that provide 360-degree protection," the ministry said. the powers of the gram sabha by pushing this project through without consulting the local community." Mhambre also called out the lack of transparency surrounding the project. “The government has not >Continued on P8 VASCO Amid tense and heated discussions, the Sancoale Panchayat on Wednesday issued a showcause notice to Parmesh Constructions Co Ltd, also known as Bhutani Infra, for its proposed mega project at Savarfond-Sancoale. The panchayat directed the company to comply with all Planning and Development Authority (PDA) regulations, including the submission of required documents and No Objection Certificates (NOCs) within seven days. The decision followed after heated discussions by ruling and opposition panchayat members and comments from locals and activists who were present during the meeting in the panchayat office. The meeting, which lasted over two hours, saw the participation of local politicians and was marked by intense debates. A police team was required to maintain order and prevent any untoward incidents. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Opposition Panch Tulshidas Naik explained that the residents had demanded a show-cause OPPOSITION CONCERNS „„The project lacks several critical approvals, including permissions from a chartered surveyor for the slope, hill-cutting permissions under Section 17A from the Chief Town Planner, a PWD water supply NOC, and an NOC from the Flag Officer due to the project's proximity to the Navy’s flying zone notice from the panchayat, similar to the one issued earlier by the Mormugao Planning and Development Authority (MPDA). Naik stated that the project was lacking several critical approvals, including permissions from a chartered surveyor for the slope, hillcutting permissions under Section 17A from the Chief Town Planner, a PWD water supply NOC, and an NOC from the Flag Officer due to the project's proximity to the Navy’s flying zone. >Continued on P8 Govt to roll out unique 12-digit ID for students AIMS TO STREAMLINE ALL ACADEMIC RECORDS AND TRACK PROGRESS; PART OF ‘ONE NATION, ONE STUDENT’ INITIATIVE SHWETA KAMAT MAHATME THE GOAN I PANAJI The Goa government will soon be rolling out registration of a lifelong 12-digit Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR ID) for all school-enrolled students in the State. APAAR ID is part of the ‘One Nation, One Student ID’ programme aligning with the New Education Policy 2020. This new initiative aims to streamline academic records, track student progress and support students’ educational journeys. Speaking to The Goan, Director Education Shailesh Zingade said that One Nation, One Student ID is a part of New Education Policy 2020 and the State government has adopted the policy in toto. “We will be initiating this process through Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK),” he said. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN EDU „„APAAR ID will be linked to Aadhaar and DigiLocker, enabling students to digitally store and access academic credentials such as results, assessment reports, Olympiad achievements, and more „„The key goals are to streamline academic records, monitor student progress, and offer guidance when necessary „„It aims to provide proper documentation throughout a student’s “The unique ID will help the government and schools to streamline academic records of the students, track student progress and provide necessary help and guidance as and when required. The step will ensure proper academic journey „„The process will be managed through Vidya Samiksha Kendra „„The data from VSK will help identify and bring back students who have dropped out of the mainstream education system documentation of student progress throughout their academic journey,” he said. APAAR ID will be linked to Aadhaar and also DigiLocker. As per Union Ministry >Continued on P8 Exposition: State BJP ‘mum’ Financial crunch pulls plug on Goa’s EV subsidy scheme on invitation to Pope Francis THE GOAN I NETWORK LoP SEEKS URGENT HPC MEET ON ISSUE THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has distanced itself from the issue surrounding lack of clarity over the visit of Pope Francis to Goa-India. The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant through an official communication almost two months back had requested the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to invite the Vatican leader to India stating Goa would like to host the Pope for the upcoming Exposition of St Francis Xavier, scheduled from November. When contacted, BJP State President and MP Sadanand Tanavade refused to speak on the issue stating that he has no authority to deal with the subject. “How can I react to this ... .even though I am MP…it has nothing to me…You better speak to the Chief Minister or Minister concerned at the Centre…I cannot comment on this issue…The invite was sent by the Goa CM,” he reacted. However, despite repeated attempts, the Chief Minister remained unavailable for the comments. As reported by The Goan, State or CMO has not received any communication from the Centre so far with regards to Pope’s visit. The Union Ministry for External Affairs (MEA) is learnt to have not sent an official invite to the Vatican so far. The last Pope to visit India was Pope John Paul II who visited the country in 1999 while >Continued on P8 PANAJI inancial crunch has hit Goa’s plan to bolster adoption of electric vehicles, as close to 20 applicants, who had purchased the EVs, after August 2022, are awaiting their share of subsidy. Non-release of funds by the Finance Department has kept the applications pending with the Accounts Department for close to three months now. In February, this year, the State government re-launched subsidy scheme to promote EVs in the State, wherein a subsidy between Rs 8,000 to upto Rs 1 lakh would be provided to the beneficiaries towards retrofitting benefits, scrapping and de-registration F BRAKES ON GREEN MOBILIT Y? „„Nearly 20 applicants who purchased EVs after August 2022 are awaiting their subsidies „„Applications have been pending with the Accounts Department for almost three months, of old internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and for the purchase of new EVs. The financial assistance, to be provided on vehicles purchased from August 1, 2022 to following the re-launch of the EV subsidy scheme in February 2023 „„The re-launched scheme offers subsidies ranging from Rs 8,000 to Rs 1 lakh for retrofitting, scrapping old ICE vehicles, and purchasing new EVs „„In the first phase, older applications were cleared in May-June, but new applications have not yet been processed due to the Finance Department’s pending approval „„The scheme is limited to 5,600 EVs purchased between August 1, 2022, and December 31, 2024 December 31, 2024, however is restricted to 5,600 EVs. According to sources, the Department of New and Renewable Energy (NRE) received close to 1,300 applications under the scheme, majority of which include of those applicants, who had purchased the vehicles after July 31, 2022- post discontinuation of the earlier notified subsidy scheme. “In the first phase we are clearing old applications. Many of the beneficiaries got their share of payment somewhere in May-June; however, post that the applications sent to the Accounts Department are yet to be cleared as the Finance Department has not given green signal,” sources said. A provision of Rs 25 crore was made in the State budget towards the scheme. When contacted, Minister for NRE Ramakrishna alias Sudin Dhavalikar confirmed that the file is pending with the Finance Department and once it is cleared, the subsidies would be released. >Continued on P8