log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SATURDAY APRIL 26, 2025 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 15 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 308 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 3 15 2 10 Pahalgam aftermath: Goa cracks ED sleuths bust land scam worth `  ,600 crore in Goa 1 whip, 3 Pakistanis told to leave GOA Panchayats yet to receive house repair applications despite fast-track norm Clamour for Nessai flyover grows after BJP’s support for Davorlim INFO Does sitting up straight really help in curing backache? 17 OTHERS ON LONG-TERM VISAS PLACED UNDER SURVEILLANCE THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In the wake of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, the Goa government has initiated a series of stringent security measures, including directing three Pakistani nationals to leave the State and the country latest by April 27. The government has also identified 17 individuals holding long-term visas, who are being placed under surveillance pending directives from the Union Home Ministry. The government also decided to provide security to all the Kashmiri students and locals, who are in Goa for business-related activities and to launch a combing drive from Saturday, to undertake document verification of migrants across various pockets and take necessary action against those who fail to prove their identity. This decision came after pages 6 & 7 210 Swindon Goans pay final respects to Pope Couple’s social work earned them audience with Pope IN SHORT >> Sugarcane farmers shifting to fruits PANAJI: With the closure of Sanjivani Sugar factory and its much touted ‘revival’ in limbo, most sugarcane farmers have turned away from the cash crop and are now cultivating the more lucrative vegetables and fruits.  >> See pg 3 Former ISRO chief Kasturirangan dead  >> See pg 8 Identify all Pakistanis, send them back, Shah tells chief ministers NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday called up chief ministers of all States and asked them to ensure that no Pakistani stays in India beyond the deadline set for leaving the country. India on Thursday announced revoking all visas issued to Pakistani nationals from April 27 and advised Indian nationals residing in Pakistan to return at the earliest. Shah personally called up chief ministers of all States and asked them to ensure that no Pakistani stays in India beyond the deadline. The chief ministers were also told to identify Pakistani nationals staying in their respective areas and ensure their deportation. a high-level security review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday, following directions from the Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Chief Minister appealed to citizens across communities to maintain communal har- NEW DELHI: The government on Friday said it is working on a strategy to ensure not a single drop of water flows from India into Pakistan, Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil said on Friday. “We will ensure that not a single drop of water flows into Pakistan from India,” he said in remarks seen as tightening the screws on Pakistan.  >> See pg 8 tified and asked to leave the State and the country. He said that another 17 individuals belonging to various religions -- Hindu, Muslim and Christian -- holding long-term visas are under close observation as the government awaits further directives from the Un- Govt’s proposal to increase power tariff sparks outrage OPPN SLAMS GOVT; MINISTER SAYS ‘INEVITABLE’ THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Pramod Sawant-led BJP government has come in for some severe criticism from Opposition politicians and consumer activists for its move proposing a hike in power tariffs, including for domestic consumers, starting this year and also for two consecutive years thereafter in the petition it moved before the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC). However, Power Minister Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar has stoutly defended the move saying it is “inevitable” owing to the Rs 400 Babus told to draft ordinance on illegal, irregular structures GOVT HOLDS MEETING WITH TOP OFFICIALS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Top officials of the law and revenue departments have been directed to prepare a preliminary draft of an ordinance the government intends to promulgate to make a distinction in the statutes between ‘illegal’ and ‘irregular’ constructions in a bid to come up with a strategy by which the government hopes to give relief that fall in the latter category in the wake of the recent crackdown ordered by the Bombay High Court at Goa. The directives to the top bureaucrats were issued at a meeting held earlier this week and chaired by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.  Revenue Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, Advocate General Devidas Pangam, Revenue Secretary Sandip Jacques, IAS, and other senior officials of the revenue and law departments attended the meeting which went late into the night, mid-week.  mony in the State while announcing that government and the citizens stand with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for strong retaliation. Addressing a press conference, Sawant confirmed that three Pakistani nationals residing in Goa have been iden- Won’t allow single drop of water to flow into Pak: Min A proposal to amend the law or issue an ordinance regarding ‘illegal’ and ‘irregular’ constructions is under consideration as the government is trying to save the homes of common citizens from crackdown ordered by the High Court — Atanasio Monserrate Monserrate, meanwhile, said that suggestions have been sought from officials and the draft will be ready soon. He said that some  measures which will ensure that the High Court’s order on illegal constructions does not affect the common citizens were discussed at the meeting which had to be ended midway since it was too late into the night. >Continued on P8 crore-plus gap in expenditure and revenue. Dhavalikar also argued that the miniscule hike of six paise per unit can “hardly be called a hike” and even after it is implemented if and when the JERC approves it, the cost of power in Goa will still be substantially lower than in the two neighbouring States of Maharashtra and Karnataka across all categories. The power minister said, he has been personally monitoring the revenue flows of the Electricity Department and nearly 30 per cent of the long-pending arrears had been recovered while nearly 15% increase in revenues ion Home Ministry. “These are basically those people who have married Goans and are residing here. They have not obtained Indian nationality. Directions have been issued to police to monitor their movement,” Sawant said. The state has also decided to enhance security for Kashmiri students and businesspersons residing in Goa. “We will provide necessary protection to ensure their safety. They will have to go to the respective police station from the jurisdiction they are currently residing and provide information. We will provide them security,” Sawant said. As part of heightened security protocols, the state government will launch a comprehensive combing drive to identify and verify migrants across various localities. The Chief Minister stated, “all migrants will be checked for valid documentation. Those >Continued on P8 32-yr-old Vasco man drowns at Dudhsagar falls THE GOAN I NETWORK when the target is just 10%, have been realised. Sources in the Electricity Department, however, said the increase in power costs for the individual domestic consumer (monthly bills) will vary between 4.6% to 6.5 per cent depending on the load and amount of power consumed in each billing cycle. “For example a consumer whose current billing is in the Rs 250 to Rs 400 range will be paying a maximum of Rs 20 additional when the proposed tariff hikes are imposed,” a senior engineer told The Goan. VASCO In a tragic incident, a 32-yearold man from Shantinagar, Vasco, drowned at the popular Dudhsagar waterfall site on Thursday. The victim, identified as Anand Belegal, had reportedly gone to the location along with three friends when the mishap occurred. Sources said that Belegal was reported missing late Thursday evening, sparking fears that he had drowned in the waters near the falls. His friends immediately raised an alarm and informed local residents and authorities. A search operation was launched with the help of >Continued on P8 >Continued on P8 SPORTS Sunrisers Hyderabad registers first win against CSK at Chepauk NAME ROHAN HARMALKAR AS MASTERMIND THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Goa has unearthed a massive Rs 1,600 crore land scam in Goa after extensive search operations across several locations.  According to the ED, the searches, carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, revealed a widespread conspiracy involving fraudulent land grabs in prime real estate zones including Anjuna, Arpora and Assagao in Bardez taluka.  The scam’s alleged mastermind Rohan Harmalkar, orchestrated a network of impersonators and forged documents to illegally sell land owned by private individuals and family estates. “Harmalkar is a key mastermind, who along with other associates resorted to a large-scale conspiracy to illegally appropriate land belonging to rightful owners REALTY CHECK „„Searches revealed widespread conspiracy involving fraudulent land grabs in prime real estate zones including Anjuna, Arpora & Assagao „„Incriminating documents were recovered with forged property papers alone valued at over Rs 1,000 crore at current market rates „„ED also seized original property papers worth more than Rs 600 crore, believed to be connected to the laundering of illicit profits through fraudulent means including impersonation, creation of fake documents, tampering with revenue records, etc. These properties, originally owned by individuals and family estates, were unlawfully sold without their consent, causing serious financial and legal distress to such victims,” it stated.  Officials further said that they recovered incriminating documents during the raids with forged property papers alone valued at over Rs 1,000 crore at current market rates. In addition to the fake documentation, the agency seized original property papers worth more than Rs 600 crore, which are believed to be connected to the laundering of illicit profits. These proceeds of crime were allegedly routed through a chain of individuals and benami entities, eventually being invested in real estate, luxury vehicles, and other high-value assets. The ED confirmed that its investigation is ongoing and efforts are being made to trace the money trail, identify other beneficiaries, and ascertain the involvement of government officials in facilitating the illegal transactions. Vatican readies for Pope’s funeral PTI VATICAN CITY More than 1,50,000 people from all over the world have viewed Pope Francis’s body as the Vatican makes the final preparations for his funeral on Saturday, an event that will be attended by 50 heads of State and 10 monarchs. Francis, who died Monday at age 88, will be buried in a niche tomb in St Mary Major Basilica after his funeral in St Peter’s Square. Francis will be buried beneath a simple headstone made of marble from Liguria, the Italian region of his mother’s family, engraved with his name in Latin: Franciscus. Above it will hang a slightly enlarged replica of his pectoral cross, featuring raised images of a shepherd carrying a sheep over his shoulders and a dove, but no other adorn- ments. The tomb is placed in a niche next to the chapel where the Salus Populi Romani icon that the pope revered is located, and in a part of the basilica that was once a door to an adjacent palace where four popes lived. St Peter’s Basilica closed at 2.30 am on Friday and reopened three hours later to accommodate the last of the huge crowds of mourners.