log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY MAY 14, 2025 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 326 No clarity on number of illegal structures identified on comunidade land in South 2 3 GOA Oppn slams Centre’s proposal for nuclear power plant in Goa Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Test to be performed before you plan IVF Shirgao stampede: 8 top officials get show cause notices for lapses CM MAKES FACT-FINDING TEAM'S REPORT PUBLIC; BLAME PINNED COLLECTIVELY ON DISTRICT ADMIN, POLICE, TEMPLE COMMITTEE AND LOCAL PANCHAYAT THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The State government has issued show cause notices to eight top officials, including the then North Goa Collector Sneha Gite, IAS, SP (North) Akshat Kaushal, IPS, Bicholim SDO and SDPO among others allegedly for lapses on their part leading to the tragic stampede at the Devi Lairai Zatra which left six dead and several injured in the wee hours of May 3. The show cause notices were issued in the light of the fact-finding committee led by Commissioner and Revenue Secretary, Sandeep Jacques, IAS, in its report having held the district administration, district police, the temple committee and local panchayat collectively responsible for the conditions which led to crowd mismanagement causing the stampede. Chief Minister Pramod >> pg 6 Hrushived: Harmonising ancient wisdom with modern technology IN SHORT >> India expels Pakistani official at Pak mission NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday expelled a Pakistani official working at the Pakistan high commission for indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status. The external affairs ministry said the official has been given 24 hours to leave India. 21 killed by spurious liquor in Amritsar AMRITSAR: At least 21 people, mostly daily wagers, died and 10 others were hospitalised after allegedly drinking spurious liquor in Majitha in Punjab's Amritsar district, officials said on Tuesday. Ten people, including the alleged kingpin, were arrested while DySP (Majitha) Amolak Singh and Officer of Majitha police station Avtar Singh were suspended.  >> See pg 7 THE FACT-FINDING REPORT „„Crowd mismanagement identified as the primary cause of the stampede „„Incident began when a woman fell on a narrow, crowded pathway, LAPSES IDENTIFIED „„No strategic police deployment or coordination on-site „„Lack of infrastructure like watch-towers for crowd monitoring „„Temple committee failed to cooperate with authorities for crowd control planning „„Shirgao panchayat issued NOCs for stalls without inspections or space assessment Sawant made the report public at a specially called press conference on Tuesday evening which he addressed accompanied by Chief Secretary Dr Candavelou. PANAJI Stating that the road safety is top-most priority of the government, Director General of Police Alok Kumar on Tuesday said that the aim is to reduce the road accident fatalities by 20 per cent in 2025. Addressing the 8th UN Global Road Safety Week, Director General of Police Alok Kumar said that in Goa, while 25-30 murders occur annually, on average over 350 people die in road accidents every year. He said that the data is worrying and an effort should be made to bring in necessary behavioural changes. He also pointed out to the alarming scale of road acci- Sawant said, the Jacquesled panel in its report has found lapses on the part of all – the district administration, police, the temple committee and the local panchayat. Eye-opener, advance measures for such festivals in future: CM PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the tragic incident was sad but the probe by the committee has shown us that it is an 'eye opener' for the government and a list of such festivals will be made to ensure precautionary measures are taken in advance. "Such an incident of a stampede where people died has never ever happened in Goa before," Sawant said even as he assured that recommendations of the committee's report for the future will be implemented in earnest. He said, a 'Standard Operating Procedure' for various festivals under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) will be notified after consulting temple committees across the State. Sawant said all religious and other festivals where large crowds are expected will mandatorily require to have a 'crowd management plan' approved under the Disaster Management Act norms and a nodal officer will be appointed for the purpose. He had said that show cause notices will be issued to the officers and hours later the administration followed up by issuing these notices to Gite, Kaushal, the then Bicholim Deputy Collector, then Bicholim SDPO Jivba Dalvi, Bicholim Mamlatdar, Shirgao panchayat secretary Gavaskar doubts Rohit and Kohli’s participation in 2027 World Cup Govt proposes `10 lakh support, fuel and insurance subsidies for private bus operators THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Under pressure from private bus operators, the State government has announced to discontinue its ambitious ‘Mhaji Bus’ scheme, launched on a pilot basis in August 2023 in a bid to improve public transportation in rural Goa, from May 16 onwards. At the same time, the government is considering providing fuel subsidies of Rs 3 per kilometre to private bus operators apart from bearing 50 per cent of the vehicle insurance cost annually. The bus operators will also get Rs 10 lakh subsidy for purchase of new vehicles. During the trial run from August 2023 to April 2025, the Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) reportedly generated around Rs 11.10 crore in revenue, SCHEME TO SUPPORT PVT OPERATORS „„Government is working on a revamped scheme to support private bus operators „„Proposes Rs 3 per km fuel subsidy to private operators „„Govt to bear 50% of annual vehicle insurance cost „„Rs 10 lakh support proposed for purchase of new buses despite a government subsidy of Rs 11.66 crore to cover the operational shortfalls. In the State Budget 2025-26, an amount of Rs 8 crore was earmarked to expand the services under the scheme. A total of 57 buses were operating across routes in Canacona, Quepem and other parts of South Goa, targeting the remote areas where public transportation is a challenge, including during the evening hours. Speaking to The Goan, KTCL Chairman Ulhas Tuen- THE GOAN I NETWORK „„Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has agreed to consider Goa’s request for 50% funding (Rs 326.30 crore) for the Rs 652.61 crore DfT scheme for 24x7 water supply dents in India, wherein over 1.5 lakh people die in crashes annually, with the 20-40 age groups being most affected. “We have set the target to reduce road accident fatalities by 20 per cent this year. This reduction will require a behavioural shift at the community level. Behaviour change is the key if we want to reduce accidental deaths on roads,” Kumar said, while highlighting the urgent need to instil road discipline from a young age. “If we educate children about road behaviour early on, we won’t need to keep talking about it to adults in their 50s,” he commented. >Continued on P8 „„The DfT project will involve water source augmentation, infrastructure development, rehabilitation of existing networks, and integration of smart metering, IoT, and SCADA-based monitoring Anjuna’s water woes: Zorvaddo area suffers amid political wrangling MAPUSA: Residents of Anjuna, particularly those in the elevated locality of Zorvaddo, continue to grapple with irregular water supply, a long-standing issue that has sparked frustration among locals and exposed apparent gaps in political coordination and public service delivery.  >> See pg 3 consider special assistance of Rs 326.30 crore for 24x7 water supply under the DfT project that will include water source augmentation, infrastructure development, rehabilitation of existing network, pilot Drink-from-Tap projects including smart metering, IoT and SCADA-based monitor- ing systems to the State under AMRUT 2.0. “The Union Minister has agreed to consider the request under the scheme,” the government said in a statement issued. Given Goa’s unique urban >Continued on P8 >Continued on P8 Yellow alert till May 17; forecast of rainfall and thunderstorm 24X7 WATER SUPPLY? PANAJI Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar has agreed to consider Goa’s request for special assistance upto 50 per cent of the total Rs 652.61 cr Drink from Tap (DfT) scheme aimed at providing 24x7 water supply to the consumers across the State. Khattar, who was in Goa on Monday, reviewed the comprehensive development plans of urban schemes of MoHUA such as Atal Mission for Rejuvenation & Urban Transformation (AMRUT & AMRUT 2.0), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U & PMAY-U 2.0), Smart Cities Mission (SCM), Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban (SBM-U & SBM-U 2.0), Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAYNULM) and PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi). During the meeting, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant requested the Union Minister to kar confirmed that the decision has been taken to discontinue Mhaji Bus scheme from May 16 and to introduce a new modified scheme for the benefit of private bus operators. As per the scheme, the private bus operators, who tied up with the KTCL, are paid an average of Rs 34 per km with a minimum distance guarantee of around 180 km per day. “Payments to private bus >Continued on P8 UNION MINISTER DIRECTS GOA TO COMPLETE PENDING AMRUT PROJECTS, REVIEWS URBAN DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES THE GOAN I NETWORK 12 ‘Mhaji Bus’ scheme to go off the road from May 16 Centre considers 50% funding for `652 cr tap water scheme Goa Police aim to reduce road deaths by 20 pc in 2025 THE GOAN I NETWORK triggering a human pile-up „„Path between tali (sacred pond) and homkund (ritual fire) was too narrow and lined with stalls, worsening the situation 9 SPORTS CHOCK-O-BLOCK: Traffic was disrupted on the Old Goa bypass near the Chimbel flyover after a container truck overturned in a self-accident early Tuesday morning.   Narayan Pissurlenkar Govt directs hotels to adjust tariffs to lure more tourists THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Pahalgam terror attack that saw cancellation of hotel bookings in Goa, coupled with middle income group eyeing for cheaper destinations, the State government has directed hotels to review and potentially adjust their tariff in a bid to lure more visitors. Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Tuesday held a series of meetings with industry stakeholders including starred hotels, guest houses, villas, home stays, shack operators, water sports operators and tours and travels. The issues like skyrocketing hotel rates, illegal touts, stray dogs, hawkers, garbage, taxis, accommodations, etc were discussed in length and it was decided to bring in the much needed improvement on all these fronts. Addressing a press conference post meeting, Khaunte said that while the first quarter of the year – January to March saw over 10 per cent jump in tourist arrivals, footfalls in April was a bit fluctuating and post Pahalgam terror strike, the situation is a bit worrisome. “The situation, though normalised post Operation >Continued on P8 PANAJI With southwest monsoon advancing into parts of South Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, Goa has been put on Yellow alert till May 17. IMD said that Goa along with the Konkan belt is likely to experience light to moderate rainfall along with thunderstorms till May 17. In a bulletin issued, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the Southwest monsoon has advanced into some parts of south Bay of Bengal, south Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands and some parts of north Andaman Sea on Tuesday. “Isolated light/ moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning & gusty winds speed reaching 30-50 kmph likely over Konkan & Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathawada during May 13-17,” IMD said. IMD said that in the last 24 hours several parts of Goa experienced pre-monsoon light to moderate showers along with thunderstorms and lightning. Pope offered framework to address concerns dear to Goans: Cardinal It was for the first time in the 500-year-old history of the Archdiocese of Goa, that an archbishop of Goa participated in the Conclave to elect a successor to the late Pope Francis. In an exclusive interview with The Goan, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão shared his thoughts and experiences before, during and after the Conclave, sitting next to the new Pontiff at dinner on the night of his election, and his hopes and aspirations for the new Holy Father. MELVYN MISQUITA THE GOAN I PANAJI THE GOAN: As a Cardinal participating in the Conclave for the first time, what were your thoughts as you began preparing for the Conclave? CARDINAL FERRÃO: Since my creation as a Cardinal on August 27, 2022, I have always had before my eyes and in my mind the primary and onerous responsibility of electing a Successor to Saint Peter. When this moment arrived with the news of the untimely passing of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, my feelings were very mixed. In three distinct ways. First, I felt deep grief for the loss of such a beloved Holy Father on a global, ecclesial, and personal level. Pope Francis was the “people’s pope”, a moral voice in the world, especially on behalf of the poor, the underdog, and the suffering, and he was a father and friend to me and my flock. Second, I sensed feelings of anxiety – this was my first experience of a Conclave to File photo of Archbishop of Goa Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão standing along with other cardinals at the St Peter’s Basilica as the new Pope Leo XIV came out of the balcony on May 8. elect a new Pope, even as I felt quietly confident and joyfully expectant regarding the successor of Pope Francis. Third, as the days went on, the serious responsibility dawned even more within me of being one of a handful of men, called to discern whom the Lord wished to guide the Church in these challenging and troubled times – I knew that, above all else, this meant being attentive and docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. TG: You may have got to interact with a number of Cardinals from across the world during a period of consultations and interactions ahead of the Conclave. Was there any particular focus on the qualities of the new pope? CF: There were two key times of interaction immediately ahead of the Conclave that began on the afternoon of May 7: The General Congregations and informal moments, such as coffee breaks and meals, with my brother Cardinals. I would say that, with the passing of time, a beautiful and harmonious consensus emerged regarding the qualities of the new pope. The Holy Father would be open to taking forward with dialogue and in a synodal spirit the ecclesial renewal and missionary vision of the Church brought about by recent Holy Fathers from Pope Saint John XXIII to Pope Francis, as set forth in the Second Vatican Council. Essentially that means a Church – made up of all of us – serving as a beacon of the Good News of God’s salvation in word and in deed, always alert to the needs of modern woman and man and responding to the signs of the times. TG: As you entered the mag- nificent Sistine Chapel for this momentous event, what is it that struck you the most? CF: I would say the fact that the Cardinal electors were accompanied by a deep sense of prayer, liturgy, and beauty. I think of beginning in the Pauline Chapel with Michelangelo’s awesome frescoes of the crucifixion of Saint Peter – the first Pope – and the conversion of Saint Paul – the Apostle to the Gentiles. The procession of the Cardinals to the great Sistine Chapel, invoking in chant the assistance of the Saints from >Continued on P8