log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) Instagram.com/thegoanonline Pg 8 SUNDAY AUGUST 3, 2025 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 47 Goa's Biggest Media Brand with Highest Viewership which makes us MAGAZINE MAGAZ 9 Shravan goes trendy: Youth embrace vegetarian meals Breastfeeding is the first vaccine: Experts, mothers call for more support Make your day sweeter at Dolce Dias 11 Normativity in enacting legislation in alignment with electorate’s needs IN SHORT >> Relief for four Rumdamol panchas MARGAO: In a significant development providing relief to the four Rumdamol panchayat members who were disqualified by the Salcete Block Development Officer last week, the South Goa District Court on Saturday stayed the BDO’s order for 20 days and adjourned the hearing to August 16.  >> See pg 3 Save Old Goa panel warns of agitation OLD GOA: The Save Old Goa Action Committee renewed its demand for a Master Plan for Old Goa to protect the heritage sites, including the UNESCO monuments. SOGAC coordinator Peter Viegas issued yet another warning that they would hit the street if their demands are not met.  >> See pg 3 Massive queue for Ganesh coupons SANGUEM: The excitement was palpable as people queued up along a staggering distance of about 3 kms to purchase donation coupons released by the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, Quepem on Saturday. With as many as 20 premium cars along with cash amounts people were eager to lay their hands on the prized donation coupons. >> See pg 3 WEATHER >> Max: 31.1 C Min: 25 C Humidity: 97% TIDES Low: High: 11:04 ---07:00 16:22 Jaiswal’s ton and lower order pile pressure on England RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Come join us Contact: 9011043385 / 9850755549 / 9130004704 / 9689923150 Email: marketing@prudentmedia.in Fishing season: Are jetties ready? Fisheries dept says ready with Coast Guard, coastal health and safety measures cops to jointly police outstation trawlers THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI With the fishing season resuming on August 1, Fisheries Minister Nilkant Halarnkar has stated that while fishermen are returning to work, arranging labour is their own responsibility. “The government will not provide manpower. That is up to those involved in the business. We are currently busy with Chaturthi preparations... they must manage their operations on their own,” he said. Speaking to The Goan, Fisheries Director Shamila Monteiro said the department has put in place all necessary arrangements to ensure a smooth season including health of the fishermen and staff, as well as safety measures at the jetties. “We have allotted a dedicated room at each jetty for health officers to conduct regular screening of the crew. Vessel inspections are mandatory before departure, and THE GOAN I NETWORK We have allotted a dedicated room at each jetty for health officers to conduct screening of crew. Vessel inspections are mandatory before departure, and superintendents of fisheries have been deployed in South, Central & North zones — Shamila Monteiro superintendents of fisheries have been deployed in the South, Central and North zones, each supported by ful- ly functional offices,” Monteiro said. She added that essential facilities such as toilets have been set up at the Cutbona and Malim jetties. “Everything is in place,” Monteiro assured, adding that the department is also stepping up enforcement against illegal activities such as LED fishing and other violations. Police presence has been sought at the jetties, and regular inspections of vessels are underway. “Our officials are stationed at all jetties, and thorough inspections are being carried out with the help of the police,” she said. PANAJI The State government is working out a joint protocol involving coordination between the Indian Coast Guard, Coastal Police and the Fisheries Department to police Goan waters against fishing by trawlers from other States. Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar said the government has been talking to top Coast Guard officials and is expecting the policing to start soon  Halarnkar was responding to the discussion on the demands for grants in the Goa legislative assembly wherein several legislators flagged the fisheries department’s  inadequacies and lack of machinery to tackle the largescale fishing carried out by boats from other states in Goan waters. The minister said the illegal fishing by boats from outside the State was at present be- >> SEE PG 2 ANCHORED IN NEGLECT: GOA’S JETTY WOES ing monitored and checked through control rooms on each of the fishing jetties in the State. Earlier, several members had suggested drone monitoring and acquiring high-speed boats to seize the outstation trawlers. Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao said the situation was causing harm to local trawler owners and fishermen and demanded that the fisheries department equip itself to tackle the invasion of Goan territorial waters by fishing trawlers registered in >Continued on P6 PROPOSES TWEAK IN LAW, HEFTY FINES PANAJI The government has introduced a bill to amend the Goa Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act, 1996 to prohibit dumping of garbage in public as well as private spaces and to impose penalties on violators. The amendment also gives Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) the powers to monitor via a digital platform the waste generated by industries and to also impound vehicles used for illegal dumping of waste in the State. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant introduced the amendment bill standing in for Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira. The amendment brings under the ambit of the law industry, hotels and restaurants which generate more than 50 kg of non-biodegradable waste every day. It also brings in more items within the definition of non-biodegradable waste >Continued on P6 THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira has admitted to the existence of pollution black spots in Goa’s rivers and creeks but said measures have been initiated to tackle it and restore the quality of water in these water bodies. A written reply by Sequeira in the State legislature said that water quality data from the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) reveals that pollution is observed at several locations in Sal River at Kharewado and Benaulim, Mandovi river at Tonca and Britona, Chapora river at Siolim and along the Sinquerim–Candolim riverine belt. Water samples were collected from 73 locations at beaches, in rivers, from borewells and at sewage outfalls during the water SEQUEIRA’S REPLY „„Water samples collected from 73 locations at beaches, in rivers, from borewells and at sewage outfalls during the water quality monitoring for 2024-25 „„Data showed several locations falling below the desired water quality standards „„CZMP, beach carrying capacity assessments being taken into consideration while guiding development to protect water bodies quality monitoring for 202425, Sequeira’s reply to a query posed by Independent Curtorim legislator, Aleixo >Continued on P6 SAYS CASE BASED ON ‘MERE SUSPICION’ BEYOND THE BIN „„Industry, hotels & restaurants generating more than 50 kg of non-biodegradable waste every day brought under the ambit of law „„Items such as metal, paper, multi-layer plastic, rubber, glass wool, fiber reinforced plastic, glass fiber, paper based beverage carton also included „„GSPCB to get power to monitor and also impound vehicles used for illegal dumping of waste MINISTER PROMISES REMEDIAL MEASURES TO TACKLE POLLUTION Court grants bail to nuns accused of ‘trafficking’ Govt moves to curb waste dumping in Pvt, public spaces THE GOAN I NETWORK Govt: ‘Black spots’ found in Mandovi, Sal, Chapora rivers PTI CHECKPOINT CHAOS: Traffic crawls along the Santa Monica Jetty, Panaji after police conducted a routine nakabandi late Saturday.  Narayan Pissurlenkar No action taken on crop damage by wild animals, admits govt THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The State government has admitted it has not taken any steps to collaborate with the Forest Department or wildlife experts to address the issue of crop damage caused by wild animals, even as it continues to offer subsidies to farmers for fencing and repellents. In a reply to a starred question by Poriem MLA Deviya Rane, Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik stated that the Department is implementing the “Assistance for Fencing” scheme under which registered farmers receive 75-90 per cent financial assistance for various types of fencing, including stone wall, barbed wire, GI or synthetic chain link or wire mesh, hybrid >Continued on P6 BILASPUR Two nuns from Kerala and a co-accused arrested for alleged human trafficking and forced conversion were released from Durg Central Jail in Chhattisgarh on Saturday, after a court granted them bail holding that the case was based on “mere suspicion”. The court also noted that the parents of the alleged victims denied that their daughters had been in anyway lured, or forced to convert to Christianity, by the accused. Catholic nuns Preethy Mary and Vandana Francis were received outside the jail by several leaders from Kerala, including LDF MPs and Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and also some Congress leaders, including former MLA from Durg, Arun Vora. COURT ORDER „„It transpires from the Case Diary that the registration of the FIR is primarily based on a mere apprehension and suspicion of commission of an offence by the accused „„In the arrest memo of the accused persons, no previous record of their criminal history has been annexed The nuns left the place with Chandrashekhar in a vehicle. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) shared a picture on its Facebook account with the message “LDF MPs John Brittas, Jose K Mani, and P Santhosh Kumar celebrate the bail order with the brother of the one of the nuns”. 1 in 3 Indians use tech tools like AMID TRUMP’S 25% TARIFFS ON INDIAN IMPORTS… Modi makes renewed pitch for Swadeshi products ChatGPT, Google, finds survey PRIME MINISTER’S SWADESHI TALK PTI PTI NEW DELHI Choosing a dish at a restaurant or making a gift purchase decision, a growing number of Indians are turning to technology to navigate overthinking, which has become a part of daily life of the people, as per a survey. New age digital tools ChatGPT and search engine Google, are found to be increasingly used by Indians for clarity, in case they are faced with uncertainty, said a joint report from Center Fresh and YouGov. The survey, with a sample size of 2,100, found that 81 per cent of Indians spend over three hours a day overthinking, with one in four admitting “it’s a constant habit”. According to the ‘India Overthinking Report’, one in three have used Google or ChatGPT to navigate overthinking -- from decoding a short message to making a gift purchase decision. The survey included students, working professionals and self-employed across the country, covering Tier I, II & III cities, diving into four key areas food and lifestyle habits, digital and social life, dating and relationships and career and professional life. The survey found that overthinking has become a part of daily life in India, not just in moments of crisis, but in the smallest, most routine decisions. As per the report, 63 per cent of respondents in the survey said choosing a dish at a restaurant is “more stressful than picking a political leader”. “When faced with uncertainty, Indians are increasingly turning to tech for clarity,” the survey said. VARANASI n a renewed pitch for economic self-reliance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday emphasised the importance of Swadeshi -- the use of indigenous products -as a strategic national priority, especially in the face of growing global protectionism and economic instability. His remarks come in the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of a 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports, along with veiled threats of further penalties over India’s defence and energy ties with Russia. I „„Traders & shopkeepers must prioritise Indian-made goods „„At a time when the world is turning inward, let us take a pledge to stock and sell only Swadeshi products in our markets „„This will be the truest Addressing a public meeting in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, the Prime Minister urged citizens, businesses, and political leaders to rally around domestic production and consumption. service to the nation „„Whatever we buy, we must ask -- has an Indian toiled to make this? If yes, that product is Swadeshi for us “As we talk about economic progress, I want to draw your attention to the current global scenario. The world economy is facing instability and uncertainty. In such times, countries are putting their own interests „„We must adopt the mantra of ‘Vocal for Local’ „„The feeling of Swadeshi in every action will define our future. This is how we can truly honour Mahatma Gandhi’s vision first,” Modi said. Reinforcing the idea of Swadeshi as both an economic and nationalistic commitment, the Prime Minister appealed directly to traders and shopkeepers to prioritise Indian-made goods. “At a time when the world is turning inward, let us take a pledge to stock and sell only Swadeshi products in our markets. This will be the truest service to the nation,” he said. Calling on consumers to become more mindful in their choices, Modi added, “Whatever we buy, we must ask -- has an Indian toiled to make this? If yes, that product is Swadeshi for us. We must adopt the mantra of ‘Vocal for Local’.” He also noted that embracing Swadeshi was not merely a throwback to Gandhian values but a forward-looking strategy for national resilience.