log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline MONDAY AUGUST 4, 2025 GOA 5 key triggers for D-Street this week: Trump tariffs, RBI policy, FII exits IN SHORT >> Tourists have lucky escape as bus goes up in flames near Merces PANAJI: A group of tourists had a miraculous escape after their bus caught fire near Merces Circle on the national highway in the early hours of Sunday. The incident occurred around 2:15 am while the bus was on its way from Mapusa to Margao, heading to drop passengers at the railway station. The driver, upon spotting the fire, acted swiftly and managed to evacuate all tourists from the vehicle. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but the bus was completely charred. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.  (See photo on pg 3) Kashmiri man held in Assagao drug bust PANAJI: Anjuna Police arrested a 54-year-old man from Jammu & Kashmir for possession of narcotics and unaccounted cash near Jamun Bar in Assagao on Sunday. The accused was found with drugs worth over Rs 7 lakh. Police also seized Rs 7 lakh in cash from his possession. 9 of family among 11 dead in UP mishap GONDA: Eleven people, including nine members of a family, died and four others were injured when an SUV plunged into the Saryu canal in this district on Sunday, police said. The accident took place near Belwa Bahuta. Four elderly Indians killed in US car crash NEW YORK: In a tragic incident, four senior Indian-origin persons were killed in a car crash in West Virginia. Kishore Divan, Asha Divan, Shailesh Divan, and Gita Divan were found dead following a vehicle crash, Sheriff Mike Dougherty said.  >> See pg 7 WEATHER >> Max: 30.9 C Min: 25 C Humidity: 87% TIDES Low: High: 00:22 13:03 08:26 17:24 The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 48 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 3 12 2 9 Loliem gram sabha rejects film Coastal body clears air on mundkarial city, all comunidade proposals homes before 1991 South Zone twist clouds Margao Master Plan >> pg 6 Facebook.com/thegoan GOA Concerns linger as futsal court near Aldona school gets push ahead INFO From acute to chronic: Understanding different types of back pain BIG SETBACK FOR PLANS TO CONVERT ECO SENSITIVE PLATEAUS INTO ZONES FOR INDUSTRIAL, TOURISM & INFRA VENTURES GRAM SABHA: THREE MAJOR RESOLUTIONS PASSED THE GOAN I NETWORK CANACONA In a strong and unified stand, the Gram Sabha of Loliem-Polem on Sunday unanimously rejected all development proposals approved by the local comunidade, including the much-publicised Film City project. The decision marks a significant setback for plans to convert the village’s ecologically sensitive plateaus into zones for industrial, tourism, and infrastructure ventures. Just a month ago, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Government and the Loliem-Polem comunidade for the Film City project on Bhagwati plateau. However, villagers have now categorically opposed not only this initiative but all 13 other projects considered during the comunidade meeting held on July 6, 2025. These included fruit processing units, a Sainik school, a solar power plant, a cricket stadium, and wayside amenities -- none of which, villagers argued, align with the tradi- „„Panchayat asked to officially inform all proponents of 13 projects and the Film City to withdraw applications from the omunidade „„Notify Chief Minister, Ministry of Environment & Climate Change, Goa Chief Secretary, Chief Town Planner (TCP), and South Goa Comunidade Administrator of the villagers’ collective rejection „„Take all necessary legal steps to ensure implementation of Gram Sabha’s resolutions The crowd at the Loliem-Polem gram sabha on Sunday. CHIMBEL GRAM SABHA OPPOSES 2 PROJECTS OF GOVERNMENT >> See pg 3 tional uses of the village’s plateaus. Three formal resolutions were unanimously passed during the Gram Sabha. These call on the Village Panchayat to: Officially inform all proponents of the 13 projects and the Film City to withdraw their applications from the comunidade; Notify the Chief Minister, Ministry of Environment & Climate Change, Goa Chief Secretary, Chief Town Planner (TCP), and the South Goa Comunidade Administrator of the villagers’ collective rejection and take all necessary legal steps to ensure the implementation of the Gram Sabha’s resolutions. Environmentalists who have been leading the opposition issued a statement following the meeting, describ- UK moves to curb illegal migration with new law FIVE-YEAR JAIL, HEFTY FINES ON CARDS PTI LONDON The UK on Sunday unveiled plans for a new law that will crack down on criminal gangs behind social media advertisements promoting dangerous small boat crossings and other forms of illegal immigration into the country. Under a new amendment to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill currently going through the Parliament, a UK-wide offence will be introduced to criminalise the creation of material for publication online, which promotes or offers services facilitating a breach of Britain’s immigration law. This could include small boat crossings the English Channel, the creation of fake travel documents like passports or visas, or explicitly THE NEW AMENDMENT „„Offence to be introduced to criminalise creation of material for publication online, which promotes or offers services facilitating immigration „„To include small boat crossings across the English Channel, creation of fake travel documents like passports or visas „„Promises of illegal working opportunities in the UK to be included „„Proposed changes designed to provide additional tool for law enforcement and better enable them to disrupt gangs who publicise people-smuggling activities promising illegal working opportunities in the UK, in an effort to target people smugglers based anywhere in the world. Individuals caught under the new offence face a prison sentence of up to five years and a hefty fine. Selling the false promise of a safe journey to the UK and a life in this country whether on or offline simply to make money, is nothing short of immoral, said UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. These criminals have no issue with leading migrants to life-threatening situations using brazen tactics on social media. We are determined to do everything we can to stop them, she added. T purchase these donation coupons each year. The Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal in Sanguem attributes its consistent success in offering substantial prizes to the deep-seated trust and confidence it has built with the public. According to Adv Tushar Karmalkar, President of the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal Sanguem, the prize selection process this year has carefully considered various factors, primarily ensuring that the winners are not burdened by their winnings. “The top two prizes are flats, chosen for their inherent appreciation in value and their suitability as valuable assets for the winners,” said Adv Karmalkar. “Additionally, most cars offered as prizes are electric vehicles, aiming to alleviate future running costs for the recipients. The Mandal emphasises a live and transparent draw process to maintain the integrity of the lottery and prevent any doubts among donation coupon holders,” he added. Nilesh Prabhudessai, President of the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, Quepem, corroborates that the rapid SAYS ONCE COURT DECLARES A HOUSE AS MUNDKARIAL IN CRZ AREA, GCZMA HAS NO MORE POWER THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has said that once a Court declares a structure as a registered Mundkarial House, located along the areas governed by the CRZ norms, it does not require any formal regularization from the Authority since it is pre-existing before 1991. During its meeting held earlier this month, the Authority, passed the verdict in a six year old application filed with regards to regularization of Mundkarial House in Socoband-Ambelim, Salcete. The house is located approximately 27 meters from the high tide line (HTL). “The Authority deliberated the matter in detail and clarified that the registered and declared Mundkarial house by the competent Court does not require any formal regularization, since it pre-existed before 1991,” reads the minutes of the meeting. However, the Authority said that in case of any reconstruction, repair and renovation During its meeting, the coastal authority passed the verdict in a six-year old application filed with regards to regularization of mundkarial house in Socoband-Ambelim, Salcete that was located approximately 27 meters from the high tide line or increase in built-up area or plinth area is to be carried out, then the permission of GCZMA be obtained. The Authority’s expert members had inspected the structure in June 2024 and it was noted that as per the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2011, the area falls fully in CRZ III- that is no development zone line for river/creeks. The Authority pointed out that as per the CRZ notification 2011, regularization of structures are permissible under Clause 6, sub-section (d) “the dwelling units of the traditional coastal communities residents say pressure to industrialize the plateaus has continued. “Over 1,100 villagers recently signed a petition demanding immediate withdrawal of all proposals,” said Prashant Pagi. “This Sunday’s Gram Sabha was the latest chapter in that struggle and the people have spoken loud and clear.” Over 200 villagers reportedly attended the meeting, which saw overwhelming support for the resolutions. According to Denis Fernandes, participants came Monsoon misses the mark, July records deficit of 1.3 per cent Afforestation meets: Goa faces heat THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA Despite an early onset on May 25 and a promising start, the southwest monsoon in Goa has recorded a 1.3 per cent rainfall deficit by the end of July, marking one of the weakest performances in recent years. Weather experts attribute this shortfall to a combination of unfavourable synoptic conditions and atmospheric anomalies that disrupted typical rainfall patterns across the State. The season began on an encouraging note, with widespread and fairly equitable rainfall during the first fortnight of June. However, the momentum soon waned. As July progressed – typically the peak monsoon month – rainfall began to diminish, with long spells of dry weather and >Continued on P5 2 flats, 53 cars, 17 two-wheelers await winners of donation coupons SANGUEM he four Ganeshotsav mandals are located within a radius of barely 12 kilometers, yet there has been a huge buzz at all four locations, with a staggering bonanza of prizes —2 flats, 53 cars, and 17 two-wheelers — awaiting the winners of this year’s four different donation coupons. The donation coupons floated by the Ganeshotsav mandals in Sanguem, Quepem, Curchorem and Sanvordem have been generating huge interest, especially with the jaw-dropping prizes at each of these donation coupons. The common factor at all these four Ganeshotsav mandals is the public trust that attracts huge crowds to India in sight of famous win despite Brook, Root tons ing the day’s proceedings as a decisive moment in a long-standing battle for conservation. “This movement began in 2005 when four large tourism projects were proposed on Loliem’s coastal plateaus, sparking widespread opposition and the eventual failure of the RP 2011 plan,” said Dattaprasad Prabhugaonkar. “The same plateaus were again threatened by the IIT Goa proposal in 2016, but villagers united to block it, passing six landmark resolutions which remain in force today.” Despite these victories, Ganesh mandals go full throttle with festive bonanza THE GOAN I NETWORK SPORTS sale of donation coupons is a direct result of the public’s confidence and trust in the Mandal. In fact, the high demand has led the Mandal to increase the number of donation coupons over the past two years, as many individuals, even those travelling from distant locations, were previously disappointed by the swift sell-out. SANGUEM Two flats and 18 cars along with cash amounts ranging from Rs 4 lakh to a staggering Rs 35 lakh are on offer for the winners of donation coupons of the Sangampur Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal at Sanguem.  As many as 1.5 lakh >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 PANAJI: The Compensatory Afforestation, Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) of the Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has pulled up Goa government expressing displeasure over failure of various State-level committees constituted under Compensatory Afforestation Act (CAF) to hold mandatory meetings as per law. In the last six years, the State CAMPA Executive Committee and Steering Committee has met only seven and six times, respectively, as against the re- >Continued on P5 quirement of holding quarterly meetings in a financial year. Moreover, the State CAMPA Governing Body, headed by the Chief Minister, has not met even once since 2018-19, even though the CAF Act makes it mandatory to have half yearly meetings.  >> See pg 3