log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline THURSDAY AUGUST 7, 2025 GOA PANAJI: For the first time since its inception in 2007, the flagship edition of Sunburn Festival will not be held in Goa. Organisers have announced on social media that the three-day electronic dance music (EDM) event will take place in Mumbai this year on December 19, 20, and 21. The venue is yet to be revealed. Touted as Asia’s largest EDM festival, Sunburn has long been associated with Goa’s party scene. It originally kicked off in Vagator, North Goa, and briefly shifted to Pune from 2016 to 2018 before returning to its coastal roots. But over the years, the festival has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters, local residents, village panchayats, civil society groups, citing issues ranging from noise pollution and crowd mismanagement to >Continued on P8 IN SHORT >> Pay parking for Miramar, St Inez PANAJI: Almost a year after notifying the fourth phase of pay parking in Panaji, covering areas like Miramar and St Inez, the North Goa Collector has finally announced its implementation by finalizing the parking fees for the vehicles.  >> See pg 3 Casino live gaming busted; 11 held PANAJI: A day after Goa Forward MLA Vijai Sardesai released a sting video alleging illegal live gaming at landbased casinos in North Goa, the Crime Branch conducted a raid at a Candolim casino and arrested 11 persons allegedly operating and participating in a live card game of chance.  >> See pg 3 Industrialist Paresh Joshi no more VASCO: Goa lost one of its most respected and multi-faceted personalities when Paresh Vasantrao Joshi – industrialist, former chairperson of Mormugao Municipal Council, and a towering figure in community service – passed away on Wednesday morning while undergoing treatment at Goa Medical College Hospital. He was 76. >> See pg 5 Monitor lizard skins, 14 ghumats seized MAPUSA: The forest staff of Panaji Range, North Goa Division, conducted a raid at Duler-Mapusa and seized 47 skins and 14 Ghumats made from the skin of the monitor lizard, a Schedule I species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.  >> See pg 5 The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 51 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 3 14 2 9 Trump doubles India Cabinet approves regularisation tariff to 50 pc over of houses under 20-point prog Russian oil purchase Bursting at the seams: Govt mulls cap on village construction boom Sunburn festival moves out of Goa, heads to Mumbai Facebook.com/thegoan GOA Shortage of beds continues to afflict SGDH medicine wards MAPUSA hief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday told the Goa Legislative Assembly that the State government will formulate a policy within the next six months to ensure the availability of subsidised fish for Goans. The move aims to make fish affordable and accessible for locals, who consider it a staple in their daily diet. Sawant said the government is aware of the rising cost of fish and the concerns raised by locals about its availability. “We know Goans love their fish, curry and rice. So far, we don’t have a policy in place, but we will introduce one within six months to provide subsidised fish to Goans,” he stated, while responding C India winning without Bumrah is just a coincidence: Tendulkar Natural masks to remove cellulites dimpling 5,179 ALLOTTEES TO BENEFIT FROM DECISION; DISTRICT COLLECTORS EMPOWERED TO ISSUE SANADS, RECLAIM VACANT PLOTS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI In yet another major decision, the State Cabinet on Wednesday accorded approval to regularise the houses constructed on the land allotted by the government as part of the 20-point programme. Under the programme, total of 5,179 plots have been allotted across the State. The State Cabinet that met under Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also decided to empower District Collector to revert back the allotted land to the government in case the beneficiary has failed to provide one-time regularisation benefit to the third party occupants on payment of the penalty. According to the Cabinet note, under the programme, plots were allotted to underprivileged individuals for residential purposes as Occu- REGULARISATION: THE CRITERIA „„New policy enables Class I status (ownership) on payment of 1/20th market value „„Allottees so far held Class II occupancy, lacking ownership rights „„Category A: Built and residing – eligible for Class I status „„Category B: Vacant plots – to be reverted to government „„Category C: Transferred to third parties before February 28, 2014 – may be regularised with penalty „„Policy aims to ease renovations, loan access, and approvals for affected families pants Class II in accordance with the provisions of Section 21 of the Goa Land Revenue Code, 1968. “However, since the status of Occupant Class II does not confer ownership, the allottees remain without title and the ownership of the land continues to vest with the government, thereby limiting their legal and developmental rights over the plot,” the Cabinet note stated. The government has classified the beneficiaries under three categories. Under Category A, the government will consider granting Class I occupancy status, upon payment of premium of 1/20th of the fair market value, to those who have constructed the dwelling houses on the allotted plots and are residing there with their families of their legal heirs. Govt plans to regularise contractual teachers: CM PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, in reply to a query on contractual teachers and staff, stated in the Goa Legislative Assembly on Wednesday that the government is working on a scheme to regularise these employees. He said that, as per the proposal, teachers who have completed 10 years of service will be considered for permanent posts, and that no contractual or lecture-based teachers are being removed from their jobs. He added that lecture-based teachers are currently receiving contractual salaries. The Chief Minister was replying to the discussion on the demands for grants pertaining to school education, higher education, technical education besides other portfolios under his charge. The Chief Minister also said that the government will assess the qualifications of all teachers currently working in government and aided schools and colleges. >Continued on P8 >Continued on P8 PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, in reply to a query on the mining issue, stated in the Goa Legislative Assembly on Wednesday that a total of 20 ore dumps have been identified in South Goa for e-auction in the first phase. He added that the 31st e-auction of already extracted ore will also be conducted within this month. On sand mining, the Chief Minister admitted that the government has not been able to resolve the issue yet. Common campus for professional colleges The Chief Minister informed that the government has acquired nearly 1.20 lakh square metres of land from Goa University to set up a common campus. He said the government plans to shift all professional colleges currently located in Panaji city to the newly THE GOAN I NETWORK Sawant also said that his government has decided to begin replacing existing Balrath buses which have crossed 15 years, in a phased manner. “Those schools which joined the scheme first will get new buses first. Some buses which manage to get fitness certificates from the RTO will be permitted to continue 20 ore dumps identified for e-auction in South Goa Those who do not meet the required qualifications will be removed from service, and a detailed report will be tabled in the upcoming Assembly session. HC adjourns TCP petitions sine die PANAJI The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of all petitions related to Section 17(2) of the TCP Act sine die while granting liberty to the petitioners to mention the matter for hearing whenever an exigency arises in the future. The development comes after the Supreme Court ordered a status quo on matters related to Section 17(2) and Outline Development Plans (ODPs). The State government had filed two appeals before the apex court, against the High Court’s judgement dated March 13 in PIL Writ Petition No. 16 of 2023, PIL Writ Petition No. 17 of 2023 and PIL Writ Petition (F) No. 2317 of 2023, which read down Section 17(2) of the Act. In March, the High Court had struck down the rules and guidelines of the controversial Section 17(2) in the “public interest,” after which the State government challenged the order in the Supreme Court. In June, the High Court set aside the government’s ODPs for five villages and directed the State to follow the Regional Plan 2021 for the approval of plans and the grant of permissions in these villages. SAYS QUALIFICATIONS OF TEACHERS IN SCHOOLS, COLLEGES WILL BE REVIEWED; UNQUALIFIED TO BE REMOVED THE GOAN I NETWORK The Category B, comprises those allottees who have failed to construct any residential dwelling house within the stipulated time and plot remains vacant, the government will consider reverting all such plots and direct District Collector to identify these vacant plots and issue reversion orders and take possession accordingly. The Category C comprises of those where the original allottees have unauthorisedly transferred the plots to third parties who are now in possession and have constructed houses for residential use. Here the government will consider regularising such unauthorised occupation as a onetime compassionate measure. In this case, the government will grant them either Occupant Class II or Class I status provided that such unauthorised possession of the plot has been obtained pri- acquired land, and that the foundation stone for the project will be laid shortly. Old Balrath buses to be replaced Policy on cards to provide subsidised fish THE GOAN I NETWORK SPORTS INFO SUBSIDISED FISH: THE POLICY „„Govt to frame subsidised fish policy within 6 months „„Aims to make fish affordable and accessible to Goans „„Govt may set up a food quality lab at Fatorda fish market „„Plans to develop cold chain systems with local involvement Other issues „„BJP MLA flagged fish exports as cause for high prices „„LoP Alemao calls it a policy failure, not a market failure „„Sardesai claims 92% cold chain is privately held; urges more regulation „„Cruz Silva raises fishermen–trawler tensions to Opposition queries during Question Hour. The Chief Minister also said the government was exploring the possibility of establishing a food quality lab at the Fatorda fish market and was positively looking at developing cold chain management systems that could involve local stakeholders. The discussion was initiated by BJP MLA Rudolf Fernandes, who pointed out that uncontrolled fish exports were making fish unaffordable for Goans. “They send fish outside No more bull trawling or LED fishing, assures Minister MAPUSA: Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar on Wednesday assured the Goa Legislative Assembly that bull trawling and LED fishing will be strictly prohibited this year, as the government has implemented robust measures to curb these illegal practices that threaten the livelihood of traditional fishermen and the sustainability of marine life.  >> See pg 2 and Goans are left without it. Prices go up and people can’t buy it. What is the government doing to curb these exports?” Fernandes asked. Responding to the concern, Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar said fish export is regulated by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), which functions under the Central government. “There is no uncontrolled export of fish from the State,” Halarnkar clarified. However, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao dismissed the Minister’s written reply as a bureaucratic evasion. “It’s a bureaucratic hand wash. The issue is not about >Continued on P8 or to February 28, 2014. The government will also impose premium and penalty to such occupants. The District Collectors are empowered to issue Sanads to all such occupants after verifying the required documents. “One of the primary reasons necessitating this policy is the hardship caused to the beneficiaries in carrying out renovations, obtaining permissions from multiple government departments, obtaining bank loans. Being Occupant Class II, their requests for approvals or services remained rejected or delayed,” the Cabinet note stated. The State government has already introduced Bills in the ongoing Assembly session to regularise the unauthorised houses constructed on the government and comunidade land before February 28, 2014. AGENCIES NEW DELHI In a sharp escalation of trade tensions, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports, taking the total duty on affected goods to 50 per cent. The White House said the move was a direct response to India’s continued imports of Russian oil, which the US claims undermine Western sanctions and embolden Moscow’s war economy. The announcement came within 24 hours of his warning during an interview with a private television channel, where he had said he would “double down” on India if New Delhi did not end its purchases of Russian crude. “I find that the government of India is currently directly or indirectly importing oil from the Russian Federation,” Trump said in the executive order. The latest tariff action comes at a delicate time, with a US delegation scheduled to visit New Delhi on August 25 for the sixth round of talks on I find that the government of India is currently directly or indirectly importing oil from the Russian Federation,” — Donald Trump, US President the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA). Meanwhile, Indian government officials have confirmed that the talks remain on schedule but acknowledged that the sudden move has “complicated the environment.” However, no official statement had been issued by the Indian government till the press time. Back home, trade analysts said that the Trump administration is using tariffs as a tool of strategic signalling. “This is less about energy policy and more about alignment. Trump is using tariffs not just to penalise, but to draw clear lines on global alliances,” said Ajay Srivastava, a trade expert and founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative. Woman booked for stabbing pet dog in Vasco over barking issue THE GOAN I NETWORK VASCO A woman from Pixem Dongri in Vasco has been booked for allegedly attacking a dog with a knife following a dispute over barking on Tuesday evening. Francisco D’Souza lodged a police complaint stating that the incident occurred near the State Bank of India in Pixem Dongri at around 5.30 pm when his neighbour, Rhea D’Souza, repeatedly stabbed his pet dog with a knife, leaving it seriously in- jured. Acting on the complaint, Vasco Police have registered an offence under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita-2023 and Section 11(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to >Continued on P8