log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY AUGUST 13, 2025 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 57 Goa's Biggest Media Brand with Highest Viewership which makes us Instagram.com/thegoanonline FC GOA FACES OMAN’S CLUB IN AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2 QUALIFIER>>12 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Come join us Contact: 9011043385 / 9850755549 / 9130004704 / 9689923150 Email: marketing@prudentmedia.in Gang war, gunfire rock Margao  15 MASKED MEN BLOCK CAR IN PRE-DAWN AMBUSH, OPEN FIRE AND ASSAULT DUO; THIRD OCCUPANT ESCAPES  2 CRITICAL  8 HELD AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA OUTRAGE  2 VEHICLES SEIZED THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO In a chilling display of gang violence, gunshots were fired and blood was spilled in the early hours of Tuesday as a brutal gang war erupted on the busy Margao-Colva road at Mungul, leaving two individuals critically injured. The duo is undergoing treatment at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim with serious injuries. Sources say the third occupant in the car reportedly made good his escape after the attack. Around 15 armed assailants, traveling in multiple cars, ambushed the inmates of the Baleno car, returning from Colva, near Sagun Restaurant at Mungul at around 2:45 am. The attackers, some with masked faces, were carrying deadly weapons including a pistol, koita, iron rods, and soda bottles. A live cartridge was recovered from the scene. >> pg 6 Generations of artisans shape Ganesh idols against the odds IN SHORT >> Repeal of Section 377 and Triple Talaq in CBSE curriculum NEW DELHI: Enactment of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, repealing of outdated laws like triple talaq and sedition, and striking down of Section 377 will be part of the CBSE's Legal Studies curriculum from the 2026-27 academic session, according to officials.  >> See pg 8 GWMC revives waste project at Bainguinim MAPUSA: The Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) has once again invited Requests for Qualification (RFQ) from eligible bidders to design, finance, build, operate and maintain a 100-tonne-per-day (TPD) solid waste processing facility at Bainguinim for a concession period of 15 years. >> See pg 3 Coastal drug link, old rivalry under probe The victims, identified as Yuvkesh Singh Badaila, a resident of Margao, and his friend Rafiq, were returning from Colva in a Baleno car when they were intercepted and attacked. Eyewitnesses and police sources say the attackers used their vehicles to block the victims' car before opening fire and launching a phys- ical assault. Police said rounds were fired at the victims, and other members of the group smashed the car and attacked them with soda bottles and sharp weapons. South Goa SP Tikam Singh said both Yuvkesh and Rafiq suffered injuries to their hands and other parts of their bodies while attempting to resist the attack. The shocking incident quickly went viral on social media, sparking public outrage and demands for swift police action. SP Tikam Singh immediately formed special teams to investigate the case. >Continued on P8 CAG flags faulty water billing system in industrial estates AUDIT EXPOSES 46 PC WATER LOSS; PILERNE, KUNDAIM, CORLIM TOP LIST IN LOSSES THE GOAN I NETWORK >Continued on P8 PANAJI The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has exposed defective/ faulty water billing system in the industrial estates resulting in loss of upto 46 per cent of water units in the last three years. The CAG in its communication to the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) has criticised the Corporation for failing to put in place policies or procedures to take care of issues like faulty meters, distribution losses, billing cycle, etc. GIDC procures water from the public works department and supplies it to the plot allottees across all the industrial estates. The industrial units are required to specify their water requirement for manufacturing process and for office consumption use at the time of making application for plot allotment. During the test check conducted by the Auditors at Police eye cross-district crime links MARGAO: The Goa Police is investigating on the possible involvement of criminal elements from Quepem, Tiswadi and Ponda along with their accomplices from Margao and Fatorda and other areas in Salcete in the early Tuesday gang war on the Colva-Margao road. The police are also investigating into reports whether the assailants had met at Quepem a day ago to plan the attack. The >Continued on P8 700 IRB recruits Ortho surgeon held for duping Goan jeweller graduate in PANAJI: Panaji police have arrested an orthopaedic surgeon Assam, set to from Hyderabad, Telangaboost Goa Police na, for allegedly cheating a Goan jeweller by using a fake payment screenshot to obtain gold ornaments worth Rs 1.41 lakh.  >> See pg 5 CAG FINDINGS: THE DISCREPANCIES „„No GIDC policies on faulty meters, distribution losses, billing cycle, or minimum billing „„GIDC buys water from PWD and bills units via meter readings „„Zero consumption in 2023–24: 20 units (Sancoale), 23 (Kundaim), 6 (Pilerne) „„No minimum billing norms for zero use or faulty meters „„Incorrect billing detected in Sancoale estate „„Pharma industry water tariff unchanged for years RECOMMENDATIONS Automate billing process; Introduce smart metering or similar solutions for accurate, real-time data and better revenue recovery three industrial estates, it was observed that there were 20 industrial units in Sancoale, 23 industrial units in Kundaim and six in Pilerne with zero water consumption reading in 2023-24. The Auditor noted that GIDC had no standard practices of billing minimum units for zero consumption and for billing at previous av- erage for faulty meters. The CAG also came across incorrect billing in Sancoale industrial estates while also noted that the water tariff for pharmaceutical industries, who consume water as raw material, has not been reviewed for years. >Continued on P8 Chief Minister Pramod Sawant at the passing out parade in Assam. PANAJI: Strengthening the Goa Police force, 700 recruits of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) have completed 10 months of training at the Lachit Borphukan Police Academy in Dergaon, Assam, and will now join service in the State. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, on the second day of his visit to Assam, attended the passing-out parade on Tuesday along with his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma and the Director General of Police of both states. Sawant was given a guard of honour before the ceremony, which marked the graduation of recruits from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd IRB units of the Goa >> See pg 3 Police.  ST quota unlikely before 2032 elections: Experts Say EC cannot begin delimitation until 2027 Census data is available THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI he passage of the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in the Goa Assembly Constituencies Bill, 2025, in both the houses of the Parliament is considered as a “historic” step towards fulfilling the long-awaited demand of the community, who currently have got no seat reserved in the 40-member State Assembly, despite having a population of close to 1.50 lakh. Though the community is eyeing for 2027 polls to have four seats reserved for T WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY... „„Likely earliest possible — 2032 elections, though 2037 possible if delays occur „„Caste-based Census to begin only March 1, 2027 and will take at least two years to complete „„Election Commission will set up a delimitation commission after them, the legal and electoral experts are of the view that the aspiring tribal candidates will have to wait until at least 2032 to contest from the reserved seats. According to them the four constituencies that could be reserved are – Census data is available; cannot bypass procedure „„Using 'outdated' 2011 Census data would be unconstitutional „„Final number of reserved seats could be three, four, or more, depending on updated ST population data Canacona, Quepem and Priol in South and one from North Goa – either Cumbharjua or Mandrem. Experts say that until the 2027 Census data is out, the Election Commission will not or rather as per law cannot go ahead with the delimitation process. And if the ECI decides to go for a delimitation commission using the 2011 census then that would be erroneous. “It is not possible in the 2027 polls. Unless you have the ST population data in hand, how can the delimitation exercise be undertaken? ECI will have to wait for Census 2027 data. Taking that into account, the reservation may be possible in the 2032 assembly election,” State Election Commissioner Daulat Hawaldar said. The Government of India will begin the next population census, which is caste based in two phases. For Goa and the rest of India it will start from March 1, 2027. The census will provide updated population figures essential for constituency delimitation. >Continued on P8 Tree Authority directs to plant trees five times, and geo-tag THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO: As the Goa Police has launched investigations into the gang war that erupted on the Margao-Colva road at Mungul in the wee hours of Tuesday, questions are being asked over the motive behind the dastardly and murderous assault on the Baleno car carrying 19-year old Yuvkesh Singh and his friend Rafiq. As the incident, wherein guns and koitas were freely used in the attack, triggered outrage, citizens were seeking answers to unanswered questions over the exact motive behind the attack – whether it was due to a previous enmity or has anything to do Police inspect the Baleno car that was damaged in the incident. (Right) The bullet shot mark on the vehicle and a live cartridge. (Related reports on pg 2)  Santosh Mirajkar 1,149 trees to face axe for Pvt varsity campus in Tivim PANAJI A whopping number of 1,149 trees would be cut to facilitate construction of the MIT-Peace University campus at Tivim. The State Tree Authority (STA) has granted its nod for felling of the trees while directing planting five times the indigenous forest tree species. The MIT Group of Institution has also approached the Directorate of Mines and Geology to remove the old mineral dump located within the said comunidade land which has about 614 standing trees, mostly Acacia species. During its meeting held last month, the STA has asked the project proponent to ensure phase-wise felling of trees and during the process no wildlife is harmed or injured in any way, including their nests. The Registrar of Maharashtra Academy of Engineering and Educational Research (MAEER), MIT Group of Institution, Pune had moved a proposal before the Authority seeking permission to fell 1,449 trees for construction of the private university campus. The project proponent said that they intend to utilise an area of around 20,000 sq mtrs for setting up of the University, with residential facilities STA clears felling of 292 trees for 2 tourism projects PANAJI: The STA has approved felling of 292 trees for two major tourism projects – Unity Mall at Chimbel and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj museum at Bandora in Ponda. While 195 trees will be cut for the development of the museum, 97 will face the axe for the Unity Mall project. For Shivaji Museum project, the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) submitted that it intends to create >Continued on P8 and other academic institutional amenities. MAEER mentioned that the area has been leased out to them by the concerned comunidade and accordingly they shall be taking up the establishment of the university. Justifying the high number of trees proposed for felling, the project proponent mentioned that they shall take up construction in a phased manner and they are seeking >Continued on P8