log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline FRIDAY JUNE 5, 2026 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 15 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 348 CM clears air on Mhaje Ghar scheme, denies migrant angle 2 GOA Govt takes over MUCB’s iconic ‘Nandadeep’ headquarters 3 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 6 LIFE Against the tide: Goa’s fight for its waters & wildflife WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY Page 8 Why roads are becoming hostile to sedans Maruti Suzuki Victoris: Built for everyday life IN SHORT >> Min warns of FIRs over illegal road cutting MAPUSA: With the monsoon setting in and assembly elections just months away, Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Digambar Kamat on Thursday announced a tough crackdown on unauthorised road excavation, warning that any department digging up roads without prior approval would face strict action, including the registration of FIRs. The warning comes amid the government's efforts to avoid a repeat of last year's monsoon.  >> See pg 3 Govt adopts revised Dearness Relief PANAJI: The government has adopted the Central Government’s revised Dearness Relief (DR) rates for pensioners and family pensioners, increasing the DR from 58% to 60% of basic pension/family pension with effect from January 1, 2026. According to an Office Memorandum, the enhanced DR will be paid along with arrears. Bangla man remanded in Mapusa dacoity State’s green future teeters amid mounting challenges CHANGING LANDSCAPE SPARKS CONCERNS ACROSS REGIONS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI As we mark the ‘World Environment Day’ with the theme "Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future", Goa finds itself trapped where villages fight for water, communities resist projects they believe threaten their environment, and citizens raise alarms over pollution and ecological degradation. The State that sells itself as a pristine paradise of rivers, forests, hills and coastline is increasingly witnessing conflicts over the very resources that sustain its ecology and people. From the forested villages of Canacona, Sanguem to the agricultural lands of Bicholim and the banks of the Mandovi in Panaji, survival battles are erupting across Goa, exposing the widening gap between conservation rhetoric and realities on the ground. In the remote forest village of Ziltawadi in Gaondongrim, Canacona, residents are struggling for something as basic as drinking water. Villagers NATURE V/S DEVPT GOA’S GROWING CRISIS „„Gaondongrim, Talsai face severe drinking water shortages „„Residents are forced to dig pits in streams and travel long distances daily for basic water needs „„Mega housing, township projects in areas like Karapur-Sarvan threaten groundwater availability, local agri „„Rapid urbanisation risks permanently changing rural, ecological landscape „„Large-scale hill cutting continues despite environmental regulations „„Fears raised over landslides, erosion, habitat loss „„Mandovi and Zuari rivers face have reportedly been forced to dig pits in streambeds and riverbeds to collect water after wells dried up and tap water supplies remained irregular. Residents travel long distances every day to fetch water for their families, highlighting the increasing pollution, sewage inflow, pressure from unregulated development „„Degrading river ecosystems affect fish populations, mangroves, wildlife, livelihoods dependent on ecosystems „„Expanding urban development putting sensitive river zones under stress „„Issues like the Mhadei Water Dispute continue to impact long-term water security, ecological future failure to ensure water security in some of the State's most ecologically sensitive regions. Talsai, a rehabilitation village in Sanguem, located near the Salaulim dam catchment, is also facing a severe drinking water crisis, with villagers MAPUSA: The Mapusa Judicial Magistrate First Class Court has remanded a Bangladeshi national, identified as Mohammad Nazir, to 14 days' judicial custody in connection with the sensational dacoity case reported in Mapusa earlier this year. Nazir was produced before the court after being brought to Goa on a transfer warrant from Delhi.  >> See pg 3 AJUP offers Mamata route back to House KOLKATA: In a twist laden with political irony, AJUP founder Humayun Kabir on Thursday offered Mamata Banerjee a route back to the West Bengal Assembly from Rejinagar, months after breaking away from the Trinamool Congress and calling for the overthrow of her government. >Continued on P10 FIRE AFTERMATH 12 B&B facilities in Delhi likely to lose licences PTI Scrapyards checked, 172 workers verified PANAJI: The Crime Branch of Goa Police inspected 48 scrap yards across the state and verified 172 workers, including women labourers, during a state-wide verification drive on a single day, on Wednesday. The exercise is to identify illegal immigrants and persons staying or working without valid documents.  >> See pg 2 lacking piped water supply -- even as Goa boasts of being the first with cent percent coverage under "Har Gar Jal". Nearly 100 kilometres away in Karapur-Sarvan of Bicholim, another environmental struggle has transformed into one of the longest-running people's agitations in recent times. Villagers have been protesting for months against a proposed mega-housing project, fearing it will place enormous pressure on groundwater resources, agriculture, local infrastructure and fragile hill slopes. Residents argue that a large-scale township could permanently alter the ecological character of the area while threatening water availability for future generations. Hill-cutting has triggered public outrage in several villages over the last few years, with residents repeatedly questioning how entire slopes can disappear despite environmental regulations. Further, at the heart of Goa, another battle is unfolding along the Mandovi. Environmentalists and citizens have repeatedly voiced concerns over pollution, increasing pressure on river ecosystems, sewage discharge and unregulated development along MONSOON MOOD: Dark clouds hover over Panaji city on Thursday, signaling the arrival of the monsoon. The temperature also dropped by around 2 degrees.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Monsoon arrives in Kerala, IMD issues orange alert in 3 districts PTI NEW DELHI The southwest monsoon set over Kerala on Thursday, according to the India Meteorological Department even as it issued an orange alert in Alappuzha, Kottayam and Ernakulam districts for three hours. The weather agency said that thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and maximum surface wind speeds reaching 40 kilometers per hour were likely in parts of the state. Typically, the monsoon arrives in Kerala around June 1, which marks the beginning of the Southwest monsoon sea- son (June-September). “The monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of southwest and southeast Arabian Sea, some parts of westcentral and eastcentral Arabian Sea, entire Lakshadweep islands, Kerala and Mahe, some parts of Karnataka and TN", the IMD said. NEW DELHI The MCD will write to the Tourism department to cancel licences for 12 bed-and-breakfast (B&B) facilities operating in Hauz Rani, a day after a devastating fire at a guest house in the locality, officials said on Thursday. The move comes as civic authorities intensify enforcement measures following the fire at Flourish Stay in Malviya Nagar on Wednesday, which killed 21 people, including 12 foreign nationals, and prompted scrutiny of commercial establishments operating in the area. A senior municipal official said 12 licensed B&B properties have been identified in and around the Hauz Rani locality where the fire incident occurred and they will be sealed once their licences are revoked. “We have identified 12 such buildings operating in violation of norms. Since they have got licences under the bedand-breakfast scheme, first we will get those licences cancelled,” the official said. SPORTS Spotlight on Pant as off-colour India prepares for Afghan Test 15 Govt sets digital bar for ‘Group C’ posts 6-month diploma, certificate mandatory to be eligible THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Goa government has notified new rules making computer literacy a prerequisite for recruitment to Group ‘C’ posts across departments from January 1, 2027. Applicants will now need a minimum six-month diploma or certificate in computers from a recognized institution. However, those holding degrees or diplomas in computer science or related fields, as well as ITI qualifications such as Computer Operator and Programming Assistant (COPA), will be exempt. The notification also mandates a Computer Proficiency Test for all candidates, to be conducted as prescribed by the government. Officials said the move is aimed at equipping the future workforce with essential digital skills, reflecting the growing reliance on technology in governance and service delivery. The requirement will cover 115 categories of Group ‘C’ posts, including Upper and Lower Division Clerks (UDCs and LDCs), stenographers, panchayat secretaries, gram sevaks, talathis, junior engineers, data entry operators, sub-inspectors, auditors, FUTURE PERFECT „„Computer literacy mandatory from Jan 1, 2027 „„Computer science degree/diploma holders exempt „„ITI COPA-qualified candidates also exempt „„Computer Proficiency Test compulsory „„Rule applies to 115 Group ‘C’ post categories „„Covers clerks, stenos, engineers, inspectors, pharmacists etc „„Move aims to strengthen digital skills in govt workforce pharmacists, and State tax Inspectors, among others. By insisting on basic computer knowledge, the government is hoping to streamline human handled administrative processes and improve efficiency in public services. The rules are expected to raise the bar for recruitment and ensure that new entrants are better prepared for the demands of modern administration. AS SMOKE CLEARS IN DELHI… Goa’s Birch blaze leaves trail of broken promises 25 LIVES LOST, REPORT STILL UNDER WRAPS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI When a devastating fire tore through a Delhi hotel on Wednesday, claiming 21 lives, the smoke seemed to drift all the way to Goa. For many here, the images of charred remains in Malviya Nagar were a haunting echo of Goa’s own deadliest nightlife disaster and a bitter reminder of promises yet unkept. Six months have passed since the fire at Arpora’s Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub that killed 25 people, including tourists and Nepali staff. In the immediate wake of that December tragedy, there were criminal charges, suspensions of senior bureaucrats, high-profile arrests, and the sealing of 22 clubs found to be operating in blatant defiance of fire safety codes and licensing permissions. „„Magisterial inquiry fixed safety violations or report still not obtained mandapublic tory Fire NOCs „„Authorities „„Around 90ARPORA filed crimFIRE STATUS 100 Fire NOCs inal cases, reportedly SO FAR suspended issued in last 8 officials, made months arrests „„Many high-oc„„22 clubs were sealed cupancy venues still over fire safety violations. operating without Fire NOCs „„All 22 clubs quietly desealed, allowed to reopen „„The Dec blaze killed 25 people, including tourists, „„No public clarity on Nepali staff whether these venues Today, however, the magisterial inquiry ordered into the disaster remains shielded from the public eye. Sources told The Goan that every one of the 22 shuttered establishments was quietly de-sealed and allowed to op- erate. Both orders – sealing and de-sealing were made by the district administration. State authorities have provided no public disclosure regarding whether these >Continued on P10 Iran war nears 100 days; US House votes to end conflict Data paints stark picture of Goa’s lifestyle crisis AS DIABETES, HYPERTENSION NUMBERS SURGE… CONGRESS ATTACKS TRUMP OVER HOSTILITIES PTI WASHINGTON The war triggered by the United States and Israel’s military operation against Iran, which killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, entered its 97th day on Thursday with no clear path to peace. Nearly a week has passed since US and Iranian negotiators reportedly reached a tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire by 60 days and launch a fresh round of discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme, pending Trump's approval. The US House of Representatives passed a Democratic-led resolution aimed at halting the conflict with Iran until the legislature formally sanctions military action. The lower chamber approved the resolution to curb President Donald Trump's military authority regarding Iran, delivering a sharp rebuke to the administration's management of the hostilities. Reports said that the narrow 215-208 vote succeeded after Republican Representatives Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett, and Warren Davidson crossed party lines to back the measure. This shift follows repeated efforts by Democrats to restrict Trump's war powers across both congressional chambers, a movement that has increasingly garnered Republican backing. The adoption of the War Powers Resolution underscores mounting friction within the legislature over the administration's policies. THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI oa’s health authorities are facing a mounting challenge as non-communicable diseases surge across the State, according to the National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6), released recently by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The data paints a stark picture with diabetes, hypertension, and obesity rising sharply and placing Goa high above the national average. The data shows a steep climb in cases among men aged 15 and above. Diabetes prevalence has jumped from G Sawant champions healthier lifestyle habits PANAJI: In response to the alarming rise in diabetes, hypertension and obesity revealed by the Union health ministry’s NFHS-6 survey, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday appealed to Goans to make conscious lifestyle changes. In a message shared on social media, Sawant urged citizens to adopt simple but consistent habits such as regular exercise, balanced diets, and reduced consumption of sugar and processed foods. 24.1% in NFHS-5 to 32.1% in NFHS-6. Obesity has surged from 32.6% to 43.6%. Hypertension has edged up to He emphasized that preventive healthcare must become a collective priority and called on doctors and medical professionals to intensify awareness campaigns across the State. The Chief Minister also encouraged participation in the ongoing ‘Health with Ayurveda’ initiative, which has been extended until July 5. Himself an Ayurveda doctor, Sawant said small, everyday adjustments can significantly improve long-term health outcomes. 27.5%. Women also mirror this trend -- diabetes up from 20.8% to 27.5%, while obe- sity in them has soared from 36.1% to 45.1%. Hypertension, however, has dipped in the female population slightly, from 27.5% to 26.2%. The rural–urban divide is also striking with rural women recording higher hypertension rates at 27.8%, compared to 24.9% in urban women. Urban men are more prone to diabetes, with 36.3% showing blood sugar above 140 mg/dl, against 27.4% in rural men. As for obesity, it is more pronounced in the cities and towns: 44.1% of men and 48.3% of women, compared to 42.9% and 41.1% respectively in rural areas. The data also shows that Goa’s rising graph of these >Continued on P10