log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SATURDAY JUNE 13, 2026 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 356 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Govt suspends smart meter rollout, halts load penalties CM SAYS DON’T PAY DISPUTED BILLS UNTIL VERIFICATION THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant late on Friday night announced that penalties on consumers for exceeding sanctioned electricity load will be put on hold. He also ordered suspension of the rollout of smart meters until a comprehensive review of the project is completed. The move comes after days of protests and mounting complaints over inflated bills. Sawant said, consumers need not pay the disputed bills and both issues will be examined in detail before any further implementation. "Those who have received inflated bills or penalties should approach their respective AE or EE offices for re-checking," Sawant said and advised consumers not to pay the disputed bills until verification. Page 8 Goan-origin CEO pioneers casualty evacuation system in the UK After Navy dreams, Goan woman marine engineer now sails across globe IN SHORT >> Karapur stir: Locals march to TCP office PANAJI: The agitation against the proposed House of Abhinandan Lodha mega project at Karapur-Sarvan intensified on Friday, with villagers taking their 66-dayold protest to government offices in Panaji and warning of an indefinite sit-in outside the TCP and Environment if authorities fail to halt work at the site.  >> See pg 3 36 govt vacancies up for grabs PANAJI: The Goa Public Service Commission has invited online applications to fill 36 vacancies across various departments, with June 26 set as the deadline for submissions. Kamat seeks waiver of power load penalties, flags smart meter rollout MARGAO: In a significant development that has brought Chief Minister Pramod Sawant into the picture on a sensitive issue concerning the Power Department, PWD Minister Digambar Kamat on Friday demanded a waiver of the penalty imposed on consumers for increasing their electricity load, even as he expressed reservations about the department’s proposal to replace existing electronic electricity meters with smart meters. The demand came after a large number of powEarlier on Friday morning, PWD Minister Digambar Kamat had led a group of citizens to the Electricity Department in Margao where he described the levy of penalties as unjustified and assured to take up the matter with the er consumers from Kamat’s constituency gathered at the Aquem Power House to protest what they described as inflated electricity bills resulting from the penalty clause. Stating that he does not support the introduction of smart meters at this stage, Digambar said, “I am of the opinion that there is no need to replace the existing meters with smart meters. We can discuss smart meters in the future.”  >> See pg 2 chief minister. Sawant, however, initially avoided comment. At a media conclave marking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s completion of 12 consecutive years in office, he declined to address the controversy. >Continued on P9 Digambar’s ‘power’ pitch sends reality check to govt Issue may become major talking point within Sawant’s cabinet THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Digambar Kamat’s move to take up cudgels for the electricity consumers is being interpreted as a clear message that the ruling establishment could end up paying a political price for decisions that have angered consumers. While Kamat’s decision may become a major talking point within the Pramod Sawant-led Cabinet, as the issues he has flagged pertain directly to the Power Department headed by Minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar, Political observers believe Kamat’s intervention on the contentious penalty imposed on power consumers and the controversial installation of smart meters is not without significance, especially with the Assembly elections bare- I N D I GA M BA R ’ S WO R DS „„Cannot remain silent spectator while consumers forced to pay penalties „„There is public pressure, resentment over penalty charges „„Dept needs to handle issue properly or it could boomerang on govt „„Consumers being penalised are not involved in power theft „„Penalty charges unfair, illogical and ultra vires of power Act „„As a Cabinet minister, I am the government ly six months away. The PWD Minister’s concerns come amid growing public resentment over the Power Department’s recent decisions, which have sparked widespread criticism across various sections of society. The issue of penalties, in particular, has triggered strong reactions from consumers who claim they are being unfairly burdened. Sources said Kamat’s SOS to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, seeking urgent intervention in the matter, was aimed at preventing further damage to the government’s image at a time when public discontent is steadily mounting. THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The long-delayed Goa Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2019 is now unlikely to be placed before the public for objections and suggestions before the next Assembly elections, with crucial environment and tourism-related plans still pending and key agencies seeking extensions until October-November this year. The latest delay comes after the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) sought time till October to submit two critical components -- the Environment Management Plan for ecologically sensitive areas and the Integrated Island Management Plan. The Tourism Department has similarly requested time until October-November to finalise the Eco-Tourism Plan and Tourism Master Plan. Senior officials indicated that the finalisation of the coastal planning framework, pending since 2019, has ef- „„NIO seeks time till Oct to „„All four plans must be integrated into CZMP submit Environment draft before it can Management Plan be released for for ecologically sensitive areas REASONS objections & suggestions & Integrated FOR THE Island ManageFLASHBACK DELAY ment Plan „„CZMP process „„Tourism Dept has missed several wants time till Octdeadlines Nov to finalise Eco-Tourism „„Goa only State yet to Plan & Tourism Master complete CZMP finalisation Plan process fectively been pushed beyond the election cycle. "It is most unlikely that the plan will go before public consultation this year. It will happen next year after the Assembly elections," a senior official said. Officials said all four plans are mandatory components that must be integrated into the draft CZMP before it can be placed in the public domain for objections and suggestions. The delay adds anoth- USD 1.1 trillion. Institutional and retail investors jumped at the opportunity to buy 555.6 million shares of SpaceX at the offering price of USD 135 apiece. The USD 75 billion in proceeds easily topped the previous record IPO from oil giant Saudi Aramco in 2019. Musk says SpaceX is going public now because it needs money to fund its ambitions of putting satellites and data centres in space and eventu- ally establishing a colony of people on Mars. Musk earlier marked the opening of trading on Nasdaq, where the company's are trading under the symbol “SPCX,” by joining a ceremonial bell ringing from Starbase, the South Texas home of SpaceX. He reiterated his lofty goals “to make life multi-planetary”. “Not just a few astronauts, I mean literally you,” Musk said. er chapter to the prolonged CZMP saga. Prepared under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019, the plan has missed multiple deadlines over the years, including the May 2024 deadline fixed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for its completion. Goa now remains the only one among the country's 11 coastal States where the CZMP >Continued on P9 >Continued on P9 INDIA’S SHOOTING COACH JASPAL RANA NO MORE 1 NIO, TOURISM DEPT SEEK TIME FOR KEY PLANS CEO PROMISES TRAVEL TO THE MOON, MARS NEW YORK Shares of SpaceX soared 23% in their Wall Street debut on Friday, making the rocket maker's CEO Elon Musk the first-ever trillionaire. The shares opened at USD 150 and kept rising, reaching USD 166.90 around 12:20 pm ET. That price gave the company a market value of USD 2.18 trillion. Forbes is now estimating Musk's net worth at (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal also weighed in, posting on X that Goa’s electricity rates were among the highest in the country. “People are very agitated. Even a BJP minister himself acknowledges that. We demand that, like Delhi and Punjab, domestic electricity up to 300 units per household should be made free in Goa also,” Kejriwal wrote. The controversy over inflated bills has been building for weeks. Residents across constituencies had been complaining of sudden spikes in charges, with Electricity department officials attributing it to penalties for exceeding sanctioned load. On Thursday, Anjuna residents had staged symbolic protests, serving rice gruel in a “pej andolan” to highlight the issue. AHEAD OF ASSEMBLY POLLS… CZMP may not see light of day until assembly polls SpaceX shares zoom, makes Musk world’s 1st trillionaire PTI “This is about Modiji’s milestone. Other issues will be discussed and addressed separately,” he told reporters who raised Kamat's objection to the penalties in electricity billing. The Aam Aadmi Party INDIA'S ODI FUTURE TAKES CENTRE STAGE IN SERIES AGAINST AFGHANISTAN >> 13 UNITED COLOURS: Flags of different nations flutter outside the home of a football aficionado in Taleigao on Friday. With the mega even kicking off, football frenzy has swept the State.  Narayan Pissurlenkar Anjunem reservoir level dips to 11 per cent as monsoon falters THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA Water level in the Anjunem reservoir has fallen to a critical 11 per cent of its storage capacity, triggering fresh concerns over drinking water availability and quality in parts of North Goa as the southwest monsoon continues to remain weak over the State. The reservoir is the primary source of potable water for large parts of Sattari and Bicholim talukas, and officials are closely monitoring the sit- uation amid fears that a prolonged dry spell could place additional stress on the region's water supply network. The sharp decline in storage comes barely a week after Water Resources Minister >Continued on P9 Jaspal Rana, one of India's finest pistol shooters who made a hugely successful transition to coaching and guided Manu Bhaker to epoch-making twin bronze medals at the Paris Olympics, has shockingly died at a mere 49 years of age after battling cardiac complications. Dr Balbir Singh, Group Chairman (Cardiac Sciences, Pan Max & Chief of Interventional Cardiology and Electrophysiology) at Max, said Rana was brought to the hospital in a critical condition on June 1. He had been travelling and continued to experience chest pain before arriving at the hospital in a very critical condition, Singh said. Rana is survived by his wife, Reena Rana, daughter Devanshi and son Yuvraj. His last rites would be conducted in Varanasi on Saturday even as his untimely death has left the shooting fraternity in a state of shock.  >> See pg 11 2 3 Govt sounds warning against attempts to rig NEET re-test PTI NEW DELHI he government on Friday warned that the full might and weight of law will fall on anyone who tries to distort, disrupt, or tamper with the integrity of the NEET re-exam scheduled to be held on June 21. This was conveyed by Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan at a meeting where he reviewed the preparedness for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to undergraduate medical courses in all medical institutions with National Testing Agency (NTA) Director General T NTA extends examination window NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Friday announced a series of student-friendly measures for NEET (UG) 2026, including additional rough-work space, and an extended examination window. According to the NTA, the examination will be conducted from 2 pm to 5:15 pm, providing a total window of 195 minutes. The duration of the examination has been extended by 15 minutes. Abhishek Singh. During the meeting, Somanathan emphasised the need for ensuring a smooth, transparent and secure con- “This window is designed to accommodate the invigilation formalities at the start and end of the examination, such as the signing requirements, which candidates earlier felt reduced their effective working time,” the agency said. The NTA has also doubled the number of pages provided for rough work in the question-paper booklet from two to four pages, giving candidates additional space for calculations and reasoning. duct of the re-examination through close coordination among all concerned stakeholders, the statement said. “The central government, state governments and district administration are working together in close coordination to ensure smooth conduct of the NEET re-examination. The full might and weight of law will fall on any person trying in any manner to distort, disrupt, or tamper with the integrity or smooth conduct of the re-examination,” the statement quoted the cabinet secretary. Somanathan had also reviewed the arrangements with secretaries of the central government and relevant agencies on June 1. On June 4, he held a review meeting with chief secretaries of the state governments to assess the preparedness. Officials said the Ministry of Home Affairs has asked the CRPF and the CISF to provide security during transportation of the question papers.