log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2025 GOA 2WD or 4WD? a simple guide for car buyers Mahindra XEV 9S: Electric 7-seater that changes everything IN SHORT >> Govt revises power duty rates; new tariffs from Oct 1 PANAJI: The State government has issued a notification revising electricity duty rates across all consumer categories, with the changes coming into effect retrospectively from October 1, 2025. The new structure covers low-tension, high-tension, and extra high-tension supply categories, with duties ranging from zero to 70 paise per unit depending on usage type. Two arrested for Pakistan espionage PANAJI: Two individuals, including a retired Army Subedar, were arrested over allegations of spying and sharing sensitive national security information with Pakistan, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) confirmed. The accused, Ajaykumar Surendrasingh Singh and Rashmani Ravindrapal have been booked under relevant sections of BNS. >> See pg 5 Anjuna police seize LSD worth `7.9 L MAPUSA: In a major narcotics operation, Anjuna Police arrested a 26-year-old youth and seized 316 LSD blots valued at Rs 7.9 lakh during a pre-dawn raid near Siolim football ground. The raid led to the arrest of Sahil Manohar Korgaonkar, a resident of Korgao, Pernem.  >> See pg 7 Homeopath gets High Court relief PANAJI: In a case that has raised eyebrows over the functioning of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP), a homeopathic doctor was compelled to approach the High Court and succeeded after his application for a trade licence was withheld on grounds of alleged arrears dating back nearly a decade.  >> See pg 5 First Uzbekistan flight lands at Mopa PANAJI: The on-going tourist season’s first direct flight from Uzbekistan arrived in Goa, marking the resumption of services between Tashkent and Goa. The A-320 aircraft that landed at Mopa airport, carried 121 passengers on board. WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: 32.5 C 22.6 C 82% The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 168 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 7 3 11 Cong keeps alliance window open as Oppn friction grows No takers for solar pumps in Goa? 83% sanctioned quota still unutilised Page 8 Facebook.com/thegoan NEWS INFO High Court sets aside GCZMA order rejecting Candolim house Sensitive skin? Ultimate guide on how to choose the right products  CONG’S THAKARE COMING, FINAL CALL LIKELY TODAY  RGP NAMES CANDIDATE IN CONG-HELD ST CRUZ SEAT THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI After days of back-to-back meetings and growing friction with the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP), the Congress is still struggling to seal a prepoll alliance for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat (ZP) elections. With just four days left before nominations close, the party has pushed the decision to the All India Congress Committee (AICC), whose Goa in-charge Manikrao Thakare is expected to arrive on Friday to take a final call. The Goa Pradesh Executive Committee (PEC) met on Thursday to deliberate on possible tie-ups with the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and the RGP. The discussions came shortly after the RGP announced its first list of 12 candidates — including one in St Cruz, where Congress currently holds a sitting ZP seat. The Congress, meanwhile, is preparing to release its second list of can- RGP announces first list of 12 candidates MAPUSA: In a move that has sent shockwaves through the already shaky Opposition bloc, the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) on Thursday morning abruptly released its first list of 12 candidates for the upcoming Zilla Panchayat elections – even as alliance talks with the Congress and Goa Forward Party were still officially underway. The announcement, made without warning and without consultation, has raised eyebrows across the political spectrum and is widely being viewed as a brash, ego-driven attempt by the young regional outfit to assert its independence, irrespective of ongoing negotiations meant to forge a united anti-BJP front. What added to the intrigue was the conspicuous silence from the RGP leadership.  >> See pg 2 didates. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Patkar confirmed ongoing negotiations with both GFP and RGP. “AICC Goa in-charge will take final call on alliance tomorrow (Friday),” he said. Acknowledging the growing pressure from party workers and candidates amid the shrinking timeline, Patkar admitted that the delay has caused concern within the ranks. He said that despite Congress having a strong organisational presence AMID CONCERNS OVER DESTRUCTION… Plans afoot to capture, shift rogue elephant to Vantara GOA TO COORDINATE WITH MAHARASHTRA THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Goa Forest Department is coordinating with its Maharashtra counterpart who is working on a plan to capture and shift wild elephant Omkar to Gujarat’s ‘Vantara’ rescue and rehabilitation centre, as neither Goa nor Maharashtra has a dedicated facility to manage such cases. The move comes amid rising concerns over the tusker’s four-month-long trail of destruction across both States. Omkar, 10 years old, reappeared in Goa on November 30 after nearly three months without any sightings. He was first spotted at Fakirpado in Pernem, signalling his return to the State. By the following morning, the elephant moved into Torxem, where he reportedly damaged agricultural fields and plantations. Currently, he has been moving around the Mopa–Ugvem– Nigalye–Poraskadem belt and has allegedly destroyed banana plantations and even caused damage to a few vehi- „„Ground staff, rescue personnel, drone teams deployed to continuously track movements „„Maharashtra’s Forest Dept has already prepared a plan „„HC clearance also secured to capture the animal and shift JUMBO TROUBLE: ACTION PLAN cles. Forest officials said Omkar had last been seen in early September before straying back into the forested stretches along the Goa–Maharashtra border. A senior officer confirmed that ground staff, rescue personnel, and drone teams have been deployed to continuously track his movements. The elephant has been observed feeding on coconuts, arecanuts and bananas as he moves through villages. him to Vantara „„Goa, Maharashtra lack specialised rehabilitation centre „„Elephant presently observed feeding on coconuts, arecanuts and bananas as he moves through villages According to the officer, Maharashtra’s Forest Department has already prepared a plan and secured High Court clearance to capture the animal and shift him to  Vantara -- the elephant care facility run by the Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust (RKTWET) in Jamnagar. “Both Goa and Maharashtra lack a specialised rehabilitation centre, which is why the >Continued on P9 ON PAGE 2 BJP to contest 18 seats, eyes magic number ‘13’ to keep South Goa ZP After shocker, RGP says still open to alliance, blames Cong for delays across all 40 Assembly constituencies and 50 ZP seats, the party is committed to exploring an alliance “in the interest of Goa.” “This is the sentiment of the people of Goa. I am not getting joy to delay all this…I am getting sleepless nights…there is so much pressure from our workers…our candidates have to go on ground … hardly few days are left…but I am holding it only because of these people to come together …ultimately, we are facing the major damage here,” Patkar said. He added that while each political outfit has its own priorities and ideology, Congress has made significant compromises to forge unity against the BJP. “We have taken two steps back despite being the oldest national party and the single largest opposition force. Till the last moment, I will continue efforts to bring everyone together. But if someone does not want to join hands, I cannot force them,” he remarked. Patkar confirmed that seat-sharing discussions are underway, with GFP seeking two to three seats, while Congress awaits RGP’s counter-proposal. He clarified that the party’s first list of 11 candidates — announced earlier this week — covered only those constituencies where no alliance-related issues existed. “We have avoided touching seats currently under discussion with potential allies, including the one where we have a sitting ZP member,” he said. SPORTS FC Goa overcomes tunnel red card chaos to enter Super Cup final Major disruption at Dabolim as IndiGo cancels 11 flights Nationwide operational crisis hits Goa, hundreds of travellers stranded THE GOAN I NETWORK VASCO Passengers at Goa International Airport in Dabolim faced a chaotic travel day on Thursday after IndiGo cancelled 11 flights and delayed 25 others, leaving hundreds of travellers stranded, frustrated, and scrambling for alternate arrangements. The disruptions at Dabolim came even as the airline battles a nationwide operational crisis that has triggered cancellations across major airports in recent days. At Dabolim, IndiGo flights to key destinations including Chandigarh (6E724), Indore (6E813), Mumbai (6E205, 6E5297, 6E5143), Surat (6E418), Delhi (6E6193), Hyderabad (6E744, 6E206, 6E744 — second frequency), and Kolkata (6E162) were cancelled through the day. The sudden cancellations left many travellers distressed, while several others were forced to wait endlessly as over two dozen domestic flights operated by IndiGo Supermoon 2025 shining at its brightest across the Panaji promenade on Thursday. This is the last full moon of the year and happens when it is nearest to the Earth.   Narayan Pissurlenkar NEW DELHI: The country's largest airline IndiGo on Thursday cancelled more than 550 domestic and international flights, and services were delayed at various airports as operational disruptions continued for the third straight day, impacting travel plans of hundreds of passengers.  >> See pg 9 continued on prolonged delays. Sources at the airport said that departure delays affected flights to major metros such as Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Lucknow, Chennai, and Cochin. Some of these flights were held up for more than an hour, causing significant congestion at the terminal. >Continued on P9 PTI Foreigners on bail cannot be kept in detention centres endlessly: HC PANAJI The High Court of Bombay at Goa has held that foreign nationals released on bail cannot be housed in detention centres indefinitely while their trials are underway, provided they meet mandatory reporting and verification conditions. The Division Bench of Justice Sarang Kotwal and Justice Ashish Chavan pronounced 550 Indigo flights cancelled across various airports Collaboration with India not against any nation: Putin CELESTIAL DELIGHT THE GOAN I NETWORK 13 African involved in 2013 Porvorim riot case freed from detention centre >> See pg 3 the verdict while disposing a criminal writ petition filed by Mwanakombo Fadhili Said, a foreign national accused in a narcotics case. The accused had challenged FRRO’s detention order issued in May 2025 even as her petition mentioned her visa had expired while her renewal application was pending. “...when the issue comes whether the persons like the Petitioners who are released on bail shall continue to be in Detention Centre, we are of the specific view that in the wake of the length of time consumed in the conclusion of the trial, they cannot be >Continued on P9 NEW DELHI The India-Russia collaboration is not directed against any country and it is solely aimed at safeguarding the national interests of the two sides, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said against the backdrop of Washington's aggressive approach towards New Delhi and Moscow. In the context of India's energy ties with Russia, Putin said certain “actors” dislike New Delhi's growing role in international markets in view of its close relations with Moscow and these elements are aiming to constrain India's influence for political reasons by imposing “artificial obstacles”. In an interview, the Russian president, referring to Western sanctions against Moscow, said his country's energy cooperation with New Delhi largely “remains unaffected”. Putin landed in New Delhi this evening on a two-day visit to hold summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His trip comes at a time India-US relations are going through possibly the worst phase in the last two decades. State’s coastline stretches, fresh Goa’s dropout rate after Std X shows worrying signs STD X DROPOUTS: DATA IN RAJYA SABHA survey reveals jump of 33 km THE GOAN I NETWORK MIN SAYS REVISED FIGURE NOT TO AFFECT CRZ AREAS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Goa’s coastline has officially grown longer. A fresh survey has measured the State’s shoreline at 193 km, up by 33 km from the 160 km recorded in the 1970s. Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh shared the revised figures in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, noting that the change will aid infrastructure planning and disaster prepared- ness. The re-analysis forms part of a nationwide exercise that reassessed the country’s coastline using modern technology. The re-analysis was conducted by the National Hydrographic Office with assistance provided by the Survey of India (SoI), the nation's oldest scientific department and national mapping agency. The work was guided by references from the National Security Council Secretariat, Singh said. While conducting the re-analysis, officials relied on advanced GIS software and high-resolution data of the high tide line to produce more accurate measurements, the minister’s reply said. The Coastal Protection and Development Advisory Committee has approved the revised coastline lengths for all the States of the country. >Continued on P9 PANAJI oa continues to witness a worrying trend of students discontinuing their education after Class 10, with an annual average of 178 dropouts. Over the last five academic years, a total of 891 students have left school, and girls constitute nearly 42 per cent of these cases. The factors driving this include household duties, financial distress, and migration of families. According to data submitted in the Rajya Sabha, the current academic year 2025–26 has, so far, recorded 196 Out-ofSchool Children (OoSC), of G „„Current academic year has, so far, recorded 196 Out-of-School Children, 72 of who are girls  „„Since 2021–22, Goa has cumulatively reported 891 such cases -- 374 girls, amounting to 41.97% of total dropouts „„Key factors include household duties, financial distress migration of families „„Centre’s Samagra Shiksha scheme aims to curb dropouts by strengthening school ecosystem „„Opening, upgrading schools up to senior secondary level „„Providing free uniforms, textbooks transport allowance „„Conducting enrolment and retention drives „„To support students who have fallen out of the education system, financial assistance of up to Rs 2,000 per year provided who 72 are girls.  Since 2021–22, Goa has cumulatively reported 891 OoSC, including 374 girls, amounting to 41.97 per cent of the total dropouts. Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur stated that States and Union Territories have identified migration, poor socio-economic condi- tions, child labour, and domestic responsibilities as the major reasons behind children dropping out. She said the Centre has directed all States/ UTs to take proactive steps to lower dropout rates and reduce the number of OoSC. The Minister added that States and UTs have also been urged to participate vigorously in the “Bringing Children Back to School” campaign, which seeks to ensure community participation through School Management Committees and local Panchayati Raj bodies. Government data indicates that Goa reported its highest number of dropouts—253 OoSC—in 2022–23, a sharp rise from just 98 in 2021–22. The numbers dipped marginally to 196 in 2023–24, and further to 148 in 2024–25, although they remained >Continued on P9