log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline MONDAY NOVEMBER 11, 2024 >> pg 6 FII flows, global markets likely to drive Dalal-Street this week IN SHORT >> GTDC bags award for its ‘impactful’ tourism initiatives PANAJI: Goa Tourism Development Corporation got another feather in its cap after it was honoured with the Chanakya Award 2024 for being the most impactful tourism corporation. Union Minister of State for Power and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Shripad Yesso Naik, presented the award to GTDC.  >> See pg 3 Valpoi police raid illegal laterite site BICHOLIM: Valpoi police have seized machinery used in illegal laterite mining activity at Melaulim, Sattari. According to SDPO Bicholim Jivba Dalvi, a raid was conducted on November 10, in Shel Melaulim where authorities confiscated machinery, including five power tillers, four horizontal laterite stone-cutting machines, and two generators. >> See pg 3 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 144 PANAJI Members of Goa's Scheduled Tribe (ST) community who had gathered in the thousands at the GEC grounds in Farmagudi to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their umbrella organisation 'UTAA' (United Tribal Association Alliance) reiterated 12 of their demands via resolutions and political reservations (quota of seats in Assembly) before the 2027 polls topped the list. All the 12 demands, including filling of backlog vacancies in direct recruitment and promotions, were later presented to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who was the chief guest at the programme. Other demands included determining the proportion of scheduled tribe population in the State, banning the sale of land in possession of tribals to non-tribals, effective imple- mentation of Forest Rights Act, 2006 and fast-track settlement of claims among others. The demand for reserving four of 40 seats in Goa legislative assembly has been on the top of the community's agenda for several years and gained momentum following a yearlong agitation in the run-up to this year's Lok Sabha elections. The resolution passed at the Farmagudi event on Sunday stated that fullfilling all the requirements, the government of India and the government of Goa "shall provide the political reservation for the ST community which will be implemented before the 2027 general elections in Goa. Another resolution objected to the sub-division or sub-categorisation within the ST communities. "UTAA in one voice condemns any efforts to create >Continued on P5 ‘Will try’ for Assembly quota before 2027 elections, assures Sawant PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday told a huge rally of Goa’s Scheduled Tribes community at the GEC grounds in Farmagudi that his government “will try” to ensure political reservations for them before the 2027 assembly elections. The rally was held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the community’s umbrella organisation -- United Tribal Association (UTAA). In his address to the massive tribal gathering, Sawant said “As long as the sun and the moon exist, the Constitution cannot be undermined. The State will be run by the Constitution. Whatever is assured to the tribal community, all the rights will be given.” Referring to the charter of demands earlier presented to him Sawant said, as far as the forest rights is concerned, the settlement of rights is already in process. On the demand for a Tribal Bhavan, GREEN ICON IN PERIL: The replanted banyan tree at Campal appears to be slowly dying after it was shifted from St Inez in April due to the Smart City works. Green activists had raised a hue and cry as workers had nearly damaged the iconic tree.   Narayan Pissurlenkar NEW DELHI: As world leaders and climate negotiators converge on Baku for COP29, beginning Monday, India is set to bring renewed focus to the urgent need for climate finance, accountability, and protection for vulnerable communities.  >> See pg 7 Army officer killed in gunfight with ultras WEATHER >> Max: 34.8 C Min: 25 C Humidity: 84% RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 THOUSANDS ATTEND 20TH ANNIVERSARY EVENT AT FARMAGUDI THE GOAN I NETWORK Parliamentary panel to review mechanism to curb fake news PTI NEW DELHI A parliamentary committee headed by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has called media bodies -- News Broadcasters and Digital Association and Edi- tors Guild of India -- to depose before it on the issue of curbing “fake news”. An official statement said the Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology will meet on November 21 on the sub- ject of “Review of mechanism to curb fake news”. The parliamentary committee will hear the views of the News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA) and Editors Guild of India (EGI), it said. Pg12 Varun’s five-for in vain as SA beats India in low-scoring thriller Political quota demand takes centre stage at UTAA meet COP29: India to focus on climate finance JAMMU: A Junior Commissioned Officer of the Army's special forces laid down his life on Sunday, while three more soldiers were injured in a gunfight with terrorists in a remote forest area in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, officials said. The operation comes amid an intensified hunt underway since the killing of two Village Defence Guards recently.  >> See pg 7 Instagram.com/thegoanonline Sawant said work had got stalled due to some administrative issues. “However the Tribal Bhavan will be built by 2027,” Sawant said in his speech even as he recalled that Goa’s tribes got the status of Scheduled Tribes during the tenure of the BJP at the Centre after over 40 years of struggle since the liberation of Goa. Sawant also said, that several other issues that the tribal community was agitating for had been resolved by the BJP governments in the State and at the Centre. Meanwhile, South Goa MP, Viriato Fernandes, said he will raise the demand of the ST community for political reservations in the Lok Sabha. “The tribal community in the State has been struggling for many years to get political reservation in the assembly elections. I will raise my voice for it in Parliament,” Fernandes who also attended the UTAA even said. Bangalore tourist loses life at sea off Baina beach THE GOAN I NETWORK VASCO In a tragic incident, a 34-yearold Bangalore-based tourist Sanjay Shrinivas died off the Baina beach on Sunday afternoon, allegedly after indulging in water sports activity. According to information, the tourist had come on a boat from Nerul at around 8.30 am to participate in water sports. “Shrinivas along with his wife and child had come on boat and did parasailing. Later the boat reached the Grand Island where he was to try scuba diving”, a source said. It was revealed that the tourist later felt uneasy and began to choke on board the boat and tried to vomit. “As things got worse and the tourist collapsed, another nearby boat was called for help and he was shifted on the boat”. The tourist was later brought to the Baina shore where he was given oxygen and CPR was tried. Local boat operators, meanwhile, called an ambulance and shifted the tourist to Chicalim Sub District Hospital where he was declared ‘brought dead’. Jobs-for-cash scam: Vasco duo booked for cheating woman CHARGED OF TAKING `4.3L FOR GOVT JOB THE GOAN I NETWORK VASCO In another case of jobs-forcash scam, Vasco police registered an offense against two Vasco residents, Govind Manjrekar and Suraj Naik, for allegedly cheating a woman of Rs 4.3 lakh. The incident reportedly took place between March 1 and May 31, 2023, during which the accused promised to secure a government job for her but failed. According to the complaint filed by Sakshi Sudarshan Kerkar, a resident of New Vaddem, the two men induced her to pay Rs 4.3 lakh under the pretense of securing her a job in Education Department as Multi-Task Staff. However, after receiving the money, the accused allegedly neither provided her with the promised job nor returned the money. Further investigation is be- The two accused had induced the Vasco woman to pay the amount under the pretense of securing her a job in Education Department as Multi-Task Staff ing carried out by PSI Carey Fernandes of the Vasco police station under the supervision of PI Kapil Nayak and with the guidance of Mormugao DySP Gurudas Kadam. The scam had rocked the State with over half a dozen arrests, so far, to FIRs registered at different police stations. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had stated that the government is very serious on the issue and assured that strict action will be taken against all involved. Goa grapples with rising bouncer-related violence QUESTIONS ON TRUST IN POLICE COME TO FORE AGNELO PEREIRA THE GOAN I MAPUSA Goa’s serene coastlines and vibrant tourist life have been overshadowed by a disturbing trend: the use of hired bouncers to settle personal disputes. This trend of hiring bouncers to intimidate or attack rivals over property disputes or personal grievances reflects a breakdown of the rule of law and raises serious questions about public confidence in the police. In the recent Anjuna case, around 20 individuals reportedly assaulted the father-son duo over a property dispute, in a brutal display that serves as yet another reminder of a growing and troubling pattern in Goa. Increasingly, individuals involved in local disputes have turned to bouncers to instill fear, execute violent retribution and exert dominance. The phenomenon is not limited to isolated incidents; rather, it seems to be becom- Police acknowledge growing apprehension MAPUSA: A senior police official acknowledged the rising concerns, stating, “we are taking these incidents seriously and will be conducting a thorough review of bouncer-related violence across the State. Goa’s law enforcement will not tolerate any form of violence or coercion and we urge the public to come forward with any information.” While Goa has a vibrant police force, it is clear that the unchecked use of bouncers reflects an underlying issue: a lack of fear or respect for legal consequences. As such, addressing this trend will require law enforcement to take a stronger stand against private vigilantism and reassure the public of their safety. For Goa to maintain its image as a safe tourist destination, both authorities and community members must collaborate to reestablish law and order, ensuring that violence by proxy through hired bouncers is neither tolerated nor normalized. ing an accepted means of settling scores, with police frequently accused of taking a passive stance, if not openly turning a blind eye. Sinister tactics at play One of the most shocking instances of bouncer intim- idation occurred just four months ago in Assagao. A Goan family’s home was demolished by bouncers who arrived alongside earthmoving machinery. In this case, police allegedly watched as the hired >Continued on P5 Mass deportations to dominate 1,500 ‘illegal’ houses get govt’s stamp of approval A NEW LEASE OF LIFE Trump’s agenda on first day FACTS & FIGURES THE GOAN I NETWORK PTI WASHINGTON Donald Trump has said he wouldn't be a dictator except for Day 1. According to his own statements, he's got a lot to do on that first day in the White House. His list includes starting mass deportation of migrants, rolling back Biden’s policies on education, reshaping the government by firing thousands of employees he believes are secretly working against him, and pardoning those arrested for their role in the riot at the Capitol. I want to close the border, and I want to drill, drill, drill,” TRUMP LIST „„Rolling back Biden administration policies on education „„Sacking thousands of employees secretly working against him „„Pardoning those arrested in riot at Capitol on January 6, 2021 he said of his Day 1 plans. When he took office in 2017, he had a long list, too, including immediately renegotiating trade deals, deporting migrants and putting in place measures to root out govern- ment corruption. Those things didn't happen all at once. Here's a look at what Trump has said he will do in his second term and whether he can do it the moment he steps into the White House: Make most of his criminal cases go away, at least the federal ones Trump has said that within two seconds” of taking office that he would fire Jack Smith, the special counsel who has been prosecuting two federal cases against him. Smith is already evaluating how to wind down the cases because of long-standing Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted. PANAJI he State government has regularised almost 1500 unauthorised houses under Goa Regularisation of Unauthorised Construction Act, 2016. No new applications seeking regularisation are currently accepted by the government. The Goa Regularisation of Unauthorised Construction Act, 2016 (Goa Act 20 of 2016) was enacted to make a provision for regularisation of unauthorised constructions carried out in certain lands in the state before February 28, 2014. The original time limit for filing applications was 180 days, which was subsequently extended to 210 days on Decem- T „„10,000 applications were received seeking regularization houses „„Govt rejected 3,092 applications, but granted approval to 1,509 „„5,583 applications currently awaiting govt decision „„South Goa had 5,105 applications of which 732 got approval, while 2488 were rejected and decision on 1,885 is pending „„In North, of the total 5,079 applications, 777 were approved while 604 were rejected... decision on 3,698 awaited ber 26, 2016. Thereafter, on September 18, 2018 another 30 days time period was given for filing such applications which expired on October 18, 2018. Late in January, 2023, the government granted final extension of 90 days to make applications. As per available infor- „„Original time limit for filing applications was 180 days „„Subsequently extended to 210 days on December 26, 2016 „„On September 18, 2018 another 30 days time was given for filing such applications „„In January, 2023, govt granted final extension of 90 days mation, of the total 10,000 applications received seeking regularization of their houses, government rejected 3,092 applications while granting approval to 1,509. Almost 5,583 applications are currently pending for decision. The maximum number of applications was received from South Goa- 5,105 of which 732 have got approval, while 2488 are rejected and another 1,885 are pending decision. In North, of the total 5,079 applications, 777 have been approved while 604 are rejected. The decision on 3,698 applications is awaited. According to sources, the applications were rejected on various grounds like lack of documentation, structure being located in No Development Zone, CRZ areas, open spaces as well as on the government >Continued on P5