log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 13, 2024 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME X, NO. 146 Instagram.com/thegoanonline 31 Cunchelim houses razed; families in tears, homeless n POLICE IN FULL FORCE n 5 SEEK COURT INTERVENTION THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA In the quiet morning hours of Cunchelim, Mapusa, three bulldozers arrived like thunderclouds and tore down what dozens of families had painstakingly built. Their homes – solid, with concrete walls and sturdy roofs – were reduced to rubble in seconds. DREAMS BULLDOZED: CUNCHELIM FAMILIES LOSE HOMES AND HOPE AFTER DEMOLITION >> See pg 3 Around them, a huge police force stood watch, leaving the affected families no choice but to witness the destruction from a distance, clutching their children and their hopes. Later in the evening, Mam- >> pg 6 A visionary’s journey: From toolmaker to tech titan IN SHORT >> Escort websites: Two held, 78 sites blocked PANAJI: The Crime Branch achieved a breakthrough in its ongoing investigation into the illegal operations of escort websites with the arrest of two persons from Andhra Pradesh and Haryana. The accused are identified as Syed Usman, 54, of Chittoor (AP) and Mohammad Mohebbulla, 30, of Gurgaon (Haryana).  >> See pg 5 JSW pockets Codli iron ore block PANAJI: The Codli iron ore mineral block at Dharbandora was secured by tycoon Jindal’s JSW which quoted the highest premium of 92.6% of the average sale price set by Indian Bureau of Mines after Directorate of Mines and Geology commenced the third phase of iron ore mineral block e-auction.  >> See pg 3 A JCB razes a house during the demolition drive in Cunchelim on Tuesday. latdar Anant Malik reported that 31 houses had been demolished, with plans to take action against the remaining five on Wednesday. He noted that these five homeowners had sought a court intervention. During the demolition drive in the morning, families stood with children on their hips and tears in their eyes, their life savings scattered in dust and debris. Their appeals had been ignored, their cries unheard. Agnelo Pereira These weren’t merely houses; they were the homes that these families had saved for, dreamed of and built with years of hard work. But in a matter of minutes, they became memories, torn apart by an official order. Sancoale panchayat meeting erupts in chaos over Bhutani Oppn accuses ruling panel of procedural breach THE GOAN I NETWORK VASCO A special meeting convened by the Sancoale Panchayat on Tuesday to address the construction license issued to Bhutani Infra descended into chaos as opposition members accused the ruling panel of procedural violations. Tensions ran high as a heavy police presence was required to manage crowds of locals and activists who arrived from across Goa to protest the controversial license. The meeting, which began at 11 am and concluded by 1 pm, saw intense exchanges between ruling and opposition panchayat members, ultimately ending without consensus. Later speaking to reporters, Opposition panch member Tulshidas Naik claimed that the meeting had not been completed, after the ruling members, along with the panchayat secretary, had abruptly walked out. “The Panchayat has taken an illegal legal opinion ON PAGE 2 Offence registered against Sancoale panchayat member for obstructing official, damaging govt document Ex-panch files complaint against Pratima over alleged caste remarks because no resolution was passed to appoint the advocates for a legal opinion,” Naik alleged. He argued that the opinion obtained by the Panchayat was invalid, as it lacked signatures and dates, and only advised the Panchayat to delay decisions until the matter was resolved by the High Court. Naik said the opposition had requested that the panchayat revoke or suspend the construction license granted to Parmesh Construction until a court ruling. “They did not agree, and when we asked for a vote, they just walked out,” Naik stated, adding that the ruling panel’s actions were detrimental to the area. Opposition panch member Maurelio Carvalho echoed these concerns, criticising the Panchayat’s decision to take a legal opinion. “The opinion we received is unsigned and undated. It’s invalid. My question is, why did the Panchayat take a legal opinion at all when they could have simply revoked the license?” Carvalho noted that locals had resorted to an indefinite hunger strike, which he said the Panchayat had ignored. Responding to the allegations, Deputy Sarpanch Derick Vales refuted claims of misconduct, stating that the meeting had proceeded lawfully. Vales said, “We had informed the Panchayat in the >Continued on P5 Shami set to return to competitive cricket after nearly a year Pg 14 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Some of the homeowners had received a demolition notice just a week prior. With nowhere else to go, they spent the days rushing to clear out whatever they could: a few belongings, family keepsakes, pieces of their shattered dreams. Even on the day of the demolition, some desperate families raced against the bulldozers to retrieve what remained – the grills from their windows, the roof sheets, anything they could salvage. Throughout the demolition, officials stood by to ensure there was no interference. DySP Sandesh Chodankar, Mapusa PI Nikhil Palekar, Anjuna PI Suraj Gawas, and other officers lined the perimeter, making sure order was maintained, while State officials, including Bardez Mamlatdar >Continued on P5 CM: Will seize properties of job fraudsters to pay victims Says govt staff involved will be dismissed THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday announced that the government will initiate process to give back money to the victims amounting to crores of rupees taken under the pretext of providing government jobs, by seizing the properties of the accused involved in the multi-crore jobs-for-cash scam. JOBS-FOR-CASH SCANDAL Speaking to media at the sidelines of an event, Sawant asserted that no one will be spared, irrespective of their political affiliation. He urged the opposition not to take this as a political opportunity to defame BJP and its leaders. “No one will be spared … irrespective of his or her po- 1 more case surfaces, woman held PONDA: Ponda police have arrested Shruti Prabhugaonkar (36) of Porvorim in connection with the jobs-for-cash scam, where people had been duped into parting with huge amounts on the pretext of securing government jobs. A teacher Yogesh Shenvi Cuncolienkar, who has also been arrested amid allegations of having taken Rs 1.2 crore on the pretext of offering government jobs, has been accused of handing over money to Shruti Prabhugaonkar.  >> See pg 3 litical affiliation… we are serious in the matter and will see that the cases are taken to its logical end,” Sawant said, adding that government servants involved in the scam would be dismissed from the service. Chief Minister also said the government will see how the scammed money can be returned or refunded to the victims. “This will not be done through court cases >Continued on P5 ON PAGE 3 Panaji police arrested one for defrauding woman of Rs 5.5 lakh BJP distances from its former member Shruti Prabhugaonkar Third case registered against Priya Yadav Govt gives nod to raise all-women CISF battalion PTI NEW DELHI A first-ever all-women Central Industrial Security Force reserve battalion comprising more than 1,000 personnel has been sanctioned by the Union government keeping in mind the burgeoning duties of the force at airports and other vital installations. Officials told PTI that the unit will be raised from within the sanctioned manpower of the force of about two lakh personnel. The Union home ministry issued a sanction order this week approving an exclusive women reserve unit in the force with a total strength of 1,025 personnel led by a senior commandant-rank officer, they said. The CISF has 12 reserve battalions under its establishment at present. As the name suggests, these units are kept in reserve and used as reinforcement when the force gets a new job like temporary duties of conducting elections and permanent tasks of guarding an installation like Parliament House that came under CISF cover this year, an official said. FLYOVER TAKES FLIGHT: An ambulance crosses the Chimbel flyover just after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant inaugurated it on Tuesday. The flyover comes as a welcome relief to motorists who were having a harrowing time navigating the stretch. Work on the second lane of the flyover is in progress and is expected be completed within 6 months.   Narayan Pissurlenkar Sunburn heads to Dhargalim, online booking site reveals THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI After being rejected at multiple locations, Sunburn organisers have announced a new venue for the event at Dhargalim in Pernem, at least as per an online booking site.  According to the site, the Sunburn venue is located close to the Ayush Ayurveda Hospital and the Mopa Link flyover bridge. The dates remain unchanged -- from December 28 to 30. Ticket prices for the event, as listed on the site, start from Rs 3,500 per person with the event running for eight hours daily, beginning at 2 pm. Amid ongoing confusion, organisers have stated on the site that the event is subject to govt permission. Of late, there has been significant opposition to the festival, with locals raising concerns about the festival’s impact on the environment, local culture, and public safety. Many villages in South Goa, including Chicalim, Carmona, Nuvem, Varca, Chinchinim and Camurlim had passed resolutions opposing the festival. Uphold fair play, CEC advises Of forgery, misconduct and policemen in the line of ‘fire’ TOUGH STANCE: CASES IN POINT observers for M’rashtra polls THE GOAN I NETWORK PTI MUMBAI Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Tuesday asked the Election Commission’s central observers deployed for the Maharashtra assembly polls to uphold fair play, respond promptly to candidates’ concerns and maintain professional conduct. At a review meeting held with the central observers for the Maharashtra polls, Kumar directed them to be accessible to all candidates and parties without any favouritism. “Any complaints in this regard will be viewed seriously,” a functionary aware of the Jharkhand goes to polls today NEW DELHI: The campaigning for the first phase of Jharkhand’s assembly elections concluded on Monday, setting the stage for voting on November 13. This phase will cover 43 out of the total 81 seats, with 1.37 crore eligible voters. deliberations quoted the CEC as saying. Addressing the observers from the national capital via video conference, he also asked them to maintain strict vigilance over the law-andorder situation and flow of any inducements like drugs, liquor, freebies and cash that can be used to vitiate the election space. Kumar asserted that checking and screening by enforcement agencies should be done as per the established protocol and in a completely impartial manner, maintaining a level playing field. Observers should see that central forces and state police forces maintain neutrality and their deployment is not favouring any political party or a candidate, he said. PANAJI wo police constables were dismissed from service following allegations of misconduct and forgery, the latest in a series of terminations to curb irregularities and indiscipline within the force. Over the past year, around 9-10 personnel, all at the rank of constables -- including two on probation -- have been terminated from services as part of a crackdown on unethical practices. Barely a year into his induction, Rajat Adpaikar was caught in a bizarre clash with his senior on duty -- an assistant traffic sub-inspector -- on Banastarim bridge in September. The probationary T „„Rajat Adpaikar dismissed after being caught in a bizarre clash with his senior on duty „„Parshuram Satpalkar dismissed after an inquiry proved he submitted forged documents „„Vishal Madgaonkar served show cause notice for termination of service after he was convicted by JMFC for creating a nuisance under the influence of alcohol „„Ranganath Kavlekar dismissed after allegedly presenting invalid certificates from a defunct university in Manipur „„Vikas Kaushik dismissed after being exposed by an alleged thief „„Satish Narse dismissed for his alleged involvement in a cognizable offense last year cop not only flouted traffic rules, flaunted his disregard for duty but also manhandled the ASI when caught for the traffic violation. While he is the latest dismissal for misconduct, another constable Parshuram Satpalkar was dismissed after an inquiry proved he submitted forged documents to get inducted in the force. The department has witnessed a wave of suspensions for various reasons in recent months, with the latest dismissals likely serving as a strong deterrent. Close to a month back on October 17, a constable on probation, Vishal Madgaonkar, was served a show cause notice for termination of service. The reason: He was convicted by JMFC for creating a nuisance under the influence of alcohol. Madgaonkar, posted as a wireless messenger, was given a month to reply. In a recent case, Ranganath Bhiku Kavlekar was dismissed on August 4 after allegedly presenting invalid certificates from a now-defunct university in Manipur. This was confirmed by the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, which verified that the university is no longer recognized. For a similar offense unearthed by the department, constables Dnyaneshwar Tulaskar, Santosh Yatrekar and Maheshwar Pednekar were dismissed on April 15 for using forged >Continued on P5