Author: Team Admin

Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: The arrest of a former US Navy serviceman near the India-Nepal border has brought renewed attention to Goa’s system of tracking foreign nationals after investigators claimed he had stayed in the State for months despite allegedly not possessing a valid passport or visa. The man, identified as Jordan Brown (36) from California, was detained by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) near border pillar 516 in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj district while allegedly attempting to cross into Nepal through an unauthorised route. According to Uttar Pradesh Police, Brown was unable to produce a passport, visa or any other identification…

Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: The Goa government has assured the Bombay High Court at Goa that landowners contesting the acquisition of land for the Borim bridge approach road will be free to continue their legal challenge, irrespective of whether other affected landowners decide to surrender possession of their properties. The assurance was placed before a Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Hiten Venegavkar, after the matter was urgently mentioned by a section of the petitioners. The request for an urgent hearing followed the issuance of notices under Section 3E of the National Highways Act, 1956, requiring the petitioners and…

Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: In a significant order aimed at protecting Goa’s fragile coastal ecosystem, the Bombay High Court at Goa has directed private parties accused of illegally reclaiming mangrove and khazan land at Morombi-O-Pequeno to deposit ₹1.69 crore towards restoring the damaged environment. The Division Bench of Justices Valmiki Menezes and Hiten Venegavkar held that the respondents appeared, at this stage, to be responsible for the environmental degradation and should bear the cost of restoring the affected land. The amount has been calculated by a court-appointed Task Force, which assessed the expenditure required to return the site to its original…

The 100-day protest by the villagers of Karapur and Sarvan against the proposed Lodha township is no longer just about a real estate project. It is about whether the government is willing to listen to the very people it is meant to represent. The proposed project, spread over more than 53 hectares, includes over 1,300 luxury villa plots, a five star hotel and other tourism infrastructure. Villagers fear it will irreversibly alter the ecology, deplete groundwater, destroy agricultural land and change the social fabric of their villages. A petition challenging the project’s approvals is already pending before the High Court,…

Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: The Department of Home (General) has declared Central Jail, Colvale, as a ‘No Drone Fly Zone’ to enhance institutional security, maintain prison discipline and uphold the integrity of the criminal justice system. The order has been issued as a preventive security measure to maintain constant vigilance and curb the unauthorised movement or flying of drones in and around the prison premises. According to the department, the restriction is aimed at preventing the misuse of drones for activities that could compromise the security of the jail or facilitate unlawful acts. The move forms part of the government’s efforts…

Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has introduced a key environmental safeguard by making it compulsory for project proponents to submit a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before undertaking the handling of inventorised legacy iron ore dumps situated within five kilometres of Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs), Eco-Sensitive Areas (ESAs) and notified forest regions. The decision was taken after the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) informed the Authority that it has been receiving proposals related to the handling of legacy iron ore dumps under the Policy for Regulating Iron Ore Dumps in the State of Goa,…

Team Goemkarponn FATORDA: Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai has appealed to Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant to extend the operating hours of licensed hotels and restaurants until 3:30 a.m. on the nights of the FIFA World Cup semifinals on July 15 and 16 and the final on July 19. Highlighting Goa’s deep passion for football, Sardesai said, “Football unites the entirety of Goa with a singular emotion.” He urged the government to allow fans to enjoy the late-night matches in a safe and regulated environment. According to Sardesai, extending the operating hours would not only enable football enthusiasts to watch the…