Author: Team Admin

Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: Sanvordem MLA Ganesh Gaonkar filed his nomination for the post of Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant asserting that the ruling alliance is “united and will win” the election scheduled for September 25. Gaonkar’s candidature has received strong backing from the BJP’s alliance partner Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and three Independent MLAs. Several BJP ministers and MLAs accompanied him to the Assembly complex as he filed his papers. MGP leader and Minister Sudin Dhavalikar exuded confidence that the BJP–MGP alliance would secure a clear majority of 33 votes in the House.…

Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: The Panaji Zonal Office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken possession of 15 immovable properties across Goa under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, after the Adjudicating Authority confirmed its provisional attachment orders. According to a notice dated September 19, 2025, the attached assets include plots of land and houses in Anjuna, Assagao, Parra, Nerul, Calangute, Verna, and a flat in Margao. In a separate action, the ED also seized a bungalow in Taleigao valued at over ₹51 lakh, along with two properties in Verna, Salcete, estimated at more than ₹36 lakh. The…

Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: With the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls set to begin shortly across Goa, the Congress Party on Tuesday trained its Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to monitor the process and safeguard the sanctity of the voter lists. The training, conducted by the Chief Electoral Office, was attended by Congress BLAs from across the state. The session focused on equipping them with the knowledge and preparedness required to detect irregularities and prevent voter manipulation at the booth level. GPCC President Amit Patkar said the Party would remain vigilant against any attempt to tamper with voter lists.…

Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: The Goa government on Monday informed the High Court of Bombay at Goa that it has decided to merge the cadres of gram sevak and panchayat secretary into a single post. The unified position will be designated either as Gram Sachiv or Panchayat Sachiv, Advocate General Devidas Pangam told the court. In March this year, the High Court had directed the State to streamline the cadre structure within four weeks, noting that several panchayats were facing an acute shortage of secretaries. Pangam had then assured the Bench that the government had initiated steps to resolve the…

“Yet optimism must be tempered with caution. The lived reality of inflation tells another story. Food inflation continues to pinch households. Tomato, onion and grain prices have spiked repeatedly in recent months. For the consumer, whether GST on rice is zero or five percent is irrelevant if the retail price of rice itself has doubled. The government’s emphasis on lower GST rates does not directly address inflation caused by supply chain disruptions, middlemen, hoarding, or rising input costs. Moreover, many essential services that the middle class consumes—electricity, petrol, diesel—remain outside the GST net altogether. These are precisely the costs that…

Last week, Goa was shaken by the brutal assault on social activist Ramakant Konkar. The attack, carried out brazenly in broad daylight, has raised questions about law and order in the state and the fear psychosis spreading across society. To understand the legal implications and the broader political meaning of this incident, Goemkarponn Editor Suraj Nandrekar spoke to Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira, Aldona MLA, a man known not just as a politician but as a seasoned lawyer and former public prosecutor. In this candid conversation, Ferreira draws parallels with history, questions the state’s handling of crime, and shares…

Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: The North Goa Police carried out intensified preventive policing drives between September 15 and 21, resulting in 85 preventive arrests across the district. Superintendent of Police (North Goa) Rahul Gupta, IPS, said the action reflects the force’s commitment to building safer neighbourhoods through proactive policing. During the week-long drive, police teams also booked 50 cases of public drinking and registered 258 actions under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA). Additionally, 83 instances of smoking and spitting in public places were acted upon, while eight touts were booked. “The North Goa Police remain committed to…