Author: Team Admin

Team Goemkarponn MARGAO: In a major step under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), South Goa District Collector Egna Cleetus has approved 81 forest rights claims out of 104 applications that recently came up for review. The remaining 23 claims, mostly from villages in Quepem taluka—including Padi, Quiscond, Cordem and Quepem—were rejected due to insufficient documentation. Cleetus, who chaired a meeting of the Forest Rights Committee (FRC) at the South Goa Collectorate on Thursday, clarified that the rejections were based solely on non-fulfillment of legal documentation requirements under the FRA, 2006. She stressed that the review process was conducted carefully…

Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has emphasized the need for strict accountability in tree felling linked to infrastructure works, proposing the creation of a high-level committee of legal officers and environmental experts to monitor translocation and compensatory plantation. The Division Bench of Justice Bharati Dangre and Justice Ashish S. Chavan made the observations while hearing a PIL filed by Aaron Victor E. Fernandes and two others. The judges noted that although agencies such as the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) permit tree cutting for…

Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has pulled up the State government over the ongoing renovation of Kala Academy, observing in an interim order that the project was awarded without adhering to the mandatory tendering process. A Division Bench comprising Justice Bharati Dangre and Justice Ashish Chavan held that accountability must be fixed on government officers responsible for bypassing the transparent bidding mechanism and directly selecting Mumbai-based firm M/s Techton Buildcon Pvt Ltd for structural repair and renovation works. “The liability will be fixed upon the concerned officers… for bypassing the tender process, which is…

Team Goemkarponn MARGAO: In a significant development in the ongoing tussle over control of Anjuman Islahul Muslameen (AIM), Margao, the Inspector General of Societies (South Goa) has issued an interim order restraining both rival groups from operating as the Society’s Managing Committee until the next hearing scheduled for October 14, 2025. Inspector General (South), Kiran Mesta, directed that neither faction shall undertake any activity on behalf of AIM, including financial or administrative transactions, or represent the Society in any manner. He further ordered that all records of the institution must remain untouched and free from tampering or interference until…

Team Goemkarponn CANACONA: An 8-foot-long Indian Python was safely rescued from Agas ward in Loliem-Polem village on Friday. The reptile, locally known as Manvdoll, was spotted moving in the courtyard of a house when animal rescuer Vishal Lolayekar swiftly intervened. With careful handling, Vishal safely caught the python without causing any harm to the snake or to himself. “Always be kind to animals and snakes, and handle them with proper safety,” Vishal, an animal lover, advised after the rescue. The python was later handed over to forest and wildlife officials, who subsequently released it into Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary, sources…

Team Goemkarponn CANACONA: Former minister and ex-MLA of Canacona, Isidore Fernandes, has expressed serious concern over the state of affairs in the constituency, particularly in the education sector, stating that “nothing is going right in Canacona” and that problems remain unresolved for too long. “There are many problems in Canacona and they remain unaddressed. The government has given buses to private schools with public money—this is nothing but a conspiracy to fill certain coffers. Many wrong things are happening in the education sector, and we will raise our voice against it at the right time and at the right…

Team Goemkarponn CANACONA: A man was caught on Friday burning plastic waste and discarded materials from the site of an upcoming bank opposite the Community Health Centre (CHC), Canacona, triggering strong public outrage. According to sources, the man—later identified as Sochilal, a migrant from Bihar—was caught on camera setting fire to the waste at Xeller. Initially, he claimed he was only burning wood and plywood scraps, but the strong stench of melting plastic raised doubts. When confronted, he admitted that plastic was also mixed with the discarded material. He further revealed that he had been instructed by workers at…