Page 2 - Goa

Sattva Group to invest ₹800 cr in Goa property market to expand business

Realty firm Sattva Group will invest about Rs 800 crore over the next two years in Goa property market as it sees huge business opportunities in this coastal city, a top company official said. Bengaluru-based Sattva Group, which is one of the leading real estate firms in South India, entered Goa market few years back. It has already developed the first phase of its maiden housing project 'Sattva Water's Edge' and recently launched the second phase comprising villas and apartments. Sattva Group is planning two more projects in Goa, including a gated community where it will offer residential plots. "We will invest around Rs 800 crore over the next two years in Goa," Sattva Group Managing Director Bijay Agarwal told PTI. Sattva Group is expanding its presence in Goa property market to tap rising demand because of its improved infrastructure and better connectivity with other cities of India. Bullish on the potential of Goa market, Agarwal noted that there is a huge demand for first

Ministerial group on GST discusses curbing ITC frauds, leakages by sector

The GoM on GST revenue analysis under Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant met on Friday and discussed sector-specific tax leakages and corrective action to curb over Rs 2 lakh crore ITC frauds. The GoM also discussed comparative analysis of pre- and post-GST revenue trends, e-invoicing and IT system enhancements for better traceability. The GoM also discussed state-specific policy suggestions for boosting revenue, and coordination between central and state tax administrations for plugging GST evasion. "Chaired a meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on GST Revenue Analysis to review state-wise revenue trends and identify actionable strategies for improved GST collection," Sawant said in post on X. The GoM identified Input Tax Credit (ITC) fraud as a major issue under goods and services tax (GST) and states suggested various measures to prevent it. Officials said the GoM flagged Rs 2 lakh crore of ITC fraud over the past years, with states like Gujarat, Telangana, and Rajasthan makin

Centre allocates ₹79,000 cr for tribal housing, infra, health: Jual Oram

Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram said on Thursday that the Centre has set aside Rs 79,000 crore to provide houses, roads, health facilities and water to tribal areas across the country. Participating in an awareness programme under the Dharti Aaba Janabhagidari Abhiyan at Sanguem in South Goa, he said that the earlier Congress government never recognised that the problems faced by the tribal communities could be different from the other sections of society. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar and State Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Desai also attended the event. It was only after the BJP came to power (in 2014) that a separate ministry was created for tribal welfare with a sizable budget, said the 64-year-old tribal leader from Odisha. He said that the initial budget for the ministry was Rs 8,000 crore. Sometimes, I have sleepless nights. We have a huge budget of Rs 79,000 crore. This budget has to be utilised by the state governmen

Construction of 250 houses out of 254 under PMAY ready in Goa: Official

The Goa government has completed the construction of 250 houses out of the target of 254 for eligible beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), an official said on Thursday. The project, aimed at providing affordable housing, has been implemented at a total cost of Rs 3.4 crore, the official said. Under the project, there was a target of constructing 254 houses for eligible beneficiaries in the state, said P K Shirodkar, nodal officer in-charge of the scheme and director of the District Rural Development Agency. "We have constructed 250 houses till date by meticulously following all the procedures under this scheme. The remaining four houses will be completed within the next two to three months," Shirodkar said. The Goa government led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has spent Rs 3.4 crore for the project till date, he said. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana is a flagship scheme of the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government is

Goa's private industries face acute manpower shortage, says CM Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday acknowledged a "significant manpower shortage" in industries despite employment opportunities, noting that local youths are reluctant to join the private sector over job security concerns. A meeting of representatives from various industry bodies and state government, chaired by Sawant, has decided to revise the minimum wages across industries and discussed the introduction of skilling courses. Sawant said industries are witnessing a significant manpower shortage and cited an instance wherein only two candidates turned up for interviews conducted by the Goa Pharma Association. A similar situation prevails in the shipbuilding sector, he said. "Job opportunities are available, but there is no manpower," Sawant said, adding that the meeting focused on the issues faced by industries in recruiting local youth. He said the government discussed the introduction of skilling courses and the preparation of an action plan. The chief minister not

Beyond beaches: Goa to promote temple visits under spiritual tourism drive

The Goa government is planning to provide a spiritual experience to visitors, away from the beaches, by promoting a pilgrimage circuit comprising 11 iconic temples in the state, officials said on Tuesday. These temples will be the highlight of the Goa Tourism's 'Ekadasha Teertha Yatra' campaign, they said. A meeting was held on Monday with representatives of all the 11 temples to discuss promotion of the pilgrimage circuit and resolve any coordination-related issues, Goa Tourism Director Kedar Naik told PTI. The 'Ekadasha Teertha Yatra' will cover the 11 temples representing Goa's rich spiritual legacy. These include Sri Manguesh Temple in Mangeshi (North Goa), Sri Mahalasa Narayani Temple in Mardol (North Goa), Mahadev Temple in Tambdi Surla (South Goa) and Sri Shantadurga Temple in Fatorpa (South Goa). As part of the pilgrimage circuit, tourists will be taken around four temples in a day, covering the entire journey in two-three days, Naik said. The visitors will also be taken

1 in 3 Goa taxis now local app-based as state bars outside aggregators

Nearly one out of three taxis operating in Goa are enrolled on the local app-based platforms in the coastal state, with most of them catering to tourists, official data shows. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's recent announcement that his government will not allow cab aggregators from outside Goa has raised hopes for the local app-based mobility platforms, which have been in the market for some time now. As per government figures, out of the total 12,000 tourist taxis operating in the state, 5,000 are on board the app-based platforms, mostly with two companies -- Goa Miles and Goa Taxi App. The Goa Miles alone has a fleet of 4,000-odd taxis on board. Allaying the apprehensions raised by local tourist taxi drivers over the Goa Transport Aggregators Guidelines 2025, CM Sawant on Friday said cab aggregators from outside will not be allowed in the state. The draft guidelines were issued on May 20. The last date to give suggestions and raise objections is June 30. Goa Miles Chief Executi

'No Ola, Uber in Goa', says CM Sawant as coastal MLAs seek policy pause

Goa CM Pramod Sawant rules out Ola and Uber's entry, assures locals that app cab guidelines are only drafts; coastal MLAs urge policy pause to protect local taxi operators' livelihood

Goa health minister apologises to doctors amid GMC protest unrest

The protests came after an incident in which Health Minister Rane used harsh language against Dr Rudresh Kuttikar during a visit to GMC

Goa CM reverses doctor's suspension after Health Minister row: All we know

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant reversed Health Minister Vishwajit Rane's order suspending Dr Rudresh Kuttikar, following public backlash and support from the medical community

ED arrests key accused Rohan Harmalkar in ₹1,000 crore Goa land scam

The alleged mastermind Rohan Harmalkar is charged with defrauding property owners using fake documents and tampering revenue records across prime tourist locations in Goa

IndiGo issues travel advisory for Goa, warns of flight delays due to rain

IndiGo Airlines advised passengers to stay informed by regularly checking their flight status and to plan for extra travel time due to possible weather-related delays and traffic disruptions

Goa temple stampede on May 3 was 'entirely preventable,' finds report

A fact-finding committee appointed by the Goa government to investigate the May 3 stampede at a temple in North Goa district has concluded that the tragedy was "entirely preventable." Six persons died and around 100 people were injured in the stampede in the early hours during an annual festival of Sri Lairai Devi temple at Shirgao village. The incident was the result of a combination of poor planning, lack of enforcement, ignored directives and inadequate infrastructure, said the report, a copy of which is with PTI. The committee, headed by revenue secretary Sandip Jacques, has also provided recommendations to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future. "Based on field visits, interactions with eye-witnesses, injured victims, organisers, executive magistrates, police officials and perusal of available records, the committee found that the stampede was precipitated by a confluence of preventable lapses and oversights among key stakeholders," the report said. The ...

Goa not BJP's laboratory: Cong on Centre's suggestion about nuclear plant

Opposition parties have objected to the Centre's suggestion to set up a nuclear power plant in Goa, with Congress saying the coastal state is not "a laboratory for BJP's dangerous experiments". Union Minister for Power, Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said that the Central government has suggested that the states examine the feasibility of setting up nuclear power plants in their respective areas and send proposals. Speaking to reporters, Khattar said he had discussed the possibility of setting up a nuclear power plant in a review meeting of the Urban Development and Power sector in Goa. In a post on X, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Patkar said, "Goa is not a laboratory for @BJP4India's dangerous experiments. I strongly condemn Shri @mlkhattar's absurd proposal of setting up a nuclear power plant in our peaceful, eco-sensitive state of Goa." He alleged that the BJP government had already destroyed Goa's hills, forests, agriculture and

Goa stampede: Police directives on CCTV cameras, barricades not implemented

The committee managing the Shree Lairai Temple failed to implement the Goa police's directives to install CCTV cameras for the annual festival, during which six people lost their lives in a stampede, an official said on Monday. The official, quoting the minutes of a meeting held days before the tragedy, said the temple committee was also requested to make necessary arrangements for queues with proper barricading wherever required. The temple authorities, however, said there wasn't enough time to install the CCTV cameras, as the meeting was held just a couple of days before the event. Six people were killed, and more than 70 sustained injuries after a stampede broke out during an annual festival at Shree Lairai Temple at Shirgao village of North Goa in the wee hours of Saturday. The police, district administration and Shree Lairai Temple committee held a meeting on April 30 ahead of the festival, during which the temple authorities were asked to install CCTV cameras at the entry and

Goa stampede unprecedented, Governor Pillai visits families of deceased

He visited and met the family of the deceased Sagar Nandadurgi at Mathwada, Pilgaon, Bicholim who lost his life in the tragic stampede at the Shree Devi Lairai Zatra at Shirgao

Goa govt cancels all state-backed events for 3 days after temple stampede

The Goa government on Saturday announced that all functions supported by it stand cancelled for the next three days in the wake of a stampede during a temple festival that killed six devotees and injured more than 70. "In view of the tragic stampede incident that occurred during the Shree Devi Lairai Zatra at Shirgao, and as an expression of condolences to the departed and their families, the Government of Goa directs that all Government- supported festive programmes and public celebrations scheduled over the next three days be cancelled or postponed," a circular issued by Shreyas D'Silva, Under Secretary of General Administration Department, stated. "All Heads of Departments, Government Corporations and Autonomous Bodies are hereby instructed to ensure strict compliance with this directive," the circular reads. The stampede occurred at a temple festival at Shirgao village in North Goa in the wee hours of Saturday, officials said. According to the police, thousands of devotees ...

6 dead, over 30 injured in stampede at Goa's Lairai Devi temple. Details

The stampede occurred during the annual Lairai Jatra in Goa's Shrigao village, where thousands had gathered for the fire-walking ritual at the Lairai Devi temple

Environment dept issues stop-work notice to controversial project in Goa

The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority issued a stop-work notice on Tuesday to a construction project of a private company near Panaji for allegedly not obtaining prior environment clearance amid protests. A day before, the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) had demonstrated against the upcoming project at Bambolim village. RGP MLA Viresh Borkar and the party president Manoj Parab had alleged that the project would adversely affect the environment. As the protests continued on Tuesday, the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (GSEIAA), which works under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, issued a stop-work notice to the project. State Environment Director Sachin Desai, also a member secretary of the authority, ruled that the construction activity was undertaken by M/s Worldwide Resorts and Entertainment Private Limited without obtaining prior Environment Clearance (EC) as prescribed under the Environment Impact Assessment ...

Over 50 tourists from Goa stuck in J&K after terror attack: Officials

More than 50 persons from Goa who were on a vacation to Jammu and Kashmir were stranded at hotels in Srinagar after the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam and efforts were on to bring them back, officials said on Wednesday. Terrorists struck at a prime tourist location in Pahalgam in south Kashmir on Tuesday, killing at least 26 persons, mostly tourists, and injuring several others, according to officials. The terrorists opened fire at tourists who were milling around eateries, taking pony rides or just picnicking at the Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam, touted as 'Mini Switzerland' for its serene beauty. After the incident, all visitors were transported from Pahalgam and other places to hotels in Srinagar, a Goa government official said. More than 50 persons from Goa were currently in Jammu and Kashmir, the official said, adding that "all are safe". Efforts were on to bring them back, the official said. Tour operators from Goa were also working out plans to bring all tourists back f