Page 7 - Goa

Goa to disburse financial aid to 216 patients till PM Modi's next birthday

The governor also announced the kickstart of the cleaning of the Miramar beach before inaugurating a Cow shelter home with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for 20 cows

Accepted merger of CLP into BJP: Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar

Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on Thursday said he had accepted the merger of the state Congress Legislature Party (CLP) into the ruling BJP. He went through a letter submitted by Congress MLAs and found that they have required numbers, he told reporters. Eight out of 11 Congress MLAs on Wednesday passed a resolution to merge the legislature party into the BJP.

Cabinet reshuffle likely in Goa after 8 Congress MLAs join ruling BJP

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant met Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai on Thursday morning amid talk of a cabinet reshuffle in the wake of eight Congress MLAs joining the ruling BJP. The chief minister, however, told reporters here that the meeting, which followed Wednesday's dramatic developments, had nothing to do with politics. He met the governor at Raj Bhavan to discuss programs for the celebration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday (September 17), Sawant said. But a senior BJP leader said a reshuffle was likely in the next few days as the party would need to accommodate at least a couple of Congress MLAs who have crossed over, including former chief minister Digambar Kamat. The BJP now has 28 MLAs in the 40-member Assembly after eight Congress MLAs switched sides on Wednesday. In 2019, when 10 out of 15 Congress MLAs had defected to the BJP en-masse, the ruling party had dropped three ministers to accommodate three new entrants, and the same pattern may be followed now,

Latest news LIVE: Goa Speaker says he has accepted merger of CLP into BJP

From Covid to the political tussle in Goa, catch all the latest news updates here

Congress MLAs joined the ruling party BJP without any condition: Goa CM

He also said that two MLAs of MGP are with the BJP and they will remain with them. MGP MLA Sudin Dhavalikar is presently the Power Minister in the BJP-led government

Goa Congress Legislature Party passes resolution to merge into BJP

The Goa Congress Legislature Party on Wednesday passed a resolution to merge into the Bharatiya Janata Party, soon after BJP state president Sadanand Shet Tanavade said eight Congress MLAs will join the ruling party. Leader of Opposition Michael Lobo moved the resolution in the presence of seven other MLAs. The resolution was seconded by former chief minister and MLA Digambar Kamat, sources said. Prior to this development, the Congress had 11 legislators in the 40-member Goa Assembly and the BJP had 20. After the resolution was passed, a picture of the eight MLAs meeting Chief Minister Pramod Sawant surfaced on social media. In the picture, MLAs Michael Lobo along with Digambar Kamat, Delilah Lobo, Rajesh Phaldesai, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Aleixo Sequeira and Rudolf Fernandes were seen interacting with the chief minister. In a similar move in July 2019, 10 Congress MLAs had switched over to the BJP.

Decided to join BJP to strengthen PM Modi's hands: Congress' Michael Lobo

Michael Lobo, one of the eight Congress MLAs in Goa who joined the BJP on Wednesday, said they took the decision to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. A resolution was passed in the Congress Legislature Party meeting here on Wednesday to merge with the BJP, Lobo said. The opposition is now left with just three MLAs in the 40-member state Assembly. The eight MLAs - former chief minister Digambar Kamat, Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Rajesh Phaldesai, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Aleixo Sequeira and Rudolf Fernandes - joined the BJP in presence of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and state BJP chief Sadanand Shet Tanavade. Briefing mediapersons in the presence of Chief Minister Sawant, Lobo said the Congress Legislature Party met on Wednesday morning during which they decided to merge with the BJP. The decision was taken to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Goa CM Pramod Sawant, he said. We have started Congre

Will adopt progressive way to ensure BJP regains S Goa seat: Narayan Rane

Union Minister Narayan Rane said he had been appointed by his party as the in-charge for Goa South Lok Sabha seat and South Mumbai in Maharashtra for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

Land grabbers target ancestral property of UK Home Secy in Goa's Assagao

An SIT headed by Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch) Nidhin Valsan was formed in July this year to look into complaints with regard to illegal land grabbing and conversion

Goa: Large portion of Curlies bulldozed after SC stays demolition on Anjuna

Even as the SC stayed the demolition of one particular survey number of Curlies night club a restaurant on Goa's Anjuna beach, the demolition squad razed the other portions of Curlies on Friday.

Goa govt starts demolishing restaurant linked to Sonali Phogat's death case

The Goa government on Friday morning began demolishing the controversial restaurant at Anjuna in North Goa linked to the death of Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sonali Phogat for violating the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms, an official said. The restaurant, 'Curlies', located on Goa's famous Anjuna beach, was in news recently after Phogat was found partying at the outlet hours before her death. Its owner Edwin Nunes was among five persons arrested in the Phogat death case and he was later granted bail. "The demolition squad of the district administration along with Anjuna police personnel arrived at the beach around 7.30 am to demolish the restaurant that was built in 'no development zone' in violation of the CRZ norms," the official said. The action against the restaurant was initiated after its owner failed to get any respite from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the 2016 demolition order of Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA). The case was heard o

NGT dismisses plea of Goa's Curlies nightclub challenging demolition

NGT has upheld the GCZMA order to demolish the alleged illegal structure of Curlies, run by Edwin Nunes -- arrested in the Phogat case

Sonali Phogat case: Goa party asks CM Sawant to step down as home minister

The Goa Forward Party on Thursday demanded that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should step down as state home minister till the inquiry into Sonali Phogat's death case is completed by the central agency

Land grab case: Tug-of-war between Goa CM and Congress leader continues

Reacting on Goa CM Pramod Sawant's assertion that his ministers are not involved in land grabbing, Congress leader has said that the former's "forecasts" have always gone wrong.

'Jungle Raj' in Sunshine State: Goa CM in line of fire over drugs and crime

Since past ten days BJP's Pramod Sawant government has been under fire over alleged murder of Tik Tok star Sonali Phogat in Anjuna-Goa

Ganesh Chaturthi 2022: Celebs wishes, social reactions and celebrations

Ganesh Chathurthi 2022: Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated today, August 31 in different states of India. Read this detailed article to know how people are celebrating the festival

Goa Police team reaches Haryana to probe Sonali Phogat death case

A Goa Police team reached Haryana's Hisar district on Wednesday to investigate the case of alleged murder of Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sonali Phogat. The team first went to Sadar police station here and is later expected to visit Phogat's farmhouse here to collect evidence related to the case. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said his government has submitted a "confidential report" on the investigation into the case to Haryana chief minister and director general of police. A team of Goa Police will record some statements in Haryana as part of the investigation, Sawant had said. Phogat, a former Tik Tok star from Hisar, and a contestant on the reality TV show "Big Boss", was brought dead to a hospital in north Goa on August 23, a day after arriving in the coastal state with two of her male companions. In another development, the Hisar Police had taken into custody an accused who had allegedly disappeared with CCTV's DVR, laptop and other documents from Phogat's farm

Futsal becomes new fad in football-crazy Goa with more than 15 grounds

The football crazy state of Goa has been slowly warming up to futsal, an indoor version of the sport played on hard court. More than 15 futsal grounds have been developed in the state in a span of less than 10 years and promoters of the sport have termed it as nursery for football players and initiation into football. Talking to PTI, Futsal Alliance of Goa president Benjamin Silva said they had taken baby steps to promote the sport in 2016 and six years down the line, their efforts have borne fruit. Silva recalled how the journey was not easy, as the Goa Football Association (GFA), which is affiliated to FIFA, refused to extend a helping hand. We continued in our own way. Our intention was to create more futsal players in the state, he said. With no proper infrastructure, futsal took time to grow in the state. But now, there are enough grounds and ample number of teams engaging in the fixtures. The Don Bosco Institution at Fatorda in South Goa has come as a saviour for the game b

If needed, will recommend CBI probe into Phogat murder case, says Goa CM

Goa CM Pramod Sawant said that BJP leader and Tiktok star Sonali Phogat's case is being thoroughly investigated by senior police officials of the state, but if needed, will recommend a CBI probe

Goa govt ready to hand over Sonali Phogat case to CBI, if required: Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday said his government is ready to hand over the case of death of BJP leader Sonali Phogat to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), if required. Phogat (43), a former Tik Tok star from Hisar in Haryana and contestant on the reality TV show "Big Boss", was brought dead to a hospital in North Goa August 23, a day after arrival in the coastal state. The state police have so far arrested five people in connection with the case. These include two associates of Phogat who have been charged with murder. Talking to reporters in Panaji, Sawant said Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has already spoken to him requesting for a detailed investigation into the case. Sawant said his Haryana counterpart told him that the Phogat family wants the CBI to take over the case. I don't have any issue with it. After all formalities today, if required, will give this case to the CBI, the Goa CM said. Sawant also said the Goa Police are thoroughly ...