Explore Business Standard
Goa
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday said the proposed third district in the state will be called 'Kushavati', named after a river that flows through the region. It will be an aspirational district in the country, he said. At present, the coastal state comprises two districts - North Goa and South Goa. Talking to reporters, Sawant said the new district will comprise four talukas - Dharbandora, Quepem, Sanguem and Canacona - that are currently part of South Goa. "All the administrative works of the new district will be run from South Goa district till the infrastructure required for the new district is made available," the CM said. The new district will be named as Kushavati, a river that flows in these parts of Goa, he said. Till the time a full time collector is appointed in the nwe district, the responsibility will be handled by the collector of South Goa district, according to him. Quepem town will be the headquarters of the new district, which will be connected ...
Goa is bracing for an influx of tourists in the run-up to New Year's Eve, as at least five lakh visitors are expected to throng the beaches and party hotspots of the coastal state to usher in the festivities, an official said on Sunday. The state tourism department claimed that the December 6 nightclub fire that killed 25 people in Arpora village in North Goa didn't seem to have impacted the activities. Talking to PTI Videos, State Tourism Director Kedar Naik said Goa is a safe destination, and people will continue to enjoy their New Year celebrations here. Popular beaches are gearing up for grand firework displays, while shacks are transforming into high-energy party zones that will keep buzzing late into the night. The state was fully geared up to receive visitors from India and abroad, Naik said. "Goa is all set to welcome tourists for the New Year's Eve celebrations. We have seen a large number of tourists coming into the state this entire year," he said. While the number of
Ajay Gupta, one of the four co-owners of 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub in Goa, where 25 persons were killed in a fire earlier this month, on Thursday filed a bail application in a court in Mapusa town. Gupta was arrested in New Delhi by the Goa Police on December 10, following which a court in Mapusa remanded him in police custody for seven days. Twenty-five persons, including 20 staff members and five tourists, were killed in the major blaze at the nightclub at Arpora in North Goa around midnight of December 6. Gupta, who is currently in the custody of the Anjuna police, applied for bail before the District Judge in Mapusa. Senior lawyer Rohan Desai will represent him. The court is likely to hear the bail application later in the day, and notices will be issued to the state police seeking their response. So far, eight persons have been arrested in connection with the case, including Gupta, and two other owners - Gaurav Luthra and his brother Saurabh - who were deported from ...
Authorities have sealed 'The Cape Goa', a prominent restaurant located on a cliff in South Goa district, for violation of fire and other safety norms, officials said on Tuesday. The Tourism Department had granted permission for one temporary private shack, but it was observed that the establishment was operating a full-fledged restaurant beyond the sanctioned plinth area, according to the sealing order issued on Monday. Continued operation of the premises without mandatory safety clearances poses an imminent, grave and real threat to human life and property, particularly in the event of fire, electrical short-circuit, structural failure, or any emergency requiring evacuation, it said. The action comes after a massive fire at a nightclub in Arporal, North Goa, on December 6 claimed 25 lives. Chairperson of the joint enforcement and monitoring committee, Canacona taluka, Maya Pednekar, on Monday issued the order to seal 'The Cape Goa', located on a cliff at Cabo de Rama Fort in Kuddi
The Goa bench of Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane at Arpora, where a devastating fire on December 6 killed 25 persons, into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) observing "someone has to be held accountable in such kind of cases". The HC also asked the state government to file a reply on permissions granted to the ill-fated nightclub. The petition was filed by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, owners of the land on which the nightclub stood. Converting it into a PIL, the division bench of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Prithviraj Chavan said "someone has to be held accountable in such kind of cases". It observed that the local panchayat had failed to take suo motu cognisance of the club and had taken no action despite complaints. Commercial operations were going in the structure despite it being served a demolition order, the HC bench pointed out. Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing Amonkar and Divkar, was made amicus .
Thailand authorities are set to take up the case involving Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, the co-owners of the Goa nightclub where 25 people were killed in a fire on December 6, with a Bangkok court likely to decide the next course of action, sources here said. The Luthras, co-owners of 'Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub located in Arpora in North Goa, left for Phuket, Thailand, shortly after the fire incident. An Interpol Blue Corner Notice has been issued against them. The Luthra brothers were detained by Thai authorities in Phuket on December 11 following an intervention by the Indian mission, which is in close touch with the Thai government in the case. According to the sources in the Indian Embassy here, all relevant documents related to the two brothers have been transferred through official legal channels. Legal developments suggest the case is likely to be argued before a Bangkok court, they said. "The matter is expected to move forward once a local court in Bangkok begin
Goa's nightlife faces a crackdown ahead of the Christmas and New Year season, with the state government launching an intensive drive to inspect and seal the establishments flouting norms after a deadly nightclub fire claimed 25 lives. As the state, famous for its scenic beaches, gears up for its busiest fortnight spanning Christmas and New Year, the crackdown has already forced some nightclubs to shut, while the fate of others hangs in the balance. A team of personnel from the district administration, fire and emergency services and police have been inspecting all the nightclubs in the North Goa tourism belt, officials said on Sunday. The drive began after the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora in North Goa on December 6 left 25 persons dead. "We are inspecting all the nightclubs, checking their licences and permissions. Any club found to be violating the norms is sealed," government officer Kabir Shirgaonkar, who is heading the inspection team, told PTI. The
A magisterial inquiry committee has questioned original landowner Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Arpora-Nagoa sarpanch Roshan Redkar in connection with the devastating fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in North Goa. Amonkar was summoned at 3.30 pm on Saturday and questioned till 10.30 pm, his lawyer Prasenjeet Dhage said, adding that the panel wanted to know "why this incident happened". "My client had a warrant of appearance before the committee," he said. "It was a very intensive and vigorous inquiry," the lawyer added. The Goa government has constituted a committee headed by district magistrate Ankit Yadav to inquire into the December 6 fire incident which claimed 25 lives. Arpora-Nagoa panchayat sarpanch Roshan Redkar told reporters that he answered the committee's questions. He has already obtained pre-arrest bail from a local court in connection with the case. The Goa police have arrested five managers and staff members of the club. Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, co
Around 55 per cent of Indian travellers plan winter trips every year, and Goa and Kerala remain top choices for them during the travel season, according to an Airbnb report. Indians are travelling in winter not just for holidays, but also to unwind and relax, the report said. "This winter season, Goa, Kerala, Rajasthan and the Himalayan states dominate domestic travel interest on Airbnb, owing to their beaches, backwaters, heritage, winter weather and outdoor experiences," Airbnb Country Head, India and Southeast Asia, Amanpreet Bajaj said, quoting the report based on Airbnb internal data. He said 55 per cent of Indian travellers plan winter trips every year, signalling how winter has evolved as one of the country's favourite travel seasons for exploration and downtime, mainly fuelled by favourable cooler weather and scenic winter landscapes. Alongside these favourites, he said, there is also a strong momentum for emerging pockets such as Agatti in Lakshadweep, Guwahati, smaller ..
