Latest news with #Goan
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
House of Abhinandan Lodha forays into the hospitality sector, announces launch of Miros Hotels and Resorts in Goa
The House of Abhinandan Lodha (HoABL), led by Abhinandan Lodha, has announced the launch of Miros Hotels and Resorts in Goa. The company said that the property offers a luxury lifestyle hospitality brand crafted to serve a new generation of discerning travellers, and that its debut property under the brand of Miros is located in Central Goa. The House of Abhinandan Lodha (HoABL) said that the property is amidst lush Goan landscapes. (Picture for representational purposes only)(HoABL) According to the company, the property is amidst lush Goan landscapes, and has quickly emerged as a destination in its own right, earning near-perfect ratings on prominent online travel agency portals. The Goa property features the only vegetarian fine-dining restaurant, including vegan offerings, a spa, gym, indoor and outdoor sports and games, a swimming pool, and bespoke wellness and cultural experiences, all rooted in the ethos of luxurious simplicity and deep personal meaning, the company said in a statement. The company said that Miros is a name derived from a blend of 'miracle' and 'os' (Greek for island), embodying its promise: an island of wonder, where every guest experience is thoughtfully designed to inspire connection, discovery, and delight. 'With Miros, we are extending our belief in reimagining legacy industries. Just as we have made land ownership aspirational and accessible, we are now creating destinations that are rooted in emotion, curated with care, and designed to leave behind memories that last a lifetime," Abhinandan Lodha, Chairperson of HoABL, said. Also Read: Post court battle with sibling, Abhinandan Lodha renames firm Samujjwal Ghosh, Chief Executive Officer, HoABL, said, 'By integrating a luxury hospitality brand such as Miros into our branded land developments, we are bringing aspiration and access together. Miros allows us to add deep emotional and experiential value to the land we develop, creating destinations that are not only owned, but truly lived and felt." Also Read: HoABL forays into Mumbai's real estate market with the launch of three vertical projects, to invest ₹2500 crore Vertical projects After constructing plotted development projects in locations like Dapoli, Goa, Neral, near Mumbai, and Ayodhaya, the company earlier this year announced entering the Mumbai real estate market with vertical development projects. In July 2025, the HoABL and Mittal Builders announced the signing of a joint development agreement (JDA) to co-develop a three-million-square-foot integrated township project in Naigaon, near Mumbai. The company announced that the project will include the construction of 4,600 apartments along with high street retail space. It is scheduled to launch in the current quarter (Q2 FY26) and entails an investment of ₹2,000 crore. The project is expected to achieve a Gross Development Value (GDV) of ₹3,000 crore over the next three to five years.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Joy and sorrow as rare jackals reappear only to meet roadkill fate
Panaji: A roadside carcass of an Indian jackal caused a flutter at Divar, as some had thought the canid had disappeared from the island. The roadkill of the 'kolo', as it is lovingly referred to, saddened many due to their precarious numbers. Either admired for its wisdom or hated for its cunning, it has been immortalised as kolo (which translates to fox, though it is actually a jackal) in Goan folklore. Once ubiquitous all over the state, the jackal (canis aurea) used to raid pigsties and chicken coops in daylight. 'There were lots of them in nearby Vanxim island, too. But after the saline water influx in fields, they seemed to have disappeared,' said former sarpanch Prasad Harmalkar. Burroughs in fields and bundhs made up for their habitat. 'The younger generation hardly knows about kole. For us, memories of their howling at night still make us nostalgic,' said islander Freddy Ferrao. In recent years, some islanders say they can be seen on rare occasions. Clinton Fernandes, a Mapusa-based wildlife enthusiast, recently posted a video of a pair being chased by dogs in the fields. 'I flashed the torch to shoot the video and tried to shoo the dogs away,' he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Container Houses In Jebres Container House | Search ads Search Now Undo A few days later, a female jackal was found dead, not far from the Ribandar ferry point. 'I was happy we were seeing them again (maybe from their new mangrove habitat), but the roadkill left me sad,' said local Tomas Rodrigues. Extension of the road network has fragmented wildlife habitats. 'Roadkill and other effects of roads on wildlife populations are among the most pressing conservation issues globally,' said researcher Malaika Mathew Chawla. The Divar roadkill is an adult female. 'For a relatively small island population, the loss of a female can have a significant impact on population trends,' she said Some said that the jackals may be hiding from stray dogs. 'Their (stray dog) population, along with that of monkeys and peacocks, has increased tremendously too,' said Ferrao. A few have noticed kole after the revival of paddy cultivation in some parts. 'We don't know if there is any link to it but their reappearance is a good sign,' said Harmalkar. Jackals are active during dawn and dusk hours, scavenging for food in fields and even garbage sites. In the past, they would keep the ecosystem clean.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Time of India
Sex trafficking rescues decline, social workers worried
Panaji: Goa police recorded five rescues of sex trafficking victims across the state this year as of June, with police's nodal agency for such missions saying that efforts have been flagging over the years. The agency, the Vasco-based Anyay Rahit Zindagi (Arz), said that proactive measures to help women trapped in the flesh trade have been missing. Arz director Arun Pandey said, 'Over the past couple of years, the volume of rescues made by police has gone down. You cannot conduct raids and rescues from the police station.' Pandey said, 'You need to put in the legwork and identify the areas where the trafficking business is taking place.' He said that in 2024, police logged eight rescues across the state, fewer than in 2023, which saw 25 rescues. He said the rescues numbered 19 in 2022, sliding from 39 in 2021. Twenty rescues occurred in 2020, falling from 51 in 2019, Pandey said. He said that to combat sex trafficking, active measures are necessary to curb the demand and choke the supply. 'An intervention must be made focused on the traffickers,' he said. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Beyond Text Generation: An AI Tool That Helps You Write Better Grammarly Install Now by Taboola by Taboola 'They induce the demand; hence there's supply.' Citing a report published by the Goa State AIDS Control Society in 2024, Pandey said that at least 6,000 women of Goan origin and 3,000 women from outside Goa are currently involved in commercial sexual activities in the state. He emphasised the need to re-ignite the discussion on the anti-trafficking bill so that a consolidated effort — involving the NGOs-govt collaboration — can be launched to tackle the menace. 'A new concerning threat is the emergence of Goa as a source state for trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation,' Pandey had told TOI earlier. Agents spread across the state have developed a wide network through which they approach vulnerable girls and women looking for a better paying job. 'The agents usually seek targets who are technologically proficient and can navigate communications online,' Pandey had said. 'The targets mostly do not meet the agent and receive instructions and money online.' The agent promises them good pay, mostly as domestic workers in countries such as Bahrain and the UAE. They ensure that the targets receive their visas and passports swiftly and facilitate their medical tests and other formalities required to enter another country. But there have been cases when the promised job turns out to be bonded labour in unforgiving conditions.
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First Post
2 days ago
- Business
- First Post
Are homestays becoming trouble-spots for Goa? Minister blames ‘people from outside'
Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte announced tighter enforcement on illegal tourist accommodations and updated the state's Homestay Policy to support rural women read more Multiple second residences and residential structures in Goa are being utilised for tourist stays by people from outside the state without informing the Goan authorities, state tourism minister Rohan Khaunte said in the assembly on Monday. He also stated that the Goa government is regularly monitoring lodgings offered on online travel agency (OTA) platforms to ensure they are legally registered with authorities. His statement came when BJP MLA Michael Lobo raised the matter in the House, claiming that homestays functioning in residential communities are causing difficulty for locals by attracting disruptive tourists. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Responding to the Zero Hour mention, Khaunte stated, 'Regular watch is kept on accommodations listed on OTAs. They are actively monitored.' He said, 'The government has ensured all inventory of hotel rooms, guesthouses and other stays linked with OTA platforms are registered with the tourism department.' 'Many second homes and residential buildings are being misused for tourist stays without informing the authorities. The people who come to these second homes and operate as tourist accommodations often do so without proper registration,' he added. 'The Goa government will work towards finding a sustainable solution that protects the interests of both residents and the tourism sector,' he assured the assembly. Later, addressing the reporters, Khaunte stated that the Goa government has updated its Homestay Policy to address critical difficulties confronting local people working in the hospitality business in the coastal state's rural regions. A direct grant of Rs 2 lakh will now be provided to eligible applicants to establish homestays, replacing the previous reimbursement-based model that posed financial challenges for many rural households, he said. 'The original policy required beneficiaries to invest first and claim the amount later, which was not practical for women in rural households,' he told reporters on the margins of the state assembly's ongoing monsoon session. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Based on their feedback, we have made the necessary changes to ensure the policy is inclusive, accessible and truly empowering,' says Khaunte. The updated legislation would apply to homestays with one to six lettable rooms within the owner's property, particularly in rural regions, according to the ministry. 'While the registration is permitted across Goa, incentives will be limited to non-coastal, non-urban zones to ensure the policy's rural focus is preserved,' added the official. Khaunte stated that the project is profoundly founded in women's empowerment, since homestays would be administered mostly by household women. 'This is not just about adding inventory to our tourism ecosystem, it's about creating livelihood opportunities, preserving cultural heritage, and giving rural women a leadership role in community-based tourism,' he said. The tourist department will launch the application procedure for taking advantage of this program once the current assembly session ends on August 8, he added. 100 homestays will be supported under the scheme in the initial phase, the minister said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Goa govt to introduce holograms to curb illegal liquor trade: Chief minister
I observe a Goan excise officer using a handheld scanner to verify the authenticity of liquor bottles with holographic seals in a bustling market. Porvorim: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said that a system of holograms will be introduced in Goa to help identify and stop illicit liquor trade in the state. His statement came after govt was heavily criticised in the assembly over an incident of a truck carrying liquor that overturned and caught fire on the highway at Dhargalim last month. Opposition MLAs asked whether 'duplicate alcohol' is being manufactured in Goa and how the truck entered the state by passing the border checkpost. Sawant admitted that no entry of vehicle was found at the checkpost. 'No duplicate alcohol is being manufactured in Goa. We will use hologram tech in the future, which allows us to scan and get all the information about the alcohol,' said Sawant. The opposition criticised govt's failure to identify the origin of the liquor consignment even though the incident occurred on June 17. 'The driver, cleaner, and others left the vehicle and ran away. Why are police and excise officials ignoring the incident? We know that illegal alcohol business is taking place in Goa,' said Benaulim MLA Venzy Veigas. The CM said that the PI and the excise inspector reached the spot once the fire was reported and seized whatever alcohol was still intact. 'Based on the collected labels, investigations are on. They transport this alcohol with no export licence, no permit. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Spacious 3 & 4 BHK Homes Starting ₹1.65 Cr Near HITEC City Honer Signatis Book Now Undo Till now, we have not been able to verify where it was manufactured,' said Sawant. He added that the vehicle was from Nagaland. 'We have written to Nagaland govt, but we have not received a response yet. Our team has gone to Delhi and Haryana already in the case,' Sawant said. Leader of opposition Yuri Alemao said that although 1,395 cases of violations in liquor trade were found in Goa, state govt has initiated action against only two inspectors. 'Only show cause notices have been issued. You need to seriously look into the lapse,' said Alemao.
