Latest news with #RohanKhaunte
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Goa launches initiative to provide high speed internet to every household
Panaji: Goa Information and Technology Minister Rohan Khaunte has announced the rollout of the ' Har Ghar Fibre ' initiative, aimed at providing high-speed internet connectivity to every household in the coastal state. The initiative rollout will begin on a pilot basis in Porvorim, Sankhalim, and Bicholim, all in North Goa districts, Khaunte said in the state assembly on Tuesday during the demands for grants for information technology, electronics and communications. Goa will soon get 'Har Ghar Fibre', ensuring high-speed internet connectivity to every household, he said. Further enhancing last-mile delivery, four new Common Service Centres (CSCs) will be established in Darbandora (South Goa), Valpoi, Panjim, and Porvorim (all in North Goa) to strengthen people's access to digital services in both rural and urban constituencies. Under the Goa Broad Band Network (GBBN), 414 locations, comprising 189 village panchayats and 225 government offices are already connected, extending secure network coverage to over 1,500 government and institutional offices across the state, Khaunte said. The public can avail free wi-fi service through 137 hotspots installed across all 40 constituencies, with locations prioritised based on inputs from local MLAs, he said. Speaking further, Khaunte said the Goa Online portal currently offers 247 end-to-end services from 41 departments, having facilitated over 31 lakh transactions and benefited more than 8 lakh people. "These services are also available through the CSC network to ensure accessibility at the grassroots level," he said. Responding to questions about the start-up ecosystem, the minister said the state has 759 registered startups under the Goa Startup Policy and DPIIT. "The government has disbursed Rs 4.10 crore through various startup support schemes to these start-ups," he added.
India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
Why Goa homestays for tourists are in minister's line of fire
Unregistered homestays have become the latest flashpoint in Goa's tourism debate. At the heart of the issue lies residential apartments that were purchased during the Covid pandemic by people from Delhi and other parts of the country, and are now being rented out to tourists in violation of state Minister Rohan Khaunte, speaking in the Goa Legislative Assembly on July 29, said such properties were never meant to operate as commercial holiday turning them into unregistered homestays, he warned, owners are "misusing and renting" residential spaces to visitors, undermining the formal hospitality sector and creating social tensions within local ILLEGAL GOA HOMESTAY ISSUE WAS RAISED? The matter came up during Zero Hour when BJP legislator and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo flagged what he described as a growing menace of illegal pointed out that many apartments, initially purchased as "second homes" within gated complexes, have since been converted into holiday rentals through online units, he alleged, often attract "unruly" tourists whose behaviour causes constant inconvenience to permanent argued that the unchecked rise of such rentals is disturbing the delicate social balance in Goa's neighbourhoods."There is a growing concern among Goans regarding illegal homestays in buildings and unregistered homes and estates. This unregulated activity is causing anxiety among the residents and raising concerns of safety, security and infrastructure strain. In buildings, if there are 50 flats, ten are given on rent for short-term holidays. No one keeps a track of who moves in and out. They drink in the common spaces [of the building complex]play loud music," Lobo said, according to a report by The Indian Express."I urge the government to take decisive action to crackdown against unauthorised homestays and ensure strict enforcement of registration norms and protect the interests of residents," he MINISTER 'S RESPONSE TO THE CRISISIn his reply, Tourism Minister Khaunte defended the government's monitoring mechanism, insisting that only verified and registered establishments are officially recognised on Online Travel Aggregator (OTA) urged locals to assist the government in identifying violators. "The department is taking steps to ensure compliance. We urge citizens to report unregistered or illegal stays so action can be taken," he told Herald further stressed that the state maintains constant oversight over listings on OTAs. "Regular watch is kept on accommodations listed on OTAs."They are actively monitored. The government has ensured all inventory of hotel rooms, guesthouses and other stays linked with OTA platforms are registered with the tourism department," he said, according to debate comes against the backdrop of the Goa government's regulatory framework for December 2023, the state notified its Homestay and Bed and Breakfast Policy, and set service benchmarks, mandated registration, and sought to streamline the mushrooming of small-scale tourist accommodations across the state.- EndsTrending Reel
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Goa launches initiative to provide high speed internet to every household
Panaji, Jul 30 (PTI) Goa Information and Technology Minister Rohan Khaunte has announced the rollout of the 'Har Ghar Fibre' initiative, aimed at providing high-speed internet connectivity to every household in the coastal state. The initiative rollout will begin on a pilot basis in Porvorim, Sankhalim, and Bicholim, all in North Goa districts, Khaunte said in the state assembly on Tuesday during the demands for grants for information technology, electronics and communications. Goa will soon get 'Har Ghar Fibre', ensuring high-speed internet connectivity to every household, he said. Further enhancing last-mile delivery, four new Common Service Centres (CSCs) will be established in Darbandora (South Goa), Valpoi, Panjim, and Porvorim (all in North Goa) to strengthen people's access to digital services in both rural and urban constituencies. Under the Goa Broad Band Network (GBBN), 414 locations, comprising 189 village panchayats and 225 government offices are already connected, extending secure network coverage to over 1,500 government and institutional offices across the state, Khaunte said. The public can avail free wi-fi service through 137 hotspots installed across all 40 constituencies, with locations prioritised based on inputs from local MLAs, he said. Speaking further, Khaunte said the Goa Online portal currently offers 247 end-to-end services from 41 departments, having facilitated over 31 lakh transactions and benefited more than 8 lakh people. "These services are also available through the CSC network to ensure accessibility at the grassroots level," he said. Responding to questions about the start-up ecosystem, the minister said the state has 759 registered startups under the Goa Startup Policy and DPIIT. "The government has disbursed ₹ 4.10 crore through various startup support schemes to these start-ups," he added.
News18
2 days ago
- Business
- News18
Goa launches initiative to provide high speed internet to every household
Panaji, Jul 30 (PTI) Goa Information and Technology Minister Rohan Khaunte has announced the rollout of the 'Har Ghar Fibre' initiative, aimed at providing high-speed internet connectivity to every household in the coastal state. The initiative rollout will begin on a pilot basis in Porvorim, Sankhalim, and Bicholim, all in North Goa districts, Khaunte said in the state assembly on Tuesday during the demands for grants for information technology, electronics and communications. Goa will soon get 'Har Ghar Fibre', ensuring high-speed internet connectivity to every household, he said. Further enhancing last-mile delivery, four new Common Service Centres (CSCs) will be established in Darbandora (South Goa), Valpoi, Panjim, and Porvorim (all in North Goa) to strengthen people's access to digital services in both rural and urban constituencies. Under the Goa Broad Band Network (GBBN), 414 locations, comprising 189 village panchayats and 225 government offices are already connected, extending secure network coverage to over 1,500 government and institutional offices across the state, Khaunte said. The public can avail free wi-fi service through 137 hotspots installed across all 40 constituencies, with locations prioritised based on inputs from local MLAs, he said. Speaking further, Khaunte said the Goa Online portal currently offers 247 end-to-end services from 41 departments, having facilitated over 31 lakh transactions and benefited more than 8 lakh people. 'These services are also available through the CSC network to ensure accessibility at the grassroots level," he said. Responding to questions about the start-up ecosystem, the minister said the state has 759 registered startups under the Goa Startup Policy and DPIIT. 'The government has disbursed Rs 4.10 crore through various startup support schemes to these start-ups," he added. PTI RPS GK view comments First Published: July 30, 2025, 14:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
'Air India to resume Goa-Gatwick direct flights by September-end'
The Air India flight between Goa and Gatwick in London, stopped following the horrific June 12 Ahmedabad plane crash, will resume by the end of September, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte has said in the state assembly. Improved connectivity to Goa from various locations is a "game changer" for the tourism sector, Khaunte said in the House on Tuesday during demands for grants for his department in the ongoing monsoon session of the assembly. The Air India flights from Goa's Manohar International Airport to Gatwick were suspended following the crash of the AI plane heading from Ahmedabad to London last month, which claimed the lives of 260 persons, including 241 on board. Khaunte said in the House that the direct flight between Goa and Gatwick will resume by the end of September this year. Notably, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant last week said in the assembly he will consult the Civil Aviation Ministry on resumption of the Air India Goa-Gatwick flight after BJP MLA Michael Lobo said it was the only flight directly bringing Goans from London to the coastal state. Khaunte also informed the House on Tuesday that from October 5, 2025, Russia's Aeroflot Airlines will operate three weekly flights from Yekaterinburg to Goa's Manohar International Airport, with each flight carrying up to 210 passengers. This service is projected to draw more than 13,000 Russian tourists to Goa during the upcoming season, the minister said. Goa has already established new air corridors with countries like Poland, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, key routes that are fuelling a steady rise in international tourist arrivals, he informed. The state is embracing a long-term, strategic vision to drive sustainable tourism with a lasting impact, Khaunte said. "Major results may take time, but positive changes are already visible," he added. Goa welcomed 54.5 lakh tourists between January and June 2025, comprising 51.8 lakh domestic and 2.7 lakh international visitors, marking an impressive 8.4 per cent year-on-year growth, Khaunte said sharing figures in the House. "In June alone, tourist arrivals reached 8.34 lakh, boosted by cultural events such as the Sao Joao celebrations, forest stay experiences and creek tours. Hotel occupancy during the first half of the current calendar year (2025) ranged between 70 per cent to 100 per cent, underscoring high tourism demand," he informed. The minister dismissed claims of a drop in tourism, presenting official figures to show Goa has surpassed its pre-COVID-19 numbers. "In 2019, Goa welcomed 80.6 lakh tourists. In 2024, the number rose to 1.04 crore, including nearly 99.4 lakh domestic tourists and over 4.67 lakh international visitors, marking a 39.5 per cent rise in domestic and 50 per cent growth in international tourism compared to pre-COVID-9 levels," he said.
