log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SUNDAY JANUARY 11, 2026 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 204 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 MOVIES »PAGE 16 GOOD LIFE »PAGE 12 LIVE SMART »PAGE 14 SPORTS »PAGE 8 Kamal Haasan raises questions over film certification norms as a legal controversy erupts A look at the growing move towards a more sustainable & recovery-led wellness trend Reset, not restrict Human skills AI can’t replace Film review: Humming through heartache & hope Tension Relievers: Loosen up with these easy solutions RoKo take centre stage as India eyes winning start to NZ ODIs >> SEE PG 2 ASSEMBLY BATTLE LINES DRAWN Easy tips to excel at work and hone your skills further 3D land survey: Govt rules out urbanisation of villages SAYS MOVE IS TO COMPLY WITH CENTRE’S POPULATION AND GEOGRAPHICAL AREA CRITERIA FOR MUNICIPALITIES 11 IN SHORT >> Chimbel locals warn of ‘maha morcha’ PANAJI: Villagers opposing the proposed Unity Mall project have vowed to escalate their protest, now in its 13th day, with a ‘Maha Morcha’ to the Assembly Complex on January 15. Protesters announced that their agitation will intensify in the coming days, beginning with a march to the local MLA’s residence on Sunday, followed by a demonstration at the Chimbel Panchayat the next day, before culminating in the march to the Assembly Complex. Dept: 1.08 cr tourists visited Goa last year PANAJI: Goa recorded around 1.08 crore tourist arrivals during the 2025 calendar year, with domestic tourists accounting for nearly 1.03 crore, data released by the Tourism Department on Saturday revealed.  >> See pg 3 Bison rams into jeep, narrow escape for 2 BICHOLIM: The driver and a passenger in a jeep had a lucky escape after a bison rammed their jeep on the Bicholim-Kudchirem road. According to eyewitnesses, the jeep was travelling from Kudchirem to Bicholim when the bison suddenly appeared on the road and struck the jeep .  >> See pg 5 20 ON , JAN 9 026 Homegrown vibes: This community turns Nuvem farm into neighbourhood tinto When your AI helper becomes a silent spy Visible duty and invisible power in the national imagination Environmental judgments beyond idealism: Ecology, devpt and the judicial tightrope ON areas. This does not change their status,” he said. Shetkar added that surveys conducted nearly 50 years ago ,2 9 MAGAZINE MAGAZ 26 THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The State government on Saturday sought to allay public concerns over the inclusion of villages in the ongoing 3D land survey of Panaji, Margao and Cuncolim, clarifying that the move was purely to meet the Centre’s qualification criteria of population and geographical area for each of the municipalities. “These villages will not be urbanised. Misinformation is being spread,” North Goa Collector Ankit Yadav, IAS, said at a press conference at the Secretariat in Porvorim. He was joined by Additional Collector Gurudas Desai and Director of Settlement and Land Records Chandrakat Shetkar. Yadav explained that the Centre’s scheme for digital 3D land surveys requires a minimum threshold of municipal area and population, which Goa’s cities did not meet. “To qualify, we had to include surrounding panchayat 0 JAN 1 are outdated, and this 3D survey is a pilot exercise which will eventually be extended across Goa. Govt makes med facilities must for large complexes SOCIETIES MUST APPOINT TRAINED PARAMEDIC; RANE SAYS OCCUPANCY WILL NOT BE GRANTED THE GOAN I NETWORK VASCO Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Saturday stating that societies with 100 flats and above will not be granted occupancy certificates to their buildings unless basic lifesaving infrastructure is in place. Rane was speaking to reporters after inaugurating a wellness centre at Mormugao Sada in the presence of Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar. He said the decision was taken after observing that several large housing complexes housing hundreds of residents were completely unprepared to deal with medical emergencies, resulting in precious time being lost before ambulances arrive. “We have huge residential complexes with 100, 120 or even 150 flats, but there is absolutely no system to handle an emergency. If someone collapses or there is an emergency, people are left Pay hike to lure docs to govt service: Rane VASCO: Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Saturday admitted that availability of specialists remains a challenge but said multiple steps are being taken to overcome the shortage, including plans for a pay hike to attract doctors to join government service. “It is not always easy (to get medical specialists), but we have moved fresh proposals… we have also decided to increase the pay scale for doctors willing to join government service in different specialities so that we can introduce more specialised departments at Chicalim Sub-District Hospital,” he said.   >> See pg 3 helpless till an ambulance arrives. To reduce emergency response time, it will now be compulsory for such societies to appoint a trained paramedic and install an Automated External Defibrillator (AED),” Rane said. The minister clarified that occupancy certificates will be withheld until the health department certifies that a paramedic is employed, an AED machine is installed and basic emergency facilities are avail- Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet star as Mumbai Indians crushes Delhi Capitals Wealth built in stillness able within the society. “This is not an option. If these facilities are not in place, occupancy will not be granted. Spending around Rs 20,000 spread across 100 flats is nothing when it comes to saving human lives,” he said. Rane said the government has already amended the Town and Country Planning Act and the Health Act to give legal backing to the decision. >Continued on P6 Officials also dismissed viral social media videos alleging that the government intends to appropriate vacant or inherited land through the Escheats, Forfeitures and Bona Vacantia Act, 2024 and the “survey initiative.” was an exercise in that direction. Yadav stressed that the two are distinct processes and that claims of land grabbing are baseless. “This information is completely wrong and an attempt to instill fear in people,” he said. Desai elaborated on the legal processes under the Escheats, Forfeiture and Bona Vacantia Act, which he said was recommended by retired Justice V S Jadhav, who headed the one-man commission probing the widespread land-grab cases. Under this law, if a property is reported to be without legal heirs, the talathi reports the matter to a case officer >Continued on P6 Warden of Colvale jail suspended over viral video PTI PANAJI Prison authorities on Saturday suspended the warden of Colvale jail after a video, purportedly showed him celebrating with a gangster following his release from the jail. The undated reel video, involving warden Laxman Padloskar of the Central Jail at Colvale, went viral on social media recently. The video shows Padloskar celebrating with gangster Amogh Naik and his supporters after he walks out of the jail. The jail warden is seen spraying some liquid, presumably liquor, from a bottle on Naik, and later posing for a group photo, with Naik resting his hand on Padloskar’s shoulder. The video also shows firecrackers bursting in the sky to celebrate the history-sheeter’s release. Confirming the development, Superintendent of Police (Prisons) Sucheta Desai said the jail warden has been suspended, pending inquiry against him. Naik was arrested in connection with a gang war reported in South Goa earlier last year. A local court recently granted bail to him. CM pitches for `500 cr from Centre to fund new district Submits memorandum outlining State’s expectations from the Union budget THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has sought a special package of Rs 500 crore from the Centre to meet the capital expenditure and developmental needs of Goa’s newly created third district, Kushavati. The demand was placed during the pre-Budget meeting convened by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi, where Sawant also submitted a detailed memorandum outlining the State’s expectations from the Union Budget 2026–27. The memorandum highlights Goa’s request for continuation of the Special Assistance for Capital Investment scheme with enhanced allocation for FY 2026–27. The State has also urged the Centre to carry forward recommendations under the 16th Finance Commission award period and to revise the Centre–State funding pattern to 90:10, citing Goa’s limited revenue base and unique developmental challenges. „„Rs 1,000 cr for indusnew crossing station at Mayem trial corridors linked to NHs to boost „„Rs 600 cr for manufacturing, sea erosion GOA’S logistics OTHER KEY control, climate mitigation „„Introduction DEMANDS along coastline of superfast/ Vande Bharat „„Rs 300 cr to trains connecting strengthen healthGoa with Bengaluru, care sector Pune, Hyderabad „„Establishment of Centre „„Rs 160 cr for a new of Excellence for tourism Margao railway station and skilling Among the major demands, Sawant pressed for Rs 1,000 crore to develop industrial corridors integrated with National Highways, aimed at boosting manufacturing and logistics. He also sought the introduction of superfast/Vande Bharat trains connecting Goa to Bengaluru, Pune and Hyderabad, to strengthen regional connectivity. For infrastructure, the State has asked for Rs 160 crore to build a new Margao railway station with intermodal con- nectivity, along with a new crossing station at Mayem. Environmental concerns feature prominently, with a demand for Rs 600 crore to tackle sea erosion and support climate mitigation projects along Goa’s vulnerable coastline. Healthcare and urban infrastructure are also on the list with Rs 300 crore sought to strengthen the health sector and around Rs 600 crore to upgrade sewerage, >Continued on P6 Early hiccups mar revival of Dev Darshan scheme OFFICIALS POINT TO PROCEDURAL DELAYS VIBHA VERMA THE GOAN I PANAJI PILGRIMAGE HURDLES Barely half the seats were filled. That was the glaring outcome of the State government’s revived Mukhyamantri Dev Darshan Scheme, as the inaugural pilgrimage train to Vailankanni on January 9 departed with only around 460 pilgrims against a capacity of nearly 1,200. A mix of procedural delays, shift to online booking and the government’s warning of penalties for last-minute cancellations together kept hundreds of potential pilgrims away. Officials admitted that the scheme’s first trip suffered due to the hurried announcement. “It was announced just recently and there was hardly any time for financial provision. Lack of funds slowed the process as Indian Railways doesn’t allow payments at a later stage... but there were other procedural delays too,” a senior government official told The Goan. The newly introduced on- „„Trip announced in haste, leaving little time for planning & financial provisioning „„Sudden shift to online booking catch many pilgrims unprepared „„Limited digital literacy, poor internet connectivity also blamed „„Penalty for cancellations discouraged pilgrims „„Setting up THE ROAD pilgrims navigate booking help desks online booking AHEAD „„Smoother, more in North & South Goa and at head office organised registration „„Staff assistance to help process line booking system also proved a barrier. For three years, pilgrims registered by physically filling out forms and submitting them to the department or concerned officers. The switch to digital mode -- though welcomed by staff for the order it brings -- caught many off guard. “Not everyone is accustomed to online booking, and several internal parts of Goa still face internet connectivity issues,” the source said, adding that while the system reduced confusion seen in past registrations, its first-time introduction came with predictable teething problems. To ensure smoother access for upcoming trips, the department has now decided to set up help desks in North Goa, South Goa and at the head office. “Our staff will assist people with bookings,” >Continued on P6 Cyber fraudsters trick teacher, Schools face stray dog safety dilemma post SC ruling use AI to clone cousin’s voice DEPT ORDER THE PROBLEM AT HAND THE GOAN I NETWORK CONVINCE HER TO TRANSFER NEARLY ` 1 LAKH AGENCIES BHOPAL What sounded like her cousin’s voice -- the same tone, urgency and familiar manner of speaking -- turned out to be an artificial intelligence-generated imitation. In what police believe is Madhya Pradesh’s first confirmed case of AI-driven voice-cloning fraud, a school teacher from Indore lost nearly Rs 1 lakh after cybercriminals used advanced technolo- gy to impersonate her cousin and trick her into transferring money. The victim, Smita, a middle-aged teacher, had last spoken to her cousin -- who works with the UP Police emergency dial service -- almost two years ago. On the night of January 6, while having dinner with her family, she received a call from an unknown number that closely resembled her cousin’s phone number. The caller claimed to be her cousin and said a friend had suffered a heart attack and urgently required surgery at a private hospital in Indore. He asked Smita to make payments on his behalf and sent her QR codes for immediate transfer. Trusting the familiar voice and convincing details, Smita transferred Rs 97,500 in four transactions — three payments of Rs 30,000 and one of Rs 7,500. When she tried to call back, the number was >Continued on P6 PANAJI ractical and logistical difficulties have emerged as the biggest hurdle for nearly 150 educational institutions expected to strengthen campus fencing under the stray dog safety guidelines mandated by the Supreme Court. Several schools -- particularly those located on hillocks, operating on large open premises, etc -- have cited genuine constraints even as they work toward compliance. The Directorate of Education had, in November 2025, instructed all institutions to implement the required safety P „„Many schools have vast premises comprising buildings, playgrounds and ancillary areas „„Several others are situated on slopes or uneven terrain, making conventional fencing difficult „„Cost of fencing these stretches is high „„In many places, schools have barbed-wire boundaries that offer limited protection, while some schools have broken fencing measures, with the first status report due on November 17. The schools and colleges were directed to submit details of steps taken to prevent stray dog entry on their campuses. The order, first issued on November 11 and followed by a reminder on November 15, covered government, aided, unaided schools, higher secondary institutions, universi- „„Institutions were asked to improve or install fencing, boundary walls and gates as part of the physical safeguards… they were also directed to submit details of steps taken to prevent stray dog entry on their campuses ties and coaching centres. Institutions were specifically asked to improve or install fencing, boundary walls and gates as part of the physical safeguards. With the initial compliance window spanning eight weeks, the government warned that failure to comply could attract action, given that the directives arise from SC instructions. Terrain, cost and other issues Sources said several institutions have communicated their challenges to their parent department, which was subsequently submitted to the Directorate of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services, to compile for submission to the Chief Secretary before they are placed before the Apex Court. >Continued on P6