log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline TUESDAY JANUARY 13, 2026 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 206 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 3 2 Governor’s speech sidelines Arpora, Shirgao tragedies ZP members assert grassroots power, demand funds equal to MLAs' grants GOA Rights panel recommends withdrawal of eviction notice in rape accused’s case The way you sit can impact your health NEW DISTRICT, GROWTH CLAIMS, MINING PUSH OUTLINED IN FIRST ADDRESS OF THE WINTER ASSEMBLY SESSION THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA The first address of Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju to the Goa Legislative Assembly, delivered on the opening day of the winter session, was heavy on government achievements, ambitious policy announcements and statistical assurances. It was only at the fag end of the nearly two-hour speech that the Governor turned to the tragedies that have deeply scarred the State – the Birch by Romeo Lane fire inferno, the Shirgao Zatra stampede and deaths in road accidents –following which the House observed a minute’s silence for the departed. For most of the address, however, the emphasis remained firmly on governance milestones and future plans of the BJP-led “double engine” government. The headline announcement was the creation of Goa’s third district – Kushavati – projected as a step towards inclusive development, focused administration and preserva- >PG 8 BHOGI & LOHRI: MARKING A COMMON FESTIVITY AND NEW BEGINNING IN SHORT >> Carnival festivities from February 13 PANAJI: Goa Tourism on Monday announced the schedule for Carnival, with the festivities to open in Porvorim on February 13. The parade will be held in Panaji on February 14, followed by Margao on February 15 and Vasco on February 16. The celebrations will conclude simultaneously in Morjim and Mapusa on February 17. The Tourism Department last week named Cedric da Costa as King Momo. Ex-Navy chief gets EC notice under SIR PANAJI: Former Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash (retd), a Vir Chakra awardee, has been issued a notice by the EC under its ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, asking him to attend a hearing to establish his identity.  >> See pg 3 Sawant to table four key bills today PANAJI: The second day of the Goa Legislative Assembly’s Winter Session on Tuesday is expected to see significant legislative business, with Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant slated to introduce four government bills. Among them is the Goa Jan Vishwas (Laws Amendment) Bill, 2026 and GIM University Bill, 2026. Other bills on the agenda include the Goa Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Goa School Education (Amendment) Bill, 2026. Additionally, the House will consider a special motion moved by the Chief Minister to mark 150 years of India’s national song, Vande Mataram, composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1875. Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju addresses the Assembly on Monday.  Narayan Pissurlenkar tion of Goa’s cultural and social legacy. According to the Governor, the new district would reduce the administrative burden on North and South Goa districts and bring governance closer to the people, aligning with the government’s long-term vision of Viksit Goa @ 2037. While the announcement was framed as an efficiency-driven reform, the address offered little detail on timelines, financial implications or adminis- trative preparedness. Housing and land regularisation formed a substantial part of the speech, with the Governor highlighting a series of measures aimed at providing legal certainty to homeowners. The Mhaje Ghar Scheme was presented as a fulfilment of Goans’ long-cherished dream of owning a home. Long-pending issues surrounding pre-1972 houses were addressed through a circular treating structures reflected in Forms I and XIV as standing on settled land, removing the requirement of conversion sanads – a move the government claims has ended decades of uncertainty. Further, amendments to Section 38-A of the Goa Land Revenue Code and changes to laws governing constructions on comunidade land were cited as one-time relief measures for houses built prior to Febru- 11 INFO ary 28, 2014. The amended Goa Regularisation of Unauthorized Construction Act, 2016, now allows a two-year window for previously rejected applicants and permits increased builtup areas. While these steps were projected as citizen-friendly, critics have consistently flagged concerns over their environmental and planning >Continued on P5 SPORTS RCB sweeps UP Warriorz with nine-wicket victory Arpora blaze: House erupts, Oppn seeks accountability Opposition MLAs protest, marshalled out THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA The winter session of the Goa Legislative Assembly began on a stormy note on Monday as a combative joint Opposition disrupted the Governor’s address, demanding accountability for the deaths of 25 people in the devastating Birch by Romeo Lane fire tragedy. The protests escalated to such an extent that Opposition MLAs were forcibly marshalled out of the Assembly Hall. Even before the Governor, Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju could begin his customary address, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao interrupted proceedings, urging the constitutional head to first acknowledge what he described as an “inhuman tragedy” that has shaken the State. “Please speak on the inhuman tragedy of the Birch fire. Twenty-five innocent lives were lost. This is nothing short of murder by this government. There has to be accountability,” Alemao said, raising slogans and accusing the government of moral and administrative failure. As the Governor proceeded with his address amid loud sloganeering, Opposition MLAs rushed to the well of the House, displayed placards Opposition MLAs being marshalled out of the House on Monday.  Narayan Pissurlenkar and shouted “shame, shame,” forcing marshals to step in and escort them out. Later, addressing the media, Alemao said the Opposition had made a “simple and humane demand” — that the House begin the session by paying respect to the deceased. “The death of 25 people is a black day in Goa’s history. A minute’s silence should have been observed. Instead, the government chose indifference. There is blood on the hands of this government,” he said, alleging that lower-level officials were being made scapegoats while political accountability was being evaded. HC takes hard line on Birch Noose tightens around Goya fire, to study issue in depth club over use of agri land TARGETS SYSTEM THAT ENABLES ILLEGALITY THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Monday made it clear that the Birch fire incident would not be treated lightly and that it would examine the matter in depth to ensure what is in the best interest of Goa. While hearing the suo motu public interest litigation, the Bench observed that the ecosystem enabling illegality must be dismantled. Advocate General Devidas Pangam submitted that the Birch establishment was entirely illegal and liable for demolition. He informed the court that a demolition notice had been issued earlier, but the action was stayed by the appellate authority. Pangam further stated that the official who granted the indefinite stay has since been suspended. He added the government does not support illegal business establishments and conveyed the State is Court to hear anticipatory bail pleas of Redkar, Bagkar today PANAJI: The High Court on Monday directed that the anticipatory bail applications filed by the disqualified sarpanch of the Arpora–Nagoa panchayat, Roshan Redkar, and the dismissed secretary, Raghuvir Bhagkar, be listed for hearing on January 13. The two approached the High Court after a lower court rejected their pleas for anticipatory bail in connection with the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub fire tragedy. determined to take stringent action against unauthorised structures across Goa. He also placed suggestions before the court on strengthening measures against illegal constructions. Amicus Curiae, Advocate Rohit Bras D'sa, submitted that building regulations must be strictly adhered to. It was pointed out that the Regional Plan classifies the land on which Birch stood as a salt pan. However, the court was also informed that the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) had discharged the show-cause notice issued to the establishment about two weeks ago, stating that the site is not classified as a salt pan under the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP). The High Court granted the Goa government time to submit a list of persons or authorities who may be impleaded as respondents and adjourned the matter to January 13. DY COLLECTOR ORDERS TO RESTORE ILLEGALLY CONVERTED LAND, SLAPS `15 LAKH PENALTY THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA The noose is tightening around the owners of the controversial Goya Club at Vagator-Anjuna, with the Deputy Collector of Bardez ordering the restoration of an agricultural land parcel that was illegally converted for commercial use. Deputy Collector Varsha Para has directed the club management to restore Survey No 410/1 in Anjuna village to its original agricultural condition within 30 days, after an inquiry revealed that the land had been unlawfully used for non-agricultural purposes. A penalty of Rs 15 lakh has also been imposed for violating land-use regulations. According to the order, failure to comply within the stipulated period will result in the Mamlatdar undertaking the restoration work, with all expenses to be recovered from 14 „„Inquiry reveals that within 30 days land had been un„„Failure to lawfully used for comply within non-agricultural HEAT the stipulated purposes MOUNTS period to result „„Dy Collector in the MamlatON GOYA directs managedar undertaking CLUB ment to restore restoration work, land to original with all expenses to agricultural condition be recovered from club FLASHBACK: Officials had found that Goya Club was operating illegally on agricultural land without the requisite permissions, lacked mandatory fire safety clearances, and suffered from serious structural violations. the proponents of the club. Goya Club was among the first establishments sealed by authorities following the devastating fire at the Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in December, which claimed 25 lives and triggered a statewide crackdown on nightclubs and entertainment venues. The club was shut down in the second week of December and continues to remain sealed. Officials found that Goya Club was operating illegally >Continued on P5 AAP MLA Venzy Viegas accused the government of disrespecting the departed souls. “Illegal permissions granted by the government led to this tragedy. The BJP couldn’t even observe two minutes of silence. This shows how heartless they are,” he said. Goa Forward Party president and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said the Governor should have begun by paying homage to the victims. Pointing out that the structure was built on khazan land, Sardesai said the incident had severely tarnished “Brand Goa.” “This government has no heart. Not paying shradanjali >Continued on P5 Historic first: FM to present Union budget on a Sunday PTI NEW DELHI In a first, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget in Parliament on Sunday, February 1, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced on Monday. This will be Sitharaman's ninth budget presentation, one short of the record 10 budgets presented by the former finance minister Morarji Desai. The Budget session of Parliament begins on January 28 with President Droupadi Murmu addressing the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha members assembled in the Lok Sabha chamber. Sitharaman is likely to present the Economic Survey in both the Houses of Parliament after the president's address. According to the provisional calendar issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the House will also meet on January 29. The finance minister will present the General Budget on February 1, which has been designated as the Budget Day by the government. Assembly polls: New AAP chief India-Germany ties take off with visa-free transit ROAD AHEAD FOR INDIA, GERMANY pushes for Opposition alliance PTI SAYS PARTIES SHOULD ZERO IN ON CMP FOR GOA THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI After having snubbed an alliance for the recent Zilla Panchayat elections -- a decision that resulted in a complete debacle -- the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced that it is open to forging an alliance for the 2027 Goa Assembly elections and is willing to take the lead to make it a success. Appealing to Opposition parties including the Congress, Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP), the newly appointed AAP President Valmiki Naik proposed that before any discussion on seat sharing, Opposition parties must first come together to finalise a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) for Goa. Warning that premature seat sharing talks often lead to disputes, Naik, in the presence of two MLAs, said the agenda and vision for the state should take precedence over power-sharing arrange- ments. “AAP, Congress, RGP and GFP all have their own agendas. The intention of the alliance has to be clear,” Naik said, adding that once a CMP is agreed upon and accepted by the people of Goa, only then should talks move towards seat sharing. The AAP chief further said that the party is not only ready to form an alliance but is prepared to take the lead to ensure the alliance works. >Continued on P5 AHMEDABAD ndia and Germany on Monday announced visa-free transit facilities for Indian passport holders passing through German airports, a move aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties amid a broader push to deepen bilateral cooperation. The decision was unveiled after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who also discussed expanding collaboration in defence, trade, critical minerals and semiconductors against the backdrop of global geopolitical uncertainty. The two sides signed 19 I „„19 agreements signed; includes a roadmap for defence industrial cooperation, higher education collaboration, and telecommunications sector engagement „„Commitment to expand defence trade, co-development, and co-production between defence industries of both countries „„Early finalisation of the India–EU Free Trade Agreement to expand trade agreements, including a roadmap for defence industrial cooperation, a pact to enhance collaboration in higher education, and a separate pact on engagement in the telecommunications sector. „„Reaffirm support for a free and open Indo-Pacific, respect for UNCLOS „„Launch new bilateral Indo-Pacific consultation mechanism „„Strong backing for India–Middle East– Europe Economic Corridor to enhance global trade, connectivity „„Joint projects in climate action, energy, urban development, urban mobility, and a major green hydrogen project Modi and Merz also underlined the need for early finalisation of the India–European Union free trade agreement to widen the overall trade basket, with the new visa-free transit measure expected to further facilitate mobility and economic engagement. The German leader, accompanied by a large business delegation, landed in Ahmedabad early this morning on a two-day visit to India. It is his first trip to Asia as the German Chancellor. “The growing cooperation in defence and security is a symbol of our mutual trust and shared vision. I express my heartfelt gratitude to Chancellor Merz for simplifying the processes related to defence trade,” Modi said in his media statement. “We will also work on a roadmap to enhance cooperation between our defence industries,” he added. In the talks, Modi and Merz reaffirmed commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, respect for international law including UN Convention on the Law of Sea, and announced a new bilateral Indo-Pacific consultation mechanism.