log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline MONDAY APRIL 13, 2026 GOA Geopolitics, earnings, oil prices, FIIs to influence D-Street this week IN SHORT >> 28-yr-old man dies after gym session VASCO: A 28-year-old man from Headland died after suddenly collapsing shortly after returning home from a gym session, triggering concern among locals over the unexpected incident. The deceased identified as Gauresh Parab, a resident of Headland, was employed with the electricity department and had just returned home after exercising at a gym.  >> See pg 2 Uproar at Saligao over mega project MAPUSA: Residents of Saligao on Sunday raised strong objections to a proposed residential project comprising 24 units with swimming pools in the Bairo Alto ward, during a Gram Sabha marked by heated exchanges. Villagers questioned how such a project received approval, with several expressing concern over the scale and nature of development.  >> See pg 3 The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 12 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 295 Farmers net bumper catch of freshwater fish at Mai Tollem lake >> pg 6 Facebook.com/thegoan 2 GOA Mala residents face foul smell as dead fish begins to rot in lake 3 THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO/SANGUEM A casual Sunday outing turned into a chilling tragedy in the quiet hinterland of Cazur village in Quepem, after a young girl was fatally shot during what was meant to be a friendly gathering. The victim, 22-year-old Tanvi Gadi from Sanquelim, died on the spot after a bullet struck her in the neck. According to police, the incident occurred when a group of friends, associated with Vishranti Gawde from Sanquelim, had visited Cazur. Vishranti’s sister is married in the village, and the group had gathered there for a casual outing. According to police, some members of the group entered a hut-like structure where a 12bore firearm was kept -- such weapons are often used in rural areas to protect crops from wild animals. During this time, Sweth Gawde, a youth from Sanquelim, allegedly handled the gun when it suddenly discharged. HOW THE INCIDENT UNFOLDED „„Group of friends gather in Cazur for what was meant to be a casual outing „„They enter a nearby hut where a 12-bore firearm had reportedly been kept „„Sweth Gawde is said to have picked up and handled the gun „„Investigators believe the firearm may have been pointed towards Tanvi in a playful or non-threatening manner South Goa Superintendent of Police Santosh Desai confirmed that preliminary inquiries revealed that Sweth Gawde was handling the weapon. The firing may have been accidental or the result of negligent handling. How- „„In a sudden moment, the weapon discharges „„Bullet strikes Tanvi in the neck, she dies on the spot ever, investigators are also examining claims that the firearm may have been pointed at the victim in a playful manner before it went off. The impact was fatal, with the bullet hitting Tanvi in the neck, leaving her no chance of The plant-based beauty handbook: Benefits and considerations survival. Police reached the scene shortly after, secured the area, and recovered the weapon. Quepem Police Station incharge, PI Desai, confirmed that a case of murder has been registered against Sweth Gawde in connection with the incident. He said the police is investigating into the question whether the firearm was licensed or not. Tanvi’s body has been preserved at the Hospicio South Goa District Hospital for post-mortem examination, and the report is awaited. The incident has sent shockwaves through the locality, raising serious concerns about the presence and careless handling of firearms during private gatherings. Further investigations are ongoing. It may be recalled that earlier this month, Quepem police had arrested one Ram Velip from nearby Caurem village for allegedly firing a gun into the air while threatening family members over a dispute related to a public tap. 9 SPORTS Cummings free-kick seals late win for Mohun Bagan against Punjab FC INDIA MOURNS LOSS, PM EXPRESSES GRIEF PTI MUMBAI sha Bhosle, the legend who refused to be bracketed into any one genre and stepped out of the shadows of her sister's greatness to create her own universe in Hindi playback singing, died in a Mumbai hospital on Sunday. She was 92. Asha, one half of the Mangeshkar duo whose versatility was unmatched even by her sister Lata, was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital on Saturday evening due to chest infection and exhaustion, her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle said. The singer, who defied convention to add heft, depth and even oomph to women's voices in cinema, be it the lovelorn Meena Kumari in “Hum Intezar Karenge” or the unapologetically seductive Helen in “Piya Tu Ab To Aaja”, is survived by her son Anand. Her voice which got listeners jiving to “Aaja, Aaja” just as skillfully as she got them to mourn lost love in “Chain A END OF AN ERA 1933 – 2026 Last rites today at Shivaji Park MUMBAI: The last rites of the legendary singer Asha Bhosle will be held on Monday at Mumbai's Shivaji Park, her son Anand Bhosle said. “My mother passed away today. People can pay their last respects to her at 11 am tomorrow at Casa Grande, Lower Parel. Her last rites will be performed at 4 pm tomorrow at Shivaji Park,” Anand Bhosle told reporters. Se Ham Ko Kabhi” filled the growing years of generations of Indians. And millions mourned her loss. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said her extraordinary musical journey, spanning decades, enriched Indian WRITES TO CHIEF SECY, DESCRIBES FIRM AS A CRITICAL SUPPLIER OF AMMUNITION GUILHERME ALMEIDA THE GOAN I MARGAO SACRED SERVING: A devotee serves ‘pej’ (kanji) outside the Jesus of Nazareth Chapel in Siridao on Sunday to mark the Feast of the Annunciation. Hundreds of devotees thronged feast colloquially known as 'Pejechem Fest'. (Report on pg 3)  Narayan Pissurlenkar BJP issues whip to its MPs for women’s reservation bill PTI NEW DELHI The BJP has issued a three-line whip to all of its MPs, urging them to remain present in their respective House during the extended Budget session of Parliament starting Thursday. The Modi government has convened a special three-day sitting from April 16 to 18, during which proposed amendments to the Women's Reservation Act are likely to be brought for consideration and passage. The Union Cabinet is learnt to have cleared on April 8 draft bills which seek to implement the women's quota before the 2029 parliamentary polls and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816, with 273 reserved for women. In a message to all its MPs, BJP said, "A Three-Line Whip being issued to all BJP Members in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha from April 16 to 18 2026." The Indian Army has stepped into the ongoing controversy surrounding the propellant storage unit of Hughes Precision Manufacturing Pvt Ltd at the Naqueri plateau, adding a significant national security dimension to an already contentious local issue. In a communication addressed to the Goa Chief Secretary, the Army has sought the government’s support to ensure the smooth functioning of the company, which it describes as a critical supplier of ammunition. The intervention comes at a time when authorities are preparing to submit findings from a joint inspection of the propellant storage facility at Naqueri, even as local residents remain firmly opposed to any move to reinstate the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for storage operations at Magazine No. 2. It may be recalled that the propellant stored by the company in Magazine No 1 had exploded and caught fire on 12 Nightingale’s song ends, Asha Bhosle no more Army throws weight behind Naqueri propellant facility WAVES short film fest from May 7 NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump has ordered a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in response to Iran's "unyielding" refusal to give up its nuclear ambitions during peace talks in Islamabad while acknowledging that the talks in Pakistan had gone "well". INFO PROBE UNDERWAY TO DETERMINE WHETHER GUN FIRING WAS ACCIDENTAL OR RESULT OF NEGLIGENT HANDLING MAPUSA: Even as the Central Pollution Control Board has flagged the Mapusa and Sal rivers among Goa’s most polluted stretches, a closer look at the government’s response reveals a stark contrast: while the Sal has seen structured intervention, efforts to revive the Mapusa river remain fragmented, reactive and largely invisible on the ground.  >> See pg 3 US orders blocking of ships in Hormuz RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Sunday outing turns tragic, girl shot dead in Quepem Mapusa river pollution under lens PANAJI: The third edition of the WAVES International Short Film Festival (WAVES 3.0), scheduled from May 7 to 10, has received an impressive 632 entries from across the globe, reflecting its growing stature in the international short film circuit.  >> See pg 5 Instagram.com/thegoanonline cultural heritage and touched countless hearts across the world. “Deeply saddened by the passing of Asha Bhosle ji, one of the most iconic and >Continued on P5 Eight-yr-old boy drowns in rivulet at Cananguinim, sister critical THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO A family outing turned tragic on Sunday evening when an eight-year-old boy drowned in a rivulet at Cananguinim, while his teenage sister remains in critical condition after attempting to save him. 21-YEAR-OLD YOUTH DROWNS IN BHIRONDA RIVER >> See pg 3 Explosion and fire at the propellant storage site at NaqueriBetul. (File photo) ON PAGE 2 ARMY UNDERSCORES IMPORTANCE OF FIRM’S OPS FOR DEFENCE COMPANY GETS SHOT IN THE ARM FROM GOA-IPB FOR STORAGE FACILITY March 20 last year as a result of which local residents, Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa and the Betul Panchayat had vehemently objected to the storage unit at the Naqueri plateau. The NOC had earlier been kept in abeyance by the office of the South Goa District Collector due to the company’s failure to submit a conversion sanad and for not complying with other mandatory permissions and regulatory requirements. In a letter dated April 7, 2026, addressed to the district authorities, Hughes Precision renewed its request for reinstatement of the NOC, invoking national security concerns The incident occurred at around 4 pm on Sunday when the Naik family from Vastawaddo-Curchorem had gone to Cananguinim for a picnic. According to Cuncolim Police, preliminary inquiries suggest that the young boy, identified as Shloak Naik, had entered the rivulet while playing and soon began to struggle in the water. His 17-year-old sister, Sanika Naik, noticing her brother in distress, immediately rushed into the rivulet in an attempt to rescue him. She also raised an alarm, calling out for help. While bystanders managed >Continued on P5 >Continued on P5 State ranks 7th nationwide Tivim, Dabolim light the way as model solar villages SOLAR REVOLUTION IN THE STATE in revision of electoral rolls THE GOAN I NETWORK LOGS OVER 10 PER CENT NET DELETIONS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Goa has emerged among the top States -- ranking at 7th  -- in the country in terms of voter roll clean-up, recording over 10 per cent net deletions during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, in line with the national trend highlighted in a recent report. According to the Election Commission of India records, Union Territory Andaman and Nicobar Islands recorded the highest deletion rate at 16.6 per cent, followed by States like Uttar Pradesh (13.2 per cent), Gujarat (13.1 per cent), Chhattisgarh (11.3 per cent), West Bengal (10.9 per cent), Tamil Nadu (10.6 per cent) and Goa (10.2 per cent). During the SIR exercise, as many as 1.39 lakh names were deleted from the electoral roll, including 1,00,042 classified as absent, shifted, dead or duplicate (ASDD) voters, and 39,592 “unmapped electors” whose details could not be matched with earlier SIR records of 2002. With this, the State’s total electorate now stands at 10,57,566. Also another 12,000-odd names were added to the list. Of the total electorates, 51.6 per cent are female voters. As per the data, across 12 States, where SIR was held in the first phase, the cumulative net deletion stood at around 5.2 crore votes. The revision process primarily targeted entries classified as absent, shifted, deceased, or duplicate, along with unverified voters. The process was initiated in November. PANAJI ivim village in Bardez taluka and Dabolim village in Mormugao taluka have emerged as the State’s “Model Solar Villages”, making them eligible for central grants of Rs 1 crore each to promote solar energy adoption and achieve energy self-reliance. The two villages outperformed 13 others -- seven from North Goa and six from South Goa -- in the final round of the competition. While an official announcement is awaited, sources confirmed that Tivim and Dabolim were selected based on their highest solar power generation during the assessment period. T „„63 villages participated in GEDA competition launched in April last year; 15 reached final round „„Tivim & Dabolim selected as model solar villages „„Each village eligible for Rs 1 crore central grant to boost solar adoption „„Selection criteria was highest solar power generation during assessment period „„Rooftop solar, PM-KUSUM projects, and smallscale RE systems (<10 MW) were focus areas „„Preparation of Detailed Project Reports underway „„MNRE-empanelled consultant to guide energy self-sufficiency „„CENTRAL SCHEME: The initiative is part of the Centre’s broader push under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, which aims to develop one solar village in each district The Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA) has already initiated the process of preparing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for both villages. This includes finalising an empanelled consultant under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to guide the transition towards energy self-sufficiency. The competition, launched by GEDA in April last year, saw participation from 63 villages with populations exceeding 5,000, as per the latest Census data. Out of these, 15 villages advanced to the final round held in February this year. In North Goa, the shortlisted villages included Corgao, Dhargalim, Tivim, Chorao, Ela, Carambolim, Latambarcem and Mayem. From South Goa, Betora, Shiroda, Dabolim, Loutolim, Velim, Cola and Poinguinim made it to the final stage. The State government had set a deadline of June 30, 2025, to maximise renewable energy installations across the selected villages. Officials said that after a six-month competition period, the implementing agency conducted a comprehensive assessment of the total distributed renewable energy (RE) capacity within each village. This included rooftop solar installations, ground-mounted >Continued on P5