log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SATURDAY JANUARY 10, 2026 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 203 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RCB STEALS LAST-BALL THRILLER AGAINST MUMBAI INDIANS >>P14 RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 cbc 35101/13/0068/2526 Less pilgrims, more questions Govt silent on action over as Vailankanni train takes off Kala Academy renovation TRAIN RUNS AT LESS THAN 50 PER CENT CAPACITY, DAY AFTER CRITICAL REPORT… Page 8 Goans in UK wary over Goa govt’s land survey GOA Vancouver launches 50-year jubilee with New Year’s Eve party IN SHORT >> Govt floats tender for Chorao bridge PANAJI: Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation has invited online bids from eligible contractors and agencies for the construction of the Salvador-do-Mundo–Madel Church (Chorao) bridge. The tenders have been called under a two-bid system on an item rate basis. According to the tender notice issued by GSIDC, the project is estimated to cost Rs 274.83 crore. 2 missing Mumbai teens traced at Baina VASCO: A boy and a girl reported missing from Mumbai were swiftly traced at Baina beach on Friday, barely an hour after Mormugao police received information. The incident came to light after a kidnapping case was registered at Vile Parle police station in Mumbai following the disappearance of the two teenagers.  >> See pg 5 Mandovi bridges to face brief shutdown PANAJI: The District Magistrate of North Goa has announced a temporary closure of the New Mandovi Bridge on January 11 from 6 am to 7.30 am, followed by the closure of the Old Mandovi Bridge from 7.30 am to 9 am to all vehicular traffic. The closures are being undertaken to facilitate routine inspection and recording of deck levels. Burglars steal cash from Parra temple PANAJI: Burglars broke into the Nagnath Mahadev Temple at Lingabhat, Parra, and decamped with around Rs 30,000 in cash from a donation box, while also vandalising the Nandi idol. Of the two donation boxes at the temple, only one was targeted. Earlier, the same temple had been targeted twice. WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: 32.5 C 20.3 C 85% TIDES Low: 10.15 21.39 High: 03.21 16.38 TRIGGERS QUESTIONS OVER PLANNING AND COSTS THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO The Chief Minister’s pilgrimage train to Vailankanni in Tamil Nadu departed on Friday with less than 50 per cent occupancy, triggering questions over planning and costs under the State government’s Dev Darshan scheme. Despite Vailankanni being one of the most preferred pilgrimage destinations for Goans cutting across caste and creed, the train left with only around 460 pilgrims against a total capacity of nearly 1,200 seats. The low turnout has also raised concerns over whether the Goa government will bear the full cost of Rs 1.27 crore for the pilgrimage despite fewer than 500 pilgrims undertaking the journey. Of the 460-odd pilgrims on board, around 100 are from H A LF- E M PT Y T R A I N „„Train leaves with only around 460 pilgrims against a total capacity of nearly 1,200 seats „„Of the 460-odd pilgrims on board, around 100 were from St Cruz constituency „„Questions raised whether government will bear full cost of Rs 1.27 cr for the pilgrimage „„Faldesai says train could not run at full capacity due to a lack of time to make adequate announcements the St Cruz constituency. Social Welfare Minister Subhash Faldesai flagged off the train at Margao railway station on Friday in the presence of Social Welfare Director Dipak Desai. Faldesai acknowledged that although additional bogies were attached to increase capacity, the train departed with a significantly lower number of pilgrims. Sources attributed the poor response to delays in informing prospective pilgrims. “Vailankanni attracts pilgrims throughout the year and there is never a shortage of devotees. Sending a train with less than 500 pilgrims, when it can accommodate around 1,200, has denied many Goans the opportunity to undertake this pilgrimage,” a source said. Addressing the media after the flag-off, Faldesai said the Chief Minister’s Dev Dar- shan scheme was launched this year with the Vailankanni pilgrimage. He added that a similar pilgrimage has been scheduled to Ayodhya on January 19. “The government has made comprehensive arrangements for pilgrims, right from boarding the train to transportation by coaches at the destination. Refreshments, breakfast, lunch and dinner are being provided. After reaching Vailankanni, pilgrims will be taken to the church following a brief rest, and later escorted back to their hotels before the return journey,” he said. Responding to questions on the low occupancy, Faldesai said the train could not run at full capacity due to a lack of time to make adequate announcements. However, he expressed confidence that the >Continued on P5 Customs seize drugs worth `3.16 crore at Mopa airport THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA A day after the Task Force Committee made stinging observations on the costly renovation of Goa’s iconic cultural centre Kala Academy, the State government on Friday remained non-committal on whether any action would be initiated or responsibility fixed for the alleged lapses flagged in the report. Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Digambar Kamat sought to distance his department from the controversy, stating that the PWD had only a “limited role” in the renovation project and that the onus lay with the Art and Culture Department, the parent department of Kala Academy. “The entire structure be- longs to the Art and Culture Department. PWD had a limited role to play there,” Kamat said, despite the fact that the PWD was entrusted with overall supervision of the renovation works that ran into several crores of rupees. The minister also claimed ignorance of the technical report submitted by IIT Madras, which was commissioned to assess structural and acoustic aspects of the renovated complex. “I have not seen any such report. They may have submitted it to the Art and Culture Department,” Kamat said. Repeated attempts to contact Art and Culture Minister Ramesh Tawadkar were unsuccessful, with his phone remaining out of range. Sawant to attend pre-Budget meet in Delhi today, to seek more funds BANGKOK FLYER ARRESTED WITH CONTRABAND Digambar says PWD played limited role, responsibility is with Art & Culture Dept THE GOAN I NETWORK THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA The seizure of over 9 kg of hydroponic weed at Manohar International Airport in Mopa has once again exposed Goa’s vulnerability to international drug trafficking routes linked to tourist destinations. Acting on specific intelligence, the Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of Goa Customs intercepted a passenger arriving from Bangkok via Tashkent on January 7 and recovered 9.036 kilograms of hydroponic weed (cannabis) concealed in the passenger’s checked-in baggage. The contraband, valued at approximately Rs 3.16 crore in the illicit market, was found hidden beneath clothes, indicating deliberate attempts to evade detection. The substance tested positive for drugs using the NDPS field testing kit, following which the consignment was seized and the passenger arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) The hydroponic weed seized at Manohar International Airport, Mopa. Act, 1985. While the arrest marks a significant seizure, investigators are now focusing on the larger trafficking network, including the source of the drugs, the use of indirect international routes such as Bangkok–Tashkent–Goa, and the intended local distribution channels. Officials said further investigation is underway to determine whether the passenger was acting as a courier for an organised syndicate. The seizure comes amid repeated concerns over Goa being used as an entry point for high-value narcotics, particularly hydroponic cannabis, which is increasingly linked to nightlife and tourism circuits. Customs officials said the department remains committed to intensifying surveillance and enforcement as part of the government’s “Nasha Mukt Bharat” campaign. PANAJI Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will attend the pre-Budget meeting convened by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on Saturday, where Goa will pitch for enhanced grants for infrastructure development and special financial assistance for the Third districtKushavati. Addressing the media Friday, Sawant said the State would once again emphasise infrastructure funding, noting that the Centre has consistently supported Goa in this sector. “The Centre has given enough funds for infrastructure so far, and this time too our focus will be on securing further infrastructure grants,” the Chief Minister said. Sawant said Goa will also seek special grants for the third district, Kushavati, to support administrative and developmental requirements. He added that the demand is aimed at ensuring balanced regional development and >Continued on P5 Senior PWD engineers too were either unavailable or declined to comment. On Wednesday, the Task Force Committee had raised serious concerns over the execution of the renovation, including deviations from approved plans, questions over material quality, acoustic deficiencies and the absence of accountability despite repeated complaints by artistes and stakeholders. The committee also pointed to poor coordination between departments and lack of transparency in decision-making. Kala Academy, inaugurated in 1970 and designed by renowned architect Charles Correa, is considered a cultural landmark of Goa. >Continued on P5 YOUNG EXPLORERS: Curious students observe a fish on display at the Aqua Goa Mega Fish Festival at Campal on Friday. The festival drew a large turnout on Day 1. Narayan Pissurlenkar Valmiki emerges as frontrunner for AAP Goa president’s post THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set to appoint its vice president Valmiki Naik as the new State president in Goa, party sources indicated on Friday.  The move comes after Amit Palekar quit the party following his removal from the post in the face of the Zilla Panchayat election debacle. The party was left leader- less in the State after General Secretary (Organisation) Srikrishna Parab who was appointed interim president, also quit.  AAP’s Goa incharge Atishi was in Goa on Friday and held a series of consultations with office bearers and cadres to resolve the leadership vacuum. Sources said several names were considered, including Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas, working president Gerson Gomes and vicepresident Prashant Naik. However, consensus eventually emerged around Valmiki Naik, who is expected to be formally announced as the new State president within a day or two. Naik, a familiar face in Goa’s political circles, has been associated with AAP since its inception in 2012 and is seen as a steady hand to steer the party after the recent turbulence.  >Continued on P5 Chhattisgarh CM: Always thought Four Indian films edge closer to Oscar contention Goa was Christian-majority State THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA PTI SAYS CHHATTISGARH TOO ISN’T JUST NAXAL-AFFECTED THE GOAN I NETWORK CANACONA Drawing a parallel between his home State and Goa, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Friday said Chhattisgarh isn’t solely a Naxal-affected State just as Goa isn’t a Christian-majority State. Sai was addressing a huge gathering at the inauguration of the silver jubilee edition of the Lokosthav-25 in the presence of Tribal Welfare Minister and Canacona MLA Ramesh Tawadkar at Adarshgram-Poinguinim at Amone– Poinguinim. “I had the misconception that Goa was a Christian-majority state and that western culture dominated here. While I was interacting last night with my friend, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, he clarified that 70% of Goa’s population is Hindu,” said Sai. “Minister Tawadkar also reiterated that there are 70% Hindus in Goa and people here live in complete harmony and peaceful co-existence. I also met some people here in Goa and found them to be hospitable, with strong cultural values and rich traditions.” “Likewise, there is also a misconception that Chhattisgarh is full of Naxalites, and people used to think that the moment they land in Raipur, people would hear the sounds of firing. However, Chhattisgarh is rich in minerals like iron, coal, bauxite, lithium, diamond, gold and is a >Continued on P5 LOS ANGELES our Indian titles, including Kannada blockbuster “Kantara: A Legend Chapter 1” and the Hindi film “Tanvi The Great”, are among the 201 feature films eligible to compete for the Best Picture award at Oscars 2026, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced. The Academy released the Reminder List of Productions Eligible for the 98th Academy Awards. The list of films that satisfy the eligibility criteria for consideration in the general categories, including Best Picture, is the step before the F „„Films must be released in a commercial theatre in at least one of these US areas: Los Angeles County, New York City, Bay Area, Chicago, Dallas–Fort Worth, or Atlanta „„Release period must be between January 1 and December 31, 2025 „„Films must complete a minimum seven consecutive days run at the same venue „„For Best Picture, films must meet all general eligibility requirements „„Films must meet at least two of the four Academy inclusion standards nominations that will be announced on January 22. In all, 317 feature films are eligible for the 98th Academy Awards, the Academy said. Besides Rishabh Shetty's “Kantara” and Anupam Kher's directorial, the other two Indian productions are multilingual animated film “Mahavatar Narsimha” and Tamil title “Tourist Family” by first-time INDIA’S SHOT AT FAME „„Kantara: A Legend -Chapter 1 „„Tanvi the Great „„Mahavatar Narsimha „„Tourist Family filmmaker Abishan Jeevinth. Radhika Apte-starrer “Sister Midnight”, a Hindi language UK-India co-production, has also made it to the list of films eligible for Best Picture. Meanwhile, the Academy's General Entry list of 317 films includes several other Indian titles as well as co-productions, which are eligible for consideration across various categories at the Academy Awards. It includes Neeraj Ghaywan's “Homebound”, which is India's official entry to best international feature film segment, as well as movies like “Dashavatar” (Marathi), “Gevi” (Tamil), indie movie “Humans in the Loop”, docu-drama “Mahamantra The Great Chant”, “Papa Buka”, a co-production between India and Papua New Guinea, “Paper Flowers” and “Paro: The Untold Story of Bride Slavery”.