log on to thegoan.net FRIDAY JANUARY 23, 2026 GOA @thegoanonline Old car, new heart: How old vehicles are going electric New Tata Punch: More muscle, more sense >PG 8 GANESH JAYANTI: GOA CELEBRATES THE LORD OF WISDOM WITH DEVOTION HONOURING THE COURAGE AND VISIONARY LEGACY OF NETAJI SUBHAS CHANDRA BOSE IN SHORT >> EOC uncovers `10 cr GST fraud, 1 booked PANAJI: The Economic Offences Cell of Goa police has booked a Belagavi-based man for allegedly orchestrating a Rs 10.06 crore Goods and Services Tax fraud by manipulating the GST portal and fraudulently claiming input tax credit. The accused is identified as Naqeeb Mulla. As per details shared by police, the offence was registered based on a complaint filed by Imran Khatare.   >> See pg 2 Second summative exam schedule out PANAJI: The second competency-based centralized common summative evaluation cum examination for students of Grade 5 to 8 will commence from March 5 while for Grades 3 and 4 it will be from April 6.   >> See pg 2 The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 17 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 216 Revamped fish market set to open; key issues unresolved Page 10 Facebook.com/thegoan 2 GOA PWD engineer engaged on contract after extension rejected 4 EC launches new digital platform NEW DELHI: Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar launched a new digital interface for voters, officials and political parties, describing it as a tool to counter misinformation. NEWS Trump unveils ‘Board of Peace’ to oversee Gaza ceasefire at Davos 12 SERVICES OF GMC, DHS DOCTORS TO BE PROVIDED THE GOAN I NETWORK PERNEM Petitions and protests by locals in Pernem taluka have finally yielded the desired results, with the State government officially linking the 100-bed Tuem Hospital officially linked to the GMC hospital. A notification issued by Joint Secretary (Health) Dr Pranab Bhat on Wednesday stated that the State government has declared newly established Hospital Facility at Tuem as linked facility to Goa Medical College (GMC), Bambolim, "to strengthen healthcare facilities in Northern region of the State." The notification added that the services of doctors of Goa Medical College as well as Directorate of Health Services will be provided to this facility to provide healthcare services. "The orders of deployment of doctors to cater to patients visiting this facility shall be issued separately. The Dean, Goa Medical College and Director of Health Services shall Locals plan to form committee to monitor healthcare, facilities The 100-bed hospital at Tuem. take necessary action for effective implementation and ensure smooth coordination between the institutions for providing healthcare facility to this region," the notification added. The State government’s decision comes after the Tuem Hospital Action Committee had submitted petitions to the government and had even resorted to protests along with the Pernem Taluka Development Committee, Pernem Citizens Committee, other committees, social activists, and panchas from different panchayats The protesters had repeatedly insisted that their agitation was not against the government, any political party or MLA. When contacted, Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar said one of his priorities on becoming the MLA was to complete the Tuem hospital complex and to get it linked to the GMC hospital. “Those who agitated to push the government to link the Tuem hospital to the GMC PERNEM: The Pernem Taluka Citizens' Committee will meet at the new Tuem Hospital on Saturday at 4 pm to elect a committee to monitor healthcare and all facilities at the hospital. Convenor of the Committee Adv Sadanand Wayangankar appealed to people to attend this meeting to deliberate on the Tuem hospital and to form a committee to oversee in the daily operations of the hospital, infrastructure and patient issues. Speaking to reporters, Adv Wayangankar said the committee formed will be transparent, accountable to the public, and representing all places in Pernem taluka. He said this committee is necessary to ensure that benefits and facilities at the Tuem Hospital are made available to the public, and to ensure that medical officers, technicians and other staff are provided with ideal working conditions and are fully dedicated to patient care. “The committee will have an equal representation of men and women, with members comprising students, working class, senior citizens, and experts. hospital had a legitimate demand. With this hospital now linked to GMC hospital, medical specialists, staff and other facilities will be available at the Tuem hospital,” said IGP gets emergency powers to intercept, decrypt digital data THE GOAN I NETWORK a day after the High Court of Bombay at Goa rejected his plea for anticipatory bail. Subsequently, the sarpanch who has been disqualified by the government, approached the JMFC court seeking PANAJI Amid growing reliance on digital surveillance tools for policing, the Goa government has authorised the Inspector General of Police (IGP), to intercept, monitor and decrypt electronic information in emergency situations. The notification, issued by the Department of Home, speaks about powers under Section 69(1) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, read with Rule 3 of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Interception, Monitoring and Decryption of Information) Rules, 2009 for this move. “...the Government of Goa hereby authorizes the Inspector General of Police, Goa Police Department for the purposes of interception, monitoring and decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource under the said Act, in case of emergencies only,” reads the notification. The government has, however, prescribed >Continued on P12 >Continued on P12 PANAJI: Goa’s priority sector credit potential for the upcoming fiscal (2026–27) has been pegged at Rs 16,512.53 crore, a 29 per cent rise over last year’s estimate, according to the 'State Focus Paper' unveiled by NABARD at its State Credit Seminar in the city on Thursday.  >> See pg 4 NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday acquitted former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar in a case related to inciting violence in the Janakpuri area in the national capital during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, saying the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Govt links Tuem hospital to GMC after yrs of wait Goa’s priority credit potential at `16,512 cr Anti-Sikh riots: Sajjan acquitted Instagram.com/thegoanonline MILESTONE MOMENT: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant presents the Lifetime Achievement award to Chairman of Fomento Group, Auduth Timblo at Lok Bhavan, Dona Paula on Thursday. The Inspiration Awards 2026 -- Wings of Progress were presented to several other achievers for their significant contributions to Goa’s business and entrepreneurial ecosystem. Birch blaze: Ex-Arpora sarpanch surrenders, gets 7-day custody THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA Former Arpora-Nagoa sarpanch Roshan Redkar was taken into custody by Anjuna Police on Thursday morning shortly after he surrendered before the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court at Mapusa in connection with the Birch nightclub fire case. Following his surrender, Redkar was taken for a medical examination and later a court remanded him to police custody for seven days. Redkar’s surrender came Arolkar. Pernem residents are now eagerly awaiting if the new hospital will be started on January 30, as was promised during the assembly session. SPORTS On-song India takes on NZ in second T20I tonight 17 Govt to unveil new housing scheme for lower income group Affordable houses need of hour: CM THE GOAN I NETWORK PORVORIM Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday stated that a new housing scheme for lower income group will be announced in the ensuing budget. He was speaking at Porvorim after inaugurating the renovated head office of Goa Housing Board (GHB) in the presence of GHB Chairman and Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar, GHB Managing Director Neetal Amonkar and others. “The main objective of the GHB is to provide affordable houses and residential plots to the people of Goa at reasonable prices, especially to economically weaker sections of society. A house is not a luxury item but the basic need of an individual,” said Sawant. “As per new rules of GHB, flats and residential plots can be bought by Goans residing in Goa for the last 30 years and 30% of flats and residential plots have been reserved for locals residing in the municipal or panchayat area, where the residential complex is coming and residential plots have been developed.” SAWANT SPEAK „„Main objective of GHB is to provide affordable houses and residential plots to people of Goa at reasonable prices „„House is not a luxury item but the basic need of an individual „„New housing scheme for lower income group will be announced in the ensuing budget “Every Goan must get a house at reasonable rate. The new housing scheme for lower income group will be announced in the ensuing budget.” The chief minister said the head office of the GHB has been renovated to provide better working environment for the staff and increase their efficiency. Sawant further stated that the ‘Mhaje Ghar’ scheme of the State government has received overwhelming response. >Continued on P12 New grisly details emerge in twin Russian murders COPS DRAW COMPARISONS TO SERIAL KILLERS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Goa Police are working through disturbing forensic findings and a string of unsettling coincidences after the arrest of 37-year-old Russian national Alexei Leonov, accused of murdering two women – Elena Kasthanova and Elena Vaneeva – in Arambol and Morjim last week. Senior officers, speaking to The Goan, concede the details are “chilling”, with some within the force already drawing comparisons to notorious international serial killers. Leonov was arrested hours after Kasthanova, believed to be his live-in partner, was found with her throat slit in her rented Arambol apartment on January 16. During questioning, he led police to the body of Vaneeva in Morjim. Police initially believed Vaneeva was killed on the night of January 14 and Kasthanova on January 15. Forensic analysis is now reshaping that sequence as „„Decomposition sug„„Positioning and condigests Kasthanova tion of both bodies was killed first raised red flags „„Her throat „„Near-identical KEY was slit from FORENSIC pattern indicates behind; private a repetitive FINDINGS behavioural parts were shaved signature „„Vaneeva’s throat „„Placement of the was also slit from behind, knife on the naked chest showing a similar method of one victim appeared of killing deliberate, not accidental sources said Kasthanova may have been killed first based on the extent of decomposition. “Her body was found outside the bathroom in a decomposed state, completely naked, her throat slit from behind. Her private parts were shaved,” the source said. Officers said the condition and positioning of both bodies have raised immediate red flags. “Vaneeva, too, was found near the bathroom area -- inside the bathroom, wearing only underwear. Her throat was also slit from behind. The pattern is almost identical. It is the kind of repetition that suggests a highly specific behavioural signature,” police said, reiterating that the accused has shown psychopathic tendencies. In one case, a knife was recovered from the naked chest of a victim -- the same knife police later identified as the murder weapon. “Its placement did not appear >Continued on P12 Banking services to be hit for After TN & Kerala, K’taka gov also refuses to play ball 4 days, strike call on Jan 27 Refuses to read State-prepared speech, ends address in just three lines UNIONS PUSH FOR HOLIDAY ON ALL SATURDAYS THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Banking services across Goa will come to a halt for four consecutive days from January 24 to 27, following a nationwide strike call by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU). The strike on January 27 coincides with the fourth Saturday, Sunday, and Republic Day holidays, effectively closing banks for four days in a row. Santosh Haldankar, convener of UFBU in Goa, said the agitation is aimed at pressing the demand to declare all Saturdays as holidays for banks, thereby instituting a five-day work week. At present, only the second and fourth Saturdays are official holidays. “We were assured that all Saturdays would be declared holidays, but two years have passed and the matter is still pending,” Haldankar said. The unions had earlier staged a two-day strike in March 2025, but deferred further action after being informed of ongoing discus- sions. But with no government approval forthcoming, the UFBU has now escalated its protest. Customers have been advised to plan transactions in advance to avoid inconvenience as digital banking channels will remain functional but branch level services will be unavailable. Haldankar argued that aligning banks with other financial institutions operating Monday to Friday would not significantly impact customers. PTI BENGALURU n a high drama in Karnataka Assembly, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot refused to read the State-prepared address to a joint session of the State legislature and concluded his customary speech in just three lines. This is the third governor vs government face-off in two days in three non-BJP-ruled southern States, the others being Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Governor began the speech by greeting the Chief Minister, Assembly Speaker U T Khader, Council Chairman I GHELOT’S THREE-LINE SPEECH „„I extend a warm welcome to all of you to the joint session of the State legislature „„I am extremely pleased to address one more joint session of the Karnataka legislature „„My government is firmly committed to doubling the pace of the State's economic, social, and physical development. Jai Hind. Jai Karnataka Horatti, Leaders of the Oppn, ministers, and members. “I extend a warm welcome FLASHBACK „„Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi had walked out of the Assembly without delivering his customary address to the House on the opening day of its inaugural session of the year, claiming “inaccuracies” in the text „„Kerala Governot Rajendra Arlekar too had allegedly “omitted” portions of his speech, with the Lok Bhavan claiming his suggestions had been excluded from the original draft to all of you to the joint session of the State legislature. I am extremely pleased to address one more joint session of the Karnataka legislature. My government is firmly committed to doubling the pace of the State's economic, social, and physical development. Jai Hind. Jai Karnataka,” he said in Hindi, before walking out. The Treasury Benches, including ministers, stood up and requested Gehlot to complete the speech. As the Governor proceeded towards the exit door, some ruling legislators, including MLC B K Hariprasad, tried to gherao him by shouting slogans. The legislators then shouted ''shame shame''. Siddaramaiah attacked Gehlot for the actions and charged him with failing to deliver his constitutional responsibilities.