log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline THURSDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2026 GOA Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 228 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 3 13 2 6 Pollution Board shuts two clubs NOC revocation triggers panic in Anjuna over noise violations at Tirumalla Tirupati branches Slash in central grants: How paperwork failures are hurting panchayats GOA SPORTS LIFE Govt, senior officers deny hill slope or hill cutting at Reis Magos site Pearl Fernandes hat-trick powers India U-17 to 8-0 win against Bhutan Pricey but irresistible: Goans queue up for first Mankurads Hill Top and Salud ordered to suspend operations for two months; fined for repeated breaches DEPOSITORS RUSH TO SECURE SAVINGS; SOCIETY BOARD MEMBERS MEET CM SEEKING RESTORATION, SAWANT ASKS TO COMPLY WITH REGISTRAR’S QUERIES THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Goa government’s decision to withdraw the extension of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) granted to Tirumalla Tirupati Multistate Co-operative Credit Society to open 13 new branches on Tuesday triggered a panic reaction from depositors, who rushed to its outlets across the State on Wednesday to withdraw funds. The Cooperative Registrar had cancelled the NOC citing violations of terms and conditions, including failure to submit mandatory audit reports. The society, which currently operates 17 branches in Goa, has also been fined for non-compliance. While existing branches will continue functioning, the Registrar has issued an advisory urging investors to exercise caution in making deposits or transactions. The development sparked immediate concern among depositors, many of whom thronged the Patto-Panaji >PAGE 8 LOCK & PROMISE: WHY WHATSAPP’S ENCRYPTION IS ON TRIAL IN SHORT >> April 1 start for Classes VI–X, XII PANAJI: Continuing with the revised academic calendar, the upcoming academic year 2026-27 will begin on April 1 for students of Classes VI to X and Class XII.  >> See pg 3 Goa Budget Session from March 6 PANAJI: Goa Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju has summoned the 14-day Budget Session of the Goa Legislative Assembly, starting from March 6-27.  >> See pg 2 PANIC AMONG DEPOSITORS „„Depositors rushed to Tirumalla Tirupati branches across Goa following NOC revocation „„Long queues seen at Patto–Panaji and other outlets as customers hurried to withdraw savings „„Fears triggered by memories of past cooperative bank failures in the State „„Government advisory branch and other outlets to secure their savings. Meanwhile, some members of the board of directors of the society met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday evening to seek a resolution and restore confidence among members. After the meeting with the society's management, Sawant said, he had advised them to submit replies to the Govt says decision aimed at protecting depositors urging caution in deposits added to depositor anxiety „„Officials clarified that existing branches remain operational and withdrawals are not restricted queries raised by the Registrar at the earliest. "I have asked Tirumalla Tirupati Multistate Co-operative Credit Society to submit replies to the queries raised by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, as fast as possible. Only after that the government can review the matter," Sawant said after the meeting. >Continued on P9 PANAJI: Amid a rush by investors to withdraw their deposits, the State government on Wednesday said that the revocation of the Tirumalla Tirupati Multistate Co-operative Credit Society Ltd’s No Objection Certificate (NOC) to operate 13 new branches in Goa was a measure aimed at safeguarding depositors’ interests, giving them the option to either withdraw their funds or continue their investments. The permission and NOC granted to the society have been withdrawn with immediate effect following regulatory scrutiny and an inspection carried out by the Office of the Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Goa. The government has left it to the depositors to decide whether they wish to withdraw or continue their investments. The NOC earlier granted through letters dated July 31, 2014, and June 28, 2018 – allowing expansion of operations and opening of 13 branches in the State – was cancelled after the inspection revealed serious lapses. The society has got its head office in Mumbai, with regional branches spread in Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Registrar of Co-operative Societies Ashutosh Apte said the government’s action was aimed at safeguarding investors. “There is absolutely no issue with regard to the safety of investors. This is a >Continued on P9 THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA Taking a tough stand against violations of noise pollution norms, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has withdrawn the Consent to Operate granted to two popular nightclubs in Anjuna – Hill Top Bar and Restaurant and Salud – and ordered the establishments to suspend operations with immediate effect for a period of two months. In directions issued under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Board has also imposed an environmental compensation of Rs 2 lakh on Salud and Rs 1.4 lakh on Hill Top, the popular restaurant-cum-nightclubs, for repeatedly exceeding permissible noise limits and for failure to consistently transmit real-time noise data from its online noise monitoring system. According to the GSPCB order, a show-cause notice dated January 21, 2026, had been issued to the management of Hill Top Bar & Restaurant and M/s Salud Kitchen and Lounge following an analysis of real-time online noise monitoring data for the period between October 1 and Decem- „„Consent to Operate several days despite prior for Hill Top Bar and notices Restaurant and „„Hill Top’s reply Salud in Anjuna to show-cause withdrawn POLLUTION notice termed „„Environmen'unsatisfactory'; BOARD tal compensaSalud did not WHIP tion imposed: respond Rs 2 lakh on „„Board directs Salud and Rs 1.4 corrective measures, lakh on Hill Top including acoustic enclo„„Real-time noise monitorsures and double-door ing data showed frequent systems breaches of permissible „„Clearances from power, limits fire, panchayat and other „„Monitoring stations authorities mandated failed to transmit data on before reopening ber 31, 2025. The data revealed that noise levels recorded at the establishments frequently exceeded prescribed limits. In addition, on several days the online noise monitoring station failed to relay any data at all. The management of Hill Top had submitted a reply to the show-cause notice on February 2, 2026. However, the Board found the response “unsatisfactory”, stating that Hill Top is a predominant gen- erator of noise in the area and that attributing excess noise levels to other, unconfirmed sources was neither factually nor technically feasible. On the contrary, Salud had failed to respond to the show cause notice. The Board also noted that the establishments had neither denied the failure to transmit data nor informed the GSPCB about any technical issues affecting the Coastal clearance skipped in sand mining nods, NGT told SEIAA BLAMES MINES DEPT FOR FAILING TO DISCLOSE CRZ STATUS AND NOT FOLLOWING MoEF GUIDELINES THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (Goa-SEIAA), a statutory body under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the Directorate of Mines and Geology failed to disclose that the areas identified for sand extraction fall within the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), where such activity is prohibited without prior clearance. In its submission before the NGT, SEIAA said that had the Mines Department clearly informed the authority that the proposed sand mining zones were located in CRZ/ICRZ areas, the authority would have SEIAA TO GREEN TRIBUNAL „„Authority would have insisted on prior clearance from the GCZMA had the CRZ/ICRZ location been disclosed „„The environmental clearance granted was expressly contingent on obtaining GCZMA approval „„Non-disclosure of CRZ status undermined the statutory environmental clearance process „„The project proponent was required to disclose the CRZ status while submitting Form-II on the PARIVESH portal „„Authority relied on the NIO report while assessing zones for minimal environmental impact insisted on mandatory prior clearance from the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) before even considering the Environmental Clearance (EC). SEIAA further informed the tribunal that while grant- ing EC to the Directorate of Mines and Geology for sand extraction over an area of 4.55 hectares, with an extraction capacity of 1,000 cubic metres per annum per permit by >Continued on P9 a Stre Race 1 4 - 1 5 F E B 2 0 2 6 SCAN QR TO BOOK TICKETS BROADCAST PARTNERS >Continued on P9