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WEEKEND UPDATES
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WEEKEND UPDATES

Jan 17- Jan 23, 2026, WEEKEND UPDATES January 16, 2026 , by

RECLAIM YOUR VOTE!

IF you have moved out of the address where your vote was registered in 2002, the block level officer of the Election Commission may not have visited you where you are residing currently. Check the electoral roll and if your name is still there contact the BLO. Ask for a hearing on your status as a voter. You will have to submit documents of your identity and your new residence.

This is a major problem for senior citizens and those who are not digitally savvy. No political party has supplied the numbers and names of the BLOs in various constituencies  to enable voters to contact them.  Over three lakh voters in Goa risk being disenfranchised in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. As the former Chief of Naval Staff Ved Prakash,  settled in Goa, has pointed out, that there is something wrong with the form if it cannot elicit the required information like your current address to help retain your name in the voting list.

AMITAV GHOSH NEW NOVEL “GHOST-EYE”

THE latest novel of Amitav Ghosh is due to be released at the Goa Lit Fest normally held in February at the ICG. It is not widely known that Amitav Ghosh has been living in Goa for several years now. His new book “Ghost-Eye” is based on native American folklore. Amitav Ghosh has been writing about re-incarnation in his recent books. Some of the main characters in the book appear in his previous book “Gun Island.” In an interview in “The Navhind Times” Amitav Ghosh shares that what draws him to Goa is its layered syncretic culture, shaped with complex histories that have somehow created a place of extraordinary openness. 

GOA FOREST DIVERSITY FESTIVAL

THE latest festival to come to Panjim is the Goa Forest Diversity Festival which begins on January 17 at the Campal Forest Park. It is organized by the Goa Forests Development Corporation headed by chairperson Divya Rane. The event seeks to highlight traditional wisdom, local culture and sustainable practices. The talks include “forests plants, food and medicine” by Dr Rutuja Katola, “sacred groves, relearning how to live with nature” by Benhail Antao and “birds and butterflies” by Parag Ragnekar. The signature attraction will be the “aangan” our courtyard experience, referring to the immersive traditional space, which people from the forests will showcase. Panjim is one of the few places which has a forest park in the heart of urban Goa.

CARNAVAL 2026 IS ON ITS WAY!

GOA’s famed Carnaval or Carnival preceding the fasting month of Lent for the Christian community kicks off on February 8. This time preceding the formal inauguration of the Carnival by the Chief Minister on what is traditionally referred to as Fat Saturday, there will be a preview of the event in Porvorim which is Tourism Minister Rohan Khante’s constituency. Cedric d’Costa, who used to work for “OHeraldo” newspaper  in the `90s will be playing the role of King Momo at the Carnival events this year.  As usual the Carnival is being promoted countrywide as a major tourism attraction of Goa.

KITE FLYING AT MIRAMAR BEACH

PERHAPS thanks to the influence of the ruling BJP party the Gujarati tradition of kite flying over Uttarayan festival has come to Goa. We believe that kite flying is a Gujarati passion but it will be celebrated widely in Goa too over the Uttarayan season when Makar Sankranti is celebrated by Maharashtrians who offer tilgool ladoo to one another with the words “Tilgool gya and god god bol!” (Eat sweet sesame seed ladoo and talk sweetly!) Kite-flying may be a passion in Gujarat but this year it’s being promoted in Goa too with an event organized for senior citizens to come and fly kites at Miramar beach. Have fun seniors!

VANDE BHARAT SLEEPER TRAINS

THE Indian Railways are soon introducing the super luxury Vande Bharat sleeper trains which are to replace the historical Rajdhani trains which were considered the epitome of luxury travel in the Indian railways to date. But now it is the new trains with new compartments and new amenities to match trains running abroad which will make train rides smoother for train travelers. The Vande Bharat sleeper superfast trains will connect state capitals with the rajdhani of India which is DelhiIt’s a superfast train which will connect various State capitals to the “rajdhani” capital Delhi.

Interestingly, on the eve of the launch of the Vande Bharat super trains a spokesperson of the Indian Railways was arrogantly heard commenting that people travelling by these trains will have to observe good toilet behavior, meaning they will have to be potty trained. If you are not potty trained you may not be allowed to travel on the Vande Bharat trains!    

HELMETS COMPULSORY FOR PILLION RIDERS

THE State government has made the wearing of helmet for pillion riders on two-wheelers compulsory now. So far the helmet was compulsory only for the driver of the two-wheeler but Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawat has clarified that this as per a circular issued by the Supreme Court on guidelines for road safety.

Apparently local ruling party MLAs have become sensitive at last to public criticism on the state of the roads.  Taleigao MLA Jennifer Monserrate has posted how a stretch of road near Bhatlem has been repaired and tarred but a resident has posted back promptly that the stretch of road has not been repaired, contrary to the claim of Jennifer Monserrate.

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