log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 93 Instagram.com/thegoanonline ASIA CUP: INDIA BEATS OMAN BY 21 RUNS RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 >>14 CBC 15502/13/0018/2526 SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 20, 2025 Facebook.com/thegoan PANAJI ERUPTS IN PROTEST OVER KANKONKAR ATTACK  HUNDREDS STORM CAPITAL  RALLY FROM AZAD MAIDAN TO CM’S RESIDENCE SPARKS CHAOS  MOTIVE STILL UNDER PROBE THE GOAN I NETWORK 2 more held; cops look to recover bikes, weapons PANAJI The centre of Goa’s capital erupted in protest on Friday as opposition leaders, tribal groups, and civil society activists marched from Azad Maidan to the Police Headquarters, the BJP headquarters, and later near the Chief Minister’s official residence, demanding justice for activist Rama Kankonkar, who was brutally beaten in broad day- PANAJI: Panaji police on Friday evening arrested two more persons, including a history-sheeter, in connection with the assault on activist Rama Kankonkar. This has taken the total number of arrested accused to seven. The fresh arrests include Franco D’Costa (28) of St Cruz, who was allegedly riding the bike of the prime Why is motive of attack on activist not yet out? >> See Edit pg 4 Police block protesters as they try to head towards the Police headquarters. Narayan Pissurlenkar light a day earlier, while the police continued to probe the motive behind the attack. The outrage spilled on the streets as protesters blocked the main roads near the Old Secretariat, Panaji ferry wharf, Panaji Church to Altinho and other lanes, forcing traffic diversions. Slogans of “We want justice” rang out, with leaders wearing black attire to symbolise their anger against what they alleged was “lawlessness and goondaism” in the State. Several policemen were deployed across Panaji. Kankonkar was attacked by six men in Caranzalem on Thursday. Left with multiple injuries, he is undergoing treatment at Goa Medical College and Hospital. The assault page 8 Goan Association UK holds annual pilgrimage in Kent Goan-origin senator interacts with Goans in Vancouver IN SHORT >> Chapora thirsts for drinking water MAPUSA: The rains have been generous this year, filling up Goa’s reservoirs and rivers, but in Zor-vaddo, a ward of Chapora in Anjuna, residents still turn their taps only to find emptiness.   >> See pg 3 Singer Zubeen Garg dies in Singapore GUWAHATI: Popular singer from Assam Zubeen Garg, best known for his 'Ya Ali' song, died in Singapore on Friday, while 'swimming in the sea without a life jacket'. has been described by Opposition leaders as an attempt to silence a critical voice. Leaders cutting across Opposition parties maintained that arrests alone were not enough. They demanded that the government identify and expose any political patrons or masterminds who may have been behind the assault. Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, Goa Forward Party’s Vijai Sardesai, AAP MLA Venzy Viegas, Revolutionary Goans’ Viresh Borkar and other leaders spearheaded the march. They joined hands with the United Tribals Associations Alliance (UTAA) President Prakash Velip and South Goa MP Viriato Fernandes in >Continued on P9 Jumbo gives forest officials a tough time, sparks fear TAMBOSE VILLAGERS ON HIGH ALERT; BANANA, COCONUT, PADDY PLANTATIONS DESTROYED PANAJI: Despite assurances, protesters remained firm, demanding the government expose political protectors and bring the “mastermind” to book. Opposition leaders and UTAA warned that failure to meet demands would trigger a State-wide bandh on Monday. e-Bus Scheme to be launched in civic areas THE GOAN I NETWORK The Goan. Forest Department officer said that they are working in coordination with Maharashtra officials for seamless movement of the elephant. “Our priority for now is to see the elephant finds a way back >Continued on P9 >Continued on P9 ‘Omkar’ in a plantation at Tambose. issued directions to the forest authorities to ensure safety of the animal. “Our Forest Department is working with Maharashtra. Clear directions have been issued to see that the animal goes back to its habitat. All efforts should be made for that purpose,” Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told Protesters threaten larger agitation PANAJI Gearing up for the implementation of Centre’s ambitious ‘PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme’, the Goa government has notified ‘Urban Mobility Area’ with an aim to augment e-bus operation connecting statutory towns and census towns. The Department of Urban Development has notified North Goa Urban Mobility Area and South Goa Urban Mobility Area covering the municipal areas for the implementation of the scheme. The Department has said that it will now initiate the process for planning of routes, development of associated infrastructure, and operation of e-bus services to be carried out under the PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme under the notified areas. The Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd (KTCL) shall be the implementing THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The State Forest Department in coordination with its counterpart Maharashtra is working round-the-clock to drive 10-year-old elephant ‘Omkar’ back to its natural habitat. Separated from its herd, the elephant, currently wandering through the fields of Tambose village in Pernem taluka, has turned wild. On Thursday, the elephant was spotted moving in the fields of Tambose village, where it damaged banana, coconut, and paddy plantations, causing much panic among the villagers. The authorities, however, are on high alert, to avoid any animal-human conflict. The Goa government has >Continued on P9 City streets jammed, traffic comes to a crawl for hours Commuters, patients, students bear brunt as protesters block roads THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI While hundreds rallied behind tribal activist Rama Kankonkar, who was brutally assaulted a day earlier, the massive protest on Friday brought life in Panaji to a grinding halt, leaving commuters, patients and ordinary citizens stranded for hours.  Students too faced hardship as the protest reached peak post 12-noon. A sea of protestors took to the streets carrying placards, shouting slogans and demanding uncompromising justice. But as the crowds swelled, the other side of the story unfolded on Panaji’s roads, where tempers flared, tears welled up and desperation grew. One woman driver, nearly breaking down, said her epileptic underage son was left exposed in the sun inside their vehicle. “My son cannot stay in the hot sun for long as he has epilepsy. When I told the protestors to give way, they replied that their son (Kankonkar) had been beaten up. I understand their pain, but why should my child suffer like this?” she asked, her voice trembling. BLOCKADE CHAOS: Vehicles pile up in a serpentine queue near the Old Secretariat, Panaji, after protesters blocked the road. (More photos on pg 3) Narayan Pissurlenkar Several students were also stuck in the chaos as the impact of the protest was also seen in the periphery of Panaji including Cujira educational hub. While school vans with children were stuck in traffic, several parents were unable to reach the schools in time to pick up their wards. It was not just cars and two-wheelers but buses too stood immobile and their passengers locked in arguments with some of the protestors. One operator pleaded with agitators to at least let buses pass through, but to no avail. Among the trapped were a senior citizen couple, heading for treatment at the Goa Medical College. Stuck in a private bus near the market, the husband said in annoyance, “We have to take another bus from Panaji bus stand to GMC, but look at this -- we are stuck here for hours. Why do common people have to suffer like this?” He rued that there was no prior intimation about this blockade. Another instance was near the ferry point, where a group >Continued on P9 Drone use to curb illegal fishing yet to take flight DEPT ISSUES TENDER, BUT NO AGENCY YET THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA Nearly two months after Fisheries Minister Nilkant Halarnkar assured the Goa Assembly that drone-based aerial surveillance would soon be launched to check illegal fishing practices along the State’s coastline, the initiative remains incomplete with key steps still pending. The Fisheries Department has since invited tenders for the appointment of an agency for drone-based surveillance and digital data maintenance. A special control room has also been set up within the department to monitor live feeds and outputs from drone operations, once they are in place. However, it remains unclear which company or agency will be awarded the contract, as PLAN OF ACTION, BUT… Dept has invited tenders for appointment of an agency for drone-based surveillance and digital data maintenance „„A special control room has also been set up to monitor live feeds and outputs from drone operations „„It is still unclear which company or agency will be awarded the contract, as tender process is not yet finalised „„Sources say proposal still awaits the government’s nod the tender process has yet to be finalised. Sources in the fisheries department said the proposal still awaits the government’s nod. However, Halarnkar said the tender has been issued and awaits further formalities. “We are yet to fix the time period which will be done very soon,” Halarnkar said. The fisheries minister during the last Assembly session, had said that two drones would be deployed – one each >Continued on P9 Election Commission junks four GST rate tweaks unlikely to burden govt: Report more political parties from Goa In Goa, no GST returns for turnover up to `2 cr PTI TWO LINKED TO MONSERRATE & VISHWAJIT THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Political organisations of two serving Goa cabinet ministers -- Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and Revenue Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate -- were on Friday de-registered by the Election Commission of India (ECI)  Rane's Sattari Yuva Morcha and Monserrate's United Goans Party (UGP) were among four Goan political outfits de-registered by the ECI. The other two Goan political outfits de-registered are Goa Su-raj Party (GSRP) and former minister Francisco (Mickky) Pacheco's Goa Vikas Party (GVP). The ECI also simultaneously delisted 470 more registered unrecognised political parties (RUPPs) from across the country. These political parties were delisted by ECI after giving them an opportunity to be heard and put forth their say in the matter.  In the first phase of the exercise, held on August 9, the ECI had delisted 334 such registered but unrecognised parties in the country. Meanwhile Goa's chief electoral officer Sanjay Goel, IAS, held a meeting with  political >Continued on P9 NEW DELHI he recent rationalisation of GST rates is unlikely to pose a fiscal burden on the government, ratings firm Crisil said. In its latest report, the ratings firm said the government has estimated a net loss of an annualised Rs 48,000 crore in the short term on account of GST rationalisation. The total GST collections in the previous fiscal were Rs 10.6 lakh crore. Hence, the loss does not seem significant, the report said. The Goods and Services Tax T PANAJI: The State government has notified an exemption for registered persons with an aggregate turnover of up to Rs 2 crore in any financial year from filing annual GST returns. The notification, issued by Commissioner of State Tax S S Gill, will take effect from financial year 2024-25. "In exercise of the powers conferred by the first proviso to sub-section (1) of Section 44 of the Goa Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, the (GST) Council recently decided to rationalise the tax rates and have a two-rate structure of 5 per cent and 18 per cent. The Commissioner, on the recommendations of the Council, in respect of filing of annual return for the financial year 2024-25 onwards, hereby exempts the registered person whose aggregate turnover in any financial year is up to two crore rupees, from filing annual return that said financial year," reads the notification.  The exemption comes in line with the recommendations of the GST Council. revision, to be effective from September 22, will reduce the prices of a large number of products and services. The GST simplification from four to two slabs can bring more goods and services under the formal net, which would gradually support tax buoyancy over the medium term, the Crisil report said. Before the rationalisation of the GST rates, the majority (70 per cent to 75 per cent) of the revenue came from the 18 per cent slab, it said. Only five per cent to six per cent of revenue came from the 12 per cent tax rate slab, and 13 per cent to 15 per cent from the 28 per cent slab. The ratings firm said that reducing tax rates on items from 12 per cent may not render significant revenue loss. Rates are unchanged on several fast-growing services like mobile tariffs.