log on to thegoan.net @thegoaneveryday SUNDAY JANUARY 8, 2023 Facebook.com/thegoaneveryday The Goan (Playstore) 16 pages PRICE ` 8 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME VIII, NO. 201 Instagram.com/thegoaneveryday RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 MOVIES »PAGE 16 PLAY & PAUSE »PAGE 13 LIVE SMART »PAGE 14 The conscious chhatriwali! FOR THE LOVE OF ELVIS Superstition has it... SPORTS »PAGE 8 Ton-up Surya sets up India’s series win over Sri Lanka The dream makers: The most anticipated Hindi film directorial debuts of 2023 Aurora Talkies: A world apart Is Google the right tool for investment decisions? Santosh Trophy: We deserved to advance, says Martins Rakul Preet Singh opens up about her upcoming film, importance of sex On Elvis’ 88th birth anniversary, Nigel ‘Elvis’ Kingsley pays tribute to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll through his shows With Friday the 13th just around the corner, let’s look at some superstitions from around the world Mhadei: Oppn, activists pack a punch; mega rally on Jan 16 n PUBLIC RALLY TO BE HELD AT SANQUELIM n AGITATION TERMED AS SECOND OPINION POLL FOR GOA ON PAGE 5 THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI/OLD GOA Goa’s Opposition parties, including the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Goa Forward Party (GFP) joined forces with civil society to agitate on the contentious Mhadei imbroglio and called for a mega public rally on January 16 at Sanquelim, the home ground of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. Representatives of the political parties, environmentalists and activists from across the State  took the decision to organise the mega rally at Sanquelim  on January 16, which also happens to be the anniversary of the historic Opinion Poll. The rally is being organised under the banner of a new front ‘Save Mhadei, Save Goa Front’.  The Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) with a lone MLA MAGAZINE MAGAZ NGOs, activists, political parties and others under the banner of Save Mhadei Save Goa Front at a media briefing on Saturday.  Manuel Vaz Viresh Borkar in the House, meanwhile is yet to align with the new front. It has announced it will hold a rally in Panaji on Sunday to highlight the Mhadei issue. Addressing reporters in Panaji on Saturday, Front’s Hrudaynath Shirodkar said, “this is going to be the second Opinion Poll for Goa in which there is only one option and that is to save Mhadei from the clutches of Karnataka”. “Our fight is against the mighty Karnataka which wants to divert Mhadei waters. However, Karnataka is united in its demand for Mhadei while the same is not the case with Goa where there is division,” Shirodkar said. Shirodkar, however, expressed happiness that many NGOs, activists, political parties and others have come together. “On November 1, 2019 we Diving into the depths of Mhadei as war rages on Karnataka changes the system in new DPR Long legal battle gets murkier with Karnataka poll-bound had launched the first agitation for Mhadei and now we are launching another agitation on the issue with only one agenda and that is to Save Mhadei,” Shirodkar said and urged Goans to participate in the January 16 at Sanquelim in large numbers. RSS chief reiterates ‘Hindu Rashtra’ stance at Campal Appeals to people not associated with Sangh to join 9 It’s time to look at people with dementia as differently-abled Demonetisation: Supreme Court’s verdict of confirmation Keep your hands soft and smooth this winter 10 Cervical cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment Let compassion be the passion of your life 11 Auto Review BMW XM: The ultimate BMW M IN SHORT >> New Start-up, IT Web Portal on cards PANAJI: The State government is in the process of revamping its Start-up website and to turn it into an integrated portal dedicated to Start-ups and IT companies in Goa. Infotech Corporation of Goa has invited Request for Proposal for the “Development of Goa Start-up & IT Web Portal”. Goa, BSE ink pact to promote SMEs PANAJI: Goa has signed MoU with Bombay Stock Exchange for the benefit of Small and Medium Enterprises in the state. As part of the MoU, BSE will create awareness amongst SMEs in the state. WEATHER >> Max: 33 C Min: 22 C Humidity: 85% TIDES Low: High: >> Pages 2 & 3 06:00 17:36 00:18 10:48 >Continued on P7 SAG warns staff over info leak to media, threatens suspension THE GOAN I NETWORK gested in his speech that only by  strengthening society, can good things happen in the nation. “We need to achieve this goal. We need to take it ahead, not to strengthen the RSS, but the nation,” Bhagwat said. He also said, although there were people of different >Continued on P7 >Continued on P7 Union Minister of State Shripad Naik, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and his wife Sulakshana at the public meeting at Campal on Saturday.  Narayan Pissurlenkar fatigues, including TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane and his MLA-wife Dr Deviya, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte and Mormugao MLA, Sankalp Amonkar. Pictures of these politicos in RSS fatigues at the rally were the subject of multiple memes which went viral on social media platforms. Bhagwat meanwhile, sug- Historian Prajal Sakhardande said that all NGOs, activists, political parties have come under a broad platform with only one aim and that is to save Mhadei. “This is not a political PANAJI Left red-faced over the alleged tender scam expose into for U-17 Women’s FIFA World Cup 2022, the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) has issued a ‘warning memo’ to its entire staff after the confidential  communication was leaked in the public domain. The memo issued by SAG Executive Director Geeta Nagvenkar has warned to suspend the staff if caught leaking official records to the media. “It has been observed from the press reports published in various Newspapers in the State and from viral massages (messages) on social media… that photocopies of this office file noting, official Orders, Circulars are being circulated without the acknowledgment of the HoD or the concerned Authority having the (in) possession of the Official records,” it reads. Terming the incident as THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday reiterated the ‘India is a Hindu Rashtra’ stance even as he asked the audience to join and experience the organisation, its work and thought process to unify society and make India a world leader nation (Vishwaguru). Bhagwat who is in Goa for the last couple of days was addressing a public meeting organised by the  ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Campal. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, his cabinet colleagues, some MLAs and Union Minister of State, Shripad Naik, who are known to be associated with the RSS were in attendance at the rally. What raised eyebrows, however, was the prominent presence at the rally of some neo-BJP politicians in full RSS Activists hold token protest at Azad Maidan over Mhadei issue Activist Tamankar offers to fight Mhadei case at his own cost RG opposes govt’s move to file petition in SC under Sec 29 of Wildlife Protection Act Drop in flights at Dabolim as Mopa airport takes off n Flights drop from 90 on Jan 5 to 82 on Jan 7 n Dabolim Airport Director says no impact THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI With commercial flights operating from the Manohar International Airport (MIA) since Thursday, the Dabolim Airport has already begun to encounter a drop in flights. Details have revealed that the number of flights operating from Dabolim dropped from 90 on Thursday to 82 on Saturday. This trend was also witnessed at Dabolim Airport on Sundays, which usually has more flight operations for the weekend, with flights operating from Dabolim dropping from 104 on January 1 to 98 on January 8. According to sources, a decline of 6-8 flights per day has a significant impact on operations at Dabolim airport. A drop in hundreds of passengers per day has a direct impact on the business of taxi operators, food outlets and other services at Dabolim airport. ‘NO IMPACT AT DABOLIM’: When contacted, MAPUSA bjecting to the high rate of Sopo collected by the temple committee, vendors and stall owners at the ongoing Bodgeshwar Zatra in a sign of protest downed their shutters on Saturday evening but later resolved the issue after holding a meeting with the temple committee. Exhibiting a rare sign of unity, almost 70 percent of the vendors voluntarily shut down their stalls complaining against the unreasonable hike in the Sopo fees. Incidentally, besides paying fees to the temple committee, the vendors/stall owners have to also shell out for payment of municipality fees and a fixed charge to the farmers who own the land. The Shree Dev Bodgeshwar The stall owners shut shop protesting the high Sopo fees at the Zatra. temple committee was charging a fee of Rs 500 per metre last year but suddenly hiked the amount to Rs 1,000 per metre this year. The vendors took exception to the sudden increase in the Sopo fee which they said was unreasonable and unjustifiable considering the status of the stall owners who do business at the Zatra. “We have to pay fees to the municipal council, temple committee and land owner. The total comes to Rs 2025,000. Authorities concerned should understand that poor people come to sell their wares at the Zatra. They take loans to buy things. How are we going to do business if we have to shell out so much?” a vendor pleaded. >Continued on P7 THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI A whopping Rs 4,148 fare a customer was charged for a cab from Mopa to Benaulim on the much-touted Goa Taxi App on Saturday left the Goa government embarrassed and red faced. The Goa Taxi app billed a customer a whopping Rs 4,148 for the 65.86 km ride from Mopa airport to Benaulim, leading to a flood of critical social-media posts.  Memes and posts with ‘official loot’, ‘now who’s the mafia’ and such other scathingly critical titles accompanying an image of the bill kept going viral on social media through the day. There were some posts which said, the taxi bill was higher than the air-fares between Goa and some of the destinations. According to the bill, MAPUSA: Slamming the exorbitant fees charged by the managing committee of the Bodgeshwar temple, Mapusa municipal councillor, Shashank Narvekar said the temple should stop collecting fees and that the right should remain only with MMC. Narvekar also said the municipal council had not increased the fee structure but had in fact reduced the Sopo for vendors who sell bananas to devotees. “The practice of temple charging fees should be stopped. The temple should not get involved in business,” Narvekar said adding devotees voluntarily donate large sums of money and even gold and the daily turnover of the temple is between Rs 5 to 10 lakh during the Zatra. While the municipal council charges Rs 500 per metre, the temple committee charges Rs 1,000 per metre. The vendors have to also pay the land owners besides having to shell Goa (Dabolim) Airport Director Dhananjaya Rao insisted that flight operations at Mopa Airport did not have an impact on Dabolim airport, adding that it was difficult to assess and compare two different airports within a few days. “There is absolutely no DAY FLIGHTS JAN 1 104 JAN 2 95 JAN 3 88 JAN 4 90 JAN 5 90 JAN 6 86 JAN 7 82 n Customer had booked the cab on Goa Taxi App; Transport director justifies fare Temple can’t do business, must stop collecting fees: Councillor O PANAJI: In what would be a major relief to tourism stakeholders in South Goa, Oman Air has continued flight operations from Dabolim airport, after having earlier stated that it would stop operating from the airport. In October last year, Oman Air became the first major commercial carrier to state it would only use Mopa airport for its operations from January 1 and would stop operating from the current Dabolim airport. This decision had sparked off concerns in South Goa, with Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas sending a protest letter to the Chief Operating Officer of Oman Air. However, Oman Air has continued to operate from Dabolim airport even after January 1 and details have revealed that it operated flights on January 2, 4, 5, 7 and will also operate a flight on Sunday. Taxi ride from Mopa airport to Benaulim costs ` 4,148! Stall owners at Zatra protest high fees, shut shops THE GOAN I NETWORK Oman Air continues Dabolim Ops out for electricity and garbage collection. “We are selling an item for as low as Rs 10 and Rs 5. How >Continued on P7 The fare that was charged from Mopa to Benaulim. the  passenger who landed at the Manohar International Airport at Mopa booked the taxi over the counter of the recently launched ‘Goa Taxi app’ to proceed to a hotel in Benaulim. He was charged a base rent of Rs 3,227 and additional taxes aggregating Rs 921 -- service fee of Rs 484, airport charge of Rs 160 and GST of Rs 277 -- aggregating to Rs 4,148, which topped airfares from multiple destinations to Mopa. When The Goan checked airfares online, there were options for multiple routes including Goa-Mumbai, Goa-Bengaluru and Goa-Hyderabad which are cheaper than this passenger’s taxi ride from  Mopa to his Benaulim hotel. Interestingly, Goa’s Transport Director Rajan Satardekar, when contacted defended the fare charged and claimed that it is justified. “The government has notified a rate of Rs 49 per km for passenger taxis. Accordingly, the fare given to the concerned passenger is correct. Other taxes are additional in his bill,” Satardekar said. The ‘Goa Taxi App’ is a cab >Continued on P7 Tourist harasses crew on Delhi-Mopa flight THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Close on the heels of a man who allegedly urinated on a woman co-passenger on an Air India flight, another incident of in-flight harassment has come to light when a foreigner misbehaved with women crew on GO First’s flight from New Delhi to the newly-inaugurated Manohar International Airport at Mopa on January 5. According to reports, the foreign tourist allegedly misbehaved with women flight attendants, insisting that one of them sit with him and speaking obscenely with another. The matter was immediately reported to the security at the airport. The foreigner was Peegate: Police arrest accused BENGALURU: Delhi Police on Saturday arrested Shankar Mishra the man who allegedly urinated on a woman co-passenger on an Air India flight even as the carrier’s CEO issued an apology over handling of the incident.  >> See pg 7 later handed over the airport security agency CISF at Mopa. The regulator DGCA was also informed. The incident is reported to have taken place on the day that the new airport at Mopa was inaugurated.