log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SUNDAY OCTOBER 12, 2025 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 16 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 115 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 MOVIES »PAGE 16 GOOD LIFE »PAGE 12 LIVE SMART »PAGE 14 Surbhi Chandna opens up about her 14-year journey with husband Karan Sharma — from neighbours to partners in love and work Sip, snack, shine Blue dolphin effect SPORTS »PAGE 8 Gill’s composed ton and Jadeja’s spin starves Windies Bollywood salutes Big B Accessing pure intelligence Stop framing problems as existential ICC Women’s WC: India eyes 6th bowling option to halt Australia Dig dollops of goodness in marigold as the flower is nutrient-dense, a good health agent and an edible superfood A simple mental trick to replace unwanted thoughts with calm, positive ones Mormugao loses Formula 4 race, event to be relocated Adopt UPI mode to collect school fees, Centre tells States  CM GIVES IN TO PUBLIC PRESSURE  FRESH DATES SOON THE GOAN I NETWORK >> SEE PG 2 GOA’S CRIME SPIKE: AN ALARMING TREND MAGAZINE MAGAZ 09 Goa glows with festive spirit as Diwali draws near We live in interesting times... Timeless art of Goa’s culinary traditions When local overreach stifles lawful enterprise 11 IN SHORT >> High Court clears TCP fee confusion PANAJI: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has disposed of a writ petition challenging the assessment of processing fees under the Goa Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act, observing that potential financial loss to the State was averted through timely intervention by the Finance Department.  >> See pg 5 Mississippi shootout leaves six dead LELAND: At least six people were killed and 12 others injured in two shootings in Mississippi's Leland and Heidelberg on Friday night. Says will improve transparency, enhance convenience for parents PTI VASCO In a major development following days of public opposition, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday evening announced that the venue for the upcoming Formula 4 Racing event would be shifted from Mormugao and the event dates postponed. Sawant, who personally visited the port town to assess the situation, began his visit with a site inspection at the proposed race venue in Bogda, Sada. Later in the evening, he held a closed-door meeting with Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) Chairperson, councillors, local residents, and MLAs Sankalp Amonkar and Krishna Salkar at Ravindra Bhavan, Baina, to listen to the grievances surrounding the event. After detailed discussions, the Chief Minister declared that the government would respect public sentiment and Mormugao lost golden chance: Amonkar VASCO: Hours after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced that the Formula 4 Racing event would be shifted out of Mormugao, local MLA Sankalp Amonkar expressed disappointment, calling the episode a politically motivated move that cost the constituency a “once-in-a-lifetime golden opportunity.” Amonkar, who had earlier maintained that he would stand by the will of the people, reiterated that while he respected public sentiment, the controversy surrounding the event had been engineered by vested interests for political gain by some councillors and an ex-MLA.  >> See pg 5 relocate the event. “We had planned to host this prestigious international Formula 4 event in Mormugao as it would have significantly boosted tourism and economic activity in the region. The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) was organising the event, and it would have been a very big event for Mormugao constituency, because I had personally reviewed the preparations,” Sawant said. “It is not that there were no solutions for the issues raised by the people. Only a small stretch was an issue because the race track would have passed through a congested 400-metre stretch in the area, but the organisers had offered to construct an alternate route for residents.” “The event was also to be held for just three days—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Despite having practical solutions, when councillors and Rama discharged from GMC, raises doubts of political link  SUSPECTS CM, TOURISM MINISTER  AFTER NAMING ARAUJO, SAYS NO PERSONAL ENMITY WITH 8 ACCUSED THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Activist Rama Kankonkar has levelled serious allegations against political leaders and the Panaji police for compromising the investigation into the brutal assault at Caranzalem on September 18. Discharged from the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC) on Saturday -- 23 days after the attack -- Kankonkar made direct accusations against the government. Speaking to reporters from his wheelchair, the activist accused police of compromising the investigation and claimed that his repeated concerns over the possible involvement of politicians were ignored during the recording of his statement. “PSI Manjunath Naik asked me all the questions except whether I suspect any political involvement. But I made it clear... There have been continuous attempts to target me, including efforts to get my bail revoked. It (the attack) has been a six-month Rama Kankonkar addressing the media on Saturday. Attempt to blame govt: Sawant PANAJI: Reacting to Kankonkar’s statement, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the government takes his case very seriously. “His statement has been recorded. Today’s remarks, naming politicians, are unnecessary and appear at sensationalizing the issue. I’ve been in politics for 25 years and don’t understand why he waited so long to make such a statement. I will order a proper, detailed inquiry. This seems merely an attempt to blame the government and politicians,” he said. continuous plan,” he said. Kankonkar further stated that during his three-hour statement recording, he ensured to mention political connections. “Whatever I had to tell, >Continued on P6 NEW DELHI The Union education ministry has asked States to modernise fee collection processes in schools by using UPI to improve transparency and enhance convenience for parents. In a first-of-its-kind move, the Department of School Education and Literacy of the Education Ministry is seeking to leverage the growing penetration of digital payment platforms such as UPI, mobile wallets, and net banking. It has written to States and other stakeholders, asking them to encourage the adoption of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to strengthen the ease of schooling by modernising administrative processes, especially those related to financial transactions in schools. The department encouraged States and autonomous bodies, to explore and implement mechanisms that enable WINDS OF CHANGE „„Ministry is seeking to leverage growing penetration of digital payment platforms such as UPI, mobile wallets, and net banking „„Pushes stakeholders asking them to encourage adoption of UPI to strengthen ease of schooling „„Will enable stakeholders to become more financially literate, thereby opening up a larger world of digital transactions residents expressed that some people were opposing the event and they did not want the race, we decided to shift the venue. The venue of the event will now be shifted and the dates of the event will be postponed. The government cannot go against people’s wishes,” he added. “I want to emphasise that while the government aims to promote Goa as a hub for international sporting and tourism events, that can boost the economy of the area, people’s consent remains a top priority,” he added. The announcement brought relief to several residents and local leaders who had been voicing concerns over safety, noise, and inconvenience due to the preparations of the event. With the Formula 4 race now set to move to a different location, fresh dates and the new venue are expected to be announced shortly. Medical student from Odisha ‘gang-raped’ in West Bengal Sattari school bears brunt of gusty winds, roof ripped off PTI KOLKATA A medical college student from Odisha was allegedly raped by unidentified men in West Bengal's Paschim Bardhaman district, police said on Saturday. The incident occurred outside the private medical college campus in Durgapur on Friday night when the second-year student went out with one of her friends for dinner, her family members revealed. The student, from Jaleswar in Odisha, is undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital, a police officer said. “On the basis of a complaint lodged by the family members of the medic, we have started an investigation,” he said. Talking to reporters, the parents of the girl said they reached Durgapur this morning after getting a call from their daughter's friends. “We came here this morning and lodged a complaint with the police. I have heard that the college performed well academically, and this is why we sent our daughter to study medicine here,” the student's father said. schools to collect admission and exam fees through secure and transparent digital modes. According to a statement, the letter mentions that transitioning from cash-based to digital payments offers multiple advantages.  RAINWATER ENTERS CLASSROOMS  SCHOOL HAD BEEN RENOVATED BARELY 5 YEARS AGO THE GOAN I NETWORK VALPOI In yet another incident exposing the quality of work at school buildings, the roof at the Government Primary School Building at Thane-Sattari got blown away by strong winds on Saturday. Fortunately, there were no casualties, as the incident took place at about 5.30 pm when the school was closed for the day. According to reports, various parts of Sattari were hit by strong winds on Saturday evening, causing considerable damage at many places. The roof at the Thane government primary school suddenly blew away and fell on the ground near the school, causing extensive damage. With the roof blown away, rainwater entered the classrooms and damaged school property. Sources said the school had been renovated by the GSIDC about five years ago, and questions are now being Metal roofing sheets of Thane-Sattari government primary school that were blown off on Saturday. DoE visits Sanguem school, assures urgent remedial action >> See pg 5 asked about the quality of work at the school building. Parents and locals heaved a sigh of relief that the incident did not take place in the morning, else there could have been a mishap when staff and students were at school. However, they have raised concerns that classes cannot be conducted in the primary school, which has been left without a roof. This is the third such incident involving a school in as many days. On Thursday, a student was injured after a ceiling fan came crashing in the classroom of Government Primary School in Poriem-Sattari. On Friday, five students were injured when a false ceiling in the assembly hall collapsed at Government Higher Secondary School in Sanguem. Trump escalates trade war with Smooth sailing! Uniform rates for water sports unveiled 100% tariff on Chinese imports MAKING A SPLASH THE GOAN I NETWORK PTI WASHINGTON US President Donald Trump has announced he will impose a 100% tariff on Chinese goods "over and above any tariff that they are currently paying," from November 1. He also said export controls will be placed on critical software starting the same day. In a post on Truth Social on Friday (local time), the US President said, "Based on the fact that China has taken this unprecedented position, and speaking only for the USA, Sanctions on 8 Indians, other firms imposed WASHINGTON: Eight Indian nationals and several India-based firms are among the over 50 entities and persons sanctioned by the US for allegedly facilitating Iranian energy trade, according to an official statement. >> See pg 6 and not other Nations who were similarly threatened, starting November 1, 2025 (or sooner, depending on any further actions or changes taken by China), the United States of America will impose a tariff of 100% on China, over and above any tariff that they are currently paying. Also on November 1, we will impose export controls on any and all critical software." Trump made the announcement in response to what he described as China taking "an extraordinarily aggressive position on trade". PANAJI he Department of Tourism has announced the implementation of a unified rate structure for all water sports activities across Goa, effective from October 10, 2025. This new pricing policy has been introduced to bring greater transparency, consistency, and fairness in the rates charged to tourists, while also encouraging responsible and sustainable tourism practices. Under this notification, all licensed water sports operators -- whether operating along Goa’s famed beaches or its scenic inland waterways T WATER SPORTS RATES „„DOLPHIN RIDE: `350– Rs 800 per passenger, depending on the number of passengers, ride distance, and duration --will be required to adhere to the standardized pricing framework. „„STANDARD BOAT RIDE: `1,000 per passenger for a one-hour trip (minimum of six passengers) „„BANANA RIDE: `1,000 The initiative is expected to eliminate discrepancies in rates previously charged by per ride for up to five passengers over a 200-metre distance „„LUXURY BOAT RIDE (Winch Parasailing): `6,000 per 30-minute trip for a maximum of 12 passengers „„COMBO PACKAGE: (Jet Ski, Banana, or Bump Rides) `1,100 per passenger for a minimum of three rides different operators, thereby enhancing visitor confidence and ensuring a level playing field within the sector. As per the new rates, a dolphin sighting trip will be priced between Rs 350 and Rs 800 per passenger, depending on factors such as ride duration, distance covered, and group size. A standard boat ride has been fixed at Rs 1,000 per passenger for a one-hour trip, with a minimum of six passengers required per boat. Meanwhile, a banana ride will cost Rs 1,000 per ride for five passengers over a 200-metre distance. The luxury boat (Winch Parasailing Boat Ride) has been priced at >Continued on P6