log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2026 Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 15 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 244 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 3 15 2 6 Stakeholders cry foul over approval for Blow for Trump, US court aero sports project at Quitol plateau knocks out global tariffs GOA GOA Anjuna’s nightlife faces fresh heat over constructions Ponda Congress divided over Ketan Bhatikar’s induction SPORTS LIFE Aussie firepower wipes out Oman in lightning chase The power of being multilingual QUEPEM MLA, P’YAT FLAG LACK OF CONSULTATION; TO MEET CM CONSTITUTION ‘VERY CLEARLY’ GIVES CONG POWER TO IMPOSE TAXES, NOT EXECUTIVE, SAY JUDGES WHAT HAPPENS NOW PTI WASHINGTON The Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs on Friday, handing him a significant loss on an issue crucial to his economic agenda. The 6-3 decision centres on tariffs imposed under an emergency powers law, including the sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs he levied on nearly every other country. It’s the first major piece of Trump’s broad agenda to come squarely before the nation’s highest court, which he helped shape with the appointments of three conservative jurists in his first term. The majority found that the Constitution “very clearly” gives Congress the power to impose taxes, which include tariffs. “The Framers did not vest any part of the taxing power in the Executive Branch,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote. Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and page 8 Goans mark traditional carnival festivities in England, Bahrain Dabolim airport: Clouds of doubt or clear skies IN SHORT >> Siridao locals take TCP by storm PANAJI: Hundreds of residents, predominantly women from Siridao-Palem, on Friday staged a massive protest march to the Town and Country Planning Department, voicing strong opposition to a proposed zone change in their village. Clad in sarees, the women led the agitation and staged a sit-in inside the cabin of Chief Town Planner Vartika Dagur, refusing to vacate the premises until the proposed zone change is reviewed and withdrawn. >> See pg 3 „„With the court ruling that the tariffs were imposed unlawfully, they would lose legal force „„US Customs and Border Protection would be required to stop collecting the duties „„Enforcement actions tied to tariffs could be suspended or dropped altogether „„US companies that paid billions of dollars in duties could seek rebates for tariffs already collected „„Estimates suggest more than $175 bn in tariff revenue could potentially be subject to refund claims Brett Kavanaugh dissented. “The tariffs at issue here may or may not be wise policy. But as a matter of text, history, and precedent, they are clearly lawful,” Kavanaugh wrote. Trump called the majority decision “a disgrace” when he was notified during his morning meeting with several governors, according to someone with direct knowledge of the president’s reaction, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private conversation. Trump was meeting privately with nearly two dozen governors from both parties when the decision was released. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The majority did not address whether companies could get refunded for the billions they have collectively paid in tariffs. Many companies, including the big-box warehouse chain Costco, have already lined up to demand refunds in lower courts. Kavanaugh noted the process could be complicated. “The Court says nothing today about whether, and if so how, the Government should go about returning the bil- Court decision a ‘disgrace’: Trump WASHINGTON: Donald Trump on Friday called the United States Supreme Court’s decision striking down his global tariffs a ‘disgrace’ and told governors he has a backup plan to reinstate the measures, reports said, citing people familiar with his remarks. lions of dollars that it has collected from importers. But that process is likely to be a mess,’’ as was acknowledged at oral argument,” he wrote. The Treasury had collected more than USD 133 billion from the import taxes the president has imposed under the emergency powers law as of December, federal data shows. The impact over the next decade was estimated at some USD 3 trillion. Blaze rips through Anjuna restaurant, roof destroyed MANAGEMENT ASKED TO PRODUCE FIRE NOC THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA Even as memories of the devastating blaze at Birch by Romeo Lane in Arpora that claimed 25 lives just two months ago remain fresh, a popular beachside restaurant in Anjuna caught fire on Friday afternoon, triggering fresh concerns over fire safety in the coastal belt. The incident occurred at ‘Albayli’, a well-known restaurant located along the Vagator beach stretch in Anjuna. According to fire officials, the Mapusa Fire Station received a distress call at around 2.42 pm, following which a fire tender was immediately dispatched to the site. Fire personnel took nearly half an hour to bring the blaze CLOSE CALL: The roof of the beachside restaurant that was gutted after a fire broke out on Friday. under control and prevent it from spreading to adjoining sections of the restaurant. Officials said the timely intervention averted what could have turned into a major disaster. Fortunately, only a handful of customers were present at the time of the incident and no injuries were reported. Preliminary estimates suggest that the fire damaged a portion of the roof on one side >Continued on P9 THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO All appears calm atop the Quitol plateau when many had anticipated turbulence over the Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board’s (GIPB) in-principle approval to M/s Skydiving Adventures Pvt Ltd to establish an integrated aero sports and aviation ecosystem at the Quitol Industrial Estate. The project, which includes adventure tourism, aviation training, drone manufacturing, and hospitality facilities, is proposed on Goa IDC land measuring a substantial 2,45,459 sq mts. Earlier this week, The Goan highlighted the GIPB’s in-principle nod for the project. However, there has been no public reaction from Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa, his predecessor and BJP leader Chandrakant Kavlekar, or local bodies regarding the development. When contacted by The Goan, D’Costa stated that neither the GIPB nor the State government had informed him or the Betul panchayat before granting approval for the project. “We have been kept totally in the dark by the GIPB before granting the Focus on jobs; company projects 61% to be reserved for Goans MARGAO: A proposal to allot 2.45 lakh sq mts of Goa Industrial Development Corporation land at Quitol plateau to Skydiving Adventures Pvt. Ltd for an integrated aero sports and aviation hub has sparked debate over local employment benefits. The company projects 303 jobs, with 185 (around 61%) reserved for Goans and 118 for non-Goans, to be created within five years of operations. However, concerns persist about the quality, skill levels, and long-term security of these jobs. As the project progresses, scrutiny will remain focused on whether it delivers substantial, sustainable employment for Goans.  >> See pg 2 in-principle nod for the project,” he said. The MLA added that he and the Betul panchayat would clarify their stand only after meeting Chief Minister Pra- mod Sawant. “When I read the story in The Goan, I tried contacting the Chief Minister, but he was away in a Gulf country attending an official function,” he said. Altone further stated that he plans to lead a delegation comprising members of the Betul panchayat and local citizens to meet the Chief Minister. “We will seek a detailed explanation about the project — its positives and how it will benefit the local community. Only then will we take a stand,” he said. When informed that approximately 8 lakh sq mts of land in the area had been acquired over a decade and a half ago for a proposed food park, the Quepem MLA indicated that such a project may not find favour with locals. “I don’t think the local populace of Quitol will welcome a food park on the plateau. We have seen how the fish processing and fish meal plant at the Cuncolim Industrial Estate is causing pollution and posing a health hazard to the local population. I do not want our people to suffer the same fate by setting up food processing industries on the Quitol IDC land,” he asserted. For now, despite the scale and scope of the proposed aero sports and aviation project, political and local reactions remain muted as stakeholders await further clarification from the State government.