log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline WEDNESDAY APRIL 8, 2026 GOA DOES AI MEAN MORE UNI STUDENTS ARE PLAGIARISING THEIR WORK? CHAKRA MEDITATION, MORE RELEVANT TODAY THAN EVER IN SHORT >> Power shutdown in Panaji today PANAJI: A scheduled power shutdown will be carried out in Panaji from 10 am to 4 pm on April 8 to facilitate maintenance work on the 400 KVA transformer at the New Secretariat. The outage will impact several areas, including the Old Secretariat, Hotel Crown, Pakiza Restaurant, Hotel Vinanti, the Commercial Taxes Office, and adjoining localities. AAP’s ex-Goa chief Palekar to join Cong PANAJI: Four months after stepping down from the Aam Aadmi Party, its former Goa unit chief Amit Palekar is set to join the Indian National Congress on April 10. A senior Congress leader confirmed that Palekar will formally join the party in the presence of AICC Goa desk in-charge Manikrao Thakre. >> See pg 3 Porvorim flyover by October: Govt PORVORIM: Tourism Minister and Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte said he has been assured that the six-lane elevated corridor at Porvorim would be ready by October. Khaunte said he had chaired a meeting with key officials to review work on the elevated corridor.  >> See pg 3 Baina water sports equipment sabotaged VASCO: In a suspected act of sabotage, water sports equipment at Baina beach was damaged by miscreants, causing losses to operators and raising concerns over safety at the popular tourist spot.  >> See pg 3 Six stolen mobile phones recovered PANAJI: Police have arrested a 35-year-old man in connection with a series of mobile phone thefts reported in Siolim. According to police, the accused originally from UP was involved in stealing mobile phones from the residence a local in Siolim. Police launched an investigation and apprehended the accused. A total of six stolen mobile phones were recovered. WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: 33.1 C 24.3 C 80% TIDES Low: 08.03 20.39 High: 01.00 15.15 The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 13 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 290 River Sal pollution: Cavelossim p’yat launches compliance checks >PG 6 Facebook.com/thegoan 2 GOA Mapusa market to shut today, traders protest over rent arrears mess 3 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO How a sliced lemon on your nightstand can improve your sleep Remove Shivaji's statue on MPA land, rules High Court  PORT AUTHORITY TOLD TO PROCEED WITH BEAUTIFICATION  NOTICE ISSUED TO MORMUGAO MLA, MADE PARTY TO PETITION THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed removal of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that was allegedly erected illegally on the Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) property at Headland Sada. During the hearing on Tuesday, the Court directed the MPA to carry out dismantling, remove the statue, and undertake beautification work to restore the land to its original condition. The Court observed that "there is a complete failure of the executive structure in South Goa District and in Mormugao Taluka in relation to the incident. The Court also issued notice to Mormugao BJP MLA Sankalp Amonkar, who is said to have been instrumental in the installation of the statue. Amonkar has been made a party to the petition as per the request of the petitioner -- MPA. The MPA had approached KEY COURT OBSERVATIONS „„MPA must restore land to original condition with beautification work „„Observes complete failure of executive machinery in South Goa District and Mormugao taluka „„Orders District Collector, SP to ensure adequate security during removal to maintain law & order „„Next hearing scheduled for May 4 Shivaji statue that was installed at Headland Sada. the High Court in February, filing a writ petition seeking immediate removal of the statue installed at Sada junction near the market complex in Vasco da Gama. Despite objections raised by the port authority, locals and supporters of the MLA proceeded with the installation. The Court has directed the South Goa District Collector and Superintendent of Police to ensure adequate security during the removal process to maintain law and order. The matter has been posted for further hearing on May 4. In its petition, the MPA stated that unidentified persons continued activities such as ground levelling and site clearing around the statue despite repeated complaints. „„FLASHBACK: MPA had moved HC in February seeking immediate removal of the statue installed at Sada junction near the market complex in Vasco. The authority argued that the land falls under “public premises” as defined by the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971, making the encroachment a cognizable offence. The installation of the statue had triggered tension in Mormugao, with supporters of the MLA criticising the port authority for opposing the move. 10 SPORTS Moya magic sees Inter Kashi edge Chennaiyin EC gears up, prohibits exit polls from April 9 to 29 Warns of two-year imprisonment, fine PTI NEW DELHI Exit polls can neither be held nor disseminated from 7 am of April 9 till 6.30 pm of April 29 for the five assembly elections taking place this month, the Election Commission has said. It has also cautioned that conducting or broadcasting exit polls in the period is violative of section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and is “punishable with imprisonment up to a period of two years, or with fine or both”. ON PAGE 3 RGP KEEPS DISTANCE FROM CAMPAIGN DESPITE BACKING CONGRESS GFP BACKS CONGRESS, BUT CAMPAIGN VISIBILITY LOW‑KEY While Kerala, Assam and Puducherry going for assembly polls on April 9, the electoral exercise will be held in Tamil Nadu on April 23. Ponda by-poll campaign comes to an end PANAJI: The campaign for the April 9 by‑election in Ponda fell silent at 5 pm on Tuesday, bringing to a close a high voltage contest that has drawn intense attention from political observers across Goa. Three candidates -- Ritesh Naik of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ketan Bhatikar of the Congress and Gitesh Naik of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) -- are battling for the coveted seat. Adding to the suspense is the pending decision of the Bombay High Court on a petition challenging the very notification of the by-poll issued by the Election Commission of India setting the election process in motion. The High Court is expected to deliver its judgement on Wednesday afternoon.  >> See pg 3 In West Bengal, State polls will be held on April 23 and 29. While the 48 hour ''silence period'' in Kerala and Puducherry will commence at 6 pm on Tuesday, it will kick in at 5 pm in Assam. Silence period means end of campaigning 48 hours ahead of the end of voting hour in a particular constitu- Cops to track drug trail in Over 50% panchayats run MP student’s death case on stopgap waste systems  FRIENDS TO BE RE-EXAMINED  FOCUS ON LOCAL PEDDLERS OPERATING IN ANJUNA-VAGATOR BELT THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA With the death of the 21-yearold youth from Indore now confirmed as a drug overdose, Anjuna Police have widened the scope of the probe to examine the source of the narcotic substances and possible lapses in enforcement at the popular coastal party hub of Anjuna. Preliminary findings from the Goa Medical College and Hospital have revealed that the youth had consumed a “cocktail of drugs”, raising serious concerns over the unchecked circulation of synthetic substances at beachside events. Police sources informed that efforts are now underway to trace how the drugs were procured and whether local peddlers operating in the Anjuna–Vagator belt were involved. “We are working to trace the source of the contraband. The friends who were with the deceased that night had initially DGP orders fresh investigation MAPUSA: With fresh developments confirming that the 21-year-old youth from Indore died of a drug overdose, top police officials have stepped in, ordering a re-examination of the case. Director General of Police (DGP) Alok Kumar on Tuesday summoned Anjuna Police Inspector Suraj Gawas and Deputy Superintendent of Police Salim Shaikh, directing them to revisit the investigation in light of the new findings. Sources said the DGP has instructed the officers to re-record statements of all persons previously examined. Officials indicated that the probe will now focus on verifying earlier claims made by witnesses and companions of the deceased, particularly in the context of the overdose findings. claimed they consumed only alcohol and no drugs. In light of the latest findings, they will now be re-examined,” a police official said. The incident has also put the spotlight on the party where the youth had reportedly collapsed. Questions are being raised about whether adequate safety protocols were in place and if there was any delay in providing medical assistance. The youth had arrived to attend the Black Coffee musical event, but after it was cancelled, he and others made their way to Club Raeeth, a popular nightclub in the area, whose organisers had been hosting the event. >Continued on P8  Only 91 have permanent facilities  Meet exposes gaps across talukas File photo THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Out of 191 village panchayats in Goa, only 91 have permanent Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), while 100 continue to operate with temporary setups, underlining gaps in the State’s decentralised waste management system. Minutes of a high-level review meeting chaired by the Director of Panchayats on April 2 reveal wide disparities across talukas in the availability and functionality of MRF infrastructure. In Sattari, all 12 panchayats are expected to eventually have permanent MRFs, with 4 already permanent and 8 currently temporary -- half of which are nearing completion. In Sanguem, 5 out of 7 panchayats have permanent MRFs, while the remaining 2 are still identifying land for permanent facilities. Bardez, one of the largest talukas, has only 15 permanent 13 MRFs out of 33 panchayats, with 18 still operating temporary units. Authorities have, however, sought re-inspection of several facilities that may qualify as permanent. In Ponda, 14 of the 19 panchayats have permanent MRFs, while 5 are temporary -- two of which are newly constructed and expected to become operational shortly. Salcete has 19 permanent MRFs across 30 panchayats, leaving 11 still dependent on temporary facilities. Officials flagged that many of these are located in coastal or high-density areas, worsening garbage concerns. In Dharbandora, 4 out of 5 panchayats have permanent MRFs, with one still functioning temporarily and in the process of identifying land. Quepem has 6 permanent MRFs out of 11 panchayats, while 5 remain temporary, >Continued on P8 ency or the entire state. Except door-to-door campaigning by a limited number of party workers or candidate, no other form of campaigning is allowed. But in a digital age, it is difficult to enforce. Usually voting is held from 7 am to 6 pm. But the timing varies due to terrain and security situation. No cash at toll plazas from April 10, UPI to cost more PTI NEW DELHI Cash payments at toll plazas will be discontinued for travellers on national highways from April 10, the road transport and highways ministry has said. In a gazette notification, the ministry has said that in cases where a vehicle enters a fee plaza without a valid FASTag, users can still pay via Unified Payment Interface (UPI), but at a higher charge of 1.25 times the applicable toll fee. A senior NHAI official said that the move is aimed at reducing long queues at toll gates and make highway travel smoother for commuters. The official said that cash payments will no longer be accepted at the toll booths from April 10 and FASTag will remain the primary mode of toll collection, while UPI will serve as the fallback payment option for vehicles that arrive without a valid FASTag. Recently, NHAI crossed 50 lakh subscribers for its FASTag annual pass, which allows users to make up to 200 toll crossings for Rs 3,000 per year. A total of 26.55 crore transactions have been carried out. Govt doubles 5-kg LPG cylinder ‘Whole civilization will die’, Trump warns Iran on deal quota in big push to ease crunch PTI PRIORITISES COOKING GAS SUPPLY TO HOUSEHOLDS PTI NEW DELHI The government has doubled the daily quota of market-priced 5-kg LPG cylinders for migrant workers as part of a broader push to stabilise fuel supplies amid disruptions linked to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Unlike the subsidised 14.2kg cylinders that are used in household kitchens for cooking, the 5-kg bottles are priced at market rates. A 5-kg cylinder costs Rs 549 in Delhi as against the Rs 913 price for a 14.2-kg domestic cylinder. The 5-kg cylinders are available across-the-counter at LPG distributorships on production of a simple identity card (no address proof needed). Regular domestic connections are given after a complete KYC. With the war in West Asia disrupting energy supplies, the government has prioritised cooking gas supply to households as the cost of commercial users, who were initially given only 20 per cent of their requirement and in steps raised to 70 per cent. Migrant workers mostly do not have regular cooking gas connections. To ease their burden, the government has now made available higher numbers of 5-kg cylinders. At a news briefing, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said the government has conveyed that daily quantity of 5 kg free trade LPG (FTL) cylinders in each state available for disbursal to migrant labourers is being doubled. WASHINGTON S President Donald Trump threatened Tuesday that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran fails to meet his latest deadline to strike a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Even before the deadline, airstrikes hit two bridges and a train station, and the US hit military infrastructure on Kharg Island. It was the second time American forces struck the island, a key hub for Iranian oil production. Since the war began, Trump has repeatedly imposed deadlines linked to threats, only to extend them. But the Form human chains to protect power plants, Iran tells people U president insisted this one is final and will expire at 8 pm in Washington without a major diplomatic breakthrough. He has also offered contradictory statements about what might actually happen. Trump has made reopening the Strait -- through which a fifth of the world's oil transits in peacetime -- part of avoiding wider attacks and suggest- DUBAI: Airstrikes pounded Tehran on Tuesday, and Iranian officials urged young people to form human chains to protect power plants, hours before the expiration of US President Donald Trump's latest deadline for the Islamic Republic to reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz or face punishing strikes on its infrastructure. Trump has extended previous deadlines but suggested the one set for 8 pm in Washington was final. Trump threatened to destroy all of Iran's power plants and bridges if Tehran does not allow traffic to fully resume in the Strait. ed that the waterway is not as vital to US oil interests as it to other countries. He has also said he would be willing to deploy ground troops to seize Iranian oil, while maintaining that major combat operations in that country could soon conclude. That means the next moves by the US are largely a mystery, even as rhetoric on both sides has reached a fever pitch. Meanwhile, Iran's president said 14 million people, including himself, have volunteered to fight. That's despite Trump threatening that US forces could wipe out all bridges in Iran in a matter of hours and reduce all power plants to smoking rubble in roughly the same time frame. He also suggested the entire country could be wiped off the map. It was not clear if the latest airstrikes were linked to Trump's threats to widen the civilian target list. At least two of the targets were connected to Iran's rail network.