Mormugao residents have once again proven the strength of collective voice, compelling the Goa government to relocate the upcoming international Formula 4 Indian Racing Festival out of the taluka. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant confirmed during his visit to Vasco on Saturday that the new venue and revised event dates will be announced soon.
Originally slated for October 31 to November 2, the high-profile race was projected to bring in around ₹900 crore in economic activity. The state government had planned to spend ₹52 crore on infrastructure, while organisers Racing Promotion Private Limited were set to invest ₹176 crore. However, continuous protests by residents of Bogda and Sada, supported by Mormugao councillors, raised concerns over excessive noise, safety issues and inconvenience to locals.
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This move follows two other recent citizen-led victories — the rollback of parking fee hikes at Mopa Airport and the scrapping of the IIT project at Codar after public opposition. Addressing the media in Mormugao, CM Sawant stressed that while promoting Goa as a global tourism and sporting hub remains a priority, “the government cannot go against people’s wishes.”
Local MLA Sankalp Amonkar voiced support for residents, though he lamented that Mormugao had missed out on hosting a historic international motorsport event. Miramar and Bicholim are reportedly being considered as possible new venues for the Formula 4 race.
