log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline TUESDAY MARCH 10, 2026 GOA RISING WASTE CRISIS IN GOA THE SOTREO FESTIVAL OF GODDESS SHANTADURGA IN SHORT >> Goa plans NRI help cell for Gulf Goans PANAJI: With tensions escalating in parts of the Gulf region, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said the Goa government will set up a dedicated help cell through the NRI office within two days to assist Goans stranded in affected countries, even as he assured that the situation is being closely monitored.   >> See pg 2 ICU bed shortage hits surgeries at GMC MAPUSA: Raising concern over delays in surgeries at Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bicholim MLA Chandrankant Shetye on Monday urged the government to urgently augment ICU facilities, stating that the shortage of intensive care beds with ventilators is causing distress to patients awaiting operations.   >> See pg 2 Illegal works: CoP warns of action PANAJI: Taking note of several development works being undertaken along govt riverine land, inland waters and notified port limit areas without mandatory permissions, the Captain of Ports Department has warned that such activities will attract strict legal action.  >> See pg 3 Blistering heatwave hits Mumbai, Thane MUMBAI: A blistering heatwave has swept across Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, and adjoining districts, prompting the India Meteorological Department to issue heat warnings through Wednesday, March 11. Temperatures soared to around 40°C in parts of the metropolitan region on Monday. Indonesia to buy BrahMos missiles NEW DELHI: Indonesia has entered into an agreement with India to procure the BrahMos missile system, its defence ministry spokesperson said, WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: 33.2C 24.3 C 83% TIDES Low: 08.50 20.50 High: 01.45 15.49 The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 261 Debt debate rocks Assembly; CM defends borrowing policy >PG 6 Facebook.com/thegoan 2 GOA BJP-backed candidates win 3 seats, local Congress supporter wins 1 3 Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Stress and digestion: The mind-gut connection PROTEST IN VISITORS’ GALLERY Apologise or face action, Speaker warns Sardesai SETS 24-HOUR DEADLINE, SAYS ENTIRE INCIDENT HAD BEEN ‘ORCHESTRATED’ BY FATORDA MLA THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Speaker Ganesh Gaonkar on Monday sought an unconditional apology from Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai within 24 hours over the protest that erupted in the visitors’ gallery of the Goa Legislative Assembly during the Budget session, warning that action would be initiated against the member if he fails to comply. Addressing the House, Gaonkar alleged that the entire incident had been “orchestrated” by Sardesai. He claimed that the four persons who created a disturbance in the gallery were earlier seen visiting Sardesai’s office. “The sequence of events speaks volumes,” the Speaker said, adding that the protesters were later seen celebrating even as the investigation into the incident was underway. Reacting to the issue, Sardesai said the protesters were compelled to take such action in order to draw the „„Four people who still underway caused a distur„„Disruption a bance in the gallery serious matter and were earlier seen a threat to the visiting Sardefunctioning of sai’s office the House and IN THE „„Sequence of WORDS OF democracy events ‘speaks „„Inquiry has SPEAKER been initiated volumes’ „„Protesters were and the report will later seen celebrating be tabled before the while the investigation was Assembly Meet with protesters on March 14: Shirodkar PANAJI: Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar informed the House that the government will hold another meeting with the Mirabag protesters on March 14 to discuss their concerns. government’s attention to their grievances. He stated that people have the right to raise their voice over issues affecting them. He further remarked that it is for the Speaker to de- cide whether such protesters should be permitted inside the Assembly premises. Earlier during the day, Gaonkar said such actions pose a threat to the functioning of the House and to de- Taxi policy row hits House; govt vows digital overhaul OPPN QUESTIONS DELAY IN SCRAPPING GOA TAXI AGGREGATOR GUIDELINES THE GOAN I NETWORK MAPUSA The taxi policy row triggered sharp exchanges in the Goa Legislative Assembly on Monday, with the Opposition pressing the government during Question Hour over delays in scrapping the draft Goa taxi aggregator guidelines, which a majority of taxi operators have opposed. TAXI UNIONS BOYCOTT SCHEDULED MEETING ON DIGITAL POLICY >> See pg 2 Raising the issue, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao said nearly 93 per cent of taxi drivers in the State had rejected the draft guidelines and questioned why the government had not withdrawn the proposal even after eight months. Quoting figures from the objections and suggestions WHAT OPPOSITION LEADER SAID RESPONSE FROM GOVERNMENT „„93% of taxi drivers rejected draft guidelines „„3,802 drivers opposed the draft while only 290 supported it „„Why has government not withdrawn guidelines „„Questioned separate rules for local taxis and app-based taxis „„CM assured that the draft taxi guidelines will be cancelled once the new digital taxi policy is notified „„Transport minister said use of technology is crucial in today’s world... We want to bring a digital platform and adopt what is good for Goa submitted to the government, Alemao said 3,802 taxi drivers had opposed the draft while only 290 supported it. He also sought clarity on why separate rules were being framed for local taxis and app-based taxis and questioned why app-based taxi services were not required to operate with meters. Responding during Ques- tion Hour, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the draft guidelines would automatically stand cancelled once the State notifies its new digital taxi policy. “When the new digital taxi policy comes into effect, the earlier draft will automatically get scrapped,” Sawant said, >Continued on P9 11 INFO VIJAI REACTS „„Protesters were compelled to take such action in order to draw the govt’s attention to their grievances „„People have the right to raise their voice over issues affecting them „„It is for the Speaker to decide whether such protesters should be permitted inside the Assembly premises mocracy while calling the disruption a serious matter. He also informed the House that an inquiry has been initiated into the protest and the report will be tabled before the Assembly. SPORTS LA28 Olympic gold the next goal: Suryakumar New LPG rules, booking gap extended to 25 days Govt steps in to check hoarding PTI NEW DELHI The Central government has increased the LPG booking period from 21 days to 25 days to prevent hoarding and ensure a fair supply of cylinders amid the West Asia conflict. The booking period refers to the minimum waiting time required between two bookings of a domestic cooking gas cylinder. Government sources said that the LPG booking period was increased to 25 days to stop hoarding and black marketing. They said there were instances where people who had booked LPG cylinders earlier in 55 days had started doing so in 15 days. The sources also informed that the government had ordered refineries to boost output as the war between the US-Israel and Iran continues in the Gulf. The refineries have been instructed to prioritise domestic LPG production over commercial connections. India is also looking for alternative options for LPG shipments, and countries like Algeria, Australia, Can- CM assures adequate LPG, diesel supply PANAJI: Amid escalating tensions in parts of the Gulf region and concerns over a possible rise in fuel prices, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday assured the Goa Legislative Assembly that the State has sufficient stock of LPG and diesel and that there will be no shortage of commercial LPG supply for industries, including the tourism and hospitality sector.  >> See pg 2 Oil rates on a high, touch $120 a barrel NEW DELHI: As the conflict in West Asia entered the tenth day, world markets plummeted, and Brent crude oil, the international standard, surged to nearly USD 120 a barrel. The Centre, however, said petrol and diesel prices will not be increased for now, even as authorities stepped up efforts to maintain uninterrupted fuel supply. ada and Norway have also approached the government to help with LPG supplies. This came after government sources said that India currently has crude oil to last for 25 days and is actively exploring alternative sources for importing crude oil, LPG and LNG to ensure energy security amid escalating tensions in West Asia. Additionally, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas directed authorities to prioritise propane and butane supplies for domestic LPG consumption. Gas- Khamenei’s son named Iran’s supreme leader based crematorium furnaces operated by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have been closed temporarily to prevent a shortage of cooking gas for households amid tightening supply. As the war continues, the price of a 14.2-kg domestic LPG cylinder has been increased by Rs 60, while the 19-kg commercial cylinder has become Rs 115 costlier, according to a notification by oil market companies on March 7. This marked the second increase in LPG prices in less than a year. SALT SWEAT: PTI DUBAI Iran named the hard-line Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his late father as supreme leader, signalling no letup in the war launched by the United States and Israel. With Iran's theocracy under assault for more than a week, the country's Assembly of Experts chose the secretive, 56-year-old cleric with close ties to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard as the new supreme leader. The Guard has been firing missiles and drones at Israel and Gulf Arab states since Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had ruled Iran for 37 years, was killed during the war's opening salvo. The appointment marked a new sign of defiance by Iran's embattled leadership after more than a week of heavy US and Israeli bombardment, suggesting that Tehran is not close to giving up on what it considers a fight for the country's existence. Iran's attacks in the Strait of Hormuz have also stopped tankers from using the shipping lane through which a fifth of the world's oil is carried. 12 A worker gathers salt from the salt pan at Ribandar on Monday. Last month the government had announced a one-time grant of Rs 95 lakh to salt pan cultivators under the Salt Pan Conservation, Support and Revival Scheme.  Narayan Pissrulenkar GIDC spent `6 crore on rent despite CAG red flag: Data THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) has spent nearly Rs 6 crore on rent and renovating office space at a private building in Patto since September 2024, despite the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) flag- ging irregularities in the acceptance of the premises. According to information tabled on the floor of the House, Industries Minister Mauvin Godinho said the Corporation has so far spent Rs 4,95,11,910 towards rent and Rs 1,07,11,940 on renovation works for office space leased at Myles High Hotels and Towers Pvt Ltd in Patto. The expenditure comes even as the CAG had earlier criticised the Corporation for accepting an “unsolicited” offer for the premises, which it observed was not being utilised to its full capacity. >Continued on P9 Big push for community farming, 5 Goans surrender citizenship daily, reveal figures govt to increase subsidy to 90% THE GOAN I NETWORK ACCESS TO KRISHI CARDS BEING EXPANDED: CM THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The State government will increase the subsidy for community farming to 90 per cent for projects covering up to two lakh square metres of land, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced in the Goa Legislative Assembly on Monday. Currently, the government provides 70 per cent subsidy, while farmers contribute the remaining 30 per cent. “Under the revised proposal, the government will bear 90 per cent of the cost, leaving only 10 per cent to be contributed by farmers,” Sawant said. The announcement came after Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai raised concerns over the need to revive community farming in the State and demanded higher subsidies and dedicated funds for such schemes. Sardesai pointed out that Goa has highly fragmented landholdings, making individual farming less viable and strengthening the case for community-based agricultural practices. He also claimed that budgetary allocations for community farming have been curtailed and urged the government to revive the scheme and earmark dedicated funds that could be utilised by MLAs to support farmers. Responding to the concerns, Sawant said the government is also expanding access to Krishi Cards to enable more farmers to avail benefits of government schemes. He said Krishi Cards are now being issued to farmers whose names appear in the tenant column of Form XIV >Continued on P9 PANAJI ven as outward migration from the State continues, official figures reveal that an average of 5 people per day surrendered their Indian citizenship in Goa over the past five years, with the overwhelming majority opting for Portuguese nationality. Data tabled on the floor of the Goa Legislative Assembly by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant shows that 8,425 persons surrendered their Indian citizenship between 2021 and 2025, of whom 8,370 acquired Portuguese nationality. Responding to a question raised by AAP MLA Venzy Viegas, Sawant stated that E Year 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Citizenship Surrendered 954 1285 2094 2295 1797 acquiring foreign citizenship is a personal decision. “Acquisition of a foreign citizenship is a personal choice of an individual,” the Chief Minister told the House. The figures indicate a steady rise in the number of people giving up Indian citizenship in the initial years of the period under review. In 2021, a total of 954 persons Nation Portugal Canada Russia USA Kazakhstan France Citizenship 8370 12 4 9 1 1 surrendered their citizenship, which increased to 1,285 in 2022. The number witnessed a sharp jump in 2023, when 2,095 people opted for foreign nationality. The trend continued in 2024 with 2,295 people surrendering Indian citizenship, marking the highest number in the fiveyear period. However, in 2025 Mexico Thailand Tanzania UK Germany Poland Ireland 1 1 1 18 3 1 1 the figure declined to 1,797. Sawant further informed the House that the State government has not undertaken any study to examine the socio-economic profile of those surrendering their citizenship, including details such as their age group, gender, educational qualification, occupation or community background. The Chief Minister also reiterated that India does not permit dual citizenship, citing Article 9 of the Constitution of India. He noted that citizenship falls under the jurisdiction of the Union government and the rules are applied uniformly across the country. “The subject of citizenship is a Central government subject and is uniformly followed throughout India without any special exceptions for any State,” Sawant said. The data also indicates that while Portuguese nationality accounts for the overwhelming majority, a small number of Goans have opted for other countries as well. Besides Portugal, 18 persons acquired >Continued on P9