Growing consumer confidence in electric vehicles across India Mercedes’ electric game-changer: The new CLA 250+ IN SHORT >> Tourist dies during boat ride in Anjuna MAPUSA: A 36-year-old woman from Madhya Pradesh died after falling into the sea while on a banana floater ride at Anjuna beach. According to reports, Rajni Sunil Indolia and her family had come to Goa for on vacation. The family was enjoying a banana boat ride on the beach, when she lost balance and fell into the water. She was immediately rescued by the water sports staff and was rushed to a private hospital, where the doctors declared her dead on arrival. SSC examination commences today PANAJI: Over 20,600 Class X students are set to answer their SSC examination from March 13, that will go on till April 9. The exam will be held across 32 centres. A total of 20,659 fresh candidates will appear for the examination this year. In addition, several candidates will appear as private freshers, repeaters and improvement candidates. Adani told to halt low-grade coal Ops PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has directed the immediate halt of low-grade coal handling at Mormugao port and asked the Goa State Pollution Control Board to issue a written order to the Adani Group for installation of a dome-covered facility to control pollution and foul smell.  >> See pg 2 Mhaje Ghar scheme extended by 1 year MAPUSA: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced that the government will extend the deadline for applications under the Mhaje Ghar Yojana by one more year, providing relief to hundreds of applicants.  >> See pg 2 Stipend for dental interns increased PANAJI: Department of Public Health has sanctioned an increase in the stipend for interns at Goa Dental College and Hospital. The stipend has been raised from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 per month per intern. 2 GOA Controversy over ‘Pakistani dress’ sign at Valpoi shop LIFE The silent hustle of women on public transport 6 15 SPORTS Pak spinner Abrar signed by Sunrisers Leeds in Hundred Gas crunch chokes kitchens; eateries cut down on menus SHWETA KAMAT MAHATME THE GOAN I PANAJI A wave of panic buying and booking of LPG cylinders swept across Goa on Thursday after reports of shortage in commercial LPG supply triggered concerns among consumers, even as the State government assured that domestic LPG stocks remain adequate and the situation is being handled in coordination with the Centre. The rush was witnessed at several gas agencies across the State, with long queues forming outside distribution centres as worried consumers attempted to secure cylinder bookings. The panic was further fuelled by the existing Central government rule that allows fresh LPG bookings only after 25 days from the previous refill, which agency operators say led to a surge of simultaneous booking attempts on company portals. According to gas agency operators, hundreds of consumers tried to place bookings at the same time, resulting in server slowdowns and failed transactions when the mandatory 25-day gap condition People wait for cylinders at a LPG depot in Gandaulim on Thursday.  Narayan Pissurlenkar was not met. With online bookings either delayed or rejected, many consumers chose to visit gas agencies in person to check the status of their bookings or seek clarification. A gas trader from Panaji said there has been an unusual rush since morning. “There is a huge queue outside the agency. We are not accepting bookings where the gap is less than 25 days as per the rule. We have been telling people not to panic because there is stock available,” he said. Another trader from Curti in Ponda echoed similar Goa moves to label four dog breeds as ‘ferocious animals’ SEEKS FEEDBACK BEFORE FINAL BAN THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Goa government has identified four dog breeds -Pitbull, Rottweiler, Cane Corso and Dogo Argentino -- as ‘ferocious animals’ under the Goa Animal Breeding and Domestication (Regulation and Compensation) Act and has issued a public notice inviting objections before a final notification. Replying to a starred question tabled by MLA Venzy Viegas in the Assembly, Minister for Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services Nilkanth Halarnkar said the department has initiated the process to notify the breeds under Section 3 of the Act. “The Dog breeds, namely Pitbull, Rottweiler, Cane Corso and Dogo Argentino, have been identified by the Department to be notified as ferocious animals... A public notice for inviting objections from the general public has been issued... Final notification will be notified after receiving the objections and after consideration of the same,” he said. The minister further replied that the owners of animals declared as ferocious will be >Continued on P9 26 ON 20 Low: 00.02 12.06 High: 03.36 20.20 FEB 26 , Goa scores big in NITI’s fiscal health index, bags 2nd spot FOCUS ON STATE’S STRONG REVENUE MOBILISATION with a score of 73.1. Jharkhand followed Goa in third place with 50.5. The report, tabled in the House by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, assesses the fiscal health of States based on parameters such as quality of expenditure, revenue mobilisation, fiscal prudence, debt index and debt sustainability. The findings noted that Goa’s fiscal strength largely stems from its high reliance THE GOAN I NETWORK DOZENS OF TRAWLERS DROP ANCHOR TIDES PANAJI NITI Aayog has ranked Goa second among 18 States in the Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2023–24, highlighting the State’s strong revenue mobilisation and relatively controlled debt levels. According to the index, Goa secured an FHI score of 54.7, placing it just behind Odisha, which topped the rankings RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 Massive rush at dealers; govt claims ample stock available 34.4 C 24.2 C 82% THE GOAN I NETWORK 5 Instagram.com/thegoanonline LPG crisis: Goa enters panic mode WEATHER >> Max: Min: Humidity: The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 15 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 264 Oppn tears into govt over water supply failures amid project boom Page 8 Facebook.com/thegoan on its own revenue sources and controlled debt levels, which have contributed to relatively stable financial management. The State recorded a revenue mobilisation score of 80.4, among the highest in the country, indicating a strong ability to generate internal revenues. However, Goa’s score in quality of expenditure stood >Continued on P9 views, stating that while agencies currently have sufficient stock, the booking restriction has created confusion among consumers. “For now, we have enough stock. People should not worry. But bookings will not be accepted if the 25-day gap rule is not followed,” he said. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also sought to calm fears, assuring that the State has adequate LPG stock to meet domestic demand. However, he acknowledged that the shortage is primarily >Continued on P9 CCP polls: All eyes on Panaji, counting today THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The suspense over the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) elections will finally lift on Friday as counting of votes begins at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee stadium from 8 am. Polling held on Wednesday saw 22,445 voters -- 10,575 men and 11,870 women -- exercise their franchise across 30 wards, recording a turnout of over 69 per cent. Voting was held by ballot and not the usual electronic voting machines (EVMs) breaking away from the trend in three previous elections in 2011, 2016 and 2021. Results to all the thirty wards are expected by early afternoon, the officials said. The contest has drawn unusual political attention, with heavyweight leaders campaigning vigorously for rival panels and candidates. Close battles are anticipated in several wards where prominent local figures and political scions are in the fray. Beyond the civic stakes, the contest has carried strong political undercurrents. Revenue Minister Babush Monserrate campaigned vigorously, while Utpal threw his weight behind Ami Panjekar panel. PANAJI: A shortage of commercial LPG cylinders has also begun to cripple fishing activity across Goa’s jetties, leaving dozens of trawlers stranded and raising fears of a spike in fish prices if supplies are not restored immediately. At the Malim fishing jetty -one of the State’s three major fishing hubs -- boat owners have stated the crisis has already begun to halt operations, with vessels returning from the sea unable to head back due to the absence of cooking gas required for long voyages. SEE PG 3 Trawler owners scramble for diesel stoves in Mumbai, K’taka PANAJI As the cooking gas squeeze tightens across Goa, restaurants and hotels have begun rationing fuel in their kitchens, cutting down menus, limiting cooking hours and switching to electric appliances to keep meals flowing for tourists and residents. The Goa Hotel & Restaurants Association has urged eateries to ensure that visitors do not go hungry even as establishments adopt emergency measures to conserve commercial LPG. President Gauish Dhond said restaurants have been advised to drastically trim menus and prioritise dishes that require less gas and shorter cooking cycles. “We have told members to cut down on the menu and keep only items that require less gas, use lids and pressure cooking to reduce cooking time, and pre-soak grains so they cook faster. Kitchens should avoid using high-pressure gas wherever possible and explore alternatives such as induction cooking, solar energy and other electrical equipment,” he said. ON PAGE 3 Commercial LPG shortage hits coastal hospitality sector, some shut shop Officials calm fears, say depots hold 12-15 days stock; tankers line up for Mormugao Consumers panic, rush to book LPG cylinders in Canacona Issue limited to commercial cylinders, says CM Dhond said the issue is also likely to affect five-star hotels, conventions and corporate meetings if the shortage worsens. “If restaurants begin shutting down due to lack of commercial LPG, the impact will be felt across the tourism industry,” he warned, adding, “For the hospitality sector, LPG is as essential as fuel and other basic amenities like water, electricity.” The advisory from the association comes alongside a nationwide alert issued by the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), which has asked restaurants to adopt strict fuel-saving practices amid disruptions in the commercial LPG supply chain triggered by geopolitical developments. In its advisory, the industry body warned that restaurants could face “serious operational challenges” if the supply situation deteriorates further. The NRAI recommended measures such as batch cooking instead of repeated small cooking cycles, keeping lids on utensils and using pressure cookers to reduce cooking time, pre-soaking grains and legumes, and switching off burners when not in use. Restaurants have also been urged to streamline menus, optimise burner usage and reduce gas consumption during non-peak hours. Govt defers Deposit Refund Scheme by 6 to 12 months SCHEME TO BEGIN WITH GLASS BOTTLES: CM THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Facing mounting resistance from Opposition members and concerns raised by stakeholders, the State government on Thursday announced that the implementation of the proposed Deposit Refund Scheme (DRS) will be deferred by six months to one year, with the rollout to take place only after wider consultations and awareness campaigns. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant informed the State Legislative Assembly that the government has not notified any deadline for the scheme’s implementation and that the current phase is limited to awareness and stakeholder engagement. “The government has not notified the date of implementation as yet. We are now into an awareness phase and it will continue for six months or even one year. Implementation will happen only after that,” Sawant said while responding to concerns raised by legislators during a Calling Attention motion. The Chief Minister clarified ON 02 6 FRIDAY MARCH 13, 2026 GOA @thegoanonline ,2 log on to thegoan.net M A RCH 4 WHAT THE CHIEF MINISTER SAID „„No official implementation date announced yet „„Govt currently in an awareness, stakeholder engagement phase „„Implementation to be done through existing garbage collection network that the government intends to begin the scheme on a pilot basis with glass bottles before expanding it further. He said the system will be implemented through the existing garbage collection network and rolled out in a phased manner. „„Rollout to be phased, not immediate statewide implementation „„Govt does not want to rush the scheme and abandon it midway „„RVMs to be studied before rollout Sawant also assured the House that the government will make detailed presentations to MLAs and panchayats across Goa to explain the scheme before >Continued on P9 BJP sends two names for Ponda by-election to high command THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Goa has forwarded two names to the party’s central leadership for the upcoming Ponda Assembly by-election, with the final candidate expected to be decided within a week. BJP president Damu Naik said the party’s State Election Committee shortlisted two names, which were sent to the BJP Parliamentary Committee for decision. “There is a democratic process in the party. First the State Election Committee meets and the names on priority are sent to the leadership. The Parliamentary Board will take the final decision,” Naik told reporters. He said the party would also conduct an internal survey before finalising the candidate. “After the survey, the name will be decided within a week,” the party President added. Sources said the names of Ritesh Naik, son of former minister Ravi Naik who passed away on October 15, 2025, and Vishwanath Dalvi have been shortlisted for the by-poll. Iran tightens grip on Hormuz, warns of Gulf attacks PTI DUBAI ran's new supreme leader released his first statement since succeeding his late father, saying Thursday that Iran would keep up its attacks on its Gulf Arab neighbours and use the effective closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz as leverage against the United States and Israel. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, who Israel suspects was wounded in the opening salvo of the war, did not appear on camera, and his statement was read by a state TV news I Iran lists three conditions to end war DUBAI: Iran on Thursday spelled out three conditions to end the war with Israel and the United States, which entered its thirteenth day. He said the only way to end the war that has been 'ignited by the Zionist regime and the US' is recognising Iran's legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm international guarantees against future aggression. 'Talking to leaders of Russia and Pakistan, I reaffirmed Iran's commitment to peace in the region. The only way to end this war -- ignited by the Zionist regime and the US -- is recognising Iran's legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm international guarantees against future aggression,' he wrote. anchor. The statement included a vow to avenge those killed in the war, including in a strike on a school that killed over 165 people. The statement signalled a willingness to continue the war that has disrupted global energy supplies, international travel and the relative safety enjoyed by the Gulf Arab states, and which has also exacted a heavy toll on Iran''s leadership, military and ballistic missile programme. Khamenei has not been seen in public since the start of the war. Iran's unrelenting attacks on shipping traffic and energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf had earlier pushed oil back above USD 100 a barrel, as American and Israeli strikes pounded the Islamic Republic with no sign of an end to the war in sight. Iran is trying to inflict enough global economic pain to pressure the United States and Israel to halt their bombardment, which began on February 28 and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran's president said Thursday said its attacks would continue until Iran gets security guarantees against another assault, indicating that even a ceasefire or US declaration of victory might not halt the conflict.