log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline TUESDAY MARCH 31, 2026 GOA GOA NEEDS A QUIET MARCH TOWARDS ZERO WASTE IDLI: A STEAMING SYMBOL OF INDIA’S CULINARY SOUL IN SHORT >> Teen boy remanded after 14-year-old girl found pregnant PANAJI: A 17-year-old boy has been sent to a state-run remand home after a 14-yearold girl was found to be pregnant in North Goa. Police said the two, students at the same school, became friends through the boy’s acquaintance with the girl’s brother. Their alleged relationship had not come to the families’ notice. The case came to light when the girl complained of stomach pain and was taken to Azilo Hospital, where tests confirmed the pregnancy. CCP against road digging for piped gas PANAJI: In a move that could be seen as going against the Centre’s push for faster rollout of city gas infrastructure, Panaji Mayor Rohit Monserrate on Monday said that the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) is not in favour of digging up newly tarred roads for laying Piped Natural Gas (PNG) connections.   >> See pg 3 Mapusa police take custody of Luthras MAPUSA: Mapusa Police have taken into custody Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, owners of the popular nightclub ‘Birch by Romeo Lane’ in Arpora, in connection with an alleged forgery case involving a No Objection Certificate. The duo was produced before the Judicial Magistrate First Class court, which remanded them to five days of police custody to facilitate further investigation.   >> See pg 3 2 women booked for gold theft of `1.14 cr PANAJI: Ponda police registered a theft and cheating case against two women following a complaint from a Ponda jeweler. The accused women allegedly stole 695.080 grams of gold ornaments worth Rs 1.14 crore. Re breaches 95-level against US dollar MUMBAI: The rupee breached the 95/USD-mark in intra-day trade on Monday and settled 7 paise higher at 94.78 (provisional) against the American currency after Iran war escalation jolted global markets, fuelling rupee volatility and risk-off sentiment. The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 282 2 Unrecovered dues dent Margao’s growth prospects >PG 6 Facebook.com/thegoan 3 GOA Porvorim flyover works come under HC fire over safety gaps Instagram.com/thegoanonline RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 INFO Sun-kissed & resilient: How to naturally boost your collagen Mirabag stir called off after CM’s assurance SAWANT PROMISES CLOSURE OF PROJECT, SAYS WILL PUT A REMARK ON BANDHARA FILE THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO The 49-day Mirabag agitation was finally called off on Monday evening after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant promised leaders spearheading the agitation that he would close the project file by putting a remark on the controversial bandhara. The breakthrough came after Sawant along with Social Welfare Minister Subhash Faldessai and Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly and Sanvordem MLA Ganesh Gaonkar went into a huddle with a delegation of leaders of the agitation, including former Dy CM Deepak Pauskar at the government rest house, Margao. Briefing media after the meeting, the Chief Minister said he had told the agitating public in the past and is again repeating that the government will not go ahead with the bandhara construction at Mirabag. “During the meeting ON PAGE 3 Cops stop Mirabag protesters en route to Panaji’s Azad Maidan Residents celebrate cancellation of project with prayers, bursting crackers Chief Minister Pramod Sawant addressing residents of Mirabag and leaders at the government rest house in Margao on Monday.  Santosh Mirajkar held with the leaders, I have assured them that I will put my remark on the bandhara project and close the file”, the Chief Minister told media in the presence of Minister Subhash Faldesai. Satisfied with the chief minister’s promise, the leaders of the agitation and the people told media that they have finally decided to call off the 49-day agitation. Upendra Naik told media that the CM has promised to put a remark on the file within two days and close it. “We will then ask for information under the RTI after two days. As the CM has assured to ful- Traces of fuel detected in church well at Sancoale RESIDENTS RAISE ALARM; PROBE SOUGHT THE GOAN I NETWORK >Continued on P9 >Continued on P9 Cortalim MLA Anton Vas and others watch the fire which was lit to test the contamination of water from the well. MLA Anton Vaz on Sunday after unusual changes were noticed in the water quality and its impact on the surroundings. Teles stated that fruits from trees in the church garden began falling prematurely and had an altered taste, which led to suspicion about the water. Mid-air horror at Baga; parasailing cable snaps, close shave for tourist “We had been sensing a strong smell from the well for the past 15 days. This water is used for drinking and for our garden. This year, the fruits began falling before ripening and even the taste was different. That is when we decided to alert authorities,” he said. VASCO A well within the premises of Our Lady of Health Church at Shindole, Sancoale has been found contaminated with fuel, raising alarm among residents and prompting a multi-department inspection on Monday. The issue surfaced after Parish Priest Fr Kenneth Teles reported a strong and persistent smell emanating from the well over the past 15 days. According to Fr Teles, the well has been a primary source of water for drinking and gardening purposes for years, making the contamination particularly concerning. He said the matter was brought to the attention of >Continued on P9 MAPUSA A heart-stopping incident at Baga beach has once again raised serious concerns over the safety of adventure tourism activities in Goa, after a parasailing cable snapped mid-air while a tourist was airborne. The shocking episode, which was captured on video and is now widely circulating on social media, shows the parasailing cable suddenly giving way while the tourist was suspended high above the sea. Moments of panic followed, with screams heard from others seated in the boat below as the situation quickly spiralled into a near-disaster. Eyewitnesses said there was a sudden rush of fear as the harness appeared to lose stability after the snap. Fortunately, in what many are calling a narrow escape, the tourist was rescued without any reported injuries. THE GOAN I NETWORK Multi-agency exercise launched to trace Sancoale contamination >> See pg 2 fil our demands, we have decided to call off the stir”, Naik said. He recalled that the people of Mirabag had placed the charter of demands, including scrapping of the project, restoring the excavated pits, and hot mixing of the Mirabag road damaged by the WRD. As far as the fourth demand of withdrawal of cases against the four protestors booked for carrying placards and protesting in the Goa Legislative Assembly, Naik said that chief Finance panel gives Goa thumbs up for fiscal discipline THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI he 16th Finance Commission has painted a largely positive picture of Goa’s fiscal health, stating that the State’s financial roadmap up to 2030-31 remains “sustainable” if the current fiscal discipline is maintained, even as it cautioned against a gradual rise in debt levels. In its fresh assessment of Goa's Economic Discipline’ -- the report which was made public -- the Commission noted, “the roadmap till 2030-31 looks good if the present fiscal situation is sustained,” underlining the State’s prudent approach to managing revenue and expenditure. However, the Commission flagged a key concern: “the debt-to-GSDP ratio is projected T FINANCE PANEL’S KEY OBSERVATIONS „„Strong fiscal roadmap till 2030–31 if current discipline is maintained „„Prudent management of revenue and expenditure „„Improved debt servicing with lower interest rates on outstanding debt „„Interest burden reduced as a share of revenue receipts „„Increase in loan repayments helping control debt „„Comfortable fiscal position enabling higher repayments „„State has repaid more to Centre than it has borrowed in recent years „„Steady growth in revenue receipts projected „„Revenue expenditure remains stable, supporting fiscal balance „„Commitment to longterm economic growth „„Fiscal deficit projected to decline by 2030–31 to increase from 32.8% to 35.8%,” signalling a gradual build-up of liabilities despite overall fiscal stability. The study also underscored improvements in debt servicing. “The effective rate of interest on outstanding debt declined from 9.29% to 7.36%, while interest payments as a share of revenue receipts fell from 12.72% to 10.97%, largely due to buoyant revenues,” it noted. At the same time, the Commission viewed the rise in loan repayments positively. “Repayment of loans increased from 7.39% to 10.16%, which helps rein in debt build-up,” the report stated, adding that Goa’s “comfortable fiscal position has enabled higher repayments.” In a significant observation, the Commission pointed out that “the state has repaid more to the Centre than it has borrowed in recent years,” reflecting sound financial management. Yet, emerging trends in borrowing patterns have raised caution. “The maturity profile of market loans and the effective interest rate have gone up recently,” the report said, indicating potential future cost pressures. The Commission also noted the absence of a clear trend in certain fiscal operations. “Withdrawals from public accounts and utilisation of cash balances do not reveal any definite pattern, with fluctuations driven by the State’s exigencies,” it observed. The projections, based on assumptions drawn from the Medium-Term Fiscal Policy (MTFP) and past trends, indicate steady growth in revenues alongside controlled >Continued on P9 11 SPORTS Sooryavanshi blasts Royals past struggling CSK in dominant win 14 Prohibitory orders around Azad Maidan draw flak Opposition parties accuse government of trying to silence the voice of people THE GOAN I NETWORK PANAJI Uproar erupted on Monday after the government imposed Section 163 in and around Azad Maidan, triggering sharp criticism from Opposition parties. The move came as authorities sought to thwart the Mirabag protesters’ planned march to Azad Maidan to intensify their agitation against the bandhara project. Acting under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, the District Magistrate of North Goa enforced the restrictions within the jurisdiction of the Panaji police station. The order specified that curbs will remain in force in and around Azad Maidan and adjoining localities from March 30, 2026, until further directives are issued. Heavy police force was deployed at Azad Maidan, as authorities braced for the protesters’ planned shift of their agitation to Panaji. The move drew sharp criticism from the Opposition leaders. Goa Congress president Amit Patkar alleged that the government is trying to A barricade used to block the entrance at Azad Maidan on Monday.  Narayan Pissurlenkar suppress public voices. “The voice of Mirabag people cannot be crushed by arbitrary restrictions. Using prohibitory orders to intimidate citizens is a direct assault on democracy,” he said. Patkar further stated that the administration must protect citizens’ rights instead of acting at the behest of those in power. “No matter the pressure, Goa’s voice will rise louder because it cannot and will not be silenced,” he added. Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai also criticised the decision, terming the imposition of prohibitory orders as unacceptable and urging the Collector not to act as a “political stooge.” AAP Goa president Valmiki Naik echoed similar concerns, calling the move “surprising” and alleging that the BJP-led government appeared “scared of its own shadow,” while cautioning the Chief Minister ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. Power play in Cong; Yuri’s grip tightens on party reins MANAGES TO SECURE KEY POST FOR HIS AIDE THE GOAN I NETWORK MARGAO In a significant political development within the Congress party, Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao has secured a notable victory in his efforts to assert control over the party organisation. The appointment of the South Goa District Congress Committee president went in Alemao’s favour, with his close confidant, Assiz Noronha, being chosen by the Congress high command for the post. The decision triggered celebrations within Alemao’s camp, with supporters claiming that his influence extended beyond South Goa to the selection of presidents in the remaining three dis- trict committees as well. Noronha’s appointment is particularly significant as he edged out the incumbent district president, Savio D’Silva, who was widely regarded as a close aide of GPCC chief Amit Patkar and South Goa MP Viriato Fernandes. D’Silva had been considered the frontrunner to retain the position, given his strong backing within the party leadership. CONGRESS HITS RESET IN GOA, NAMES FOUR NEW DISTRICT CHIEFS >> See pg 2 However, Noronha’s entry into the race altered the dynamics, ultimately leading to his selection. His elevation comes against the backdrop of internal party manoeuvring, particularly during the recent Zilla Panchayat elec- tions. Sources indicate that Alemao’s camp had attempted to weaken D’Silva’s influence by proposing an alternative candidate in Velim instead of the sitting ZP member, Julio Fernandes. This move, however, was thwarted by D’Silva with the support of the party leadership, ensuring the re-nomination of Fernandes. He subsequently went on to retain the Velim seat for the Congress. Political observers suggest that Alemao’s push for a leadership change in the South Goa District Congress is part of a broader strategy. The move is seen as an effort to open up opportunities for new and prospective candidates in Velim and other Assembly constituencies in Salcete and beyond, in preparation for the 2027 Assembly elections. RELEASING TOMORROW PRESENTS VOLUME 1 UNCOVER THE WONDERS OF 55 CHURCHES ACROSS GOA A special edition book featuring...  Fascinating origins and history  Rich spiritual, cultural heritage  Distinct architectural beauty  Conservation efforts  Altars at churches  Chapels linked to churches  Photos of churches EACH CHURCH HAS A UNIQUE AND SPECIAL STORY TO TELL!