log on to thegoan.net @thegoanonline Facebook.com/thegoan The Goan E-Paper (Playstore/IOS) Instagram.com/thegoanonline >P14 WEDNESDAY MARCH 18, 2026 GOA Protests intensify as housing surge hits Salcete 14 pages PRICE ` 10 PANAJI MARGAO GOA VOLUME XI, NO. 269 3 5 GOA Cashew, mango crop good but unlikely to be bumper, say farmers RNI: GOAENG/2015/65729 DEVON CONWAY, BOWLERS STAR AS NEW ZEALAND MAKE IT 1-1 Curtailed session leaves several key bills in limbo INCLUDE 5 GOVT, 22 PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BILLS SHWETA KAMAT MAHATME THE GOAN I PANAJI The curtailment of the Budget Session of the Goa Legislative Assembly following the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct for the upcoming Ponda by-election has led to a legislative logjam, with at least five key government bills and 22 private members’ bills failing to be taken up. The session, which commenced on March 6 and was scheduled to conclude on March 23, was cut short midway, effectively reducing the 14-day sitting to just seven days. The abrupt truncation left a substantial volume of pending business, including 79 demands for grants worth Rs 23,000 crore, over 2,100 unstarred questions, and more than 500 starred questions slated for discussion in the remaining days. There were also calling attentions and zero hour mentions that could not come up. Among the most significant casualties was the proposed Advocate Protection Bill, aimed at safeguarding lawyers from threats, intimidation and attacks. If enact- „„79 demands for grants „„Advocate Protection worth Rs 23,000 cr Bill not introduced left pending „„Goa MediCODE „„Over 2,100 EFFECT ON care Service unstarred Personnel & HOUSE questions not Institutions Bill, taken up BUSINESS 2026 stalled „„More than 500 „„Other pending starred questions bills: Amendments remain undiscussed to Goa Municipality Act; Amendments to Goa GST „„Calling attentions, Zero Act; Amendments to Goa Hour mentions could not Panchayat Raj Act be addressed ed, Goa would have become only the third State in India to provide statutory protection to advocates, strengthening both legal practice and the justice delivery system. Another crucial legislation that could not be introduced was the Goa Medicare Service Personnel and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Loss of Property) Bill, 2026. The bill was drafted in response to rising incidents of violence against healthcare workers in states such as West Bengal, and sought to ensure safety and security for medical profes- sionals and institutions. Other pending government legislations included amendments to the Goa Municipality Act, the Goa Goods and Services Tax Act, and the Goa Panchayat Raj Act. The Opposition, too, saw its legislative agenda stalled. A total of 22 private members’ bills remained pending, including the Goa Protection of Agricultural Lands Bill, 2026. The proposed legislation, backed by a citizens’ initiative led by retired Justice Ferdino Rebello under the banner “Enough is Enough”, aims to curb indiscriminate conver- sion of agricultural land and protect Goa’s ecology, farming sector and rural livelihoods by tightening norms on land reclassification. Additional private members’ bills that failed to come up for discussion included the Conservation of River Sal Bill, amendments to the Goa Public Gambling Act, the Goa Protection of Rivers Bill, 2026, the Goa State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2026, and the Goa Breastfeeding Promotion, Protection and Support Bill, 2026. Proposals to amend the Goa, Daman and Diu Irrigation Act and the Goa Restriction on Transfer of Agricultural Land Act, along with the Goa Maritime Board Act Bill, were also left in limbo. Legislative business during the shortened session remained limited. Of the 538 starred questions and around 900 unstarred questions tabled during the seven sittings, only 20 starred questions were taken up for discussion. Ten Calling Attention motions were addressed; however, a crucial Calling Attention on the Mhadei issue, which had >Continued on P9 Fake currency racket busted in Belagavi, 3 from Goa arrested Ponda by-poll: Cong sets ball rolling, picks Bhatikar as candidate THE GOAN I NETWORK THE GOAN I NETWORK BELAGAVI Three persons from Goa were among four arrested by Market Police in Belagavi for allegedly attempting to circulate counterfeit Rs 500 currency notes in Belagavi city. Police seized 495 fake Rs 500 notes, along with mobile phones and a vehicle believed to have been used in the operation. The accused have been identified as Mohammed Arbaz (21) from Taleband-Davorlim, Rupesh Hanumanth Vakode (26) from Canacona, Mohammad Hussain Bakki (23) from Margao and Shravankumar (25) from Begusarai, Bihar. Authorities are now examining whether the accused may have attempted to circulate fake notes in Belagavi or neighbouring regions, including Goa. According to police, the case came to light on March 16, when the accused allegedly purchased goods from a shop on Khadebazar Road in HOW THEY WERE TRACKED „„Accused use Rs 500 notes at a Khadebazar shop „„Shopkeeper suspects notes are fake „„Alert sent to market police station „„Police trace, detain suspects „„Accused confess during questioning Belagavi and paid using Rs 500 denomination notes. After completing the transaction, the shopkeeper suspected that the notes were counterfeit and immediately alerted the Market Police Station. Acting swiftly on the tip-off, Police Inspector J M Kalimirchi informed senior officials and rushed to the spot with his team. The suspects were >Continued on P9 PANAJI Former MGP leader Ketan Bhatikar, who joined the Indian National Congress barely a month ago, has been declared as the party’s candidate for the upcoming Ponda by-election scheduled on April 9. The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) had earlier recommended Bhatikar’s name to the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC), which subsequently gave its approval. Notably, the Congress’ Ponda block had initially expressed strong opposition to his candidature. Confirming the decision, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said in a statement that party president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the candidature of Dr Ketan Bhatikar for the by-election to the Goa Legislative Assembly from Ponda constituency. Bhatikar had emerged as a strong contender in the 2022 Assembly elections, where he narrowly lost to former minister Ravi Naik by a margin of BHATIKAR FACT FILE „„Joined Congress barely a month ago „„Had emerged as a strong contender in the 2022 Assembly elections „„Narrowly lost to former minister Ravi Naik by around 100 votes around 100 votes. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rajesh Verenkar, who had contested the last election on the party symbol, said that workers are united and focused on defeating the BJP in the by-poll. “This tenure is only for six months, so there is no point in infighting. If the party decides to give the ticket to Ketan Bhatikar, I will support him,” he said. The by-poll to Ponda constituency is scheduled for April 9. Nomination process is underway, with March 23 being the last date for nominations. Postal dept storms into the express lane Launches three premium services for urgent deliveries PTI NEW DELHI he Department of Posts on Tuesday rolled out three premium services, with 24-hour and 48-hour delivery guarantees for urgent and time-sensitive consignments, as it seeks to reinvent itself against a growing field of courier services that promise delivery within hours. Launching the services -- 24 Speed Post, 24 Speed Post Parcel, and 48 Speed Post -- Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said India Post's revenue growth is encouraging, with a 20 per T POSTAL COMBACK: POWERING AHEAD „„New services include 24 Speed Post, 24 Speed Post Parcel & 48 Speed Post „„24-hour & 48-hour delivery guarantees for time-sensitive consignments „„Initial rollout in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad „„Nationwide expansion target by March 2027 „„Tech-enabled features include OTP-verified delivery, end-to-end tracking, real-time SMS alerts „„Business-friendly options include Book Now, Pay Later, centralised billing, API integration, free pickup for bulk shipments „„Assurance of money-back guarantee on delayed deliveries cent growth in the 11 months of FY26. Initially, these services are being rolled out in six cities -- Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad with the goal of providing nationwide coverage by March 2027. The department will utilise dedicated processing and priority air transport to adhere to delivery timelines. Scindia said the launch marks a moment of renewal for India Post and has outlined a massive underlying opportunity. The e-commerce market, he said, is set to grow to Rs 30 lakh crore by 2030, almost tripling from Rs 11 lakh crore at present. >Continued on P9 jgp.jewellers jgp.jewellers.in +91 22-68718800