Goa Legislative Assembly

“This House recommends the Government to revise the Goa Agricultural Tenancy (Discharge of Joint Responsibility of Tenants) Act and Rules in order to ensure that tenants and the tenant Associations are accountable for ensuring that Khazan fields are maintained and that no damage to bunds and sluice gates occur. The Government authorities are granted powers to ensure functioning of the agricultural and fishing rights and that tenant Associations are not deprived of funds due to lack of co-ordination among various Government Departments that will function in a time bound service delivery model. The necessary amendments to ensure transparency, timebound discharge of responsibilities and adequate penal provisions be made into the Act, so that protection, conservation and promotion of Khazan agriculture which is unique ecological and cultural heritage of Goa is achieved and illegal conversions, land filling and flooding of Khazan land is prevented and action is taken against the offenders

“This House unanimously recommends that a memorial be erected in memory of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia and Dr. Juliao Menezes and be named as ‘Dr. Juliao Menezes Memorial, Lohia Chowk, Assolna’. It is further recommended that a special Annual grant and adequate arrangements be made available to the Assolna Panchayat and a State level function be held on 18th June, every year to celebrate the Goa Revolution Day.”  

“This House strongly resolves the Government to formulate a Heritage Conservation Policy. Goa has got 51 notified structures under the State Archaeology Department and close to 430 additional monuments and structures with immense heritage value, the State Government is yet to put in place a ‘Heritage Conservation Policy’ to conserve and preserve these architectural monuments”.

“The House strongly recommends the Government to take serious cognizance of the high unemployment rate in the State of Goa and initiate necessary steps to provide industry-demand based job skills to at least 20,000 unemployed youth in the next two financial years under Skill Development Mission and ensure that Goan candidates are preferred in private sector jobs in the State.”

“Attention of the House is drawn as regards the concerns of vehicle owners across Goa regarding E20 petrol. Vehicles, particularly those manufactured before 2023, may face reduced mileage, performance concerns and increased maintenance costs. The impact is particularly severe on taxi drivers and motorcycle pilots, whose vehicles are their livelihood, directly affecting their daily earnings. The steps the Government has taken to take up the matter with the Centre and demand that consumers be given the option to purchase pure, unblended petrol alongside E20, especially for older vehicles, ensuring consumer choice and protecting livelihoods.”

“Attention of the House is drawn as regards the disturbing incidents of suicides among the personnel of the Goa police in recent times. The Government should conduct an immediate assessment to understand the causes behind such incidents and roll out a police welfare and psychological support programme.  These incidents have raised serious issues of working conditions, stress levels and absence of psychological support within the police force. The steps the Government has taken in the matter.”

Calling Attention moved by S/Shri Yuri Alemao, Hon. Leader of Opposition, Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva, Hon. MLAs, was not taken up, since the movers of the Calling Attention, were not present in the House, when the Calling Attention was called out.

“Attention of the House is drawn to the most current issue in respect of diversion of Mhadei waters wherein the state of Karnataka has re-started preparations in full swing by procuring generators, pipelines and setting up a working unit at “Nerse” in Khanapur taluka to divert the Khalsa-Bhandura canal waters to Malprabha. As per reports from the Goa based environmentalists and activists, the Karnataka government is expecting a green signal from the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the National Wild Life Board. The Karnataka government is staying in full preparedness to commence work without any lag and delay from the date of approval. Steps that the government has taken to address this most critical issue and the pro-active measures proposed in this regard be placed before the House.

Reply to Calling Attention to postponed to 18/03/2026

“ Attention of the House is drawn as regards the people of Goa over the depiction of extensive port limits within village areas in the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2019, as large stretches of rivers and riverbanks traditionally used by local communities, fishermen and riparian villages now appear to fall within port jurisdiction, creating widespread apprehension that such demarcations could gradually erode the customary rights of Goans over their rivers, restrict traditional access and livelihoods, and open the door for external authorities or commercial interests to exercise greater control over our waterways, and therefore the Government may clarify the basis on which these port limits have been shown and the safeguards in place to protect the rights of local communities”.

“Attention of the House is drawn as regards the measures taken by the State as regards the rising Commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking, especially as regards women and children at International, National and the name of the State of Goa is repeatedly mentioned as regards the subject matter. The steps the Government has taken to eradicate this illegality.”

The reply to the calling attention was postponed and replied on 11/03/2026 

I wish to draw the attention of this House to the growing contamination of Goa’s rivers, estuaries and coastal waters due to untreated sewage, industrial effluents, solid waste and other pollutants.

Sir, Goa’s rivers and coastline are not merely environmental assets. They sustain our fishing communities, agriculture, tourism, traditional livelihoods and public health. Pollution entering our rivers ultimately reaches our estuaries and the sea.

Government records have identified multiple polluted river stretches in Goa, including the Sal, Zuari, Mandovi, Talpona, Chapora and other rivers. The Sal has been identified as a particularly serious pollution concern.

The concern becomes even more serious with the recent reports of cadmium contamination in oysters. Fishermen have sought clarity from the authorities because contamination of shellfish raises questions not only about consumer safety but also about the livelihoods and income of traditional fishing communities.

Sir, if pollutants are entering our rivers and coastal waters, we need to know what is contaminating them, where it is coming from and whether our existing monitoring systems are actually preventing the problem.

I therefore urge the Government to:

1. Publish the latest water-quality data for Goa’s rivers, estuaries and coastal waters.
2. Conduct an independent investigation into the reported cadmium contamination in oysters, including testing of oysters, sediments and surrounding water and identifying the source of contamination.
3. Undertake a comprehensive mapping of sewage outlets, industrial discharge points and other pollution sources entering rivers and the sea.
4. Conduct an audit of all STPs and ETPs, including their functioning, capacity and compliance.
5. Prepare a time-bound River-to-Sea Pollution Action Plan, fixing responsibility on the concerned departments and local bodies.

Sir, Goa cannot allow a situation where we protect our beaches only when pollution becomes visible, while pollutants continue to enter our rivers and eventually reach the sea.

Our rivers are not drains, our coastline is not a dumping ground, and our fishermen should not have to choose between their livelihood and public health.

I therefore urge the Government to treat river and coastal contamination as an urgent public-health, environmental and livelihood issue and place a concrete action plan before this House.
 

I rise to bring to the urgent notice of this House the tragic incident at Chinchinim, where farmers lost their buffaloes due to electrocution caused by unsafe electricity infrastructure.
For farming families, livestock is not just an asset but a vital source of livelihood. The sudden loss of these animals has inflicted severe financial hardship on the affected farmers.

I therefore appeal to the Government to: Provide immediate compensation to the affected farmers on humanitarian grounds and as per Government norms.
Conduct a technical inquiry into the incident, fixing responsibility wherever negligence is established.
Prioritize pending electricity works in villages, especially those involving unsafe or damaged infrastructure.
Undertake a safety audit of overhead lines passing through wetlands, agricultural fields, and livestock‑grazing areas. Implement corrective measures such as shifting, raising, insulating, or replacing vulnerable lines.
This incident must serve as a wake‑up call. Preventive maintenance and timely completion of pending works can save lives and protect farmers from avoidable losses.
I request the Hon’ble Chief Minister and Hon’ble Power Minister to personally intervene, ensuring both immediate relief to the affected farmers and long‑term safety measures across Velim Constituency

Sir, despite the A Dalgado Konkani Academy being a premier institution for the promotion of Konkani in Roman script, it faces step‑motherly treatment. The installments are invariably released at almost at the end of the financial year, making it impossible for the Academy to plan and execute its cultural and literary programmes effectively.
The total grant of ₹30 lakh is grossly insufficient to meet the Academies needs. I therefore request the Government to clarify the budget allocation to Goa Marathi Academy, which also functions under the Directorate of Official Language, and explain why parity and fairness are not ensured between the two institutions.
This House must be assured that Konkani in Roman script, represented by Dalgado Konkani Akademy, is not discriminated against, and that timely and adequate funding is provided to preserve and promote Goa’s linguistic heritage.
 

I wish to raise an urgent matter regarding the management of open spaces in sub-divided plots. It is observed that, before issuing occupancy certificates, most of these open space areas are not transferred to the Panchayat and instead remain in the names of the owners.  

This lapse has led to widespread encroachment, with individuals using these spaces for personal purposes, thereby depriving the community of its rightful common areas. Such practices defeat the very purpose of reserving open spaces for public use and weaken the authority of local self-governance.  

This trend is seen consecutively in villages like Dicarpalli and Sao Jose de Areal, where community assets are being compromised due to such negligence.  

There is an immediate need for corrective action. I urge the Government to ensure that all open spaces in sub-divided plots are mandatorily transferred to the Panchayat before occupancy certificates are issued. Furthermore, strict action should be taken against Panchayat Secretaries found guilty of negligence or complicity in such matters.  

This will safeguard community assets, prevent encroachment, and strengthen grassroots governance.

I wish to draw the attention of the House to a matter of grave concern affecting the future of sports in Goa. The Sports Authority of Goa has recently introduced a policy requiring sports associations and schools to pay for the usage of grounds. While revenue considerations may be one aspect, this policy directly hampers the training and preparation of our state teams.  

Associations are not only training players who represent Goa at National Championships, but they also conduct State and District Championships. These are team events across six categories—senior, junior, sub-junior, men, and women. For such events, at the very least, grounds must be provided free of cost. Without adequate access to training facilities, how will our players perform well and how will sports in Goa improve?  

I urge the Government to reconsider this policy and ensure that for National team training, State and District Championships, grounds are made available free of charge. This is essential to nurture talent and uphold Goa’s sporting spirit.

The following Cut Motions to Demand No. 13 – Transport, Demand No. 19 – Industries, Trade & Commerce and Demand No. 31 – Panchayats, have been received from the Member as shown below against the respective Demands, which are fixed for discussion on the 12th March, 2026

The following Cut Motions to Demand No. 47 – Goa Medical College, Demand No. 48 – Health Services, Demand No. 49 – Institute of Psychiatry & Human Behaviour, Demand No. 51 – Goa Dental College, Demand No. 53 – Food & Drug Administration, Demand No. 54 – Town & Country Planning, Demand No. 55 – Municipal Administration, Demand No. 58 – Women & Child Development and Demand No. 68 – Forest have been received from the Member as shown below against the respective Demands, which are fixed for discussion on the 11th March, 2026.

The following Cut Motions to Demand No. 71 – Co-operation and Demand No. 74 – Water Resources, have been received from the Member as shown below against the respective Demands, which are fixed for discussion on the 7^th August, 2025.

The following Cut Motions to Demand No. 34 – School Education, Demand No. 35 – Higher Education, Demand No. 36 – Technical Education, Demand No. 37 – Government Polytechnic, Panaji, Demand No. 38 – Government Polytechnic, Bicholim, Demand No. 39 – Government Polytechnic, Curchorem, Demand No. 40 – Goa College of Engineering, Demand No. 41 – Goa Architecture College, Demand No. 44 – Goa College of Art, Demand No. 46 – Museum, Demand No. 50 – Goa College of Pharmacy, Demand No. 63 – Rajya Sainik Board, Demand No. 73 – State Election Commission, Demand No. 75 – Planning, Statistics & Evaluation, Demand No. 80 – Legal Metrology, Demand No. 81 – Department of Tribal Welfare, Demand No. 83 – Mines, Demand No. 84 – Civil Aviation and Demand No. 88 – Department of Public Private Partnership, have been received from the Member as shown below against the respective Demands, which are fixed for discussion on the 6th August, 2025.

The following Cut Motions to Demand No. 2 – General Administration & Coordination, Demand No. 5 – Prosecution, Demand No. 6 – Election Office, Demand No. 8 – Treasury & Accounts Administration, North Goa, Demand No. 9 – Treasury & Accounts Administration, South Goa, Demand No. 11 – Excise, Demand No. 12 –  Commercial Taxes, Demand No. 14 – Goa Sadan, Demand No. 17 – Police, Demand No. 18 – Jails, Demand No. 21 – Public Works, Demand No. 22 – Vigilance, Demand No. 23 – Home, Demand No. 25 – Home Guards & Civil Defence, Demand No. 26 – Fire & Emergency Services, Demand No. 27 – Official Language, Demand No. 29 – Public Grievances, Demand No. 30 – Small Savings & Lotteries, Demand No. 32 – Finance, Demand No.  42 – Sports & Youth Affairs, Demand No. 43 – Art & Culture, Demand No. 56 – Information & Publicity, Demand No. 61 – Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Demand No. 85 – Department of Rural Development and Demand No. 90 – Drinking Water Department, have been received from the Member as shown below against the respective Demands, which are fixed for discussion on the 5th August, 2025.