Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa Assembly elections are likely to be held in February 2027, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant said, setting the stage for an intensifying political battle in the state.
Sawant said that the final election schedule, however, will be announced by the Election Commission of India.
With the term of the present Goa Legislative Assembly ending in March 2027, the government is moving ahead with a series of development and administrative decisions as the state enters the crucial pre-election period.
At its latest Cabinet meeting, the government approved several measures covering infrastructure, education, employment and public services.
Among the major decisions is the waiver of 9,525 long-pending electricity bills amounting to around ₹12 crore.
Sawant said some of the dues were 30 to 40 years old and related to consumers who no longer exist or cannot be traced.
The Cabinet also approved the allotment of 2,729 square metres of Water Resources Department land to Jyoti School for Children with Autism at Davorlim on a 40-year lease.
On employment and administration, the government decided to shift recruitment and reservation matters concerning the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category from the Directorate of Social Welfare to the Department of Personnel.
It also approved a unified common cadre for Group C and Group D employees working across the North Goa, South Goa and Kushavati Collectorates.
The Cabinet further approved two contractual Assistant Professor posts at Goa Medical College, one in Physiology and another in Sports Science/Orthopaedic Surgery.
Infrastructure is also expected to be a major focus ahead of the polls. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari is scheduled to inaugurate the Porvorim-Guirim elevated corridor on September 10, while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to inaugurate the Patradevi Hutatma Smarak on August 25.
The government has also approved proposed amendments to the Goa Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, in line with recent GST Council decisions. The amendment Bill is expected to be introduced in the Goa Legislative Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Education has issued a show-cause notice to Deepvihar High School following the drowning death of a 17-year-old student during a school picnic, putting student safety and accountability under renewed scrutiny.
