LPG price surge threatens hospitality sector
The unprecedented hike of Rs 993 in the price of a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder has sent shockwaves through the hospitality and catering industry. As the steepest increase ever recorded, this sudden surge is bound to have far-reaching consequences, not only for businesses but also for ordinary citizens. This could lead to reduced profitability, staff layoffs, or even business closures in extreme cases. Small and medium-sized businesses in the hospitality sector are especially vulnerable. Unlike large chains, they operate on thin margins and may struggle to absorb such steep cost increases. These establishments have little choice but to pass the burden onto customers. As a result, the prices of food items are expected to increase significantly, making dining out an expensive affair. For many middle-class families, eating out, once a simple pleasure, may soon become an occasional luxury. The impact will be particularly severe during the ongoing wedding and festive season, where the catering industry plays a crucial role. Caterers, already dealing with fluctuating costs of raw materials, will now have to revise their pricing structures. This could lead to higher event costs, putting additional financial strain on families planning weddings and social gatherings. Given the critical role this sector plays in employment generation and economic activity, as the hospitality industry is the backbone of tourism, there is an urgent need for government intervention. A rollback of the price hike or the introduction of targeted subsidies and tax relief measures could provide much-needed relief.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Home for IIT
Since 2016, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) has been operating temporarily within the premises of the Goa Engineering College (GEC), Farmagudi (Ponda). Several sites were identified for a permanent campus but these did not materialise. In 2016, people of Loliem (Canacona taluka) opposed the IIT, in 2018 Cortalim (Sanguem taluka) was identified but was dropped in 2019 and in January 2021 the people revolted in Shel Melauli and Guleli (Sattari taluka). In May 2021 the government asked the revenue department to transfer 14 lakh square metres in Tuem village (Pernem taluka) but the mamlatdar informed that no land existed! The National Institute of Technology shifted from GEC campus to Cuncolim Municipal Area, South Goa District and its space was available from February 2024. Now, after the above extensive search, re-search and bitterness created with the people, the decision has come to a full circle. The IIT is offered land by the government at Farmagudi itself! (NT May 2) The allotted area of 4.5 lakh sqm is less because the Centre has relaxed the mandated 10 to 12 lakh sqm for IITs. The late chief minister Manohar Parrikar had informed the Centre that only 6 lakh sqm could be provided. Had his suggestion been followed, by now the IIT would have been established (maybe with fewer courses). Perhaps, similar to the two international airports in Goa, in the future there could be another IIT with a different set of courses, if sufficient land is found elsewhere.
Sridhar D Iyer, Caranzalem
Strong electoral resolve
Undoubtedly Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stands as the hero of the April 2026 month indeed. After being vilified constantly by all the leaders in the opposition and pilloried for conducting the Special Intensive Revision exercise of electoral rolls the man on a mission did not allow any detractors to pull him away from his mission of conducting free and fair elections. Some of the tough police officers from other states were brought in to intimidate those militants posing as leaders of the ruling party. The goons were silenced and the state saw nearly 93% turnout. In a proactive step to curb post-election unrest, Gyanesh Kumar has used Article 324, ordering about 700 CAPF companies to stay in West Bengal after the vote counting process. This approach marks a shift from earlier years, emphasising deterrence via continued deployment of central forces and strict monitoring of identified troublemakers across areas.
Akhilesh Krish, Chennai
Laughter heals
Life without laughter is like a flower without fragrance. The ability to laugh at oneself, at others, or at situations can be one of the most precious human qualities. It is the line that separates pleasure from pain, happiness from sadness, and comedy from tragedy. Give a person a strong sense of humour, even a wry one, and there is little chance he will slip into grief. To keep apprehension, tension, and depression at bay, to preserve friendships and relationships, and to navigate tricky or tight situations, the “laughter tonic” can be highly effective. Studies and statistics have their own value, but the human ability to relax facial muscles, burst into laughter, and go gaga often transcends learning, research, and scholarship. That is why comedy and satirical plays continue to find more takers. “World Laughter Day,” observed on May 4, was founded in 1998 by India’s Madan Kataria, a physician and founder of Laughter Yoga.
Ganapathi Bhat, Akola
