The Assembly passed eleven bills in a day. The state budget totaling approximately Rs 21,000 crore was cleared by the government without a discussion. There was no discussion on demands for grants or on managing the virus. Goans of all walks of life had much to say about this state of affairs.
They passed bills that could affect us economically, politically, and socially. There is no representation of the people
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Abhijit Prabhudesai, Social Activist with the Federation of Rainbow Warriors felt the Assembly had been completely disgraced with so many critical issues not being discussed. He said “There is an absence in the monitoring of transport from the mining belt, there is effectively no law and order. The govt has to be put in the docks because the system has collapsed. People are experiencing massive economic hardship. An assembly is a place where our representatives meet and discuss legislation. They passed bills that could affect us economically, politically, and socially. There is no representation of the people. Everything is going against the peoples will”. People, he felt had to come out on the street and fight this because as he put it the political class was like Nero playing the flute while Rome burned.
He once played football for some of the biggest clubs in the state but now Cresson Antao is involved in the agitation against double-tracking of the South West Railway line from Hospet to Vasco. He said “It was a pity it was a one-day session. It was purely time pass. The budget was passed in a hurry and there was no discussion about the virus or the agitations in the state. Where is the opposition, it is sad? There is statewide opposition to double-tracking but it was not discussed. That is their job.”
Rs 21000 crore is sought to be spent without a debate
Radharao F.Gracias is a senior Trial Court lawyer and ex-President of the South Goa Advocates Association and former MLA. He said “The Assembly session held, is a mere act of tokenism to meet the constitutional mandate. The very concept and purpose of a Legislative Assembly have been virtually thrown overboard and a dangerous precedent set. It challenges the very concept of parliamentary democracy. The result is that a sum of twenty-one thousand crore rupees is sought to be spent without a debate. It is clearly a case where a suo motu judicial interference may be in order. Tragically people are also losing faith in judicial activism. A further tragedy is that the public in Goa has now come to accept govt decisions without protest. The Congress itself has ceased to be an effective opposition and with no ability to mobilize public opinion against government misdoings.”
We have been completely short-changed. The job of an MLA is to make policy
One with a social conscience architect Dean d Cruz has never been reluctant t give his measured responses on various issues affecting the state. He said “We have been completely short-changed. They are not doing their jobs. They should get the sack. The job of an MLA is to make policy. They spend a day doing it is ridiculous. We should introduce the right to recall. The damage these guys can do in five years can be dramatic. Goa has taken loans to the tune of Rs 20-30,000 crore. How much was spent on ventilators In the past there were fights but the person would be allowed to vote but here the opposition walked out and bills were passed, there was a lot of chest-beating. Nothing is known”
Here the opposition walked out and bills were passed. It’s made worse by the fact that there is no effective opposition
Noted environmentalist Claude Alvares felt it was very depressing and all one could do is internalize and keep it in memory and then do what needs to be done during the elections. The people he said had lost faith and this was made worse by the fact that there is no effective opposition. This Assembly he said was capable of doing anything. He said “. This is happening all over the country and in some places, it had reached the pits”. He said it was obvious the CM Pramod Sawant did not believe in democracy and was not a democrat.
Action of the State Government in calling for a one-day session to pass the State budget, is totally undemocratic but can never be called to question by a Court
Another legal luminary the former Advocate General, Government of Goa Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira in a statement said the action of the State Government in calling for a one-day session to pass the State budget, is totally undemocratic. Under the Constitution, it is the prerogative of the Government to call a session which can be a short one or a long gone and the duration can never be called in question in Court of law. None can demand a specific time-bound session or a session for a particular number of days. It went on to point out that Under Article 212 of the Constitution of India, there is an absolute privilege as to the proceedings of the House which means that what is done in the House as to its speeches or debates or even the procedure cannot be called in question in any Court – be it the High Court or even the Supreme Court.
Perhaps a short pithy statement by hotelier Jackk Sukhija sums it best. He said, “They could have had a zoom assembly but it was a farce”.
These are people’s views but the Assembly and the Speaker has sanctity and immunity and the might of the constitution to protect them. It may also be kept in mind that these rights are for the betterment of one person who should remain supreme in a democracy- the common man.
