House adjourned after opposition mounts pressure
PANJIM, JULY 28
Under continuous fire from opposition benches in the legislative assembly over rising prices of essential commodities, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Wednesday said he was willing to take suggestions from all members to modify the price control intervention scheme and pump in more money to bring relief to the common man.
However, the reply didn’t find favour with the opposition leader Manohar Parrikar and Fatorda legislator Damu Naik, who proposed a debate on the subject. Both of them continuously interrupted the proceedings by referring to statistics to indicate corruption and other malpractices in the departments concerned.
Noisy scenes were witnessed at regular intervals during the more than half-an-hour discussion on the subject with opposition members maintaining corruption had resulted in the common man buying essential commodities at exorbitant prices.
When the CM said he was willing to pump in more money into the scheme, Parrikar asserted the government has to specify the amount in figures or else there was no substance in Kamat’s statement . He rubbished the chief minister’s claim that the price control scheme in Goa was unique in the country.
The CM said money was not an issue and maintained his government had withstood the financial implications of the implementation of the VIth Pay Commission recommendations last year.
Not finding favour with the assurances given by Kamat and refusing to pay heed to Deputy Speaker Mauvin Godinho, Damu started walking to the well of the house shouting “Shame shame…” after which Godinho latter adjourned the proceedings for tomorrow and walked away. Subsequently, Parrikar and some others also walked to the well of the house.
Parrikar criticised the Civil Supplies Department’s decision to provide 10 kg rice per family per month when the need of one individual is around five to six kgs in a month.
CM said the price rise was a global phenomenon and even during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA regime) prices of essential commodities had gone up.
Parrikar also alleged massive corruption involving crores of rupees in the horticulture department and also accused it of giving more privilege to produce from neighbouring States.
Aldona legislator Dayanand Narvekar said the government had made no efforts to increase the rice quota for BPL (below poverty line). “While the APL (above poverty line) people can buy wheat, the BPL families have been denied the same. Why this discrimination?” he questioned.
Narvekar said in his constituency applications for fair price shops are kept pending for the last six months. Also, 5,000 ration cards of BPL (below poverty line) families are ready but they are not distributed with the sole intention of denying them their rice quota, he charged.
Civil Supplies Minister Jose Philip D’Souza, who felt the heat from the opposition, suggested a committee under the chairmanship of the CM to look into the matter. “I would like to take the support of the opposition to see that the common man gets relief from this price rise,” he stated.
