PANJIM: A three-day monsoon session of the Goa Legislative Assembly opens on Monday amid mounting political friction, with the Opposition preparing to turn the truncated sitting into a concentrated assault on the government over law and order, land conver-sions and the controversial proposed anti-conversion legislation.
The shooting outside a casino in Porvorim on Friday, barely two days before the House meets, is expected to give the Opposition its sharpest opening attack, with Opposition leaders already accusing the government of allowing law and order to deteriorate and criminals to act with increasing impunity.
The contentious use of Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning Act, recent declarations of No Development Areas (NDAs) and non-development slopes, and the government’s decision to introduce the Goa Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2026, are expected to dominate the three-day proceedings.
The government’s handling of the session itself is likely to become an issue. Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao has accused the BJP government of deliberately reducing the Assembly to a ‘three-day farce’, arguing that the truncated sitting leaves little scope for detailed scrutiny of issues concerning land, the environment and governance.
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Alemao had earlier sought a much longer session, includ-ing 15 days, to debate pressing public issues.
“But let them be warned, the united Opposition will not be silenced. We will fight tooth and nail and grill this government inside the House,” Alemao said.
He alleged that the government was increasingly apprehensive of public opposition over Section 39A of TCP Act and other controversial decisions. “This is a corrupt, cowardly and anti-Goan government. And starting Monday, August 31, on the floor of the Assembly, we will rip apart its lies and expose its corruption on every single front,” he said.
The Porvorim shooting is likely to make law and order the first major battlefield. Opposition members are expected to question the government over the recent spate of criminal incidents and demand an explanation for what they describe as a growing sense of impunity among offenders. The timing of Friday night’s attack, in which gunmen opened fire outside a casino in Porvorim, is likely to add political weight to those questions, particularly as the incident occurred in an area close to key government and police establishments.
Land use decisions will provide another sustained line of attack. Opposition members are expected to question the government’s interpretation and implementation of Sec-tion 39A of the TCP Act, under which controversial land-use changes have triggered protests across the State. The recent declaration of NDAs and non-development slopes is likely to widen that debate from individual conversions to the government’s broader approach to land-use planning.
Adding to the Opposition’s ire is the reported disallowance of a starred question on NDAs and non-development slopes. The question was intended to seek clarity on how the government interprets the relevant provisions and whether proposals for such changes originated from individual applicants or were initiated suo motu by the TCP Department.
Its disallowance is expected to become an issue in it-self, with the Opposition likely to question why legislators should be prevented from seeking answers on decisions that have generated considerable public concern.
AAP MLA Cruz Silva said Opposition legislators had already begun coordinating their strategy. “We are in touch through our WhatsApp group and discussing the issues to be taken up in the Assembly. The government is afraid of the Opposition and is disallowing important questions on land conversions. But we will grill the government in the House,” Silva said.
The proposed anti-conversion legislation could prove to be the most politically combustible item on the agenda.
The Cabinet has cleared the Goa Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2026, which is expected to be introduced during the session. The Bill has already generated unease beyond the Opposition benches. Two independent MLAs supporting the government have opposed the proposal and demanded that it be referred to a Select Committee, while several legislators have refrained from commenting, saying the legislation had not been made available in the public domain.
A Cabinet Minister, who wished to remain anonymous, has sought to allay Opposition concerns by indicating that the Bill could be referred to a Select Committee, potentially opening another battle over the extent of scrutiny the legislation should receive.
Outside the House, the Enough is Enough movement is also preparing to keep pressure on the government. Its core committee is scheduled to meet at Miramar on Sunday, a day before the session begins, to discuss its 10-point charter.
The movement is demanding an end to hill-cutting, protection of areas around lakes, ponds and rivers, repeal of provisions permitting changes in zoning and carrying-capacity studies of villages before further development is permitted.
The convergence of political and public pressure could make the three-day sitting unusually charged despite its brevity.
Former MLA Adv Radharao Gracias said extending the session was unlikely to be possible once the Business Advisory Committee had finalised its programme. He questioned the extent to which the Speaker could act independently of the government’s wishes and suggested that the session could prove significant given that the Assembly’s term is nearing its end.
“It is impossible to get the Assembly session extended, and the Speaker will go as per the Business Advisory Committee report. With the Assembly election barely six months away, the government is taking advantage of the limited sitting to avoid prolonged scrutiny of its decisions and performance,” Gracias said.
Meanwhile, the ruling dispensation is expected to meet on Monday morning, hours before the House convenes, to finalise its strategy. The government has listed 16 Bills for introduction and proposes to withdraw six Bills, including the Goa Requisition and Acquisition of Property Bill, first introduced in 2017. The session will also open with a change in ceremonial proceedings, with Vande Mataram scheduled to be played before the National Anthem on the first day.
