Team Herald
PORVORIM: The opposition members, including Goa Vikas Party (GVP) MLA Francisco Pacheco, who had extended support to the formation of BJP-led government, on Wednesday staged a walk out from the floor of the House protesting against government’s action of disallowing their questions during the Question hour.
The opposition, led by leader of opposition Pratapsingh Rane and former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, complained about functioning of the State Assembly and the Government in a bid to suppress their voices. From the day one of the session (July 25), the members have raised the issues related to their questions which are either not allowed or transferred to different departments or not uploaded or are supplied with misleading replies.
The Assembly witnessed verbal dual between Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and opposition benches when the session assembled for the day during the morning.
On Wednesday, the opponents pointed out that their three important questions relating to garbage collection on national highway, casino anchored near Salim Ali Bird sanctuary and ban on purchase of vehicles by government were transferred as unstarred questions without the Speaker’s consent and concerned MLA’s knowledge.
The clubbed questions were tabled by Congress’ Kamat, Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and Independent MLAs Vijai Sardesai, Rohan Khaunte, Naresh Sawal and Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate.
Though the Speaker Anant Shet remained silent during the half an hour debate, the opposition benches got support from Deputy Speaker Vishnu Wagh who informed the House that once the Speaker decided the question as Starred or Unstarred, it cannot be changed without his consent. “There is always a different between Starred or Unstarred questions. If an MLA has put a Starred question then it has to come up for discussion… and cannot be arbitrarily transferred,” he said.
Rane said injustice is done to the members of the House. “We have every right to know the replies for the questions we have asked. We are paid to come and seat here…please don’t waste public funds like this,” he said recommending that State assembly should revert to its old ways of giving replies through hard copy rather than current system of e-assembly.
Sardesai demanded that the Chief Secretary be summoned in the assembly for disallowing the important questions. “He is already under cloud for having corruption charges. He is following government’s directions to ensure that their misdeeds don’t get exposed,” he stated.
Kamat and Khaunte also backed Sardesai’s demand.
Parsekar defending the government said “it is wrong to disallow the question.” “But some questions are asked to wrong departments,” he added.
The chief minister suggested that though the questions are disallowed, the issues can be raised through calling attention motion or during the speeches on demands for grants of various departments.
Minister Rajendra Arlekar claimed that the crucial time of the session is been wasted raising unwanted issues.
Reacting to the walk out, the chief minister said the opposition was trying to get media attention by indulging in such tactics like rushing out of the assembly.
