PANJIM: Protem Speaker Mauvin Godinho confidently carried out the business of the Goa Legislative Assembly as he was temporarily appointed to the Chair till the election of a new Speaker on Tuesday.
For an hour that he presided over the business in the House, Godinho ensured that he was strict but neutral to all the MLAs while he also did not leave any opportunity to pull up members for disobedience or commenting on certain issues.
From asking Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar about the pathetic condition of the Dona Paula jetty, questioning him about the incomplete information on tourism-related issues to intervening in the discussion and trying to settle arguments between some of the members of the House, he did a fine job.
“I know the functioning of the House,” was his repeated comment when some members would seek his interference on certain issues – one of them being allowing a half an hour discussion on the beach cleaning scam wherein Godinho asked them to move the new Speaker.
In another comment, he asked the tourism minister to possess all tourism related details when the latter failed to table specific replies to a few starred questions. “We are a tourist State. Whatever information the members (of the legislative assembly) are asking should have been with you. The tourism department needs to be pulled up for not doing their homework,” Godinho said.
He also conducted the election of the Speaker ensuring all rules were followed, and later escorted Anant Shet to the chair in the presence of CM Laxmikant Parsekar and Leader of the Opposition Pratapsingh Rane.
