Assembly session from Monday
PANJIM, JULY 16
In a late development, the Bharatiya Janata Party has served a no-trust motion notice against the Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly Pratapsing Rane.
The notice was served this evening by the Opposition leader Manohar Parrikar at the Speaker’s office, at the Legislative Assembly Complex, in Porvorim.
Parrikar told Herald that his party has submitted the no-confidence motion notice against the Speaker. “The Speaker has failed to give judgement in time on the anti-defection cases”, Parrikar said adding some of the cases are pending for over three years now.
Herald understands there are five such disqualification petitions pending with the Speaker including petitions against Sudin Dhavlikar and Dipak Dhavlikar filed by Calangute MLA Agnelo Fernandes, against Victoria Fernandes filed by Babu Kavlekar and against Churchill Alemao and Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco filed by NCP legislator Mickky Pacheco.
Parrikar further stated that Rane has also failed to manage the Assembly in a proper manner. “The Speaker has also failed to take action against the ministers for furnishing wrong answers in the assembly”, he said.
Apart from this, the BJP has also questioned the Speaker’s proximity to the Congress party. “The Speaker should be unbiased but the here Rane’s attitude clearly shows he is biased towards the ruling coalition”, he stated.
Meanwhile, gearing up for the monsoon session of the Assembly beginning July 19, the BJP declared that issues such as illegal mining, excise scam, police-drug dealer nexus are high on its agenda but also categorically stated that Health Minister Vishwajit Rane should be prepared to face brick-bats.
Addressing a press conference at Assembly Complex on Friday following a meeting of the BJP legislative wing, Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar, said all issues were discussed in the meeting that will be posed during 15-day session of the Assembly.
Criticising the health minister Parrikar said they would not allow district hospital in Mapusa to be privatised and show him what they can do if he doesn’t toe the line. “We will show him what we can do if the hospital is not opened by August 15”.
The BJP has given a deadline of August 15 to inaugurate the new hospital but health minister has blatantly declined to meet the demand of the Opposition.
Parrikar said the hospital which has been ready for two years can easily be commissioned by transferring the existing set-up of the old Asilo hospital in the new building.
Moreover, equipment worth crores of rupees are lying unused and their warranty of most apparatus have already expired. The Government is spending about 1 crore on maintenance of the hospital alone, he said.
When pointed out that BJP had praised Vishwajit in the past calling him a dynamic minister, Parrikar said, Vishwajit did initiate some schemes that were good. Also, being a first minister he was given some space for a year or so. But, he can expect no such gesture from the Opposition now as he is been “interested in protecting his own health rather than health of the people”.
