The curtailment of the Monsoon Session of the State Legislative Assembly to three days has met with displeasure from the political parties on the opposite side of the well that has used the opportunity to claim that the government is afraid of facing the opposition and has hence not agreed to the demand that the session should be of at least nine days. Politically, with just months to go before the next Assembly election, a long session would give the opposition the opportunity to play to the galleries and perhaps work to the disadvantage of the ruling party. But from past experience, it does appear improbable that the current opposition is in much of a position to push the treasury benches to the wall in the House.
It is the duty of the Business Advisory Committee to recommend the extension of the session. The committee that met last week did not succeed despite the Opposition representatives on the committee in one voice seeking this.
But, if they really do mean business the Opposition can still work the three days of the session to their benefit by avoiding the theatrics they have employed in the past and debating issues with the government on the Floor of the House. This session will see the Budget being taken up for discussion which provides the possibility of a number of issues that can be raised by the opposition, if only they plan their strategy in advance and stick to it. This is apart from the question hour and the Zero Hour opportunities that the Opposition will have on all three days to corner the government.
However, the opposition has to be given adequate time to raise questions in the House as this is the only manner in which people’s issues can be addressed. Goa, as pointed out by Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat, is at a ‘critical time’ where an economic slowdown due to the pandemic induced lockdowns and curfews has disrupted business and industry leading to unemployment, and even academics has not been spared. These are besides the existing mining operations that remain shut and the environmental issues caused by the transportation of coal. These are issues that the Assembly has to take up for debate and resolution. A curtailed session will not allow it to happen.
Earlier this year, Herald had reported on how the number of days that the Assembly meets have been reducing every term, with the current Assembly having met for just 1.5 days a month. Experts, whose views had been solicited for that report, had been clear that when the number of days of the Assembly’s functioning is shortened, it is the people’s voice that is curtailed, as it is the opposition MLAs that bring the issues of the people to in the Assembly and they do not get the chance to speak. A longer sitting of the Assembly presents a better opportunity for MLAs to raise issues before the House and receive assurances.
Look back at July 2020 when there was a single-day’s session, called only to meet the Constitutional requirement of not having a gap of more than six months between two sessions of the Legislature. On that single day, the opposition walked out and the Assembly transacted a record amount of business – passing the State Budget, Demand for Grants, 11 government bills without any cut motions or discussions. Practically, by calling for the short sessions the State has been meeting the provisions of the law in letter rather than also in spirit and while this has worked to the advantage of the government, it is definitely not providing for people’s issues to be raised and addressed, which is what democracy is all about.
