Team Herald
PORVORIM: The Assembly on Friday rejected the Public Undertakings Committee (PUC) report after Legislative Affairs Minister Aleixo Sequeira argued that the committee’s term had ended.
Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao had tabled the 22nd and 23rd reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) for the years 2014-15 and 2015-16. However, Sequeira contended that the reports could not be presented since the PUC’s term ended on March 31, 2024. He suggested that the House could make a decision on the matter if it disagreed.
Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar clarified that a bulletin issued on February 10, 2024, had appointed Vasco MLA Krishna ‘Daji’ Salkar to the panel of Presiding Officers and Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral as a member of the Budget Committee.
Alemao countered, stating that Bulletin No. 150 clearly indicated all committees had been reconstituted. Following a vote, the report was rejected by 30-6 votes.
This development follows a report in O Heraldo on January 29 that which raised concerns over the status of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and PUC meetings convened by Congress MLA Altone D’Costa and Alemao, as both committees’ terms had expired.
Later, the Speaker reconstituted various committees for 2025-2026.