PANJIM: The stage is set for a fresh confrontation between the Ruling and the Opposition on the first day of the Monsoon Session of the Goa Legislative Assembly with the latter already geared up to mount pressure on the government, demanding immediate resignation of Industries Minister Mahadev Naik over allegations of misappropriation of funds and holding back the Betul-Quepem land allotted to Defence Ministry.
While there would be commotion on the floor of the House, the situation outside the Assembly complex will too garner public attention. The Forum for Rights of Children’s Education (FORCE) will stage indefinite chain hunger strike from Monday if the government fails to implement its year-old Cabinet decision on giving grants to English medium primary education, into an Act in the current session.
The proposed Third Front consisting of three Independents and a Congress legislator has resolved to stall the proceedings of the House if Naik does not step down from the post before presenting the annual report on SC/ST and other backward classes during the morning hours. Moreover, the Opposition benches have also demanded holding back the allotment of GIDC land to Defence Ministry until the Assembly is taken into confidence.
Meanwhile, the Legislative Assembly has received 2953 LAQs for the 15-day long Monsoon Session, which will be nearly 90 percent paperless. Speaker Rajendra Arlekar said attempts are on to make it 100 percent paperless in the next Assembly session.
“The current session will be nearly 90 percent paperless, more than what it was during the last assembly session. But from the next Assembly session, the business of the House will be 100 percent paperless,” he said.
Of the total number of questions, secretary Nilkhant Subhedar said about 1000 are starred while the remaining are unstarred questions. Three major bills – Amendment to the Goa Agriculture Tenancy Act 2014, Goa Municipalities Act, 1968 and Goa (right to time-bound delivery of public service) Act, 2013; all of which are amendments to the existing Act will be amongst other bills to be tabled during the session.
