Refuse to participate in discussion, stage walkout
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: When each of the seven Bills, which were tabled in the House previously were raised for consideration and passing, groups of opposition MLAs refused to participate in the discussion, arguing that the Bills would ‘adversely affect’ the common man.
Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco was the first to stage a walk out after his demand to place the Bills before the select committee of the House for review, was declined by Speaker Rajendra Arlekar.
“We don’t want to be a part of the Bills. The level of taxation is so high,” he said as he stood up to leave the House while referring to the ‘Goa Cess on Product and Substances Causing Pollution (Green Cess) Bill, 2013’ which was placed for discussion.
Reginaldo was supported by his party colleague Jennifer Monserrate and Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai. Speaker Rajendra Arlekar moved ahead with the voting with no MLA ready for discussion, and approved it.
Subsequently, when ‘Goa Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control (Amendment) Bill, 2013’ was tabled for discussion, it was Leader of Opposition Pratapsing Rane who walked out taking along with him MLAs Vishwajit Rane and Atanasio Monserrate.
With Opposition benches absent and no other MLAs wanting a discussion, each of the Bills tabled for consideration and passing were passed with majority voice vote.
Later Reginaldo and Sardesai addressing a joint press conference post-session expressed displeasure in the manner in which the Bills were passed in the House and claimed the entire process as ‘anti-people’s legislation’.
Sardesai said that Goa Land Revenue Code (Amendment) Bill 2013 will hike the land price by Rs 6,000 per sq mtrs. “This will mean that every 100 sq mtrs flat will cost Rs 6 lakh extra…The stamp duty has been hiked. Government only reduced VAT on petrol and to recover this, it is increasing prices from several quarters,” he alleged.
The Fatorda MLA said the hike in land prices will affect the local builders, an opinion also echoed by Reginaldo who added that cost of construction will sky rocket now.
“It will have far reaching effect…This is ‘dadagiri’ (of the government),” Reginaldo said.
The legislators claimed that all Congress MLAs have opposed all the seven Bills passed in the House.
