Team Herald
PANJIM: The first day of the Budget session of Goa Legislative Assembly commenced with complaints from Opposition MLAs over the delay and illegible replies from the government to their questions in the Starred and Unstarred categories.
Speaker Rajesh Patnekar instructed the Secretary Legislature to ensure that MLAs receive a copy of reply to their questions at least 48 hours before it is scheduled for discussion on the floor of the House.
The United Opposition questioned whether the government was not taking the Assembly session seriously. Opposition Leader Digambar Kamat, in a protest to government’s refusal to postpone an already postponed starred question due to illegible reply, refused to table his question on Wednesday.
“Is the government not taking the Assembly session seriously? Why the reply to questions we have asked not being given to us 48 hours in advance? What are you (government) trying to hide,” Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai asked.
“What is the use of the Assembly session,” Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte questioned as he pointed out to an incomplete reply to one of his Starred Questions and “missing annexures” on another issue of the now-scrapped IT project at Melauli.
The Opposition leaders sought Speaker’s directions to act against the concerned officer for delay in responses. The Speaker directed the Legislative Secretary to ensure henceforth replies are submitted to the concerned MLAs 48 hours prior to the questions being tabled on the floor of the House.
The first hour of the business - Question Hour - began but Kamat, pointed out that replied to a postponed starred question on “Events Organised” is non-readable. He sought for its postponement until clear reply copies are given to him to which Chief Minister Pramod Sawant refused.
In protest to this refusal with no support from Speaker, Kamat said he will not ask the question. “Speaker has to protest the interest of the MLAs. It is not my fault that the replies are not readable. How will I frame supplementary questions without clear copies,” Kamat said.
“The digitised copies are not proper,” MGP MLA Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar added supporting the United Opposition.