PANJIM: Crucial amendments to the Tree Preservation Act to reclassify the coconut as a ‘tree’, and Agriculture Tenancy Act to revert disputed cases to the Mamlatdar are two crucial bills likely to be tabled during the upcoming 15-day monsoon session of the State Legislative Assembly, beginning on July 18.
The main business of this session will the passing of the State Budget. Addressing the members of the Press Advisory Committee (PAC), Speaker Dr Pramod Sawant said, “There are going to be 15 sittings during the monsoon session from July 18-August 7. The passing of State Budget 2017-18 is the main agenda.”
Till date 1596 questions – 590 starred and 1006 unstarred – have been received by the Secretariat, with the last date for submitting the questions being Friday. The Speaker said, “All the questions were received online and the replies will also be sent online to the concerned MLAs.”
The session is expected to witness a heated discussion on the desecration of religious structures and burglaries and thefts in South Goa.
As promised to the voters, the Government will withdraw the amendment to the Tree Preservation Act that declassified coconut as tree. The fresh bill introduced may also declare coconut as the ‘State Tree’. The Agriculture Tenancy Act will also see an amendment, wherein the government will revert the tenancy cases from the civil courts to mamlatdars.
The session will be a litmus test for the first time Ministers Vijai Sardesai (Agriculture, TCP) Rohan Khaunte (Revenue, IT), Vinod Palyekar (WRD, Fisheries), Jayesh Salgoncar (Housing, RND) and Govind Gawade (Art and Culture, Tribal Welfare), who will be facing the opposition on various issues.
A day before the Assembly session commences, MLAs and MPs will vote to elect the new President of India on July 17. During the session, the election for the lone Rajya Sabha set will be held on July 21 and for Vice President of India on August 5.
