PORVORIM: Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant has referred The Goa Essential Services Maintenance (Amendment) Bill, 2020, to the Select Committee after the Opposition benches criticised the manner in which the government was intending to introduce an amendment to the Act.
When the Bill was tabled for “consideration and passing”, Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat was the first to raise an objection to its enforcement, demanding that the government refer it to the Select Committee.
“As per the present ESMA Act, there is already a provision of six months jail. Have you’ll (Police) sent any one (striking workers) to jail for this period or for 10 days?” he said, while seeking that the Bill will be discussed by taking the labour unions into confidence.
“Refer the Bill to the Select Committee, because otherwise it will absolutely send a wrong message to the society,” he added.
Kamat was supported by legislators Luizinho Faleiro, Ramkrishna Dhavalikar and Rohan Khaunte among others.
Faleiro termed the Bill as “draconian” while Khaunte sought to know why the government has kept important policy matters on the back burner and instead was pushing for the ESMA amendment.
The Opposition benches have been opposing the increase in the jail term to three years. It was after these suggestions were made, the Chief Minister assured the Goa Legislative Assembly to refer the Bill to the Select Committee.
On Tuesday, the government proposed to enhance punishment against persons, who employed in essential services, resort to illegal strikes. The Goa Essential Services Maintenance (Amendment) Bill, 2020, tabled by the Chief Minister in the Goa Legislative Assembly, stated that the present provision of the Act are non- cognisable in nature, which limits police action as they have no powers to arrest the perpetrators without a warrant.
This, Chief Minister had said, results in cessation of work from the persons employed in any essential services thereby inflicting grave hardship to the public at large. So also, the period of prescribed punishment is on the lower side, which is required to be enhanced in order to prevent strikes for maintenance of public utility services.
“The Bill seeks to amend Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Goa Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1988 (Goa Act No. 20 of 1989), so as to increase the punishment provided in the said sections to have deterrent effect and prevention of offence. Amendment to Section 9 is consequent in nature,” the Bill stated.
