Team Herald
PANJIM: A two-day winter session of the Goa Legislative Assembly, scheduled to begin on February 6, has drawn the ire Opposition leaders, who slammed the government for holding the session for such a short duration.
Governor P S Sridharan Pillai issued an order on Thursday summoning the eighth session of the Eighth Legislative Assembly at 11:30 am on February 6.
The Opposition has expressed strong disapproval of the brief session. Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao called the two-day session a “mockery of democracy”, accusing the ruling BJP of avoiding key issues.
"This is a clear indication that the BJP government is afraid to face pressing issues and is undermining democratic principles," he said. Alemao highlighted concerns over unresolved matters such as job recruitments, the 'Siddiqui escape', the 'Smart City' project, a decline in tourism, and other critical issues.
“The BJP has lost faith in itself and knows that people have lost faith in them,” Alemao added. "We won’t allow them to sideline these pressing issues."
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also condemned the short duration of the session, calling for a 15-day sitting to thoroughly discuss the administration's performance. The party plans to write to IAS officers demanding the extended session. AAP accused the government of attempting to stifle public debate, citing issues like increasing drug activity in Goa, police misconduct, and revenue officials allegedly extorting local businesses.
Goa Forward Party (GFP) president Vijai Sardesai also voiced strong opposition, criticising BJP for curtailing the Assembly session. "By holding the Assembly session for just two days, the BJP government has killed democracy," he said. Sardesai pointed to ongoing scandals, such as land-grabbing and cash-job-jobs scams, as evidence of the government's unwillingness to face public scrutiny.