Khaunte, Sawal take ‘independent’ agenda forward

Team Herald

PANJIM:  Independent legislators Rohan Khaunte and Naresh Sawal alleged on Monday that the upcoming monsoon session of the legislative assembly would be just an ‘eye wash’ where the voice of independent MLAs will be suppressed. The allegations come a day after Fatorda independent MLA Vijai Sardesai and Congress MLA Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco made a similar accusation. There is speculation that all four MLAs are involved in the formation of a third front.

Stating that the ruling BJP and opposition Congress are in alliance to protect the government by suppressing voices against the government, the legislators said they would hold a people’s assembly post Ganesh Chaturthi in September raising issues concerning the people.

Addressing a joint press conference Monday afternoon, the duo alleged that the new system of draw of lots for the legislative assembly questions (LAQs) has been manipulated to favour MLAs belonging to the ruling side and to deny enough time to opposition MLAs.

“The monsoon session is just an eye wash. The manipulation of lot of LAQs and 15-day session to discuss and debate the budget, is just a move to suppress the voice of actual opponents, who are vocal against the government’s misdeeds and failed promises,” they said. 

Khaunte and Sawal said that this new tactic of attempting to make the assembly impotent is yet another embodiment of a corrupt, inefficient and non-transparent BJP government in Goa. “The session may not see them (independent MLAs) as active as before, at least during the question hour, since the government’s plans to gobble up the question hour through LAQs addressed by members of the ruling or supporting parties has succeeded,” they said.

The assembly schedule circulated to the media by the duo, points out that LAQs pertaining to several crucial departments are scheduled on one particular day. For instance on the very first day – July 27 – the LAQs are on civil aviation, airport, education, personnel, water resources, panchayat, civil supplies and forest and environment.

Departments like home, vigilance, PWD, transport, will be discussed on July 28, followed by finance, planning, mines, tourism, women and child, ports on July 29. 

The duo charged the government of making yet another U-turn on Manohar Parrikar’s promise made on Legislators Day to mark 50 years of the Goa legislative assembly to have at least 50 working days of the assembly per year. The duo said that such U-turns will not only undermine the faith of Goans in the government, but also destroy public belief in the efficacy of legislative freedom to solve public issues.