Team Herald
PORVORIM: In a marathon eight-hour long discussion on grants, the Opposition MLAs tore into the State government’s claims that were made in past Assembly sessions and questioned how on paper, the various departments concerned have failed to achieve the promised targets.
While the Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat expressed concern that the identity of Goa will be lost with poor thought of policies and bills that were being introduced by the government, former Deputy Chief Minister Sudin Dhavalikar used data provided by the ministers to show how the State is facing an acute funds shortage.
Kamat questioned how villages were being made part of Outline Development Plans (ODPs) that would see huge multi-storey buildings come up that would convert green villages to concrete jungles. He then criticised the Agriculture department for being unable to live up to assurances given to farmers, whose livelihoods are being threatened.
Although Kamat was regularly interrupted by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and both his deputy CMs Manohar Ajgaonkar and Chandrakant Kavalekar with clarifications to the comments Kamat had made, the Opposition Leader demanded for a white paper on the government’s financial position that would offer clarity on the many concerned raised.
Kamat touched upon recent developments such as the damage caused to a car of an artist who had called on the government to provide more support to artists and the recent sexual assault case reported in Usgao Ponda. However, it was his comments about the Sports Department’s negligent attitude to the development and maintenance of swimming pools that led to a heated discussion in the house. Sports Minister Ajgaonkar and Panjim MLA Atanasio Monserrate clashed over the delay in completing the work on the Panjim swimming pool with both the BJP MLAs issuing challenges to each other by which month the pool will be completed.
Earlier in the day, other Opposition MLAs demanded that the government ramp up infrastructure in their respective constituencies and highlighted how the common man were suffering due to the government’s lethargic attitude.
The conditions of ferries in the State, fire stations, police stations were brought up as well as problems with regard to disbursement of social welfare schemes.
The MLAs also spoke about how temporary workers working with municipalities or corporations etc needed to be regularised given their years of service.
Concerns were also expressed about the degradation of the environment be it beaches, rivers etc where the legislators spelled out steps that can be taken to restore and replenish the affected areas.
There were also demands to put more impetus on hinterland and rural tourism as well as creating opportunities for locals to earn their livelihood.
