Oppn flays govt as Assembly session restricted to 3 days

Team Herald

PANJIM: Notwithstanding to the Opposition demand for a lengthy full-fledged session of the Goa Legislative Assembly, the State government has decided to go ahead with the three-day sitting of the House from July 28. The government said that if the COVID-19 situation turns conducive, another short session can be held in October.

The Opposition on the other hand claimed that Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant is afraid to face them and hence has curtailed the session. 

The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the State Legislative Assembly under the chairmanship of Speaker Rajesh Patnekar met on Friday to decide the Business of the House during the upcoming session.

Speaking to media persons post the meeting, Patnekar said the government has decided to go ahead with the three-day session from July 28. 

He said that during the session the State Budget 2021-22 would be passed and he will ensure that all the MLAs get an equal opportunity to raise their voice. 

Legislative Affairs Minister Mauvin Godinho said that across India, several State Assemblies are holding short sessions in the wake of the COVID situation and hence Goa government too decided to have a three-day session.

He said that in order to give a chance to all the members they have increased the calling attention quota to four per members per day and private member resolution quota to seven for the day.  

“If COVID situation improves, and if required, we can take one more session in October,” Godinho said.

During the meeting, Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat demanded a nine-day session as decided by the Business Advisory Committee in its Meeting held on 30th March. 

He said that the government is afraid of facing the opposition in the Assembly and hence has curtailed the Assembly Session just to three days.

Kamat submitted a dissent letter to the Speaker during the meeting and objected to the decision of the government to prorogue the 14th Session of the 7th Legislative Assembly. 

“This act of the government is breach of the decision taken by the Business Advisory Committee. The Constitutional right of the elected representative to table questions pertaining to various departments is snatched by the government,” he charged.

Kamat said that as per the time table announced by the Legislature Secretariat, 20 departments are listed on day one of the Session, 25 for the second day and 17 for the third day of the Session. 

“This clearly exposes the fact that the Members will not be able to table questions on all the departments on a particular day,” he charged.

Goa Forward Party (GFP) president Vijai Sardesai too charged that the government is scared of the Opposition. 

Sardesai said that there are many issues of mismanagement, corruption, Mhadei that need to be raised and discussed but the government is skipping this by taking a three-day session. “They should have taken 10-day session,” he said.

He added that MLAs who have been elected to serve the people by legislating and discussing and debating the views, hopes and aspirations and issues and problems of their constituents, are failing them miserably by participating in only token, nominal and mandatory legislative sessions.

Sardesai said that the Opposition in the present Assembly has repeatedly demanded a full session to be held as many important and critical issues facing Goans and future generations have to be debated and discussed so that their future is salvaged and protected. 

“All our requests and demands have come to naught so far and there appears to be a premeditated and scheming approach of the ruling benches to avoid bringing up these issues on the floor of the House. This is an obvious plot to bulldoze through all the anti-people actions of the government without allowing any proper debate,” he said.