PORVORIM: The first day of the Goa Legislative Assembly’s monsoon session had to be adjourned till Friday morning without any business being transacted, after Congress MLAs created a ruckus disrupting the proceedings moving for an adjournment motion on the issue of formalin in fish.
The Opposition demanded a detailed discussion on the contentious matter on grounds that the news of formalin being found in fish has created fear in the minds of people.
After four adjournments in the first session, with Congress MLAs rushing to the well of the House, Speaker Dr Pramod Sawant, adjourned the day’s proceedings till 11.30am on Friday. The House was first adjourned at 11.45am till 12.00noon, later it was adjourned at 12.05pm to 12.30pm and thereafter from 12.30 to 12.45 and then till 2.30pm.
The 12-day long monsoon session of Legislative Assembly began on Thursday. The first two days of the session have been slated for passing of the State Budget 2018-19.
When the session started, the Opposition benches did not allow Question Hour to be taken up. Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant Kavalekar demanded that the adjournment motion moved in connection with the finding of formalin in fish by the State Food and Drugs Administration Department, be permitted for a detailed discussion and a concrete solution from the government.
Kavalekar pointed out that the motion notice which was served to the Speaker on Wednesday was under Rule 68 of the Business of the House, which pertains to issues of urgent public importance.
“There is complete panic amongst people post the report by FDA, first stating that fish is positive of formalin content and later stating it is within permissible limit. There is a kind of fear and people have stopped consuming fish,” he said.
He pointed out that as per doctors, consumption of formalin injected fish is harmful for health and can cause diseases like cancer. “I don’t think there should be any other important issue than this to be debated on the Floor at present,” he said as all 16 Congress MLAs stood united on the issue.
Sawant, however, did not allow the adjournment motion and instead asked the Opposition benches to take up the issue through a calling attention motion, which was also moved on the same issue by Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral. The Speaker said that the calling attention motion would be taken up immediately after Question Hour.
“I also know that the issue is of utmost importance and hence I am ready to take up a calling attention at 12.30pm itself. But for this one issue, I cannot allow Question Hour to be suspended. We spend lakhs of rupees per sitting,” Sawant said.
The Speaker also informed the House that the notice issued by the opposition was for an adjournment motion and not for suspension of Question Hour. By standing, the Speaker requested the Congress MLAs to maintain decorum of the House and to act as per the rules of business.
The Opposition, however, refused to listen and all the members rushed to the well of the House, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the proceedings.
When the session resumed at 12.00 noon, the Speaker allowed BJP MLA Rajesh Patnekar to table his question pertaining to the Goa Bhavan in Mumbai. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar attempted to respond to the question, while Opposition members continued insisting that the adjournment motion be considered on a priority basis by suspending Question Hour.
The ruling benches, including the Chief Minister, maintained total silence.
Earlier speaking, Congress MLA Luizinho Faleiro, shouting shame-shame, said that the fish mafia is killing Goans and is slowly poisoning fish consumers. “This is a merchant of greed and horror and it needs to be tackled immediately. This is a burning issue concerning almost every Goan,” he said.
Faleiro claimed that the mafias have always been supporters of political parties including his in the past. “But there is nothing more important than the health of the people and we want to know what the government is doing,” the MLA said.
