13 bills, supplementary demands on 3-day Assembly session agenda

PANAJI
The State government is set to table as many as 13 bills for introduction and passing during the three-day monsoon session of the Goa Legislative Assembly beginning August 31, even as the Opposition has condemned the curtailed session, questioning how a host of legislative and public issues can be adequately debated in such a short timeframe.
Speaker Ganesh Gaonkar on Friday chaired the Business Advisory Committee meeting to finalise the business for the session.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the 13 government bills would be introduced during the session. “The supplementary demands for grants and the appropriation bill will also be introduced. All the bills will be tabled on the very first day and taken up for discussion and passing on the third day,” he said.
The three-day session will conclude on September 2.
The decision to restrict the session to three days has drawn sharp criticism from the Opposition, with Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao saying the Congress had written to the Speaker seeking an extension.
“We had written to the Speaker that the session be extended,” Alemao said, pointing out that several issues concerning the people needed discussion in the House.
He said the Opposition had raised around 28 private members’ bills during the previous session, but these were not allowed to be taken up. “These are our rights as MLAs. This time also there is no private members’ day as the session is curtailed within three days,” he said.
Alemao said issues including the environment, land grabbing, unemployment, law and order, drugs, smart meters, electricity bills and the poor condition of roads needed to be discussed in the Assembly.
AAP MLA Venzy Viegas also questioned the government’s decision, particularly with 13 bills lined up for consideration. “There are 13 bills coming up and how do you discuss this in just one day? Last session also, bills were passed without any discussion,” Viegas said.
He said the Opposition had sought time to discuss Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning Act and that the Speaker had acknowledged the demand, asking them to raise it in the House and assuring them of time to speak.
Viegas said several other pressing issues, including Mhadei, unemployment, electricity, the water crisis and E20 fuel, also required detailed discussion.
Meanwhile, GFP MLA Vijai Sardesai has sought time from BAC for discussion on three major issues: the deteriorating road infrastructure, the unemployment crisis, and Goa’s carrying capacity and unplanned development.