PANAJI
The curtailment of the Budget Session of the Goa Legislative Assembly following the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct for the upcoming Ponda by-election has led to a legislative logjam, with at least five key government bills and 22 private members’ bills failing to be taken up.
The session, which commenced on March 6 and was scheduled to conclude on March 23, was cut short midway, effectively reducing the 14-day sitting to just seven days. The abrupt truncation left a substantial volume of pending business, including 79 demands for grants worth Rs 23,000 crore, over 2,100 unstarred questions, and more than 500 starred questions slated for discussion in the remaining days. There were also calling attentions and zero hour mentions that could not come up.
Among the most significant casualties was the proposed Advocate Protection Bill, aimed at safeguarding lawyers from threats, intimidation and attacks. If enacted, Goa would have become only the third State in India to provide statutory protection to advocates, strengthening both legal practice and the justice delivery system.
Another crucial legislation that could not be introduced was the Goa Medicare Service Personnel and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Loss of Property) Bill, 2026. The bill was drafted in response to rising incidents of violence against healthcare workers in states such as West Bengal, and sought to ensure safety and security for medical professionals and institutions.
Other pending government legislations included amendments to the Goa Municipality Act, the Goa Goods and Services Tax Act, and the Goa Panchayat Raj Act.
The Opposition, too, saw its legislative agenda stalled. A total of 22 private members’ bills remained pending, including the Goa Protection of Agricultural Lands Bill, 2026. The proposed legislation, backed by a citizens’ initiative led by retired Justice Ferdino Rebello under the banner “Enough is Enough”, aims to curb indiscriminate conversion of agricultural land and protect Goa’s ecology, farming sector and rural livelihoods by tightening norms on land reclassification.
Additional private members’ bills that failed to come up for discussion included the Conservation of River Sal Bill, amendments to the Goa Public Gambling Act, the Goa Protection of Rivers Bill, 2026, the Goa State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2026, and the Goa Breastfeeding Promotion, Protection and Support Bill, 2026. Proposals to amend the Goa, Daman and Diu Irrigation Act and the Goa Restriction on Transfer of Agricultural Land Act, along with the Goa Maritime Board Act Bill, were also left in limbo.
Legislative business during the shortened session remained limited. Of the 538 starred questions and around 900 unstarred questions tabled during the seven sittings, only 20 starred questions were taken up for discussion. Ten Calling Attention motions were addressed; however, a crucial Calling Attention on the Mhadei issue, which had been deferred for response this week, remained unanswered.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had tabled the State Budget 2026–27 on March 6, which was passed on March 16 without discussion or voting on the 79 demands for grants, amid disruptions and time constraints.
The premature end to the session has raised concerns over legislative oversight and accountability, with a large volume of public and policy matters left unaddressed due to the enforcement of the election code.
