the goan I network
PANAJI
Days after the Supreme Court urged Parliament to consider mechanisms for a retired Judge headed set up to adjudicate disqualification petitions against lawmakers instead of the Speaker, the Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker, Rajesh Patnekar on Saturday issued notices to twelve MLAs against whom the Congress and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) have initiated disqualification proceedings under the X Schedule.
Patnekar issued notices to the two former MGP MLAs -- Deputy CM Manohar (Babu) Ajgaonkar and PWD Minister Deepak Pauskar -- who claimed to have split and merged with the BJP in the petition filed by former Deputy
CM Sudin Dhavlikar seeking their disqualification.
Notices were also separately sent by Patnekar to the 10 former Congress MLAs who similarly claimed to have split and merged with the BJP in August last year.
GPCC president had filed the disqualification pleas against the 10 MLAs, three of who are now ministers in the Pramod Sawant led cabinet.
Ajgaonkar and Pauskar have been issued notice returnable on February 14 when a hearing is scheduled in the Speaker’s chamber at 11 am.
The 10 ex-Congress MLAs who defected to the BJP, meanwhile have been served notice returnable a day earlier on February 13.
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court had questioned the role of Speakers in adjudicating disqualification of members of legislatures and had asked Parliament to consider a mechanism headed by a retired judge instead of the Speaker to decide the petitions in a time bound manner.
