PANAJI
Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai has strongly protested the State government’s decision to hold a four-day “Silver Jubilee” celebration of the Goa Legislative Assembly Complex from October 6 to 9, questioning both the historical basis of the event and the alleged expenditure of Rs 5 crore.
In a letter to Assembly Speaker Ganesh Gaonkar on Tuesday, Sardesai said the government was “rewriting the history” of the Assembly Complex to manufacture a Silver Jubilee in 2026, when the actual 25-year milestone was completed in 2025. He said he would refuse to attend the function and accept the felicitation.
Sardesai pointed out that the foundation stone for the new Assembly Complex at Porvorim was laid on January 22, 1994, by then President Shankar Dayal Sharma, while the completed complex was formally inaugurated by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on March 5, 2000.
“The first session in the new building began in March 2000. Therefore, the Assembly Complex completed 25 years in March 2025,” he said, questioning why October 2026 had been chosen for the purported Silver Jubilee.
He also demanded that the government make public the complete cost of the celebrations, including administrative sanction, estimates, tender process, successful bid, payments and other associated expenditure.
Sardesai alleged that the celebrations were particularly inappropriate when Goa was facing unemployment, agrarian distress, economic uncertainty, rising debt and failures in basic infrastructure.
He further criticised the functioning of the Assembly, alleging that sessions had been curtailed, Opposition voices suppressed and Bills pushed through with inadequate time for scrutiny and debate.
“The Assembly is not a monument to be decorated and celebrated. It is the institutional embodiment of the people’s sovereignty,” Sardesai said.
He said his refusal to attend was not disrespect towards the Assembly but stemmed from his respect for the institution, and urged the government instead to focus on strengthening legislative scrutiny, meaningful debate and preservation of the Assembly’s historical records.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has already arrived in Goa to attend the inaugural ceremony on Wednesday.
