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THE GOAN SPECIAL
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EXPENSES IN 2015
Rs 10,05,174
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AILING MLAs & FAMILIES: 06
HIGHEST BENEFICIARY: Digambar Kamat
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OTHERS WHO BENEFITTED
Ganesh Gaonkar
Anant Shet
Benjamin Silva
Francis D’Souza
Subhash Phaldessai
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WHAT DOES RULE STATE
* Speaker shall have the power to sanction medical bills up to an amount of Rs three lakh
* For amounts exceeding Rs three lakh, medical bills shall be referred to a legislative panel
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WHO EXCEEDED RS 3 LAKH
* Pratapsing Rane in 2013 (Rs 11 lakh)
* Health Minister Francis D’Souza in 2013 (Rs 4.99 lakh)
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Since 2012, the state government has spent over Rs 42 lakh for treatment of Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and their family members.
Governed under the Goa Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Goa Legislative Assembly Act, 2004, MLAs and their family members can avail of medical reimbursements within as well as outside the state.
Last year alone, the state spent a total of Rs 10,05,174 on treatments provided to six MLAs and their families. The highest was availed by Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, totaling Rs 1,29,606 for treatment that was provided outside the state. Other MLAs that availed of the benefit last year included Ganesh Gaonkar, Anant Shet, Benjamin Silva, Francis D’Souza and Subhash Phaldessai.
According to the act and its amendments, sanctioning of bills above the cost of three lakh would be done by a panel comprising the Chief Minister, the Speaker and the leader of opposition.
As per the rule, “The Speaker shall have the power to sanction medical bills up to an amount of Rs three lakh and for amounts exceeding Rs three lakh, medical bills shall be referred to a panel consisting of the Chief Minister, the Speaker and the Leader of Opposition for sanction.”
Those that fit this part of the amendment included leader of opposition himself, Pratapsing Rane who had in 2013 availed of health benefits worth Rs 11 lakh for himself from outside the state.
Bills of the Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Francis D’Souza also exceeded the three lakh count. In 2013, D’Souza was sanctioned Rs 4.99 lakh for treatment within the state and in 2014 was granted Rs 3.20 lakh as medical reimbursement.
In 2014, the ministers had availed a total of Rs 6.36 lakh in medical reimbursements with Rs 48,479 being availed of by Vishnu Surya Wagh outside the state of Goa. In 2013, the state had spent a total of Rs 20.67 lakh with MLAs including Kiran Kandolkar (Rs 2.16 lakh) , Dayanand Mandrekar (Rs 12,800) and Subhash Phaldesai (Rs 72,237). As for the year 2012, a total of Rs 4.99 lakh was reimbursed under the act to MLAs.
The act allows for members and their family members to avail of free of charge medical attendance at government hospitals including Goa Medical College (GMC). If doctors at the GMC are of the opinion that the patient’s case is of a serious nature, “it shall recommend the case to such hospital outside the State of Goa as recognized by the Government of Goa, for investigation and medical treatment.”
