"There were several lapses in the administration. The questions were too spicy for the government; they couldn't handle that. They kept transferring the LAQs from one department to another. The Legislative Chamber and Speaker's Chamber have to be neutral... Basically, several questions weren't answered, so the government used a backdoor entry to dodge the replies, and the supplementary questions were even cut short. Next time, I will move a breach of privilege if they keep doing this dodging. The Opposition's efforts were tremendous and the government was on a withdrawal mode. We went with an idea for Goa's interest, and I believe whatever was done and assured by the government has to be honoured. I hope the government takes it sportingly and fulfills its assurances."
Yuri Alemao, Leader of Opposition
Ruling MLAs admitted failures, lapses
"All in all, it was a celebration of democracy. The treasury benches, in some way, admitted their fault; they didn't disrupt the proceedings of the House much. We had an advantage in the session because we raised every issue from small issue to major scams. However, there was reluctance in replying to our critical questions wherein the government cited rules stating that these were trivial questions that couldn't be answered. But we have other platforms, and that's RTI. I appreciate that ruling legislators including Michael Lobo highlighted some pathetic works, lapses and irregularities happening across departments."
Vijai Sardesai, GFP MLA
Budget overestimated
and underutilized
"The government’s shortcomings were evident across various sectors, particularly in meeting the basic needs of the common man such as electricity, roads, water, healthcare & education.
The Budget has been problematic for the past five years, consistently overestimated and underutilized. There is confusion over key financial details such as revenue surplus and expenditure obligations. I believe that only 45-50 percent of the budget is actually spent across most departments. Interestingly, the government's failings were highlighted by their own legislators, albeit in a more measured tone. The opposition's handling of the bills in the Assembly was commendable. Several bills, which had not been adequately discussed with stakeholders, were withdrawn, and one was referred to the Select Committee. The overall message is clear: as the opposition, we are committed to protecting our land, paddy fields, and ensuring that ill-considered bills do not pass."
Venzy Viegas, AAP MLA
