MARGAO
Cuncolim MLA Yuri Alemao on Friday said the BJP government must follow the democratic process and allow MLAs to function in a free atmosphere.
The Congress MLA pointed out that after restricting the MLAs from tabling more than five sub-questions in one Legislative Assembly Question (LAQ), the most undemocratic BJP government is all out to play diversionary tactics by scheduling the two-day training session by BJP Parivar Agency for the MLAs on June 27 & 28, the days listed to submit Legislative Assembly questions.
“I have received an invitation from the Goa Legislature Department inviting me for the two-day session at Taj Vivanta in Panaji conducted by Goa Legislature Secretariat in association with Rambhau Mhalgi Prabhodini. I want to know why the training session is organised at a five-star hotel when we have a well-equipped Goa Assembly Complex,” Yuri questions, while saying ‘this is nothing but pushing the government’s agenda of wasteful expenditure’.
He said the government must focus on upholding the democratic values and allow the MLAs to function as per the provisions of the Constitution of India. Restricting the rights of the MLAs is nothing but an attempt to bulldoze the Constitution, he added.
“It is evident that the BJP wants to utilise each and every occasion to push its own agenda from the fact that most of the speakers and resource persons invited for the two-day session have their links with the BJP. The agency engaged by the Legislature Secretariat is known for its role as PR Agency of the BJP, he charged.
He pointed out that the third round of submitting the Legislative Assembly Questions pertaining to important departments like Tourism, Transport, Panchayati Raj, Industries & Trade, Fisheries, Information Technology are scheduled on June 27 while the third round of submitting LAQs for PWD, Environment, Agriculture, Revenue, Labour & Employment, Waste Management are scheduled on June 28. “How the Speaker of the Assembly Ramesh Tawadkar expects the MLAs to attend the training sessions on the same day,” Yuri questioned.
“I demand that the training session should be rescheduled to one of the Sundays by restricting the training only to “Procedure and Conduct of Business” which is the need of the hour for the new MLAs like me,” he added.
