PANAJI
Goa Assembly Speaker Rajesh Patnekar has submitted before the Supreme Court that he will not be able to complete the hearings in the disqualification petition filed by the Congress party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party by February 26.
When the matter was heard last before the Supreme Court, the Speaker had submitted before the court that the Speaker had kept the matter for ‘disposal’ on February 26.
The Supreme Court had then adjourned the matter recording the submission of the Additional Solicitor General. The Speaker has now written to the Supreme Court to say that was not the case.
“The proceedings are slated to be heard on 26.02.2021. The Speaker is to hear all the respondents in both the petitions along with the submissions of the petitioners as well. In these circumstances, it may not be possible to complete and conclude the proceedings in one day. Since the order dated 10.02.2021 has recorded that the proceedings would be disposed of on 26.02.2021, it was deemed necessary and appropriate that the above facts be brought to the notice of the Court,” Patnekar said in his submission before the Chief Justice of India who leads the bench hearing the petitions.
The Speaker said the matter was under his active consideration but the pandemic struck. He was forced to postpone hearings and he himself was infected with the dreaded virus necessitating his hospitalisation for an extended period.
