THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
A resolution seeking accountability and fulfilment of all assurances made in the House was defeated by a division of votes in the Goa Legislative Assembly on Friday.
AAP MLA from Benaulim constituency, Venzy Viegas, tabled the resolution alleging that the Assurance Committee had been inactive, resulting in several assurances not meeting their deadlines.
“This House resolves that the Government makes provision for ensuring all assurances given on the Floor of the House to be fulfilled with a guaranteed time frame to ensure accountability and fulfilment,” his resolution stated followed by a discussion.
Viegas listed some unfulfilled assurances to his questions and resolutions tabled in the past sessions, including the permanent pension for seafarers. He also expressed concern over numerous other assurances made in the House without proper execution, deeming the entire process a failure. “We need to set deadlines for these assurances to avoid breaches and failures,” he added.
Supporting the motion, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai remarked that no commitment to fulfil the assurances results in a significant gap while he called for holding the concerned minister accountable.
During the discussion, MLA Aleixo Reginald Lourenco, who faced criticism for the committee’s inactivity being its Chairman, clarified that it was the Legislature Secretary's responsibility to summon and notify concerned ministers of meetings. However, Minister Nilesh Cabral corrected him, stating that the Chairman should call for the meetings without reminders.
Cabral’s statement was also prompted as Lourenco further commented that if he had not called for the meeting, the members should remind him.
As the discussion continued for around half an hour, Sardesai further highlighted that other committees, including PAC and PUC, whose main role is to act as watchdogs to prevent scams, had also not met. "If these committees had met, I would not be highlighting all the scams in the House," he stated.
The legislators collectively demanded an action-taken report containing a list of assurances made by each department on the floor of the House and their current status.
Responding to the Opposition legislators, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant denied that assurances were not met and submitted that the government fulfilled 95 per cent of its promises. He directed the Legislature Secretary to compile all assurances department-wise and forward them to the Chief Secretary for further action to ensure fulfilment through respective departments.
The CM then requested Viegas to withdraw the resolution, which was not agreed upon, leading to the division of votes.
