PANAJI
Ten months have passed since the House Committee on bullfights was constituted but its much-awaited report is yet to be presented to the Assembly. The panel was scheduled to submit its report in March.
The 5-member committee under the Chairmanship of St Andre MLA Vishnu Surya Wagh was announced by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on August 13 in the monsoon session of the Assembly, last year to explore the possibilities of organising bull-fights within the legal ambit.
t-size: 12px;">The committee witnessed a change in the chairmanship after Wagh was appointed the Deputy Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly. Velim MLA Benjamin Silva was chosen to head the panel on January 15, but not a single meeting was held under his chairmanship.
Under Wagh, the committee had its first meeting on November 16; the new chairman has not convened a single meeting since last five months after he took over.
When contacted for comments on the delay to convene the meeting, Committee Chairman Benjamin Silva did not respond to the several calls made by The Goan.
Former Committee Chairman Vishnu Wagh said, “Though only one meeting of the Committee was held, we had gathered a lot of information relating to the subject. We had received nearly 1,500 suggestions and objections. But, more than those suggestions, we had studied the history related to bullfights like how it is held in various parts of the world. In Fujairah, UAE bull-fights are held every Friday and they do not get any injuries, as before that the bulls are separated. So we also explored the possibility of organising it on those lines.”
During the first meeting, the Committee had taken a decision to invite opinions and suggestions from public as well as stakeholders on bull-fights which included bull owners, NGOs and peoples’ representatives, among others. Following this decision, an advertisement was issued in newspapers on November 27 regarding the same.
The committee had asked for various acts like Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, Animal Welfare Act, among others, and also decided to study the Supreme Court verdict on bullfights and all the relevant information available on bullfights.
In all, the Committee had received over 1500 suggestions and objections, including those from the states like Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, among others via post. Sources had informed that most of these were opposing bullfights.
To invite stakeholders for subsequent meeting
To hold public hearings on bullfights in prominent villages
Visit places to study conditions in which bulls are kept
To study impact on bulls due to discontinuing of agricultural activities
To visit Fujairah, UAE & Tamil Nadu to know how bullfights are organised
Timeline
AUG 13, 2015: State constitutes House Committee on bullfights
NOV 16 : First meeting of Committee held under Wagh’s chairmanship
NOV 27: Committee invites suggestions, objections from stakeholders
DEC 11: Nearly 1,500 suggestions and objections received, even from Punjab, Haryana
JAN 15, 2016: Benjamin Silva takes over as committee chairman
AAP will go it alone in Goa: Kejriwal
Q: What does AAP offer to Goa that other political parties cannot?Kejriwal: AAP offers clean politics and corruption-free governance. The BJP and Congress today are like a couple and together, they indulge in corruption. There is no hope for clean governance from both these parties. It is only the Aam Aadmi Party which has not only promised, but has now has demonstrated in Delhi that it is the only party which can provide clean politics and clean governance. AAP…
