Queries and business pertaining to as many as 26 crucial departments will have to be handled by Parrikar and much attention will be focussed on him
PANAJI: A 12-day monsoon session of the Goa Legislative Assembly kicks off on Thursday morning in the shadow of the raging 'formalin in fish' controversy and a stricken Council of Ministers, beginning with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Parrikar, who is known to dominate proceedings on the side of the treasury benches, will be called to shoulder additional legislative responsibilities of his cabinet colleagues who are ill, despite his own ailing self.
At least one of his cabinet colleagues, Power Minister Pandurang Madkaikar, who is admitted to Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai, is certain not to attend the session. Parrikar will have to fill in for Madkaikar as he may be expected to do so for PWD Minister, Sudin Dhavlikar, who was also recently hospitalised in Mumbai and there is no clarity on his current status.
Queries and business pertaining to as many as 26 crucial departments will have to be handled by Parrikar and much attention will be focussed on him during the 12-day session scheduled to end on August 3. The legislative assembly will debate the budget in detail and also vote on the financial demands of each ministry since the previous budget session in March had got cut short due to Parrikar's sudden illness and his hospitalization in Mumbai.
In addition, the government is also expected to pilot a number of legislations, most notably the amendment to the TCP Act which will introduce the Transferrable Development Rights (TDR) concept and also the amendment to the Lokayukta Act, aimed at tweaking the deadlines for ministers and MLAs to file their financial returns.
The Opposition Congress meanwhile is gearing to corner the government during the session with the State machinery caught napping in the midst of the ongoing 'formalin in fish' controversy.
Opposition Leader Chandrakant Kavlekar said, the treasury benches will not be allowed to get away with 'Noes' to the issues raised by his colleagues. The CLP had met on Tuesday to finalise the Opposition's floor strategy and all Legislators have also been issued a general whip to all its legislators to stay present and vote against the government, Kavlekar said.
On day one on Thursday, the House is also slated to take up as many as eighteen obituary references and pay homage to several personalities including former parliamentarian Shantaram Naik, who passed away on June 12 last, Bollywood actress Sridevi and legendary physicist, Dr. Stephen William Hawking.
