The Congress Legislative Party (CLP) after a meeting on Tuesday criticised the BJP-led coalition government in Goa for calling just a three-day session of the Assembly from January 29 and termed it a “farce”.
Leader of the Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar said, “I had demanded in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting [on Monday] that the session be extended as nothing can happen in three days. No business can be conducted after the Governor’s address on the first day. There will be the Question Hour and presentation of the budget. There will be no time for discussion.”
Mr. Kavlekar said last year the Assembly functioned only for 16 days, a first in the State’s history. He said, “The Chief Minister has said that he will convene the next session for 18 to 19 days, but merely saying will not do. We will write to the government seeking a longer session, when the Assembly is convened next. We will also be raising the issue in this session. Is the government trying to dissolve the Assembly and impose President’s Rule? Such things have happened before.”
Mr. Kavlekar said in the BAC meeting that last year the budget was presented and vote-on-account was taken with an assurance that there would be a long session during the monsoon, but eventually the session was held only for four days.
He said, “This time it should not happen. First of all, you are holding a budget session for three days and a five-month vote-on-account. In reality, if they convene a session only for a vote-on-account and [not for discussion], then it is wrong.”
Girish Chodankar, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president, said, “The three-day Assembly session is a farce, it is only to fulfil a Constitutional obligation. There should not be a gap of six months between two Assembly sessions. They are not fulfilling democratic values.”
Mr. Chodankar said when the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar used to be the Leader of the Opposition, he would insist on the Assembly being in session for 40 to 45 days to discuss issues of public interest.