PANAJI: The Goa legislative assembly on Friday issued a revised schedule for the budget session in which April 1 (Maundy Thursday) has been set aside as a non-working day for the House. The revision comes a day after chief minister Pramod Sawant, following criticism from the opposition, said the assembly would not function on holidays that coincide with the Holy Week observed by the Christian community during Lent.
As per the revised schedule, the budget session will last for 13 days instead of the earlier 12. It will begin on March 24 and end on April 16. The House will not be in session on March 29, April 1, April 2, April 13 and April 14 as these dates coincide with a Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday.
On Wednesday, opposition leader Digambar Kamat and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai had expressed their disapproval over the budget session being convened from March 24 to April 12, which they said would coincide with the Holy Week and had Maundy Thursday as one of its working days. “Goa is known for communal harmony and respecting all religions. BJP must learn to respect all religions,” Kamat had said in a press note.
Sardesai had termed the issue a “cunning and premeditated attempt” by the government to hurt Catholic sentiments and “endear itself to the BJP top brass”.
Stating that it had become a habit for the opposition to criticise the government, Sawant told reporters that holidays would not be affected even on working days of the assembly.