ALDONA: Aldona Congress MLA Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira lambasted the government for calling only a two day session of the Goa Legislative Assembly accusing them of being afraid of the opposition and calling the move undemocratic.
Speaking to reporters, Adv Ferreira said that the government was afraid of the manner in which they were cornered not just by the opposition, but also by their own MLAs during the previous monsoon session.
“You have seen the last assembly session, which was a long session, and we as the opposition got the time to call the government to account and to floor the government. During the session, not just us, the opposition, but the ruling MLAs too began to make a noise — that the works are not being done, files are not being passed,” Adv Carlos said.
“I think that the manner in which we floored the government, they have now curtailed the session to just two days,” he added.
“I don’t want to use the word unconstitutional, but this is not democratic. I think what the government is doing is setting a bad precedent. You don’t have to have a one day session, two day session to mark attendance and to show that ‘we have done one session’ and as per the summons we have received and bulletin, we have to put all questions of all departments on one day,” he said.
He said that despite having low expectations of a four day session, even he was
shocked when the government announced that it was just a two day session.
“Why shocked? because this is the new session of the new year which has to be addressed by the Governor. The first day the government will speak, the second day, where will all the 40 MLAs — minus one who is the speaker — get the time to speak? Besides, there will be government business as well. That one day is not sufficient. I think this is cowardice. They are afraid and I think the government doesn’t want to face the legislators,” he said.
He, however, noted that the constitutional requirement is that every six months there has to be six months. But there is nothing about the duration of the session. It can be one-day, can be 10, 20 days that is not written in the constitution,” he also said.
“So how do we take so many departments with so many questions — starred, 25 unstarred. It is not possible so it is not justice. I don’t think this is healthy in a democratic set up,” he also said.