DIGAMBAR KAMAT WRITES TO GOVERNOR URGING HIM TO CONVENE FULL-FLEDGED ASSEMBLY SESSION IN NOV-DEC 2020
PANAJI: Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat on Monday submitted a letter to the Goa Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari urging him to convene full-fledged session of the Goa Legislative Assembly in this month of November and December.
In his letter, Kamat has said that considerable time has passed since a proper session of Goa Legislative Assembly was held and issues pertaining to the State were discussed. The government curtailed the full-fledged monsoon session which was originally scheduled between 27th July to 7th August 2020 to a single day session on Monday, 27th July 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID pandemic.
The Leader of the Opposition has also brought it to the notice of the Governor about the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting held on 22nd July 2020 to decide about the business to be transacted during the one-day session scheduled on 27th July. Kamat has mentioned in his letter that he had categorically placed on record that a full-fledged Assembly session needs to be convened in the month of November-December 2020, to enable the Members of the Legislative Assembly to discuss on various issues pertaining to the State of Goa.
The letter written by the Opposition Leader also refers to the decision of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting held on 31st October 2020 which had resolved to demand for a full-fledged session of the Goa Legislative Assembly in the month of November-December 2020.
Kamat has also informed the Governor that he has already written a letter to the Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly vide Ref No LO/GLA/Jul/2020-21/54 dated 04/11/2020 requesting him to call for a full-fledged Assembly session in the month of November-December 2020, a copy of which was enclosed with today’s letter submitted to the Governor.
Drawing the attention of the Governor on various issues, the Leader of the Opposition wrote in his letter “You will appreciate that it is the right of every elected representative, especially from the Opposition to raise issues concerning the common man. After the breakdown of the COVID pandemic, our State is passing through various crises including economic slowdown, unemployment, environmental issues, the collapse of law and order, failure of the government in handling the COVID pandemic, and providing proper health care services and various other issues. It is our duty to raise these issues before the government and demand explanations and also make efforts to find solutions”.
Kamat has also drawn attention of the Governor to various agitations presently taking place in Goa. Referring to various protests in the State, he wrote “The entire State has gone into agitation mode with the people raising their voices against destruction of environment, forest, wildlife and identity of Goa due to the three projects namely railway double tracking, laying of power transmission line and expansion of National Highway passing through Bhagvan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park. There is strong opposition to the proposed Marina project in Sant Andre Constituency. The farmers of Shel-Melauli are protesting against the proposed IIT project”.
Alleging that the government has turned a blind eye to the rising voices of the people and due to complete apathy on part of the government to resolve the concerns raised by the people, which have now resulted in the spread of agitations across the State, Kamat has urged that it is important that the people’s issues are discussed in the Goa Legislative Assembly wherein all the 40 elected representatives can put forth their views and take a stand on various issues and has requested the Governor to convene a full-fledged session of Goa Legislative Assembly at the earliest.