Goa: Leader of opposition Yuri Alemao writes to speaker Ramesh Tawadkar demanding urgent meeting of business advisory committee

"I request you to convene an Urgent Meeting of the Business Advisory Committee to discuss on Duration of the Third Session of the Eighth Legislative Assembly to be further extended to Two to Three Weeks and The schedule for tabling the Legislative Assembly Questions which is now scheduled between 26th December 2022 to 28th December 2022 (the days are part of the annual Christmas and New Year Festivities) to be further extended. I further request you to ensure that Opposition MLAs are given equal opportunity and enough time to raise, participate and discuss various issues of Public Importance," wrote Yuri Alemao in his letter addressed to the Speaker.

Yuri Alemao has also pointed out in his letter that the Four Days session will allow the Members of the Legislative Assembly to raise issues by way of Legislative Assembly Questions, Zero Hour Mentions and Calling Attention effectively only for three days with the first day of the session been allotted to the Address of the Governor of Goa.

"As the above Session is scheduled between Monday to Thursday, the Opposition MLAs will not get any opportunity to table Private Member Resolutions and Private Member Bills, as no working of the Assembly will take place on Friday 20th January 2023 of the particular week," Yuri Alemao mentioned in his letter.

He has also brought to the notice of the Speaker that the Schedule announced by the Goa Legislative Secretary makes it clear that on January 17, 2023, Legislative Assembly Questions are to be tabled for Twenty Six Departments under Five Cabinet Ministers including the Chief Minister, on January 18, 2023, Legislative Assembly Questions are to be tabled for Twenty One Departments under Four Cabinet Ministers including the Chief Minister and on January 19 2023, Legislative Assembly Questions are to be tabled for Sixteen Departments under Four Cabinet Ministers.

He further said in his letter that there is a restriction to table only Three Starred Questions per day (which are taken up for verbal replies) and Fifteen Unstarred Questions per day (which are with written replies only and not taken up for verbal replies). The schedule announced deprives the Members of the Legislative Assembly of raising Questions of Public Importance as the restrictions to table the questions will not allow the Members of the Legislative Assembly to cover all the departments on a particular day.

"I want to place on record that the Government had curtailed the Second Session of the Eighth Legislative Assembly from Five Weeks to Two Weeks, depriving the Members of the Legislative Assembly to raise issues concerning the People of Goa. The Opposition MLAs were expecting a minimum Session of Two to Three Weeks duration. It appears that as experienced in the past, there will be restrictions on moving Zero Hour Mentions and Calling Attention. It also appears that as done in the past, the Rules may be suspended to further curtail the functioning of the House, stated Yuri Alemao," the letter read. (ANI)