Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: In a strongly-worded letter addressed to the Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Vijai Sardesai, President of the Goa Forward Party, has expressed deep concern over the diminishing significance of Assembly sessions in Goa.
Sardesai’s letter highlights how these sessions have become mere formalities, failing to provide adequate time for meaningful discussions on critical issues affecting the state.
Sardesai’s letter, submitted while indisposed due to a viral infection, protests against the short duration of Assembly sessions and the perfunctory manner in which Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meetings are conducted.
He argues that despite having a comfortable majority, the government restricts Assembly sessions, preventing thorough discussions on pressing matters.
Sardesai emphasizes that the opposition is often denied proper responses to questions, both verbally and in written form and that the short sessions exacerbate this problem.
The letter also criticizes the current system of question hour, where ruling party MLAs dominate, often raising issues that could be addressed outside the Assembly. This, Sardesai argues, wastes valuable time meant for crucial legislative discussions. He advocates for a minimum of 50 working days in a year for the Goa Assembly, contrasting this with the current insufficient number of sitting days.
Furthermore, Sardesai points out that bills are often introduced with insufficient notice, leaving legislators little time to research and propose amendments. He suggests that bills should be introduced at least 36 hours before they are put to a vote.
As Sardesai notes, “The number of sitting days is grossly insufficient to address the concerns of the people. Goa Assembly must have a minimum of 50 working days in a year, yet we are not even close to achieving two-thirds that number.”
He also emphasizes the need for immediate responses to the Governor’s and Chief Minister’s speeches within the same session to ensure timely debate and accountability.
The criticism comes amidst a backdrop of declining Assembly session durations across India. In Goa, recent sessions have been particularly short, with the opposition protesting against the brevity of these sessions as undermining democratic principles. The issue is significant as it affects the ability of legislators to address public concerns and hold the government accountable.
