Stormy start to monsoon session; Question Hour washed out

House adjourned twice over Quepem MLA’s remark against Speaker for disallowing resolution on political reservation for ST communities; Vasco MLA demands D’Costa’s apology; Leader of the Opposition Yuri says nothing stops Quepem legislator from tabling the resolution

Published on:

16 Jul 2024, 1:43 am

PORVORIM: The Monsoon Session of the Goa Assembly started off on a stormy note on Monday, with Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar adjourning it twice over Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa’s statement against Speaker for disallowing his resolution on political reservation for Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities. In the process the entire Question hour was washed out.

As soon as the House met, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant mentioned about the Chieftain’s Martyrs Day observed at Cuncolim and at the National War Memorial, New Delhi. Then Vasco MLA Krishna ‘Daji’ Salkar stood up and stated that there were serious allegations and objectionable references against the Speaker by Quepem MLA Altone for rejecting his resolution over political reservation to ST communities. Salkar demanded that D’Costa should apologise to the Speaker and threatened to move breach of privilege against him. However, D’Costa refused to apologise resulting in ruckus between opposition Congress MLAs and treasury benches.

Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao said that nothing stops D’Costa from tabling a resolution on political reservation for STs and demanded how it amounts to breach of privilege. ‘Don’t ask for an apology. The Member is exercising his right. Refer the matter to the Privilege Committee,” he told Salkar.

The Chief Minister joined the heated discussion saying that D’Costa had insulted the Speaker and the Member had to apologise to the Speaker. Following the heated exchanges, Speaker Tawadkar adjourned the House for half-an-hour.

After the House reassembled, ruckus continued with Salkar claiming that the Opposition MLA had insulted the Speaker and the entire House and reiterated his demand for an apology. The Chief Minister supported him and demanded an apology.

Alemao said that the Salkar should move breach of privilege notice and requested the Speaker to admit it and refer it to the Privilege Committee. He demanded that the treasury benches should quote the rule under which D’Costa had to apologise and added that the member will not apologise.

Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar clarified that he had been in the movement to demand reservations for the ST since 1996, and subsequently Sanvordem MLA Ganesh Gaonkar moved a resolution demanding political reservation for STs and it was unanimously passed by the House. Thereafter a calling attention notice was tabled and discussed, while a delegation met Union Ministers in Delhi on the issue.

In March this year, the then Union Cabinet gave its nod to introduce ‘Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024,’ in Parliament. Therefore it was not correct to make a statement outside the House on this issue, Tawadkar said.

The Speaker again adjourned the House for 30 minutes by which time the Question Hour was over and the Speaker later took up Zero Hour.

First time treasury benches disrupted Assembly proceedings: Opposition

PANJIM: The Opposition members on Monday stated that it was the first time that the ruling benches disrupted proceedings in the Legislative Assembly since the government did not want to discuss important questions during Question Hour.

After the entire question-hour was washed after the House was adjourned twice, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai and Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira told mediapersons that it was a planned conspiracy to disrupt the House as the government wanted to skip important questions during question-hour.

Sardesai said that if the ruling MLA wanted to move a breach of privilege notice against Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa then the latter should not apologise in the House. The matter should have been referred to the Privilege Committee headed by Deputy Speaker Joshua D’Souza.