Was it a 'match fixing' among all 40?
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 09 October 2013 19:44 IST
If supporting Goa Speaker’s decision to restrict number of questions was a ‘match fixing’ between the chief minister and the opposition leader, then it could be a ‘match fixing’ by ALL the players in Goa Assembly.
The googly by speaker Rajendra Arlekar on the controversial issue literally made all the shouting members speechless as he said “it was a decision taken by all of us unanimously.”
The issue had become politically significant as some MLAs of nine-member Congress led by Babush Monseratte revolted against their own leader and opposition leader Pratapsing Rane, demanding his head.
From this session, the numbers of starred questions each day are restricted to only three to each member while capping the unstarred questions to 15.
The objection began with Fatorda independent MLA Vijay Sardesai raising the issue publicly and also through the social media.
As the session came closer, the Congress also made it a public issue, due to which the opposition spokesman Aleixo Reginald Lourenco is today facing contempt of House for allegedly calling the Speaker biased.
Rane, to the contrary, had publicly supported the new system.
Picking up this string, his own partymen had described it as a ‘match fixing’ between chief minister Manohar Parrikar and opposition leader Rane.
Both are the members of the Business Advisory Committee, who takes decisions on such matters.
Rane, the eldest member of the House for the last 41 years with 10 consecutive terms since 1972, raised the issue today even before Question Hour started, seeking explaination on the issue.
Rane, the 74-year seasoned politician, has served as the chief minister as well as the speaker in the past.
Speaker Arlekar told the House that the BAC decision is being implemented only after its report was placed before the House in the last session and ‘accepted by all’ without any objection.
He also told the House that such system prevails in several states, where the questions are restricted even to three, seven or ten per member per day.
He also recalled a debate that was taken place during the tenure of former speaker Tomazinho Cardoz when the House had felt that the administration is overburdened due to limitless questions asked by the members.
The whole issue was put to rest with the speaker telling the House: “you only accepted the report. There is no need to speak against it in the media.”
AAP IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR IN GOA.