Budget session begins with two adjournments on beach cleaning issue

GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 14 March 2016 14:59 IST

Mayem MLA Anant Shet had to face the flak on the first day of the budget session with the united opposition stalling the proceedings of the House, resulting into two adjournments.

It was an issue of beach cleaning contract which Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar was replying in the absence of Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, who has undergone by-pass surgery.

Heated debates were witnessed in the House, especially between CM Parsekar and independent MLA Rohan Khaunte, who charged the government for protecting the scamsters.

Pandemonium was raised by independent MLAs Khaunte and Vijai Sardesai which the Congress legislators also joined33 by going to the well and shouting.

While opposition leader Pratapsing Rane was standing on his feet at his seat, Mauvin Godinho is the only Congressman not joining the protest.

The opposition raised the pandemonium when CM Parsekar kept on avoiding a reply to the question of why the contract of beach cleaning was continued even after expiry when the contractor had not fulfilled several requirements in the tender.

CM Parsekar in fact admitted in the House that the contractor was paid only Rs 8 crore out of contracted amount of Rs 14 crore while penalising the contractor for not fulfilling several requirements.

In spite of Khaunte consistently asking the government at what grade the contractor has been placed at, Parsekar did not reply.

However, the CM kept on saying that he would reply provided a specific question is asked rather than making wild allegations.

He also denied the allegation of a scam in the beach cleaning contract while Khaunte kept on saying that it’s a scam which may lead to a mega scam of Rs 75 crore if the contract continues for the next five years.

Replying to Congress MLA Digambar Kamat’s question, CM Parsekar said the contractor was not paid for mechanised cleaning since it was not taken up due to opposition from the local fishermen and NGOs.

The CM however did not reply to Kamat’s question why mechanised cleaning was at all included in the tender in spite of being fully aware of the fact that mechanised cleaning was opposed by the people.

The pandemonium began when Kamat also joined Khaunte, asking the government why the contract was still continued in spite of several flaws of the contractor were identified.

As the opposition members walked towards the well of the House, Speaker tried to control them but then adjourned the proceedings since opposition members were not ready to keep quite.

The opposition did not allow the proceedings to continue after the House resumed while more Congress MLAs joined the well.

The speaker thus adjourned the House once again only to assemble at 12.30 pm, when the Question Hour was over.

Speaker also requested the member to uphold the dignity of the House and behave decently. 


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