Morning session disrupted by oppn protests over private members’ bills

Porvorim: Opposition legislators, during Question Hour on Monday, once again rushed to the well of the House to protest their private members’ bills not being introduced. The House had to be adjourned twice over the issue, first for half an hour and later till after the lunch break. As a result, the assembly remained disrupted for nearly the entire morning session.

The protesting legislators, led by opposition leader Yuri Alemao, refused to be calmed by assurances from chief minister Pramod Sawant that bills are normally kept for Fridays.

St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar said that almost 16 private member bills were not being introduced, including amendments to the Town and Country Planning and Agriculture Acts to control on the conversion and sale of land in the state. They refused to accept speaker Ganesh Gaonkar’s assurances that the bills are being scrutinised. Gaonkar said he would only address the protesting MLAs if they took their seats and did not protest in the well of the House. But the legislators refused to budge.

They held placards and shouted slogans of “Amchi billan amkan zai”.

“Private member bills are our right. Will these bills come up for discussion or not? We want a ruling on it. Almost 16 bills are pending. We have moved an adjournment motion. You have to give an assurance on the bills. Is govt serious?” Alemao said.

Sawant said that the opposition leader was only trying to waste the time of the House as questions of the ruling side were scheduled for discussion on Monday.

Opposition legislators had similarly disrupted the morning session on Friday and had said outside the assembly later that they would continue to protest until they received a reasonable response on the introduction of their private member bills.