Panaji, March 17: In a scathing attack, senior Congress leaders on Tuesday accused the BJP government of curtailing the Assembly session out of fear of being exposed by the Opposition.
Addressing a press conference at Congress House, GPCC Vice Presidents Tulio D’Souza and Sunil Kawthankar alleged that the Chief Minister used the pretext of the Model Code of Conduct for the Ponda by-election to cut short proceedings, thereby denying accountability to the people of Goa.
Kawthankar said the government was unable to face the Opposition’s scrutiny and added that by curtailing the session, it had deprived the people of Goa of crucial discussions. He stated that Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa, and Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira had raised key issues concerning the public.
He further pointed out that while by-elections are underway in states like Maharashtra and Karnataka, their Assembly sessions have not been curtailed. He alleged that if Bills were introduced, irregularities linked to Section 39A would have been exposed, and claimed that the session was curtailed to avoid such scrutiny while rushing the Budget through.
Kawthankar also highlighted concerns over the denial of reservation for OBC students in postgraduate medical seats at Goa Medical College and Dental College, stating that the government was not ensuring their rightful share.
He dismissed the Chief Minister’s claims regarding Goa’s Happiness Index, stating that rising unemployment and public dissatisfaction reflected a growing frustration among people.
He further alleged that the government has spent ₹677 crore on events since 2022, including ₹13 crore on the Viksit Goa, Viksit Bharat programme.
Tulio D’Souza said the government has failed on financial management, stating that Goa’s debt has crossed ₹35,312 crore as of January 2026, with no clear plan for reduction. He added that while FRBM guidelines mandate debt to remain within 22–25% of GSDP, Goa’s ratio has risen to 34–35%.
He reiterated the Opposition’s demand to scrap aggregator guidelines and protect the interests of traditional taxi operators, stating that their livelihoods must be safeguarded.
