Porvorim: The ongoing Budget session of the Goa Legislative Assembly was curtailed on Monday following the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in South Goa district after the announcement of the by-election for the Ponda constituency.
State Protocol Minister Mauvin Godinho moved a motion to suspend the working of the House for the current session in the afternoon.
The motion was moved when the House reconvened after lunch and was passed with a majority voice vote on the floor of the House, even as opposition members demanded discussion on private members’ resolutions moved by them.
Before adjourning the session, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant passed the full Budget on the floor of the House through a voice vote. The Budget had been presented in the Assembly on March 6.
I had to pass this Budget with a heavy heart as I was expecting that I would get an opportunity to explain it to the people: Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant
Opposition MLA Vijai Sardesai demanded that the government should pass a vote-on-account for four months instead of rushing to pass the Budget. He said another session could be called to discuss the Budget before it is passed.
The Chief Minister stated that after the current code of conduct, the state will have elections for various municipalities. This is a year of elections. We will have another code of conduct due to municipal elections. We cannot hold back the Budget as we want to complete several developmental works: Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant
After the Budget was passed, the Speaker adjourned the Assembly. The Budget session of the House was originally scheduled to continue till March 27.
