Porvorim: Goa Speaker of Legislative Assembly Rajesh Patnekar on Tuesday disallowed the adjournment motion moved by opposition benches on Mahadayi Water Diversion project.
The Speaker said that the matter raised by the opposition benches was not about a “recent occurrence” and “could be raised through various other parliamentary devices.”
The opposition benches led by Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat and Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai created noisy scenes in the House as the Speaker disallowed the motion.
The MLAs also shouted slogans on the floor of the House seeking to protect Mahadayi from being diverted by Karnataka.
Kamat while asserting to the Speaker to take up the adjournment motion said that “it is an important issue before the State, which needs to be discussed in the House.”
Sardesai recalled Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s statement that “Mahadayi is more than the mother for me” pointed out to the reported statement by Goa Governor Satya Pal Malik that “Goa has been cheated on this issue.”
“CM has said that Mahadayi is more than the mother for him. We feel that Goa has been cheated on the issue. Governor himself has made this statement. We want discussion on the issue,” Sardesai told the House, urging the Speaker to take up the motion.
Responding to Sardesai’s statement, the Chief Minister said reiterated that Mahadadyi is more than the mother for him.
“We are ready to do whatever that needs to be done for Mahadayi,” he said.
While disallowing the motion, the Speaker ruled that the adjournment motion should be on a single specific matter.
“The members can raise the issue and discuss on various parliamentary devices. The matter is urgent only if it is very recent occurrence, matter is not of recent occurrence,” he said.
“This is special session being called for central government’s amendment, disallow the notice of adjournment motion,” he said.
Earlier to that Chief Minister, tabled the ratification of a Constitutional Amendment Bill that extends reservations to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies for another ten years.
The ruling and opposition benches unanimously passed the ratification on the floor of the House.
Some of the MLAs including State Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar wanted to discuss the Bill in the house but Speaker said that it is only for ratification. “It is just a renewal and ratification, there is no need for discussion,” he said.
