After the end of the last day Budget session, while speaking to the media, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai came down hard on the ruling dispensation, accusing it of suppressing the voice of the opposition during the Assembly session. Explaining why he went to the well of the House, he said the opposition has a constitutional right to speak on any matter that comes up for consideration, but the ruling side is denying them that right. He said the Chief Minister spoke on the budget for an hour and a half, but not a single minute was given to the opposition to respond.
Calling the budget a “fraud”, Sardesai said the figures are fudged and misleading. He pointed out that while the government is claiming a GSDP growth of 14.27%, the actual growth is only 9.9% as per central figures. He further exposed that the Rs 1520 crore special assistance from the Centre, which the CM proudly announced, is not a grant but a loan that has to be repaid. Once this is removed from the equation, the budget goes into deficit.
He slammed the government for causing a revenue loss of Rs 150 crore by failing to collect green cess from Jindal and accused it of turning a blind eye to illegalities by 10 land-based casinos that are operating live gaming in violation of the law.
Sardesai also criticised the Speaker for becoming partisan, saying he had conducted himself well until the previous day, but today he chose to listen to the Chief Minister and silenced the opposition. He said this act was condemnable and a clear breach of legislative procedure. He warned that if this continues, the opposition will be forced to consider constitutional measures.
He called upon the media to step up and fulfil its duty by exposing these wrongdoings and giving the opposition a platform to present its side. He urged journalists to seek clarification from the opposition as well and not simply echo the government’s narrative.
Referring to the Action Taken Report on last year’s budget, Sardesai pointed out that the government falsely claimed the Zuari Observatory work is complete, exposing once again how official records are being manipulated.
He questioned the silence on key public infrastructure projects like the Margao bus stand, which remains nothing more than a shed. Sardesai took a swipe at Digambar Kamat, asking what was the point of him joining the BJP if even the Margao bus stand finds no mention in the budget.
On heritage conservation, Sardesai said the government’s announcement to paint heritage buildings in Old Goa is superficial and meaningless without a proper master plan. He insisted that the preservation of Old Goa needs a comprehensive master plan, not a coat of paint
