Goa Assembly: Ruckus over mining allegations against BJP MLAs

Panaji, Aug 10: Goa Assembly today witnessed ruckus following arguments between the ruling and opposition benches when Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai alleged involvement of BJP legislators in illegal mining business.

"BJP MLAs are involved in the transportation business and illegal mining activity. Their relatives are owning mining machineries which are brought from outside debarring the locals from having business opportunities," Sardesai alleged on the floor of the House during Question Hour, prompting the ruling benches to react, which led to the ruckus.

BJP MLAs Siddharth Kuncolienkar, Subhash Faldesai and Nilesh Cabral stood up in the House to protest against the statement of Sardesai, who continued levelling allegations against the ruling benches.

Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, intervening on the floor, claimed that merely because some mining machinery owners have surnames matching with those of BJP legislators, that does not mean they are related.

"I read the list, there is also a mining machinery owner with surname Parsekar and there is one Rane. That does not mean he is related to us," the CM said referring to himself and Leader of Opposition Pratapsinh Rane.

Tabling the list of mining machinery owners on the floor of the House, Parsekar said the government will make documents like Aadhar Card mandatory while registering the new machineries so that only locals are involved in the business.

Prior to this, the Question Hour witnessed a brief spat between ruling and opposition benches when Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte alleged that the steel used for construction of third Mandovi bridge near here has begun to corrode.

Khaunte produced pictures of the steel used for the bridge and also some portion of the under-construction structure where a slab had collapsed.

However, Parsekar said anti-corrosion cement was used in the project and there was no question of the steel rusting. He said the Chennai-based IIT has been monitoring the construction work to make it foolproof.

PTI