Goa Assembly Winter session from Jan 22

Panaji, Jan 21: The four-day Winter session of the Goa Legislative Assembly is likely to be tempestuous with the controversial Regional Plan-2001 denotified recently on public outcry, dominating the proceedings.

The BJP opposition led by its leader Manohar Parrikar demanded CBI inquiry into the entire plan during the debate on motion of thanks to the Governor's address and other occassions in the House.

Governor S C Jamir would address the session tomorrow at 1430 hrs with the House meeting for the first time during the new year-2007.

The House will later undertake the routine business including adoption of a motion condoling the death of former legislator R Fernandes from Cuncolim.

Four bills and an ordinance are likely to be placed in the House for consideration. They may include the one providing for contract farming to boost agriculture and appointment of Lok Ayukta.

With the Assembly elections due in May this year, the political parties are expected to grind their axes by echoing their concern over various burning issues including the Regional Plan.

The NCP, partner of the ruling Congress-led coalition, has joined chorus with the BJP demanding denotification of the Plan with retrospective effect to annul all controversial land deals to various groups including Russian mafias.

The BJP had, in its legislature party meeting, decided to oppose amendment of the Panchayat Raj Act providing for appointment of civic administrators to panchayats whose elections are due this month end. Instead, the party demands posting of Sarpanchas as administrators till fresh elections are held.

The Congress, though strife with inter and intra-party squabbles, was also poised to face the oppposition during the session with a united spirit.

The Congress and the BJP have a strength of 16 each in the 40-member House. The Congress is backed by NCP with two members and MGP and Independent one each while the lone UGDP member Mathanhy Saldanha backs the BJP.

Mr Saldanha has, however, no right to vote or talk in the House as he challenged his disqualification order in the court of law.

While BJP legislator Babu Azgaonkar had recently resigned from his membership of the house and joined the Congress to become minister early this month. The Supreme Court had recently upheld disqualification of two other BJP members-Rajendra Arlekar and Dayanand Mandrekar- for holding office of profit at time of their election.

UNI