Jailed MLA Pacheco can attend assembly session: Speaker

Speaker of the Goa Assembly today held that imprisoned legislator and former minister Fransisco Miccky Pacheco can attend the monsoon session of the house beginning next month with the permission of the court.
Pacheco, Goa Vikas Party leader and MLA from Nuvum, is lodged in Sada sub-prison here following his conviction for slapping a government employee.
Assembly Speaker Rajendra Arlekar said there is no ban on Pacheco participating in the session as he is a member of the Legislative Assembly.
"He can ask questions, move motion and be a part of session like any other MLA," the Speaker told PTI.

The Speaker said after getting permission from court he can be a part of the proceedings.
When asked whether he will have to appear in jail uniform, Arlekar said he can be allowed to wear civilian dress in the House.

The monsoon session of the Assembly is scheduled to begin in the last week of July.
"The Inspector General of Prison has already informed the Legislature department that Pacheco is currently in the jail," said Legislative Secretary N B Subhedar.
He said a bulletin has also been issued to all the MLAs informing about Pacheco's jail term.
Subhedar said the seating of Pacheco will have to be changed as he will have to be shifted from ministers' row to that of MLAs.

Pacheco was forced to quit the BJP ministry led by Laxikant Parsekar in April this year after Supreme Court refused to quash his sentence given by Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao.