The opposition Congress disrupted proceedings of the Goa Assembly for the third day today to press for an adjournment motion to discuss the issue of formalin found in fish imported from outside the state.
Due to the noisy scenes created by the Congress members, the House was adjourned till 12.30 pm.
The Assembly had failed to transact any business on July 19 and 20 as the Congress members created a ruckus in the House over their demand.
Today, as soon as the House assembled, the Congress MLAs moved a fresh adjournment motion after their earlier requests were disallowed by Speaker Pramod Sawant last week.
"This is an issue of 15 lakh people of the state. We need a discussion on the issue. Our adjournment motion should be admitted and a discussion should be held on formalin being found in fish brought to Goa from other states," Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar said.
Speaker Sawant refused to entertain the request and said that a Calling Attention motion over the issue, moved by BJP legislator Nilesh Cabral and Congress' Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, was on the day's agenda.
The Speaker also quoted a ruling of his predecessor Pratapsinh Rane (who is presently a Congress legislator), that it is the Chair's prerogative to allow such a motion.
He noted that the adjournment motion was moved last week and was disallowed.
The same motion cannot be tabled twice during the Assembly session, he said.
"The Calling Attention motion is scheduled to be taken up today and Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will reply to it. Members will have ample time to discuss it," Sawant said.
However, the Congress members got up and started shouting, and did not allow the Question Hour to continue.
State Town and Country Planning Minister Vijai Sardesai, who got up to reply to a question, could not do so amid the noise.
He said, "Chaos is being created to defame some members of the House. Certain allegations are being made which are not substantiated and mobocracy is ruling the roost."
"The House should decide how much activism, which is going on across the board, should be tolerated in Goa. This is something for the House to debate," said Sardesai, whose Goa Forward Party is an ally of the BJP-led state government.
However, as the opposition members continued to shout and disrupt proceedings, the Speaker adjourned the House till 12.30 pm.
The ongoing monsoon session of the Assembly was stalled last week also with the Congress seeking to move an adjournment motion to discuss the issue of formalin-in-fish.
A toxic chemical, formalin is used to preserve bodies and prevent its decay in mortuaries.
The government had last week banned the import of fish from outside Goa till the end of this month to ensure formalin-laced fish does not land in the state.
The move came after the Goa Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) confirmed the presence of the organic compound in fish imported from other states.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
