Goa Legislative Assembly session to begin tomorrow, opposition to corner government

PANAJI: A fortnight-long session of Goa Legislative Assembly will start on Monday with the opposition planning to corner the BJP-led government on allegations of financial misdemeanor against the industries minister.

A group of opposition legislators, comprising Vishwajit Rane ( Congress), Reginaldo Lourenco (Congress), Vijay Sardesai, Naresh Sawal and Rohan Khaunte (independents), has announced that they will not allow the Industries Minister Mahadev Naik to table any papers in the house.

"Naik has misappropriated a loan given to him for housing purpose. He should resign on moral grounds," Sardesai said today.

Naik has not responded to the allegations yet, though the issue was raised several days ago.

Stating that the opposition will chalk out a strategy to expose the government on various issues, Sardesai added that if Naik did not resign, they will stall the proceedings.

The session is scheduled to end on August 14.

Congress has also decided to organise a march of farmers on the Assembly on August 10 to protest the government's "anti-farmer policies". Congress MLA Rane has announced that several hundred farmers will participate.

Further, on the first day of the session, the association of Rent-a-Cab owners has decided to stage a protest outside the legislature demanding regularisation of their business.

North Goa Rent-a-cab association secretary Amir Shirodkar said there are more than one thousand cabs in the state that are not registered.