Goa Speaker to Issue Guidelines on Replies in Assembly

Goa Assembly Speaker Rajendra Arlekar today said he will call a meeting of Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and senior bureaucrats, after Opposition expressed apprehensions over replies on some issues tabled in the House.

As the session began today, Leader of Opposition Pratapsingh Rane referred to certain replies tabled on the floor of the House and termed them as "misleading."

He mentioned a reply regarding medium of instruction in elementary education policy, wherein the answer states that the matter has been referred to public accounts committee.

"I am chairman of PAC and I have not come across any communication related to medium of instruction in elementary education. The answer is not correct," said Mr Rane.

There should be strict action against concerned officers for such discrepancies, he demanded.

Congress legislator Digambar Kamat also said that the officers were continuously giving half-informed replies.

Intervening in the discussion, the Speaker said that he will call a meeting of the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, Principle secretary and other secretaries to issue guidelines.

"Principle secretary or chief secretary have to give the information of the government and not of the department. They can't run away from giving information. They have to answer from the documents avaiable with the government ," Mr Arlekar said.

Chief Minister Parsekar tried to defend the officers stating that the questions were wrongly referred to various departments, and hence officials cannot give the answers.

The budget session of Goa Assembly began yesterday. Mr Parsekar will present the state budget in the House tomorrow.