Panaji: The budget session of the Goa State Assembly begins on Friday and opposition MLAs are all set to corner the government on various issues. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will present the budget on February 8.
The budget session will run from Feb 2-10. The session will begin with the Governor's address. The actual proceedings will be for six days. No work will take place on Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to address a rally in Madgaon.
All the seven opposition MLAs met on January 8 to chalk out the strategy for the session. They had threatened to boycott the session if they were not given an equal opportunity to ask questions. The opposition says the Speaker should use the same old method of dealing with questions.
The session is being held against this backdrop and the opposition will surround the government on issues like rising unemployment, the Mhadei river conflict, deteriorating law and order, closed mining business, failure of emergency agencies, subsidy to farmers, pending mid-day food bills of self-help groups, etc. Not a single meeting regarding the Mhadei River dispute has taken place yet. Karnataka continues to divert water. The mines have not been able to start.
Meanwhile, the Goa Chamber of Commerce, TTAG of hotels and travel professionals, and CREDAI of real estate professionals, which represents the industry, have submitted their demands to the state government on what provisions should be made in the budget. Five private resolutions will come into effect and will be debated on Friday, May 9.