Goa session starts with altered alignments

The chair of Leader of Opposition remained vacant, while four ministers attended the proceedings without being allotted portfolios. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told the House that he will answer questions on departments earlier held by the four ministers who have been dropped.

Speaker Rajesh Patnekar confirmed to the media that questions were rearranged since some questions were from then Opposition members who are now in the government. A question from Francisco Silveira, thus, received a written reply from Minister for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Mauvin Godinho – both MLAs now in the treasury benches.

Silveira, who was with the Congress when he had drafted the question, asked whether the government “checks the quality of beef sold in St Andre constituency”. The minister replied in positive. On beef coming from other states, Godinho replied that beef from Karnataka is examined and certificate is given.

Congress leaders took the matter of soil erosion as their first question in Question Hour, with Chief Minister Sawant promising that a scientific agency will be appointed to probe the declining beach beds across Goa.