Goa speaker warns MLAs against loitering in assembly

Goa assembly Speaker Rajendra Arlekar has warned legislators against loitering in the house and asked them to confine themselves to their designated seats until the legislative business is over.

Arlekar, known to be a tough taskmaster, also warned MLAs on Thursday against walking between the line-of-sight of a fellow legislator addressing the speaker.

"The assembly is not for loitering here and there. All MLAs and ministers should sit on their places. If MLAs have some work with ministers, this is not the place to get it done. That can be done in their lobbies or offices," Arlekar said here.

He chairs the 40-member Goa assembly in which Bharatiya Janata Party has 21 MLAs and the main Opposition party Congress has eight legislators.

Irked by the constant flitting on the floor of the house, he said: "Please do not get up from your place until the Question Hour or until other business is completed. Once speech is done, ministers leave the house. That is wrong. You should sit here (house) and participate in the business," Arlekar said.

"MLAs and ministers should speak to me. No one should walk through while the two (the speaker and a legislator) are speaking. You can take different routes to step out, but never step between an MLA and a minister (and me)," Arlekar said.