Goa Assembly proceedings washed out amid Oppn ruckus over fish

The Goa Legislative Assembly failed to transact any business for the second consecutive day as the opposition Congress created a ruckus in the House today to press for an adjournment motion to discuss the issue of formalin found in fish.

Due to the noisy scenes created by the Congress members, the House was initially adjourned till 2.30 pm. However, since the commotion continued even after the House reassembled post-lunch, Speaker Pramod Sawant adjourned it till Monday.

The Assembly had failed to function on the first day of the monsoon session yesterday as the speaker adjourned it five times due to the ruckus created by the opposition members with the demand that they be allowed to move an adjournment motion and take up the issue of formalin-in-fish.

Today, as soon as the session began, Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar demanded that their adjournment motion, which was not allowed yesterday, be taken up for discussion.

The speaker said the opposition benches have not moved any fresh motion, hence the business of the House would continue.

He also told the Congress MLAs that the issue would be discussed on Monday through calling attention motion during which Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar would give an elaborate reply.

The opposition benches, however, continued to create pandemonium in the House.

Kavlekar demanded that the adjournment motion moved yesterday be allowed today as the issue was of public importance. "This is not about your or my health only. It is about the health of lakhs of people in the state," he said referring to the issue of formalin found in fish.

The presence of the cancer-inducing chemical has been confirmed by the state Food and Drugs Administration.

Parrikar told the Congress members that he would reply in detail on Monday. However, as the opposition MLAs continued to create noise, the speaker adjourned the House till 2.

30 pm.

Talking to reporters outside the assembly hall, Parrikar termed the opposition's move as mere "drama".

"No adjournment motion was moved today. I checked it up with the speaker. This noise was for cheap publicity. It is nothing but drama," he said.

The chief minister said the government has banned the import of fish into the state.

"We have even sent back few trucks from the border," he added.