Goa Budget session from Feb 3; Oppn to raise CAA, NRC

The Opposition is set to raise burning issues like the new citizenship law, proposed country-wide NRC and "diversion" of the Mahadayi river water by Karnataka in the Budget session of the Goa Legislative Assembly beginning Monday.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will table the state budget on February 6.

The Opposition parties comprising the Congress had announced that they would raise issues like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and diversion of the Mahadayi river water by neighbouring Karnataka during the five-day-long session.

In the House of 40, the ruling BJP has 27 MLAs of its own. The party-led government enjoys support of two Independent MLAs and an NCP legislator.

Among the rest 10 MLAs, five are from the Congress, three from the Goa Forward Party (GFP), one from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and an Independent.

Meanwhile, the chief minister said that his firstever Budget would be on the lines of the Union Budget tabled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday.

Various industrial bodies, including the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), have suggested various measures to boost the sagging revenue, which has taken hit due to suspended mining operations.

GCCI president Manoj Caculo identified agriculture and revival of sick industries as the key thrust areas for the government to bring the economy back on track.

A special one-day session of the state Legislative Assembly was held on January 7 to ratify the Constitutional amendment bill that extends reservations to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies by another 10 years.