Goa Speaker refuses private member resolutions on statues

The Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Pramod Sawant, has refused to allow private member resolutions to be moved during the upcoming Budget session on the installation of statues in the Assembly complex.
The budget session of the assembly, which will begin from February 19, had several legislators moving private member resolutions to install statues of leaders like Opinion Poll hero Jack Sequeira, freedom fighters T B Cunha and Ram Manohar Lohia and Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji in the Assembly complex.
"The Speaker has decided not to allow any such private member resolution asking for a statue in the assembly complex. The Speaker has used his power to refuse these resolutions," a senior official from the state secretariat told PTI today, adding that the Speaker had the power to decide on whether or not to accept any resolution during the session.

The Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai, reacting to the Speakers decision, said the state government has already conceded to the demand of including the history of the Opinion Poll in the school syllabus.
When asked about the statue in the Assembly complex, he said that the party would fight it in the right forum.
The opposition Congress said that they would question the decision of the Speaker, with Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar stating that it would raise the issue on the first day (February 19) of the session.
The demand for the statues started with the first private member resolution tabled by BJP legislator, and Deputy Speaker, Michael Lobo who wanted Sequeiras statue to be installed.

MGP MLA Deepak Pawaskar had moved a resolution for the installation of statue of TB Cunha and Ram Manohar Lohia while BJP legislator Rajesh Patnekar had demanded that a statue of Shivaji be installed in the assembly complex.