Pacheco can attend Goa Assembly session next month: Speaker

Even as Goa government gears up for the three-week-long state Legislative Assembly session commencing next month, Speaker Rajendra Arlekar today said imprisoned legislator Fransisco Miccky Pacheco can participate in the House proceedings.
Pacheco, a Goa Vikas Party legislator, has been convicted for slapping a junior engineer in electricity department and is currently jailed at Sada Sub prison.
Arlekar said there is no ban on Pacheco participating in the session as he is a member of the Legislative Assembly.
"He can ask questions, move motion and be a part of session like any other MLA," the Speaker said.
The Speaker said that after getting permission from court he can be a part of the proceedings.

When asked whether he will have to appear in jail uniform, Arlekar said he can be allowed to wear civilian dress in the House.

The upcoming monsoon session of Legislative Assembly is scheduled in the last week of July.
"The Inspector General of Prison has already informed the Legislature department that Pacheco is currently in the jail," said Legislative Secretary N B Subhedar.
He said a bulletin has also been issued to all the MLAs informing about Pacheco's jail term.
Subhedar said the seating of Pacheco will have to be changed as he will have to be shifted from ministers' row to that of MLAs.

Pacheco had resigned from the Cabinet after Supreme Court refused to quash his sentence given by Judicial Magistrate First Class, Margao.