Question Hour: Alemao stands out, but Opposition disunity mars short session
Legislators debate during the Winter Session of the Goa Legislative Assembly.
Photo Credits: Narayan Pissurlenkar
MAPUSA
The one-day session of the Goa Legislative Assembly witnessed a spirited Question Hour, with Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao emerging as the standout performer but it also brought out in the open the fissures within the opposition.
Alemao’s sharp critique of the government's failure to collect green cess running into thousands of crores left Chief Minister Pramod Sawant momentarily scrambling for responses. With his incisive arguments, the Leader of the Opposition laid bare the administration’s inefficiencies in collecting dues from major polluting industries and its lack of transparency in utilising the funds to mitigate carbon footprints.
Sawant, despite his best efforts to counter the onslaught, struggled to deflect the pointed questions from Alemao and his opposition colleagues.
The debate on green cess saw Alemao and Aam Aadmi Party’s Venzy Viegas adopt an aggressive stance, questioning not just the collection but also the allocation of the funds.
Viegas, displaying his trademark combative spirit, argued that the cess should be used strictly for environmental protection rather than infrastructure development.
Adding to the discourse, Revolutionary Goans Party MLA Viresh Borkar, though less fiery in approach, successfully extracted an assurance from the government to conduct a survey and notify salt pans across the State within six months. His measured yet firm approach ensured that the issue received the attention it deserved.
Meanwhile, Goa Forward Party’s mercurial chief, Vijai Sardesai, took a different route. While others focused on green cess, Sardesai used the Zero Hour to highlight the plight of contract workers, a critical issue affecting a large section of the workforce. His choice to advocate for a broader community cause reinforced his stature as a leader who speaks for the people.
For the treasury benches, Chief Minister Sawant bore the brunt of the opposition's attack, particularly during the Green Cess debate. While he attempted to hold his ground and reaffirm his authority, the relentless questioning from the opposition, particularly Alemao’s repeated jibes on government inefficiencies, made for a challenging session.
The opposition’s biggest shortcoming in this session was its inability to present a united front. The differences between opposition leaders became evident when Alemao attempted to sideline Borkar’s intervention, and similar instances of discord surfaced throughout the session.
Instead of complementing each other’s arguments, opposition leaders often operated in silos, diminishing the overall impact of their attacks on the government. This lack of coordination played to the advantage of the ruling party. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, though on the defensive, managed to reaffirm his leadership by withstanding the opposition’s barrage of questions. Had the opposition worked in unison, the government’s response might have been far more strained.
A single day's session is far too brief to accurately assess the performance of legislators on the House floor. However, the green cess debate, which took up a significant portion of the Question Hour, set the tone for the proceedings. It showcased the Opposition’s strategic prowess in leveraging the limited session to corner the government effectively.
While the session was short, it was not without its defining moments.
Alemao’s assertiveness, Viegas’s fervour, Borkar’s calculated persistence and Sardesai’s advocacy for contract workers ensured that the opposition remained in the spotlight. On the other hand, Sawant, though facing relentless scrutiny, managed to reaffirm his leadership, asserting his position as the ultimate authority in the House.
