‘All is not well’: Rumblings in Goa BJP as ministers play blame game over Bill fiasco

“It is shocking that despite having a clear majority with 33 MLAs (including BJP’s 28 MLAs and remaining from its allies in the 40-member House), the Bills have been withdrawn. It feels ‘all is not well’ and this is something that has not gone down well with people who have been following the proceedings. It is not that you have the numbers and you can do whatever there is,” Lobo said.

The MLA from Calangute also said, “If one Bill is withdrawn, it is not a problem but when many Bills are withdrawn, it shows that something is amiss somewhere. We are answerable to the people of Goa and to the people of our constituency. People ask questions and it is not good for a healthy democracy to introduce a Bill and then withdraw it. Before introducing (a Bill), one must understand…especially the Cabinet ministers should understand if the Bill is in the interest of the people of the state.”

The Law department has drawn flak from within the BJP dispensation for its “shoddy drafting” of the Bills marked with “discrepancies” leading to their hasty withdrawal, even as the Opposition and a public section also castigated these legislation, especially the contentious Goa Town and Country Planning (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2024.

On August 5, the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Minister Vishwajit Rane rolled back the Goa Town and Country Planning (Amendment and Validation) Bill, which sought to nullify any court verdict against the approvals granted for zoning and land conversions under the Outline Development Plans (ODPs) for Calangute-Candolim Planning Area and Arpora-Nagoa-Parra Planning Area.

A validation clause in this Bill stated that “no suit or other proceeding shall lie or be maintained or continued in any court challenging such approvals/certificates/reports”.

It is learnt that at a Cabinet meeting, shortly before the Bill was withdrawn, at least two ministers voiced their concerns, stating that in its current form, the legislation would pave the way for massive conversion of land in eco-sensitive areas, which would have “adverse ramifications” for the party in the 2027 Assembly polls.

The legislators from Congress and other Opposition parties also criticised the Bill, charging that it would allow for large-scale conversion, construction and zonal change of five villages falling within the highly eco-sensitive areas.

On the withdrawal of the Bill, Vishwajit Rane also sought to blame the Law department, telling the House: “I did not insert the validation clause in the Bill. The validation clause was a suggestion of the Law department, not my department. Due to this, there is a sentiment among the people that we are running the government in the form of a dictatorship.”

On the same day, Rane also withdrew three other Bills including the Goa Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) (Amendment) Bill 2024, Goa Municipalities (Amendment), Bill 2024 and City of Panaji Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2024 on various grounds.

Earlier, on August 1, the government withdrew the Goa Industrial Development (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

In an interview with a regional channel on Tuesday, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte went after the Law department over the rollback of the Bills. “Today, we need a total turnaround in our Law department, which needs to understand the sanctity of putting Bills in the House… Let us argue on the intent. I cannot speak on a technicality. It has been exposed in the Assembly that the Bills could have been drafted better than the way they were put in the House. It is time that responsibility is fixed on errant officers,” said Khaunte.

Reacting to Khaunte’s remarks, Law and Legislative Affairs Minister Aleixo Sequeira said, “I do not know in which context he (Khaunte) has made that statement. I only know that as the Law department, it is our duty to ensure that whatever Bill comes, is as per law. I am not supposed to sit with a magnifying glass and see what is the intent of that department. Our job is to see whether that fits within the law or not. The withdrawal of the Bills, according to me, has not been done at our instance.”

Sequeira also said the Bills were withdrawn either due to the demands of the MLAs or “in the wisdom of the concerned minister”. “I do not agree that withdrawal of the Bills has been done because of the Law department. The Law department has done its duty and vetted the Bills as per the existing laws. The rest is the responsibility of the department that has moved those Bills.”

On August 7, the last day of the session, the government decided to send the Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation of Single Window Clearance (Amendment) Bill, 2024 to a House Select Committee after the Opposition members opposed the legislation.

While CM Sawant said the Bill was aimed at strengthening the Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board (IPFB) for enhancing ease of doing business, the Opposition MLAs raised concerns that it would enable rampant construction under the guise of investment promotion and would allow the Board’s planning development construction committee to convert land, approve plans, issue construction licences and collect fees on behalf of other departments.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) Yuri Alemao of the Congress said a “conflict of interest” would arise as the Board’s powers would extend outside the investment area to override those of the panchayats and other departments.

Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai said the Bill had been “drafted in haste”, alleging that “It will be a disaster for land conversion. The planning development construction committee will dominate the local bodies”.

Sawant however said, “We do not have any intention to override the powers of other departments. It is only to attract investments in Goa.”

In response to Lobo’s remarks, state BJP president Sadanand Shet Tanavade asked the party leaders to maintain discipline.

“The BJP is not a Dharamshala. He (Lobo) made an incorrect statement. If he had concerns, he should have approached the party leadership instead of speaking publicly. He could have spoken to the Chief Minister or me… The BJP is a disciplined party and everyone has to follow the system,” Tanavade said.

On Wednesday evening, after Lobo met him, Tanavade claimed that the former had been “misquoted” on the issue of withdrawal of Bills. “There is no misunderstanding now,” he said.

Speaking to The Indian Express on the government’s move to withdraw the Bills, LoP Alemao alleged, “Every BJP minister is the chief minister of his own portfolio. Never in Goa’s history have the Bills been introduced so haphazardly. There is no coordination between them and they are blaming each other. Their whole agenda is to get outsiders to Goa and give them land at dirt-cheap prices.”