Goa Legislative Assembly adjourned as Opposition creates ruckus over issue of formalin-in-fish

Panaji: The Goa Legislative Assembly was adjourned after the Congress members created a ruckus for the second consecutive day to press for an adjournment motion to discuss the issue of formalin in fish found in the state. Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant adjourned the House till 2.30 pm. On the first day of the session on Thursday, the House could not transact any business as the speaker had to adjourn it five times due to the ruckus created by Congress members with the demand that they be allowed to move an adjournment motion and take up the issue of formalin-in-fish. [caption id=“attachment_4405191” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar. Reuters[/caption] As the session began on Friday, Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar demanded that their adjournment motion, which was not allowed Friday, be taken up for discussion. Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant said the opposition benches have not moved any fresh motion, hence the business of the House will continue. He also told the Congress MLAs that the issue would be discussed on Monday by calling attention motion, during which chief minister Manohar Parrikar would give an elaborate reply. The opposition benches, however, refused to listen to the speaker and continued to create pandemonium on the floor of the House. Kavlekar demanded that the adjournment motion moved on Thursday be allowed on Friday as the issue was of public importance. “This is not about your or my health only. It is about the health of lakhs of people in the state,” he said referring to the issue of formalin being found in the fish. The presence of the cancer-inducing chemical has been confirmed by the state Food and Drugs Administration. Parrikar told the Congress members that he would reply in detail on Monday. As the opposition MLAs continued to create noise, the speaker adjourned the House till 2.30 pm. Talking to reporters outside the assembly hall, Parrikar termed the opposition’s move as mere “drama”. “No adjournment motion was moved on friday. I checked it up with the speaker. This noise was for cheap publicity. It is nothing but drama,” he said. The chief minister said that as far as fish is concerned, the government has banned its import into the state. “We have even sent back few trucks from the border,” he added.