PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday referred the Goa Essential Services Maintenance (Amendment) Bill, 2020 to the Select Committee, following a request by the opposition. When the amendment bill was taken for consideration and passing, Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat urged the Chief Minister to refer it to the Select Committee. He sought to know what was the urgency to amendment the Act when till date nobody had been sentenced for six months under the Act. He said that amendment would send wrong impression among the trade unions. The government had proposed to increase the jail term to ESMA violators from six months to three years and a minimum fine of Rs 5000 by amending sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Goa Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA). Besides, Kamat, Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro andf Marcaim MLA Sudin Dhavlikar criticised the amendment bill and called it draconian bill. Following protest from opposition on the floor of the house, CM Pramod Sawant agreed to send the bill to select panel.
Later, the Goa Assembly passed the Goa Co-operative Societies (amendment) Bill, 2020. The amendment was to omit fourth proviso to sub-section of section 59 of the Goa Co-operative Societies Act so as to enable the board of directors of the apex or federal co-operative society, which is the representative of the primary co-operative society, to also enjoy managerial right in individual capacity over such primary co-operative society. The names of members on Select Committee was not immediately announced.