The statutory committees of the Goa Legislative Assembly play a crucial role in maintaining transparency, accountability, and efficiency in governance
I am compelled to write this article after lengthy discussions with the secretary of the Goa legislature and past and present ministers for legislative affairs since January 2023. They listened respectfully, but action is still pending. The last and a brief session of the eighth Goa legislative assembly may be held in January 2027. Before that, technically, only five sessions are possible. The MLAs would find themselves busy with elections to Zilla panchayats from November 2025 and elections for 11 Municipal Councils and CCP from March to April 2026, and their legislative duties could be hampered.
The statutory committees of the Goa Legislative Assembly play a crucial role in maintaining transparency, accountability, and efficiency in governance. Under Chapter XV (Rules 171-242) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, these committees are expected to meet regularly, scrutinise various aspects of government functioning, and submit at least one report annually. However, since 2023, the ten key statutory committees, excluding the Business Advisory Committee, have failed to meet regularly, resulting in a backlog of 19 lapsed reports. Despite the expectation that at least 20 reports should have been submitted before February 7, 2025, only one report by the Committee on Government Assurances was tabled in the Assembly in February 2023. This serious lapse has weakened legislative oversight and eroded public trust in governance. With the reconstitution of these committees on February 7, 2025, it is now essential for each committee to immediately commence its work after February 10, 2025, and ensure that at least one report is submitted before July 31 or December 31, 2025.
As per the latest bulletin issued on February 7, 2025, the ten statutory committees, along with their respective chairpersons and Members, have been constituted. Quepem Congress MLA Altone D’Costa chairs the committee on Public Accounts with the mandate to examine government expenditures, scrutinise audit reports, and ensure financial accountability. The committee on Estimates is chaired by senior MLA, ex-CM, and ex-leader of opposition Digambar Kamat, who has three decades of legislative experience. His mandate is to assess budget allocations and the efficiency of public expenditure and suggest policy improvements. Independent MLA chairs committee on Government Assurances from Curtorim Aleixo R Lourenco whose job is to review ministerial commitments made in the Assembly and ensure their timely implementation. The Committee on Petitions is a critical committee that is virtually unknown to voters, civil society, activists, and NGOs. It is chaired by BJP MLA from Mayem, Premendra Shet and the mandate of this committee is to address public grievances submitted through petitions and recommend corrective action.
The Committee on Delegated Legislation is chaired by young and dynamic BJP MLA from Poriem Deviya Rane. Her mandate is to review subordinate legislation, government rules, and delegated powers under various laws. The Speaker himself chairs the Rules Committee. His mandate is to recommend changes to the Assembly Rules for procedural efficiency and clarity. This is a very important committee because the Speaker also chairs the nine-member Business Advisory Committee, which gets maximum attention from the media as compared to other committees. The committee on privileges is chaired by the deputy speaker and BJP MLA from Mapusa, Joshua D’Souza. Their mandate is to investigate breaches of legislative privilege and recommend actions against violators. The Goa legislature has an impressively spacious library. Mormugao BJP MLA Krishna Salkar chairs the Library Committee. His mandate is to oversee the management, modernisation, and accessibility of the Assembly Library. The Public Undertakings Committee is chaired by Yuri Alemao, leader of the opposition and INC MLA from Cuncolim. His mandate is to assess the financial and operational efficiency of state-owned enterprises and corporations. The budget committee is chaired by BJP MLA from Sanvordem Ganesh Gaonkar.
With the reconstitution of these committees, it is now imperative that they convene their first meeting after February 10, 2025, as per Rule 179, which mandates that committees must meet regularly. The first meeting should establish a structured meeting schedule for the next six months, a review of unfinished work from previous committees as per Rule 192, and the selection of priority issues for examination. Under Rule 188, committees must submit at least one report annually. Given the backlog, each committee is expected to submit its first report before July 31, 2025, if feasible, and ensure that any remaining reports are ready before December 31, 2025. Furthermore, under Rule 182, committees have the authority to summon officials, seek expert opinions, and collect evidence, which should be used effectively to enhance the quality and credibility of reports. The Committee on Petitions should encourage public participation by addressing grievances effectively.
Given that the public remains largely unaware of the role of these statutory committees, MLAs serving on these committees must actively use media briefings to update on committee progress, conduct public consultations where relevant, and publish reports and recommendations through the Assembly website and official records. The failure of statutory committees to function regularly since 2023 has significantly weakened the Assembly’s ability to oversee government operations.
(Nandkumar M Kamat, who has a doctorate in microbiology, is a scientist and science writer)
