Goa MLAs asked to avoid holding official meetings at home

Panaji: The Goa government has issued a circular barring the MLAs from summoning government officials to their residences or personal offices for holding meetings.

The General Administration Department (GAD), in a circular issued yesterday, said in order to ensure that the functioning of the offices of various departments is not disrupted, the guidelines are issued for strict compliance.

"Except ministers, who may conduct meetings in their office or official residence, all such meetings shall be held at the offices of the concerned departments or in the office of district collector, deputy collector and sub-divisional officer," says the circular issued by GAD's under secretary Varsha Naik.

The issue of government officials being summoned by MLAs at their official residences was raised by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in the state Assembly on May 9, during the special session called to pass the Goa GST Bill-2017.

"If MLAs have some work or issues concerning people, the same should be discussed in the concerned department or in the collectorate building," the chief minister had then said.

The Congress MLAs had earlier raised the issue saying that government officials are reluctant to come to their residences to attend meetings.

"I have witnessed MLAs calling government officers from various departments like PWD, electricity, etc, to their residences for meetings. This is not acceptable anymore," Parrikar earlier said.

On many occasions, the legislators humiliate the government officials, he had said.

"When the officials are at the residences of legislators, the common people who go to government offices for work are put to inconvenience," he pointed out.