Civil Procedure Amendment Bill was first introduced by me in 1996: Khalap

Civil Procedure Amendment Bill was first introduced by me in 1996: Khalap

Panaji: INDIA bloc’s North Goa Lok Sabha candidate of the Congress Party Adv Ramakant Khalap said that he was instrumental in introducing the Civil Procedure Amendment Bill in Parliament to address the rising number of pending cases in the courts.

He said that the bill was later taken up by the BJP government and was passed in Parliament.

Khalap was speaking at a corner meeting held at Merces.

“When I introduced the bill in 1996 during my tenure as Union Law Minister, I was appreciated by many people. The bill was sent to the Joint Select Committee. However, the Lok Sabha was dissolved and the bill could not be passed. Subsequently, BJP’s Union Law Minister Arun Jaitley took it up and got it passed with some changes. What matters is the bill was introduced by me, and even the BJP had to get it passed. This is my achievement. But even after 25 years as MP, Shripad Naik has nothing to show to his credit,” he said.

Speaking on corruption by the BJP government, opposition leader Yuri Alemao cited the Smart City and Kala Academy works as examples of misuse of funds.

“The Congress Party had protested on numerous occasions over the Smart City works in Panaji. Rs 1500 crores of public funds have been misused. The Rs 50 crore tender was awarded for the Kala Academy works without floating a tender. The BJP government even gets hafta from the casino lobby. There is so much corruption. The BJP government does not care for the common man,” he said.

“All religions in Goa live liberally and free and in unity. But they are trying to divide us. This needs to end. Your future is in your hands,” Alemao added.

AAP Goa President Amit Palekar said that people who were once opposing the hike in cylinder prices have now gone silent.

“This is not an election anymore. This is a fight to protect our existence and our state and country. It is time for change, and vote for Congress. Every person should think that every drop makes an ocean, only then change can take place,” he said.