from Daijiworld's special correspondent

Panaji, Feb 16: Faced with the opposition from majority of the members of legislative assembly, Goa Public Works department minister Sudin Dhavlikar, on Thursday agreed to partially roll back the water tariff.

For the first time in the ongoing state legislative assembly session, the ruling and opposition benches joined hands in pinning down minister Dhavlikar on the water tariff.

The issue attained center stage in the session when BJP members today staged a walk out from the state legislative assembly protesting against the water tariff hike by the state government.

While BJP members demanded that the public works department minister Sudin Dhavlikar, should withdraw the tariff, few members from ruling benches too joined the opposition demanding slashing of tariff.

``You roll back the hike and thereafter reconsider it,'' speaker Fransisco Sardinha, who too, echoed the sentiments of majority of the members, said.

The PWD minister dhavlikar, however, stuck to his guns and said that the roll back is not possible. ``Water tariff not affecting the common person and it has been done after proper study,'' Dhavlikar said.

The opposition, however, did not withdrew their demand and even minister's assurance on the floor of the house that he would get back on the issue after five days, failed to suppress the demand.

After a heated debate of half an hour in which leaders including leader of opposition, Manohar Parrikar, congress legislators Alexio Sequira, Jitendra Deshprabhu and others participated, the BJP members walked out the house
forcing speaker to adjourn the house for 15 minutes.

When house assembled after the adjournment, PWD minister Dhavlikar conceded to roll back the water tariff partially on the floor of the house.