Sandesh Prabhudesai
13 October 1999
Allegations against each other by the chief minister and the opposition leader is a common phenomena in politics. But in Goa, it has suddenly taken a serious turn, making charges of only money-making rackets of each other.
Skeletons are pulled out of the cupboards freely as the opposition BJP has defeated the ruling Congress in the Lok Sabha polls, changing the whole political trend of the state. Perhaps it has made the opposition little overconfident while the ruling party is also found little defensive.
Manohar Parrikar, the state opposition leader, has made charges of extortion against the chief minister's office, alleging that even some officials attached to it are involved in it. "I can prove it with evidence", he claims.
He informs the journalists having been received complaints from some industries that the CMO officials are demanding money from industries under the pretext that they have to contribute to the party fund at the centre.
Parrikar also pulls in Churchill Alemao, the industries and tourism minister, alleging that he is forcefully demanding money from the five star hotels, using the 'Coca Cola formula'. It refers back to the Coca Cola controversy where Alemao had stopped water supply to the soft drink multinational two months ago.
In order to justify his charge of redefining government policies to benefit the CMO's favourites, he asks whether the new excise policy ultimately does not benefit only the UB Breweries Ltd, which holds 95 per cent beer market in the tourist state.
While the new policy gives direct profit of around Rs 20 per bottle to the local manufacturer, Parrikar says that the imported beer is bound to cost more as it has to now pay the import pass fee, besides the freight charges.
In an attempt to retaliate, chief minister Luizinho Faleiro however prefers making counter-charges against Parrikar that he has received money from the power guzzling units in the state. A complaint filed in this regard is being scrutinised by the vigilance department, he adds.
Instead of replying to the charges, Faleiro dismisses it stating that he deplores the irresponsible, irrelevant and malafide statements as well as wild charges made by Parrikar. "My office is transparent and open to public scrutiny", he claims.
More than proving such serious charges, taking political benefit out of it appears to be prime goal, even of the opposition. Parrikar, in the same breath, appeals to 'few good people' in the ruling party to reconsider continuation of their support to the Faleiro government.
Perhaps this is just a beginning as discontent against Faleiro continues to be brewing, on the issue of key portfolios, even after some disgruntled elements were inducted into the cabinet recently, going against the party manifesto not to have a jumbo cabinet.
As any kind of alternate formation cannot be thought of without the 10-member BJP's support in the 40-member House, Parrikar's statement is being viewed as a welcome gesture from the opposition, which is otherwise consistently claiming that they are not interested in toppling the Congress government.
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