Opp. warns Guv over ordinance
Sandesh Prabhudesai
16 March 2002
Though the issue has remained in the background
with spate of incidents in Ahmedabad and Ayodhya, opposition
parties in Goa have alleged that the ruling BJP's act here
is an issue of equally serious concern even at national
level.
Describing it as a daylight robbery of
the BJP in collusion with the governor, the Congress has
flayed the government recommendation to draw money from
the contingency fund, for routine expenditure for the next
four months.
The issue has arisen as the ruling BJP
went ahead with dissolution of the 32-month old Assembly
a fortnight before presenting budget in the House, but did
not recommend imposition of the President's rule, due to
which the budget could not passed through the Parliament.
In spite of objecting to his plans, chief
minister Manohar Parrikar's cabinet has now recommended
to the governor to issue an ordinance, increasing limit
of the contingency fund from Rs 10 crore to Rs 1090 crore,
to meet its regular expenditure for the next four months,
pending fresh elections.
"They have proved that it is a party with
a difference, for whom democracy has no meaning", quips
Dr Wilfred de Souza, former chief minister and the NCP leader.
He dubs it as a Nero mentality of 'I say I do'.
Luizinho Faleiro, the opposition leader
of the dissolved Assembly, has warned Governor Mohammed
Fazal not to fall prey to the criminal conspiracy of the
BJP to defraud the state. "How can they touch the contingency
fund without even a sanction of the House or presentation
of the budget", he asks.
According to him, the only option the governor
is left with is to sack the government and impose President's
rule before the financial year ends this month. Dr de Souza
however feels that the governor will go ahead with issuing
the ordinance, setting up an unconstitutional precedent
in the country.
