Leaders in Delhi over budget tangle
Sandesh Prabhudesai
7 March 2002
With no clarity on whether the Bharatiya
Janata Party government in Goa could continue in power after
dissolving the Assembly without presenting the annual budget,
the whole drama has now moved to Delhi, amidst demand for
the President's rule.
Following leaders of the opposition Congress,
chief minister Manohar Parrikar has also dashed the national
capital, along with advocate general Atmaram Nadkarni, to
seek proper legal guidance in this regard.
"He has no other option than resigning
and paving way for the President's rule in the state", said
Luizinho Faleiro, former opposition leader. During his Delhi
visit, he plans to submit memorandum to the President of
India, demanding central rule in the state.
Parrikar, though retracted from his earlier
stand of getting the annual budget passed from the Parliament,
now plans to get an ordinance issued from the Raj Bhavan
to transfer funds for four-month expenditure from consolidated
to contingency fund.
"I can get the money from contingency fund
without even having the annual financial statement", claims
Parrikar. He also claims of having received green signal
from the Lok Sabha secretariat and the union law ministry,
though final confirmation is awaited.
During their Delhi visit, the chief minister
and the AG are expected to meet the concerned officials,
in order to find a way out to remain in power till elections,
which might be held before June.
Sensing yet another toppling, the BJP here
had recommended House dissolution within 32 months, on 27
February.
Dr Kashinath Jalmi, leader of the Maharashtrawadi
Gomantak party, has however reiterated that the state governor
has powers to issue ordinances only during recess of the
Assembly and not when it is not alive. Secondly, ordinance
for appropriation of any fund from consolidated to contingency
is unconstitutional, he adds.
While almost all legal experts here opine
that the BJP has no way out than going for the President's
rule before 31 March, the tiny state is awaiting the final
outcome on the issue, probably by tomorrow, once the chief
minister arrives here from Delhi.
