Cong to approach HC for PR
Sandesh Prabhudesai
8 March 2002
With the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party
government sticking to its decision to lift funds from contingency
to run the state administration during the period of House
dissolution, the opposition Congress has now planned to
approach the court.
A petition demanding President's rule in
the state and challenging BJP's contention that it is not
a caretaker government will be now filed on Monday by the
Congress.
Chief minister Manohar Parrikar, after
returning from Delhi, claimed that union minister Pramod
Mahajan as well as other concerned officials have given
him clean chit on his proposal to lift funds from contingency.
"We will pass a resolution in this regard
in the cabinet meeting next week, advising the governor
to pass an ordinance", said Parrikar. Claiming that contingency
is also meant for unforeseen circumstances and not unforeseen
expenditure alone, Parrikar said the constitution has provided
to lift funds from consolidated funds, without even presenting
the budget.
The issue had cropped up since the BJP
had gone ahead with dissolution under Art 174 (2) b, which
does not provide for passing of the budget through Parliament,
unlike Art 356. Experts here still opine that the governor
is not authorised to pass any ordinance regarding fund appropriation,
especially when the Assembly is dissolved.
"Either they have not read the constitutional
provisions properly or pretend otherwise", quips Parrikar.
He is confident that the BJP will remain in power till new
Assembly is constituted after fresh polls.
Ramesh Chennithala, the Congress observer
who also arrived here from Delhi today, has however warned
the government officials to face consequences of even sitting
in the jail, if they allowed the BJP government to lift
money from the contingency fund.
The Congress is also planning public action,
beginning from Monday, demanding recall of Governor Mohammed
Fazal, who has allowed the BJP to function as a full-fledged
government. "It is a caretaker government", claims Luizinho
Faleiro, the former state opposition leader.
