Opp. warns Guv over ordinance

| 16 March 2002 17:27 IST

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.

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