Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat
on Friday said he is confident of passing the Finance Bill on the
floor of the House, even as a group of seven legislators
decided not to support the bill forcing the state government
on the brink of crisis.
Seven non-Congress legislators with the current
coalition government, this afternoon, said that the Chief
Minister should "not consider" their support for the Finance
Bill during the ensuing state legislative assembly session
beginning from March 22.
Kamat who also holds Finance portfolio is expected to
present the state budget on March 23.
Group seven spokesmen Ramakrishna Dhavalikar, a MGP
legislator, told reporters that they had demanded the Chief
Minister that Congress Minister Churchill Alemao and Congress
legislative party (CLP) spokesman Mauvin Godinho should tender
their apology within two days.
The group is angry with the duo for speaking against NCP
during a recent press conference.
"The deadline got over today? We have decided to take
further step... Government should not consider our support for
the finance bill," Dhavalikar said.
Earlier in the day, five ministers from the group
boycotted the state cabinet meeting held at Secretariat as a
mark of protest.
The group comprises of three Nationalist Congress Party
(NCP), two Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), a United
Goans Democratic Party (UGDP) and an Independent MLA.
In the 40 seat assembly, Congress needs support of these
seven legislators to get the state budget passed on the floor.
The current composition of the assembly has Congress (18), BJP
(14), NCP (3), MGP (2), UGDP(1) and two Independents.
Kamat talking to reporters at a sideline of a function
said that he is confident to wade through the situation.
"Whatever issues they (group seven) had conveyed to me, I
have conveyed them to my high command. The high command will
talk to NCP top leaders to resolve the issue," he said.
The Chief Minister said NCP is in coalition with Congress
in Centre and even in Maharashtra, so there is no possibility
of them pulling out.
The trouble within the ruling coalition began a fortnight
ago when Kamat unsuccessfully tried to drop MGP minister
Ramakrishna Dhavalikar from the cabinet to accommodate
Congress legislator Pandurang Madkaikar.
Sources stated that NCP supremo Sharad Pawar had
personally intervened to save Dhavalikar from losing his
ministerial berth. Since then, all the non-Congress
legislators have stuck together to form a pressure group.
Bharatiya Janata party, the main opposition said that
they have no role to play in the current political situation.
"We will wait and watch. We are not sure whether the
warning given by group seven is really serious or just a
threatening," leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar told
reporters in the afternoon.
Terming Congress and NCP as husband and wife-like
combination, he said that their fights should not be taken
seriously.
Parrikar refused to comment whether the party is ready to
form alternate government, if eventualities arise.
PTI
First Published: Friday, March 19, 2010, 23:57