Govt violating constitutional norms

Nagpur, Mar 26: State Bharatiya Janata Party state president Nitin Gadkari today demanded the dismissal of the Democratic Front (DF) Government for ''violating constitutional provisions by not allocating funds granted by the Governor to clear the irrigation backlog in Vidarbha, Marathwada and Konkan regions''.

Talking to reporters here today, Mr Gadkari said a delegation of legislators drawn from BJP, Shiv Sena, Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), Swatantra Bharat Paksha and independents from Vidarbha, Marathwada and Konkan regions had called on Governor S M Krishna on Thursday and apprised him of how the ''DF Government had diverted funds, meant for the backward regions, to the development of the Krishna Valley project in Western Maharashtra''. This is tantamount to the violation of Article 371 (2) of the Constitution, Mr Gadkari alleged.

Accusing the ministers in the DF Government of utilising funds according to their own whims and in violation of the constitutional provisions, Mr Gadkari said letters would be sent to the President and Prime Minister urging them to dismiss the DF Government.

The Opposition, he said, will boycott the ongoing Budget Session of the state legislature from Monday and demand dismissal of the state government, he added.

UNI