Assembly adjourned sine die after 5-day budget session

Panaji, Mar 9 (UNI) The Goa legislative assembly was adjourned sine die today after transacting five-day budget session.

Speaker Francisco Sardinha announced the adjournment of the House after thanking members for their active participation, with the current term of the House ending in May.

Elections to the 40-member House are likely to be held before the expiry of the term.

Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane presented the ''people-friendly and development-oriented budget'' on March 7 keeping in mind the forthcoming assembly elections.

He claimed the budget would benefit the farmers, women, students and children, including the differently abled, with a series of sops announced for them.

The opposition, however, described the budget as ''colourless, odourless and directionless leading the state into a huge debt trap with the government engaged in Rs 500 crore interest burden on borrowings it made in the last two years.'' In the 40-member House, the Congress has 18 seats, NCP two and Independent and MGP one each, while the opposition BJP has 15. It is backed by one UGDP member Mathanhy Saldanha, who has lost right to vote and participation in the proceedings following a High Court directive on the strength of his petition challenging the disqualification order issued by the Speaker.

While another BJP member, Babu Azgaonkar, resigned to become a minister in the Congress-led coalition government, two other members were disqualified for contesting the 2002 elections while holding the offices of profit.

UNI