Law to allow legislators to continue for full term needed: Narvekar

Panaji, Aug 24 (UNI) Finance Minister Dayanand Narvekar today favoured a legislative mechanism to ensure that the legislators do not change sides or resign except for personal reasons till completion of their term so that there is no frequent change of Governments like in Goa.

Interacting with journalists from across the country gathered here to attend the 124th Working Committee meeting of the Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ), Mr Narvekar said that a system to check the bank balances of the resigned legislators should be in vogue.

The resignation can be accepted if it is done on genuine health grounds so that there is no threat to the existing Government. He wondered the continuance of defections despite legislators enjoying salaries ranging from Rs 5 lakhs per annum, apart from paid expenses.

Goa, he said, had provided several case studies for framing the anti-defection laws under the 10th schedule of the Constitution.

When asked what is unique of Goa among other states, Mr Narvekar said of its recent Information Technology (IT) drive for providing high-speed broadband connectivity to all the houses in the state, apart from being the state with high per capita income, bank deposits and health parameters and tourist arrivals double that of its population.

The IT drive, he said, had motivated Sri Lanka which wanted to imitate the Goan model in the island nation. Goa was the only state with surplus revenue recorded.

He also boasted of a pension scheme for senior citizens with Rs 1000 per month, Rs 8 lakh grant for bone marrow surgery, Rs 5 lakh for cancer patients and Rs 3 lakh for heart surgeries besides Rs 15,000 per month for dialysis patients.

UNI