Goa Cabinet for prorogue of Assembly

Panaji, Jan 17: Chief Minister Digamber Kamat's Congress-led coalition government in Goa has recommended to Speaker Pratap Singh Rane to prorogue the Goa Legislative Assembly, which was supposed to meet this afternoon. The political crisis surfaced on Wednesday after two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Ministers and two independents withdrew their support from the State Government.

Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane, Tourism Minister Mickey Pacheco, and Save Goa Front legislators Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and Atanasio Monserratte came together to test the government"s credibility on the floor of the House.

The ministers and legislators were reportedly unhappy over the functioning of State Finance Minister Dayanand Narvekar. The State Government, which has cancelled special economic zones in the state, is facing heat over the proposed Rajiv Gandhi IT habitat. Narvekar, who is also IT Minister, is supporting the creation of the park, which is opposed by Monserratte.

In the 40-member State Assembly, the ruling coalition has 23 members – Congress (16), NCP (3), Save Goa Front (2) and Independents (2). United Goans Democratic party's unattached legislator Atanasio Monserratte gives issue-based support to the government. The opposition has 16 members with BJP (14) and MGP (2).

The Goa Appropriation Bill was to be taken up in the Assembly on Wednesday evening, but voting was postponed to Thursday giving a breather to Chief Minister Kamat after coalition partners threatened to withdraw support.

The opposition BJP immediately demanded the dismissal of the Kamat Government, saying it had lost its majority in the House.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Manohar Parrikar criticised Speaker Pratap Singh Rane for adjourning the house on a "flimsy reason" given by Kamat.

Meanwhile, speculation is rife that Rane is a frontrunner for Chief Minister, though he has said that he is not interested. The coalition government was last reduced to minority in July 2007 after one of its allies and an independent withdrew support. However, in August, the Kamat Government secured majority after three legislators broke away from the opposition GDA and joined it.

ANI