Goa CM cannot call Speaker for updates on administration: Congress

The Congress on Monday objected to Goa Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant, updating ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on administrative and governance-related issues and claimed that Parrikar had no trust in a three-member ministerial committee formed to take administrative decisions in his absence.

At a press conference here, outgoing state Congress President Shantaram Naik also said that the three-minister committee, which includes one minister each from two alliance partners and one BJP minster and tasked with overseeing day-to-day governance matters was unconstitutional.

"Seeking a report on administration of the state from the Speaker is wrong," he said, adding that the Speaker's office was supposed to be politically neutral and isolated from governance and administration-related issues.

The party's criticism comes a day after the Goa Speaker's office issued a statement on Sunday, which said that Parrikar, who is currently being treated in the US for advanced pancreatic cancer, in a telephonic conversation with Sawant on Sunday, had sought an update on general and administrative matters in the state.

Naik also maintained that Parrikar's arrangement of appointing a three-member committee to oversee governance issues was also unconstitutional.

"The committee and the decisions it is taking are unconstitutional. There is no government business rule which endorses such an arrangement," he said.

Contacted for a response on the issue of alleged interference of the Speaker in matters of governance and administration, BJP spokeperson Narendra Savoikar refused to comment.

--IANS

maya/vd