With Parrikar ill, Goa Assembly session cut short to 4 days

The Budget session of the Goa Legislative Assembly, which began today, would last for only four days owing to the illness of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who was hospitalised in Mumbai. Speaker Pramod Sawant, who chaired a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) this afternoon, after Governor Mridula Sinha addressed the House, said the Budget would be presented on February 22, the last day of the session. The session was supposed to continue till mid-March, but due to Parrikar's illness, the committee decided to cut it short, Sawant told reporters. "The BAC has decided to curtail the session to only four days. The Budget will be presented on February 22," he said. Senior minister and MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar will deal with the questions and other business which Parrikar was supposed to handle. The Assembly would pass a vote-on-account for five months on the last day, while the Budget will be tabled now, but passed in the next session, Sawant said. "It is yet to be decided who will present the Budget as the chief minister might join the Assembly on Wednesday," the Speaker said. However, Dhavalikar told reporters that he had been asked to table the Budget. "The chief minister, through the Speaker, has empowered me to table the Budget on Thursday," he said and hastened to add, "Parrikar might come to the House on Wednesday." Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar said the Congress has agreed to the curtailment of the session, but feels that the House should not be adjourned sine die. "The Speaker told us that there is a possibility of the chief minister returning soon. So the Congress Legislative Party suggested that the session should be discontinued temporarily and resumed after the chief minister arrives. We can hold (resume) the session till March 31," he said. The Congress leader said the session should not be postponed for another four months as there are several burning issues that are needed to be discussed. Parrikar was admitted to Mumbai's Lilavati Hospital on February 15 and is undergoing treatment for pancreatic ailment.