NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Virtually settling the issue of special status for Goa, once and for all, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said that “the chapter of providing special status to different states in the country, with the backing of the Indian Constitution is over,” and the same has now been replaced with devolution of funds to various states as a part of the share of their tax revenue through the 14th Finance Commission.
Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson GVL Narsimha Rao, who is in Goa to attend the media workshop conducted by BJP for its party workers, later told the pressmen during a press conference that the central government is now likely to review the special status enjoyed by various states. “No state in India has been given special status after the constitution of the 14th Finance Commission,” he added, maintaining that if any state has a revenue deficit then it would be provided with financial assistance by the Centre.
When told that state BJP Minister for Rural Development Agency Alina Saldanha is strongly advocating special status for Goa, Rao observed that the state ministers don’t decide the national policies. “The Union government will do away with the special status category, and this would be its policy,” he opined.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar inaugurating the media workshop for party workers, at the city BJP headquarters said that Goa is leading in all important parameters of development, and hence would not be able to get special status for it. He also cautioned the party workers that issues namely special status and offshore casinos could embarrass them during the pre-state assembly election period.
Furthermore, Rao addressing the media in the presence of state BJP president Vinay Tendulkar and national general secretary of the party Shrikant Sharma said that the central government’s decision to ban NDTV India for a day was in accordance with the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, and in the interest of the national security and not because of any personal offence to the government.
“The Congress party, which is crying hoarse over this decision should not forget that its government had once imposed Emergency in the country for personal reasons,” he maintained, noting that the media houses should now get together and present a related proposal of suggestions to the government, as also impose self-regulation on them.
Meanwhile, brushing aside the political challenge posed by the Aam Aadmi Party to the BJP at the forthcoming state assembly polls, Shrikant Sharma said that AAP is a party of protestors, which instead of ruling New Delhi, for which it was voted to power, is launching a new protest every day. “It is also a party of corrupt people and criminals, with many of its MLAs involved in either corruption or crimes,” he said, predicting that Goan voters will discard the AAP candidates at the state assembly election.
Sharma also observed that BJP would return to power in the state with thumping majority, by giving priority to good governance and development.
BJP MLA Dr Pramod Sawant and state general secretary of the party Sadanand Tanavde were also present at the briefing.