Government officials and sources in the BJP have raised doubts over whether Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will attend the budget session of the Legislative Assembly scheduled to begin on Monday.
Mr. Parrikar is being treated at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai for pancreatitis and related ailments.
A senior Assembly official, requesting anonymity, said, “The Business Advisory Committee (BAC) will decide whether to shorten the budget session to three days, which is due to start on Monday and end on March 22.”
Speaker Pramod Sawant later told reporters that a BAC meeting had been convened on Monday to decide whether to curtail the session.
Sources in the Goa BJP also said that Mr. Parrikar was not likely to attend the budget session. They said that in case Mr. Parrikar fails to make it to Goa, the budget — scheduled to be presented on February 22 — would be presented by a senior cabinet minister.
Presenting the budget
Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo said, “Mr. Parrikar may not present the budget as doctors have advised him not to attend the session. The BJP has called an emergency meeting of the party’s legislature wing at 10.30 a.m. on Monday for party leaders to apprise MLAs on the Chief Minister’s health … The decision on who will present the budget will be taken at the meeting,” said Mr. Lobo.
The BAC will meet after the customary address by Governor Mridula Sinha on the first day of the session, Mr. Lobo added. “We will shorten the session considering the CM’s health,” he said.
Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar said the Opposition parties would have no objection to the session being curtailed, as the Chief Minister was genuinely ill.
Meanwhile, South Goa MP and BJP spokesperson Narendra Savoikar said on Sunday evening said that the Chief Minister would be continuing his treatment in Mumbai on the advice of doctors. “Mr. Parrikar’s treatment is going in the right direction, and he is responding to it. However, he needs sufficient time to recover. Doctors are taking good care of him. We all pray for his speedy recovery,” he said in a statement.
