from Daijiworld's special correspondent in Panaji - Wednesday, 3-00 pm
Panaji, Jan 18: Annoyed with the step-motherly treatment meted out to them by Congress partners in goa, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Goa executive committee on Tuesday asked its leaders to resign from the Pratapsingh Rane ministry.
Following the executive committee decision, of the two NCP legislators, Fransisco Pacheco agreed to step down on condition that another legislator Dr Wilfred D'Souza, who heads party organization in the state, should resign first while Dr D'Souza flatly declined to put in his papers.
The NCP executive committee was perturbed over chief minister Rane's style of functioning, which, according to them, had been impeding the progress of the state, which on the other hand is reflecting on NCP's part.
"Rane is arrogant and is not moving the files,'' said Fransisco Pacheco, a NCP legislator and agriculture minister in Rane cabinet. According to him, though he is holding the portfolio, none of his files were sanctioned, thus making him non-functional.
The NCP leaders are also piqued over the chief minister's keeping them at bay while alloting chairmanship of various corporations. While Pacheco enjoys agriculture portfolio, the chairman of horticutlure development corporation is Girish Chodankar, who is a youth Congress president in goa.
It was not just the ire towards government that marked NCP's executive committee meeting. A few NCP leaders also opined that Dr D'Souza should step down as NCP Goa chief. "I fully agree that Dr D'Souza should step down as NCP Goa chief and allow some senior NCP leader to take the charge,'' said Pacheco.
"Dr D'Souza is acting blind with eyes and deaf with ears,'' commented Pacheco, who said that he would fully agree with the party leaders' decision to ask D'Souza to step down.
Though NCP executive committee's decision may not be taken seriously by NCP Goa chief himself, the party has formed a five-member committee to study the grievances of the party workers and place them before legislators.