A missed opportunity

By Arunkumar Bhatt

MUMBAI, JULY 25. The Opposition BJP-Shiv Sena paid dearly for their impulsive walk-out from the Maharashtra Assembly today. It missed an opportunity to defeat the Deshmukh Government on the floor of the House.

The saffron brigade angrily walked out from the debate on a calling attention motion, demanding strong action against a police officer who had allegedly removed a temple in Nanded district to make way for a `durgah'.

In their absence, the second motion could not be taken up and the Speaker, Mr. Arun Gujarathi, took up the demands of the Civil Supplies Department. The Opposition members who began to trickle in realised that the Government was short of at least 25 legislators.

So some of the BJP-Shiv Sena members rushed out to the lobby to call their members and swell their ranks and their leaders started pressing for a division of votes. But before they attracted the attention of the Speaker, he had already got the demands passed by voice vote.

Supplementary demand

PTI reports:

The Maharashtra Government has presented a supplementary demand to the State legislature for Rs. 3 crores towards expenses to be incurred on the arbitration proceedings to be held in London following the notices given by the Enron- promoted Dabhol Power Company (DPC).

The DPC has issued three notices of arbitration to the State Government under various agreements for supply of power to the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) and default in payment.

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