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Goa NCP speaks in different tunes on De Souza; Rane Govt Panaji | January 18, 2006 10:45:09 PM IST Pooh-poohing reports that the party executive had sought resignation of its State unit President and Goa Deputy Chief Minister Wilfred De Souza, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today described media reports in this regard as ''flawed with inaccuracies''. ''No party member ever demanded the resignation of the (State) party President Wilfred de Souza,'' NCP's Goa unit General Secretary and spokesperson Surendra Futardo said in a statement here. The party stood to gain nothing by Dr De Souza's resignation and the NCP continued to be in the Congress-led coalition government in Goa, he said. Stating that some ''non-party'' men had stormed the Executive Committee meet on Tuesday in a vain bid to disrupt the meeting of NCP office bearers, Mr Futardo said they sought to create confusion. Mr Furtado, however, admitted that the Pratapsingh Rane Government was working at a snail's pace, but stoutly denied that development work was not being done. ''It is not correct to say that work is not being done.'' He advised disgruntled party workers not to approach Dr De Souza, a former CM, for every petty issue. He pointed out that Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane had sanctioned Rs 2 crore for development works in his wife Ruth Furtado's ward in Panjim corporation. The NCP further said through his own efforts, PWD Minister Sudin Dawlikar sanctioned Rs 1.5 crore for laying hot mix roads and drainage system at Miramar which was completed recently. ''One should know how to get work done by giving respect to the incumbent in office and get respect in return.'' Mr Furtado, however, agreed NCP workers were harbouring the feeling that they were being sidelined in several semi-government corporations because of the step-motherly treatment meted out to them by the coalition partner. The NCP spokesperson, therefore, urged party men to work overtime to ensure greater victory in the next elections so that instead of just two seats the party romps home with a major chunk ''which would cripple its political allies from continuing to resort to arm-twisting tactics''. Regarding differences between the Congress CM and Agriculture Minister Micky Pacheco of NCP over issues of administration, Mr Furtado told UNI that a one-to-one meeting between the two would be arranged shortly to sort out the differences. On the contrary, Mr Pacheco, however, maintained that a majority of the executive members in the meeting had sought resignation of the State party president and quitting the coalition Government, which they said had become ''non-functional'' in many respects. Dr De Souza, he alleged, had failed to protect the interests of the party and its functionaries during the last six months and there was no meaning in continuing with the alliance government. ''In fact, Dr De Souza should quit on moral grounds and I will follow suit,'' he added. UNI BM RSY CD DB2151 -- Cheers, Gabe Menezes. London, England
