Parrikar should hand over charge to somebody: Goa Congress

Opposition Congress on Wednesday today demanded that Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar should hand over the charge to someone as the state's administration is in the doldrums.

Parrikar (62), who was admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai for a review health check-up on August 23, is supposed to fly to the United States for medical treatment tonight.

"The state is in a self-imposed emergency situation with no one to man the affairs of the state. High time the charge of CM is handed over to someone or let this alliance quit the government as they have failed to run the government for last six months," Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar said.

The chief minister's office should disclose the facts about Parrikar's health and should put out a detailed "health bulletin", he demanded.

With uncertainty about Parrikar's health and his absence from the state, there has been "complete constitutional failure as well as administration failure" in the state, Chodankar claimed.

Many portfolios are still not filled, and as Parrikar is unwell since February and has remained out of Goa frequently (for treatment), he should hand over the charge to some other minister, the Congress leader demanded.

The BJP is not willing to hand over the charge to somebody else due to "dearth of people with leadership quality" and the fear that there would be a rebellion in the party, he claimed.

Majority of portfolios are handled by the chief minister, he pointed out.