Dissolution: Chief Secy's circular raises eyebrows

CIRCULAR HIGHLIGHTS
>> The caretaker government should merely carry on day-to-day government and desist from taking any major policy situation decision
>> Neither the caretaker State government nor Centre shall announce any new schemes, projects, etc, or undertake any of the activities prohibited by Part-VII of the Model Code of Conduct
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PANAJI: A circular, peculiar in both contents and timing, issued by Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma exactly a month ago has fueled a sense across bureaucratic ranks that Goa's current political impasse of sorts due to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's debilitating ailment, may eventually lead to dissolution of the Goa Assembly and elections thereafter.
Sharma issued the circular on November 14 and elaborately deals with the issue of application of the Model Code of Conduct in cases of "premature dissolution" of Legislative Assembly where caretaker government takes charge.
"Election Commission of India has considered the matter of application of Model Code of Conduct in cases of premature dissolution of Legislative Assembly where a caretaker government has been asked to carry on the administration for free, fair, transparent and robust electoral process," Sharma says in the circular.
"The caretaker government should merely carry on day-to-day government and desist from taking any major policy situation decision," Sharma further states in the circular.
The Commission has directed in such an eventuality, the "provisions of Part-VII (Party in Power) of the Model Code of Conduct shall come into operation with immediate effect till elections are held to constitute the new Legislative Assembly" Sharma's circular said. "The provisions of the Model Code of Conduct shall apply on the caretaker government as well as on the Central government in matters related to the State are concerned," Sharma says further in the circular quoting the directions of the Election Commission.
"Neither the caretaker State government nor the Central government shall announce any new schemes, projects, etc, or undertake any of the activities prohibited by Part-VII of the Model Code of Conduct."
Other 'don'ts' in Part-VII, such as use of official resources for non-official purposes, combining official visit with electioneering work shall apply on all Ministers and other authorities of the caretaker government, the Central government as well as governments of other states, Sharma adds in the circular.
The circular has been marked by Sharma to all heads of departments, corporations, autonomous bodies, the two district collectors, deputy collectors of all talukas, mamlatdars and joint mamlatdars of all talukas and the Chief Electoral Officer as well as the Joint Chief Electoral Officer.