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Two new showrooms/office spaces, double height (135 sq m each with bath) for lease in upscale Campal/Miramar beach area, Panaji, Goa. Contact: goaengineer...@aol.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BJP MLAs on holiday HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, SEPT 8 All the MLAs of the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party are on a holiday abroad. While five MLAs led by Opposition Leader Manohar Parrikar are already in the United States of America on a three-week holiday, the remaining MLAs led by deputy leader in the assembly Francis DSouza left for Singapore today. "After a long assembly session and the Ganesh festival we wanted to have some rest," one MLA who did not want to be named told Herald. Responding to a buzz over whether the trip was sponsored, he said the trip has been funded individually by the MLAs. A senior leader of the party also refuted a suggestion that the BJP might have footed the bill. "The party doesn=E2=80=99t believe in such things (of sending members on holidays abroad)", he added. The party was in power for just four and a half years till early 2005 and since then has been in the Opposition in the State. President of Goa unit of BJP Shripad Naik who is also the North Goa MP is not part of the holidaymakers. The Mapusa MLA-led group is quite big in number, sources in the party said. Besides the party MLAs, there are some officials and a few "close" friendsD, it is learnt. They are learnt to have gone on a packaged tour to the city state for a week. It is not known whether they will visit Malaysia or Hong Kong. Though there is no parallel, incidentally in mid-90s, under the chief ministership of Pratapsing Rane, a Goa delegation consisting of some ministers, MLAs and members of the Opposition MGP then =E2=80=93 including firebrand Dr Kashinath Jhalmi had visited Singapore on a study tour. After "studying" the police system there, Rane had changed the uniform of the Goa police (which was reverted to khaki by Parrikar-led government). Sources in the party said Parrikar who is also accompanied by his younger son left for the US August-end with four0 BJP legislators including Damu Naik (Fatorda), Milind Naik (Mormugao), Vijay Pai Khot (Canacona) and Mahadev Naik (Shiroda) and two office-bearers including the party's treasurer (and confidante of Parrikar) Sanjeev Desai. They left after the 5-day celebrations of Ganesh Chaturti, a source said. They are expected to return sometime on September 19-20, the source said. -- MODERATOR'S NOTE: Avoid crossposting when posting to Goanet.
