MUMBAI, OCT 18: The newly sworn-in Congress-NCP alliance has sought information on the status of the controversial Enron power project as well as recommendations of the Srikrishna Commission which probed the 1992-93 communal riots in the city.``I have asked the Chief Secretary to submit a comprehensive report on both the issues so that the government can take a fresh look at the same,'' Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said.Deshmukh and Chhagan Bhujbal were earlier sworn in as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, respectively at the Raj Bhavan here. Governor P C Alexander administered the oath of office and secrecy. Former chief minister Narayan Rane and former deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde were among those present on the occasion.Deshmukh reiterated that his government was committed to restoring the lost glory of the State, making efforts to provide a clean administration and improving the deteriorating law and order situation.The Chief Minister also announced the government decision to reactivate in a time-bound period all the schemes which were launched during the Congress rule but subsequently scrapped by the Sena-BJP alliance.Speaking on the financial situation, Deshmukh said that he had been briefed on the economic crisis prevailing in the State ``due to ill-advised policies'' of the Sena-BJP alliance. ``I will have to take the people of Maharashtra into confidence before taking any decision,'' he added.Deshmukh also said that he would undertake a ``major expansion'' of the Cabinet on Tuesday. He, however, declined to divulge any details.The Chief Minister completely ruled out any possibility of a crisis in the Congress-NCP government ``since the mandate was against the Sena-BJP rule''. On the common minimum agenda prescribed by NCP president Sharad Pawar, Deshmukh said his government was committed to implement the same in letter and spirit. ``We will review all on-going projects, particularly those which are against public interest,'' he added.He maintained that the new government's stance on the Enron issue was the same as it was when the Congress-NCP were in the opposition. Deshmukh said that the Congress decided to have an agreement with the NCP on government formation only after consulting Sonia Gandhi and ``in the larger interest of the people of Maharashtra''.Meanwhile, Bhujbal said that emphasis had to be laid on the law and order situation in the State and a secure atmosphere had to be provided.On Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's statement that ``the Sena's loss is in fact a victory'', Bhujbal said his erstwhile political mentor's assertion ``was wrong as the Congress, NCP and other like-minded parties had got 69 percent of the total votes polled''.Bhujbal alleged there were lot of irregularities in the Zunka-Bhakar scheme, which was virtually scrapped by Narayan Rane, as well as the free housing project for slumdwellers.Both Deshmukh and Bhujbal met top bureaucrats and also held a brief Cabinet meeting to recommend the summoning of a three-day session of the State legislature.As per the revised schedule, the newly elected members will take oath on October 20 and 21, while the Governor will address the joint session of State legislature on October 22. A debate on the address would follow and on the next day, supplementary demands will be placed before both the houses.
