DEC 23: Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar today chose not to attach too much significance to the controversial statement made by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and indicated that his party was not in favour of taking stern action against him.``One should take cognisance of a statement only if it is made after giving a thought,''he said, adding, Thackeray belonged to the genre of those who do not think twice before making comments.Pawar was speaking to the press after addressing a closed-door meeting of the NCP ministers to review the performance of the government here today.Significantly, Pawar also advised Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal `not to make an issue of Thackeray's remarks during the meeting which was held at `Royal Stone', official residence of energy minister Padmasinha Patil.Sources said Pawar pulled up the party ministers in the Democratic Front government saying that their performance was below expectation.He took them to task for `lack of fiscal discipline and coordination within the ministerial and party ranks. ``Since we have promised better governance, it is our duty to extricate the state from the financial crisis it finds itself in, but I don't see any steps being taken towards that end''. It is time for some harsh decisions because these prove useful in the long run, he added.Pawar's harangue can be understood from the fact that the DF government is yet to act on several issues listed by him in a letter sent to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh at the time of formation of the coalition government.Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, state president Babanrao Pachpute and senior ministers in the party will soon meet Deshmukh and discuss the ways to remove the obstacles in the implementation of the issues, he disclosed.On the performance of Chhagan Bhujbal as the leader of the part in the government, Pawar said, ``I am happy with my colleagues in the government.''Reacting strongly to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's statement on the Ayodhya issue, he said ``We do not agree with Vajpayee'', pointing out that the Indian population included secular Hindus, Muslims, Christians and other minorities. ``Vajpayee's statement sounds like that of a BJP leader and not of prime minister,'' he opined.Pawar avoided direct reference to Enron controversy. However, he referred to some new power projects in other states and said the rates charged by them were much higher than the old ones.The meeting was attended by NCP national general secretary Praful Patel, Bhujbal, Pachpute, executive chairman of the state planning board Ratnakar Mahajan and all party ministers in the DF government. Minister for tribal development Madhukar Pichad was absent since he was under medical treatment for heart ailment.
