AUGUSTA — A proposal to dramatically reduce the staff and funding for the state’s government oversight office is drawing harsh criticism, setting the stage for a hot debate later this week.

Democrats are proposing to cut $1.2 million from the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability to help close the gap in the state’s $6.3 billion budget. The proposal would reduce staff from seven to two, and move the operations under another existing fiscal review office.

Senate Majority Leader Elizabeth Mitchell, D-Vassalboro, said the move was necessary to offset cuts to human services as part of the $190 million supplemental budget.

“In the budget we’ve just been dealing with, there were very difficult choices,” she said. “We’re trying to save money by streamlining and merging where possible to restore money to some of the very draconian human resources cuts.”

But many Republicans, and some Democrats, say the move is shortsighted.

“I think it’s very troubling that anyone would think of using the state’s budget woes as an excuse for eliminating the state’s budget watchdog,” said Sen. Kevin Raye, R-Perry.

A bill to create the office was passed by lawmakers in 2002, but the office was not fully staffed until September 2005.

Lawmakers are expected to take up the budget in the House and Senate sometime this week, possibly as early as Wednesday.