PANAJI: Allocating portfolios to his cabinet colleagues six days after they took oath, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday rewarded coalition partners with key portfolios.
Parrikar has allocated public works and tourism portfolios to the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. He assigned town and country planning and water resources portfolios to the Goa Forward Party, keeping with himself home, finance, personnel, education, general administration, vigilance, transport and other portfolios.
The portfolio allocation was delayed as Governor Mridula Sinha had been out of the state.
Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar of the MGP has been allocated public works while GFP’s Vijay Sardesai fetched town and country planning.
Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte has been given revenue portfolio.
BJP’s Francis D’Souza, who was deputy chief minister in the previous government, has been given urban development, a portfolio D’Souza had held in the past.
MGP’s Manohar Azgaonkar has been given tourism, while Pandurang Madkaikar, who quit the Congress and joined the BJP just ahead of the assembly elections, has been rewarded with power portfolio.
Another Independent MLA Govind Gaude has been made the Minister for Art and Culture, whereas GFP’s Vinod Paliecar and Jayesh Salgaonkar have been allotted water resources and housing portfolios respectively.
The new ministers have assured that their departments would be people-friendly and would be totally transparent in their functioning.
PWD Minister Dhavalikar said that his priority would be to complete ongoing works besides streamlining water supply system.
He said he would also emphasise on making four-laning of all national highways and six-laning if needed.
TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai said that his priority would be to protect distinct identity of Goa by preserving its natural and cultural heritage, adding that though the TCP portfolio entails challenges he was positive that his struggle would protect Goenkarponn and take Goa forward.
Stating the government does not want to make Goa a city state, Sardesai said that he would focus on preserving distinct identity of the tiny state.
Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte said that he has set his mind to proper implementation of e-governance in the offices of district collectors, deputy collectors and mamlatdars so as to end hardships faced by the common man.
“I also assure to the people of Goa that the government will repeal the amendment to the Tenant Mundkar Act and will make sure that the cases are fast-tracked,” Khaunte said.
Tourism Minister Manohar ‘Babu’ Azgaonkar, who emphasised on developing tourism sector and protecting Goan culture, said that there would be total transparency in the department, and that he would not tolerate any kind of corruption.
He also said that his priority would be to promote ecotourism by creating proper infrastructure so that tourists would get an opportunity to experience real culture and tradition of the state.
WRD Minister Vinod Paliecar said that his priority would be to protect Mhadei river, which has been under threat due to the Kalsa-Banduri project of Karnataka.
Housing Minister Jayesh Salgaokar said that his focus would be to provide affordable housing to the needy Goans.
Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude said that his priority would be to preserve Goan culture besides getting good faculties at the Kala Academy in order to provide good art education to the talents of the state.
He said that he would work to make Panaji a cultural city of the country.