The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has rejigged seniority rankings in the Cabinet, and in doing so, he has also sent out a message loud and clear that dissension within the ranks will not be tolerated. The notification may be a mere numeric change in positions of ministers, but some of them who have lately taken contrasting and controversial stands on crucial and sensitive issues will feel the jitters.
In the revised rankings, Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho has jumped from his No. 8 positions to No 4, slotting himself after two deputy chief ministers Chandrakant Babu Kavlekar and Manohar Babu Azgaonkar. A vocal Ports and Waste Management Minister Michael Lobo who was at No 7 faced the brunt of this exercise and now figures at the bottom of the 12-member team. WRD Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues is dropped to No. 9 from his previous 6th position.
On paper, this change in ranking may be insignificant because portfolios haven't changed, but what the notification has effectively done is shown rebellious ministers, and those taking positions against the government, that they cannot take their place for granted.
Lobo has been in focus recently because of his contradictory statements against the stand taken by his government. It may be recalled that last month he teamed up with WRD Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues to announce that they are in a position to take any decision in support of the people of Goa. He has critically commented against coal expansion and has openly sympathized with protesters. In a more recent controversy, the Calangute MLA was quoted to have blamed former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for the taxi imbroglio and the mining ban, only to retract it later.
The chief minister may have played by the book in rectifying anomalies in placements based on seniority related to the number of terms in the legislature and previous cabinet experience. And it may seem to be a mockery when the notification which states “reallocation” of business among ministers has ended up bringing about only a cosmetic change in ranking. However, at the end of it all, the rejig served another purpose.
While the change in ranking is done, we wonder what stops the CM from initiating an assessment of ministers on the lines of the Centre, now that the BJP enjoys a brute majority. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set in motion an appraisal of his council of ministers with the evaluation done on objective as well as subjective parameters based on the targets set up by the cabinet secretariat. The criteria include alignment with the vision of the government, delivery of schemes and programmes and initiatives towards improvement in the quality of life of the people.
The absence of an evaluation mechanism and regulatory check on cabinet ministers reflect a weak leadership, and can severely affect development in respective departments. A case in point is when cabinet ministers jostle over each one’s shortcomings. It’s time the chief minister takes tough decisions and begin cracking the whip.
