Less than a fortnight after Chief Minister Pramod Sawant effected a shake-up of his nearly 20-month-old team with the induction of Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira at the expense of former PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral, the spectre of another shake-up is looming over the cabinet.
If the murmurs echoing in the power corridors are to be believed, former chief minister Digambar Kamat is set to make a comeback to the cabinet. Additionally, another member of the eight-strong faction which defected from the Congress to the ruling BJP in September last year is also set to be inducted into the cabinet who many say is likely to be the Mormugao MLA Sankalp Amonkar.
Amonkar, as everyone knows, had been appointed the chairperson of Bal Bhavan much as four other first-timers from the group of eight had been given positions as chairpersons of State-owned corporations. However, Amonkar did not take charge of his position and the government eventually rescinded his appointment.
If saffron sources are to be believed, the Mormugao MLA who was the last to join the defectors bandwagon and made up the magic figure of eight, was lured with a promise -- a cabinet berth. His reluctance to take charge of the top post at the Bal Bhavan is therefore understandable.
Kamat on the other hand has a cloak of entitlement woven around him, what with a record of serving a seventh consecutive term as a legislator, being a member of five cabinets in the past including heading one to become to only Chief Minister since Goa became a State to complete a full five-year term.
The question that however arises is who from the present lot will Sawant pick to be replaced? The talk in the corridors of power indicates it could be one each from the North and South.
Bondvol lake 'mystery'
The mystery of the water draining out of the Bondvol lake in St Cruz, it has now been revealed, is not a mystery after all.
WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar has confirmed sabotage. According to him, the valve at the barrage has been tampered with and the WRD department is lodging a formal complaint with the Old Goa police station about it.
Interestingly meanwhile, all and sundry are pointing an accusing finger at the managing committee and others of the local Communidade which owns the lake. The talk in several quarters in St Cruz village and allegations against them forced the managing committee to address a press conference and deny any wrongdoing. Their argument that since the Bondvol lake has already been notified as a wetland by the government, it is the responsibility of the WRD and not the Communidade, holds water even if the lake does not.
Babush back to placating 'smart' Panaji residents, traders
The mess and inconvenience caused by the roads excavated and several blocked for the execution of the ongoing smart city works have begun to agitate residents and commuters in the capital city. Traffic jams every day over the last two months have now made vehicle users arguing among themselves a common sight, although no cases of road rage have been reported so far.
Traders and businessmen too have begun to face the brunt of footfalls dropping and their turnovers dwindling. It is in this scenario that Revenue Minister, Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate has commenced placating residents of the capital city.
Monserrate, who represents the capital and had for several weeks gone incognito, suddenly resurfaced with an appeal to Panaji residents for patience. Street smart that he is, the minister who had stayed aloof and instead propped up his mayor-son Rohit to do the photo-ops has acknowledged the traffic snarls and admitted that a proper alternative traffic plan was necessary for the duration of the smart-city work. When, is the million-dollar question, though.
