the goan I network
PANAJI
Manohar (Babu) Ajgaonkar and Deepak Pauskar, the two MLAs who in the wee hours of Wednesday had split from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and merged with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got their reward on Thursday, in flat 24 hours.
Ajgaonkar got designated as Deputy Chief Minister and Pauskar who was last night sworn-in minister was allocated the lucrative Public Works Department portfolio.
“The government is pleased to designate Vijai Sardesai, minister and Manohar Ajgaonkar, minister as Deputy Chief Minister with immediate effect,” said the order issued by Joint Secretary (General Administration) Varsha
Naik.
A week ago, a similar notification had designated Sardesai and MGP leader Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar as two Deputy Chief Ministers for the first time in Goa. But on Wednesday, Dhavalikar was dropped from the cabinet, necessitating the government to issue the order now designating Sardesai and Ajgaonkar as Deputy Chief Ministers
afresh.
The government also issued a fresh notification allocating portfolios to the entire Cabinet in which Pauskar was allocated PWD and museums. The other heavyweight portfolio previously held by Dhavalikar -- transport -- has been retained by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
The portfolios of all the other Cabinet ministers have been left untouched.
Pauskar, meanwhile, said projects under JICA, the plan for 24-hours water supply and inter-village roads will be his top priority.
