PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday finally went about the exercise of allocating portfolios, retaining the crucial Home and Finance ministries but conceding the politically potent and influence-wielding portfolios of Town and Country Planning, Urban Development and Forest to his challenger within, Vishwajit Rane.
Rane has also retained the ministries for health and for women and child development, which he held in the previous term.
Sawant's portfolio distribution on Sunday came more than a week after the Cabinet was sworn-in. There are still three slots to be filled and some important portfolios including Power and Education have been withheld by the chief minister, perhaps to be allocated to the three new ministers he will induct.
Mauvin Godinho, who is listed at number 3 in hierarchy in the Cabinet, has got industries in addition to the three portfolios he held in the previous term -- transport, panchayati raj and protocol.
Former chief minister Ravi Naik has been allocated agriculture, handicrafts and civil supplies while Nilesh Cabral has got the Public Works Department (PWD) besides the environment, legislative affairs and the law and judiciary portfolios.
Cabral was earlier the power minister in the previous term.
Subhash Shirodkar, who makes a comeback as a minister after 15 years, has been given Water Resources Department (WRD) along with co-operation and Provedoria.
Govind Gaude has retained the Art and Culture department and has in addition got the Sports and Rural Development Agency portfolios but lost the Co-operation department.
The prestigious tourism portfolio has been allotted to Rohan Khaunte who also got the Information Technology portfolio.
Panaji MLA, Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate, returns to the Cabinet after 10 years and has been allocated the revenue and labour portfolios which were held by his wife Jennifer in the previous term. The department of waste management will also be handled by him.
