the goan I network
PANAJI
By refusing to relent on his choice of portfolios additionally allocated to his Cabinet colleagues, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has stamped his authority, and in a way, broken off from the shadow of his former mentor the late Manohar Parrikar with this first politically assertive step in his nascent tenure.
Sawant had on Friday finalised the list of additional portfolios to be distributed among his Cabinet ministers and sent it to the Governor Mridula Sinha for approval and subsequent notification. Some ministers, particularly from alliance partner Goa Forward Party, objected to the subjects allocated forcing the notification to be held back from being issued on Friday itself.
Sawant, however, talked to the ministers and stemmed their dissent. He then told the media that the notification will now be issued on Monday without any changes, signalling an assertive leadership.
Portfolio allocation is indeed the Chief Minister’s exclusive prerogative. But in recent years, and more so in a coalition government, that prerogative has somewhat blurred and alliance partners tend to interfere and choose portfolios. It is in this context that Sawant seems to have scored points and come out trumps with the additional allocation of portfolios on Friday.
Also, the manner in which he has distributed the portfolios allocating the more significant ones to ministers belonging to his BJP, has sent a strong signal that he intends to consolidate the saffron party’s political hold in the State going forward, particularly with the saffron party entrenched at the Centre
following the spectacular performance at the Lok Sabha elections. The portfolio exercise has also upset the equilibrium among the three ministers of alliance partner GFP, seemingly limiting its bargaining power and cutting it down to size.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai has been allotted the significant Forest department while Housing Minister Jayesh Salgaonkar is said to be upset with Museum allotted to him and Fisheries Minister Vinod Palienkar got no additional portfolio.
Sawant took over the government in peculiar circumstances following the death of Parrikar from whom he inherited the cabinet. Barring the first-timers, all other members of his cabinet are much senior to him and he seemingly has passed the leadership test thus far. But with stakes high and ambitions of his political colleagues unlimited, it remains to be seen how he negotiates future challenges to his leadership.
As of now, he seems to have opted to placate seniors, including his know rival of sorts within the BJP -- Health Minister Vishwajit Rane -- by allocating to them significant and meaty portfolios.
Sawant on Friday finalised list of additional portfolios to be distributed among his Cabinet ministers
Sent it to Governor for approval and subsequent notification
Some ministers, particularly from Goa Forward, objected
Notification held back from being issued on Friday itself
Sawant talked to ministers, stemmed their dissent
Told media notification will now be issued on Monday without any changes
With forest portfolio, will Vijai speed up land conversion referred by TCP?
PANAJI: With the forest portfolio also allocated to Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai in Friday’s additional portfolio allocation decision of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, several proposals stuck for its opinion and concurrence referred by the TCP Dept for conversion of land use zoning under Sec 16B could see speedy resolution one way or the other.
Sources said of the 6,500 applications considered for conversion of land, at least 70 were referred to Forest Dept for opinion and concurrence.
