The skewed move by Goa Government to give cabinet status to the recently appointed Chairman of the Haj Committee is outrageous. Bestowing cabinet status would be a fraud as it violates the spirit and intent of the 91st Amendment to the Constitution meant to restrict the size of the Cabinet. This cabinet status will be an unwarranted heavy financial burden on the State exchequer as the person would be entitled to a dozen staff besides an official car, office and all other benefits. How can the Chief Minister not realise that a Cabinet is a body of high-ranking officials, the most senior ministers who are chosen by him to lead on specific policy areas and head the principal government departments or ministries and are usually all elected to serve the common good? This is all a far cry from the Chairman of the Haj Committee who is not in the same league. But given the way the Goa Government has been functioning nothing should ever surprise us as they have no regard for good governance and the Rule of law.
