As is expected and customary with the Indian National
Congress Party and its "half blood brother" the
Nationalist Congress Party ------(which incidentally
came into being after the Maratha war lord Mr Sharad
Pawar ex CM Mumbai and present Union Minister split
from the INC to form the NCP as he willed that a
person of foreign origin (referring to Madam Sonia
Gandhi) could not covet the Prime Ministerial seat in
India ---though after she made the "supreme
sacrifice" of not occupying the seat there was a thaw
in relations which culminated in their alliance both
in Goa and New Delhi --- albeit "to keep the communal
forces at bay " --------) the NCP leader Dr Wilfred
Anthony De Souza retaliated "verbally"in no uncertain
terms over the non inclusion of Mr Francisco (Micky)
Pacheco NCP MLA Benaulim in the Cabinet.
But there are two sides to this argument --- the INC
top brass told this writer telephonically during the
swearing in ceremony this morning that Mr Francisco
(Micky) Pacheco was indeed offered the Benaulim seat
on a INC ticket for his "sacrifice" in unseating the
Parrikar Government alongwith the others Monseratte
Kamat, Madkaikar, Fernandes --- this offer was not
accepted by Mr Pacheco and he preferred to put his
eggs in the basket of the NCP on his own volition and
ofcourse on the studied advice of his mentor Dr
Wilfred De Souza.
Dr De Souza however insists that the sacrifice needs
to be rewarded with a Cabinet berth just as the other
three were rewarded. One of them Mr Isidore Fernandes
of Poinguinim did not make it at the hustings. "So
why not Pacheco" and this act of the INC High or Low
Command feels the Doctor from Saligao "is a communal
stance worst than that of the BJP" which translated
meant the Doctor would not mind taking support from
the BJP to form the Government.
This was denied by Goa Pradesh Congress Committee
President -- Mr Ravi Sitaram Naik MLA Ponda --- but
then one could not take Ravi's denial as the gospel
truth given the fact on an earlier ocassion following
the assasination of ex PM and MP Rajiv Gandhi on 21st
May, Mr Ravi Naik denied that there was any
understanding on interchanging Chief Ministerial
positions with Dr Wilfred De Souza and that eventually
led to a political turmoil of sorts which saw De Souza
in CM position and the then Governor given the boot.
But Ms Margaret Alva INC Observer in Goa close to Dr
Wilfred De Souza also denied such assurances to make
Mr Pacheco a Minister after he wore the NCP label
Therefore while rumours were agog of the imminent
collapse of the Government a shrewd Mr Pratapsing
Raoji Rane knew that the numbers though seemed
favourable to the NCP MGP to switch sides with the BJP
as being "less communal" according to Dr De Souza the
damocles sword of Dissolution of the Assembly was
looming high ---- remember ---the late night faxed
signature obtained from Rashtrapatiji while enroute to
Moscow on a 14 day four nation tour to dissolve the
Bihar Assembly albeit to avoid "horse trading " when
it was a certainity that the NDA had the numbers and
the RJD INC and others combine would be relageted to
Opposition benches.
This was the final answer and the swearing in ceremony
went on smoothly this mornign as ordained by CM Rane.
The others left thereafter for Mumbai Surat to trash
the "misunderstanding" and pursue the issue of
inclusion of Mr Pacheco, with Mr Prafulla Patel of the
NCP. Incidentally Mr Praful Patel the Union Minister
for Civil Aviation was present of the public meeting
at Dando Grounds in Benaulim on the last Sunday of
electioneering and speaker after speaker from both the
NCP and INC made announcements of Mr Pacheco earning a
ministerial berth with Dr Wilfred De Souza being made
a Deputy Chief Minister. This public statement
therefore amounts to back stabbing by the INC but this
is the traditional weapon of the INC against loyalist
and committments are not honoured despite the era of
'supreme" and simple sacrifices.
The new Ministerial postings taluka wise is now as
under
There are 12 ministerial positions available for the
State of the size of Goa (following an amendment to
down size Ministries ) besides two for the post of
Speaker and the Dy Speaker (as per convention the Dy
Speakers post is offered to the opposition but not any
longer in the era of coalitions)
Then there is the posibility of appointing
Parliamentary Secretaries and these have the rank of
Cabinet Minister --- a red beacon light -- atop the
car assured so the fringe benefits applicable to
Ministers is available to this Parliamentary
Secretaries (Incidentally Mr Parrikar discovered this
position when he had to drop a Minister from his
Cabinet when the amended act of downsizing Ministerial
postings came into force in July 2003
PERNEM TALUKA (nova conquistas 1763- 1961)
Shri. Jeetendra Deshprabhu INC Pernem
BARDEZ TALUKA (velhas conquistas 1510 - 1961)
Dr Wilfred De Souza NCP Saligao DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER
Shri. Agnelo Fernandes INC Calangute
Shri. Dayanand Narvekar INC Aldona MINISTER
TISWADI TALUKA (velhas conquistas 1510 - 1961)
Shri Atnasio Monserate INC Taleigao MINISTER
Shri. Francisco Silveira INC St. Andre
Shri Pandurang Madkaikar INC Cumbarjua MINISTER
Smt. Victoria R. Fernandes INC St. Cruz
BICHOLIM TALUKA (nova conquistas 1763- 1961)
Shri. Harish N. P. Zantye INC Mayem
SATTARI TALUKAnova conquistas 1763- 1961)
Shri. Pratapsingh Raoji Rane INC Poriem CM
PONDA TALUKA (nova conquistas 1763- 1961)
Shri. Ravi S. Naik INC Ponda
Shri. Subash Shirodkar INC Shiroda MINISTER
SALCETE TALUKA (velhas conquistas 1510 - 1961)
Shri Francisco Pacheco NCP Benaulim
Shri Digamber Kamat INC Margao MINISTER
Shri. Francisco Sardinha INC Curtorim Speaker
Shri. Joaquim Braz Alemao INC Cuncolim MINISTER
Shri. Luizinho Faleiro INC Navelim MINISTER
Shri. Aleixo Sequeira INC Loutolim
Shri. Filipe Neri Rodrigues INC Velim
MORMUGAO TALUKA (velhas conquistas 1510 - 1961)
Shri. Giovanni Karl Vaz INC Mormugao
QUEPEM TALUKA (nova conquistas (1763- 1961)
Shri. Chandrakant R. Kavlekar INC Quepem
SANGUEM TALUKA (nova conquistas 1763- 1961)
CANACONA TALUKA (nova conquistas 1763- 1961)
It will be seen that the Talukas of Sanguem Cancona
have neither INC NCP MGP MLAs of the ruling combine
and hence development may suffer
It is also seen that the talukas of Pernem Bicholim
Mormugao and Quepem have INC MLA' but they could not
be accomodated with Ministerial postings.
It is therefore possible that with two seats of the
twelve left --- one is kept for Mr Filipe Neri
Rodrigues whose case is subjudice and following the
disclosure of forgery of his signature on the true
copy -- remember the original is missing till date
from the Speakers office.
The other may go to Mr Francisco Mickey Pacheco MLA
Benaulim to avoid ruffled feathers before the time of
the Budget session in July 2005 or if the UGDP lone
MLA from Cansaulim Mr Mathany Saldhana does not
succumb to the offer made by the INC ---for a
Ministerial posting.
The Pernem MLA now sulking for having deprived of a
Ministerial berth may be granted the Parliamentary
Secretary post --- it may be noted that following
delimitation by the time the next elections in May
2007 the Pernem Assembly Constituency will be reserved
for SC and Mr Deshprabhu will not get to contest from
this Constituency. Obviously this is reason for denial
of the Ministerial berth though he was the one man
army who battled to bring down Mr Parrikar in the last
51 months --- this much for the loyalty he has shown
to the INC Party.
The lone women in the INC may now find a position as
Deputy Speaker
Therefore the only option available to the NCP is to
resign and earn the dissolution of the assembly -- but
this is a tall order ----- and none would dare such a
nightmare given that they have lost taste of "power"
for the past fifty one months and would not dare make
bigger holes in their pockets with the opportunity the
next twenty four months.
In fact the BJP insiders prefer to allow Dr Wilfred De
Souza and Mr Mickey Pacheco to tender their
resignations and trigger a political turmoil which
will pave the way for the BJP to resign en masse this
will meet their earlier demand for dissolution of the
House and would also avoid the embarrasment of the
ongoing court cases which would further see the
disqualification of the Siolim and Vasco da Gama MLAs
atleast by July and atleast one MLA may be implicated
in the forgery case in the next two months.
One should remember that governance by lawmakers MLAs
though is about being a statesman,
improving the quality of life of the citizens of the
State,
by enacting laws which which will achieve such
objectives,
in reality "governance" means how much of the 10% cut
one can extract from each Government tender or a
transfer or a posting --- this is besides the
"understanding" one arrives at --- in "mutal
settlement of cases" given that the Government is the
biggest litigant against its citizens.
Porfolios will be announced later next week according
to a senior INC MLA, as there are too many aspirants
for plum postings
a) Town & Country Planning --- which brings the real
estate business
b) Urban Development --- 1 Corporation and 13
Municipalities of A B C categories come under this
subject and these Municipalities are fast graduating
from township to cites and cosmopolitan cities even
Corporations -- development activity real estate
dealings
c) Power --- without Power no industry can run and
this is where the Minister holds the clout
d) Tourism with so many star hotels forming the
backdrop of Goas economy
e) Revenue
e) PWD --- Not now but the Goa Infrastructure
Development Corporation which gave Goans the Canacona
Bus stand the Aldona cable stayed bridge , INOX and
other 16 of the 22 projects which were to be completed
before 2007 is a plum portfolio
d) Irrigation PWD Agriculture are potential for
employment prospects
e) Health Education Transport Inland waterways are
taken with a pitch of salt these are departments which
register public ire for non performance
Hence the Chief Minister will need to do a balancing
act and demand performance before the next hustings.
from the Dona Paula end
GODFREY J I GONSALVES
BORDA MARGAO GOA
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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