from Ares
for Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji (GA)

Panaji, Aug 5: State chief minister Digamber Kamat inducted a United Goans Democratic Party (unattached) legislator Atanasio Monserratte into the state cabinet dropping a Congress minister on Tuesday August 5.

The senior most Congress minister Dayanand Narvekar, who was holding finance portfolio in the Kamat-led cabinet, faced axe to pave way for UGDP legislator. The Congress reshuffled the cabinet to adhere to the assurance given by it to Monserratte last year.

Governor S S Sidhu administered oath of secrecy to the newly-inducted minister.

The UGDP legislator, whose controversial ministerial stint was curtailed in 2006 after massive protest against the regional plan accusing him of being the mastermind behind the plan, which feared to rob State of its greenery.

The change in cabinet came after much deliberation on the issue which saw Narvekar initially reluctant to put down his papers and later conceded only after Congress High Command persisted with its demand.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary B K Hariprasad, who was commissioned by the Congress high command, to settle the issue, was camping in the State since last week.

The AICC GS had left for Delhi on Sunday August 3 evening only to come back a day later to axe Narvekar and induct Monserratte.

The newly-sworn minister is being rewarded for his contribution for saving the Kamat-led government during crisis last year. Monserratte had supported the chief minister after the government plunged into crisis.

"The Congress has fulfilled its promise. I am thankful to Narvekar for resigning from the post so that the party could induct Monserratte," Kamat told reporters little before the swearing in ceremony held at Raj Bhavan this evening.

Though the congress managed to execute its promise, the decision seems not to have gone well within the congress cadre which was evident from the fact that majority of the congress legislators and ministers were absent for the swearing in.

Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Fransisco Sardinha was himself absent for the swearing in.  

With the development today, the long pending demand of alliance partner in Kamat led government was fulfilled.

The Nationalist Congress Party earlier had demanded that Narvekar be stripped off his finance portfolio. 

Kamat today stated that he would retain the finance portfolio with him.

The alliance partners were demanding that the chief minister should retain the finance portfolio as `it would ease the developmental process in the state.'