TUESDAY, MAY 07, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: Nuvem MLA Aleixo Sequeira was sworn in as a minister in the Pramod Sawant-led cabinet on Sunday.
Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai administered the oath of Office and Secrecy to Sequeira in a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan, Dona Paula. Sequeira took the oath in English.
Chief Secretary Puneet Kumar Goel conducted the proceedings. Sequeira had held cabinet berths on two occasions in the past.
In September last year, Sequeira quit Congress and joined ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) along with seven other Congress MLAs.
Reacting to Sequeira being sworn-in as a minister, former CM and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat said that he was happy that Sequeira has been elevated to the State cabinet.
“The first priority was for Aleixo Sequeira,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the event.
Union Minister for State for Tourism and Ports, Shipping , Waterways Shripad Naik, Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar, Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Speaker Joshua D’Souza, MLAs, among others, attended the ceremony.
Felt awkward because Cabral had to resign for me: Sequeira
After being sworn-in, Sequeira said that he felt awkward and embarrassed that Nilesh Cabral had to resign to make way for his induction into cabinet.
“Nilesh has been a friend of mine. I am obliged to Nilesh and his OSD Lyndon Monteiro for helping me during my tenure as MLA,” Sequeira said.
The Cabinet Minister said that he will fulfil the commitment of the constituency with the help of the Chief Minister.
CM says need time to apply mind for allocating portfolios to Sequeira Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that he will require time to apply his mind to allocating portfolios to newly inducted minister Aleixo Sequeira.
When asked whether portfolios held by Cabral would be allocated to Sequeira, the Chief Minister declined to disclose the portfolios to be allocated to Sequeira.
He said, “Swearing in ceremony is just over. Let me apply my mind on what portfolios to give to the new minister.” He also parried a question when asked whether portfolios of other ministers would be reshuffled.
Speculation ends, Cabral’s resignation paves way for Aleixo’s induction
PANJIM: Ending speculations, Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral resigned as cabinet minister on Sunday morning paving the way for induction of Nuvem MLA Aleixo Sequeira in the State cabinet led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
Cabral sent his resignation letter to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and the same was accepted.
Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister said he requested Cabral to resign in the interest of the party and Cabral obliged to the request.
Sawant also said that cabinet berth to Sequeira was a commitment given by the party and the same was fulfilled. He said in difficult situations only core members of the party are chosen to make sacrifices.
Later speaking to reporters, Cabral also said, “I was told by the party leadership to make a sacrifice and that I did the same.”
For me, development of the Curchorem constituency was important, not any position.”
Later in the evening, Sequeira was inducted in place of Cabral and the swearing-in ceremony was held at Raj Bhavan, Dona Pula, in the evening.
The speculation about Cabral's ouster from the cabinet was rife since Saturday. However, both -- Cabral and the Chief Minister denied it.
“Nobody has told me to resign as Minister. I should know the reasons for stepping down. When time comes, I will see what is to be done,” Cabral had told O Heraldo, when contacted.
Cabral also had out-rightly condemned a news report appearing in a vernacular press about an alleged job recruitment scam in his department.
“I will not only resign but retire from active politics if any one of the selected candidates says that he had paid me money to get the job. I am a man of principles. I travel without PSO. I know my role. I work hard and do social work,” he said, adding that the ministry was not important to him.
There were rumours in the State for the last few days that the BJP high command has instructed Cabral to resign as Minister so as to accommodate Sequeira, who along with seven rebel Congress MLAs switched over to BJP in September last year.
The three-time MLA, Cabral held portfolios like Public Works Department, Environment and Law, Judiciary and Legislative Affairs.
Resigned as I was asked by party leadership to do so: Cabral
Says position is not important, people are important as they made him an MLA
PANJIM: Former Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Nilesh Cabral on Sunday said that he resigned as minister in the Pramod Sawant-led cabinet as he was requested by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership to do so.
Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat, Porvorim, Cabral said, “I was asked to resign because I am the original party worker. The party has faith in us that we will remain with the party and work for it. That is why they asked me to resign. Position is not important, people are important as they have made me an MLA.”
“When I was made a Minister five years back by then Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar, there were five more MLAs besides me but I was chosen. It was my commitment to the party which made him (Parrikar) to choose me for the post,” he said.
Refuting the allegations of job scams levelled against him, Cabral said if the charges are proved, he will resign as an MLA also and quit politics.
“Only one newspaper published the news of a job scam. The news is politically motivated. I will not spare them. It takes years to build a reputation but it takes only minutes to damage it. Let them prove the allegations. If proved, then I will resign as an MLA also and quit politics. I am not going to spare anyone,” Cabral said.
The Curchorem MLA said many of his workers were upset over the news of his ouster from the cabinet but he convinced them that he will remain with them and people’s work will be his responsibility.
Cabral said as long as he is in politics, former Goa Chief Minister late Parrikar will remain his role model.
“As long as I am in politics, Manohar Parrikar will remain my role model. Pramod Sawant cannot be my role model because he is not my senior. He can be a role model of those who will get elected as an MLA now. I have learnt a lot from Manohar Parrikar,” he said.
