The bureaucratic reshuffle was not just desired by the Chief Minister but all other ministers and MLAs, as they believed that some officers, holding a posting for more than five years, had become very rigid and at times would even reject proposals made by the ministers. If one may recall, even when late Manohar Parrikar was sick and taking treatment at home, alliance partners including Vijai Sardesai, Rohan Khaunte and others wanted the then CM to transfer some bureaucrats as the latter were not obeying the ministers’ orders. However, Sawant had to wait for nearly three months before taking the decision as he took over when the model code of conduct was in force and had to bear with the situation till it was lifted.
One such officer who had been handling the same department for a long period was Michael D’Souza, who was appointed Joint Secretary Finance by Parrikar, as also other officers including Yatindra Maralkar, Nikhil Desai, Prasanna Acharya who had been placed at strategic positions to control the administration. Michael D’Souza in particular was in the Finance Department for a long time and Parrikar had admitted to a few journalists that the officer played a key role in steering Goa’s economy and controlling expenses even when the State was looking down the barrel due to the mining crisis.
Interestingly, sources have revealed that D’Souza had also refused to clear a few files of the Goa Legislative Assembly when Sawant was the Speaker. Besides, he had also created hindrances for Sawant, who was GSIDC chairman earlier. One opines that though D’Souza had been shunted out, there is no proper replacement who can steer the State’s economy in current crisis when the State is borrowing every month from one institution or the other. D’Souza had been quite familiar with how things had to be handled. Masurkar, who is the new appointee, has still not proved that he can shoulder that responsibility.
On June 18, in a major bureaucratic reshuffle, the State government transferred 37 civil service officers ‘in public interest’ with immediate effect. The major reshuffle included the transfer of Additional Secretary to Chief Minister and Finance D’Souza, who has now been posted as additional secretary Housing. D’Souza had been holding both positions since 2012 after Parrikar elevated him to his core team. In his place comes additional secretary health, Sunil Masurkar, who takes over as additional secretary finance.
Another surprising development was the removal of Nikhil Dessai from the post of Director of Transport. His removal is a result of a series of complaints from tourist taxi operators of harassment. Dessai, who continues to be Managing Director of Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), has now been replaced by Rajan Satardekar in the Transport Department. Similarly, the government has appointed Ashutosh Apte as the new Director of Mines and Geology. The department was without a full-time chief for nearly six months after its then director Prasanna Acharya was shunted out. Acharya, who was awaiting a posting since February, has now been posted as Additional Collector South Goa District. While Acharya was handling mines confidently after the mess created by others, Desai’s removal has sent a wrong signal as taxi operators have been demanding his removal for quite some time now. Interestingly, this seems to be just the first part about the transfers and sources reveal that other confidantes of Parrikar will get the boot in the next round that is to come. The transfers are an indication by Sawant to officers – fall in line or fall out.
