Nilkanth joins Kamat team
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, JUNE 8
Ending days of speculation, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Thivim member of the legislative assembly Nilkanth Halarnkar was sworn into the 12-member State cabinet headed by Digambar Kamat, at a function held at Raj Bhavan this evening.
Nilkanth was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Shivendra Singh Sidhu after Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco submitted his resignation four days ago following his questioning by the Crime Branch in connection with Nadia Torrado’s death case.
Prominent among those who attended the swearing in ceremony included Kamat, Home Minister Ravi Naik, Revenue Minister Jose Philip De Sousa, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, PWD Minister Churchill Alemao, Education Minister Atanasio Monserrate, Transport Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, , Alexio Reginald and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Francis D’Souza.
Conspicuous by their absence were several ministers and legislators belonging to the Congress.
Although Nilkanth was sworn in he was not allotted any portfolios as of now.
When questioned Chief Minister Digamabar Kamat told reporters here that it will be decided soon.
“We will decide on what portfolios to be given to him within two days,” Kamat told reporters here.
Soon after their MLA Halarnkar was sworn in as a minister, the NCP State unit has demanded that all portfolios held by the former minister Mickky Pacheco should be handed over to the new minister.
Pacheco was holding the portfolios of tourism, Captain of Ports (CoP) and Goa Housing Board (GHB).
“The portfolios of tourism, CoPs and GHB should be given to the new minister,” the party’s State President Dr Carmo Pegado told Herald this evening after the swearing in ceremony.
Asked whether they have placed their demands before the chief minister, Pegado said, “No we have not demanded as yet.”
“The chief minister has respected the coalition dharma and given cabinet berth to Nilkanth and so we expect that he will not do any injustice.”
