Panaji, Aug 14 The Governor, Mr S C Jamir today sworn in Mr Churchill Alemao, the Save Goa Front MLA from Navelim, as a minister in the state cabinet headed by Mr Digambar Kamat. He was latter allotted public works department and co-operation portfolio.
Mr Alemao, who arrived 15 minutes late for the ceremony, took the oath of office and secrecy in Konkani. He has been inducted into the cabinet following vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr Ramkrishna Dhavlikar. His supporters accorded him rousing welcome on his arrival at the Raj Bhavan.
Mr Alemao, who was co-chairman and spokesman of the Goa Democratic Alliance had late last night withdrawn support to the GDA and extended it to the Congress-led government.
The swearing-in ceremony was held late this evening at the Raj Bhavan in the presence of the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat, the Home Minister, Mr Ravi Naik, the Finance Minister, Mr Dayanand Narvekar, the Health Minister, Mr Vishwajit Rane and the Water Resources Minister, Mr Filipe Neri Rodrigues.
Others present included the Revenue Minister, Mr Jose Philip D’Souza, the Transport Minister, Mr Pandurang Madkaikar, the Urban Development Minister, Mt Joaquim Alemao, the Panchayat Minister, Mr Manohar Azgaonkar and the Deputy Speaker, Mr Mauvin Godinho.
Also present on the occasion were MLAs, Mr Chandrakant Kavlekar, Mr Shyam Satardekar, Mr Nilkanth Halarnkar and the CCP mayor, Mr Tony Rodrigues.
Also present were many senior Congress leaders, including Mr Ramakant Khalap, senior state officials and a large number of supporters of Mr Alemao. Earlier, the Chief Secretary, Mr J P Singh read out order of appointment of Mr Alemao as a minister in Goa cabinet.
Later addressing reporters, the Chief Minister said that he would welcome further support to his government, even as he said that no one has approached him so far to extend support but he did not rule out more support coming to him in future and that they come at the last moment to extend the help.
He said that all those who have extended support to him (Mr Atanasio Monserrate, Mr Churchill Alemao and Mr Reginaldo Lourenco) were ideologically with the Congress and had been in the Congress and had affinity to it.
Mr Kamat also said that these MLAs would have never been comfortable in the company of the Bharatiya Janata Party as their ideologies would have never met with one another, adding that they must have realised about it during their short stint of 15-20 days with the saffron party.
He also said that there would not be any change in the regional plan following the support extended by Mr Monserrate, even as he went on to add that the new regional plan would be prepared as per the promises made in the Congress manifesto and that there would be no deviation from the party’s stand.
He denied that there would be reshuffling of portfolios even as he said that he would allot one additional portfolio to his colleagues. He also denied that disqualification petition against Ms Victoria Fernandes has been dropped or that she has approached him to extend her help to him.
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