JACKPOT: One of the few MLAs who remained loyal to the BJP has been rewarded with the very lucrative Public Works Department (PWD). However, power seems to have gone to his head, when questioned about the steep hike in petrol prices, he advised people to buy electric vehicles.

Taleigao strongman Atanasio Monserrate, who got the ticket for the Panjim seat in confidence that he will win all the five seats in Tiswadi for the BJP, has now been dumped into the waste management department. Babush could barely maintain his own seat by a margin of 700 votes. Jennifer got a larger margin than Babush and this must have hurt his ego.

By Rajan Narayan

The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has not satisfied any of his ministers expecting specific portfolios considered most and more remunerative. Historically, the most coveted portfolios are Town & Country Planning (TCP) and Public Works Department (PWD). The CM has reduced the attractiveness of the TCP portfolio by reducing the TCP minister to a puppet.
Under the latest amendment to the Town & Country Planning Act all conversions will be decided by a technical committee of the TCP. The earlier approval of the minister of the decision of the technical committee has been withdrawn. This has reduced the TCP minister to being a toothless tiger. This is why Atanasio Babush Monserrate rejected the offer of the TCP portfolio.
The biggest gainer in the allotment of portfolios is Vishwajit Rane. He was the top contender for the chief minister’s post but had to bow out. But to satisfy the greed of Vishwajit Rane and prevent him from revolting, he has been given not only the TCP portfolio but also the Urban Development portfolio, in addition to his existing Health portfolio. So now Vishwajit Rane has multiple avenues to provide government jobs to all his resident voters in the constituencies of Valpoi and Poriem constituency.
Vishwajit can use the forest portfolio to give his voters jobs as forest guards. The Urban Development Department gives him control over all municipalities including the Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP). Under the pretense of promoting women and child development, he can provide jobs in anganwadi and balwadi.
Mauvin Godinho, also expecting heavyweight portfolio, cannot be very happy. He has to be content with the Transport Ministry, Industries, Panchayats and Protocol. The Transport ministry offers opportunities, particularly in contracts for the purchase of electric buses and electric charging stations. The Industries Department also offers attractive opportunities as speed money for early clearance is very common in the disposal of industrial projects.
Ravi Naik has not got the reward he expected for suddenly switching over from Congress to the BJP just before the election. He has to be content with agriculture, which is virtually dead in Goa. The other two portfolios he has been given are also minor consisting of handicrafts and civil supplies.

PWD REWARD FOR NILESH CABRAL
THE only BJP loyalist who has stood by the party has been rewarded with the most profitable PWD portfolio. Almost 80% of the new projects ranging from roads to government buildings come under the PWD. Except that Nilesh Cabral will also inherit the huge debt burden of his predecessor. The PWD had virtually stopped paying contractors in the last two years on the excuse of the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Pramod Sawant has made the tourism industry happy by appointing a minister who will understand their requirements. The tourism portfolio goes to Porvorim MLA Rohan Khante, whose brother Rajesh Khaunte has a minor presence in the tourism industry in the form of a nightclub in Panaji (it’s called Café Mojo). However, their uncle, Anil Khaunte, owns a beach resort at Baga beach called Ronil. The Alcon Group (Anil) also owns O’Coqueiro restaurant at Porvorim. The Gaspar Dias Club and the Panjim Gymkhana are controlled by his brother Rajesh Khaunte.
The Travel & Tourism Association should be happy with the appointment of Rohan Khaunte as tourism minister. Rohan has also been allotted the information technology portfolio. Hopefully, he will exploit the potential of Goa by inviting the Infotech companies to come to Goa. More than two decades ago when Manohar Parrikar was the chief minister, the then IT minister Ramakant Khalap had organized a mega conference which was attended by all the leaders including Narayan Murthy and Azim Premji. They were expected to have dinner with Manohar Parrikar. But instead of meeting the IT czars, Parrikar was more interested in inspecting the progress of Indian Film Festival of India. Mangalore beat Goa and got the piece of IT cake and also several call centers. Though Goa is ideal for setting up specialized medical and legal transcription units, the manpower for training Goans for medical transcription does not exists in Goa
Subhash Shirodkar has got Water Resources Development portfolio. He will have to be very careful in recruiting staff for his department. It may be recalled that his predecessor was accused of collecting huge amounts of money from junior engineers for giving them jobs in the Water Resources Department. Shirodkar has also been given a corporation which is supposed to supervise all the cooperative banks like the Mapusa Urban and the Margao Urban.
Unfortunately for Shirodkar most of the co-operative banks in Goa have been closed by the Reserve Bank of India for violating lending norms. While Mapusa Urban was controlled by Ramakant Kalap, Margao Urban was under the control of Digambar Kamat. Most of the depositors have not yet got back their money.

MOST BITTER?
THE most bitter of the ministers is Atanasio Monseratte. Babush was hoping to get both the TCP and PWD portfolios. But then it is Babush’s own fault as he failed to deliver on his promise that he will get all the five seats in Tiswadi for the BJP. His candidates lost St Cruz, Cumbarjua and St Andre seats. Babush himself won by a narrow margin of 700 votes. Babush is literally in the dumps because he has been given the waste management portfolio earlier held by Michael Lobo. But he has inherited the Revenue Department portfolio formerly held by his wife Jennifer Monserrate. This will help him provide ration cards and domicile certificates to his vote banks of labor and the Muslim community.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has retained both the Finance and Home portfolios besides Personnel which is responsible for the appointment and transfer of bureaucrats. He has also kept un-allotted portfolios like education for himself. A source of worry is that he has kept the Official Languages portfolio, which may be a cause for concern for Konkani mogi. In terms of good news Govind Gaude has retained the Art & Culture portfolio and besides has got the Sports and Rural Development portfolios.