Parrikar leaves for US, 3-member min panel to run govt

Panaji: Chief minister Manohar Parrikar left for the US on Tuesday night from Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai to undergo expert medical treatment. Parrikar, who was treated for pancreatitis and went to Lilavati on Monday, was advised by the doctors to travel to the US for medical care.
Sources said Parrikar would be away for six-eight weeks.

On Monday, before leaving for Mumbai, Parrikar constituted a three-member cabinet advisory committee and authorised them to “unanimously” sanction up to Rs 5 crore for emergency financial needs including administrative expenses. The three-member ministerial panel of Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar, Vijai Sardesai and Francis D’Souza is expected to meet once every week.

Parrikar also issued separate orders to the chief secretary and the principal secretary to the chief minister with regard to routine administrative matters and instructed them to forward daily reports of all important matters in the state. He also directed the chief secretary to seek his directions or orders through email or telephone if any doubt arises.

“If there are any emergency financial needs over and above Rs 5 crore, the ministerial committee will have to take the chief minister’s sanction. They can either do it via video conferencing or over email,” a senior government official told TOI.

The official also said each minister has been given authorisation to sanction up to Rs 1 crore for their departmental work.

The official said for any policy-related issues the chief secretary will consult the principal secretary to the chief minister and after they arrive at a decision, they would again approach Parrikar for his sanction.

“Most of the budget-related requirements have been cleared by the chief minister before he left Goa. As for the portfolios held by him (Parrikar holds 20 portfolios, including home, finance, education, industries and mines), the three-member committee will meet and take a unanimous decision, which will then be conveyed to him for his sanction,” the official said.

“Cabinet meetings and decisions can be done by circulating a note and taking approval of the ministers. If there is any urgent need for the cabinet to meet, then the chief minister can participate via video conferencing or nominate any minister to chair the meeting. Currently, he hasn’t given the charge to any minister,” the official said.

All arrangements made by the chief minister for running of the government in his absence have been conveyed to the governor, the official added.

On February 15, Parrikar was admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai and was treated for pancreatitis. A week later, he was discharged and presented his budget. On February 25, he was again admitted to Goa Medical College and Hospital due to dehydration and was discharged on March 1.