CM lands in US for treatment, but retains control of govt

Panaji: Chief minister Manohar Parrikar has landed in the US at 5.30pm (Indian time) on Wednesday and will undergo further treatment, the chief minister’s office said here in a statement. “He is fine,” the statement read.
Though Parrikar had constituted a three-member ministerial panel to act in his absence as the cabinet advisory committee, he has retained most of the powers with himself.

Parrikar, who was treated for pancreatitis and went for a medical checkup to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on Monday, was advised by the doctors to travel to the US for expert medical care.

Before leaving for Mumbai, the chief minister, in a three-page communication to governor Mridula Sinha, had spelt out the arrangements that he had made for the disposal of government business.

The letter states: “No order shall be issued as regards any major or important matters concerning the portfolios of finance, home, personnel and general administration (all held by him) until the same are approved by me and my approval is duly communicated in the manner as I have directed the chief secretary.”

Parrikar also made it clear that chief secretary Dharmendra Sharma and principal secretary to the chief minister P Krishnamurthy will forward “daily reports of the happenings and events in the state covering all important matters” to him. And in case of any doubt, the chief secretary “shall through email or telephonically” contact Parrikar and “seek directions/orders”, the letter said.

Urban development minister Francis D’Souza, one of the members in the cabinet advisory committee, said while the panel will decide on certain important issues, all minor issues will be cleared by Krishnamurthy after discussing it with Parrikar.

The three-member committee also held an informal meeting on Wednesday. “We’ll have a formal meeting once we get a copy of the order (detailing the temporary arrangement put in place for running the state affairs) issued by the CM to the governor. We discussed about the mining issue, as it is the most important one,” PWD minister Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar, who is one of the members, told TOI.

Meanwhile, Aires Rodrigues, an advocate, served a legal notice to the chief secretary demanding that the alleged “illegal and unconstitutional order” constituting the committee be rescinded or he would be constrained to move the high court.

Rodrigues has stated that in terms of Article 163 of the Constitution, it is necessary to a have a council of ministers headed by the chief minister and that upon his recommendations, the governor allocates the portfolios to the individual ministers while the ministers have jurisdiction confined to their ministries.

Rodrigues also said that with the chief minister indisposed, the ruling dispensation must elect a new legislative leader, who can run the affairs of the government and discharge powers and functions of the chief minister.

The notice said that the fact that the chief minister constituted a cabinet advisory committee reveals that Parrikar is no longer in a position to function and discharge his duties as a chief minister.